There aren't many challengers to Arizona in the Pac-12. That seems clear, at this point, in a season where both USC and UCLA have been wildly disappointing. Colorado is supposed to be one of the challengers, though; that's what the Buffaloes' talent-level suggests, at least. But Tad Boyle's team sure didn't look like it late Thursday when Arizona destroyed Colorado 97-50 inside the McKale Center.
"We just couldn't turn off their water once they got it started," said Colorado sophomore guard Javon Ruffin.
That's a fair way to put it.
Arizona created a double-digit lead not even four minutes into the game, eventually led by 50 and won by 47 while shooting 56.3% from the field and 55.0% from 3-point range. So the Wildcats are now 11-3 with four Quadrant 1 wins and just one loss falling outside of the first quadrant. They remain No. 9 in Friday morning's updated CBS Sports Top 25 And 1 daily college basketball rankings, where Purdue is No. 1 for the 20th consecutive day.
It seems likely that Arizona will soon win the Pac-12 for the second time in three years under third-year coach Tommy Lloyd. The question is by how many games.
One? Two? Three? Four?
For what it's worth, KenPom.com is currently projecting Arizona to finish 17-3 in the Pac-12 and win the league by four games. If it goes down that way, if the Wildcats really only lose two more times between now and the start of the Pac-12 Tournament, they'll almost certainly receive a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament for the second time in a three-year span.
Top 25 And 1 rankings
Rk | Teams | Chg | Rcrd | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  | Zach Edey finished with 23 points and 12 rebounds in Tuesday's 67-53 win at Maryland. The Boilermakers' next game is Friday against Illinois. | -- | 34-5 |
| 2 |  | Hunter Dickinson finished with 22 points and 13 rebounds in Saturday's 86-67 win over Wichita State. The Jayhawks' next game is Saturday against TCU. | -- | 23-11 |
| 3 |  | LJ Cryer finished with 16 points and four assists in Saturday's 81-42 win over Penn. The Cougars' next game is Saturday against West Virginia. | -- | 32-5 |
| 4 |  | Zakai Zeigler finished with 17 points and four steals in Tuesday's 87-50 win over Norfolk State. The Vols' next game is Saturday against Ole Miss. | -- | 27-9 |
| 5 |  | Marcus Domask finished with 32 points and six assists in Tuesday's 96-66 win over Northwestern. The Illini's next game is Friday at Purdue. | -- | 29-9 |
| 6 |  | Cam Spencer finished with 20 points and six rebounds in Tuesday's 85-56 win over DePaul. The Huskies' next game is Friday at Butler. | -- | 37-3 |
| 7 |  | David Jones finished with 17 points and eight rebounds in Thursday's 78-75 win at Tulsa. The Tigers' next game is Sunday against SMU. | -- | 22-10 |
| 8 |  | Tyler Kolek finished with 15 points and eight assists in Saturday's 72-67 win over Creighton. The Golden Eagles' next game is Saturday at Seton Hall. | -- | 27-10 |
| 9 |  | Kylan Boswell finished with 14 points and four assists in Thursday's 97-50 win over Colorado. The Wildcats' next game is Saturday against Utah. | -- | 27-9 |
| 10 |  | Antonio Reeves finished with 27 points and six rebounds in Friday's 96-70 win over Illinois State. The Wildcats' next game is Jan. 6 at Florida. | -- | 23-10 |
| 11 |  | Armando Bacot finished with 16 points and 10 rebounds in Tuesday's 70-57 win at Pitt. The Tar Heels' next game is Saturday at Clemson. | -- | 29-8 |
| 12 |  | Jalon Moore scored 21 points and finished with six rebounds in Sunday's 72-56 win over Monmouth. The Sooners' next game is Saturday against Iowa State. | -- | 20-12 |
| 13 |  | Patrick Cartier finished with 21 points and four rebounds in Tuesday's 68-61 win over New Mexico. The Rams' next game is Saturday at Utah State. | -- | 25-11 |
| 14 |  | Noah Waterman finished with 17 points and eight rebounds in Saturday's 94-68 win over Wyoming. The Cougars' next game is Saturday against Cincinnati. | -- | 23-11 |
| 15 |  | Allen Flanigan finished with 20 points and nine rebounds in Sunday's 95-79 win over Bryant. The Rebels' next game is Saturday at Tennessee. | -- | 20-12 |
| 16 |  | Mark Mitchell finished with 21 points and six rebounds in Tuesday's 86-66 win over Syracuse. The Blue Devils' next game is Saturday at Notre Dame. | -- | 27-9 |
| 17 |  | Ja'Kobe Walter finished with 23 points and nine rebounds in Tuesday's 98-79 win over Cornell. The Bears' next game is Saturday at Oklahoma State. | -- | 24-11 |
| 18 |  | Tyler Wahl finished with 19 points and eight rebounds in Tuesday's 83-72 win over Iowa. The Badgers' next game is Saturday against Nebraska. | -- | 22-14 |
| 19 |  | Terrence Edwards finished with 19 points and five assists in Thursday's 68-61 win at Louisiana. The Dukes' next game is Saturday at Southern Miss. | -- | 32-4 |
| 20 |  | Johni Broome finished with 24 points and 12 rebounds in Tuesday's 88-68 win over Penn. The Tigers' next game is Saturday at Arkansas. | -- | 27-8 |
| 21 |  | Johnell Davis finished with 20 points and six rebounds in Tuesday's 79-64 win over East Carolina. The Owls' next game is Saturday at Charlotte. | -- | 25-9 |
| 22 |  | Henry Coleman finished with 20 points and 13 rebounds in Saturday's 79-54 win over Prairie View A&M. The Aggies' next game is Saturday against LSU. | -- | 21-15 |
| 23 |  | Jaedon LeDee finished with 21 points and two assists in Wednesday's 74-47 win over Fresno State. The Aztecs' next game is Saturday against UNLV. | -- | 26-11 |
| 24 |  | Malik Hall finished with 24 points and four assists in Thursday's 92-61 win over Penn State. The Spartans' next game is Sunday at Northwestern. | 1 | 20-15 |
| 25 |  | Nijel Pack finished with 25 points and five rebounds in Wednesday's 95-82 win over Clemson. The Hurricanes' next game is Saturday at Wake Forest. | NR | 15-17 |
| 26 |  | Jarod Lucas finished with 22 points and one steal in Saturday's 92-59 win over Fresno Pacific. The Wolf Pack's next game is Saturday at Fresno State. | NR | 26-8 |
In: Miami, Nevada | Out: Utah, Colorado
