This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2017, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

There are luxuries that come with a bye: an extra day of rest, a shorter schedule to win a tournament and — perhaps most underrated — a chance to enjoy the action.

Junior forward Kyle Kuzma, whose mind is a database that can recall stats and names and scores, will obviously be spending most of his time Wednesday preparing for Utah's first opponent, either Cal or Oregon State. But it's a good bet he'll try to catch some of the other games as well.

"It's my favorite time of year," he said. "Growing up, you want to play basketball in March."

It's an odd setup, however, for the Pac-12 tournament, which is moving across the street to the newly constructed T-Mobile Arena after a few years at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. At one end, there are three top-10 teams that will be vying for the championship — each has won it in the last three seasons. On the other end are programs with single-digit win seasons that figure to hardly factor in at all.

It all sets up to look like a top-heavy week for the league, which looks to have a dip in depth after sending a record seven teams to the NCAA Tournament last year. But while outsiders are expecting Oregon, Arizona and UCLA to duke it out at the top, Utah coach Larry Krystkowiak thinks not everything will unfold the way it's expected to.

"Crazy things happen in March," he said. "Just trust me, something crazy is gonna happen. And I'm gonna say 'I told you so.' "

The top three teams — 1-seed Oregon, 2-seed Arizona and 3-seed UCLA — are all in the AP's top 10 this week, though the Bruins are ranked the highest at No. 3 nationally. They all have distinct characteristics: UCLA has been defined by its blazing offense, Arizona by its defense and rebounding, and Oregon by its shot-blocking and versatility.

The Ducks, who were picked to win the league in preseason, seem to have the leg up. They've beaten each of the other two at least once this year, and behind Pac-12 player of the year Dillon Brooks, they have experience from when they won it last year. To make a run, UCLA and Arizona would probably need their future lottery pick freshmen (Lonzo Ball and Lauri Markkanen, respectively) to play lights out.

Upset potential seems low: Neither Utah nor Cal beat any of the teams seeded above it, and USC did top UCLA once, but at home. Colorado, the 7-seed, was one of just two teams in the league to beat Oregon.

But as any good underdog would, Krystkowiak believes that something could absolutely swing right for the Utes, which had at least one close loss against each of the big three.

"I imagine we need to win the tournament to punch our [NCAA] ticket, which, believe me, I'm so confident can happen," he said. "We've got some work to do. But it can happen, there's no doubt in my mind."

Twitter: @kylegoon —

Pac-12 Tournament

Team-by-team

Here are tournament previews for each team, with odds to win it all, according to Bovada:

1. Oregon (27-4, 16-2)

Why they'll win it • They have the deepest team, and the two best interior defenders in Jordan Bell and Chris Boucher. When you need a game-winning shot, it doesn't get much better than Dillon Brooks.

Why they'll fall short • Their guards can be streaky shooters if they fall in love with 3-point shooting, and they're average on the defensive glass and at the free throw line.

Odds: 3 to 2

2. Arizona (27-4, 16-2)

Why they'll win it • They have one of the grittiest rebounding and defensive teams in the game, with superior length and athleticism to just about anyone. Allonzo Trier makes them tougher, and just about everyone can drive to the rim.

Why they'll fall short • The Wildcats are fairly average shooting the ball, especially from the outside, and they will struggle to keep up with faster-paced offenses.

Odds: 5 to 2

3. UCLA (28-3, 15-3)

Why they'll win it • In terms of offensive talent, no one can match the Bruins — they have great balance in production between the front and backcourt, and Lonzo Ball speeds up pace better than anyone.

Why they'll fall short • The defense is improving, but still not great, and unlike the teams seeded ahead of them, they don't get a big advantage in turnover margin.

Odds: 8 to 5

4. Utah (20-10, 11-7)

Why they'll win it • The Utes shoot better than almost anyone in the country, and they have one of the better rebounding units in the Pac-12. At their best, they're capable of playing both ways as well as anyone in the league.

Why they'll fall short • Two of their best players, David Collette and Devon Daniels, are question marks. Utah's backcourt runs very hot and cold, and the team struggles too much to take care of the ball.

