Connecticut guard Joey Calcaterra (3) drives to the basket past San Diego State guard Darrion Trammell during the first half of the men’s national championship college basketball game in the NCAA Tournament on Monday, April 3, 2023, in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
Welcome to the first installment of the Hotline’s Best of the West rankings for the 2023-24 basketball season. We’ll examine the top teams in the western third of the country on a weekly basis through Selection Sunday.
And if the first NET rankings of the season are any indication, it should be an intriguing three months.
Brigham Young is the No. 1 team this week in the NCAA Evaluation Tool (NET) rankings, with Arizona and Colorado State in the top 10 and a barrage of others in the top 40.
The NET plays a central role in the March Madness selection process. Generally, teams in the top 40 at the end of the regular season can be fairly confident of receiving NCAA at-large bids. As the results roll in, the NET will gain predictive power.
Here we go.
(NET rankings through Tuesday)
1. Arizona (7-0)
NET ranking: No. 3
Next up: vs. Wisconsin (Saturday)
Comment: Unfortunately, the Wildcats opted for the path of least resistance and will finish non-conference play against No. 23 Wisconsin, No. 4 Purdue, Alabama and No. 11 FAU. Coach Tommy Lloyd should have his salary cut for scheduling such a stunning array of creampuffs.
2. Gonzaga (6-1)
NET ranking: 26
Next up: at Washington (Saturday)
Comment: The loss was to Purdue. There are wins over Syracuse, UCLA and USC. The upcoming schedule features Washington, Connecticut and San Diego State. In other words: typical stuff in Spokane.
3. Brigham Young (7-0)
NET ranking: No. 1
Next up: at Utah (Saturday)
Comment: Not on our bingo card: BYU raising the overall quality of play in the Big 12. That league was pretty damn good before the Cougars arrived. They’re making it even better.
4. Colorado State (8-0)
NET ranking: No. 7
Next up: vs. Denver (Wednesday)
Comment: The Rams, not the 2023 national runner-up (San Diego State), are the team to beat in the Mountain West. They thumped then-No. 8 Creighton and have beaten Colorado and Washington back-to-back.
5. UCLA (5-2)
NET ranking: No. 97
Next up: vs. Villanova (Saturday)
Comment: Not what the Bruins expected when they signed up for the bicoastal series: Villanova would have losses to Penn, St. Joseph’s, Drexel and Kansas State.
6. San Diego State (7-2)
NET ranking: No. 27
Next up: vs. UC Irvine (Saturday)
Comment: The loss to BYU in the second game was completely understandable. The six-game winning streak that followed was hardly surprising. But the stumble at Grand Canyon on Tuesday night? We did not see that coming.
7. Colorado (6-2)
NET ranking: No. 52
Next up: vs. Miami (Sunday)
Comment: Not a good look: Five of the six victories are of the Quadrant IV (i.e., lowest) variety in the NET rankings matrix. Miami provides a chance to change the complexion of CU’s resume.
8. USC (5-3)
NET ranking: No. 73
Next up: vs. Long Beach State (Sunday)
Comment: Beware of The Beach, which beat Michigan a few weeks ago and is led by former Washington guard Marcus Tsohonis. To repeat: Beware. The. Beach.
9. Nevada (6-0)
NET ranking: No. 25
Next up: vs. UC Davis (Wednesday)
Comment: The Wolf Pack’s undefeated record is a bit flimsy, but there aren’t many good options for the bottom spots, especially with the lack of a viable second team from the WCC. (Saint Mary’s is struggling.)
10. New Mexico (7-1)
NET ranking: No. 36
Next up: vs. UC Santa Barbara (Wednesday)
Comment: The lone loss was a bad one: by 14 points to Saint Mary’s just before Saint Mary’s lost to Weber State.
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Originally published at Jon Wilner