We will continue to replicate the NCAA Tournament bracket projection from our other website Bubbleteams.com all week through Selection Sunday.
Washington Region
Philadelphia, PA
1-Connecticut
16-FDU/Southern
8-Alabama
9-Northern Iowa
San Diego, CA
5-Washington
12-Florida State
4-Iowa
13-South Alabama
Greensboro, NC
6-Georgetown
11-California
3-NC
14-Pacific
Dallas, TX
7-Arkansas
10-Seton Hall
2-Texas
15-Northwestern State
Oakland Region
Dallas, TX
1-Memphis
16-Albany
8-Wichita State
9-Kentucky
San Diego, CA
5-Pitt
12-Wisconsin Milwaukee
4-UCLA
13-Iona
Jacksonville, FL
6-Florida
11-NC Wilmington
3-George Washington
14-Penn
Dayton, OH
7-Marquette
10-Texas A&M
2-Ohio State
15-Davidson
Minneapolis Region
Greensboro, NC
1-Duke
16-Belmont
8-Indiana
9-Arizona
Auburn Hills, MI
5-Oklahoma
12-George Mason
4-WVU
13-Kent State
Dayton, OH
6-Wisconsin
11-Bucknell
3-Tennessee
14-Murray State
Salt Lake City, UT
7-Michigan State
10-UAB
2-Gonzaga
15-Northern Arizona
Atlanta Region
Philadelphia, PA
1-Villanova
16-Delaware State
8-Michigan
9-Southern Illinois
Salt Lake City, UT
5-BC
13-San Diego State
4-Kansas
12-Missouri State
Jacksonville, FL
6-NC State
11-Bradley
3-LSU
14-Winthrop
Auburn Hills, MI
7-Nevada
10-Cincinnati
2-Illinois
15-Oral Roberts
We will continue to tweak the bracket as the week continues. Check back each day for more updates.
Tuesday, March 07, 2006
Conference Tournament Updates 3/07/06
Updated brackets for every conference tournament (including every major conference tournament) are now available at Bubbleteams.com along with new conference tournament previews and updated scores.
We will continue to offer real-time updates and tournament results. This is the one and ONLY site that updates tournament brackets with scores and results as they happen.
Big Sky:
Top seeds Montana and Northern Arizona both advance to the conference championship.
FIRST ROUND
At higher seeds
Saturday, March 4
Game 1: No. 5 Sacramento State 71, No. 4 Montana State 70
Game 2: No. 3 Eastern Washington 81, No. 6 Portland State 75
SEMIFINALS
At Walkup Skydome
Flagstaff, Ariz.
Tuesday, March 7
Game 3: No. 2 Montana 73, No. 3 Eastern Washington 71, OT
Game 4: No. 1 Northern Arizona 98, No. 5 Sacramento State 83
CHAMPIONSHIP
At higher seed
Wednesday, March 8
Game 5: No. 1 Northern Arizona vs. No. 2 Montana, 9:30 p.m. (ESPN2)
Horizon:
Wisconsin-Milwaukee wins the Horizon Tournament for the second straight season and the third time in four years.
FIRST ROUND
At higher seeds
Tuesday, Feb. 28
Game 1: No. 6 Illinois-Chicago 77, No. 7 Wright State 64
Game 2: No. 5 Detroit 92, No. 8 Cleveland State 58
Game 3: No. 4 Loyola-Chi. 76, No. 9 Youngstown State 61
QUARTERFINALS
At The Klotsche Center
Milwaukee, Wis.
Friday, March 3
Game 4: No. 3 Wisconsin-Green Bay 76, No. 6 Illinois-Chicago 66
Game 5: No. 4 Loyola-Chi. 64, No. 5 Detroit 55
SEMIFINALS
Saturday, March 4
Game 6: No. 2 Butler 73, No. 3 Wisconsin-Green Bay 51
Game 7: No. 1 Wisconsin-Milwaukee 80, No. 4 Loyola-Chi 66
CHAMPIONSHIP
At higher seed
Tuesday, March 7
Game 8: No. 1 Wisconsin-Milwaukee 87, No. 2 Butler 71
MEAC:
Norfolk State and Howard each advance to the quarterfinals to face the top two seeds.
At the RBC Center
Raleigh, N.C.
FIRST ROUND
Tuesday, March 7
Game 1: No. 7 Norfolk State 73, No. 10 Maryland-Eastern Shore 71
Game 2: No. 9 Howard 62, No. 8 North Carolina A&T 52
Wednesday, March 8
Game 3: No. 6 Hampton vs. No. 11 Morgan State, 6 p.m.
QUARTERFINALS
Wednesday, March 8
Game 4: No. 1 Delaware State vs. No. 9 Howard, 8:15 p.m.
Game 5: No. 2 Coppin State vs. No. 7 Norfolk State, 10:30 p.m.
Thursday, March 9
Game 6: No. 3 Bethune-Cookman vs. Game 3 winner, 6 p.m.
Game 7: No. 4 South Carolina State vs. No. 5 Florida A&M, 8:30 p.m.
SEMIFINALS
Friday, March 10
Game 8: Game 4 winner vs. Game 6 winner, 6 p.m.
Game 9: Game 5 winner vs. Game 7 winner, 8:30 p.m.
CHAMPIONSHIP
Saturday, March 11
Game 10: Game 8 winner vs. Game 9 winner, 7:30 p.m. (ESPN Classic)
Mid-Continent:
Oral Roberts denies Chicago State their cinderella story to advance to their first NCAA Tournament since 1984.
At John Q. Hammons Arena
Tulsa, Okla.
FIRST ROUND
Saturday, March 4
Game 1: No. 1 Oral Roberts 60, No. 8 Western Illinois 53
Game 2: No. 2 IUPUI 69, No. 7 Oakland 63
Sunday, March 5
Game 3: No. 4 Valparaiso 77 No. 5 Southern Utah 66
Game 4: No. 6 Chicago State 75,No. 3 UMKC 66
SEMIFINALS
Monday, March 6
Game 5: No. 1 Oral Roberts 77, No. 4 Valparaiso 58
Game 6: No. 6 Chicago State 57, No. 2 IUPUI 53
CHAMPIONSHIP
Tuesday, March 7
Game 7: No. 1 Oral Roberts 85, No. 6 Chicago State 72
Mountain West:
Colorado State defeats TCU to advance to the quarterfinals where they will face top seed San Diego State.
