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Show the great ...which team is most likely to surprise at the Pac-12 tournament? hile it's not quite time for the NCAA tournament to begin, madness will surely ensue in Vegas for the Pac-12 tournament. Teams that sit in the lower half of the standings are in a do-or-die situation with nothing to lose. This is what makes them dangerous. That would have been Oregon's case until Utah lost to Washington on Saturday. Instead, the Ducks jumped the Utes up to the numbertwo seed in the conference tournament and will be the tournament surprise because of their recent hot streak. In their last 10 games, Oregon has lost only one. The Ducks have a 23-8 record on the year, including a 13-5 conference mark. After a rough start to the season in which they suffered losses to Michigan and VCU, Oregon remained level for much of the remainder of the season, clawing its way back into the conference-elite category. W That said, the Ducks have lost two games to Arizona, and if they are to make a big impact in the conference tournament, they will have to dethrone the Wildcats. To do that, Oregon will need a collective team effort. Oregon's players are really good together, and their unity was evident against the Utes. I mean, there's a reason so many of their players made the all-conference teams. The Ducks are led by the Pac-12 Player of the Year in senior Joseph Young, who averaged 19.8 points, 4.5 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game, all while hitting .440 from the field and over 90 percent from the free-throw line. Young beat out the likes of Arizona's freshman Stanley Johnson and Utah's Delon Wright, who were favorites for the award. Of Oregon's array of conference awards, they have been lucky to have a consistent coach in Dana Altman. He was awarded the Coach of the Year in the conference, leading his Ducks to a tie for second in the Pac-12 after a year in which they were projected to finish eighth overall. hile most people are keeping their eyes on Arizona and Utah in the upcoming Pac-12 tournament, don't be surprised when Stanford steals the spotlight. Stanford didn't end the season on a high note, suffering three straight losses, including a pretty embarrassing 91-69 loss to No. 5 Arizona, but there was a time this season when the Cardinal was thought of as one of the best teams in the conference. The great thing about the conference tournament is it provides a second chance — look for Stanford to take advantage. The Cardinal finished their Pac-12 season at 9-9 and 18-12 overall and obviously played better before conference play started. After their sub-par performance during conference play, they have a lot to prove in Vegas. Stanford is eager to make a run and, more importantly, earn a spot in the big dance. W Looking at Oregon's season as a whole, it's a bit up and down. The Ducks have beaten their rivals Oregon State on both occasions and went on the road to take down Stanford and Arizona State. While Oregon has struggled in other road contests this season, the Ducks did get a win in Phoenix against the Sun Devils, which is more than we can say for the conference-favorite Arizona. Beating the Wildcats is a tall task but, as shown three times this season, it's possible. The Ducks will have to crack down on defense and control the pace as conference foes Arizona State and Oregon State did in their wins over Arizona. With the leadership of Altman, I think the Ducks could make a deep push into the tournament, as they've shown they can win meaningful games this season. Their victory against Utah was a glimpse of what is to come if Oregon gets hot at the right time, and everyone in the tournament should watch out for the Ducks. i.smith@chronicle.utah.edu @ISmithAtTheU For a team to make an unexpected tournament run, it usually needs a player that is able to get buckets, and Stanford so happens to have one of the best scorers in the conference. First team All Pac-12 guard Chasson Randle averaged 19.1 points this season and isn't afraid to shoot his team to victory. If Randle gets hot then the rest of the conference better watch out. Stanford should easily take down Washington in the opening round to set a matchup against Utah in the quarterfinals, and the Utes aren't really looking like the dominant team they appeared to be a few weeks ago. After a loss to Arizona, a close call against Washington State and then a shocking defeat to Washington to end its season, Utah may be primed for an upset. The Utes held Randle in check during their 75-59 win over Stanford in February, but that seems like it was forever ago now, and with a game under his belt against the Utah defense, you can expect Randle to find ways to be effective and lead Stanford to the semifinals. There the Cardinal will likely face an Oregon team that just squeaked by Stanford, 73-70, on March 1. The Ducks' athleticism didn't overpower Stanford, so there is no reason to think the Cardinal can't pull the upset 6 { THECHRONY I NEWS I OPINION I ARTS I SPORTS I TUESDAY, MARCH 10, 2015 } in Vegas. The Wildcats aren't going to have any problem finding their way to the championship game, leaving whomever is unfortunate enough to play them in their wake. But waiting for Arizona in the championship game will be the Cardinal. The Wildcats won't have the same motivation as Stanford will, and because of that there could be a shocker. Stanford has the will power to win and after being considered a top team in the conference up until February, it wants to show everyone it still deserves to be talked about with the best in the conference. Stanford is looking to regain some pride in Vegas and its only chance to reach the NCAA Tournament is to be the last team standing come Saturday. Stanford is going to go back to its winning ways, and even though it may not dominate, it will not easily be ousted — even by Arizona. k.brenneisen@chronicle.utah.edu @kbrenneisen |