The Pac-12 tournament begins this afternoon. The league has four NCAA Tournament bids locked up, and it should stay that way.<\/p>\n
There are three teams in the Pac-12 that are projected to reach the Big Dance and one that will most likely be selected to join them. Colorado, Oregon, and USC are tournament bound already, and UCLA needs little to make a similar claim. All four of these programs can win the Pac-12 tournament as well, but they shouldn\u2019t overlook any lower seeds.<\/p>\n
Winner: Washington State.<\/strong> Arizona State had high hopes entering the season, ranked No. 18 to start the year, but failed to beat any decent program. In their only matchup with Washington State, they won 77-74. It won\u2019t happen again no matter how well Remy Martin<\/a><\/strong> plays. Plus, ASU will not have freshmen Josh Christopher<\/a><\/strong> and Marcus Bagley<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n Winner: Utah.<\/strong> The Utes and Huskies split their season series. However, Utah has shown they can beat the elite of the Pac-12. They have wins against Colorado and USC, and played Oregon close in both regular-season matchups.<\/p>\n Winner: Stanford.<\/strong> The Cardinal are on a four-game losing streak heading into the Pac-12 tournament. A first-round matchup against Cal can help them get back on track at the right time. They did beat UCLA in the regular season, and Oscar da Silva<\/strong> is a player to watch. If they get going, they could be dangerous. Remember, they did beat Alabama earlier in the year.<\/p>\n Winner: Oregon.<\/strong> The Ducks are entering the Pac-12 tournament having won 10 of their last 12 games. Surprisingly, one of those two losses came at the paws of the Cougars. That won\u2019t happen again. Oregon is a completely different team now and has found its stride.<\/p>\n Winner: UCLA.<\/strong> The Bruins need this game and that may be enough for an edge. UCLA won the only meeting between the two programs this season, 57-52. This matchup may be a defensive battle again, and the Bruins should squeak one out.<\/p>\n Winner: USC.<\/strong> The Utes defeated the then-No. 19 Trojans 71-61 on Feb. 27. They can pull off the upset again, or they can lose badly like they did to USC earlier in the year. They won\u2019t be able to stop All-American candidate Evan Mobley<\/a><\/strong>\u2014which is pretty impossible anyway. The Utes did hold Mobley to just 11 points on 2-of-7 shooting the last time, so redemption will fuel the forward\u2019s play.<\/p>\n Winner: Colorado.<\/strong> The Buffalos are currently ranked No. 23 in the Top 25 poll. McKinley Wright IV<\/a> <\/strong>averages 15.3 points and 5.7 per game this season and controls the offense. Once they find their stride, Colorado will end Stanford\u2019s hopes as a sleeper.<\/p>\n Winner: Oregon.<\/strong> The Ducks are led by Chris Duarte<\/a><\/strong> who is an All-American candidate. The guard is efficient on both sides of the ball, leading the team in points, steals, and blocks. He also just trails teammate Amauri Hardy<\/a><\/strong> in the assist column at 2.4 and 2.5 per game, respectively. Oregon will just be too much for the Bruins on both sides of the court.<\/p>\n Winner: Colorado.<\/strong> The Buffaloes defeated the Trojans in both regular-season contests this year. Their forwards and centers pose as problems for the Mobley brothers. It\u2019s incredibly difficult to beat a good team three times in the same season, but Colorado can get the job done. They have the prowess and confidence to move on to the championship game.<\/p>\n Winner: Colorado.<\/strong> The Ducks and Buffs split their season series. Buffalo handled Oregon in the first game and played them close the second. Colorado is bigger on the block and they will wear down the Ducks in the paint. Duarte versus Wright will again be great to watch, but Colorado will pull out a close one.<\/p>\n The Buffaloes will earn their first Pac-12 tournament title since 2011-12. That was the first season they were in the conference as well. This is a very good squad that is experienced, balanced, and deep. If they are given the right matchup and path in the NCAA Tournament, they may be able to save the Pac-12 with a nice run. The conference hasn\u2019t been great as of late, but they do have some quality programs this year that can go far.<\/p>\n Utah exemplifies the Pac-12 with their style of play: erratic. The conference has had teams in and out of the Top 25 all season and has been tough to figure out. It has been an up-and-down game-by-game year for Utah. The Utes, as mentioned, have beaten Colorado and USC this season, and given a third opportunity, could take down Oregon. If they shoot well and don\u2019t turn the ball over, they could be very dangerous.<\/p>\n Currently, Colorado, Oregon, UCLA, and USC are in the NCAA Tournament. UCLA will be able to safely earn an at-large bid with just a decent showing in the Pac-12 tournament. Also, they need to hope that they aren\u2019t pushed into the bubble by another conference\u2019s sleeper.<\/p>\n The Bruins are a 12-seed right now in Joe Lunardi\u2019s<\/a> Bracketology and an 11-seed in Jerry Palm\u2019s<\/a> projections. They aren\u2019t completely safe, however. If they beat Oregon State, which they should, they will be a lock. Also, playing well against Oregon in the semifinals won\u2019t hurt even if they lose. Unlike many teams, the Bruins don\u2019t necessarily control their own destiny. They better hope no top-seed falters in their respective conference tournaments. UCLA should also keep an eye on what happens in the Mountain West tournament<\/a>.<\/p>\n Four Pac-12 teams will make it to the NCAA Tournament.<\/p>\n Colorado: 5-Seed<\/p>\n Oregon: 6-Seed<\/p>\n USC: 7-Seed<\/p>\n UCLA: 11-Seed<\/p>\n Main Photo:No. 7 Utah Utes vs. No. 10 Washington Huskies<\/h4>\n
No. 6 Stanford Cardinal vs. No. 11 California Golden Bears<\/h4>\n
Quarterfinals- Thursday, March 11<\/h3>\n
No. 1 Oregon Ducks vs. No. 9 Washington State Cougars<\/h4>\n
No. 4 UCLA Bruins vs. No. 5 Oregon State Beavers<\/h4>\n
No. 2 USC Trojans vs. No. 7 Utah Utes<\/h4>\n
No. 3 Colorado Buffaloes vs. No. 6 Stanford Cardinal<\/h4>\n
Semifinals- Friday, March 12<\/h3>\n
No. 1 Oregon Ducks vs. No. 4 UCLA Bruins<\/h4>\n
No. 2 USC Trojans vs. No. 3 Colorado Buffaloes<\/h4>\n
Championship- Saturday, March 13<\/h3>\n
No. 1 Oregon vs. No. 3 Colorado<\/h4>\n
Tournament Winner: Colorado<\/h3>\n
Tournament Sleeper: Utah<\/h3>\n
Pac-12 NCAA Presence<\/h3>\n
UCLA<\/h4>\n
NCAA Tournament Prediction<\/h3>\n
\nEmbed from Getty Images<\/a>