Pac-12 Basketball

The Pac-12 men's basketball tournament continued play on Friday with No. 5 Oregon State facing No. 1 Oregon and No. 3 Colorado taking on No. 2 USC.

Oregon was the only team to advance without much drama, defeating No. 8 Arizona State 91-73.

The rest of the semifinalists survived and advanced. USC needed two overtimes to put away No. 7 Utah, 91-85. Colorado led by 13 in the second half but held on to win 61-58 after Cal's Makale Foreman missed a late game-tying three-point attempt. Oregon State found itself down 16 but forced overtime and knocked off No. 4 UCLA 83-79.

That drama led us to semifinal action at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Friday. Here's a look at how that all went down.

            

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Pac-12 Semifinals Results/Schedule

(5) Oregon State def. (1) Oregon, 75-64

(3) Colorado def. (2) USC, 72-70

       

Pac-12 Tournament Bracket

Four teams. One title. 🏆

🏀 @OregonMBB vs. @BeaverMBB
⏰ 5:30p PT | 6:30p MT
📺 @Pac12Network

🏀 @USC_Hoops vs. @CUBuffsMBB
⏰ 8:30p PT | 9:30p MT
📺 ESPN#Pac12Hoops pic.twitter.com/bUVvXLsnHs

— Pac-12 Conference (@pac12) March 13, 2021

Oregon State 75, Oregon 64

Senior guard Ethan Thompson led five Oregon State players in double figures with 16 points as the Beavers upset in-state rival Oregon 75-64.

Junior forward Warith Alatishe, who posted a 22-point, 10-rebound double-double in the overtime win over UCLA on Thursday, followed up his performance with 12 points, 12 boards and four assists. Fellow junior forward Rodrigue Andela added 13 points and nine rebounds off the bench.

For Oregon, senior guard LJ Figueroa, senior guard Chris Duarte and senior forward Eugene Omoruyi each scored 14 points to lead the Ducks. Omoruyi added five steals.

The three-point line was the difference in this game, with Oregon State making 10-of-19 from downtown. Thompson went 5-of-8.

Oregon shot 24 percent from beyond the arc, going 6-of-25. The Beavers also grabbed 38 rebounds to the Ducks' 24.

Oregon only led for 26 seconds after Omoruyi hit a free throw to put the Ducks up 19-18 with 6:21 left in the first half. The Beavers never looked back, however, after sophomore guard Jarod Lucas responded with a three.

J-CASH!!

Watch: https://t.co/5t6E5ZyCDu pic.twitter.com/LNnsR1l8ZT

— Oregon State Hoops (@BeaverMBB) March 13, 2021

Oregon State led by 10 at the half, closing the scoring on a Thompson three-pointer after a Alatishe block and Lucas rebound.

DEFENSE -> OFFENSE

Beavs lead by 12!

Watch: https://t.co/5t6E5ZyCDu pic.twitter.com/KTdhKfCHC7

— Oregon State Hoops (@BeaverMBB) March 13, 2021

The Beavers never let Oregon come back within seven points in the final 20 minutes. They led by as many as 19 after Alatishe's rebound and putback:

WARITH!!!! BEAVS UP 19!!!!

Watch: https://t.co/5t6E5ZyCDu pic.twitter.com/7735EpkCSX

— Oregon State Hoops (@BeaverMBB) March 13, 2021

The Beavers are now one game away from their second NCAA men's basketball tournament appearance in the last 30 years. They last made the tournament in 2016.

      

Colorado 72, USC 70

Senior guard D'Shawn Schwartz's putback slam dunk with 3.3 seconds remaining propelled third-seeded Colorado to a 72-70 win over second-seeded USC.

‼️D'SHAWN SCHWARTZ‼️ pic.twitter.com/OxSLuD6Gm9

— Colorado Men's Basketball (@CUBuffsMBB) March 13, 2021

Senior guard McKinley Wright IV led the Buffaloes with 24 points on 9-of-16 shooting. He hit 4-of-6 three-pointers on a night when the team shot 12-of-24 from downtown.

Wright also came up big on the defensive end, breaking up a pass on USC's last offensive play to give Colorado the win.

Senior forward Jeriah Horne scored 19 points and hit 4-of-8 three-pointers for the Buffaloes. He has hit 10 three-pointers in his last two games against the Trojans, knocking down six while posting 24 points in a 80-62 win over USC on Feb. 25.

For USC, freshman big man Evan Mobley led the way with 26 points on 11-of-16 shooting, nine rebounds and five blocks.