At The Pepsi Center
Denver
FIRST ROUND
Tuesday, March 7
Game 1: No. 8 Colorado State 64, No. 9 TCU 60
QUARTERFINALS
Thursday, March 9
Game 2: No. 1 San Diego State vs. No. 8 Colorado State, 2 p.m. (ESPN Full Court)
Game 3: No. 4 UNLV vs. No. 5 New Mexico, 4:30 p.m. (ESPN Full Court)
Game 4: No. 2 Air Force vs. No. 7 Wyoming, 9 p.m. (ESPN Full Court)
Game 5: No. 3 BYU vs. No. 6 Utah, Midnight (ESPN)
SEMIFINALS
Friday, March 10
Game 6: Game 2 winner vs. Game 3 winner 9 p.m. (ESPN Full Court)
Game 7: Game 4 winner vs. Game 5 winner, Midnight (ESPN)
CHAMPIONSHIP
Saturday, March 11
Game 8: Game 6 winner vs. Game 7 winner, 10 p.m. (ESPN)
Southland:
At higher seeds
FIRST ROUND
Tuesday, March 7
Game 1: No. 1 Northwestern State 75, No. 8 Texas-San Antonio 61
Game 2: No. 4 Stephen F. Austin 72, No. 5 McNeese State 70
Game 3: No. 2 Sam Houston State 86, No. 7 Texas-Arlington 84, 2OT
Game 4: No. 6 Lamar 68, No. 3 Southeastern Louisiana 65
SEMIFINALS
Thursday, March 9
Game 5: No. 1 Northwestern State vs. No. 6 Lamar, 8 p.m.
Game 6: No. 2 Sam Houston State vs. No. 4 Stephen F. Austin, 8 p.m.
CHAMPIONSHIP
Sunday, March 12
Game 7: Game 5 winner vs. Game 6 winner, 2 p.m. (ESPN2)
Sun Belt:
South Alabama dominates Western Kentucky to win the Sun Belt Conference Championship.
At the Murphy Center
Murfreesboro, Tenn.
FIRST ROUND
Friday, March 3
Game 1: W4 New Orleans 76, E5 Florida International 56
Game 2: E4 Arkansas-Little Rock 72, W5 North Texas 55
Game 3: W6 Troy 107, E3 Arkansas State 83
QUARTERFINALS
Sunday, March 5
Game 4: W3 Denver 58, E2 Middle Tennessee 57
Game 5: E1 Western Kentucky 80, W4 New Orleans 61
Game 6: W1 South Alabama 78, E4 Arkansas-Little Rock 53
Game 7: W2 Louisiana-Lafayette 62, E3 Arkansas State 59, OT
SEMIFINALS
Monday, March 6
Game 8: W1 South Alabama 75, W3 Denver 65
Game 9: E1 Western Kentucky 80, W2 Louisiana-Lafayette 72
CHAMPIONSHIP
Tuesday, March 7
Game 10: W1 South Alabama 95, E1 Western Kentucky 70
We will continue to offer real-time updates and tournament results. This is the one and ONLY site that updates tournament brackets with scores and results as they happen.
Big Sky:
Top seeds Montana and Northern Arizona both advance to the conference championship.
FIRST ROUND
At higher seeds
Saturday, March 4
Game 1: No. 5 Sacramento State 71, No. 4 Montana State 70
Game 2: No. 3 Eastern Washington 81, No. 6 Portland State 75
SEMIFINALS
At Walkup Skydome
Flagstaff, Ariz.
Tuesday, March 7
Game 3: No. 2 Montana 73, No. 3 Eastern Washington 71, OT
Game 4: No. 1 Northern Arizona 98, No. 5 Sacramento State 83
CHAMPIONSHIP
At higher seed
Wednesday, March 8
Game 5: No. 1 Northern Arizona vs. No. 2 Montana, 9:30 p.m. (ESPN2)
Horizon:
Wisconsin-Milwaukee wins the Horizon Tournament for the second straight season and the third time in four years.
FIRST ROUND
At higher seeds
Tuesday, Feb. 28
Game 1: No. 6 Illinois-Chicago 77, No. 7 Wright State 64
Game 2: No. 5 Detroit 92, No. 8 Cleveland State 58
Game 3: No. 4 Loyola-Chi. 76, No. 9 Youngstown State 61
QUARTERFINALS
At The Klotsche Center
Milwaukee, Wis.
Friday, March 3
Game 4: No. 3 Wisconsin-Green Bay 76, No. 6 Illinois-Chicago 66
Game 5: No. 4 Loyola-Chi. 64, No. 5 Detroit 55
SEMIFINALS
Saturday, March 4
Game 6: No. 2 Butler 73, No. 3 Wisconsin-Green Bay 51
Game 7: No. 1 Wisconsin-Milwaukee 80, No. 4 Loyola-Chi 66
CHAMPIONSHIP
At higher seed
Tuesday, March 7
Game 8: No. 1 Wisconsin-Milwaukee 87, No. 2 Butler 71
MEAC:
Norfolk State and Howard each advance to the quarterfinals to face the top two seeds.
At the RBC Center
Raleigh, N.C.
FIRST ROUND
Tuesday, March 7
Game 1: No. 7 Norfolk State 73, No. 10 Maryland-Eastern Shore 71
Game 2: No. 9 Howard 62, No. 8 North Carolina A&T 52
Wednesday, March 8
Game 3: No. 6 Hampton vs. No. 11 Morgan State, 6 p.m.
QUARTERFINALS
Wednesday, March 8
Game 4: No. 1 Delaware State vs. No. 9 Howard, 8:15 p.m.
Game 5: No. 2 Coppin State vs. No. 7 Norfolk State, 10:30 p.m.
Thursday, March 9
Game 6: No. 3 Bethune-Cookman vs. Game 3 winner, 6 p.m.
Game 7: No. 4 South Carolina State vs. No. 5 Florida A&M, 8:30 p.m.
SEMIFINALS
Friday, March 10
Game 8: Game 4 winner vs. Game 6 winner, 6 p.m.
Game 9: Game 5 winner vs. Game 7 winner, 8:30 p.m.
CHAMPIONSHIP
Saturday, March 11
Game 10: Game 8 winner vs. Game 9 winner, 7:30 p.m. (ESPN Classic)
Mid-Continent:
Oral Roberts denies Chicago State their cinderella story to advance to their first NCAA Tournament since 1984.
At John Q. Hammons Arena
Tulsa, Okla.
