No. 3 California (18-2, 9-0 Pacific-10 Conference)-Grade: A+
Though they’re not a shoo-in for the Pac-10 title just yet, the Golden Bears have seemingly overtaken Stanford as the premier team in the conference this season. They have the top scoring defense (53.7 points per game allowed), the top scorer (Ashley Walker, 20.5 points per game) and three of the top 10 rebounders in the conference. The need for a third scorer beyond senior forward Ashley Walker and senior center Devanei Hampton has been more than capably filled by junior guard Alexis Gray-Lawson, whose 37 points put the Bears past the Cardinal on Jan. 22. Feb. 14 is the rematch at Maples Pavilion; it could become one of the best games of the year nationally.
No. 7 Stanford (17-4, 8-1)-Grade: A
The Cardinal are the top scoring team in the conference (77.6 points per game), the top rebounding team (44.6 per game), the top assist team (18.8 per game) and the best team in the Pac-10 in terms of field-goal percentage allowed (.348), better than Cal. Though junior guard Rosalyn Gold-Onwude has been a solid player at shooting guard, one wonders how much Stanford misses junior guard JJ Hones, who tore the ACL in her left knee in a Nov. 23 win against Rutgers.
Arizona State (15-6, 7-2)-Grade: A-
The Sun Devils have worked hard to set themselves apart as the obvious third-best team in the Pac-10 this season. Arizona State is second in the conference in scoring defense (55.4 points per game) and boasts the best backcourt in the conference. Senior guard Briann January leads the conference in assists (5.2) and steals (2.5) per game, and junior guard Dymond Simon is averaging 13.7 points per game with 89.3 percent free-throw shooting.
UCLA (14-6, 5-4)-Grade: B
From here on down, the conference picture starts to get murkier, as the fourth- through eighth-place Pac-10 teams could all conceivably rearrange themselves by season’s end. The Bruins’ bread and butter thus far has been on the boards: UCLA is second in the conference in rebounding (42.7 per game) and second in rebounding margin (+9.6 per game).
USC (11-9, 5-4)-Grade: B
With four of the conference’s top 22 scorers, the Women of Troy have little to worry about offensively (73.9 points per game, second in the Pac-10). That said, the defensive effort has to increase for USC to head to the postseason. They currently rank ninth in the conference in scoring defense (69.1 points per game) and allow opponents to shoot 34.5 percent from behind the three-point line (ninth).
Oregon (8-12, 4-5)-Grade: C
Even with all of the injuries the Ducks have suffered to key contributors, the 4-5 conference record still seems like an aberration. Consider: Oregon has yet to play a conference game with a margin of defeat below 10 points or a margin of victory below 10 points. That trend cannot continue.
Oregon State (12-7, 3-6)-Grade: C-
The explosiveness of sophomore guard Talisa Rhea, the steadiness of senior guard Brittney Davis and the veteran savvy of senior guard Mercedes Fox-Griffin make the Beavers backcourt a source of frustration for conference coaches. But for all the talent the Beavers do have, how can we explain a 65-52 loss on the road at Washington State?
Washington State (9-11, 2-7)-Grade: C-
Freshman guard Jazmine Perkins (14.4 points per game, tied for fourth in the conference) has been a pleasant surprise, and the upset of Oregon State at Friel Court is a positive step for a team with just six upperclassmen. But a repeat performance of that upset is hard to imagine.
Arizona (8-12, 1-8)-Grade: C-
Sophomore forward Ify Ibekwe continues to put up eye-popping numbers. One of just five returning players, she is averaging 15.7 points and 11.7 rebounds per game while her team struggles with injuries and depth issues. Wildcats hold three of the top four conference spots in terms of minutes per game.
Washington (5-14, 1-8)-Grade: D+
An Apple Cup win on Jan. 3 represents the last win for the young Huskies, who often feature all underclassmen in their starting lineup. With eight freshmen and the ignominy of suffering the worst Pac-10 loss ever (a 77-point victory for Stanford), growing pains will continue to be a theme of the Huskies’ season.
[email protected]