Way-too-early Pac-12 power rankings as San Diego State enters a new era

Brian Dutcher and the San Diego State Aztecs will bring a new look roster into a new look league in 2026-27, joining the Pac-12 conference officially on July 1.

SDSU returns just two of its ten leading scorers from last year's team, which went a disappointing 22-11 and missed the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2019.

In their stead is a mix of mid-major star transfers and international veterans, along with incoming freshman Zach White, redshirt guard Latrell Davis, and seldom-used center Thokbor Majak.

But how this group will fare in the Pac-12, which features a perennial top 25 club in Gonzaga as well as former Mountain West foes Utah State, Boise State, and Colorado State, remains to be seen.

Below is a look at how the Pac-12 squads stack up on paper here in May, with plenty of roster spots still to be filled across the nine teams in the league.

Tier 1: Gonzaga

Jan 8, 2026; Spokane, Washington, USA; Gonzaga Bulldogs forward Braden Huff (34) | James Snook-Imagn Images

Gonzaga saw 11 players depart last year's squad, but as Mark Few so often does, they are fully rebuilt heading into 2026-27 - securing superstar center Massamba Diop from Arizona State and former McDonald's All-American Isiah Harwell out of the transfer portal, while returning three stars in Braden Huff, Davis Fogle, and Mario Saint-Supery.

Gonzaga still has some depth pieces to add, especially after losing German guard Jack Kayil to the NBA, but Few and the Zags are well-equipped to start the season in the top 10 and to potentially get back to the Sweet 16 after losing in the Round of 32 each of the past two years.

Tier 2: San Diego State and Utah State

Dec 20, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; San Diego State Aztecs guard Elzie Harrington (3) | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The Aztecs come in behind Gonzaga for now, in a tier alongside the Aggies of Utah State, who are also undergoing a sizable rebuild.

Utah State lost head coach Jerrod Calhoun to Cincinnati, who took guard Elijah Perryman and forwards Adlan Elamin and David Iweze along with him. However, new coach Ben Jacobson brought forward Will Hornseth with him from Northern Iowa, who averaged 11.1 points and 4.6 boards last year as a sophomore.

Most critically, however, is Jacobson convincing superstar Mason Falslev (16 points, 3.1 assists) to remain with the program, along with sturdy forward Karson Templin. Add in solid veterans like AJ Bates (Tulsa) and Connor Turnbull (Evansville) and you have another solid squad for the Aggies.

Tier 3: Colorado State, Boise State, Oregon State

Mar 4, 2025; Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA; Boise State Broncos forward Pearson Carmichael (6) | Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

Colorado State coach Ali Farokmanesh managed to do a great job of retaining talent in Fort Collins, with forwards Carey Booth and Kyle Jorgensen and guards Jase Butler and Josh Pascarelli all back in the mix for the Rams, while Marist guard Justin Menard (12.9 points, 3.8 assists) should fit in nicely.

Drew Fielder (Alabama), Andrew Meadow (Oregon) and RJ Keene (NC State) are tough losses for Leon Rice and Boise State, but there's enough returning talent in Pearson Carmichael, Spencer Ahrens, and Aginaldo Neto to still have confidence in this squad - especially with a nice transfer portal class headlined by Illinois forward Ty Rodgers.

Lastly, new head coach Justin Joyner has built a very solid group in Corvallis at Oregon State - heading into the transfer portal to secure commitments from Buffalo guard Daniel Freitag, Fresno State forward DeShawn Gory, GCU center Dennis Evans, San Francisco guard Legend Smiley, and Idaho forward Jackson Rasmussen. The talent is there; now it will be up to Joyner to prove he can find the winning formula to help the Beavers get back to basketball relevance.

Tier 4: Texas State, Fresno State, Washington State

Jan 4, 2025; Pullman, Washington, USA; Washington State Cougars guard Tomas Thrastarson (5) grabs the inbounds pass against the San Francisco Dons in the second half at Friel Court at Beasley Coliseum. | James Snook-Imagn Images

Falslev and Butler are probably the two best non-Gonzaga returners in the Pac-12, but don't discount Texas State keeping rising sophomore DJ Hall. Hall averaged 15.6 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 2.3 assists last year for the Bobcats, and he could be an All-Conference player this year. Additions like Quel'Ron House (Southern Illinois), Ronald Jessamy (Bakersfield) and KJ Younger (Greensboro) will make Texas State a legit darkhorse in the new league.

The Bulldogs of Fresno State brought in a couple of power conference players in Baye Fall from Rutgers, Quentin Rhymes from Nebraska, and KJ Perry from BYU, but the massive amount of losses makes this a tough team to feel great about in coach Vance Walberg's third season.

David Riley has little budget to work with at WSU, and it had to hurt to see four-star players all hit the portal and land at high-profile programs - with Ace Glass headed to Vanderbilt, Jerone Morton to Kentucky, Rihards Vavers to Memphis, and Eemeli Yalaho to NC State.

Still, Riley managed to bring in some players with intrigue, including Wake Forest's Sebastian Akins, Northwestern's Tyler Kropp, and Oregon's Jamari Phillips, and if freshman guard Lazerek Houston can do what Glass did last year, this team could end up closer to the middle of the pack in league play.

Add us as a preferred source on Google