Colorado led by as many as 14 points late in the first half, but USC chipped away and made it a one-possession game after a three-pointer from sophomore forward Isaiah Mobley cut the deficit to 58-56 with 6:50 left.

However, Horne then went on an 8-0 run thanks to back-to-back three-pointers and a two-point jumper. A two-pointer from junior forward Evan Battey gave Colorado a 68-56 advantage.

JERIAH HORNE BACK 2 BACK 🎯🎯🎯🎯

64-56 🦬 | 2H 5:09

📺 https://t.co/hNC2WC9uiK pic.twitter.com/1c61aagqWk

— Colorado Men's Basketball (@CUBuffsMBB) March 13, 2021

USC didn't go down without a fight, though. Five points from redshirt senior guard Tahj Eaddy and a three from Evan Mobley cut Colorado's lead to four.

Freshman @evan_mobley7 hits a 3 to tie his career-high with 26 points!

📺: ESPN
📱: https://t.co/1whjsnyS1V pic.twitter.com/sO5D3sspaQ

— USC Men's Basketball (@USC_Hoops) March 13, 2021

Wright responded with a layup, but Eaddy hit another three-pointer to bring USC within one possession.

A Mobley block (his fifth) and an ensuing defensive rebound off a Wright three-point miss gave USC the ball with the chance to tie, and the Trojans took advantage thanks to an Eaddy three-point play.   

TIE GAME.@2Teazy gets the and-1.

70-70 with 31.9 seconds remaining.

Catch the finish on ESPN: https://t.co/1whjsnyS1V pic.twitter.com/nkZlEkG341

— USC Men's Basketball (@USC_Hoops) March 13, 2021

In response to Eaddy's game-tying play, Wright attempted the game-winning shot. His effort was off the mark, but Schwartz was there to clean up the glass and put Colorado into the title game.

With the win, Colorado went 3-0 against the Trojans, who assuredly will earn an NCAA tournament berth as an at-large team. USC will go into the tournament with a 22-7 record. Colorado is also 22-7 after winning its sixth straight game.

The Oregon Ducks and USC Trojans begin their route to a potential collision at the Pac-12 tournament final on Thursday. 

The top two seeds in Las Vegas will face two of the four winners from Wednesday's first-round games: the Arizona State Sun Devils and Utah Utes, respectively. 

Oregon comes into the competition in better form on a five-game winning streak, and it may have more motivation to reach the final since it lost to USC in the regular season and has not received any respect in the national polls. 

Before USC focuses on a potential rematch with Oregon, it has to avenge one of its late-season losses to Utah, who might be a dangerous underdog with three wins in its previous four contests. 

            

Pac-12 Tournament Quarterfinal Schedule

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.

No. 1 Oregon (-9) vs. No. 8 Arizona State (Over/Under: 147.5) (2:30 p.m. ET, Pac-12 Network)

No. 4 UCLA (-5) vs. No. 5 Oregon State (O/U: 133) (5:30 p.m. ET, Pac-12 Network)

No. 2 USC (-7.5) vs. No. 7 Utah (O/U: 139) (8:30 p.m. ET, Pac-12 Network)

No. 3 Colorado (-14) vs. No. 11 California (O/U: 133.5) (11:30 p.m. ET, ESPN)

        

Betting Tips

Oregon (-9) vs. Arizona State

Oregon is playing like a Top 25 team, but it has not earned that recognition from the pollsters. 

Dana Altman's team is peaking at the right time and could take advantage of a matchup with a depleted Arizona State. 

The Sun Devils barely escaped their first-round meeting with the Washington State Cougars, and they were blown out in their final two regular-season games. 

Meanwhile, Oregon has been feasting on its recent opponents, as it has four straight wins by eight or more points. 

The Ducks also possess a much better defensive unit than Arizona State, as they concede an average of 9.9 fewer points per game than the Sun Devils. 

Four of Oregon's last five foes failed to reach the 70-point threshold, and Arizona State has not gotten there in three games. 

Bobby Hurley's team is playing without freshmen Josh Christopher and Marcus Bagley, who were two of the team's top four scorers. 

Oregon has a deep collection of basket-makers that will be on the court on Thursday. Five Ducks average over 10 points per game, and at least one of them hit the 20-point mark in each of the last five contests. 

The backcourt combination of Chris Duarte, LJ Figueroa and Will Richardson and Eugene Omoruyi's paint presence could overwhelm Arizona State. 

When the two sides met on February 11, those four players all reached double figures, while Remy Martin was the only player to do so for the Sun Devils.

We could see a similar situation play out on Thursday with the Ducks playing some of the best basketball in the country over the last month and suffering just one loss since February 6.

