ESPN’s Dave Pasch: Pac-12 needs a team in the Final Four to earn respect nationally
Mar 14, 2016, 9:32 AM | Updated: 12:18 pm
Oregon guard Tyler Dorsey, right, gets a rebound over Arizona forward Mark Tollefsen, left, during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game in the semifinals of the Pac-12 men's tournament Friday, March 11, 2016, in Las Vegas. Oregon won in overtime, 95-89. (AP Photo/John Locher)
(AP Photo/John Locher)
With seven teams making the NCAA Tournament, the Pac-12 certainly received some respect from the selection committee on Sunday.
But if the conference wants to earn respect nationally and re-establish itself as one of the premiere conferences in the country, then they need to get a team deep into the tournament, accroding to ESPN college basketball voice Dave Pasch told Doug and Wolf Monday on Arizona Sports 98.7 FM.
“All the measurables say that they are one of the top conferences, that’s why they got seven teams in,” Pasch said. “But for the Pac-12 to get some respect, they have to get a team to the Final Four. 2008 was the last time a Pac-12 team made the Final Four and it was UCLA.”
Regular season and conference tournament champions, Oregon Ducks (28-6) secured a No. 1 seed in the West Region. It was a spot that some experts thought Big Ten tournament champions Michigan State should’ve got, but Pasch disagrees.
“Maybe Michigan State is a No. 1 and Oregon isn’t. But the way Oregon has played lately, they earned it. They earned that No. 1 seed,” he said.
The sixth-seeded Arizona Wildcats (25-8) join a South Region that has two other Pac-12 teams including No. 8 Colorado (22-11) and No 4 California (23-10).
“Cal to me is interesting because I could see them losing to Hawaii, but they also have four future NBA players on that roster so I could see Cal if they put it together offensively,” Pasch said.
Oregon State (19-12) earned a seventh seed in the West Region, while USC (21-12) is an eighth seed in the East Region and Utah (26-8) rounded out the conference teams in the tournament with a three seed in the Midwest Region.
“I think if (the conference) can get Oregon (in the Final Four) or if Arizona can make a run and you get two teams in, then I think you will see the paradigm shift to where the Pac-12 starts to get the respect that it once had as a truly elite league,” Pasch said.
