Pac-12 Tournament Bracket 2012: Game-by-Game Predictions

This Wednesday, the Pac-12 conference tournament will commence in Los Angeles at Staples Center.

The conference is notably down this season. With parity reigning supreme out west, this could very well turn out to be one of the more exciting and unpredictable conference tournaments in the country.

Washington is the No. 1 seed, but they are absolutely no lock to run the table and take the Pac-12 tournament crown.

Let's take a look at a game-by-game projection of the tournament...

Here is the official bracket. 

First Round: Part 1

First Round play: 

Game 1: No. 8 Washington State Cougars v No. 9 Oregon State Beavers (12 p.m. PST)

This battle should be a hotly contested game. The Cougars have perhaps the best big man in the conference in Aussie Brock Motum.

At 6'10", Motum is not only their leading rebounder (6.5 a contest), but he also is their leading scorer with 18.1 points per game. He's versatile in the sense that he can bang inside the post but can also step out and hurt the opposition with his range from the perimeter.

The Beavers head into the matchup with a stellar player of their own in guard Jared Cunningham. The explosive guard from San Leandro, Calif. is one of the better athletes out west. He's fully adept at attacking the rim with fervor, and he's also great at getting to the free-throw line.

In the regular season, Washington State swept Oregon State. However, I think Oregon State will rise to the occasion and beat the Cougars.

Washington State's offense is predicated upon getting Motum touches early and often. If Oregon State and their unorthodox 1-3-1 zone can slow down Motum, WSU will have a hard time scoring. 

The Beavers would like to get out and run. They have one of the more athletic teams in the conference, and will look to get out in transition and put pressure on Washington State.

It will be a close contest, but in the end, Oregon State will win.

Projected Winner: Oregon State

Game 2: No. 5 UCLA Bruins v No. 12 USC Trojans (2:30 p.m. PST)

The Trojans ended the regular season with a 6-25 record, 1-17 in conference play. Head Coach Kevin O'Neill also has only six healthy scholarship players to his disposal.

With three projected starters suffering season ending injuries, the Trojans simply don't have the horses to viably compete with the Bruins.

The Bruins are in an interesting position right now. Amidst the controversy swirling around Westwood, they finished the season in impressive fashion, defeating both Washington State and top seed Washington. 

With this momentum comes expectations. The team still has one of the best coaches in all of college basketball (Ben Howland), and the talent level on the team is up there with the best of the conference.

In this game, the Bruins should have little trouble with their crosstown foe.

Projected Winner: UCLA

First Round: Part 2

First Round Play, continued...

Game 3: No. 7 Stanford Cardinal v No. 10 Arizona State Sun Devils (6 p.m. PST)

The Cardinal are led by stud freshman guard Chasson Randle and senior power forward Josh Owens. Randle, the Illinois native, has been very impressive in Palo Alto. He's a wonderful three-point shooter (42.9 percent) and loves to attack the rim.

Most notably is his poise and moxie on the floor. The young guard plays much older than his age indicates.

Owens is an athletic 4-man who causes havoc for the opposition. He uses his length and athleticism to be disruptive on the defensive end, while scoring in the paint with his myriad of post moves.

Head coach Herb Sendek and the Sun Devils have had a tough year. After dismissing their leading scorer and losing their top recruit heading into the season, ASU finished a porous 6-12 in conference play.

With next to no depth on the roster, the Sun Devils need to rely on guile and effort if they are to make some noise in the tournament.

In terms of the contest, Stanford has the advantage in every single aspect. Not only do the Cardinal have more depth and size, but they also have more dynamic playmakers with Randle and point guard Aaron Bright.

Barring a complete collapse, Stanford should win.

Projected Winner: Stanford

Game 4: No. 6 Colorado Buffaloes v No. 11 Utah Utes (8:30 p.m. PST)

Ironically enough, the two newest debutants into the Pac-12 conference will face off in the last contest on day one.

Colorado has proven to be a very respectable competitor in the conference. Senior Carlon Brown and sophomore Andre Roberson lead the Buffaloes, who finished 19-11 in the regular season.

Roberson is an athletic forward with great upside. Not only is he equipped with solid offensive skills, but he's also a defensive dynamo. His production for the Buffaloes didn't go unnoticed, as he was named a first-team All-Pac-12 performer.

Brown coincidentally came to Colorado via Utah. Also an explosive athlete, Brown is Colorado's leading scorer at 12.2 points per game. He was a second-team All-Pac-12 selection.

Utah and new head coach Larry Krystowiak has had a rough transition to the conference this season.

They finished the regular season with a record of 6-24, and a conference record of 3-15. Quite simply, they're severely undermanned.

