There’s only one weekend left in Pac-10 play, and these last two games are going to decide who finishes where in the heart of the Pac-10.
The top and bottom are already wrapped up, so this weekend will be all about those teams on the bubble.
1. Stanford (26-2, 17-0 Pac-10)
Thursday’s rivalry matchup against Cal doesn’t mean very much for the No. 2 Cardinal. The Pac-10 regular season crown is already wrapped up, and they are expected by all to take the Pac-10 Championship in Los Angeles next week.
However, a loss to the Golden Bears could conceivably cost Stanford a one seed in the NCAA Tournament.
So, despite having wrapped up the conference title, don’t expect the Cardinal to tone it down against Cal. It’s a rivalry game, and Stanford is going to want to finish strong.
2. UCLA (24-3, 14-2)
It’s been one of the best seasons in history for the Bruins. Unfortunately, most of the season has been spent playing second fiddle to mighty Stanford up north.
Still, this is a team that can get things done. No. 9 UCLA found itself behind against both Arizona schools and didn’t falter, pulling out big victories in both games.
The Bruins, like Stanford, have wrapped up their spot in the Pac-10, and their final home stand against the Washington schools will simply be a chance for UCLA to pad its tournament resume.
3. Arizona State (17-9, 9-7)
A hard-fought and physical win over USC last Thursday gave the Sun Devils sole possession of third place in the Pac-10.
Unfortunately, a tough loss to UCLA on Saturday in a game ASU had a chance to win puts the Sun Devils right in the thick of things going into the final weekend. UA and USC are both just one game behind in a tie for fourth.
However, ASU travels up to Oregon for their final weekend of play. Against the two worst teams in the Pac-10, the Sun Devils will get their shot at wrapping up that third spot.
According to ESPN.com, ASU is the third and final Pac-10 team predicted to make the NCAA Tournament, as a nine seed. The Sun Devils will have to win these last two games to make sure they keep that status.
4. Arizona (17-10, 8-8)
The Wildcats are 4-1 in their last five games and keep getting better as the season goes on. A huge victory over ASU on Feb. 13 really seemed to give the Wildcats a boost, and a win against USC on Saturday pulled them even closer to the Women of Troy in the standings.
Sophomore guard Davellyn White and senior forward Ify Ibekwe have established themselves as serious scoring threats no matter who UA faces. And if ASU slips up this weekend, the Wildcats could find themselves third in the Pac-10 at the end of the season.
Right now, UA is on the outside looking in when it comes to the NCAAs. The Wildcats will have to make a splash in the conference tournament in order to have a chance.
5. USC (16-11, 8-8)
The Women of Troy are in a position they were hoping not to be in earlier this season. They currently sit tied with UA for fourth in the conference and have to hope that both Arizona schools slip up this weekend in order to jump back up in the standings.
But USC still has plenty of factors on their side. Their final games are at home against WSU and UW, teams the Women of Troy swept earlier in the season. And the Pac-10 tournament will basically be a home tournament for USC.
USC is currently right on the bubble, according to ESPN.com’s latest predictions, and need to be in perfect from here on out.
6. California (15-13, 7-10)
The Golden Bears are hurting right now. They just managed to break a six-game losing streak against lowly OSU on Saturday, but they found themselves behind early even in that game.
And Cal can’t really expect to pull off the upset against Stanford on Saturday. Barring a miracle run in the Pac-10 Tournament, the Golden Bears will not be dancing in March.
7. Washington (11-14, 6-10)
After a big win over Cal, the Huskies dropped three straight, to Stanford, ASU and UA. And while they picked up a morale-boosting win over in-state rivals Washington State, they’ve fallen out of the postseason picture.
UW junior guard/forward Kristi Kingma has had an incredible year despite the team’s struggles, however, and is second in the Pac-10 in scoring.
The Huskies will hope to reload and see big things from Kingma again next year.
8. Washington State (8-20, 6-10)
The Cougars have lost three in a row and finish off the season in Los Angeles, where they have to face a frustrated USC squad and a top-10 UCLA squad.
WSU made some noise earlier in the conference season, but the strength of the Pac-10 eventually took its toll.
9. Oregon (13-14, 4-12)
UO doesn’t have much left in the tank. The Ducks have lost eight of their last nine, although last weekend they did record a big win over Cal.
The biggest problem for OU is defense. Their offense is aggressive and capable of putting together huge runs. But they still rank last in the conference in points allowed, and that doesn’t bode well for the Pac-10 tournament.
10. Oregon State (9-18, 2-14)
The Beavers have all but locked up last place in the conference, but that doesn’t mean this team has given up. OSU ranks third in the Pac-10 in scoring defense and have made teams wary when they travel to Corvallis.
Their offense, however, is easily stifled. And with two hungry Arizona teams on their way this weekend, the Beavers might not win another game.
Reach the reporter at egrasser@asu.edu
