Oregon
Pac-12 men’s basketball power rankings: UCLA hits rock bottom as Oregon, ASU surge
Despite a surprising loss to Stanford during the first week of conference play, Arizona still has the resume and the talent to remain at the top of the Pac-12 men’s basketball power rankings.
But Oregon and Arizona State, who are tied for first place in the conference standings at 4-0, are giving chase.
That can’t be said for traditional power UCLA, a program that is reeling and has just one win over the last six weeks.
Here’s our latest Pac-12 men’s basketball power rankings.
1. Arizona
Last week: 1
What to know: The Wildcats looked vulnerable after losing three times in five games — including to Stanford — but they bounced back in a big way as they walloped both Colorado and Utah over the weekend to get back on track.
2. Oregon
Last week: 5
What to know: The shorthanded Ducks are 8-1 since the start of December and are 4-0 in games decided by five points or less during that stretch. Now they’re on the verge of getting N’Faly Dante back. The 7-0 all-conference center hasn’t played since the season-opener when he had 16 points and 21 rebounds against Georgia.
3. Arizona State
Last week: 10
What to know: 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.
4. Colorado
Last week: 2
What to know: The Buffaloes are coming off a tough road trip to the desert where they were swept by Arizona and Arizona State. Colorado has had injury issues recently, with star freshman Cody Williams out the last seven games with a wrist injury. Guard Julian Hammond III didn’t play against ASU with a back issue, though forward Tristan da Silva returned Saturday from his three-game absence due to an ankle injury.
5. Utah
Last week: 3
What to know: The Utes were the hottest team in the conference last week as they took an eight-game winning streak to the desert. But humbling losses to Arizona State (82-70) and Arizona (92-73) have knocked Utah down a couple pegs. Star big man Branden Carlson scored just seven points against the Wildcats despite coming in with an 18.5-point average.
6. Stanford
Last week: 11
What to know: The Cardinal have the biggest upset of the conference season thus far with their 100-82 victory against Arizona on New Year’s Eve Day. They followed with a win against UCLA at Pauley Pavilion on Jan. 3. Stanford’s gonna be a tough out for every team in the conference this season.
7. Southern California
Last week: 7
What to know: Have the Trojans finally flipped the switch? After going 1-5 in December, including losses to Oregon and Oregon State to start conference play, USC swept its home series against California and Stanford to get its record back over .500 at 8-7.
8. Washington
Last week: 4
What to know: The Huskies are the best of the five 1-3 teams in the conference, and certainly the most talented (unless UCLA’s collection of future stars start playing to their potential). Their three Pac-12 losses were by a combined 11 points to 11-4 Colorado, 11-4 Utah and 12-3 Oregon.
9. Washington State
Last week: 6
What to know: The Cougars have built a nice overall record (10-5) thanks to early games against inferior teams. Now they’ve lost four of their last six with their only conference win coming against Oregon State.
10. Oregon State
Last week: 9
What to know: The Beavers have to figure out a way to finish off close games. In their three Pac-12 losses, they’ve been beaten by an average of seven points and with chances to flip the outcome late in each game. Their one victory was a 14-point win against USC.
11. California
Last week: 12
What to know: The Golden Bears ended their 19-game Pac-12 losing streak in style on Saturday, beating UCLA at Pauley Pavilion, the most iconic home court in the conference. Yes, the Bruins are having a bad season, but it was still a win that California desperately needed just to put the losing streak in the past.
12. UCLA
Last week: 8
What to know: The Bruins have hit rock bottom. They’ve lost four straight at home for the first time in 21 years, and are 1-7 since the start of December. Fifth-year coach Mick Cronin can’t seem to get his seven freshmen and eight newcomers to play together.
Follow Chris Hansen on Twitter @chansen_RG or email at chansen@registerguard.com.
The biggest and final weekend of official visits is finally here for the Oregon Ducks. The program has made the most of its prior rounds of visits, adding five commitments this month alone.
Dan Lanning and his staff will get a chance to lock in a top-five recruiting class this cycle with another tremendous list of visitors this weekend. Oregon will welcome back a pair of committed gems in the class, including quarterback Will Mencl and edge rusher Rashad Streets. However, the biggest visitors are those who have yet to decide on their college future.
Here’s a look at which recruits are expected to be in Eugene this weekend, as well as where they rank in the Rivals Industry Ranking.
- 5-star WR Xavier Sabb (No. 30)
- 4-star QB Will Mencl (No. 46) (Oregon commit)
- 4-star EDGE Rashad Streets (No. 47) (Oregon commit)
- 4-star WR Tae Walden Jr. (No. 69)
- 4-star LB Brayton Feister (No. 135)
- 4-star DL Brayden Parks (No. 166)
- 4-star TE Anthony Cartwright III (No. 343)
- 4-star RB Caden Waye (No. 359)
- 3-star IOL Lex Mailangi (No. 697)
It’s a loaded weekend for the Ducks, and they are well positioned to land several of the visiting recruits this summer. With Mencl and Streets both in town as well, two of the most vocal recruiters in Oregon’s class, don’t be surprised if the Ducks manage to earn a commitment or two before the weekend is over.
On the heels of adding wideout Dakota Guerrant to their class, the Ducks are the frontrunners for Xavier Sabb, who is making the trip across the country from New Jersey. Sabb, whose brothers both play at Alabama, is one of Oregon’s favorite targets in the cycle, and one that Mencl has publicly called for the Ducks to bring to Eugene.