Their best player is big man Jason Washburn. At 6'10", he's their primary scoring option and rebounder. If he gets shut down, Utah has absolutely no shot at being competitive in any ball game.

Colorado should handily dispose of the Utes. Similarly to the game above, Colorado has a vast advantage in every category.

Projected Winner: Colorado   

Quarterfinals: Washington vs Oregon State

*Games will be played on Thursday

Game 1: No. 9 Oregon State Beavers v No. 1 Washington Huskies (12 p.m. PST)

This game features two of the more athletic teams in the conference. As the No. 1 seed, Washington comes in with a very talented team, perhaps the most talented in the conference.

Freshman guard Tony Wroten has been a revelation for the Huskies this year. The lefty looks to attack off of the dribble anytime he can. His impressive strength makes it very difficult for smaller guards to defend him, and he's always looking to put the ball in the basket.

He not only was the Huskies' leading scorer with over 16 points a game, but he was also the Pac-12 Freshman of the Year.

Washington's other big time performer is small forward Terrence Ross. At 6'6, he's silky smooth from the perimeter and has insane athleticism allowing him to finish at the rim amidst the trees inside. Based on potential alone, he perhaps is the best NBA prospect in the conference.

Earlier this season, Washington swept the Beavers. However, it's very hard to beat a team three times in a row, and I feel like this will be a close game.

Washington is very prone to turnovers and ill-advised shots. This plays perfectly into the hands of the Beavers and their 1-3-1 zone. If they can apply consistent pressure and shut down the driving lanes of both Ross and Wroten, they have a good shot to steal a victory.

On the Oregon State side, Cunningham must be aggressive from the get go. In addition, both Devon Collier and Ahmad Starks need to be assertive and not let Cunningham carry the load.

Starks is a diminutive point guard (generously listed) at 5'9", but he isn't short on confidence. He'll look to make his mark and shoot with frequency from outside.

The key in this contest is turnovers. If Washington can handle the ball and not turn it over, they should win. Oregon State is a deep team with good talent, so they should make it interesting. The Huskies are a very long team, so that length could definitely be problematic for the tiny Starks.

Look for Washington's talent to take over in this game.

Projected Winner: Washington

Quarterfinals: UCLA vs Arizona

*Game to be played on Thursday

Game 2: No. 4 Arizona Wildcats v. No. 5 UCLA Bruins (2:30 p.m. PST)

Much like the Washington/Oregon State game, this should be an extremely close game.

In the regular season, each team nicked a win on their home floors. UCLA won by a seven-point margin in Los Angeles, while the Wildcats were victorious by two points in Tucson.

Arizona likes to get up and down the floor and push the tempo. They are led by two All-Pac-12 first-team selections in forward Solomon Hill and guard Kyle Fogg.

At 6'6", Hill is a versatile player who can play on the perimeter, yet still hold his own down on the block. Defensively, he employs long arms and solid leaping ability. While he's not a true scorer, he's second on the team with 12.5 points per game.

Fogg leads the team in scoring with 13.5 points per game. The shooting guard is a streaky shooter, but when he's feeling it, he's quite dangerous. Defensively, he's very active and applies pressure to his man.

The rest of head coach Sean Miller's team is very freshman-laden. They rely heavily on three first-year players (Angelo Chol, Nick Johnson, Josiah Turner) in addition to senior forward Jesse Perry.

While the Wildcats are young and talented, they're extremely undersized. Hill and Perry start down low, but neither are true bangers in the post. Hill's pro position will most likely be small forward, while Perry is an undersized four man at 6'7". Perry plays with great enthusiasm and energy, but he's small.

UCLA, on the other hand, is huge. Not only do they start brothers Dave and Travis Wear (who both go 6'10"), but they bring the massive 6'10" center Josh Smith off of the bench. Smith is huge not only on girth, but on potential and talent as well.

The Washington native has great hands and feet but is seriously lacking in conditioning. Arizona will look to run Smith whenever he's in the game.

At guard, UCLA starts two seniors and a sophomore. Senior point guard Lazeric Jones is the leading scorer for the Bruins with over 13 points per game, while complementary guards Tyler Lamb and Jerime Anderson play solid defense and add a bit of scoring punch as well.

This game is truly a bad matchup for Arizona. They have absolutely no answer for Smith in the paint, and the Wear twins should dominate the glass. Also, the lack of overall experience for Arizona could hurt them in a tight game.

If UCLA can maintain a slower tempo and control the boards, they should win.

Projected Winner: UCLA

Quarterfinals: California vs Stanford

*Game will be played on Thursday

Game 3: No. 2 California Golden Bears v. No. 7 Stanford Cardinal (6 p.m. PST)

The battle of the Bay Area schools will be on full display in the quarterfinals.