FIRST ROUND
Saturday, March 4
Game 1: No. 1 Oral Roberts 60, No. 8 Western Illinois 53
Game 2: No. 2 IUPUI 69, No. 7 Oakland 63
Sunday, March 5
Game 3: No. 4 Valparaiso 77 No. 5 Southern Utah 66
Game 4: No. 6 Chicago State 75,No. 3 UMKC 66
SEMIFINALS
Monday, March 6
Game 5: No. 1 Oral Roberts 77, No. 4 Valparaiso 58
Game 6: No. 6 Chicago State 57, No. 2 IUPUI 53
CHAMPIONSHIP
Tuesday, March 7
Game 7: No. 1 Oral Roberts 85, No. 6 Chicago State 72
Mountain West:
Colorado State defeats TCU to advance to the quarterfinals where they will face top seed San Diego State.
At The Pepsi Center
Denver
FIRST ROUND
Tuesday, March 7
Game 1: No. 8 Colorado State 64, No. 9 TCU 60
QUARTERFINALS
Thursday, March 9
Game 2: No. 1 San Diego State vs. No. 8 Colorado State, 2 p.m. (ESPN Full Court)
Game 3: No. 4 UNLV vs. No. 5 New Mexico, 4:30 p.m. (ESPN Full Court)
Game 4: No. 2 Air Force vs. No. 7 Wyoming, 9 p.m. (ESPN Full Court)
Game 5: No. 3 BYU vs. No. 6 Utah, Midnight (ESPN)
SEMIFINALS
Friday, March 10
Game 6: Game 2 winner vs. Game 3 winner 9 p.m. (ESPN Full Court)
Game 7: Game 4 winner vs. Game 5 winner, Midnight (ESPN)
CHAMPIONSHIP
Saturday, March 11
Game 8: Game 6 winner vs. Game 7 winner, 10 p.m. (ESPN)
Southland:
At higher seeds
FIRST ROUND
Tuesday, March 7
Game 1: No. 1 Northwestern State 75, No. 8 Texas-San Antonio 61
Game 2: No. 4 Stephen F. Austin 72, No. 5 McNeese State 70
Game 3: No. 2 Sam Houston State 86, No. 7 Texas-Arlington 84, 2OT
Game 4: No. 6 Lamar 68, No. 3 Southeastern Louisiana 65
SEMIFINALS
Thursday, March 9
Game 5: No. 1 Northwestern State vs. No. 6 Lamar, 8 p.m.
Game 6: No. 2 Sam Houston State vs. No. 4 Stephen F. Austin, 8 p.m.
CHAMPIONSHIP
Sunday, March 12
Game 7: Game 5 winner vs. Game 6 winner, 2 p.m. (ESPN2)
Sun Belt:
South Alabama dominates Western Kentucky to win the Sun Belt Conference Championship.
At the Murphy Center
Murfreesboro, Tenn.
FIRST ROUND
Friday, March 3
Game 1: W4 New Orleans 76, E5 Florida International 56
Game 2: E4 Arkansas-Little Rock 72, W5 North Texas 55
Game 3: W6 Troy 107, E3 Arkansas State 83
QUARTERFINALS
Sunday, March 5
Game 4: W3 Denver 58, E2 Middle Tennessee 57
Game 5: E1 Western Kentucky 80, W4 New Orleans 61
Game 6: W1 South Alabama 78, E4 Arkansas-Little Rock 53
Game 7: W2 Louisiana-Lafayette 62, E3 Arkansas State 59, OT
SEMIFINALS
Monday, March 6
Game 8: W1 South Alabama 75, W3 Denver 65
Game 9: E1 Western Kentucky 80, W2 Louisiana-Lafayette 72
CHAMPIONSHIP
Tuesday, March 7
Game 10: W1 South Alabama 95, E1 Western Kentucky 70
Bubble Wrap 3/07/06
There are no bubble teams in action tonight, but there are still three conference tournaments to be decided.
Oral Roberts: The Titans erase the memories of last year's championship game loss to Oakland with a resounding win against upstart Chicago State.
Wisconsin-Milwaukee: The Panthers advance to their second straight NCAA Tournament and their third in four years.
South Alabama: The Jaguars crush Western Kentucky to earn their first trip to the NCAA Tournament since 1998.
Oral Roberts: The Titans erase the memories of last year's championship game loss to Oakland with a resounding win against upstart Chicago State.
Wisconsin-Milwaukee: The Panthers advance to their second straight NCAA Tournament and their third in four years.
South Alabama: The Jaguars crush Western Kentucky to earn their first trip to the NCAA Tournament since 1998.
Conference Tournament Previews 3/07/06-(Atlantic 10, Big East, Big West, Conferenc USA, Pac 10)
We are continuing to post the conference tournament previews from our other website here.
Visit Bubbleteams.com to view the other conference tournament previews and updated conference tournament brackets.
Atlantic Ten:
At U.S. Bank Arena
Cincinnati
FIRST ROUND
Wednesday, March 8
Game 1: No. 8 Rhode Island vs. No. 9 Temple, 12 p.m.
Game 2: No. 5 Saint Joseph's vs. No. 12 Dayton, 2:30 p.m.
Game 3: No. 7 Massachusetts vs. No. 10 Xavier, 6:30 p.m.
Game 4: No. 6 Fordham vs. No. 11 Richmond, 9 p.m.
QUARTERFINALS
Thursday, March 9
Game 5: No. 1 George Washington vs. Game 1 winner, 12 p.m.
Game 6: No. 4 Saint Louis vs. Game 2 winner, 2:30 p.m.
Game 7: No. 2 Charlotte vs. Game 3 winner, 6:30 p.m.
Game 8: No. 3 La Salle vs. Game 4 winner, 9 p.m.
SEMIFINALS
Friday, March 10
Game 9: Game 5 winner vs. Game 6 winner, 6:30 p.m.
Game 10: Game 7 winner vs. Game 8 winner, 9 p.m.
CHAMPIONSHIP
Saturday, March 11
Game 11: Game 9 winner vs. Game 10 winner, 6 p.m. (ESPN)
Recap: George Washington was one of only three teams to finish the regular season undefeated in conference play. The Colonials were tested in several games; most recently, a one-point overtime win against Charlotte at home. GW won two other overtime games and won six overall games by points or less. The Atlantic Ten welcomed Charlotte and St. Louis from Conference USA and both teams had an immediate impact. The 49ers finished second in the league and St. Louis finished fourth. The Atlantic Ten had just one team with twenty or more wins (George Washington) for the second straight season. St. Louis started the season with one of the most unusual oddities ever seen in sports-the Billikens alternated winning a game and losing a game for 18 straight games. The streak (of sorts) came to an end after St. Louis won at Rhode Island after a win at home against Fordham.