As a junior, Sabb played both receiver and safety at Glassboro High School. He made 59 catches for 896 yards and 13 touchdowns last season and was named Gatorade Player of the Year in New Jersey. After visiting Alabama last weekend, Oregon will get the last word on Sabb’s recruitment and could add a pair of elite receivers to pair with their star quarterback.
The Ducks are also in great position to finalize a commitment with both linebacker Brayton Feister and tight end Anthony Cartwright III. Cartwright will commit on June 28, and Oregon is already viewed as the leader in the race for the 6-foot-5 pass-catcher from Detroit. Feister is fresh off a visit to Georgia, and the Bulldogs made a big push. However, the Ohio native and No. 10 linebacker in the class has always been strongly linked to the Ducks. An official visit this weekend could be enough to push the recruitment to the finish line.
There are a couple of question marks making their way to campus as well. Wide receiver Tae Walden Jr. and defensive lineman Brayden Parks are both leaning elsewhere, but the Ducks have a reasonable shot in both recruitments. Auburn has led the way for Walden, but a strong visit to LSU last week did make a difference. Oregon could do something similar this week, but as of now, he is thought to wind up in SEC territory.
Parks has been a Notre Dame lean, but the momentum over the past few months has swung between the Irish and the Ducks. Oregon gets the final say this weekend, and it could make the difference. Parks didn’t commit after he visited South Bend last weekend, leaving the door open for the Ducks to swoop in at the final hour before the dead period.
Oregon has been a leader for Mater Dei offensive lineman Lex Mailangi as well, but recent visits to Cal and UCLA have narrowed the gap. The Ducks could use another lineman in their class, with Gus Corsair being the only interior lineman committed. The Ducks have some work to do to regain the lead in the race.
Caden Waye is a late add to the list. Although he has had the Ducks at the top of his list since he narrowed his recruitment in the winter, his list has changed after a trip to UCF last weekend put the Knights in his top three. Oregon already has four-star running back CaDarius McMiller committed and is pushing hard for four-star Landen Williams-Callis. Waye is a bit of a wild card for the Ducks, so it will be interesting to see how his visit to Eugene goes.
Contact/Follow @Ducks_Wire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oregon Ducks news, notes, and opinions.
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Oregon State Police are investigating a deadly officer-involved shooting that took place in Lincoln County on Wednesday.
Officers from the Newport Police Department, as well as OSP, responded to the 1500 block of the Siletz River Highway just before 4 p.m. to conduct a follow-up investigation, which later escalated into a fatal shooting.
The suspect is dead, and no officers or members of the community were injured, OSP said.
The investigation is ongoing.
The 2026 MLB Draft is around the corner, which means the Oregon Ducks will soon get the answer to some big questions surrounding next season’s roster. Who will be drafted and sign with an MLB team, and who will opt to suit up for the Ducks in 2027?
The Ducks could have a better idea of where they stand next week, when the program watches three stars and a committed prospect participate in the 2026 MLB Draft Combine in Phoenix, Arizona. The combine is set to begin on June 23 at Chase Field and will showcase 335 draft prospects during the four-day event.
Many of those prospects are collegiate stars. Oregon will watch second baseman Ryan Cooney, shortstop Maddox Molony and right-handed pitcher Cal Scolari all suit up for the combine to solidify their draft position less than a month away from the big day.
The second baseman for the Ducks slashed 331/.420/.524 and led the team in hits (82), doubles (22) and extra-base hits (31) while swiping 13 bases. Cooney also earned first-team All-Big Ten honors and a spot on the Eugene Regional all-tournament team. He is likely to be the first Duck selected in the upcoming draft, but he could return for his final season of eligibility.
Molony is also able to return to his hometown team for one final season, and he remains one of the biggest questions for the Ducks after an unusually poor season at the plate. Entering the season, Molony was a top-50 prospect for the 2026 MLB Draft with the potential to sneak into the first round. However, Molony put together his worst season at the plate in his three seasons with the Ducks, hitting for just a .233 average with 12 home runs and 39 RBIs. The most recent prospect rankings slid Molony to No. 173 overall. His outstanding defense is still enough to warrant a high selection.
Scolari dominated down the stretch for the Ducks, landing him on MLB draft prospect watch lists. He finished the season with a 3.32 ERA and 85 strikeouts. Scolari’s mid-90s fastball paired with a wipeout slider has elevated him as a prospect. He also throws a changeup and a slow curveball. The Nevada native could also return to Oregon, still with two seasons of eligibility.
One Oregon commit will also make the trip to the desert for the combine, putting his potential future with the Ducks on the rocks. Outfielder Andruw Giles from Basic Academy in Henderson, Nevada, will take the field and potentially boost his draft stock enough to skip the college path altogether. The left-handed outfielder has a smooth swing at the plate, hitting for average and power, and he has a strong arm to play a corner outfield spot. Giles was named the Prep Baseball Nevada Co-Player of the Year, despite limited action at the plate.
“The numbers don’t lie as (Giles) put up a .494 batting average, collecting 38 hits in just 77 at-bats,” Prep Baseball’s Brett Harrison wrote. “He proved to be a legitimate extra-base machine, spraying the field with 11 doubles, 4 triples, and 5 home runs while crossing the plate 28 times and driving in 23 runs. His ability to drive the ball while maintaining discipline allowed him to reach base at a .606 clip, making him one of the most consistent table-setters not only in the state, but the west region.”
Contact/Follow @Ducks_Wire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oregon Ducks news, notes, and opinions.
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