The basement
An already thin Arizona State squad saw the roster thin even more when Jose Perez decided that the Pac-12 Tournament wasn't for him. While Arizona State already had an uphill battle and wouldn't be favored, the departure of the team's second-leading scorer puts them in an even more precarious position. Losing to USC is understandable, but the loss of Perez even showed itself in the regular-season finale against UCLA. It'll be a first-round exit for the Sun Devils, who drew a Utah squad that has something to prove.
Next week: Arizona State will look to beat the odds and stick it to Perez when they try to overcome Utah in the first round of the conference dance.
Laying a thorough beatdown on your rivals is always a great feeling — Arizona fans would know — and Stanford's 22-point shellacking of the Golden Bears snapped a six-game skid. However, that will likely be the last good moment of the season, as they have to face Cal once again in the first round. Expect Cal to really test Stanford in a game that should be a high-flying offensive affair.
Next week: Stanford will look to prolong the inevitable and keep the season alive one more week on Wednesday when they take on Cal.
After initially being projected to finish last in the Pac-12, that's exactly what happened to Oregon State. After an extremely hot start in the non-con slate where they went 8-3, the Beavs finished by going an atrocious 5-15 in Pac-12 play. Yes, they did steal a win over Utah at home. No, that doesn't mean they'll find a spark and go on a run. It'll be a one-and-done showing before the season is over in Corvallis.
Next week: Oregon State is slated to play a UCLA squad that finally snapped a five-game win-streak in an attempt to extend the season another week.
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