This past weekend, both squared off in the finale of the regular season. Stanford played exceedingly well and beat their rival by five. With that in mind, Cal looks to get revenge and knock the Cardinal out of postseason contention.

Both teams have favorable matchups they'll look to exploit. For Stanford, Owens will get touches early and often. Cal is somewhat undersized up front, and Owens is vastly more athletic than both Cal big men David Kravish and Harper Kamp.

For Cal, their guard play is the obvious strength of the squad. The trio of Justin Cobbs, Allen Crabbe and Jorge Gutierrez is easily the best in the conference.

Cobbs, a transfer from Minnesota, is the most explosive of the three. He's a good three-point shooter, but he's also able to drive the ball to the hoop.

Crabbe is the closest thing to Ray Allen that the Pac-12 has to offer. He's almost automatic from the perimeter, and has great size at 6'6". The first-team All-Pac-12 performer is also a Los Angeles native, so he'll have extra motivation to play well in front of his friends and family.

Gutierrez is the heart and soul of the team. In terms of effort, he's second to none. Not only will he outwork his opponents, but he'll do absolutely anything in order for his team to win.

By my description, it sounds like Gutierrez is a role player, a glue guy. Well, he is a glue guy, but he's also Cal's best player. In fact, he's also been named Pac-12 Player of the Year.

This game is intriguing on many levels. The fact that they both are rivals make it fun, as does the extra incentive that they both played each other less than a week ago.

Ultimately, I think Cal has the advantage in a couple areas. Their guard play is superlative, and guard play often does prove to be the difference in the college game. Also, their coach Mike Montgomery is one of the best in all of college basketball. He'll have the Bears more than prepared for the Cardinal.

It will be close, but Cal pulls it out.

Projected Winner: Cal

Quarterfinals: Oregon vs Colorado

*Game will be played on Thursday

Game 4: No. 3 Oregon Ducks v. No. 6 Colorado Buffaloes (8:30 p.m. PST)

Out of all four prospective quarterfinal matchups, this has the potential to be the most exciting game.

Oregon, winners of six out of seven and four straight, are sitting at 22-8 for the season. Their March Madness ticket hasn't been fully punched yet, so they're hoping to advance deep into the conference tournament with the hopes of enhancing their NCAA tournament resume.

Head coach Dana Altman has established a deep team based on already existing players and transfers. Both E.J. Singler and Garrett Sim provide big time energy and leadership to the team.

Sim is a heady floor general with a good perimeter jumper, while Singler is an athletic wing player who can manufacture points.

The three transfers—guard Devoe Joseph from Minnesota, forward Olu Ashaolu from Louisiana Tech and center Tony Woods from Wake Forest—have been integral cogs in the Oregon engine.

Joseph is their leading scorer at 16.8 points per game. He's not only a crafty and cerebral player, but he's also a great outside shooter.

Both Ashaolu and Woods provide size and depth down low. Neither are particularly big offensive threats, but both intimidate with their length and shot blocking ability.

In addition, Oregon plays ten players. They're a deep team, perfect for Altman's frenetic pressing style predicated upon pressure and quickness.

Much like Oregon, Colorado is also a deep team. While Brown and Roberson garner much of the attention (rightfully so), freshman guards Spencer Dinwiddie and Askia Booker have been bright spots.

Dinwiddie is a tall guard with a great feel for the game. He's very intelligent and often makes good decisions.

Booker is a lightning-quick guard who looks to score the basketball. He has a tendency to get out of control, but his talent far surpasses the occasional turnover.

Austin Dufault is also a big time player for head coach Tad Boyle's team. At 6'9", the North Dakota native can face up and knock down the jumper, but he can also put the ball on the floor and create in the post. He's averaging 11.1 points per game.

There are a lot of similarities in this game, making it quite fascinating. Both the Ducks and the Buffaloes have lots of depth, each have good athletes, and both teams have perhaps the two most underrated coaches in the conference.

With that in mind, expect a thrilling match in the finale of the night.

Projected Winner: Oregon

Semifinals: Washington vs UCLA

*Game will be played on Friday

Game 1: No. 1 Washington Huskies v. No. 5 UCLA Bruins (6 p.m. PST)

In the first semifinal, the top seed will face off against the home town team in what should be a great matchup.

Earlier in the season when the teams first met, UCLA had a double-digit lead with five minutes left. Much to the dismay of the Bruin faithful, head coach Ben Howland's players coughed up the lead in Seattle, and the Huskies furiously came back and defeated the Bruins by two points.

This past Saturday in the season finale, both teams played each other very hard. Ultimately, UCLA played a more complete game, beating Washington by six in Los Angeles.