Favorite: George Washington swept through the Atlantic Ten without losing a game; the second time an Atlantic Ten team has accomplished that feat in three years. Although, the Colonials hope that history does not repeat itself (St. Joseph's was undefeated and #1 in the nation when they were upset in the quarterfinals of the Atlantic Ten Tournament by Xavier in 2004). George Washington might find themselves challenged in the semifinals by St. Louis, a loser to the Colonials by five in overtime in early January. Should George Washington make the finals, they are likely to find themselves facing a Charlotte team that handed the Colonials a win in the regular season finale for both teams.
Darkhorse: Charlotte was a horrific home team this season, losing six games on their home court. The flip side to that is how solid the 49ers were on the road, especially in league play. Charlotte finished the season 6-2 in Atlantic Ten road games, losing in overtime at GW by one point and losing at Richmond by seven earlier in the season. Xavier will be a popular choice as a possible sleeper, yet the Musketeers have struggled since a mid-January upset of Cincinnati, losing eight of their last 13 games. Xavier was hurt by the loss of senior guard Dedrick Finn and a season ending injury to all-conference center Brian Thorton. Xavier is bolstered by this year's tournament being played in Cincinnati, yet despite their recent success in past tournaments, it would be surprising to see this Musketeer team make it past the quarterfinals.
Big East:
At Madison Square Garden
New York City
FIRST ROUND
Wednesday, March 8
Game 1: No. 8 Cincinnati vs. No. 9 Syracuse, 12 p.m. (ESPN)
Game 2: No. 5 Georgetown vs. No. 12 Notre Dame, 2 p.m. (ESPN)
Game 3: No. 7 Seton Hall vs. No. 10 Rutgers, 7 p.m. (ESPN)
Game 4: No. 6 Pittsburgh vs. No. 11 Louisville, 9 p.m. (ESPN)
QUARTERFINALS
Thursday, March 9
Game 5: No. 1 Connecticut vs. Game 1 winner, 12 p.m. (ESPN)
Game 6: No. 4 Marquette vs. Game 2 winner, 2 p.m. (ESPN)
Game 7: No. 2 Villanova vs. Game 3 winner, 7 p.m. (ESPN2)
Game 8: No. 3 West Virginia vs. Game 4 winner, 9:30 p.m. (ESPN)
SEMIFINALS
Friday, March 10
Game 9: Game 5 winner vs. Game 6 winner, 7 p.m. (ESPN)
Game 10: Game 7 winner vs. Game 8 winner, 9 p.m. (ESPN)
CHAMPIONSHIP
Saturday, March 11
Game 11: Game 9 winner vs. Game 10 winner, 8 p.m. (ESPN)
Recap: Connecticut and Villanova were so dominant in Big East play that between the two teams, they won 26 of 28 games against every other team in the conference (besides each other). The closest team to the Huskies and Wildcats was West Virginia, which stormed to an 8-0 start to the season in league play, yet crashed back down to earth with a 3-5 finish (aided by a front ended schedule that allowed them to play most of the weaker teams early). Pitt also started the season (and Big East) undefeated. The Panthers began with 15 straight wins, only to struggle to a 6-6 finish that saw the Panthers fall to 10-6 in conference and 21-6 overall. Marquette, in their inaugural Big East season, and Georgetown had surprisingly solid showings. The Golden Eagles finished in a tie for fourth with Pitt and the resurgent Georgetown Hoyas. The Hoyas would have finished with sole possession of fourth place, except for a season ending loss at South Florida (0-15 in conference play before they defeated Georgetown). The Bulls were not the only new arrival to find treading the waters of the Big East more difficult than possibly imagined. Louisville entered this season with high expectations after last season's trip to the Final Four. The Cardinals never quite found a way to defeat most of the Big East top teams (losing twice to Villanova, Connecticut, and once to Pitt, Syracuse, Cincinnati and West Virginia). Louisville inexplicably finished the conference campaign with just one road win (at Providence). Joining the Cardinals in their futility was DePaul. The Blue Demons stared the Big East 1-7 and never were able to turn around their season. The Blue Demons did act as spoiler during the final weeks of Big East play, defeating both Seton Hall and Syracuse in back-to-back games. The most talked about topic surrounding the Big East during the final weeks of the season was which teams would not make the 12-team conference tournament. Four teams (St. John's, Providence, DePaul and South Florida) did not qualify for play in Madison Square Garden. Notre Dame was almost one of those teams left out of the tournament. The Irish were this season's hard luck story, losing more close games than most anyone could imagine in one season. The Fighting Irish lost by less than nine points in every one of their conference defeats. Notre Dame lost four games in overtime (two of those in double overtime), two games by two points and one game by one point.
Favorite: Connecticut and Villanova are on a collision course for each other and there seems to be few teams that are capable of derailing either team in their quest for a third match this season. The two favorites are head and shoulders above any other team in the deep, yet non-threatening Big East tournament field. To anoint any other team status as a favorite would be pure insanity.
Darkhorse: The Big East Tournament always seems to provide a sleeper and in a league this deep, there is always someone waiting to make a statement and play themselves into possible NCAA Tournament position. Pitt enters as a six seed. The Panthers are a quality team with solid inside play that lacks the stamina and tenacity to make a serious tournament run (and having to win our straight games is always a challenge). Marquette, one of only two teams to defeat Connecticut this season, has to face the winner of Georgetown-Notre Dame and then possibly Connecticut again. Both Syracuse and Louisville face off in the opening round and get the Huskies as a reward for their win. Louisville is trying to win their way into the NCAA Tournament through Pitt, West Virginia and potentially Villanova. The one team that has nothing to lose and everything to gain is Notre Dame. The Irish can dismiss many of their demons from this season with a solid tournament run. The bracket sets up well for Notre Dame; an opening round match-up with Georgetown, a quarterfinal game against Marquette and a likely semifinal game against Connecticut. All three are teams Notre Dame played well against this season (but then again, so is every team Notre Dame played) and all three are teams the Irish can beat. It is improbable Notre Dame would play their way to a championship and given the terrain of this year's Big East Tournament, just making it to the conference semifinals would be a great accomplishment for most of these teams.
Big West:
At Anaheim Convention Center Arena
Anaheim, Calif.
