Seven weeks and change from Selection Sunday, the Pac-12’s outlook has improved incrementally in recent weeks.
Arizona, UCLA and USC remain on track for NCAA Tournament at-large bids, lofty seeds and manageable paths into the Sweet 16. But instead of standing alone, they have company lurking. Oregon and Washington State are solidly on the bubble, and two more teams, Colorado and Stanford, have entered wing-and-a-prayer territory.In order to collect a respectable number of NCAA bids, the conference will need a surprise winner in Las Vegas — a 2022 version of Oregon State.— For those unfamiliar with the NET rankings system: The result of each game played falls within one of four quadrants, based on the NET ranking of the opponent and location of the game.
Comment: See the ball, and the players, move: The Wildcats are averaging 22 assists on 32 field goals per game.Comment: We sense a mid-season lull coming, and that wouldn’t be the worst thing for a tournament-tested roster if it created the opportunity for major momentum in March.Comment: Combine the soft non-conference schedule with limited chances for first-class wins within the conference, and USC’s path to a No. 1 or 2 seed isn’t as wide as those of Arizona and UCLA.
Comment: The Cougars won’t play Oregon on Thursday because of COVID issues within their program. The Saturday visit to Oregon State hasn’t been postponed, yet — rare is the team that only has one game impacted by the virus.Comment: Oregon’s case for an at-large berth would benefit from an improvement in SMU’s resume from its current No. 64 NET ranking. As marquee non-conference wins go, that one doesn’t pack much of a wallop.
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