It looks like the Pac-10 will get five teams for sure into the tournament. If USC can finish strong, then they could also make a run for a tournament bid.

The Pac-10 title race will be a close one. UW, UCLA, ASU, and California are all fighting for it. If UW can split on the road this week against UCLA and USC, then they'll be the favorite going forward. If the Huskies can sweep then they've all but guaranteed their conference championship.

Every game counts right now, and this year's Pac-10 tournament might be one of the best as this league seems to be so deep with teams that can compete.

Tournament Teams

1. Washington (19-6, 10-3)- The Huskies have played their way into great position heading into the post season. They now hold a full one game lead over ASU. They will go on the road against UCLA and USC this week. I don't expect the Huskies to sweep, but if they can win on of these games then that will be sufficient.

After that, they have ASU, Arizona, and Seattle U at home, and then WSU at home. With six games left, I think it is realistic to say the Huskies will go 4-2, moving their overall record to 23-8. Brockman is no longer the Huskies' first option, this is important because opposing defenses already have their hands full against Dentmon and Thomas.

2. UCLA (19-6, 8-4)- With a setback against the Arizona teams, it is evident that this UCLA team is not as strong as UCLA teams of the past. But they do have the experience, and that is dangerous during March. Darren Collison, Josh Shipp, and Alfred Aboya will be able to lead their team deep into the Pac-10 and NCAA tournament.

The Bruins' defense is just not as strong as years' past. Going undefeated the rest of the way is not out of the question for them. They will most likely end the season with a 25-6 record.

3. Arizona St (20-5, 9-4)-If the Huskies slip up, then the Sun Devils could easily steal away the Pac-10 title from them. The Sun Devils are currently on a 4-game winning streak and face Arizona this week. Win against Arizona and it suddenly puts pressure on UW to win at USC/UCLA to keep their top spot.

ASU is peaking at the right time, the team is hoping that this momentum will carry them into March where it matters most.

4. California (19-6, 8-4)- This team is a real dark horse to make some noise in March. The threesome of Jerome Randle, Patrick Christopher, and Jamal Boykin make this team so dangerous offensively. They are the best 3-point shooting team in the country, which means that they'll be able to stay in a lot of games they're not supposed to be in. A prime example was against the Huskies in which they hit 8 threes to win a 3OT game that the Huskies could have easily won.


Bubble Teams


5. Arizona (18-8, 8-5)- Arizona is such a wild card. You never know what team is going to show up to play on any given day. However, you cannot ignore the fact that the Wildcats have ripped off seven wins in a row and have all of sudden put themselves into consideration for the NCAA tournament. Ever since their overtime win at Houston, something has started clicking for the Wildcats.

They have recorded quality wins against Washington, UCLA, and USC. It seems like Arizona would be a shoe-in at this point, but, they have three road games ahead of them that will decide their fate. First they play at Arizona St. this week, and next week they play against UW and WSU on the road.

If they can go 2-1 in this 3-game stretch I'm willing to move them up to an automatic tournament team. If they go 1-2 then their status will be up in the air, and if they go 0-3 then it'll be extremely hard for them to sneak into the tournament.

6. USC (15-9, 6-6)- It's going to be tough at this point for USC to get themselves into the NCAA tournament. Their schedule does not look friendly as they'll have to face WSU and UW at home this week and then go on the road against Cal and Stanford next week. These four games will be critical for USC. I don't think this team will be able to salvage their season, but I do think they'll get into the NIT.

The young players simply haven't clicked as well as Tim Floyd wanted them to. Barring any major upsets during the Pac-10 tournament, it looks like the Trojans have played themselves out of consideration.


Struggling

7. Washington State (13-12, 5-8)- The Cougars now have to set their sites on securing a bid to the NIT. Unless the Cougars can find a more consistent option than Taylor Rochestie, they will continue to struggle. Klay Thompson has played well, but he lacks the composure and experience to take over a game like Derrick Low and Kyle Weaver were able to. The Cougars have the ability to score a few upsets in the Pac-10 tournament, their defense is still strong.


8. Oregon St. (11-13, 5-8)- Craig Robinson is all but a lock for Pac-10 coach of the year. He turned a team that did not have any conference wins last season around to a team with five conference wins this season. It doesn't look like the Beavers will get into any postseason tournament, but consider this year a success for the Beavers. Robinson has them playing inspired basketball, and unlike Oregon, the Beavers play 40 minutes of hard nosed basketball.


9. Stanford (15-8, 4-8)-Stanford's record is incredibly misleading. If it was not for their soft non-conference schedule the Cardinal most likely would have a losing record at this point. The problem with Stanford is that they just seem to be average. They don't have any stand-out defenders or offensive players. Their best player Anthony Goods , who can't dominate games like other marquee players in the conference.


It sucks to be a Duck

10. Oregon (6-19, 0-13)- The Ducks don't have the swagger or passion to stay in games and pull of any upsets. Tajuan Porter has tried his hardest to carry this team, but once games are out of reach for the Ducks, individual players seem to be playing for themselves instead of the team. The Ducks are going to win one conference game this season, and I have a feeling it will be their home game against OSU. It should be a good one. The Ducks haven't won a game since Dec. 29th.

photo source: [athlon]