Pac-12 Tournament Day Two Wrap: Second Day of Action Likely Best in Tournament History

The Pac-12 Tournament followed up a stellar first day with an even better second day full of great, hard-fought games that went right down to the wire with the last two games both going to overtime. The second day was a continued resounding success for the conference and the tournament, not just with the games but also the environment in the cozy MGM Grand Arena that helped make the games actually seem important after years of apathy in the Staples Center.

(1) UCLA 80 (8) Arizona State 75

• I don't get UCLA's jerseys, are they supposed to be military like or gray, leopard print? I'm going with Zumba pant.
• From the get-go, Arizona State looked like a team that belongs to at least be a bubble team.
• So much for all the talk about that you might want that warm-up, first day game to get a little practice and momentum, the Sun Devils looked gassed late in the second half as they lost control of their 15-point lead.
• Jordan Bachynski (22 points, 5 rebounds and great shot blocking) and Jonathan Gilling (17 points, 8 rebounds, 5-11 for three) stepped up to fill the void Carrick Felix left with a poor game. The two were crucial in helping the Sun Devils nearly pull off the upset.
• In a great, gutty senior performance, Larry Drew II really saved this game for the Bruins with 20 points on 8-10 shooting (4-4 for three) that included some really big ones down the stretch.
• Two huge, clutch outside shots by Travis Wear to swing the game to the Bruins in the final minute made the difference, very unexpected and shows some serious range.
• Tough loss for the Sun Devils, they outplayed UCLA for much of the game but simply ran out of gas and the Bruins hit big shots late while the Sun Devils missed them. They should represent the Pac-12 well in the NIT.
• Nice Anthony Barr impression by Ben Howland in the final moments in hug tackling Anderson and getting him away from a potential skirmish after a minor mix up between Felix and Muhammad.
• Carson might not of one the game or be a Top 10 NBA Draft pick come June like Muhammad, but he was the better freshman today with 21 points, 7 assists and 6 rebounds to Muhammad's 16 points, 9 rebounds and 2 assists.

(4) Arizona (5) Colorado

• Have to feel for Colorado fans in that this match-up just gives another reason to show Sabatino Chen's infamous buzzer beater/non-buzzer beater a few more times.
• Would have to say that Spencer Dinwiddie's mustache and Sabatino Chen's hair as best follicle collection in the conference this year.
• Some really great play down low on both offense and defense in this one. Arizona's young front line looked as strong as many imagined they would going into the season and Andre Roberson played like the world-class forward that he is finishing with his almost automatic double-double of 15 points and 11 rebounds.
• The best atmosphere of any game thus far as both teams brought great following this year.
• Second-straight game where a team that played the day before looked to have a little less energy than the fresh team.
• Nearly every game in this tournament has seemed to follow the script of one team controlling the game, but never pulling away and then having the trailing team roar back about halfway through the second half.
• Nick Johnson might have had the game of his career as he played inspired ball with great energy and finished with 18 points on 6-7 shooting.
• Still think Colorado is a comfortable NCAA Tournament team and probably a 10 or 11 seed and one that you don't want to face in the first round.
• Very good win for Arizona, who desperately needed to prove that they were out of their recent funk and can beat an NCAA Tournament caliber team.
• Sets up a great match-up between UCLA and Arizona tomorrow and I predict that the winner of that game wins the whole thing.

(10) Utah 79 (2) Cal 69 OT

• Utah's performance is a testament to how strong the bottom of the conference was this year, especially when coupled with how well Oregon State and Washington State played the last couple of weeks.
• Jarred DuBois played like a man possessed in the first half, which was much needed with Jordan Loveridge getting off to a slow start. DuBoise finished with 21 points and 5 rebounds.
• How stoned is Bill Walton? Can we have a game next year announced by Walton and Snoop Dogg please?
• Allen Crabbe got off to a slow start, but his backcourt mate Justin Cobbs stepped up big time or this might not have even been a close game. Cobbs finished with 26 points, 5 assists and 4 rebounds and Crabbe got going a bit late to finish with 21 points and 6 rebounds.
• Great, great, great, effort from the Utah fans who showed up despite their team being a 10 seed.
• Maybe the wildest of all the wild games thus far. Utah looked nearly dead a number of times and they simply took the life at of Cal in overtime, the Bears looked defeated once the Utes grabbed control in the extra period. Biggest upset of conference tournament season thus far.
• The slow start by Loveride but it didn't stick around, he finished with 20 points and 8 rebounds, and hit 3 surprising threes and got himself fouled on a three-point try in the waning moments of regulation that kept them alive.
• There have already been a lot of big shots in the tournament, but DuBois' gaming-tying three with just seconds left in regulation has the crown for the best shot so far.
• Have to wonder if Cal is going to get left out of the NCAA Tournament now. Before last week much or their resume was boosted by their momentum, but now they have lost two straight to

teams that most likely won't make the tournament. They will definitely be sweating it out on Sunday.

(2) Oregon 80 (6) Washington 77 OT

• Literally don't think there has been one Pac-12 game on the ESPN family of channels this year that didn't have the start get missed because of a random, almost always meaningless East Coast or Midwest game that goes freakishly long.
• The only person who has worse hands than Aziz N'Diaye is Hot Hands Hannon from Little Giants.
• Dear ESPNU: Please stop showing Phil Knight. Thanks.
• For a school that so regularly gets accused of being all about flash and attitude, that's a pretty clean crew cut that E.J. Singler has.
• A seven foot foreigner who literally can't catch a ball and airballs half of his free throws, N'Diaye is a mid-90s sports screenwriter's fantasy.
• Scott Suggs came out on fire, but mysteriously disappeared once Singler started guarding him.
• The refs have been strong thus far, only complaint might be bailing out too many shooters for flops on late shots when you are supposed to let players play a little bit more.
• Two huge free throws by Johnathan Loyd, who isn't a great free throw shooter to tie the game with just a few seconds left.
• The Huskies have played terribly in the last moments of close games this season, pretty much dropping each one.
• The Ducks may have floundered during regulation, but Arsalan Kazemi stepped up and the Ducks finally looked like they have the ability to in overtime.