2023 Pac-12 Basketball Tournament bracket, schedule, times, and more

The college basketball regular season has come to a close, and the Pac-12 Tournament kicks off on Wednesday in Las Vegas with the title game being played on Saturday night.

The USC Trojans locked up the third seed on Thursday despite losing to Arizona, and UCLA and Arizona finished as the top two seeds, respectively.

Barring a surprising run from one of the lower teams, it looks more and more like the Pac-12 will send only three teams to the NCAA Tournament: Arizona, UCLA, and USC.

Nonetheless, this is when madness happens. Let’s take a look at the Pac-12 Tournament bracket, which starts on Wednesday as the top four seeds get first-round byes.

GAME 1: (8) WASHINGTON vs (9) COLORADO -- WEDNESDAY, MARCH 8, 12 PM PACIFIC

LOS ANGELES, CA – JANUARY 12: Vincent Iwuchukwu #3 of the USC Trojans and Lawson Lovering #34 and Javon Ruffin #11 of the Colorado Buffaloes fight for a rebound in the first half at Galen Center on January 12, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images)

Colorado beat Utah to end the season, and the Buffaloes now face Washington. The winner plays UCLA on Thursday. Washington coach Mike Hopkins is on the hot seat. Could this game affect his job status? We’ll soon find out.

GAME 2: (5) WASHINGTON STATE vs (12) CAL -- WEDNESDAY, MARCH 8, APPROX. 2:30 PM PACIFIC

Dec 31, 2022; Berkeley, California, USA; California Golden Bears forward Lars Thiemann (21) and Colorado Buffaloes center Lawson Lovering (34) battle for a loose ball during the first half at Haas Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: D. Ross Cameron-USA TODAY Sports

Cal lost 15 in a row, but we have seen crazier things happen. The winner faces Oregon on Thursday. Cal still has just three wins this season.

GAME 3: (7) UTAH vs (10) STANFORD -- WEDNESDAY, MARCH 8, 6 PM PACIFIC

Jan 14, 2023; Los Angeles, California, USA; Utah Utes guard Gabe Madsen (55) battles for the ball with Southern California Trojans forward VIncent Iwuchukwu (3), guard Boogie Ellis (5) and guard Reese Dixon-Waters (2) in the first half at Galen Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Utah fell flat to end the season. The Utes have a tough first-round meeting against Stanford. The winner faces Arizona. Stanford coach Jerod Haase could be coaching his final game for the Cardinal.

GAME 4: (6) ARIZONA STATE vs (11) OREGON STATE -- WEDNESDAY, MARCH 8, APPROX. 8:30 PM PACIFIC

Mar 2, 2023; Los Angeles, California, USA; UCLA Bruins guard Jaime Jaquez Jr. (24) shoots against Arizona State Sun Devils guard DJ Horne (0) during the second half at Pauley Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

Arizona State faces Oregon State and could get a rematch against USC with a win. Arizona State will need to beat OSU and USC to have any chance at an NCAA Tournament bid. If the Sun Devils do that, they have a decent chance. If they win three games and reach the Pac-12 Tournament final on Saturday, they will definitely be in.

GAME 5: (1) UCLA vs 8-9 WINNER -- THURSDAY, MARCH 9, 12 PM PACIFIC

Jan 26, 2023; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans guard Boogie Ellis (5) and forward VIncent Iwuchukwu (3) battle for the ball with UCLA Bruins guard Jaime Jaquez Jr. (24) and guard Tyger Campbell (10) in the first half at Galen Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

In Thursday’s first quarterfinal, top-seeded UCLA faces Washington or Colorado. If it’s UCLA-Colorado, the Bruins beat the Buffaloes by only four points in late February. That could be an interesting game. UCLA is without Jaylen Clark, who got injured against Arizona. That is something to monitor at this tournament.

