Tag: Pac-12 Basketball

USC basketball: Pac-12 schedule is favorable, but not helpful in building a national brand

#USC hoops learned about its 2022-2023 #Pac12 schedule on Sept. 15. The actual schedule isn’t bad, but playing UCLA twice in January? That’s not good.

USC is trying to build a national basketball brand under Andy Enfield. The Trojans made the Elite Eight in 2021 and are trying to leverage that achievement into sustained national staying power.

Obviously, winning games and making NCAA Tournaments will build and sustain a brand and an identity, but what also helps a program is having big matchups on the biggest stage when the largest amount of people will be watching. With that point in mind, the 2022-2023 Pac-12 basketball schedule, released on Thursday, is a mixed bag for the Trojans.

The good news: The Trojans should get off to a good start in league play. Cal, Oregon State, and the Washington schools represent USC’s first four conference opponents. The December-January portion of the schedule eases USC into the flow of the Pac-12 season.

The bad news: USC plays UCLA on Jan. 5 and 26. The Trojans and Bruins have a spicy rivalry in Los Angeles. Playing one of the games near the end of the season is good for publicity and generating interest in the Trojans’ basketball brand. Playing UCLA twice in January cuts against that goal. The Jan. 5 game at Pauley Pavilion is absurdly early for a USC-UCLA game at a time when both programs are relevant and competitive.

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Winners and losers from Week 1 of college football

Who stood out in Week 1 of the college football season?

College football is officially back in full swing. Fans were treated to an epic opening weekend with no storage of excitement.

No. 3 Georgia made a huge statement in its dominant 49-3 victory over No. 11 Oregon. The defending champs have reloaded and are ready to defend their title.

No. 2 Ohio State outlasted No. 5 Notre Dame in a bit of a defensive battle at the Horseshoe. The Buckeyes pulled away late to win 21-10 despite an impressive effort from the Irish.

Florida quarterback Anthony Richardson was one of the most dynamic players in the country over the weekend. He led his Gators to a thrilling 29-26 upset over No. 7 Utah.

LSU and Florida State got together on Sunday in what turned out to be a chaotic affair. LSU scored what looked to be a game-tying touchdown after some questionable coaching decisions on both sides and proceeded to have the PAT blocked. The Seminoles escaped with the 24-23 win after the roller coaster of a game.

Here is a look at some of the winners and losers from Week 1 of the 2022 college football season.

What does the Pac-12’s future look like now that USC and UCLA are leaving?

What are your thoughts on USC and UCLA moving to the Big Ten?

June 30 is a day that will leave the Pac-12 scarred for a long time.

Jon Wilner of the San Jose Mercury News broke the news first, but it was eventually confirmed that both USC and UCLA will be leaving the conference in 2024 to join the Big Ten.

For the CU Buffs, this blow to their home conference isn’t ideal — that much is clear. We’re now all patiently waiting for Rick George to give his thoughts and perhaps lend some direction.

Trojans Wire managing editor Matt Zemek had a busy day and he offered a few ideas on what’s next for the Pac-12:

As such, the domino effect might be getting even crazier. The Pac-12 losing both Los Angeles schools would be a major loss and would force some other programs to come in. A significant reworking of the Pac-12 would have to occur to keep the conference afloat.

Could some Mountain West teams be involved? Or does the Pac-12 merge with the Big 12, which similarly took a hit in terms of football media rights value when Texas and Oklahoma left for the SEC?

Not to get Colorado State fans too excited, but for the Pac-12 to stay alive, the Mountain West will probably play a role. I would, however, venture to guess that most Buffs fans are hoping for a move to either the Big Ten or Big 12. It’s also likely that Pac-12 powerhouses Oregon and Washington will be looking for the nearest exit.

As Zemek said, there’s almost certainly going to be a domino effect.

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Where every Pac-12 player landed in the 2022 NBA draft

The Pac-12 conference had six players selected in the 2022 NBA draft, including three in the first round and three out of Arizona.

The 2022 NBA draft came and went on Thursday evening, and while the Oregon Ducks did not have any players selected it was still a busy day for the Pac-12 conference.

Tommy Lloyd’s Arizona Wildcats had three players selected within the first 33 picks of the draft, while UCLA, USC, and Colorado each had a player find a new home as well.

The Pac-12 wasn’t the only west coast conference with representatives at the draft, with three players (Chet Holmgren, Andrew Nembhard, and Jalen Williams) out of the WCC and one more (David Roddy) from the Mountain West.

While it wasn’t the most talented NBA draft class in Pac-12 conference history, this group should have multiple guys with lengthy careers in the association – and one of them could happen right here in Oregon.

Here is a look at all six draftees from the conference of champions, where they landed, and what their fit looks like on the new squad:

Texas PG Devin Askew announces he will transfer to Cal

Devin Askew has found his new home at Cal.

After being praised as one of the best players on the roster, and someone that Chris Beard though he would build around, point guard Devin Askew transferred after just one season in Austin.

This now marks his third school in his three years, as he started his college career at Kentucky. The former four-star recruit out of Santa Ana, California announced on Instagram he will be transferring to Cal.

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Askew didn’t quite have the impact or opportunity that he may have thought he would have at Texas, as he saw his minutes per game go down from 28.9 at Kentucky to just 14.9 at Texas. His numbers also took a hit, as he averaged just just 2.1 points and 1.3 assists in 34 games.

