Gap between Pac-12 women’s basketball and men’s basketball is enormous

You might be reading this article after USC plays Colorado in a big women’s basketball game on Friday night in Los Angeles. That’s not a problem. What we’re about to share with you is not time-sensitive, in the sense that the result of the USC-Colorado game will change this piece of information or render it obsolete. It won’t. This piece of information will remain relevant regardless of whether the Trojans defeat — or lose to — the Buffaloes in the Galen Center in a battle of Pac-12 women’s basketball teams ranked in the top 12 of the country.

We know that Pac-12 women’s basketball is elite on a national scale. Five teams have a chance to be a top-three seed in the 2024 Women’s NCAA Tournament.

We know that Pac-12 men’s basketball is really struggling, with USC and UCLA failing to make the NCAA Tournament as at-large teams. The only way they get in is if they win the Pac-12 Tournament in March.

Yet, while we know how great Pac-12 women’s hoops is and how mediocre men’s basketball is, the extent of the gap might still surprise you. One fact in particular is an eye-opener. Let’s go in depth on this:

Tonight’s men’s game between No. 4 Arizona and No. 21 Washington St will be the first and only matchup of Top 25 teams in Pac-12 MBB this season.
Tonight’s women’s game between No. 12 UCLA and No. 18 Utah will be the 19th matchup of Top 25 teams in Pac-12 WBB, with 4 more to go.

— Brian Howell (@BrianHowell33) February 22, 2024

Jayne Kamin-Oncea — USA TODAY Sports

When USC plays Colorado on Friday, that will mark 20 matchups between top-25 teams in Pac-12 women’s basketball this season.

 Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

Over the weekend, Colorado visits UCLA and Utah visits USC. That’s two more top-25 games in Pac-12 women’s basketball. The gap will widen even more.

 Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Stanford and Oregon State will give Pac-12 women’s basketball yet another top-25 matchup one week from now. That will be the 23rd game involving two Pac-12 women’s basketball teams ranked in the top 25 this season.

Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports

The only way the Pac-12 will get its second top-25 matchup in men’s basketball this season is if Washington State and Arizona — who met Thursday night — have a rematch in the Pac-12 Tournament championship game. No other teams will be ranked in…