In the grand scheme of things, what happens in the Pac-12 Tournament has no effect on the conference itself. The Pac-12 isn’t going to exist in about four months anyway.
However, the 12 teams that are a part of the conference are vying for notoriety as they head their separate ways.
Currently, only Arizona and Washington State are sure bids for the NCAA Tournament. Colorado and Oregon are fighting for their tickets to the Big Dance and the other eight teams were honestly just trying to keep their heads above water.
The semifinals of the last-ever Pac-12 Tournament are upon and the expected suspects are battling it out.
The top four seeds – Arizona, Washington State, Colorado, and Oregon – are on deck to brawl their way to the conference championship game.
Our Friday Four 👏 pic.twitter.com/y45DpwAt7J
— Pac-12 Conference (@pac12) March 15, 2024
If Arizona and Washington lose, they will still go dancing in a couple of weeks. Oregon and Colorado need to, at least, make their way to the Pac-12 final for a chance at the main March Madness event.
Oregon is facing the nationally ranked No. 6 Arizona Wildcats in the first semifinal game of the day. The Ducks lost both regular season games to the Wildcats by a combined 29 points.
Arizona has lost just seven games this season and only five games during conference play.
The three-seed Colorado Buffaloes and two-seed Washington State Cougars are matched up in the second semifinal game.
The two teams split their regular season meetings but the Buffs struggled to maintain a consistent winning streak. The Cougars on the other hand have won 75 percent of their games this year.
The four top seeds will battle it out in the #Pac12MBB Tournament semifinals 👀 pic.twitter.com/ZbDysWTIK1
— Pac-12 Conference (@pac12) March 15, 2024
If Colorado and Oregon can fight their way past the top seeds, the Pac-12 may stand a chance at more than two teams in the NCAA Tournament. It would also give the Ducks and Buffaloes a stronger leg to stand on as they head to the Big Ten and Big 12, respectively.
Arizona will be joining Colorado in the Big 12 next season while Washington State is being left behind in the soon-to-be “Pac-2.”
Sending more than just Arizona and Washington State to the Big Dance will just rub salt in the wound of the former Pac-12 commissioner George Kliavkoff.
The new leader of the conference Teresa Gould will have quite a situation in front of her as Oregon State finished its 2023-24 regular season at 13-19 overall and the Cougars fight for a national title.