FIRST ROUND
Wednesday, March 8
Game 1: No. 5 UC Santa Barbara vs. No. 8 UC Riverside, 9 p.m.
Game 2: No. 6 Cal State Fullerton vs. No. 7 Cal State Northridge, 11:30 p.m.
SECOND ROUND
Thursday, March 9
Game 3: No. 3 Long Beach State vs. Lowest remaining seed, 9 p.m.
Game 4: No. 4 Cal Poly vs. Highest remaining seed, 11:30 p.m.
SEMIFINALS
Friday, March 10
Game 5: No. 1 Pacific vs. Lowest remaining seed, 9 p.m.
Game 6: No. 2 UC Irvine vs. Highest remaining seed, 11:30 p.m. (ESPNU)
CHAMPIONSHIP
Saturday, March 11
Game 7: Game 5 winner vs. Game 6 winner, midnight (ESPN)
Recap: Pacific emerged as the best team in a less than mediocre Big West Conference this season. The Tigers started the season 7-5 and the conference campaign with a home loss to lowly UC Riverside. Pacific proceeded to rattle off thirteen wins in their next 15 games, including 12 of 13 in conference. The Tigers played well enough to catch UC Irvine (8-0 to start the conference season and 2-4 to finish the conference season). Every team, except Pacific, struggled in the non-conference campaign. Cal Poly was 2-11 outside Big West play (with two wins against non-Division 1 teams), UC Irvine was 6-8 outside the conference (with losses against Cal-State Stanislaus and Arkansas-Monticello-both non-Division 1 teams) and UC Riverside (started the season 0-10 and finished 2-11outside league play). Long Beach State was an offensive machine throughout the regular season scoring 90 points or more 9 different times (including breaking the 100 point barrier three times). In addition, the 49ers were held below 70 points just four times.
Favorite: Pacific should dominate the conference tournament like they did the regular season. The Tigers have won 12 straight conference games and face the prospect of only having to win two tournament games, courtesy of the Big West Tournament protecting the top seeds. The Tigers will be trying to avenge their loss in last season's tournament final to Utah State.
Darkhorse: Long Beach State finished the season 10-3, with six of those wins coming on the road. Pacific and UCSB were the only two league teams Long Beach State was unable to defeat away from home. The 49ers also won at Manhattan, scoring a season high 108 points in the win.
Conference USA:
At the FedExForum
Memphis, Tenn.
FIRST ROUND
Wednesday, March 8
Game 1: No. 7 Rice vs. No. 10 SMU, 1 p.m.
Game 2: No. 6 Tulsa vs. No. 11 Southern Miss, 3:30 p.m.
Game 3: No. 8 Tulane vs. No. 9 Marshall, 7 p.m.
Game 4: No. 5 Central Florida vs. No. 12 East Carolina, 9:30 p.m.
QUARTERFINALS
Thursday, March 9
Game 5: No. 2 UAB vs. Game 1 winner, 1 p.m.
Game 6: No. 3 UTEP vs. Game 2 winner, 3:30 p.m.
Game 7: No. 1 Memphis vs. Game 3 winner, 7 p.m.
Game 8: No. 4 Houston vs. Game 4 winner, 9:30 p.m.
SEMIFINALS
Friday, March 10
Game 9: Game 5 winner vs. Game 6 winner, 4:30/7:00 p.m.
Game 10: Game 7 winner vs. Game 8 winner, 4:30/7 p.m.
CHAMPIONSHIP
Saturday, March 11
Game 11: Game 9 winner vs. Game 10 winner, 11:35 a.m.
Recap: Memphis was well on their way to an undefeated conference season when a small road trip to UAB got in their way. The Blazers kept the Tigers from an undefeated season, but not from a regular season conference championship. While Memphis exemplified why most of the nation thought Conference USA was a top-heavy one-team league. UAB just took things a step further and showed why the conference was actually a two-team league. Memphis finished the regular season 10-1 and defeated a number of quality non-conference teams (Alabama, Gonzaga, UCLA, Cincinnati) to make up for their sub-par conference schedule. Memphis played ten of their 14 conference games against teams with losing records. The conference had just four teams with winning overall records and winning conference records (Memphis, UAB, UTEP and Houston). Houston defeated LSU and Arizona to jump start their non-conference campaigns.
Favorite: Memphis is by far the best team in Conference USA and having the benefit of playing the conference tournament on their home court just adds to the likelihood that the Tigers will sweep their way to a tournament title.
Darkhorse: UAB and Houston were the only conference teams to come within ten points of the Tigers at home all season (both teams lost by seven at Memphis). Given so many teams are entering the conference tournament with losing records, finding a darkhorse is near impossible. It would be a major upset for any of the teams seeded 5-12 to just make it last the quarterfinals. The only team seeded 5-12 to enter the tournament with more wins than losses in their last ten games is Tulane (6-4 in their last ten games). Central Florida does enter with three wins in their last four games (against Rice, East Carolina and TCU). If any team from the eight squads playing in the first round is able to pull of an upset in the quarterfinals, it might just be the Knights; otherwise, this conference tournament is set to see more chalk than an elementary school supply room.
Pac Ten:
At Staples Center
Los Angeles
FIRST ROUND
Wednesday, March 8
Game 1: No. 8 Arizona State vs. No. 9 Oregon State, 9 p.m.
Game 2: No. 7 Oregon vs. No. 10 Washington State, 11:30 p.m.
QUARTERFINALS
Thursday, March 9
Game 3: No. 4 Arizona vs. No. 5 Stanford, 3 p.m.
Game 4: No. 1 UCLA vs. Game 1 winner, 5:30 p.m.
Game 5: No. 3 Cal vs. No. 6 USC, 9 p.m.
Game 6: No. 2 Washington vs. Game 2 winner, 11:30 p.m.
SEMIFINALS
Friday, March 10
Game 7: Game 3 winner vs. Game 4 winner, 9 p.m.
Game 8: Game 5 winner vs. Game 6 winner, 11:30 p.m.
CHAMPIONSHIP
Saturday, March 11
Game 9: Game 7 winner vs. Game 8 winner, 6:15 p.m.
