Pac-12 Tournament 2023: Top Storylines for Men's Round 1 Games
The 2023 Pac-12 Men's Basketball Tournament begins Wednesday at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, and there will be a lot of action right away. That's because the event opens with four first-round matchups featuring the Nos. 5-12 seeds.
The top four teams in the conference received byes. So none of UCLA, Arizona, USC and Oregon will be taking the court until the quarterfinals on Thursday.
But Wednesday's slate has the potential to provide an exciting day of basketball. And maybe there will even be an early upset or two.
Here's everything you need to know about the first-round matchups for the Pac-12 tourney.
No. 8 Washington vs. No. 9 Colorado
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Can Washington defeat Colorado for a third time this season? That's never an easy feat. But the Huskies have already proved twice they're capable of beating the Buffaloes, and if they do so again, they'll move into the quarterfinals of the Pac-12 tournament.
Washington beat Colorado 73-63 at home on Dec. 4 then later notched a 75-72 road victory over the Buffaloes. The Huskies aren't entering the tourney with much momentum, though, considering they lost back-to-back games to Stanford and Washington State to end the regular season. Colorado snapped a three-game losing streak with its win over Utah in its finale.
One reason why the Huskies may prevail again is their three-point defense. They're allowing opponents to shoot only 29.8 percent from behind the arc, which is the best mark in the Pac-12. Plus, the Buffaloes already struggle from long range, shooting 31.6 on three-pointers (ninth in the conference).
No. 5 Washington State vs. No. 12 California
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Of the four games taking place Wednesday, this should be the least competitive. Washington State had a winning record in Pac-12 play (11-9), while California was the worst team in the conference (3-28, including 2-18 in Pac-12 games).
The Cougars won both of their previous meetings with the Golden Bears. The second had a close result, though, as Washington State held on for a 63-57 road win at Cal on Feb. 25. That came during the Cougars' six-game winning streak to end the regular season.
Junior guard TJ Bamba (15.7 points per game) should have a strong performance that will lead Washington State to victory. If Cal ends up on top, it would be quite the upset.
No. 7 Utah vs. No. 10 Stanford
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On Feb. 11, Utah improved to 17-9 and 10-5 in Pac-12 play with a home win vs. Colorado. Then, the Utes lost five straight games to end the regular season. A first-round matchup vs. Stanford isn't likely to be easy, either.
Utah and Stanford split the regular-season series, with the road team winning each time. The Utes won 71-66 at Stanford on Dec. 31, then the Cardinal won 78-72 at Utah on Feb. 2. The rubber game could truly go either way.
However, the Utes will be the favorite to win, primarily because they have senior center Branden Carlson. The 7-footer is averaging 15.9 points and 7.4 rebounds per game this season.
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No. 6 Arizona State vs. No. 11 Oregon State
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Arizona State had a hot start to the season, but it's been a bit inconsistent of late. But it hasn't had any trouble against Oregon State, winning both regular-season meetings. The Sun Devils won 74-69 at Oregon State on Jan. 14 then notched a 68-57 home win over the Beavers on Feb. 2.
If Oregon State is going to pull off an upset on Wednesday, it will need to play better than it has in recent weeks. The Beavers have lost seven of their past nine games, a skid that began with their second loss to the Sun Devils.
It can be tough to defend Arizona State because it has four players averaging double-digit points this season. That will make things difficult on Oregon State in this matchup.
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