Best of the West: Week 6

USC picked up a huge win on the road

With the Holiday's this past weekend, it was a slow weekend in college basketball. However, in the games I marked as key games, the western teams came up pick. UNLV picked up a great win over No. 11 Kansas St. IT was a much needed win after their disappointing home loss against UCSB the week before. USC finally got their marquee victory over No. 17 Tennessee. The problem is Tennessee is slipping, and this win may not be that impressive in a couple of weeks. Washington St. finished second in the Diamond Head Classic, and looked good in wins over No. 15 Baylor and Mississippi St.

Gonzaga continues to play tough, as they beat another good team in Xavier. It was Gonzaga's second straight win without lone senior Stephen Gray. Sacre was impressive inside, and Elias Harris posted his first double-double of the season. Questions may start being asked, are the Zags better without Stephen Gray? When he's in the lineup the Zags tend to have more lost possessions, as Gray tends to fall in love with the three ball. This will be interesting to watch.

Games to watch this week:

Dec. 29 Washington @ USC- The Pac 10 favorite takes on maybe the hottest team in the PAC 10. USC played Kansas tough on the road and upset No. 17 Tennessee. Washington looks to silent those upstart USC supporters early on in Pac-10 play.

Dec. 31 Oklahoma St. @ Gonzaga- What's better than watching some great hoops on New Year's Eve. The Zags hope to add to their resume with a win over a tough Cowboys team. Oklahoma St. comes off two nice wins over Stanford and Alabama, so they will be ready to play.

This Week's Top Ten

Isiah Thomas and Washington opens
up Pac 10 play at USC

No. 1 No. 16 BYU (12-1)- BYU takes over the top spot this week after their impressive 21 point victory over the UTEP miners. Jimmer Fredette posted a near triple- double with 25 points, eight rebounds, and nine assists. Fredette has a chance to make a run at national player of the year honors.

No. 2 No. 7 San Diego St. (14-0)- I'm tired of seeing the Aztecs barely slip by inferior competition. Great teams blowout the type of teams that are playing San Diego St. close. SDSU posted a six point win over San Francisco and a two point win over IUPU. Do remember it was the second time the Aztecs have seen IUPU this season. However, San Diego St. has probably locked up a bid as they completed their non-conference schedule undefeated.

No. 3 UNLV (11-2)- UNLV took advantage of Jacob Pullen and Curtis Kelly's absence in their upset win over No. 11 Kansas St. The win was a big one for the Runnin' Rebels, as they were coming off a disappointing loss to UCSB.

No. 4 Washington St. (10-2)- The Cougars picked up nice wins last week over Mississippi St. and No. 15 Baylor. Klay Thompson was impressive in all three games, averaging over 25 points per game. Big weekend for Washington St. as they start Pac 10 play against the southern California schools.

No. 5 Washington (8-3)- The Huskies took care of business this week against Nevada. Like the Cougars, they have a big weekend down in SoCal. Both of their opponents have been inconsistent, so they need to be ready to play.

No. 6 Gonzaga (7-5)- Gonzaga posted a nice win over a tough Xavier team. The win over a perennial NCAA tournament team helps build the Zags resume. If they can close out the non-conference schedule with wins over Wake Forest and Oklahoma St, the Zags will be back in the at-large discussion.

Can Portland Contend in the WCC?

No. 7 New Mexico (10-2)- After posting a nice double digit victory over Colorado, the Lobos suffered a disappointing loss to Northern Iowa. But remember, this is the same Northern Iowa team that knocked off number one seed Kansas last season.  New Mexico is going to need a solid Mountain West record in order to obtain an at-large berth.

No. 8 Arizona (11-2)- The Wildcats are the biggest wild card in the Pac 10. Nobody really knows what to expect from them, as they are relatively untested. Arizona should start conference play 4-0 with a trip to the Oregon schools and then hosting the Bay Area schools.

No. 9 Portland (10-3)- I moved the Pilots above their WCC counterpart Saint Mary's because of their nice win over Boise St. The Pilots haven't lost to anyone disappointing, and have beaten all mid major opponents this season. It's going to be an interesting three horse race in the WCC between the Zags, Pilots and Gaels.

No. 10 Saint Mary's (10-2)- The Gaels picked up another win over a sub par team in New Mexico St. The Gaels need to pick up a win over Mississippi St. and hope they play well in conference play. Otherwise, the Gaels must beat Gonzaga in order to have a shot at an at large bid.

Considered: Utah St, Hawaii, UCLA, USC