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Pac-12 Basketball: 2020 conference tournament preview and predictions

By Sydney Chesser

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - MARCH 15: A basketball net, hoop and backboard are shown before a semifinal game of the of the Pac-12 basketball tournament between the Colorado Buffaloes and the Washington Huskies at T-Mobile Arena on March 15, 2019 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - MARCH 15: A basketball net, hoop and backboard are shown before a semifinal game of the of the Pac-12 basketball tournament between the Colorado Buffaloes and the Washington Huskies at T-Mobile Arena on March 15, 2019 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) /
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ORVALLIS, OREGON - FEBRUARY 15: Tres Tinkle #3 of the Oregon State Beavers shoots the ball over Shane Gatling #0 of the Colorado Buffaloes at Gill Coliseum on February 15, 2020 in Corvallis, Oregon. (Photo by Soobum Im/Getty Images)
ORVALLIS, OREGON – FEBRUARY 15: Tres Tinkle #3 of the Oregon State Beavers (Photo by Soobum Im/Getty Images) /

Key Teams to Watch

Team to Beat: Oregon

The Oregon Ducks finished 24-7 and 13-5 in Pac-12 play, ending up in first place and with the No. 1 seed.  Although Oregon dropped a few games throughout the season, they are the most complete team in the Pac-12, who rank as the No. 13 team in the country. The Ducks also have National Player of the Year candidate Payton Pritchard to help lead the way after having a record-breaking senior year.

Biggest Threat: Arizona

Arizona finished 20-11 and 10-8 in Pac-12 play, ending up in fifth place. Arizona was a Pac-12 team that found themselves in the AP Top 25 Poll for consecutive weeks and even reaching No.12 in the AP Top 25 Poll at one point in the season. The Wildcats were able to compile an impressive list of non-conference wins before beginning Pac-12 play.

The Wildcats have already proven that they can compete with the other top-ranked teams in the conference. They will be extremely hard to beat if Zeke Nnaji, Nico Mannion, and Josh Green heat up during the tournament. This is a team that has the talent to beat just about anyone if they play as one.

Dark Horse: UCLA

One could argue that any one of the Pac-12 teams could take home the Pac-12 Championship on any given day. This is extremely possible, especially with the number of upsets there were in conference play this season.

UCLA enters the tournament as a No.  2 seed after finishing 12-6 in conference play. How can the number 2 seed be a dark horse?

Well, despite their high rank in the Pac-12 standings, UCLA is currently considered a bubble team for making the NCAA Tournament. Although UCLA has proven they can upset the other Pac-12 teams, they have also proven that they can lose to any of them. In what looks like a tale of two seasons, UCLA has previously lost to Oregon, Arizona State, USC, and Stanford by double digits.

After going on a seven-game win streak towards the end of the season, UCLA showcased they have the ability to continue to shock the Pac-12 if they focus on playing consistent basketball and carrying all of their momentum into the second round of the tournament.

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