San Diego State, Oregon jump; BYU, CU slip

The Best of the West rankings examine the top teams across the Mountain and Pacific Times Zones. They will be published in this space each Wednesday through the conclusion of the regular season.

The No. 2 team in the nation at the end of last season is the No. 2 team in the latest Best of the West rankings.

After a less-than-spectacular start to its encore year, San Diego State is rolling.

The Aztecs have won seven consecutive games, five of them by double digits, and moved within striking distance of a top-four seed in the NCAA Tournament.

They are 3-0 in the Mountain West, No. 21 in the critical NET rankings and No. 22 in the closely watched Pomeroy advanced metrics.

Fueled by a granite defense, the surge comes after an opening month that was a tad underwhelming.

Despite possessing a veteran core, the Aztecs were beaten decisively by Brigham Young early in the season, struggled to fend off Washington and UC San Diego, then lost at Grand Canyon in the first week of December.

Since then, the Aztecs have begun to resemble the team that reached the NCAA championship game last season with a stretch of dominance that includes a double-digit victory at Gonzaga.

A trip to New Mexico later this week marks the start of a difficult stretch, and February is stocked with high-level challenges in a conference that could send as many as five teams to the NCAA Tournament.

But 16 games into a season unlike any other, with the bar set impossibly high, the Aztecs have taken up residence behind Arizona as the No. 2 team in the West.

The journey took a bit longer than expected but reached the expected destination nonetheless.

To the latest BOTW rankings …

Also considered: Boise State, Cal State Northridge, San Francisco, Santa Clara, UC Irvine and Utah

1. Arizona (12-3/3-1 Pac-12)

Last week: 1
Results: beat Colorado 97-50 and Utah 92-73
NET ranking: No. 2
Next up: at Washington State (Saturday)
Comment: The Wildcats have five Quadrant I victories, more than any team in the country except Purdue (six). Also vital to Arizona’s NET ranking: No Quad III or IV losses, yet.

2. San Diego State (14-2/3-0 MW)

Last week: 4
Results: beat Fresno State 74-47, UNLV 72-61 and San Jose State 81-78
NET ranking: No. 21
Next up: at New Mexico (Saturday)
Comment: We mentioned it in the commentary above, and here’s the key metric: The Aztecs are No. 20 nationally in adjusted defensive efficiency, according to the Pomeroy metrics. Nobody in the Mountain West is close.

3. Brigham Young (12-3/0-2 Big 12)

Last week: 2
Results: lost to Cincinnati 71-60 and at Baylor 81-72
NET ranking: No. 4
Next up: at UCF (Saturday)
Comment: Welcome to the Big 12.

4. Colorado State (13-3/1-2 MW)

Last week: 3
Results: lost at Utah State 77-72 and at Boise State 65-58
NET ranking: No. 24
Next up: vs. Air Force (Jan. 16)
Comment: Last week was a weird one for the Hotline power ratings as the teams slotted No. 2, 3 and 5 were swept, creating a void that offered no good options.

5. Oregon (12-3/4-0 Pac-12)

Last week: 11
Results: won at Washington 76-74 and Washington State 89-84
NET ranking: No. 50
Next up: vs. Cal (Saturday)
Comment: Good example of the Pac-12’s 20-game conference schedule: The Ducks miss Stanford at home this season and have a lengthy break before facing the Bears, who face Colorado before heading to Eugene.

6. Gonzaga (11-4/2-0 WCC)

Last week: 6
Results: beat Pepperdine 86-60 and San Diego 101-74
NET ranking: No. 46
Next up: at Santa Clara (Thursday)
Comment: Halfway through the season, the Zags have no Quad I wins, only two Quad II wins and a trajectory that points to the tournament bubble.

7. Nevada (15-1/2-0 MW)

Last week: 8
Results: won at Fresno State 72-57, beat Air Force 67-54
NET ranking: No. 30
Next up: vs. Boise State (Friday)
Comment: Not sure Wolf Pack guard Kenan Blackshear would be a first-five selection on a hypothetical all-Best of the West team. But he likely would make the cut for second-team honors with 16.6 points per game, along with 5.4 rebounds and 4.7 assists.

8. Colorado (11-4/2-2 Pac-12)

Last week: 5
Results: lost at Arizona 97-50 and Arizona State 76-73
NET ranking: No. 40
Next up: at Cal (Wednesday)
Comment: Some games are classified as must-wins. For the wobbly Buffs, the visit to Berkeley stands as a can’t-lose affair. The damage to their resume would be substantial.