Devils in Detail
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Pac-12 Tournament Roundtable Discussion

By Zach Pekale

May 11, 2016; Las Vegas, NV, USA; General view of the T-Mobile Arena adjacent to the Las Vegas strip. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
May 11, 2016; Las Vegas, NV, USA; General view of the T-Mobile Arena adjacent to the Las Vegas strip. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports /
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On the eve of the Pac-12 Tournament, Devils in Detail men’s basketball beat writers, Zach Pekale and Alyanna Harina, collaborated with Arizona State’s student radio station’s men’s basketball beat writer, Blaze Radio 1330 AM’s Braiden Bell, to bring you a roundtable of predictions heading into the tournament.

  1. Is this the year that Arizona State gets back on track and wins a game? The Devils have only one win in the conference tournament since the event was moved to Las Vegas in 2013 and that was coincidentally a win in the 8-9 game over Stanford.

Zach Pekale: I might be thinking too optimistically but I believe we will see ASU play Oregon in the quarterfinals. While it is difficult to beat a team three times in one season, Stanford doesn’t have a specific facet in its game that could be used to beat the Sun Devils. Torian Graham has had two of his best games this year against the Cardinal because of poor perimeter defense and Arizona State should see a large number of open looks around the three-point line throughout the game.

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Alyanna Harina: No, I don’t think this is the year that the Sun Devils get past the first round. I think that unless Torian Graham has another stellar night and the ASU offense is basically flawless, it’ll be really hard to beat Stanford a third time. So long as Reid Travis and even Marcus Allen can find a way to shake up ASU’s three-point-ability I’d give Stanford the win.

Braiden Bell: No, I don’t think they will. I think the drought continues for the Devils. A main reason for that is because of the Stanford matchup. You may be thinking that I’m crazy because the Devils swept both games with Stanford but that is exactly why I pick the Cardinal in this one. I think Reid Travis finally puts forth a stellar performance against an undersized ASU team and beating a team three times is incredibly difficult.  

  1. Who becomes the first team to cut down the nets in T-Mobile Arena? What makes them stand out over other contenders?

Zach Pekale: I think Arizona is the team to beat in Las Vegas. To take things a step further, I think this is the year Sean Miller breaks through to a Final Four for the first time in his career. Few teams can match the size Arizona has in Lauri Markkanen, Dusan Ristic, Chance Comanche and Keanu Pinder. While the Cats are still one of the youngest teams in the Pac-12, there is enough depth and talent on the roster to be a must-watch team in March.

Alyanna Harina: I think it’ll be Oregon. Oregon’s defense is pretty much the main reason I’d give them the tournament title. That, along with Dillon Brooks playing as well as he has this past month and with their path being significantly easier, not having to face UCLA or Arizona until the championship, will be enough to win the tournament. Not to say that UCLA or Arizona won’t put up a fight, Oregon just seems to be set up for success this year.

Braiden Bell: I’ve got UCLA. I think the Bruins are built for success in a conference tournament. They’ve beaten Arizona and Oregon already this season so we know they can do that. The main reason I love UCLA is their balance on the offensive side, six guys average double figures which means it’s pretty much impossible to shut this team down.

  1. Will we see a darkhorse team emerge from the rest of the Pac? If so, who?
Feb 23, 2017; Boulder, CO, USA; Colorado Buffaloes guard Derrick White (21) finishes off a basket over Utah Utes forward Jayce Johnson (34) in the first half at Coors Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 23, 2017; Boulder, CO, USA; Colorado Buffaloes guard Derrick White (21) finishes off a basket over Utah Utes forward Jayce Johnson (34) in the first half at Coors Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports /

Zach Pekale: March is all about getting hot at the right time and Colorado has been consistent down the stretch. The Buffaloes 0-7 start to conference play is a distant memory as they finished 8-10 and have played strong team basketball rather than relying on one or two players nightly. Colorado plays Washington State in its opening round matchup and would have a difficult test against Arizona if they advance. With size and athletic wings, the Buffaloes could very well be playing in the semifinals.

Alyanna Harina:  Cal will most likely make it farther than many would expect due to their path but I think that Colorado will do pretty well in the tournament. They face Washington State in their opening game and they do have an upset over Oregon on its resume.

Braiden Bell: Wow, creative pun. I’m going to go with the Cal Golden Bears only because of the pathway they have. They start with a cupcake against No. 12 Oregon State and then get to play No. 4 Utah, a team who just beat them a week ago in what seemed like a pretty big upset. If they can pull that off they will most likely meet up with No. 1 Oregon, a team Cal led by 16 not even two weeks ago. I’m not saying to put money on it but the 5 seed is a sleeper for sure.

  1. Predict your All-Tournament team (5 players) and Tournament MVP.

Zach Pekale: PG- Lonzo Ball (UCLA), SG- Allonzo Trier (Arizona), SF- Dillon Brooks (Oregon), PF- Jordan Bell (Oregon), C- Lauri Markkanen (Arizona). If Arizona is able to win the tournament, Markkanen is unquestionably named MVP.

Alyanna Harina: PG- Markelle Fultz, SG- Lonzo Ball, SF- Dillon Brooks, PF- T.J. Leaf, C- Lauri Markkanen. I’ll give the tournament MVP to Dillon Brooks because I think Oregon will take the tournament.

Braiden Bell: PG- Lonzo Ball (UCLA), SG- Allonzo Trier (Arizona), SF- Dillon Brooks (Oregon), PF- T.J. Leaf (UCLA), C- Lauri Markkanen (Arizona). For tournament MVP I’ll give the honors to Lonzo Ball because I believe UCLA will win the tournament.

  1. Which team has the most to gain from the tournament? Most to lose?

Zach Pekale: The top three seeds (Oregon, Arizona, and UCLA) are all currently vying for a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament and would impress the selection committee with a conference tournament championship. Alternatively, USC and California are both fighting for their lives as the Trojans are in the Last Four In and Cal is in the Next Four Out according to ESPN’s Joe Lunardi. A run to semifinals or possibly a championship game appearance would be enough to win the approval of the committee.

Alyanna Harina: Oregon definitely has a lot to gain with this tournament. Winning the conference, winning the tournament puts them in a good place going into the NCAA Tournament. USC’s possible NCAA tournament bid definitely puts them with the most to lose, they can’t afford to lose Washington and they may even need to upset UCLA.

Braiden Bell: All three of the top seeds (meaning Oregon, Arizona and UCLA) have a lot to gain in this tournament. By winning this tournament it could propel one of these teams into the NCAA Tournament with a ton of momentum. Most to lose has to be USC, the Trojans are currently one the Next Four Out according to ESPN so a decent showing is essential for their possible NCAA tournament bid.

Next: Pac-12 Men’s Basketball Tournament Cheapest in the Nation

The 2017 Pac-12 Men’s Basketball Tournament begins at noon PST with the Arizona State Sun Devils taking on the Stanford Cardinal. The game can be seen on Pac-12 Networks.

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