Either the Stanford Cardinal or the Arizona Wildcats will be atop the Pac-12 standings after their Saturday afternoon contest.
TV Schedule: Saturday, January 20, 4:00 p.m. ET, CBS
Location: Maples Pavilion, Stanford, California
The Arizona Wildcats and Stanford Cardinal both slipped out of the gate this season, crushed under the weight of high expectations. Now, they find themselves in a battle for the Pac-12 throne.
After three consecutive losses in non-conference play, the Wildcats fell from the perch of college basketball to a simple observer of the AP Top 25. Arizona has come a long way since that stunning drop, though.
They’ve only lost one game since, a road loss to the inconsistent and dangerous Colorado Buffaloes. Obscured by the greatness of Trae Young, DeAndre Ayton emerged as one of the five best players in college basketball; he’s averaging 20.2 points and 11.3 rebounds per game.
Comments coach Sean Miller made about struggling to reach his team feel like they were uttered a long time ago. The Wildcats have finally moved past the mental cloud caused by the FBI investigations before the season.
Stanford didn’t have the same Final Four expectations as Arizona, but it did have one of the best players in the country in Reid Travis. He wasn’t enough to save the Cardinal from an ugly 6-7 non-conference record, which includes a home loss to Eastern Washington.
A new hero has emerged every night in Pac-12 play, though. Dorian Pickens reeled off several 25-point performances, while Daejon Davis has nailed a halfcourt heave. Travis is averaging 20 points and 7.5 rebounds per game, but a well-rounded roster has staved off all but one conference foe.
Whether or not this is sustainable for Stanford remains to be seen. Arizona has more talent and a better-known coach, but the Cardinal are back in Pac-12 and NCAA Tournament contention.
Even home court advantage won’t be enough against Arizona, though, as the Wildcats are rolling at the right time.
Prediction: Arizona 78, Stanford 67