The PAC-12 is not as one-sided as you might think this year. UCLA and Arizona are definitely the two best teams in this tournament. However, there are some teams that are being slept on that could easily win the PAC-12 tournament. This isn’t one of those tournaments that you don’t want to watch because you know who is going to win the tournament. The PAC-12 tournament is a must-watch this season. With that being said here are my predictions for the 2023 PAC-12 tournament.
The Betting Odds
UCLA +110
Arizona +210
USC +800
Oregon +1200
Arizona State +1500
Washington State +2000
Utah +2500
Colorado +4000
Washington +10000
Stanford +10000
Oregon State +50000
California +50000
The Bracket
Does UCLA Officially Clinch A 1 Seed In The NCAA Tournament?
UCLA has been one of the best teams in the country all season long. This team is looking to lock in a one seed for the NCAA tournament and will need a good conference tournament showing to do so. The Bruins average just over 60 points per game. Their defense is a big reason for where they are today. Offensively, the Bruins are led by senior guard Jamie Jaquez Jr. who averages 17.5 points per game to go along with 8 rebounds per game as well. Also, senior guard Tyger Campbell is still a big contributor for the Bruins.
Campbell averages 12.9 points per game to go along with just under 5 assists per game. They will be without their best defender and third-scoring option Jaylen Clark for the rest of the season. Him being out is a huge blow to UCLA and their defense could seriously take a hit without him. Look for the Bruins to be a team in the running, but I am not sure if they will get the job done in this tournament.
Can Arizona Win Their Ninth PAC-12 Tournament Title?
Tommy Lloyd is looking to win another conference tournament for Arizona. The Wildcats average the fifth most points per game in the country (83.1). They also rank in the top 20 in rebounds per game and they are third in assists per game. This is a complete team that will cause some problems. They are led by junior forward Azuolas Tubelis. Tubelis averages 19.9 points per game to go along with 9.2 rebounds per game as well.
Other key names for this team is Courtney Ramey (10.8 points per game), center Oumar Ballo (13.9 points per game to go along with 8.6 rebounds per game). Those two play big minutes for Tommy Lloyd this season. If the Wildcats want to win another Pac-12 tournament, these three need to play well.
Any Sleepers To Keep An Eye On?
The Oregon Ducks are a team that I am keeping my eyes on. They don’t have numbers that will stand out to you, however, this is a team that will fight night in and night out. Oregon is led by first team all-PAC-12 center N’Faly Dante. Dante averages 13.5 points per game to go along with 8.2 rebounds per game. Another key member of this Oregon team is guard Will Richardson. Richardson averages 12.5 points per game to go along with 5.2 assists per game. The Ducks have a win over Arizona this season and I think they can play with any team in this tournament. Look out for the Ducks to make a run in this tournament.
The Don’s Winner
I am in full belief that the Bruins will not win the PAC-12 tournament. There are the sleepers that I mentioned that I like. However, my money is on Arizona +210. The Wildcats win their ninth PAC-12 tournament and take some sort of momentum heading into the NCAA tournament.
The Don’s Game By Game Predictions
First Round
8 Washington over 9 Colorado
5 Washington State over 12 California
7 Utah over 10 Stanford
6 Arizona State over 11 Oregon State
Quarterfinals
1 UCLA over 8 Washington
4 Oregon over 5 Washington State
2 Arizona over 7 Utah
6 Arizona State over 3 USC
Semifinals
4 Oregon over 1 UCLA
2 Arizona over 6 Arizona State
Finals
2 Arizona over 4 Oregon