Pac-12 Burning Questions: Last Team Standing?
Posted by AMurawa on February 9th, 2012Each week through conference play, we’ll offer up a couple of different takes on the biggest question of the week in the Pac-12. This week:
Connor Pelton: In my mind, Arizona has the best chance to make it furthest out of the three teams (Washington and California being the others) that look like it will make it. For one, while 12.5 PPG isn’t exactly an earth-shattering number, there are very few combo-guards I would rather have on the floor than Kyle Fogg. Group in freshman sensation Nick Johnson and a pair of solid forwards in Jesse Perry and Solomon Hill, you have got four very talented starters. Depending on the situation and opponent, you can also mix in either guard Josiah Turner or forward Angelo Chol. Neither are tremendous scorers, but their ability on the defensive side of the ball is crucial if you want to advance in the NCAA Tournament. With Turner averaging 2.1 SPG and pressuring the ball up top and Chol performing like he did against Stanford last Saturday (four blocks), you have got your defensive needs covered.
Secondly, while Arizona hasn’t beaten too many good teams, it has given nonconference opponents Mississippi State, San Diego State, Florida, and Gonzaga good games, not to mention upper-half conference opponents like Oregon, Colorado, and Washington. With wins against Valparaiso and New Mexico State, the Cats have proven they can hang with great teams and beat solid ones, which is more than most, if not all, Pac-12 teams can say.
Arizona will most likely receive an 11-13 seed if they make the Big Dance, meaning it will face teams like San Diego State and Florida early and often in the tournament. This time I see them winning two of those (three if they play in the first round) and advancing to the Sweet Sixteen, which should be much further than either Washington or California can pull off.
Is A Rapidly Improving Arizona Team The Pac-12's Best Chance in March? (Jeff Chiu/AP)
Andrew Murawa: This isn’t meant to be a cop-out, but can I opt for none? Seriously, while I expect at least two Pac-12 teams to wind up in the NCAA Tournament, at this point in the season I like to think that we pretty much know who these teams are. And, looking up and down the conference, I see a whole bunch of mediocre teams who have proven their inability to beat good teams. And given that there is slim chance that anybody in the Pac-12 is going to earn a high seed, the opening round games for any of the conference teams are going to be against good teams.
Now, I fully expect at least one Pac-12 team to be among the First Four, and it is certainly possible that whoever that may be could win a game there. But, I don’t see a Pac-12 team that deserves the benefit of the doubt when it comes to beating good teams. Who knows? Maybe Washington gels over the next month, gives consistent defensive effort and settles their offensive questions. If so, they certainly have the best talent in the Pac-12. But while I think this team is better than they were in November and December, I still don’t trust them enough to win games against good teams.
Andrew Murawa Likes Basketball.