Suffice to say, this game won't be a blowout.

UCLA has a big advantage inside with Smith and the Wear twins. In each matchup, post play hurt the Huskies. The Bruins outrebounded Washington in both games, and that trend should continue in the semifinals.

If UCLA wants to win, Smith has to not only stay out of foul trouble, but he has to be active on the offensive side of the floor. An added wrinkle is that he's a native of Washington - spurning the Huskies in favor of the Bruins. An extra motivation of beating his hometown team should bode well for the Bruins.

Defensively, the Bruins have ratcheted up the pressure of late. Both Anderson and most notably Lamb have used their long arms to disrupt passing lanes. In the contest last Saturday, Lamb was a big thorn in Washington's side.

For the Huskies, they have a distinct advantage in athleticism, quickness, and outside shooting. Washington "out-athletes" the Bruins at every single position. Not only do they have great length, but their lateral quickness enables them to be sound defensively.

There's no secret that Wroten will look to be assertive on the offensive end. If he stays within himself and doesn't play out of control, he'll be quite effective against UCLA. The Bruins have a problem guarding against penetration, so Wroten should have a big game.

Both Ross, C.J. Wilcox and Darnell Gant can stroke it deep from the perimeter. If Wroten can consistently live in the lane, it will force UCLA's defense to collapse to compensate for the penetration. In the process, it will free up Washington's sharp shooters from outside to shoot uncontested three-pointers.

UCLA is playing very well of late, but regardless, they can't compensate for their lack of overall athleticism. Washington's team provides a bunch of potential matchup problems for the Bruins. The Huskies have to play smart and not turn the ball over to come out victorious.

I see the Huskies squeaking this out by a slim margin.

Projected Winner: Washington

Semifinals: Oregon vs California

*Game will be played on Friday

Game 2: No. 2 California Golden Bears v. No. 3 Oregon Ducks (8:30 p.m. PST)

The key to this match up will be guard play.

In regards to Cal, Crabbe and Cobbs needs to be effective offensively. With Gutierrez in a bit of a funk lately, it's absolutely imperative that the aforementioned duo need to be productive.

Also, Kamp needs to be active in the post. If he can score some easy buckets in the post, it'll open up the perimeter and give Cal an honest threat in the paint. Kamp doesn't leap very high, but he's crafty down low and can make some things happen.

For Oregon, Joseph needs to get going early. His effectiveness usually indicates whether or not Oregon wins.

Although Joseph's play is significant, Singler could be the key for Oregon in this game. Crabbe will most likely guard Singler, and that's a bad matchup for Cal.

Physically, Singler is much stronger than the slight framed Crabbe. Look for Singler to not only take Crabbe down to the box but also to attempt to get him in foul trouble.

An issue plaguing Cal is their depth, or lack thereof. Cal really plays only six players, while Oregon utilizes ten. That could really be a big issue, especially if Gutierrez or Kamp get into foul trouble.

Both coach Montgomery and Kamp lamented about the inexplicable lack of effort plaguing the Bears last week against Stanford.

That's not exactly a good thing, especially heading into a conference tournament. They'll get by Stanford on talent alone, but that won't happen with the Ducks.

Due to Cal's lack of sufficient depth and poor recent form, I think Oregon upsets the higher seeded Golden Bears.

Projected Winner: Oregon

Championship Game: Oregon vs Washington

*Game will be played on Saturday. It will be nationally televised on CBS.

Championship Game: No. 1 Washington v. No. 3 Oregon (6 p.m EST)

You want excitement? Tune in to this game.

Both teams display chaotic, hectic styles of play. In transition, both the Ducks and the Huskies thrive. The ability to score the ball also won't be a problem, especially with such athletes as Ross, Wroten, Wilcox, Joseph and Singler.

The ultimate key to this game? Battle of the turnovers.

In regards to Washington, they have a freshman (Wroten) handling the ball a great deal. Oregon runs a feverish full court press, looking to trap consistently.

That's not exactly a recipe of success if you're Washington. Wroten will be constantly harassed, and inevitably turnovers will be caused.

Defensively, Washington is very good. They don't press to the same degree as Oregon, but they'll apply constant pressure with their impressive length and quickness.

However, Oregon has a big neutralizer of Washington's pressure. His name is Garrett Sim.

The senior point guard has big time experience, and displays a cool disposition out on the court. Nothing Washington throws at him will be foreign and unsettling.

The press of Oregon will disrupt the Washington offense, making it difficult for the Huskies to get into a solid rhythm.

Oregon's team is more experienced, and they enter this conference tournament as the hottest team in the Pac-12. That momentum will carry over in this game, stamping their spot in the big dance.

Projected Winner: Oregon