Wood’s UCLA to 1997’s Arizona: How Pac-12 males’s basketball shall be remembered

The Pac-12 as we all know it’s going to come to an finish — in males’s basketball, a minimum of — this week in Las Vegas with its convention match. Mockingly, the convention match, or lack thereof, was one of many issues that when differentiated the Pac-12 from nearly all of different leagues. The league did not have one till 1987, and that lasted 4 seasons earlier than it returned in 2002.

After this season, Oregon, UCLA, USC and Washington will play within the Large Ten; Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado and Utah will be part of the Large 12; California and Stanford will head to the ACC; and Oregon State’s and Washington State’s basketball applications will carry out within the WCC whereas nonetheless desiring to rebuild the Pac-12 and preserve management of what’s going to be a two-team convention.

This week will cap a wealthy historical past that dates to the formation of the Pacific Coast Convention in 1915, a 109-year run that features 15 nationwide championships and among the biggest gamers and coaches the game has ever seen.

ESPN’s Myron Medcalf, Jeff Borzello and John Gasaway talk about the most important personalities and moments within the convention’s historical past, the legacy of the Pac-12 and what may occur transferring ahead.

What’s the Pac-12’s place within the historical past of the game?

Jeff Borzello: Any dialogue of school basketball’s historical past — or the very best of the very best within the historical past of the game — can not occur with out together with the Pac-12. Or, extra particularly, UCLA. UCLA is this system with probably the most nationwide championships. The Bruins additionally personal the longest dynasty in historical past, profitable seven straight nationwide championships and going to 10 straight Remaining Fours. John Wood is the best school basketball coach of all time. Lew Alcindor is arguably the best school participant in historical past and Invoice Walton is not far behind. Consequently, the Pac-12 will at all times be a constant theme within the sport’s historical past.

John Gasaway: The NCAA ought to thank the Pac-12 and particularly UCLA yearly. Wood’s dynasty established the NCAA match because the occasion that awards the true nationwide championship. Previous to the Bruins’ first title in 1964, the NCAA match was nonetheless competing with the NIT for that declare. Even within the midst of the Bruins’ run, Al McGuire and Marquette turned down the NCAA and performed within the 1970 NIT as an alternative. However by the point Wood retired in 1975, there was no query in anybody’s thoughts. A Pac-12 program (Pac-8 on the time) made March Insanity what it’s as we speak.

Myron Medcalf: Sure, the legacy of the Pac-12 revolves round these nice UCLA groups. However Wood and lots of UCLA gamers additionally made an impression past basketball. In 1947, Wood, who was head coach at Indiana State, refused to simply accept an invite to the NAIA match as a result of officers of the occasion wouldn’t permit Clarence Walker, the group’s solely Black participant, to take part. Years later, together with his UCLA groups, Wood additionally took a stance when he let his outstanding Black gamers present they might be leaders whereas additionally being themselves. The picture of Lew Alcindor at a gathering with Muhammad Ali, Jim Brown and different civil rights advocates despatched a powerful message that UCLA gamers may use their platforms to advocate for change. Wood had the very best groups in America for greater than a decade. As a few of his friends resisted integration, he not solely gained with Black gamers, however shamed different faculties for refusing to do the identical.

Whereas the league hasn’t gained a nationwide title since 1997, it has produced many wonderful groups up to now 27 years. Which ones ranks No. 1?

Medcalf: Quite a few spectacular groups have adopted that Arizona squad of 1996-97. Stanford gained 31 video games with Casey Jacobsen and the Collins twins (Jason and Jarron) in 2000-01. A UCLA squad that featured future NBA All-Stars Kevin Love and Russell Westbrook gained 35 video games and reached the Remaining 4 throughout the 2007-08 season needs to be thought of. Sean Miller had some nice groups at Arizona too, together with the 2013-14 and 2014-15 groups that made back-to-back Elite Eight appearances and gained 67 video games mixed. And it is easy to overlook the 2016-17 Oregon group that misplaced standout Chris Boucher late within the season however nonetheless had an opportunity to upset North Carolina, the eventual champ, within the Remaining 4.

