How do the experts think the three Pac-12 schools will fare in the 2019 NCAA Tournament?
The Pac-12 has been the butt of many jokes during the college basketball season so it was a surprise to see how a conference that struggled so much produce three teams — Washington, Oregon and Arizona State — for the 2019 NCAA Tournament.
Unlike the ACC or Big Ten, not much was expected out of the Pac-12 coming into the tournament. Now that the matchups and brackets have been put together, are college basketball’s experts feeling the same way?
ESPN’s college hoops expert Jay Bilas has Arizona State winning their play-in game vs. St. John’s and moving on to the first round vs. Buffalo but going no further. In the South Region, Bilas has the Oregon Ducks continuing their winning ways with a first-round win over Wisconsin but bowing out to Kansas State in the round of 32. As for Washington in the Midwest Region, Bilas has Utah state coming out on top over the Huskies.
Here are what the eight CBS Sports experts are saying about the Pac-12’s chances in the 2019 NCAA Tournament. Of the eight, only Josh Nagel was brave enough to ride the Huskies all the way into the Sweet 16. If that happens, Josh is a genius. If it doesn’t work out then Josh has to deal with a bad bracket and will be shamed for all eternity.
Three of four NBC Sports college basketball experts have a Pac-12 team reaching the NCAA tournament’s second weekend .... but it’s not the Huskies. The Oregon Ducks were the trendy pick to reach the Sweet 16, and Raphielle Johnson picked Oregon to reach the South Regional final. It would be pretty amazing considering Oregon needed to win the Pac-12 Tournament just to get in the NCAA Tournament.
Seth Davis from The Athletic does not have the Pac-12 reaching the second weekend but he does have Oregon and Arizona State winning their first games. No love for the Huskies, however; he’s got Utah State winning that game.
Pac-12 struggles are to be expected according to the Sports Illustrated crew. All nine of their writers making picks did not take the Huskies over Utah State. Only one writer (Josiah Turner) picked Oregon to reach the Sweet 16.
The analytics-driven ESPN site gives the following odds for the three Pac-12 teams in the 2019 tourney.
Arizona State
Chances to win the play-win game: 53 percent
Chances to win first round game: 18 percent
Chances to reach Sweet 16: 5 percent
Chances to reach Final Four: Less than one percent
Chances to win National Title: Less than one percent
Oregon
Chances to win first round game: 40 percent
Chances to reach Sweet 16: 19 percent
Chances to reach Final Four: Less than one percent
Chances to win National Championship: Less than one percent
Washington
Chances to win first round game: 49 percent
Chances to reach Sweet 16: 7 percent
Chances to reach Final Four: Less than one percent
Chances to win National Championship: Less than one percent
Bill Bender from the Sporting News isn’t too optimistic about the Pac-12’s chances but Mike DeCourcy does give some hope to Oregon, picking them to reach the Sweet 16.
This story was originally published March 18, 2019 at 4:39 PM with the headline "How do the experts think the three Pac-12 schools will fare in the 2019 NCAA Tournament?."