Recap: California was on cruise control, tied for the lead in the Pac Ten and playing last place Arizona State at home on February 18. The Bears were about to take control if first place in the conference when the unthinkable happened..... they lost ! What followed has been a bookend to the start of the season for California. The Bears opened their season at Eastern Michigan; and without Pac Ten scoring and rebounding champion Leon Powe, the Bears LOST to the Eagles. California did rebound to win their next six games, but that loss must still leave a bitter taste in the mouths of Cal players, coaches and fans. When California fell on their sword, the UCLA Bruins were there to finish them off. UCLA exacted revenge for an earlier home loss to Cal after winning in overtime in Berkeley and wrapping up the regular season title. UCLA finished the season with 14 conference wins, including a season sweep of Arizona. The Bruins avoided any bad losses and upsets and earned the 1 seed for the Pac 10 Tournament. Washington had their home court winning streak end at 32 games when Arizona marched into Seattle and dumped Washington on New Years Eve. The Huskies lost their next Pac 10 home game to Washington State before rebounding to win at USC and UCLA. The Huskies scored a season sweep of the fist place Bruins later in the season with a solid home win against the Bruins. Washington would have won the regular season title had they not been swept by last place Washington State during the season (????) USC and new head coach Tim Floyd made an impact pushing the Trojans to a 16-12 overall record and pulling off an upset of UCLA (one day after Cal lost to Arizona State). The Oregon Ducks struggled to find their rhythm all season and limped to a 12-17 overall record (7-11 in conference). The only Pac 10 team that was deemed more disappointing was Stanford, which opened the season with losses to UC Irvine at home and at Montana and at UC Davis. The Cardinal did rebound to finish 11-7 in conference and fifth overall.
Favorite: UCLA is the top seed, yet Washington enters the tournament as the league's hottest team with eight wins in a row. The Huskies have owned the Bruins this season and if Washington can avoid a bad loss in the tournament (i.e. another loss to Washington State), the Huskies have a strong chance to upend the Bruins for the league title. UCLA has a relatively easy path to the title game, having to go through either Arizona State/Oregon State and the winner of Stanford/Arizona. The Bruins were 8-0 against the four teams from their side of the bracket, while Washington was just 5-3 against their side.
Darkhorse: USC has had some solid wins this season, defeating North Carolina, UCLA and Arizona. Unfortunately, the Trojans have been inconsistent, losing to Arizona State, Washington State and Oregon. USC has the talent to pull off an upset of a struggling California, but do they have the tenacity ? Arizona is the safe (and easy) choice as a darkhorse for the Pac 10 Tournament. So we will go out on a limb and stick with the Trojans. They may only get past the first round, but when facing such talented teams as Washington (and possibly UCLA), getting past the first round is about as much as we can expect.
Visit Bubbleteams.com to view the other conference tournament previews and updated conference tournament brackets.
Atlantic Ten:
At U.S. Bank Arena
Cincinnati
FIRST ROUND
Wednesday, March 8
Game 1: No. 8 Rhode Island vs. No. 9 Temple, 12 p.m.
Game 2: No. 5 Saint Joseph's vs. No. 12 Dayton, 2:30 p.m.
Game 3: No. 7 Massachusetts vs. No. 10 Xavier, 6:30 p.m.
Game 4: No. 6 Fordham vs. No. 11 Richmond, 9 p.m.
QUARTERFINALS
Thursday, March 9
Game 5: No. 1 George Washington vs. Game 1 winner, 12 p.m.
Game 6: No. 4 Saint Louis vs. Game 2 winner, 2:30 p.m.
Game 7: No. 2 Charlotte vs. Game 3 winner, 6:30 p.m.
Game 8: No. 3 La Salle vs. Game 4 winner, 9 p.m.
SEMIFINALS
Friday, March 10
Game 9: Game 5 winner vs. Game 6 winner, 6:30 p.m.
Game 10: Game 7 winner vs. Game 8 winner, 9 p.m.
CHAMPIONSHIP
Saturday, March 11
Game 11: Game 9 winner vs. Game 10 winner, 6 p.m. (ESPN)
Recap: George Washington was one of only three teams to finish the regular season undefeated in conference play. The Colonials were tested in several games; most recently, a one-point overtime win against Charlotte at home. GW won two other overtime games and won six overall games by points or less. The Atlantic Ten welcomed Charlotte and St. Louis from Conference USA and both teams had an immediate impact. The 49ers finished second in the league and St. Louis finished fourth. The Atlantic Ten had just one team with twenty or more wins (George Washington) for the second straight season. St. Louis started the season with one of the most unusual oddities ever seen in sports-the Billikens alternated winning a game and losing a game for 18 straight games. The streak (of sorts) came to an end after St. Louis won at Rhode Island after a win at home against Fordham.
Favorite: George Washington swept through the Atlantic Ten without losing a game; the second time an Atlantic Ten team has accomplished that feat in three years. Although, the Colonials hope that history does not repeat itself (St. Joseph's was undefeated and #1 in the nation when they were upset in the quarterfinals of the Atlantic Ten Tournament by Xavier in 2004). George Washington might find themselves challenged in the semifinals by St. Louis, a loser to the Colonials by five in overtime in early January. Should George Washington make the finals, they are likely to find themselves facing a Charlotte team that handed the Colonials a win in the regular season finale for both teams.
Darkhorse: Charlotte was a horrific home team this season, losing six games on their home court. The flip side to that is how solid the 49ers were on the road, especially in league play. Charlotte finished the season 6-2 in Atlantic Ten road games, losing in overtime at GW by one point and losing at Richmond by seven earlier in the season. Xavier will be a popular choice as a possible sleeper, yet the Musketeers have struggled since a mid-January upset of Cincinnati, losing eight of their last 13 games. Xavier was hurt by the loss of senior guard Dedrick Finn and a season ending injury to all-conference center Brian Thorton. Xavier is bolstered by this year's tournament being played in Cincinnati, yet despite their recent success in past tournaments, it would be surprising to see this Musketeer team make it past the quarterfinals.