However the biggest group the league has produced since 1997 was the Arizona group that attempted to win one other title a 12 months later. Michael Dickerson, Mike Bibby, Miles Simon, Jason Terry and A.J. Bramlett all returned for the 1997-98 season after main the Wildcats to that championship. That group gained the Pac-10 championship however misplaced a lopsided recreation to Utah within the Elite Eight. Nonetheless, the Wildcats gained 30 video games and had a legit shot at a back-to-back run to the nationwide title.

Gasaway: I am hopping aboard this “Arizona groups from one million years in the past” bandwagon. With apologies to the Westbrook-Love UCLA dynasty, the vote right here is for Arizona 2000-01. Now this was a group: Gilbert Arenas, Richard Jefferson, Michael Wright, Jason Gardner, Loren Woods and Luke Walton. By no means thoughts the eight losses. Lute Olson’s spouse, Bobbi, died that January, and the coach stepped away for 5 video games. If KenPom existed in 2001, the No. 2 seed Wildcats would have been the favorites within the Elite Eight towards Invoice Self and high seed Illinois. Arizona reached the title recreation earlier than falling to Duke.

Make one daring prediction for what we’re about to see from the Pac-12 over the following few weeks main as much as the nationwide championship

Borzello: Whereas I am not going to say they will finish the Pac-12’s nationwide championship drought, I believe the Wildcats give the league simply its third Remaining 4 look since 2008 and Arizona’s first since 2001. The Wildcats have had a slew of letdown video games this season, however I really like the steadiness and selection of their offense, and the additions of Caleb Love and Keshad Johnson have offered a much-needed enhance within the toughness division. Plus, they’re prone to play their Candy 16 and Elite Eight video games in Los Angeles, the place they need to have a fan benefit.

Gasaway: Write it down: Washington State reaches its first Elite Eight since 1941. It will likely be the primary time for the Cougars. In 1941, you reached the Elite Eight by getting a bid, interval. Your entire subject had eight groups. (Headline that March: “Followers hate enlargement concept: Going to 16 waters down the sector!”) Powered by the ensuing buzz, the Cougs carry the Pac-12 identify ahead to a brand new convention with Oregon State that debuts in 2026 and does for non-coastal Western hoops what Dave Gavitt did for the East in 1979. You stated daring, proper?

Medcalf: A group outdoors the three listed in Joe Lunardi’s Bracketology (Arizona, Washington State, Colorado) will earn a bid by profitable the Pac-12 match title. Isaiah Collier seems like an NBA draft lottery decide againb and USC has gained 4 of its previous 5 video games. May the Trojans make a run to the league’s match title? That is as daring as I can get, as a result of I do not see a situation the place the league ends the NCAA match drought with one other title.

What’s going to the impression of the newly arrived Pac-12 groups be of their new leagues subsequent season? Will we see a group in 2025 do what Houston did in 2024?

Gasaway: On the one hand, it is unlikely any Pac-12 export might be to 2025 what Houston’s been this season. Arizona has the very best five-year KenPom rating within the departures lounge, and subsequent season the Wildcats will compete towards … Houston. However let’s have a look at this glass as half full. The Large Ten will get a candy big-picture deal. We’ll wait a very long time till UCLA, USC and Oregon are as down as they’re now. Washington State and Oregon State give the WCC a statistical bump. And do not despair, ACC: Mark Madsen has Cal heading in the right direction.

Borzello: Houston goes to enter the NCAA match as a 1-seed and a favourite to chop down the nets, so I believe it is a stretch to suppose any present Pac-12 group will try this of their new digs subsequent season (though Arizona has the very best shot). I agree although that the Large Ten will get deeper with the brand new faculties, whereas the Large 12 — the very best convention in school basketball — is simply getting higher with the Arizona addition. The one caveat: If Washington State manages to maintain Kyle Smith — and that is a giant if, perhaps an unlikely if — the Cougars will have the ability to push Gonzaga and Saint Mary’s from day one within the WCC.