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Pac-10 Basketball update & Power Rankings 02/12

 

Arizona State probably not only locked up its NCAA tournament hopes but also got itself back into the Pac 10 championship race when it defeated UCLA, 74-67, this past Thursday.

That’s news because the Sun Devils have never won the Pac 10 since they joined the conference in 1978-79.

By sweeping the Bruins, it marked the first time in three years UCLA was swept by a fellow Pac 10 school. It also snapped UCLA’s streak of winning the first game of the Thursday-Saturday Pac 10 series at 32.

Obviously, the Sun Devils (19-5, 8-4) played well throughout in this back-and-forth contest. But it was the Bruins (19-5, 8-3) who self destructed in the final three minutes of the game. Senior point guard Darren Collison, who leads the nation in free throw shooting at 94 percent, missed a free throw and then was called for an offensive foul with 39.5 seconds. Then the Bruins were whistled for a technical foul when the Sun Devils were trying to inbound the ball.

The Sun Devils also swept UCLA for the first time in six seasons. Point guard James Harden had a terrific game for Arizona State with 15 points, 11 assists and seven rebounds.



Three-team scramble

There’s no question the Pac 10 will likely send at least three teams to the NCAA tournament. The question is who will join UCLA, Washington and Arizona State.

It comes down to California, USC and Arizona. Maybe all three will get there. Maybe only one will.

The best case is being made by California (18-6, 7-4). The Bears already have a season sweep of Washington and will get to 20 wins. But it won’t be easy down the stretch because their last four are against UCLA, USC, Arizona and Arizona State.

Unlocking the mystery of USC (15-8, 6-5) would be a mystery. The Trojans have NCAA tournament type of talent. But they also can be their own worst enemy. They have lost to Oregon State and are committing 15 turnovers a game. But they have the conference’s best field goal defense at 42 percent. The season may ride on how well point guard Daniel Hackett plays.

Arizona (17-8, 7-5) has won six consecutive wins and also has a great win over Kansas. But the Wildcats have three losses – UAB, Texas A&M and USC – by each one point. And those heartbreakers could be the determining factors in their going or not going. Like USC, the Wildcats’ hopes will ride on how well Nic Wise plays.

 

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Notable

USC’s Taj Gibson, the conference’s leading shot blocker, returned from a dislocated pinkie finger against Arizona….Arizona’s Jordan Hill went over the 1,000-point plateau on Feb. 8 at Oregon…former Arizona coach Lute Olson will be inducted into the Pac 10 Hall of Honor at the conference tournament in Los Angeles next month. Olson retired before this season because of health reasons. There are many experts who believe Olson to be one of the most influential figures in Pac 10 basketball history. Consider Arizona’s 1997 national title is the only one by a Pac 10 other than UCLA since 1964.

 

Power Rankings

  1. UCLA
  2. Washington
  3. Arizona State
  4. California
  5. Arizona
  6. USC
  7. Washington State
  8. Stanford
  9. Oregon State
  10. Oregon

 

 

By Kevin Lonnquist
Pac-10 Correspondent