Big East:
At Madison Square Garden
New York City
FIRST ROUND
Wednesday, March 8
Game 1: No. 8 Cincinnati vs. No. 9 Syracuse, 12 p.m. (ESPN)
Game 2: No. 5 Georgetown vs. No. 12 Notre Dame, 2 p.m. (ESPN)
Game 3: No. 7 Seton Hall vs. No. 10 Rutgers, 7 p.m. (ESPN)
Game 4: No. 6 Pittsburgh vs. No. 11 Louisville, 9 p.m. (ESPN)
QUARTERFINALS
Thursday, March 9
Game 5: No. 1 Connecticut vs. Game 1 winner, 12 p.m. (ESPN)
Game 6: No. 4 Marquette vs. Game 2 winner, 2 p.m. (ESPN)
Game 7: No. 2 Villanova vs. Game 3 winner, 7 p.m. (ESPN2)
Game 8: No. 3 West Virginia vs. Game 4 winner, 9:30 p.m. (ESPN)
SEMIFINALS
Friday, March 10
Game 9: Game 5 winner vs. Game 6 winner, 7 p.m. (ESPN)
Game 10: Game 7 winner vs. Game 8 winner, 9 p.m. (ESPN)
CHAMPIONSHIP
Saturday, March 11
Game 11: Game 9 winner vs. Game 10 winner, 8 p.m. (ESPN)
Recap: Connecticut and Villanova were so dominant in Big East play that between the two teams, they won 26 of 28 games against every other team in the conference (besides each other). The closest team to the Huskies and Wildcats was West Virginia, which stormed to an 8-0 start to the season in league play, yet crashed back down to earth with a 3-5 finish (aided by a front ended schedule that allowed them to play most of the weaker teams early). Pitt also started the season (and Big East) undefeated. The Panthers began with 15 straight wins, only to struggle to a 6-6 finish that saw the Panthers fall to 10-6 in conference and 21-6 overall. Marquette, in their inaugural Big East season, and Georgetown had surprisingly solid showings. The Golden Eagles finished in a tie for fourth with Pitt and the resurgent Georgetown Hoyas. The Hoyas would have finished with sole possession of fourth place, except for a season ending loss at South Florida (0-15 in conference play before they defeated Georgetown). The Bulls were not the only new arrival to find treading the waters of the Big East more difficult than possibly imagined. Louisville entered this season with high expectations after last season's trip to the Final Four. The Cardinals never quite found a way to defeat most of the Big East top teams (losing twice to Villanova, Connecticut, and once to Pitt, Syracuse, Cincinnati and West Virginia). Louisville inexplicably finished the conference campaign with just one road win (at Providence). Joining the Cardinals in their futility was DePaul. The Blue Demons stared the Big East 1-7 and never were able to turn around their season. The Blue Demons did act as spoiler during the final weeks of Big East play, defeating both Seton Hall and Syracuse in back-to-back games. The most talked about topic surrounding the Big East during the final weeks of the season was which teams would not make the 12-team conference tournament. Four teams (St. John's, Providence, DePaul and South Florida) did not qualify for play in Madison Square Garden. Notre Dame was almost one of those teams left out of the tournament. The Irish were this season's hard luck story, losing more close games than most anyone could imagine in one season. The Fighting Irish lost by less than nine points in every one of their conference defeats. Notre Dame lost four games in overtime (two of those in double overtime), two games by two points and one game by one point.
Favorite: Connecticut and Villanova are on a collision course for each other and there seems to be few teams that are capable of derailing either team in their quest for a third match this season. The two favorites are head and shoulders above any other team in the deep, yet non-threatening Big East tournament field. To anoint any other team status as a favorite would be pure insanity.
Darkhorse: The Big East Tournament always seems to provide a sleeper and in a league this deep, there is always someone waiting to make a statement and play themselves into possible NCAA Tournament position. Pitt enters as a six seed. The Panthers are a quality team with solid inside play that lacks the stamina and tenacity to make a serious tournament run (and having to win our straight games is always a challenge). Marquette, one of only two teams to defeat Connecticut this season, has to face the winner of Georgetown-Notre Dame and then possibly Connecticut again. Both Syracuse and Louisville face off in the opening round and get the Huskies as a reward for their win. Louisville is trying to win their way into the NCAA Tournament through Pitt, West Virginia and potentially Villanova. The one team that has nothing to lose and everything to gain is Notre Dame. The Irish can dismiss many of their demons from this season with a solid tournament run. The bracket sets up well for Notre Dame; an opening round match-up with Georgetown, a quarterfinal game against Marquette and a likely semifinal game against Connecticut. All three are teams Notre Dame played well against this season (but then again, so is every team Notre Dame played) and all three are teams the Irish can beat. It is improbable Notre Dame would play their way to a championship and given the terrain of this year's Big East Tournament, just making it to the conference semifinals would be a great accomplishment for most of these teams.
Big West:
At Anaheim Convention Center Arena
Anaheim, Calif.
FIRST ROUND
Wednesday, March 8
Game 1: No. 5 UC Santa Barbara vs. No. 8 UC Riverside, 9 p.m.
Game 2: No. 6 Cal State Fullerton vs. No. 7 Cal State Northridge, 11:30 p.m.
SECOND ROUND
Thursday, March 9
Game 3: No. 3 Long Beach State vs. Lowest remaining seed, 9 p.m.
Game 4: No. 4 Cal Poly vs. Highest remaining seed, 11:30 p.m.
SEMIFINALS
Friday, March 10
Game 5: No. 1 Pacific vs. Lowest remaining seed, 9 p.m.
Game 6: No. 2 UC Irvine vs. Highest remaining seed, 11:30 p.m. (ESPNU)
CHAMPIONSHIP
Saturday, March 11
Game 7: Game 5 winner vs. Game 6 winner, midnight (ESPN)
Recap: Pacific emerged as the best team in a less than mediocre Big West Conference this season. The Tigers started the season 7-5 and the conference campaign with a home loss to lowly UC Riverside. Pacific proceeded to rattle off thirteen wins in their next 15 games, including 12 of 13 in conference. The Tigers played well enough to catch UC Irvine (8-0 to start the conference season and 2-4 to finish the conference season). Every team, except Pacific, struggled in the non-conference campaign. Cal Poly was 2-11 outside Big West play (with two wins against non-Division 1 teams), UC Irvine was 6-8 outside the conference (with losses against Cal-State Stanislaus and Arkansas-Monticello-both non-Division 1 teams) and UC Riverside (started the season 0-10 and finished 2-11outside league play). Long Beach State was an offensive machine throughout the regular season scoring 90 points or more 9 different times (including breaking the 100 point barrier three times). In addition, the 49ers were held below 70 points just four times.
Favorite: Pacific should dominate the conference tournament like they did the regular season. The Tigers have won 12 straight conference games and face the prospect of only having to win two tournament games, courtesy of the Big West Tournament protecting the top seeds. The Tigers will be trying to avenge their loss in last season's tournament final to Utah State.
Darkhorse: Long Beach State finished the season 10-3, with six of those wins coming on the road. Pacific and UCSB were the only two league teams Long Beach State was unable to defeat away from home. The 49ers also won at Manhattan, scoring a season high 108 points in the win.
Conference USA:
At the FedExForum
Memphis, Tenn.
