BURLISON: Pac-10's NCAA `six-pack' likely a thing of the past
By Frank Burlison Sports Columnist
The Los Angeles Press-Telegram
Posted: 12/16/2009 11:09:46 PM PST
If NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at-large bids were being doled out this weekend, a lot of Pacific-10 Conference clubs would appear headed for spots in the National Invitation Tournament.
During the last three seasons the conference has received five at-large bids to join the conference tournament winner for six representatives in the tournament.
At-large bids are not based strictly on number of victories. The "quality" of those wins, as determined by the Tournament Committee members, are what determines which 34 squads get at-large bids to join the 31 automatic qualifiers to make up the 65-team field.
So, a little more than a month into the season, what are some of the quality victories racked up by Pac-10 teams? There aren't many of them - and some of those might be in the eye of the beholder.
For example ...
California and Washington were projected to finish 1-2 in the conference and have 6-3 and 6-2 records.
But the losses (Cal to Syracuse, Ohio State and New Mexico; Washington to Texas Tech and Georgetown) have come to by far the best teams each has faced.
Based on what plays out in the Big West Conference this season, Pacific (79-54, in Stockton) and Cal State Northridge (88-76, in Seattle), might be the best wins the Golden Bears and Huskies, respectively, have collected so far.
Arizona State (7-3), Washington State (8-2) and Stanford (5-3 before its home game against Oklahoma State Wednesday night) are three conference teams that have exceeded preseason expectations.
The Sun Devils have a 71-52 win (in Madison Square Garden) over an LSU team that could make a decent case for an at-large bid, based on how the Tigers do in Southeastern Conference play.
The Cougars have a 37-point victory over a University of San Diego team (in Anchorage) that could be the fourth-best team in the West Coast Conference.
And the Cardinal have a win over a Virginia team that could finish last in the Atlantic Coast Conference.
In each case, the most impressive performances turned in by Arizona State (64-53 to Duke in MSG), Washington State (74-69 to Gonzaga in Spokane) and Stanford (73-65, in overtime, to Kentucky in Cancun) have come in defeats to highly ranked clubs.
There is still plenty of time for some of the Pac-10 teams to impress, nationally, before the Jan. 2 conference openers.
UCLA, which snapped a five-game losing streak with a blowout of New Mexico State Tuesday night at Pauley Pavilion, plays Notre Dame - led by All-American Luke Harangody - Saturday in South Bend, on the same day USC hosts No. 9 Tennessee.
Cal can salvage some Pac-10 dignity when it squares off with top-ranked Kansas on Tuesday night in Phog Allen Fieldhouse.
Washington is at home to a good Texas A&M team (likely an at-large choice out of the Big 12) Tuesday, in another Big12/Pac-10 Hardwood Series contest.
Arizona plays host to North Carolina State (which, right now, is probably a longshot for an at-large bid out of the Atlantic Coast Conference) Wednesday night.
What happens if the Pac-10 teams continue to struggle in the high-profile nonconference matchups, and one team - say, Cal or Washington - wins the conference with something like a 16-2 or 15-3 record, then also wins the Pac-10 tourney to bag the automatic bid?
It's a scenario anyone connected with the conference would prefer not to envision.
Let's put it this way: If that's the case, "one" could be a very lonely number indeed for the Pac-10 when the tournament bracket is unveiled on March 14.
More colleges
The most impressive nonconference victory by a Southern California team so far was turned in Saturday when Loyola Marymount - which took a 3-7 record into South Bend - stunned Notre Dame, 87-85.
The Lions host Cal State Bakersfield Saturday before facing LBSU Monday in what could be one of the more entertaining nonconference games this season involving a pair of Southern California teams.
LBSU coach Dan Monson caught a great deal of the Tuesday night telecast of UCLA's 100-68 win over a New Mexico State team that handed host UTEP its first loss Sunday night. He was impressed.
"They didn't even look like the same team we beat (79-68, in Anaheim, three days after Thanksgiving)," Monson said.
"(UCLA's) Ben (Howland) is a heck of a coach and they are going to do well once they get into conference play. I told our guys that it is going to be considered a very good win by the end of the season."
High schools
Coach Sharrief Metoyer's Poly boys team, off to a 7-1 start after winning the Redondo Pacific Shores Tournament and finishing fifth at the Tournament of Champions, will be severely tested twice this weekend at Portland's Concordia College.
The eight-team field has the Jackrabbits playing Federal Way of Washington Friday night and Jefferson of Portland Saturday evening.
Jefferson is led by (UCLA target for 2010) 6-foot-9 Terrence Jones, who finished atop the balloting for the Press-Telegram's 31st Best in the West team.
The Jackrabbits also will take part in a high-profile tournament in Fort Worth, Texas after Christmas.
Terence Jones
Hometown Portland, OR
High School Jefferson High School
Position rank Small Forward # 3
Height 6'8"
Weight 219 lbs.
video credit: ballislife.com on youtube
For more on Terrance Jones, click here.
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