Fansided

NCAA basketball: Predicting who wins every major conference tournament

By Mike Phillips

DURHAM, NORTH CAROLINA - MARCH 07: Tre Jones #3 of the Duke Blue Devils reacts during the second half of their game against the North Carolina Tar Heels at Cameron Indoor Stadium on March 07, 2020 in Durham, North Carolina. Duke won 89-76. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images)
DURHAM, NORTH CAROLINA - MARCH 07: Tre Jones #3 of the Duke Blue Devils reacts during the second half of their game against the North Carolina Tar Heels at Cameron Indoor Stadium on March 07, 2020 in Durham, North Carolina. Duke won 89-76. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images) /
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Pac-12

  • Dates: March 11-14
  • Location: Las Vegas, NV
  • Top Seed: Oregon

In terms of enjoyment level, the Pac-12 Tournament is always underrated. #Pac12AfterDark is a real thing, and most of the country is usually going to sleep as some of the best college basketball in the country is being played.

After a few down years, it looks like the Pac-12 is on the way up again, with the league looking likely to send at least five teams dancing. Stanford and UCLA are also in the at-large conversation, but the Pac-12 favorite remains Oregon.

The Ducks have been the conference’s one legitimate Final Four contender all year-long, and they have weathered a rough schedule to earn the top spot in Las Vegas. Guided by veteran point guard Payton Pritchard, Oregon may well make another deep March run.

There are dangerous wild cards in this field, including Colorado, which has as much talent as anyone in the Pac-12 but has slumped of late. The most interesting, however, is UCLA.

Many pundits left the Bruins for dead after an awful non-conference season, but they got red-hot at the end of the regular season to earn the no. 2 seed in the conference tournament. UCLA likely has to get the Pac-12’s automatic bid to go dancing, and they are hot enough to do just that.

Prediction: UCLA