GAME 6: (4) OREGON vs 5-12 WINNER -- THURSDAY, MARCH 9, APPROX. 2:30 PM PACIFIC

Oregon coach Dana Altman calls to his team during the game against Utah in Eugene Jan. 1, 2022.

Oregon got a first-round bye, which is crucial for the Ducks. Oregon therefore has to win three games, not four, to win the Pac-12 Tournament and get to the NCAA Tournament. Oregon is off the bubble. The Ducks have to win the tournament. Making the final will get them close, but it won’t do enough to get them in, barring a very unlikely series of bubble events elsewhere in the country. Oregon needs three wins. Follow Ducks Wire for more UO hoops coverage.

GAME 7: (2) ARIZONA vs 7-10 WINNER -- THURSDAY, MARCH 9, 6 PM PACIFIC

Mar 18, 2022; San Diego, CA, USA; Arizona Wildcats head coach Tommy Lloyd (right) talks to a referee against the Wright State Raiders during the first half during the first round of the 2022 NCAA Tournament at Viejas Arena. Mandatory Credit: Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports

Arizona has lost to both Utah and Stanford. The Wildcats will be out for revenge on Thursday evening.

GAME 8: (3) USC vs 6-11 WINNER -- THURSDAY, MARCH 9, APPROX 8:30 PM PACIFIC

January 14, 2023; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans forward Kijani Wright (33) is greeted by fans after the game against the Utah Utes at Galen Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

USC is not a 100-percent lock for the NCAA Tournament, but winning on Thursday in the late-night quarterfinal would make the Trojans a lock. That’s the main goal at this tournament: Win on Thursday to lock up a bid.

If Oregon State upsets Arizona State — unlikely, but possible — USC would really need to avoid a loss to the Beavers. That could send them down the seed list and create real trouble. If ASU beats Oregon State and faces USC again, the Trojans would face a tough matchup. That’s the bad news. The good news is that a USC loss would not create significant damage to the Trojans’ resume.

One person’s opinion: It’s better if USC faces ASU, even though that’s the much tougher matchup.

GAME 9: FIRST SEMIFINAL -- FRIDAY, MARCH 10, 6 PM PACIFIC

Oregon center Will Richardson is hung up by UCLA guard David Singleton as the Oregon Ducks host the No. 7 UCLA Bruins Saturday, Feb. 11, 2023, at Matthew Knight Arena in Eugene, Ore.
Ncaa Basketball No 7 Ucla At Oregon Ucla At Oregon

This semifinal will likely be UCLA-Oregon. If so, how much will the Jaylen Clark injury affect the matchup? It could give Oregon a path to the final. UCLA is playing for a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.

GAME 10: SECOND SEMIFINAL -- FRIDAY, MARCH 10, APPROX 8:30 PM PACIFIC

Mar 2, 2023; Los Angeles, California, USA; Arizona Wildcats guard Kerr Kriisa (25) defends a pass for USC Trojans forward Kobe Johnson (0) in the second half at Galen Center. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

This could be a USC-Arizona semifinal. The Trojans have been thoroughly outclassed in two meetings against the Wildcats this season, mainly because Arizona has quality big men and USC is thin in the frontcourt. We will see if Vince Iwuchukwu can play in this game, provided that the Trojans get this far and don’t lose in the quarterfinals.

GAME 11: PAC-12 TOURNAMENT FINAL -- SATURDAY, MARCH 11, 7:30 PM PACIFIC

Mar 13, 2021; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Oregon State Beavers players celebrate with their ticket to 2021 March Madness after defeating the Colorado Buffaloes 70-68 at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports

If UCLA wins the Pac-12 Tournament, it should get a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Arizona could move up to a 2 seed with a win and some help elsewhere across the country.

Oregon is playing for an automatic bid. Arizona State is in the field if it makes this Saturday final. USC would boost its seeding for the NCAA Tournament if it makes the final. Let’s get the party started Wednesday at noon with Washington-Colorado.

THE FULL BRACKET

Story originally appeared on Trojans Wire