Odds: 16 to 1

5. Cal (19-11, 10-8)

Why they'll win it • The Golden Bears establish themselves on defense and are hard to score on inside and out. Ivan Rabb is the best double-double threat in the league, and Jabari Bird can catch fire.

Why they'll fall short • They can't score. When they need a bucket, they can't get one. Led by a freshman point guard, they also have turnover issues.

Odds: 16 to 1

6. USC (23-8, 10-8)

Why they'll win it • The Trojans can clinch an NCAA at-large bid with a good showing in Vegas, and it helps that Bennie Boatwright is healthy. They are great at taking care of the ball, and posting up on their shot-blockers is a nightmare.

Why they'll fall short • Their defense is marginal at best, and they can't defend the three-point line. They also can get beat up on the glass by bigger teams.

Odds: 25 to 1

7. Colorado (18-13, 8-10)

Why they'll win it • Derrick White might be the most underrated player in the league, and can do a little bit of everything. Colorado's gritty style is suited for tournament play, and Buffs have won 8 of last 11.

Why they'll fall short • White doesn't have enough offensive help around him, and Colorado's characteristically tough defense is merely average this year, especially around the perimeter.

Odds: 33 to 1

8. Arizona State (14-17, 7-11)

Why they'll win it • This backcourt is surprisingly consistent: It has helped ASU have the fewest turnovers in the league, while Torian Graham and Tra Holder have combined for more than 33 points per game.

Why they'll fall short • The Devils' two-point defense is criminal, one of the worst in the country. Anyone can shoot on the Sun Devils, and anyone can rebound against them, too.

Odds: 66 to 1

9. Stanford (14-16, 6-12)

Why they'll win it • Reid Travis was underappreciated as an interior threat and rebounder, and as a whole, the Cardinal is great at forcing turnovers and cleaning the defensive glass.

Why they'll fall short • Offensively, there are a lot of shortcomings. They can't hit threes — or twos — or free throws. They allow 3-point shooters to fire at will.

Odds: 66 to 1

10. Washington State (13-17, 6-12)

Why they'll win it • They have good experience in a league that mostly lacks it at the top end, and the Cougars have two skilled big men in Josh Hawkinson and Conor Clifford.

Why they'll fall short • Wazzu has never won the tournament before, and this team faces gaps in athleticism and is subpar defensively.

Odds: 250 to 1

11. Washington (9-21, 2-16)

Why they'll win it • Markelle Fultz is the most talented and versatile player in the league.

Why they'll fall short • The Huskies only have one of him.

Odds: 250 to 1

12. Oregon State (5-26, 1-17)

Why they'll win it • Maybe if Tres Tinkle's wrist heals, and every other team catches the flu.

Why they'll fall short • They've been beaten in every Pac-12 contest this season — except at home against Utah.

Odds: 250 to 1

Twitter: @kylegoon

Pac-12 Tournament schedule

All games at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

All times Mountain.

Wednesday

Game 1 • No. 8 Arizona State vs. No. 9 Stanford, 1 p.m. Pac-12 Network

Game 2 • No. 5 Cal vs. No. 12 Oregon State, 3:30 p.m. Pac-12 Network

Game 3 • No. 7 Colorado vs. No. 10 Washington State, 7 p.m. Pac-12 Network

Game 4 • No. 6 USC vs. No. 11 Washington, 9:30 p.m. Pac-12 Network

Thursday

Game 5 • No. 1 Oregon vs. Game 1 winner, 1 p.m. Pac-12 Network

Game 6 • No. 4 Utah vs. Game 2 winner, 3:30 p.m. Pac-12 Network

Game 7 • No. 2 Arizona vs. Game 3 winner, 7 p.m. Pac-12 Network

Game 8 • No. 3 UCLA vs. Game 4 winner, 9:30 p.m., ESPN

Friday

Semifinal 1 • Game 5 winner vs. Game 6 winner, 7 p.m. Pac-12 Network

Semifinal 2 • Game 7 winner vs. Game 8 winner, 9:30 p.m. ESPN

Saturday

Final • Semifinal winners, 9 p.m., ESPN