The most interesting conference tournament game in the country Friday will not tip off until it’s nearly midnight on the East Coast. That’s when No. 3 UCLA (29-3) and No. 7 Arizona (28-4) meet in the second Pac-12 tournament semifinal.
A steadily growing contingent of West Coasters is becoming increasingly indignant that the Bruins aren’t yet showing up as a No. 1 seed on bracket projections like this one. I heard from a few in the wake of Kansas’ stunning loss to TCU on Thursday who feel UCLA should replace the Jayhawks.
The problem for not just UCLA but Oregon and Arizona is that this year’s Pac-12 offered few opportunities to bolster their resumes outside of playing each other. The Bruins, even after beating USC on Thursday, have six RPI Top 50 wins. By comparison, projected No. 1 seeds Villanova and North Carolina each have 10, while Kansas has eight.
Even worse, Oregon (28-4) and Arizona boast just four Top 50 wins apiece. The Wildcats aren’t even in the conversation for a top seed; in fact, they’re actually my first No. 4 seed right now, with a Jan. 21 win at Pauley representing its only Top 25 victory all year.
But if either the Ducks or Bruins win their next two, they will certainly have a case to unseat Gonzaga (6-0 vs. Top 50) as the No. 1 seed in the West. And Arizona could still wind up as high as a No. 2 seed by beating the Bruins and Ducks.
Football fans know well the hashtag #Pac12AfterDark. This week, that describes what may well be the nation’s most compelling semifinals and finals.
* — Denotes projected conference champion, automatic berth. Teams in bold have secured an automatic berth.
This edition's bracket is East vs. West and Midwest vs. South in the national semifinals, based on the order of my No. 1 seeds.
BRACKET WATCH
EAST REGION (NEW YORK)
Seed
Team
Location
1
Villanova*
at Buffalo
16
New Orleans*
8
Dayton*
9
Oklahoma State
4
Florida
at Orlando
13
Vermont*
5
Virginia
12
UNC Wilmington
6
Minnesota
at Indianapolis
11
Providence/Kansas State
3
Louisville
14
Winthrop
7
Creighton
at Tulsa
10
VCU
2
Baylor
15
Iona
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WEST REGION (San Jose)
Seed
Team
Location
1
Gonzaga
at Salt Lake City
16
South Dakota State/Mount Saint Mary's
8
Seton Hall
9
Northwestern
4
West Virginia*
at Buffalo
13
East Tennessee State
5
SMU*
12
USC/Illinois State
6
Maryland
at Greenville, SC
11
Middle Tennessee*
3
Duke
14
Cal State Bakersfield*
7
Miami
at Sacramento
10
Wichita State
2
Oregon*
15
Jacksonville State
MIDWEST REGION (KANSAS CITY)
Seed
Team
Location
1
Kansas
at Tulsa
16
North Dakota*/Texas Southern*
8
Marquette
9
South Carolina
4
Arizona
at Salt Lake City
13
Princeton*
5
Cincinnati
12
Nevada*
6
Wisconsin
at Orlando
11
Vanderbilt
3
Florida State
14
Akron*
7
Iowa State
at Indianapolis
10
Michigan State
2
Kentucky*
15
UC Irvine*
SOUTH REGION (MEMPHIS)
Seed
Team
Location
1
North Carolina*
at Greenville, SC
16
NC Central*
8
Michigan
9
Xavier
4
Purdue*
at Milwaukee
13
Bucknell
5
Notre Dame
12
UT Arlington*
6
Saint Mary's
at Milwaukee
11
Wake Forest
3
Butler
14
Florida Gulf Coast
7
Virginia Tech
at Sacramento
10
Arkansas
2
UCLA
15
Northern Kentucky
LAST FOUR BYES: VCU, Michigan State, Wake Forest, Vanderbilt
LAST FOUR IN: Providence, Kansas State, USC, Illinois State
FIRST FOUR OUT: Rhode Island, Syracuse, Iowa, Indiana
NEXT FOUR OUT: Illinois, Cal, TCU, Ole Miss
MULTIPLE BID CONFERENCES: ACC (9), Big Ten (7), Big East (7), Big 12 (6), SEC (5), Pac-12 (4), A-10 (2), American (2), MVC (2), WCC (2)
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