FIRST ROUND
Wednesday, March 8
Game 1: No. 7 Rice vs. No. 10 SMU, 1 p.m.
Game 2: No. 6 Tulsa vs. No. 11 Southern Miss, 3:30 p.m.
Game 3: No. 8 Tulane vs. No. 9 Marshall, 7 p.m.
Game 4: No. 5 Central Florida vs. No. 12 East Carolina, 9:30 p.m.
QUARTERFINALS
Thursday, March 9
Game 5: No. 2 UAB vs. Game 1 winner, 1 p.m.
Game 6: No. 3 UTEP vs. Game 2 winner, 3:30 p.m.
Game 7: No. 1 Memphis vs. Game 3 winner, 7 p.m.
Game 8: No. 4 Houston vs. Game 4 winner, 9:30 p.m.
SEMIFINALS
Friday, March 10
Game 9: Game 5 winner vs. Game 6 winner, 4:30/7:00 p.m.
Game 10: Game 7 winner vs. Game 8 winner, 4:30/7 p.m.
CHAMPIONSHIP
Saturday, March 11
Game 11: Game 9 winner vs. Game 10 winner, 11:35 a.m.
Recap: Memphis was well on their way to an undefeated conference season when a small road trip to UAB got in their way. The Blazers kept the Tigers from an undefeated season, but not from a regular season conference championship. While Memphis exemplified why most of the nation thought Conference USA was a top-heavy one-team league. UAB just took things a step further and showed why the conference was actually a two-team league. Memphis finished the regular season 10-1 and defeated a number of quality non-conference teams (Alabama, Gonzaga, UCLA, Cincinnati) to make up for their sub-par conference schedule. Memphis played ten of their 14 conference games against teams with losing records. The conference had just four teams with winning overall records and winning conference records (Memphis, UAB, UTEP and Houston). Houston defeated LSU and Arizona to jump start their non-conference campaigns.
Favorite: Memphis is by far the best team in Conference USA and having the benefit of playing the conference tournament on their home court just adds to the likelihood that the Tigers will sweep their way to a tournament title.
Darkhorse: UAB and Houston were the only conference teams to come within ten points of the Tigers at home all season (both teams lost by seven at Memphis). Given so many teams are entering the conference tournament with losing records, finding a darkhorse is near impossible. It would be a major upset for any of the teams seeded 5-12 to just make it last the quarterfinals. The only team seeded 5-12 to enter the tournament with more wins than losses in their last ten games is Tulane (6-4 in their last ten games). Central Florida does enter with three wins in their last four games (against Rice, East Carolina and TCU). If any team from the eight squads playing in the first round is able to pull of an upset in the quarterfinals, it might just be the Knights; otherwise, this conference tournament is set to see more chalk than an elementary school supply room.
Pac Ten:
At Staples Center
Los Angeles
FIRST ROUND
Wednesday, March 8
Game 1: No. 8 Arizona State vs. No. 9 Oregon State, 9 p.m.
Game 2: No. 7 Oregon vs. No. 10 Washington State, 11:30 p.m.
QUARTERFINALS
Thursday, March 9
Game 3: No. 4 Arizona vs. No. 5 Stanford, 3 p.m.
Game 4: No. 1 UCLA vs. Game 1 winner, 5:30 p.m.
Game 5: No. 3 Cal vs. No. 6 USC, 9 p.m.
Game 6: No. 2 Washington vs. Game 2 winner, 11:30 p.m.
SEMIFINALS
Friday, March 10
Game 7: Game 3 winner vs. Game 4 winner, 9 p.m.
Game 8: Game 5 winner vs. Game 6 winner, 11:30 p.m.
CHAMPIONSHIP
Saturday, March 11
Game 9: Game 7 winner vs. Game 8 winner, 6:15 p.m.
Recap: California was on cruise control, tied for the lead in the Pac Ten and playing last place Arizona State at home on February 18. The Bears were about to take control if first place in the conference when the unthinkable happened..... they lost ! What followed has been a bookend to the start of the season for California. The Bears opened their season at Eastern Michigan; and without Pac Ten scoring and rebounding champion Leon Powe, the Bears LOST to the Eagles. California did rebound to win their next six games, but that loss must still leave a bitter taste in the mouths of Cal players, coaches and fans. When California fell on their sword, the UCLA Bruins were there to finish them off. UCLA exacted revenge for an earlier home loss to Cal after winning in overtime in Berkeley and wrapping up the regular season title. UCLA finished the season with 14 conference wins, including a season sweep of Arizona. The Bruins avoided any bad losses and upsets and earned the 1 seed for the Pac 10 Tournament. Washington had their home court winning streak end at 32 games when Arizona marched into Seattle and dumped Washington on New Years Eve. The Huskies lost their next Pac 10 home game to Washington State before rebounding to win at USC and UCLA. The Huskies scored a season sweep of the fist place Bruins later in the season with a solid home win against the Bruins. Washington would have won the regular season title had they not been swept by last place Washington State during the season (????) USC and new head coach Tim Floyd made an impact pushing the Trojans to a 16-12 overall record and pulling off an upset of UCLA (one day after Cal lost to Arizona State). The Oregon Ducks struggled to find their rhythm all season and limped to a 12-17 overall record (7-11 in conference). The only Pac 10 team that was deemed more disappointing was Stanford, which opened the season with losses to UC Irvine at home and at Montana and at UC Davis. The Cardinal did rebound to finish 11-7 in conference and fifth overall.
Favorite: UCLA is the top seed, yet Washington enters the tournament as the league's hottest team with eight wins in a row. The Huskies have owned the Bruins this season and if Washington can avoid a bad loss in the tournament (i.e. another loss to Washington State), the Huskies have a strong chance to upend the Bruins for the league title. UCLA has a relatively easy path to the title game, having to go through either Arizona State/Oregon State and the winner of Stanford/Arizona. The Bruins were 8-0 against the four teams from their side of the bracket, while Washington was just 5-3 against their side.
Darkhorse: USC has had some solid wins this season, defeating North Carolina, UCLA and Arizona. Unfortunately, the Trojans have been inconsistent, losing to Arizona State, Washington State and Oregon. USC has the talent to pull off an upset of a struggling California, but do they have the tenacity ? Arizona is the safe (and easy) choice as a darkhorse for the Pac 10 Tournament. So we will go out on a limb and stick with the Trojans. They may only get past the first round, but when facing such talented teams as Washington (and possibly UCLA), getting past the first round is about as much as we can expect.
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