Pac-12 Hoops: Will the Pac-12 Send More Than One Team to the NCAA Tournament?

My my my, how times have changed. Just three seasons ago, the Pac-12 Conference finished with four teams in the Top 25 rankings of the ESPN/USA Today Coaches' Poll. Those teams were the Washington, UCLA, Arizona State and Arizona. There was also a fifth team, USC, lurking just two spots outside the final Top 25 rankings.

Now, excuse me for stating what may be obvious to those who are mathematically inclined, but that list is made up of what was half the conference at the time.

Today, we see a much different story. As of February 28th, there is not one team from the Pac-12 Conference in either the AP Top 25 or the ESPN/USA Today Coaches' Poll.

There is not even a team close to cracking the Top 25 in either poll; Cal is the closest, receiving just three votes in the AP Top 25 Poll and one in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches' Poll.

Even though rankings mean little, it shows that the Pac-12 Conference is simply not getting much respect around the country. The lack of respect is justified, but this is going to make it very difficult for a team to reach the NCAA Tournament through an at-large bid.

Taking this into account we'll go back to the original question: will the Pac-12 send more than one team to the Big Dance?

The answer?

Yes... probably.

No one can say for certain, but if California, Washington and Arizona finish out the year strong and play well in the conference tourney, at least two of them should be in. Washington and Arizona both have the athletes to compete with most teams, and Cal is apparently getting the most respect of any team in the conference.

So there you have it. Three teams who have a legitimate shot to make it to the NCAA Tournament through an at-large bid.

And any team from Cal all the way down to Oregon State has a potential chance to win the tournament. Get ready for a wild final two weeks of conference play before Selection Sunday, which is just under three weeks away.