NCAA Basketball: Conference Record Against Top-25 Foes Makes Pac-10 a Joke

For the last year the Pac-10 has had to sit back and suffer the ignoble insults of a nation that has mocked the conferences wherewithal on the hard court.

Sports talking heads, whose jobs depend on assessing hoops talent, smile smugly, look straight into the camera and say things like, "The Pac-10 is the worst major conference in college basketball."

In preseason polls for the 2010 season, only the Washington Huskies were given any love by these pundits, marking the second year in row that the conference round ball prowess was besmirched in the "open court" of the press.

And in that time, many fans of the conference, particularly those of the aforementioned Huskies, would angrily reply something to the effect of, "We're not that bad and soon the nation will find out!"

Guess what Pac-10 fan? It appears the rest of the nation was right after all.

Approaching the halfway point in the regular season, this conference has been abysmal.

Even the Huskies, who, right or wrong, were expected to carry the banner for the conferences respectability, have been mediocre at best.

Glance at the AP top-25 poll of Dec. 20 and guess what you won't find?

That's right, a Pac-10 team.

The closest to finding themselves in that select company is indeed the Huskies but alas, they are only 28th.

"Wait a minute," say indignant Washington fans, "8-3 isn't that bad!"

Maybe not, but when you take a closer look, it isn't all that good either.

Mirroring the conferences futility in this area, Washington has crafted a dismal record against good teams, you know, those who ARE in the top 25.

In those games, against then No. 9 Kentucky and No. 2 Michigan State, the Huskies have managed an 0-2 record.

But they are not alone in underwhelming quality opponents.

Joining the Huskies in the zero column in victories against good competition are Oregon and Arizona who have also managed 0-2 records as well.

Arizona State lost their only foray into top-25 competition but on the plus side, Cal and UCLA have managed to craft victories against top-flight opponents.

Sadly, however, the Bruins and Bears have also lost twice as many as they won, offering 1-2 records against the best in the nation.

Only Washington State, whose surprising start includes a 1-1 record against the top-25, and USC have managed respectable records when dealing with the better teams.

In fact, USC's 2-1 record against ranked foes, which includes victories over then No. 20 Texas and a road win at No. 18 Tennessee, could be 3-0 if not for a last-minute three-pointer which cost them a victory on the road at Kansas.

Just for the record, USC was picked to finish in the bottom half of the Pac-10 conference according to the media that covers it.

Finally, we have Stanford and Oregon State, whose non conference schedule didn't include any top-25 teams.

I guess you can't lose them if you don't play them eh?

All together, the conference has managed a pathetic 5-13 record against the nations best.

Pretty sad.

Now, entering conference play, the Pac-10 will turn its attention to beating each other up.

And the rest of the nation will turn the other way, secure in the knowledge that this conference isn't really worthy of their attention.

At least come tournament time, the Pac-10 will have a chance to redeem itself at the big dance.

Perhaps someone will come roaring out of the west to set the college basketball world on fire.

Perhaps a team like Washington can live up to its reputation as the "best" on the left coast.

Perhaps.

But if the postseason is anything like what we have seen so far...

Don't count on it.