         

USC (-7.5) vs. Utah

The 7.5-point spread in favor of USC may be a bit respectful to Utah's current form.

The Utes won three of their last four games and produced 98 points in each of their last two victories. 

However, Utah will go up against much stiffer competition than the Washington Huskies and Arizona State on Thursday. 

USC has a dominant paint player in Evan Mobley and two guards in Drew Peterson and Tahj Eaddy who can take over games in an instant. 

Although those players struggled a bit in the February 27 loss to Utah, it should not affect how they perform on Thursday. 

The defeat in Salt Lake City occurred at the end of a four-game run across seven days, and the Trojans showed some signs of fatigue at the high altitude. 

USC bounced back from that loss with a commanding win over the Stanford Cardinal and a last-second victory against the UCLA Bruins. 

With a fully-rested squad in tow, the Trojans should dictate the pace of the quarterfinal matchup against a team they held to 46 points on January 2. 

Utah is 2-4 against the league's top three teams and could struggle against a defense that allows 64.1 points per game.

       

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.

Statistics obtained from ESPN.com.

    

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The Arizona State Sun Devils have not lived up to expectations this season. 

Bobby Hurley's team has a chance to finish on a high note at the Pac-12 tournament, but that may be difficult with two key players out of the competition in Las Vegas. 

Arizona State may not make it out of the first round since it faces a tough matchup with the Washington State Cougars, which pushed it to overtime on February 27. 

The Stanford Cardinal could find themselves in a similar situation on Wednesday, as their star player is dealing with injury issues. 

Stanford looks like a completely different team without Oscar da Silva, and if he does not play, the California Golden Bears could push their top rival. 

          

Pac-12 Tournament 1st-Round Schedule

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.

No. 8 Arizona State (-1) vs. No. 9 Washington State (Over/Under: 144) (4 p.m. ET, Pac-12 Network)

No. 7 Utah (-7.5) vs. No. 10 Washington (O/U: 143.5) (7 p.m. ET, Pac-12 Network) 

No. 6 Stanford (-6.5) vs. No. 11 California (O/U: 132) (10 p.m. ET, Pac-12 Network)

       

Betting Tips

Washington State (+1) vs. Arizona State

Arizona State will again be without Josh Christopher and Marcus Bagley, who will miss the Pac-12 tournament, per Doug Haller of The Athletic.

The Sun Devils have played without both players this season, but they have not had an overwhelming amount of success. They beat the Cougars without the pair but then proceeded to get blown out by the Colorado Buffaloes and Utah Utes. 

Washington State had five players reach double digits and shot 41.2 percent from three-point range in the February 27 loss. Arizona State made the same amount of shots from beyond the arc, but it needed eight more attempts to get there. 

That performance is an example of how the Cougars' play has improved over the last few weeks. They have two wins and two one-possession losses in a five-game span. 

If Washington State hangs tight with a depleted Arizona State team again, it could put itself in position to win to earn a matchup with the top-seeded Oregon Ducks. 

Kyle Smith's team likely won't make a deep run in Las Vegas, but a win would be a decent finish to a season in which its form dipped following a 9-1 start.

       

California (+6.5) vs. Stanford

Upon first glance, the team with the worst record in the Pac-12 may not be worth putting any money on.

However, if you evaluate the current state of California and Stanford, the Golden Bears could at least have a shot at covering the 6.5-point spread. 

Stanford has played without Da Silva since February 25 and lost all three games with him not on the floor. 

Cardinal head coach Jerod Haase called the senior forward "day-to-day" heading into Las Vegas, per Jackson Moore of 247Sports.

"He wants to play. I think it's within the realm of possibility," Haase said. "But at this point, it's day-to-day with him. I think how he practices today will be important for that." 

Even when Da Silva was in the lineup, Cal played a close game with Stanford in the second leg of a back-to-back series on February 7. 

The Golden Bears have not been blown out in many of their games since that 76-70 loss, and they even beat the Colorado Buffaloes. 

Cal has three single-digit losses in the five other games since the second defeat to Stanford, so there is potential for it to keep the game close. 

Since the Golden Bears have three Pac-12 wins, it is hard to envision them winning outright, but if Da Silva is out or not at 100 percent on the floor, they could cover the 6.5-point spread.

           

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.

Statistics obtained from ESPN.com.

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The Oregon Ducks' 10-2 run since the start of February handed them the No. 1 seed in the Pac-12 tournament. 

Oregon earned the top honors despite losing to the second-seeded USC Trojans by 14 points on February 22.

For the Ducks and Trojans to meet again, they need to win two games each at T-Mobile Arena on Thursday and Friday.

