In the PAC 12’s first basketball season, things have been a little uneasy for a conference who already doesn’t get much respect on the national spectrum. Competetion within the conference has been great (7 teams within two wins of first place), but playing agaisnt non-conference foes hasn’t gone well and making three teams into the NCAA tourney is a bit of a stretch. Here’s a few numbers that might jump out at you:
0: PAC 12 wins against AP top 25 opponents.
9: Weeks and counting without having a team in the AP top 25.
9: Number of teams having a coaching change in the last four years.
30: Number of Pac 12 players drafted over the past four years, (9 of whom would still be eligible this year).
Those are some rough numbers and make it very difficult for the PAC 12 to be competitive against other opponents. That being said, 2 teams (Cal and Stanford) will be the PAC 12 teams representing come March. Arizona and Washington have a shot at being included if they have a spectacular second half run, which is doubtful. Now here’s a look inside Miller’s Chalkboard on how the first half of the season has faired for the PAC 12 so far.
BEST TEAM: The Cal Bears, coached by Mike Montgomery, have put together a solid year besides the embarrasing 39 point loss to top ten Missouri. Should be no surprise they are on top, since they did have the most returning starters from any PAC 12 team.
WORST TEAM: ASWHO? They lost to NAU. NUFF SAID! Crusty the Clown (Kevin O’Neal), you got off by default on this one, your team is atrocious too.
SURPRISE TEAM: Colorado. Everyone thought they were the new comers who lost their best player (Alec Burks) and would be in the lower half of the Pac. They proved everyone wrong; pulling off wins against the top tier programs (Arizona and Washington). They are a team to watch, as their recruiting class coming in is not too shabby on paper.
DISAPPOINTING TEAM: Arizona Wildcats. With so much expectation from the media, fans, and even our players, we can label this year as sub-par. Yeah, we have two freshman starting, but we also have two seniors and a junior starting. We fell from being ranked in the Top 25 to middle of the Pac 12, a shot away from the final four last year to probably not making the list at all this year. Wildcat Country is in shock and will be until next year.
TEAM TO DROP THE BALL: Washington Huskies. They are always good for a couple key losses to mediocre opponents down the stretch. This year will be no different as they will hopefully open the door for the Cats to slip into the NCAA tournament. Wishful thinking, I know, but it could happen.
BEST PLAYER: Future first round NBA draft pick, Oregon State’s Jarred Cunningham. He has been stellar this year, as expected. He averages 18.2 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 3.0 assists per game.
MOST IMPROVED PLAYER: Our very own Solomon Hill. Hill knew he needed to step up big time this year for the cats and he has. He has played big in all of the tough games, whether we lost or won. He has been our back bone all year and his hard work isn’t going unnoticed. He has increased his averages every year, making his biggest jump from last year to this year. He increased his rebounds by 3.6 a game, assists by 1 a game, and points by 4.6 a contest.
BEST COACHING THUS FAR: Oregon’s Dana Altman has coached a young Oregon team to be in the hunt for the PAC 12 title. After being given the reigns to a team looking for guidance, he has shown them the light. They are 6-3 in conference play and 15-6 overall. He has restored confidence in Eugene.
PREDICTIONS: The tables will shake up a little bit, but overall the big picture will remain the same. Cal gets in the NCAA tournament for sure, with Stanford, Washington, and Arizona having the best chances at securing the second spot. Oregon and Colorado have the next best chances at getting in, but will likely play in the NIT. Oregon State, Washington State and UCLA fill out the rest of the lower half, while Utah, ASU, and USC stay as the bottom feeders.