Advertisement

Pac-12 basketball power rankings: Arizona State rising with surprise 4-0 conference start

jeremy cluff, arizona republic
·4 min read
1

There's a surprise team at the top of the Pac-12 men's basketball standings four games into conference play.

Arizona State.

Arizona State?

Yes, Arizona State.

Bobby Hurley's Sun Devils are off to a 4-0 start in Pac-12 games, tied with Oregon for first in the conference. ASU is 10-5 overall.

After dropping three straight non-conference games before the start of conference play (At San Diego, vs. TCU in Texas, vs. Northwestern in Phoenix), the Sun Devils have beat Stanford (76-73) and California (71-69) on the road and Utah (82-70) and Colorado (76-73) at home to start conference play without a blemish and to prompt one writer to call the Sun Devils the "Cinderella of the Pac-12."

Can ASU keep this up? Arizona State next plays in Washington on Thursday before hosting UCLA on Jan. 17 and USC on Jan. 20.

For now, ASU is on the rise in recent Pac-12 basketball power rankings, where writers are singing the Sun Devils' praises four games into the season.

More: Arizona State basketball hangs on to edge Colorado, remains unbeaten in Pac-12 play

The Register-Guard: ASU basketball up seven spots to No. 3

Chris Hansen writes: "The surprising Sun Devils are off to great start for a team that entered conference play at 6-5 and on a three-game losing streak. But ASU has shown an ability to win the close games. Its victories against Stanford, California and Colorado have come by a combined eight points."

San Jose Mercury News: Arizona State Sun Devils up three spots to No. 3

Jon Wilner writes: "Of ASU’s four conference wins, three have come by three points or less and two have the same final score (76-73). The Sun Devils are built for life on the knife’s edge. But are they good enough to succeed more often than not?"

More: Arizona State men's basketball upsets Utah in home Pac-12 opener

Autzen Zoo: ASU ranked No. 9 in latest Pac-12 power ranking

Sam Farriss writes: "Similarly to Washington State, the Sun Devils had dropped some must win games. They too lost to Mississippi State as well as BYU, San Diego, TCU and Northwestern. These five losses have held them back from boasting claim to a strong Pac-12 ranking despite the fact that they are undefeated in the conference so far. Through four conference games, ASU has defeated Colorado, Utah, Cal, and Stanford in wildly close games. If the team can keep this effort up, it would be hard to argue against giving them a top seed for the Pac-12 tournament in March. Playing the Ducks just one in the regular season, the Sun Devils will be in Eugene on January 25th."

ASU guards Frankie Collins and Adam Miller (44) celebrate a win against Colorado during a game at Desert Financial Arena. The Sun Devils are 4-0 in Pac-12 play to start conference games.
ASU guards Frankie Collins and Adam Miller (44) celebrate a win against Colorado during a game at Desert Financial Arena. The Sun Devils are 4-0 in Pac-12 play to start conference games.

CBB Review: Sun Devils up three spots to No. 5

Drew VonScio writes: "What a week it was for Arizona State who pulled off not one, but two upsets! Jose Perez dropped 26 points with Frankie Collins adding 19 in the win over Utah. The Sun Devils shooting 50% from the field in both halves certainly helped that effort despite losing the rebound battle. Arizona State thrived in the paint with 36 points against the Utes and 28 against the Buffaloes. In the win over Colorado, it was Jamiya Neal’s 19 points and 7 rebounds that led the way along with Adam Miller putting up 18. Arizona State could perhaps be the Cinderella team of the Pac-12 if these results continue."

More: Frankie Collins ignites Arizona State basketball to thrilling comeback win over Cal

FanSided: Arizona State now ranked No. 5 in Pac-12 power ranking

Mason Duhon writes: "Arizona State is quickly looking like a team that was finding itself during non-conference play and figured it out just in time to cause problems in the Pac-12 slate. The Sun Devils looked frail in the season opener, falling to Mississippi State by 15 points. Just a few weeks later, they lost by over 25 points to BYU. Sandwiched in between were a pair of wins, one of them coming over UMass Lowell, who currently sits at 10-4). The Sun Devils won their next four games after the BYU loss, but fell flat on their faces just ahead of conference play, dropping the next three straight games against San Diego, TCU, and Northwestern. Conference play, though, has been an entirely different story. They started on the right foot, defeating Stanford by 3 points and Cal by 2 points on the road trip, and Arizona State is currently 4-0 in Pac-12 play."

More: Arizona State men's basketball rallies to beat Stanford in Pac-12 opener

Reach Jeremy Cluff at jeremy.cluff@arizonarepublic.com. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter @Jeremy_Cluff.

Support local journalism: Subscribe to azcentral.com today.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Pac-12 basketball power rankings: ASU Sun Devils surprising, rising