Pac-12 Tournament 2016: Bracket, TV Schedule, Dates, Live Stream and Predictions

A deep crop of contenders in the Pac-12 are set to do battle in Las Vegas for the right to secure a conference tournament title and automatic berth in the NCAA tournament. 

Oregon stunned the Pac-12 prognosticators by winning its first regular-season conference title in 14 years. The Ducks don't have much margin for error with Utah, California and Arizona right on their heels. 

Colorado and USC won 20 games during the regular season and are looking to strengthen their respective tournament resumes, so this field is wide open with no fewer than six teams capable of cutting down the nets. 

Here's the Pac-12 tournament bracket, via the Pac-12 Conference's official Twitter account:

Tournament Favorite: Oregon Ducks

Chris Pietsch/Associated Press

Oregon won the Pac-12's regular-season crown by being able to take care of business in marquee matchups. In five games against Utah, California and Arizona, the Ducks posted a 4-1 record.

The hiccup was a big one, as California knocked Oregon off by 20 points on Feb. 12. Things looked like they were falling apart for the Ducks at that point, as they lost their next game against Stanford. 

But the best measure of a team is its ability to respond against adversity. Oregon ended the season winning five straight games to secure a conference title. 

Looking at the bigger picture, Oregon has posted a terrific 17-4 record against teams in the RPI top 100, including four wins in five games against the top 25. Kansas and Miami are the only teams with at least 15 wins and no more than four losses against the RPI top 100 this season. 

Ducks head coach Dana Altman never gets enough national recognition for the job he's done, but Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports gave him some credit after Wednesday's win over UCLA:

Oregon isn't a sexy basketball program yet. Arizona continues to land the high-profile Pac-12 recruits and UCLA has decades worth of history, but Altman has given Oregon an identity that has culminated in this year's success.

Underrated Contender: Oregon State Beavers

Danny Moloshok/Associated Press

While the RPI is not a perfect metric by which to measure a team, it's certainly got its merits to determine how well teams stack up against each other. 

Going over potential Pac-12 spoilers, Oregon State immediately stands out. The Beavers are not entering the conference tournament with a lot of momentum, having been blown out by USC on Wednesday, though they did get back on track in the regular-season finale with an 86-82 win over UCLA. 

Metrics love Oregon State because the team put together a strong nonconference schedule to strengthen its resume, per ESPN.com's Eamonn Brennan:

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Wayne Tinkle's team played just four nonconference opponents who currently exist outside the RPI top 150, and only two (Quinnipiac, Cal State Fullerton) are hovering up near the dreaded 300 range. Throw in a road game against Kansas, a road win at top-100 UC Santa Barbara, a neutral-court victory over bubbly Tulsa, let cool for five minutes, and voila: Your mind-boggling resume is served! To be fair, the Beavers have beaten Oregon, Cal, USC, Utah and Colorado in Pac-12 play. All at home, sure, but still, that's not nothing. 

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The Beavers (No. 31) are not far behind Arizona (No. 27) and ahead of USC (No. 35) in the current RPI standings because of those key wins and nonconference schedule, despite having just a 18-11 record. 

Oregon State is just as likely to be eliminated in the first round as it is to win four straight games, but this team understands the grind of playing against top-tier competition and being able to come out the other side looking strong. 

Championship Prediction: Arizona Wildcats

Rick Scuteri/Associated Press

This is one instance where talent on paper is trumping performance on the court, not that Arizona has been a bad team this season. 

Back in October, Ken Bikoff of CampusInsiders.com ranked Arizona as the conference's best team coming into the year despite so much roster turnover:

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Yes, Arizona lost four starters from last year’s squad, but the return of Kalbe Tarczewski inside—plus the usual fantastic recruiting haul—will keep the Wildcats rolling. Guard Gabe York should take a step forward and provide plenty of leadership, and the trio of Ryan Anderson, Ray Smith and Allonzo Trier will inject the roster with athleticism. Anderson is a graduate transfer who was a two-time All-ACC talent at Boston College, and he will make an immediate impact. Watch JUCO transfer Kadeem Allen, a quality guard who can do a little bit of everything on the floor. 

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Move forward five months, and Arizona didn't live up to those standards. The Wildcats lost six conference games, including two in the final week against Colorado and Utah. It's not a good stretch for head coach Sean Miller's bunch, especially coming off a six-game winning streak.

Despite those negatives, the numbers show Arizona is the most complete team in the Pac-12. It finished the regular season ranked 28th in defensive efficiency and 35th in offensive efficiency. The Wildcats are deep, with seven players averaging at least seven points per game. 

York is an outstanding three-point shooter, hitting 41.4 percent of his attempts, and that pairs nicely with Ryan Anderson's ability to play inside. 

It would be nice if Arizona were entering the Pac-12 tournament with more momentum, but the spotlight will bring out the Wildcats' best.