Pac-12 Tournament Predictions: Arizona is King of the Hill
By Daniel Tran
Feb 21, 2015; Stanford, CA, USA; Stanford Cardinal guard Chasson Randle (5) shoots the ball against the California Golden Bears in the first half at Maples Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports
Next Four Out
No. 8 California Bears: The Cal Bears have had a wild season. First, they started off conference play by losing six of their first seven games. Then, they won five games in a row, only to drop five of their last six games.
They have enough talent to surpass Washington State. Jordan Matthews, Tyrone Wallace, David Kravish, and Jabari Bird are four parts to a formidable starting lineup that should carry them to second round. Unfortunately, they will be facing the buzz saw that is Arizona, a team they have already lost to twice with an average margin of -31 points.
No. 7 Oregon State Beavers: The Beavers have had a season that no one expected. After losing all their key starters from last year, they were supposed to be the worst team in the Pac-12. However, with the arrival of junior college transfer Gary Payton Jr., the team was able to be competitive in the Pac-12.
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South Bound & Down
Oregon State started conference play winning seven of their first eleven games. However, they are stumbling into the Pac-12 Tournament, winning only once in their last seven games. That single win was against Colorado, so they should be able to dispatch them in the first round.
Still, going against their hated rival Oregon in the second round, will prove too much for the struggling Beavers, who have lost twice to the Ducks this season. They may have a disappointing finish to the year, but they fact that they were in the hunt after being counted out so early is something to be proud of.
No. 6 Stanford Cardinal: Much like Colorado, the amount of returning talent was supposed to net Stanford another NCAA Tournament bid even after the departure of Josh Huestis and Dwight Powell. Turns out that those losses were too much for the Cardinal to overcome.
Despite having Chasson Randle, Anthony Brown, and Stefan Nastic, Stanford was still unable to string together enough wins during conference play to separate themselves from the mediocre pack. They have lost three straight games entering the Pac-12 Tournament, including an embarrassing 22-point loss against Arizona in the regular season finale.
Their talent should be enough to win against lowly Washington, but going against a stout team like Utah will not end well for the Cardinal, just like it did in their 59-75 loss to the Utes on February 12.
No. 5 Arizona State Sun Devils: I really hate having all of the top 4 seeds advancing to the semifinal round, but this conference has been so frustrating that it actually kind of works out. Much like how Arizona State was playing at the beginning of the conference schedule.
The Sun Devils started by losing four straight games. Then, they had two straight wins, including a big win against Cal by 35 points, only to lose big the next game against Stanford by 19. Since then, they beat UCLA and Arizona to put themselves in the bubble, but lost against Utah by 42 points.
ASU has shown that they can hang on and compete with the best the conference has to offer, but with UCLA team seeking revenge for a two-point loss on February 18, expect Arizona to fall victim to UCLA’s show shooting.
Next: Who's Stumbling Out of the Semifinals?