The Wildcats put the hurt on both UCLA and USC this weekend, gearing up for the matchup every Pac-12 basketball fan has been waiting for — a rematch with Utah in Salt Lake City. A win would put Arizona in the driver's seat for the regular season title and a possible No. 1 seed come March.
The Utes dropped a tough one in Eugene on Sunday but still hold the No. 2 spot in the conference. A rematch with Arizona is on the horizon, but Utah must play the streaking Sun Devils first, which could be a trap game if the Utes aren't careful.
The Ducks gave themselves a boost with a home win over Utah thanks to the recently improved play of freshman forward Dillon Brooks, who had his best game of Pac-12 play. Oregon finishes conference play with three straight road games, which is always tough. The Ducks are 2-4 on the road against Pac-12 teams.
The Cardinal are making their way out of a rough stretch, helped by a win at Cal Saturday. Stanford had lost four out of its previous five games, but persevered for a double-digit win. The Cardinal have to play four teams that are .500 or better in conference play the rest of the way, though, so they won't be able to coast.
The Beavers played one of the ugliest games of the season, losing to Utah 47-37, but put together a much better performance to blow out Colorado two days later. Their 72 points were the most the team has scored in Pac-12 play this season, so Oregon State has to continue putting the ball in the basket.
The Sun Devils have won seven out of their last 10 conference games and could still sneak into one of the top four spots in the Pac-12 Tournament in Las Vegas. A treacherous road trip to the Rocky Mountains looms ahead that will prove important.
A weekend sweep in Arizona brings the Bruins back down to earth a bit as the season closes. UCLA does, however, have the easiest remaining schedule in the conference and should expect three straight wins to close out the regular season with a bye.
The Bears have lost two in a row to two of the best teams in the Pac-12 and the road does not get much easier. Cal has to face off against two teams to whom it has already lost and another two teams that are fighting for a possible Pac-12 Tournament bye or NCAA Tournament spot.
The Buffaloes were swept for the second time this season, not counting both of their losses to rival Utah. Colorado has lost five of its last six games and is now two games under .500.
The Huskies are finally back in the win column after seven straight losses, which was the longest streak in Lorenzo Romar's tenure. Washington, whose season was once so full of promise, is now holding on in hopes of finishing the season over .500. On a good note, junior guard Andrew Andrews was named the Pac-12's Player of the Week after scoring 35 points in Washington's win.
The Cougars ended up splitting the season series with rival Washington and have lost two games in a row. Washington State has played better in Pac-12 play than it did in out of conference, despite having a worse record, and could sneak in a win or two before Las Vegas.
The Men of Troy suffered another close loss in conference play Sunday night in Tempe while missing one of their best players. USC has not won a Pac-12 road game this season and will have just one more chance to do so: their last game at UCLA.
Reach the reporter at mtonis@asu.edu or follow @Tonis_The_Tiger on Twitter.
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