As we enter the first weeks of March, it is becoming less likely that the men’s or women’s basketball teams will be participating in any of the madness that comes with this month.
Both teams are wrapping up disappointing seasons in which upsets were few and losses were many. Instead of Mayor of Bracketville ballots, coaches Ernie Kent and Jody Runge may be on the NIT City ballot at best.
Things don’t look bright for the month of March.
If this were to happen next year, however, things would be much different. The first Pacific-10 Conference Tournament in 10 years will be instated, and the top eight teams in the conference will be vying for the top spot and an automatic NCAA tournament bid.
Teams like the 13-14 Duck men and 16-11 Oregon women will have a chance next year to reach the field of 65 despite less-than-perfect regular seasons.
At first, many in the Oregon sports scene denounced the conference tournament, saying “there are a lot of unanswered questions” and that “the logistics need to be worked out.”
Many coaches around the Pac-10 preferred letting the regular season decide the conference champion instead of a three-day tournament.
Now that Oregon is in a position to benefit from a conference tournament, opinions are changing.
“When I first heard about it, for this year I really didn’t want one,” Oregon guard Alissa Edwards said. “But now that the season’s almost done, I kind of wish we had one this year because of where we’re at in the standings. I wish we could prove ourselves, now that we’ve dug ourselves a hole.”
Both the men and women experienced disappointing seasons but showed the ability to explode in big game situations — much like they would need to in the Pac-10 Tournament.
If the tournament were today, the women would host No. 5 seed Arizona, a team they beat 83-78 on Saturday, and could face either Washington, Southern California or Washington State in the semi-finals.
The men, however, would face league-leading Stanford at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. The Ducks led top-ranked Stanford by seven points at home on Feb. 9 before falling 69-62.
Aside from Oregon’s potential gains this year, the conference tournament would bring a part of March Madness that has been absent from the Pac-10 for more than a decade.
This week, die-hard hoops fans are riveted to ESPN for “Championship Week.” Conference tournaments from all around the nation bombard our television sets and let us know that it’s tournament time. Where are the Oregon men? Getting ready for the mighty Beavers to decide whether they’ll have 13 or 14 wins this season. Whoopee!
Having a conference tournament would not only give Oregon a chance for something better this season, it would give them a warm-up for the NIT or even the NCAA Tournament.
A conference tournament “gives you big game experience, which is helpful as you go through the Big Dance,” said guard David Jackson, who went through the Western Athletic Conference Tournament and NCAA Tournament while at Utah.
The conference tournament provides fans and players alike a chance to warm up to a tournament atmosphere before the real tournament starts.
Both Oregon teams will be in different situations next year, when the first tournament happens. And if the Ducks don’t happen to win the first Pac-10 Tournament next year, there’s always the NIT.