Pac-12 Basketball: Parity key to return to glory days

It is no secret that Pac-12 Basketball hasn’t been as deep in recent years. Could the lack of top-heaviness be a promising sign for the conference’s future?

When looking at each high-major conference’s presence in the NCAA Tournament, it is quite clear that the Pac-12 has struggled to make a good impression on the selection committee.

The Pac-12’s total of 24 bids in the last 5 seasons is fewer than the Big East, Big 12, Big Ten and ACC. While it is equal to the SEC’s total, the Pac-12 has not been moving in the same positive direction.

While some of this can be attributed to the overall mediocrity of the Pac-12’s middle, it could be argued that the top-heaviness of the conference has made the middle teams look worse. In fact, this became an issue for the Big 10, which had a decade low four bids last season.

The teams in the Pac-12 have taken steps this offseason to improve and compete for more NCAA Tournament bids. The three teams predicted to be at the top – Oregon, UCLA, and Washington – are excellent, but the gap between them and the rest of the league is not as wide as in the past two seasons.

Bids for the NCAA Tournament are based on overall team performance, not just their competitiveness in the conference. However, Pac-12 teams on the edge coming out of the non-conference should have a good shot at making a positive impression.

While the other high-major conferences may still be stronger top-to-bottom leagues, the Pac-12 has a good chance of turning their reputation around. There is still a long way to go, but the Conference of Champions is heading in the right direction.