This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
The headline of my Selection Sunday analysis of the Pac-12's seven bids to the NCAA Tournament included the phrase "well deserved." That's one I'd like to have back. League champion Oregon takes the court Friday night against Holy Cross and No. 2 finisher Utah is in good shape, with a first-round victory in the books and the Midwest Region opening up nicely for the Utes after some major upsets in the bracket. The rest of the league, though? The Pac-12 has performed poorly, with five losses. A conference that heralded its depth is appearing shallow. This is a letdown, after the league sent three teams to the Sweet 16 each of the previous two years. Losses by No. 8 seeds USC (to Providence) and Colorado (to Connecticut) are forgivable, because those are always 50-50 games. Then again, the Trojans gave up a layup via an in-bounds pass with one second left against Providence. Oregon State (No. 7) was widely judged as being overvalued by the NCAA basketball committee, and the Beavers lived down to those outside expectations in a loss to No. 10 VCU. No. 6 Arizona's matchup with No. 11 Wichita State was not easy, and the Wildcats also faltered Thursday. The conference's biggest disappointment came Friday, when No. 4 California lost 77-66 to No. 13 Hawaii. The Bears lost guard Tyrone Wallace to a broken hand in Wednesday's practice and scratched forward Jabari Bird before the game due to back spasms. Foul trouble affected their replacements. So explanations – or excuses – exist for the Pac-12's dismal showing, but there's no question that the conference's record seven-bid season will be remembered for the wrong reasons, unless Oregon and Utah redeem the league by going a long, long way in the tournament. The Ducks and Utes could meet in the championship game, after all. – Kurt Kragthorpe