Pac-12 – Who Looks the Best Heading Into March Madness

While there are a handful of teams in the Pac-12 that are headed to the NCAA Championship, the odds for any of them winning are not the best.  The team with the best odds, Arizona, has 60/1 odds of winning it all.  The NCAA Championship Tournament, though, can offer up some big upsets that could easily position a Pac-12 team in the finals.  We can also analyze how each team looks going into the NCAA Championship Tournament based on their performances in the Pac-12 tournament that took place over the weekend in Las Vegas.

Arizona

As previously state, Arizona has the best odds in the Pac-12 at winning the NCAA Championship at 60/1.  I would not be so quick to lay my money down on an Arizona team.  They have won a lot of games, however they displayed some major weaknesses in division play during the season and those weaknesses were still present during the Pac-12 Tournament.

Arizona has gone 0-5 against California, Oregon and UCLA.  Not a good track record for a team with NCAA Championship hopes.

California

California finished off their pre-NCAA Championship Tournament season by losing against both Standford and Utah.  Those are two Pac-12 teams that did not even make the tournament.  California is a team that not a lot of other team’s fear.  They are inconsistent and that is a fatal flaw when you are playing against the best teams in the nation.  California are 150/1 to win the NCAA Championship.

Colorado

Colorado did enough during the Pac-12 tournament to find itself in the NCAA Championship Tournament.  However, they will have to keep doing the right thing in order to cling to staying in the tournament.  Colorado played like a team this season that just wanted to make the tournament like they have for two consecutive years.  If they ever hope to go farther that just making the tournament they will need a find a way to perform well in said tournament.  Colorado is 200/1 to win the championship.

UCLA

UCLA put on a strong performance in the Pac-12 Tournament.  Now they have to be asking themselves “was it worth it. “  UCLA fought hard during the Pac-12 Tournament, but it came at a huge cost.  Jordan Adams is now out for the rest of the year with a broken foot after he went down with an injury against Arizona.  Adams had been playing his best basketball of the year in the Pac-12 tournament and now he is gone.  With Adams out UCLA’s Championship chances may be out as well.

Oregon

The 2013 Pac-12 Champions have a lot of momentum going into the NCAA Championship Tournament.  They will likely ride that momentum well into March Madness.  It is important to note though that Oregon’s tournament victory was not as rough as it should have been.  Utah knocked out California early and they played UCLA with an absent Adams.  They also lost their last two games of the regular season.  Their Pac-12 Championship may be a bit deceiving.  Oregon is 300/1 ton win the National Championship.