A couple of Pac-10 thoughts. Did you know this league isn't very good?

If you've been watching or reading anything about college basketball over the last two months, than you've probably heard someone, somewhere, mention something about the fact that the Pac-10 is down this season.

That is not breaking news.

What is a bit of a shock is how terrible the league truly is.

After the league's fourth week of conference games, Cal is the only team that can hold out for any kind of hope of earning an at-large bid, and even that is a stretch at this point. They are 13-6 overall and 5-2 and in first place in the league. But their best non-conference win is against Murray State (78th in the RPI). They are 0-4 against the top 50, and have lost to UCLA (136th) and Washington (75th). The only reason their RPI is in the top 25 range (currently 25th) is because they have played the 3rd toughest schedule in the country.

It will be tough for the selection committee to give an at-large bid to the Bears, especially when you consider that their "signature" win right now is at home against USC after the Trojans learned of their postseason ban, especially when you consider the Bears are bound to take a few more losses with seven of their remaining 11 games on the road.


If you haven't done it already, say goodbye to Washington's potential postseason.

The Huskies were swept by the LA schools, dropping a buzzer beater to the Bruins and getting waxed by USC. U-Dub has a number of issues. They don't play defense. They struggle with consistently giving effort. They don't have a true point guard. No one has been able to replace Jon Brockman.

But their biggest issue is simply that they cannot win away from home. Washington is 0-5 in true road games this year, and also lost to Georgetown in Anaheim. They are, literally, winless in every game away from Hec Edmundson Pavilion. That's not going to get it done.


Think about this for a second.

UCLA has be abysmal this season. Stanford has nothing on their roster beyond Landry Fields. Arizona is far from the Arizona we knew under Lute Olson. All three teams are sitting within a game of .500 on the season.

And all three teams are currently sitting one game out of first place in the Pac-10.

I mean, a UCLA team that lost to Cal St. Fullerton (RPI 236th), Portland (98th), Stanford (121st), and Long Beach State (125th), and is 136th in the RPI themselves, has an actual chance to win the Pac-10 even after they lost starting forward Drew Gordon.

I guess crazier things have happened.

I just can't think of many.