Looking over the Pac-12 composite schedule, Wednesday appears to be a safe day to publish the blog’s inaugural power rankings. Thankfully I never released my first poll. Boy was I off. And I’m still not sure what’s going to happen beyond No. 4 Stanford winning an 12th-straight title and Utah finishing last.
But I’m definitely playing more respect to newcomer Colorado, which plays at Washington on Thursday for the first time since 2004. The Buffs (12-0, 1-0 Pac-12) are one of six remaining undefeated teams in the country and hold a 6-2 edge against the Huskies (8-4, 0-2).
CU is from the Big 12, a conference that currently has the top RPI rating in NCAA women’s hoops. The Pac-12 is fifth. Colorado’s individual rating is 88th while Washington’s is 129th.
The Buffs lack size and experience, but feel confident they can make a splash in their new league. Here’s how they and the remaining Pac-12 teams rank after Week 1 of action.
For this week’s full schedule, click here. For the “Last Week” reference, see the team-by-team preview done for the newspaper in December.
Ranking (Last Week) Team (Record): Comment
1. (1) Stanford (11-1, 2-0): Bounced back from sketchy start against USC to thump UCLA.
2. (6) USC (6-6, 1-1): Proving life can continue without star Jacki Gemelos.
3. (5) Colorado (12-0, 1-0): Real conference introduction this week v Washington schools.
4. (8) WSU (8-6, 2-0): Swept Oregon schools for for first time since 1994-95.
5. (3) ASU (10-2, 1-0): Secured needed win over rival Arizona, but still lacks offensive fire.
6. (4) Arizona (11-2, 0-1): Had six-game win streak snapped in 60-45 loss to ASU.
7. (2) California (9-5, 0-2): Puzzling start after feeling disrespected in nonconference play.
8. (11) OSU (10-3, 1-1): Beavers unearthed some solid talent, could do better than expected.
9. (7) UCLA (6-7, 1-1): Matchup at ASU on Saturday will be televised on ROOT Sports.
10. (10) Oregon (9-5, 1-1): PG Nia Jackson knee fine, played season-high 30min. v UW.
11. (8) Washington (8-4, 0-2): Missed a combined 14 FTs in two losses by combined seven points.
12. (12) Utah (7-5, 0-1): Played strong against Colorado, but lacks depth.
The Player’s of the Week:
Pac-12 POW: WSU G Jazmine Perkins.
WCC POW: San Diego F Morgan Woodrow.
Big Sky POW: Sacramento State F Kylie Kuhns.
My Golden Apple: WSU G Jazmine Perkins.
Play it back: Here’s Colorado coach Linda Lappe talking about upcoming Pac-12 season.