The Pac-12 Conference women’s basketball tournament is set to begin on Wednesday. The UCLA Bruins enter as a 3-seed and are likely on a crash course for a UCLA-USC Part 3.
The first games are on Wednesday and all of Stanford, USC, UCLA, and Oregon State have the day off as they watch to see who they play.
We did a Q&A with Trojans Wire site editor Matt Zemek, and he answered the following question: USC and UCLA both have to win a quarterfinal before meeting in the semifinals. Which team has a tougher game on Thursday, and does it matter if it’s Arizona or Washington facing USC?
Utah is a better team than Arizona or Washington, but Utah is struggling and doesn’t play great away from home. USC will have a very tough time against the U of A or Washington, and it doesn’t matter which team faces the Trojans. Arizona and Washington play tough defense and are very tricky opponents to face. They are also both on the NCAA Tournament bubble and will be desperate for a win. Utah doesn’t have a whole lot at stake in this tournament. The Utes might want to rest and regroup for March Madness.
There are seven teams projected in the latest ESPN bracketology with a few right on the outside, so things could get very interesting for USC and UCLA. If they both win, they face off on Friday night in the semifinal round.
Moreover, both Arizona and Washington are fighting for a spot while Utah has it locked up. Here’s what Zemek said when asked about the matchup for USC:
Both Arizona and Washington will be desperate to beat USC. If the U of A or UW play the Trojans, they will be playing for an NCAA Tournament at-large berth, at least for the possibility of making the tournament. That is powerful motivation. In terms of the matchup, I think Washington might be harder for USC. The Trojans just did play Arizona in double overtime and faced Arizona a second time earlier in February. USC will know what’s coming from Arizona. Washington might be harder to game-plan against. It won’t be easy, regardless of whether the Cats or Huskies win, but I think Washington might be the harder matchup.