Coming out of high school he was highly regarded for his ball handling, and the ability to score from all three levels, but the scoring ability has to translate to the college level. He did flash some defensive ability at Texas, but seemed timid on offense.

Another thing likely impacting this decision was the fact that Texas is going to have a crowded backcourt as they are bringing in two guards in the 2022 class in five-star Arterio Morris and four-star Rowan Brumbaugh, along with the return of Marcus Carr.

However, he will have a prime chance at Cal to be the primary ball handler and scorer, as they will be losing their leading scorer and point guard Jordan Sheppard.

It was reported by 247Sports that he must file for a waiver in order to play right away, as he already took advantage of the one-time transfer rule.

Ranking the scariest teams entering the Pac-12 Tournament

These Pac-12 teams are riding high into Vegas

The Pac-12 Tournament is here.

The field and bracket are set, and as of now, it looks like only three teams will get into March Madness from the conference.

Of course, the winner of the Pac-12 Tournament gets a spot, but they will have to face Arizona, UCLA and/or USC to get there, depending on how things play out.

With that being said, let’s look at the scariest teams and the one with the most likely shot to cut down the nets in Sin City.

Late-season Pac-12 men’s basketball power rankings

Who’s your No. 1 in the Pac-12?

With one month left until Selection Sunday, the Pac-12 Conference continues to twist and turn with every single week that passes by.

Arizona and UCLA have gone back and forth looking like the best team in the conference. Oregon made its way up the rankings before losing some games, and USC just upset UCLA in a wild finish on Saturday evening.

So, here we are. One month away from finding out the NCAA Tournament field, and the Pac-12 has a ton of questions.

Here is the latest Pac-12 Power Rankings.

How it happened: Colorado’s second half rally erases Oregon’s 6-game winning streak

Oregon saw a 13-0 lead over Colorado evaporate over the course of the game along with its six-game winning streak after an 82-78 loss to the Buffs.

For the second straight game, the Oregon Ducks had a double-digit lead before the fans could settle in their seat with their popcorn.

But unlike Washington two days ago, Colorado was good enough and disciplined enough to get itself back in the game. The Buffaloes erased an early 13-0 deficit to eventually take a lead of their own in the second half.

Unfortunately for the Ducks, they were not able to recover and saw their six-game winning streak go away as Colorado came out of Matthew Knight Arena for the first time since 2013 with a win, 82-78. Oregon also wasted Quincy Guerrier’s best game as a Duck with his 22 points and six rebounds.

These two teams do it all over again in nine days, but the Ducks have never won in Boulder. Oregon falls to 12-7 overall and 5-3 in Pac-12 play.

Men’s basketball game against Washington State postponed for COVID protocols

Oregon’s next men’s basketball game against Washington State has been postponed due to COVID-19 protocols within the Cougars program.

Here we go again.

Just when the Oregon Ducks are finding their stride, the schedule has been derailed. Coming off of a historic weekend that featured upsets against No. 3 UCLA and No. 5 USC, the Ducks will have to wait a bit longer to get back on the court as their next game against Washington State Jan. 20 has been postponed due to COVID-19 protocols within the Cougars’ program.

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According to the school, every effort will be made to reschedule the game, and the rescheduled date will be announced when finalized.

The timing of this postponement couldn’t come at a worse time as the Ducks are coming off their most successful regular season weekend in the program’s history. No other team in the history of the Pac-12 has swept a road series against top-5 ranked opponents, and it hasn’t been done nationally since Clemson did so in 1975.

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However, the Ducks shouldn’t have to wait very long to get back in action with their Saturday game against Washington is still on. The Huskies are 8-7 overall and 3-2 in conference action.

Oregon and Washington are scheduled to tip-off at 7 p.m. on Fox Sports 1.

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Pac-12 shifts a bit in Ferris Mower’s Coaches Poll

USC moved up one spot in the Ferris Mower’s Poll as Colorado remains on the outside.

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On Monday, the newest edition of the Ferris Mower’s Men’s Basketball Coaches Poll, powered by USA TODAY Sports was released. With the Pac-12 Conference seemingly on standstill all across the board, the three schools in the poll remained the same.

UCLA, Arizona, and USC are in the top-10 still, and Arizona and UCLA remained at the same spots (No. 7 & No. 5, respectively).

USC moved up one spot to No. 8, mainly thanks to an Iowa State loss. The Trojans haven’t played since Dec. 18 but are likely going to get back on the court Thursday against Cal.

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The Bruins have been stagnant too and haven’t played since Dec. 11 in a victory against Marquette. Arizona had a couple of weeks off before getting back to it with a victory over Washington on Monday night.

Besides those three teams, nobody else from the Pac-12 is even close. The Buffaloes are probably the best bet to sneak in, but they aren’t in the Others Receiving Votes category either.

The Buffs are 9-3 and were set to play Oregon on Monday before that game got postponed once again. The postponements just keep coming for the Pac-12, and for others in college basketball.

Besides Colorado, it might be a while before any other Pac-12 teams get votes. Oregon has been a disappointment, Cal, Washington State and Stanford are all a mixed bag too, as our latest edition of the Pac-12 power rankings suggests.

Nonetheless, it looks like there will be more Pac-12 teams in action this weekend if everything goes as planned, although anything can change at a moment’s notice.

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