We’re preparing for a week of Cotton Bowl coverage here at Trojans Wire, but as you celebrate Christmas on this Monday holiday, the Trojans are making the trip to Dallas for the game. It’s a final day to look at some basketball stories before we immerse ourselves in bowl week.
You might wonder: What’s the biggest single question in Pac-12 basketball right now? What question will shape these next 18 games of conference play, after the initial two games of Pac-12 action in early December?
One person’s view: It will come down to four teams.
The big question in Pac-12 hoops is this: How will Arizona State, Utah, Colorado, and Oregon evolve over the course of the season?
Arizona State and Utah are in good position for NCAA Tournament berths, while Colorado and Oregon are not. USC is probably in the middle of that group, roughly on par with Utah and clearly ahead of Colorado and Oregon.
Will Pac-12 play knock these teams down a peg, or will these teams rise in conference competition? Arizona State’s profile took a hit with a blowout loss to San Francisco. However, the Sun Devils pounded Michigan, defeated Creighton, and won at Colorado.
Utah missed a big chance for a resume-boosting win at home against TCU. The Utes fell short against the Horned Frogs in a close game. The Utes, however, own a big win over Arizona which will remain the cornerstone of their resume. That’s something USC doesn’t have.
Colorado has a huge win over Tennessee but has lost a ton of games, including twice in Pac-12 play to ASU and Washington. Several bad losses eclipse one great win on a resume sheet. The Buffaloes need to be far better in Pac-12 play to boost their resume.
Oregon is in a far worse position than Colorado because it doesn’t have a high-end win. However, if the Ducks get healthy, they could form a team strong enough to pick off the UCLAs and Arizonas of the world.
ASU, Utah, Colorado, and Oregon could either improve in the coming months, or they could regress. Whether they do not only affects their own respective chances of making the NCAA Tournament; their progressions would determine how valuable a win over each of them turns out to be. That’s of great interest to USC in the chase for an at-large NCAA Tournament bid.
USC not only needs to beat these other Pac-12 NCAA Tournament bid contenders; the Trojans need these teams to do well so that the value of a win over them increases.
You will definitely want to focus on the Sun Devils, Utes, Buffs, and Ducks as the Pac-12 basketball season runs its course.
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