2009 Pac-10 Tournament Predictions

Written by Jimmy Boyd on March 9, 2009

pac-10-39091The 2009 Pacific 10 Conference Men’s Basketball Tournament tips off on Wednesday, March 11 and continue through Saturday, March 14th from the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. Fans not making the trip can catch most of the action on Fox Sports Network with the championship game airing on CBS. The Southern Cal schools certainly seemed to gain an edge from this venue in 2008 with USC and UCLA meeting in the semifinals with UCLA going on to take the title. The Washington Huskies have emerged as the No. 1 seed in this year’s tournament after winning the regular season title by a game over UCLA by a game. Jimmy Boyd determines the favorite and discusses the next team most capable of winning the title in this predictions article. Bet the 2009 Pac-10 Men’s Basketball Tournament at BetUS.

The Favorite: UCLA Bruins
The Bruins finished second in the Pac-10 this year and are the No. 2 seed in the tournament, but I’d say they are the favorite when you consider that they defeated Washington in the most recent meeting and that this tournament takes place in Los Angeles. I felt the Bruins were the best team in the conference going into the season despite losing several key players off last year’s team. They didn’t end up taking home the regular season title, but I really like them in this tournament because of the experience they have in the backcourt. Point guard Darren Collison and off guard Josh Shipp make up one of the best backcourts in the nation. Collison was the Pac-10 Tournament MVP award last season and continues to be one of the most clutch players in the league on both ends of the court. UCLA won 4 straight to close out the season and I like the Bruins to win the Pac-10 Tournament Title.

Another Team That Can Win: Washington Huskies
Arizona State is a dangerous team, but 3 losses in its last 4 games has slowed the Sun Devils’ down a little bit. Washington won every big game down the home stretch, with the exception of UCLA, beating USC, Arizona, ASU, and rival Washington State. The Huskies come in having won 5 in a row and 8 of their last 9. While UCLA looks to win with its defense, the Huskies look to outscore their opponents. Washington ranks 12th in the nation in scoring at 79.2 points per game and is one of the best in the land on the board at 37.7 rebounds per game (5th in the nation). Isaiah Thomas has been the story for the Huskies this season, leading them with 15.4 points per game. It looks like we are set up for a UCLA versus Washington Pac-10 Tourney Final and that’s certainly how I hope it plays out.

2008 Pac-10 Tournament Recap:
No. 1 seed UCLA pounded Cal then edged out same city rival USC and Stanford to bring home the Pac-10 Tourney title. The Bruins earned a No. 1 seed in the West Region of the Big Dance and advanced to an 18th Final Four. They lost to national runner-up Memphis in the Final Four.

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