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. The rankings will be published on the Hotline weekly throughout the regular season.
Results through Monday
1. UCLA (25-1, 15-0 Big Ten)
Last week: 1Results: won at Michigan State 86-63, beat Indiana 92-48NET ranking: No. 2Up next: vs. Washington (Thursday)Comment: With seven players scoring in double figures, the second-ranked Bruins demolished Indiana on Sunday for their 19th consecutive win. That followed a 23-point blasting of No. 18 Michigan State. The NCAA selection committee placed the Bruins as the No. 2 overall seed in the first preview of the tournament’s top 16 seeds.
2. USC (16-9, 8-6 Big Ten)
Last week: 3Results: beat Indiana 79-73NET ranking: No. 21Up next: vs. Wisconsin (Thursday)Comment: USC improved its winning streak to a season-high five games, beating Indiana in its sole game of the week behind Jazzy Davidson’s 24 points. The Trojans are projected by ESPN to be a No. 7 seed in the NCAAs, which is tied with Washington as the second-highest in the West behind UCLA.
3. Washington (19-7, 9-6 Big Ten)
Last week: 2Results: lost at Iowa 65-56, beat Oregon 51-43NET ranking: No. 30Up next: at UCLA (Thursday)Comment: After losing to the 13th-ranked Hawkeyes, Washington leaned on its defense against Oregon and held the Ducks to a season-low 43 points. Hannah Stines reached 1,000 career points, joining teammates Elle Ladine and Sayvia Sellers. The Huskies are 2-3 in their last five games and out of the AP Top 25.
4. Oregon (18-9, 6-8 Big Ten)
Last week: 4Results: lost at Washington 51-43NET ranking: No. 23Up next: vs. Nebraska (Thursday)Comment: Oregon was held more than 30 points under its scoring average in dropping the first of two meetings against Washington. (The rematch is March 1 in Eugene to close the regular season.) The Ducks’ top three scorers combined for only 16 points in their second straight loss.
5. Colorado (18-8, 9-5 Big 12)
Last week: 6Results: won at Houston 73-63, beat BYU 76-46NET ranking: No. 46Up next: at Arizona (Tuesday)Comment: Colorado routed BYU for its sixth win in the last seven games and eighth in a row over the Cougars. Anaelle Dutat had a double-double in both games this week and a career-high 19 points against BYU. The Buffaloes are fifth in the Big 12 with two weeks left in the regular season.
6. Arizona State (21-6, 8-6 Big 12)
Last week: 7Results: beat Utah 71-61, won at Arizona 75-69 (OT)NET ranking: No. 48Up next: at Iowa State (Wednesday)Comment: Arizona State completed a season sweep of Utah and its first rivalry sweep over Arizona since 2018. McKinna Brackens scored with three seconds left in regulation in Tucson and the Sun Devils later finished overtime with an 8-2 run. The 21 wins equal the school’s total for the previous two seasons combined and are the most in school history for a first-year coach (Molly Miller).
7. Utah (17-10, 8-7 Big 12)
Last week: 5Results: lost at Arizona State 71-61, beat Cincinnati 67-59, lost at Oklahoma State 73-55NET ranking: No. 52Up next: vs. BYU (Saturday)Comment: Playing a third game in six days Monday did not go well for Utah, now 1-3 in its last four games. The Utes did win against Cincinnati in a game honoring former head coach Elaine Elliott. But they were swept by ASU and outscored 24-8 in the third quarter by Oklahoma State.
8. Cal (16-11, 7-7 ACC)
Last week: 9Results: beat Virginia 64-58, lost to Virginia Tech 68-58NET ranking: No. 55Up next: at Florida State (Thursday)Comment: Cal’s three-game winning streak ended against Virginia Tech on Sunday. Freshman guard Puff Morris returned from injury on Feb. 8 and scored 15 points against the Hokies. Morris was a 2025 high school McDonald’s All-American.
9. Gonzaga (19-8, 11-3 WCC)
Last week: 8Results: won at San Diego 66-56, lost at Loyola Marymount 72-63NET ranking: No. 63Up next: vs. Washington State (Thursday)Comment: Gonzaga’s five-game winning streak ended Saturday, but the Zags remain tied atop the West Coast Conference. They were tied through three quarters against Loyola Marymount before being outscored 22-13 in the fourth for their first loss to the Lions since 2008.
10. San Diego State (20-4, 14-1 Mountain West)
Last week: 11Results: beat Colorado State 64-61, won at Nevada 78-64NET ranking: No. 71Up next: vs. UNLV (Wednesday)Comment: By winning twice last week, San Diego State leads the Mountain West by two games over UNLV. The Aztecs’ second victory of the season over Colorado State was a thriller, like the first meeting (46-44), with Nala Williams hitting a clinching basket with 58 seconds left. Five players scored in double figures against Nevada.
11. BYU (17-9, 6-8 Big 12)
Last week: 12Results: beat Iowa State 83-69, lost at Colorado 76-46NET ranking: No. 59Up next: vs. Cincinnati (Tuesday)Comment: It was a whiplash week for BYU, from the high of upsetting surging Iowa State to the low of scoring its fewest points of the season in a 30-point defeat. Bottom line: The Cougars have dropped off the NCAA Tournament bubble by losing five of their past seven.
12. Montana State (18-6, 11-2 Big Sky)
Last week: 13Results: won at Montana 72-55NET ranking: No. 65Up next: vs. Weber State (Thursday)Comment: Montana State led 34-10 in completing a season sweep over Montana to stay within a game of Big Sky leader Idaho. The Bobcats have won five straight in the rivalry and 15 of the last 17. They host Idaho State on Saturday, trying to make up for a Jan. 22 loss.
13. Stanford (16-11, 5-9 ACC)
Last week: 10Results: lost to Virginia Tech 79-67 and Virginia 75-69NET ranking: No. 44Up next: at Miami (Thursday)Comment: Nunu Agara returned for the first time since Jan. 25, scoring 21 points, but Stanford’s implosion continued with a seventh loss in the past eight games. The Cardinal might need to sweep their four remaining regular-season games for a chance to make the NCAA Tournament.
14. Loyola Marymount (17-8, 11-3 WCC)
Last week: Not rankedResults: beat Pepperdine 72-62 and Gonzaga 72-63NET ranking: No. 120Up next: at Seattle (Thursday)Comment: Loyola Marymount cracked the Hotline rankings following its first win in 18 years over Gonzaga — the Lions had lost 35 in a row in the series — and is tied with the Zags for the WCC lead. The Lions have won five in a row and nine of their last 10.
15. Idaho (21-5, 12-1 Big Sky)
Last week: Not rankedResults: won at Weber State 80-67 and Idaho State 65-50NET ranking: No. 108Up next: vs. Portland State (Thursday)Comment: Idaho also is new to the Hotline rankings thanks to a 10-game winning streak, its longest since 2013-14. The Vandals completed a season sweep over Idaho State, bringing the King Spud rivalry trophy back to Moscow for the first time since 1969.
Also considered: UC Irvine, UNLV, Boise State, UC San Diego
*** Send suggestions, comments and tips (confidentiality guaranteed) to wilnerhotline@bayareanewsgroup.com or call 408-920-5716
*** Follow Metcalfe on the social media platform X: @jeffmetcalfe
*** Follow Jon Wilner on the social media platform X: @WilnerHotline