The Pac-10 Men's Basketball post-season tournament begins Wednesday night March 10 with Oregon facing Washington St. at 11pm ET and finishes on Saturday March 13 with the Championship Game. You can catch the Quarterfinals and Semifinals live on FCS Pacific.
This should be an interesting tourney for several reasons:
• Only nine of the ten teams in the conference will be in the tournament as USC imposed sanctions on their men's basketball team which disallows them from participating in post-season play this season. Last season, the Trojans won the Pac-10 Tournament title as the sixth seed.
• No Pac-10 team has been ranked in the top 25 since Jan. 4 and no team has been ranked in the top 10 at all this season.
• No team is guaranteed a "lock" for the NCAA Tournament as no team in the Pac-10 has stood out with only Arizona State, California, and Washington earning over 20 wins heading into the Pac-10 tourney.
This should be a wide-open field, as Arizona State, Cal and Washington remain on the NCAA bubble heading into the Pac-10 tourney. All three teams need to reach the tourney final to feel good about their chances on Selection Sunday, thus the potential semifinal game between those two looms large. The Pac-10 hasn't put a very good product on the floor this season, but its league tournament could have as much drama as any in the country. Here are the matchups:
#8 Oregon Ducks (15-15, 7-11 Pac-10) vs. #9 Washington State Cougars (16-14, 6-12 Pac-10)
Wednesday March 10 at 11pm ET on FCS Pacific.
Why you should watch: The Ducks have won three of their last four games entering post-season play in a season considered a disappointment by many. Coach Ernie Kent looks to finish strong amid reports he will get fired after the season; Oregon needs to at least reach the Championship game to save his job and will look to junior Tajuan Porter (team-leading 11.9 ppg) who set the school's career three-point record with 338 treys and needs five to set the Pac-10 record. Sophomore Malcolm Armstead has posted 61 steals this season (2.0 spg/2nd in Pac-10) and 4.4 assists per game (3rd in Pac-10) while sophomore Michael Dunigan has averaged 1.4 blocked shots per game (3rd in Pac-10).
Washington State is led by All-Pac -10 sophomore Klay Thompson (19.6 ppg/3rd in Pac-10 and 5.2 rpg) and All-Pac-10 Freshman team selection Reggie Moore (12.9 ppg and 4.1 apg). Sophomore DeAngelo Casto, a member of the Pac-10's All-Defensive team, leads the Pac in blocks (2.1 bpg) and leads the team in rebounding (6.9 rpg). WSU is currently on a 3-game losing streak and has been swept by Oregon this season losing at home in overtime by only 2 points on Dec. 31 and losing at Oregon on Mar. 6.
#4 Arizona Wildcats (16-14, 10-8 Pac-10) vs. #5 UCLA Bruins (13-7, 8-10 Pac-10)
Thursday March 11 at 3pm ET on FCS Pacific.
Why you should watch: In a rebuilding year for both teams, one team finished quite well (Arizona) and the other had one of the worst seasons in its team history (UCLA). Arizona found a true star in First Team All-Pac-10 selection, Pac-10 All-Freshman team selection and Pac-10 Freshman of the Year Derrick Williams who led all Pac-10 freshmen in scoring (15.7 ppg) and rebounding (7.0 rpg). He's the first freshman to lead UA in rebounding since Frank Smith did in the 1979-80 season. The Wildcats also feature All-Pac-10 First Teamer senior Nic Wise (14.4 ppg, 3.4 apg and 1.8 spg/3rd in Pac-10). Arizona rides a three-game winning streak into the tourney and has overcome double-digit deficits in each of those games.
UCLA is currently on a three-game losing streak in a disappointing season, but had a few bright spots including All-Pac-10 First Team selection senior Michael Roll (13.5 ppg and 42% 3-point FG percentage) and Pac-10 All-Freshman Team selection Tyler Honeycutt (6.7 rpg, 1.5 spg, and 1.2 bpg). UCLA features five players averaging double-figures in scoring and in the Pac-10 ranks 2nd as a team in FG percentage (46.8%). UCLA has been swept by Arizona this season losing at home on Jan. 2 and losing at Arizona on Mar. 4.
