The Best of the West offers fans a candid assessment of the top teams in the western third of the country — a collection that includes the Mountain West and the former Pac-12 schools now scattered across the ACC, Big 12, Big Ten and West Coast Conference.
1. UCLA (11-2/2-0 Big Ten)
Last week: 1
Results: beat Gonzaga 65-62
NET ranking: 14
UCLA's Eric Dailey Jr. dribbles during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against the Gonzaga Bulldogs Saturday, Dec. 28, 2024, in Los Angeles.
Next up: at Nebraska (Saturday)
Comment: The Bruins were a blown lead against North Carolina away from sweeping the Tar Heels, Oregon, Arizona and Gonzaga across four consecutive December weekends. (Tough to complain about winning three of the four.)
2. Gonzaga (10-4/1-0 West Coast Conference)
Last week: 2
Results: lost to UCLA 65-62, beat Pepperdine 89-72
NET ranking: 7
Next up: vs. Portland (Thursday)
Comment: The Zags lost to UConn, Kentucky and UCLA by a combined 10 points, a series of results that arguably reflects a team good enough to reach the Elite Eight but not make the Final Four.
3. Utah State (12-1/2-0 Mountain West)
Last week: 6
Results: beat San Diego State 67-66
NET ranking: 26
Next up: at Nevada (Tuesday)
Comment: Granted, UC San Diego is having a surprisingly impressive season. But Utah State's home loss to the Tritons makes less sense with each passing day as the Aggies stack wins over possible NCAA Tournament teams.
4. San Diego State (8-3/1-1 Mountain West)
Last week: 3
Results: lost to Utah State 67-66
NET ranking: 48
Next up: at Boise State (Saturday)
Comment: No secret to which end of the floor needs work: The Aztecs are 14th nationally in adjusted defensive efficiency (per the Pomeroy ratings) and 82nd on the offensive side.
5. Arizona State (9-2)
Last week: 4
Results: Did not play
NET ranking: 51
Next up: at BYU (Tuesday)
Comment: There will be no easing into the Big 12 schedule for ASU, which opens conference play in Provo and makes the pilgrimage to Allen Fieldhouse next week.
6. Oregon (12-1/1-1 Big Ten)
Last week: 5
Results: beat Weber State 89-49
NET ranking: 10
Next up: vs. Illinois (Thursday)
Comment: Unless something goes completely haywire in the fabulous SEC, Oregon's wins over Texas A&M and Alabama should provide plenty of résumé cushion as the Ducks navigate the Big Ten.
7. Saint Mary's (11-3/1-0 West Coast Conference)
Last week: 7
Results: beat Pacific 70-60
NET ranking: 55
Next up: vs. Pepperdine (Thursday)
Comment: The Gaels don't have any bad losses to this point. The problem is their lineup of victories: Seven are of the Quadrant IV variety — and that imbalance doesn't figure to improved substantially in WCC play.
8. Colorado (9-3/0-1 Big 12)
Last week: 8
Results: lost to Iowa State 79-69
NET ranking: 84
Next up: at Arizona State (Saturday)
Comment: Home losses in the Big 12 are far more damaging than they were in the Pac-12 because winning on the road in conference play is vastly more difficult.
9. Arizona (7-5/1-0 Big 12)
Last week: 9
Results: beat TCU 90-81
NET ranking: 24
Arizona Wildcats forward Tobe Awaka (30) and TCU Horned Frogs guard Vasean Allette (3) get tangled up over a loose ball in the second half during a game at McKale Center in Tucson on Dec. 30, 2024. UA won 90-81.
Next up: at Cincinnati (Saturday)
Comment: If Caleb Love plays like that, well, sure: Count the Wildcats as a contender in the Big 12. But Love might go weeks before he makes four 3-pointers in a game, much less match the five he drained against TCU.
10. Washington State (12-3/2-0 West Coast Conference)
Last week: 11
Results: beat Portland 89-73 and LMU 73-59
NET ranking: 67
Next up: vs. San Francisco (Saturday)
Comment: Yes, it feels weird to type West Coast Conference next to WSU's name. Not sure how long it will take the Hotline to get used to it. (Probably until June 30, 2026.)
11. New Mexico (10-3/2-0)
Last week: 10
Results: beat Colorado State 76-68
NET ranking: 78
Next up: at Fresno State (Tuesday)
Comment: How many first-rate wins are required to offset the loss to New Mexico State? The Hotline's supercomputer has run 10,000 simulations so far without an answer.
12. Boise State (10-3/2-0 Mountain West)
Last week: 12
Results: beat San Jose State 73-71
NET ranking: 54
Next up: at Wyoming (Tuesday)
Comment: The Broncos could win by 50 or lose by 50 tonight in Laramie, and nobody in Boise will even notice.
13. BYU (9-2)
Last week: 13
Results: Did not play
NET ranking: 46
Next up: vs. Arizona State (Tuesday)
Comment: With a nonconference schedule ranked 350th (by Pomeroy) and no Quad I wins thus far, the Cougars are in danger of much worse treatment from the NCAA Tournament selection committee than they received from its College Football Playoff counterpart.
14. UC San Diego (12-2/2-0 Big West)
Last week: Not ranked
Results: beat Occidental 109-51
NET ranking: 58
Next up: at Fullerton (Saturday)
Comment: We were curious, and you might be, too: The Tritons' first showdown with UC Irvine is Jan. 11 at LionTree Arena; the second meeting, in Irvine, is set for early February.
15. Oregon State (11-3/1-0 West Coast Conference)
Last week: 14
Results: lost to Oakland 80-74, beat Portland 89-79
NET ranking: 56
Next up: at LMU (Thursday)
Comment: Not on our bingo card for 2024-25: Oregon State owning a top-60 NET ranking halfway through the season, especially with a fairly weak nonconference schedule.
Also considered: Cal, Grand Canyon, Nevada, San Francisco, Stanford, UC Irvine, USC and Utah
