Pac-12 Basketball: Week 3 Review - Oregon Ducks Have Another Huge Week

Arizona 71 Arizona State 54

The Sun Devils put up a good fight against their rivals, but couldn't overcome having freshman sensation Jahii Carson in foul trouble and fell to the Wildcats who got another big game from Mark Lyons who finished with 24 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals. The Sun Devils kept it close for the majority of the game, but simply couldn't sustain it once Carson went to the bench late in the game with four fouls.

Despite the Sun Devils' improvement thus far this season, the win showed Arizona State that they still have a ways to go before they can truly challenge Arizona for supremacy in the state.

Oregon 76 UCLA 67

The Ducks got a huge road win with a stellar second in which they pulled away from the Bruins and gave them their first Pac-12 loss of the season while keeping themselves undefeated in -conference. Tony Woods had a career night with 18 points while missing only one shot and got help from Dominic Artis who chipped in with 14 points for the Ducks who came back from a 3-point deficit at the half.

The win proved that the Ducks can win big games at home and on the road and clearly puts them atop the conference for the time being. The loss for the Bruins shows that they aren't quite yet where they want to be as a team as they needed to hold court at home.

Stanford 69 Cal 59

The Cardinal grabbed Bay Area supremacy for the moment with a comfortable win over their crosstown rivals by grabbing an early lead and never letting it go. Dwight Powell had a big night with 17 points and 9 rebounds along with Chasson Randle who scored 15.

Both of these teams seem to be stuck in the middle of the conference, but the win does show that the Cardinal might be the better of the two, at least at this point of the season.

USC 69 Oregon State 68

A clutch layup by Aaron Fuller gave the Trojans the one-point win with just four seconds left in the game in LA. It was a tight exchange down the stretch with the lead changing hands repeatedly in the final minutes, but the Trojans were able to hold onto the game as Eric Wise blocked Devon Collier's game-winning attempt as time expired.

The win was big for the Trojans ascent from the bottom of the conference as they are now 3-3 and Pac-12 play while the loss keeps the Beavers buried at the bottom as the only team in the Pac-12 to yet to have won a conference game.

Colorado 58 Washington State 49

The Buffs used superb defense as a big game from Spencer Dinwiddie (16 points and 8 rebounds) to get a much needed road win in Pullman. The Buffs held Cougar star Brock Motum to only 13 points and the entire Cougar team to only 19 points in the first half as they took home the game which seemed like an early-season must-win game for both squads.

With the win, the Buffs are slowly climbing their way back from an early-season hole and the loss really buries the Cougars who needed to hold court at home if they have any hope for a post-season birth this year.

Utah 74 Washington 65

In the biggest upset of Pac-12 conference play thus far, the Utes used hot shooting (60% from the field), a 19 point explosion from freshman Brandon Taylor and smothering defense on C.J. Wilcox to take down the Huskies in Seattle. The Huskies couldn't overcome a slow start and dropped their first conference game of the season while giving the Utes their first Pac-12 win of the season.

The win is a big payoff for the Utes who had actually played very well in-conference coming into the game despite being 0-5. The loss is a huge shock for a Husky team that had been playing the best basketball they have under Lorenzo Romar since 2011 before the ugly game.

Player of the Week

Mark Lyons G Arizona

He may have played only one game this week, but it was the best game any Pac-12 player put together this week. Lyons battled with ASU freshman sensation Jahii Carson and willed the Wildcats to a big win with a great all-around game in which he scored 24 points and also had 3 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals while also drawing offensive fouls on Carson that changed the game.

Freshman Player of the Week

Brandon Taylor G Utah

Taylor led the Utes to their first conference win of the season with a 19 point, 6 assist game against Washington in Seattle and also was one of the few Utes to play well in their previous game against Washington State as he had 13 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals against the Cougars.

Rising

Oregon

The Ducks had a perfect week for the second week in a row and are now the only team remaining that is undefeated in Pac-12 play. The Ducks gutted out a tough win against a much-improved USC team on Thursday and then had a stellar performance against UCLA on Saturday to claim their current spot at the top of the Pac-12 standings.

Falling

Oregon State

It is beginning to look like the Beavers may not be able to compete in an improved Pac-12. They finally played a solid game at USC on Saturday, but the time for moral victories is over at this point in Craig Robinson's tenure.

Power Rankings

1. Oregon - Not only are the Ducks the last remaining undefeated Pac-12 team, but they have also beaten the other two best teams in the conference in Arizona and UCLA.

2. Arizona - The Ducks may be atop the power rankings, but the Wildcats still have the best overall record in the conference.

3. UCLA - So the Bruins aren't quite back to elite level, but they look poised to get back to the NCAA Tournament if they can keep their young players can keep gelling.

4. Washington - The Huskies loss at home to Utah is baffling, especially considering how little their margin of error is to get to the NCAA Tournament after their lackluster non-conference showing.

5. Arizona State - There is a big drop after the top four teams in the conference, but Jahii Carson is making a legitimate run at Pac-12 Player of the Year and Sun Devils still have a shot at the NCAA Tournament

6. USC - The Trojans may not have a pretty overall record, but they are 3-3 in the Pac-12 and looking better each week.

7. Colorado - They are going to have to play near perfect the rest of the way, but the Buffs are still talented enough to make a run at the top of the conference.

8. Stanford - Momentarily the superior of the average Bay Area schools that have a shot at making it to the NIT if they play well.

9. Cal - The lesser of the average Bay Area schools that have a shot at making it to the NIT if they play well

10. Washington State - The Cougars got a much needed win over Utah but still don't look like they are going to be able to get out of the bottom of the conference any time soon.

11. Utah - As shocking as the Utes win over Washington was, the Utes also almost beat both of the Arizona schools and both of the LA schools.

12. Oregon State - It really has to sting that the Beavers are now the only team in the Pac-12 to not have won a conference game and the Ducks are the only team to have not lost one.