#1 California Golden Bears (21-9, 13-5) vs. Oregon Ducks/Washington St. Cougars
Thursday March 11 at 5:30pm ET on FCS Pacific
Why you should watch: Senior Jerome Randle was named Pac-10 Player of the Year after guiding Cal to their first league title since 1960. He averaged 18.7 ppg, 4.5 apg and leads the nation in free throw percentage (.927). Four other players received accolades in the Pac-10 including First Team Selection Patrick Christopher (16.0 ppg and 1.7 spg), Second-Team selections Jamal Boykin (6.7 rpg and 59.2% FG percentage) and Theo Robertson (13.8 ppg and league-high 43.5% 3-point FG percentage) and lastly Mexican-born sophomore Jorge Guiterrez earned a selection on the Pac-10 All-Defensive Team.
Cal is on a four-game winning streak heading into tourney play and has won seven of their last eight. The Golden Bears have swept Oregon and Washington State beating them both twice this season at home and on the road.
#3 Washington Huskies (21-9, 11-7 Pac-10) vs. #6 Oregon State Beavers (14-16, 8-10 Pac-10)
Thursday March 11 at 9pm ET on FCS Pacific
Why you should watch: The Huskies finished the regular season with a four-game winning streak and have won nine of their last 11 heading into tourney play. Four players earned Pac-10 accolades including All-Pac-10 First Team selections Quincy Pondexter (20.2 ppg/2nd in Pac-10 and 7.8 rpg/3rd in Pac-10) and Isaiah Thomas (17.2 ppg), and Pac-10 All-Defensive Team selections Justin Holiday and Venoy Overton (1.5 spg and 3.4 apg). Washington has the 9th highest scoring offense in the nation (80.5 ppg) which ranks first in the Pac-10 and is tops in turnover margin with a +3.5 margin (19th best in NCAA). The Huskies need to at least reach the Pac-10 finals to earn an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament.
Oregon State's Seth Tarver earned Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Year with his stellar defense in leading the Pac-10 in steals (2.3 spg) and he leads the Beavers in rebounding (4.7 rpg) as well. Defensively, OSU is one of the strongest in the Pac-10, leading the conference in 3-point FG percentage defense (.307) and steals (8.2 per game), placing 2nd in rebounding defense (31.4 per game), and 3rd in the Pac-10 in scoring defense (61.1 ppg). Offensively, OSU has struggled and in the Pac-10 ranks in the bottom three in eight offensive categories and feature only two players averaging double-figures in scoring. The Beavers have been swept by the Huskies this season losing at Washington on Dec. 31 and losing at home on Mar. 6.
#2 Arizona St. Sun Devils (22-9, 12-6 Pac-10) vs. #7 Stanford Cardinal (13-17, 7-11 Pac-10)
Thursday March 11 at 11:30pm ET on FCS Pacific
Why you should watch: The Sun Devils closed their regular season by winning eight of their last ten games, but ASU probably needs to reach at least the championship game of the Pac-10 tourney to have any hope on Selection Sunday. Herb Sendek was named Pac-10 Coach of the Year for guiding ASU to its best finish in league-play since 1981 despite losing two players to the NBA draft. All-Pac-10 First Team Selection Ty Abbot leads the team in scoring (12.0 ppg) and 3-point FG percentage (41.8%). England-born center Eric Boateng leads the team in rebounding (7.0 rpg) and FG percentage (65.3%/1st in Pac-10) and senior Derek Glasser leads the team in assists (4.8 apg/1st in Pac-10) and free-throw percentage (87.8%/2nd in Pac-10).
Stanford is led by First-Team All-Pac-10 selection senior Landry Fields who leads the Pac-10 in scoring (22.2 ppg/9th in NCAA) and leads his team in rebounding (8.7 rpg/2nd in Pac-10) and steals (1.6 spg). Second Team All-Pac-10 selection sophomore Jeremy Green is 2nd on the team in scoring (16.9 ppg) and first in the Pac-10 in 3-point FG's made per game (3.0), shooting 39% beyond the arc. Stanford is currently on a three-game losing streak heading into tourney play. This matchup might come down to 3-point shooting as ASU and Stanford are 1st and 2nd in the Pac-10 in 3-point FG's made per game, but ASU has the advantage as they have swept Stanford this season beating them at home on Jan. 30 and beating them at Stanford on Feb. 25.
Six different teams have won the Pac-10 Tournament since the tourney moved to Staples Center in 2002 so this looks to be a wide-open race to the finish. While it seems some teams have advantages over others, this looks to be a dramatic Pac-10 Tournament as there is much parity in the conference with no clear cut winners or losers. For any team to have any hope, they'll need to at least reach the tourney finals to have any shot at the NCAA Tournament.
Don't forget to catch the exciting Pac-10 Tournament Semifinals on Friday March 12 at 9pm ET on FCS Pacific and 11:30pm ET on FCS Pacific.
