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 Tuesday.
1. UCLA (20-0/8-0 Big Ten)
Last week: 1Results: won at Rutgers 84-66 and Maryland 82-67NET ranking: 4Up next: vs. Minnesota (Sunday)Comment: Center Lauren Betts averaged 27.3 points, 9.7 rebounds and six blocks in three East Coast games over seven days and was named Big Ten Player of the Week for the second time this season. The top-ranked Bruins are 20-0 for the first time in school history and the only remaining Division I unbeaten.
2. USC (18-1/8-0 Big Ten)
Last week: 2Results: won at Purdue 79-37NET ranking: 5Up next: vs. Minnesota (Thursday)Comment: Guard Avery Howell scored 18 points against Purdue and was honored as Big Ten Freshman of the Week. The No. 4 Trojans have a 14-game home winning streak and are 18-1 for the first time since 1981-82. They play three games in seven days (two on the road) starting Thursday.
3. California (18-3/6-2 ACC)
Last week: 3Results: won at Stanford 75-72NET ranking: 35Up next: vs. North Carolina (Thursday)Comment: It wasn’t easy, but the Bears held on to complete their first season sweep of Stanford since 1986. Cal led by 19 points late in the third quarter, but the Cardinal drew within two in the final minute. The Bears are up three spots to 19th in the AP rankings.
4. Utah (15-5/6-3 Big 12)
Last week: 6Results: beat Kansas 79-61, won at BYU 81-76NET ranking: 26Up next: vs. Arizona (Friday)Comment: Gianna Kneepkens scored a career-high 30 points against Kansas, along with 10 rebounds and eight assists, then broke that mark with 32 in the victory at BYU. She was named Big 12 Player of the Week and became the Utes’ first weekly award winner.
5. Oregon (15-5/6-3 Big Ten)
Last week: 4Results: beat Indiana 54-47NET ranking: 38Up next: at Michigan State (Thursday)Comment: After limiting Iowa to 49 points 10 days ago, the Ducks produced a similar defensive gem against Indiana. That spurred their third consecutive home win. Oregon already has won four more games than it did all of last season.
6. UNLV (16-5/8-1 Mountain West)
Last week: 5Results: won at Fresno State 73-48, lost at San Diego State 59-58NET ranking: 48Up next: vs. Nevada (Saturday)Comment: The Rebels’ nine-game winning streak ended in a buzzer-beating loss to San Diego State, but they still lead the Mountain West by 1.5 games over Colorado State and New Mexico. UNLV gets a second shot at the Aztecs on Feb. 12.
7. Montana State (18-2/8-0 Big Sky)
Last week: 7Results: won at Montana 67-66NET ranking: 65Up next: at Sacramento State (Thursday)Comment: The Bobcats led by 12 points in the third quarter, then held off Montana for their 11th consecutive victory. Esmeralda Morales scored the final three points — and had 17 total — for Montana State, which trailed by two with 90 seconds remaining.
8. Grand Canyon (19-2/6-0 WAC)
Last week: 8Results: beat Southern Utah 79-51 and Utah Tech 78-43NET ranking: 68Up next: at Seattle (Thursday)Comment: The Antelopes’ 17-game winning streak ties the best mark in school history (set in the 2007 season and then equaled in 2011). Anna Ostlie hit six 3-pointers against Utah Tech, a game that GCU led by as many as 41 points. Playing at Utah Valley on Saturday will be much more challenging.
9. Colorado (13-6/4-4 Big 12)
Last week: 14Results: beat Kansas State 63-53NET ranking: 61Up next: at BYU (Wednesday)Comment: Beating No. 11 Kansas State was important for the Buffaloes following losses at No. 21 West Virginia and Cincinnati. They held KSU, which was missing Ayoka Lee (injury), to its lowest point total of the season in a rematch of a 2024 NCAA Tournament second-round game won by Colorado.
10. Gonzaga (13-8/8-2 WCC)
Last week: 9Results: won at Pepperdine 81-53NET ranking: 109Up next: vs. San Diego (Thursday)Comment: The Zags rolled to their seventh straight win to remain one game ahead of Washington State, Portland and Saint Mary’s in the tightly bunched WCC race. Yvonne Ejim had 29 points and 12 rebounds, her eighth double-double, and is 63 points shy of becoming the school’s career scoring leader.
11. Portland (18-3/7-3 WCC)
Last week: 10Results: won at Washington State 83-65NET ranking: 70Up next: vs. Saint Mary’s (Thursday)Comment: The Pilots remain one game behind Gonzaga in the WCC thanks to a convincing victory over Washington State. Emme Shearer had 24 points and Alexis Mark had 21 plus 12 rebounds. Portland’s record is tied for the best through 21 games since 1996-97.
12. Arizona (14-8/5-4 Big 12)
Last week: Not rankedResults: beat Cincinnati 72-62 and West Virginia 77-62NET ranking: 57Up next: at Utah (Friday)Comment: The Wildcats are back into the Best of the West rankings for the first time since Jan. 8 after knocking off No. 21 West Virginia. Breya Cunningham led Arizona’s upset with 18 points, nine rebounds and three blocks. The Mountaineers went 1-of-12 from 3-point range. ESPN’s bracketology has the Wildcats on the NCAA Tournament bubble.
13. Northern Arizona (16-5/7-1 Big Sky)
Last week: 11Results: beat Eastern Washington 75-63 and Idaho 106-76NET ranking: 86Up next: vs. Northern Colorado (Saturday)Comment: After a closer-than-expected game against Eastern Washington, the Lumberjacks crushed Idaho with a school-record 17 3-pointers. Sophie Glancey was named Big Sky Player of the Week for the fourth time this season and torched Idaho for 28 points.
14. Stanford (10-9/2-6 ACC)
Last week: 13Results: lost to Cal 75-72NET ranking: 44Up next: vs. Pitt (Thursday)Comment: Chloe Cardy was a bright spot in the loss to Cal with a career-high 22 points. Maybe the best news of all for the struggling Cardinal is that three incoming players (Alex Eschmeyer, Lara Somfai and Hailee Swain) were chosen for the McDonald’s All-American Game on April 1.
15. Washington (13-8, 4-5 Big Ten)
Last week: 12Results: lost to Iowa 85-61 and Indiana 73-70NET ranking: 55Up next: at Ohio State (Sunday)Comment: It was a rough week for the Huskies, who lost at home to Iowa by 24 points, then fell short in a comeback bid against Indiana. ESPN’s bracketology still has Washington as one of the final teams in the NCAAs despite four losses in the last five games.
Also considered: Colorado State and Hawaii
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