The competition begins with three first-round games on Wednesday, but unlike the other power conferences, they will not involve teams fighting for their NCAA men's basketball tournament lives. 

Only four Pac- 12 programs are projected to qualify for the field of 68, and if one of the other seven squads wins in Las Vegas, it would be viewed as a massive shock. The Arizona Wildcats are ineligible to play in the postseason this year. 

       

Pac-12 Bracket and Schedule

The 2021 Pac-12 Tournament Bracket. pic.twitter.com/RRPhIYpYDR

— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) March 8, 2021

Predictions

Oregon Continues Winning Run In Las Vegas

The Ducks have been one of the hottest teams in the country over the last month.

Although the Pac-12 is not as competitive as it has been in previous seasons, the Ducks deserve credit for reeling off 10 wins in 12 contests. 

Dana Altman's team can wreak havoc in March because it has an abundance of scorers on its roster, led by Chris Duarte.

In total, the Ducks have five players who average over 10 points per game, and that group carries plenty of experience, led by Duarte and Will Richardson. 

Altman coached the Ducks to three Sweet 16 appearances in a four-year span from 2016-19, and he guided them to the last Pac-12 tournament crown. 

Although they are safely in the field of 68, the Ducks should come into Las Vegas with the most motivation of any team as they attempt to earn a rematch with USC. 

On February 22, the Ducks got off to a porous start and were outshot in every facet of the game. USC was 49 percent from the field and 47.1 percent from three-point range. Oregon was 7-of-17 from three-point range and shot 40.4 percent from the field. 

Since that defeat, Oregon eclipsed the 70-point mark in five straight games and finished the regular season with three consecutive 80-point performances. 

If Oregon plays better offense in Las Vegas, it should be more competitive against USC and find a way to earn its second straight Pac-12 tournament title.

        

Stanford Gets Bounced In Opening Round

Stanford has fallen backward from a team that was on the NCAA tournament bubble to one in danger of a first-round exit in the Pac-12 tournament. 

Most of the Cardinal's struggles can be attributed to the absence of big man Oscar da Silva, who has not played since February 20. Da Silva leads Stanford with 18.8 points per game. 

Stanford sits in an unenviable position as the No. 6 seed. It will face the rival California Golden Bears on Wednesday. 

In their two regular-season meetings, Da Silva was responsible for 47 points. Even with him in the lineup, Cal only lost the second clash by six points. 

Cal put together a dismal 3-17 conference record, but it did upset No. 3 seed Colorado on February 13 and has one of the better scorers in the league in Matt Bradley, who averages 18.2 points per game. 

If Stanford's struggles continue in Las Vegas, Cal could be ripe to spring an upset behind the play of Bradley, who had 39 points in the two losses to the Cardinal.

Cal should not be poised for an extended run, but it would not be surprising to see it beat a team that is limping to the finish line.

       

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.

Statistics obtained from ESPN.com.

The University of Arizona has officially acknowledged a Notice of Allegations from the NCAA, including five Level I violations—highlighted by a charge of lack of institutional control against men's basketball head coach Sean Miller.  

The Notice of Allegations was delivered in October. The school then requested its case be presented to the NCAA's Independent Accountability Resolution Process, which accepted in December. The NOA was released to the public on Friday evening following a lawsuit by ESPN.

Level I represents the most serious violations of NCAA bylaws. 

Per Bruce Pascoe of the Arizona Daily Star, those five Level I charges are:

• Unethical recruiting conduct by former assistant coaches Book Richardson and Mark Phelps
• Unethical conduct by Richardson for accepting $20,000 in bribes
• Unethical conduct by Phelps for asking a UA player to delete a text message thread related to an impermissible $500 loan he had provided, and lying to investigators
• Head coach responsibility for Miller for not demonstrating he promoted compliance
• Institutional lack of control for Arizona because of the men's basketball charges and two Level II charges involving swimming.

The two swimming charges include arranging improper tryouts and lack of head coach responsibility. 

Richardson previously served a three-month prison sentence for accepting bribes as part of the FBI's investigation into federal corruption within college basketball Using wiretaps, the FBI recorded Richardson alleging payments of $10,000 per month for former Wildcats star Deandre Ayton in 2017. 

Pascoe noted Miller stands to lose a $1 million retention bonus if found guilty, though the funds may be returned. 

That would be just the start of potential consequences for Miller and the basketball program, which has already self-imposed a postseason ban in late December.

Per Pascoe:

"If a school is found to have committed a standard Level I violation, the NCAA's penalty matrix calls for one or two years of a postseason ban. But an aggravated Level 1 carries a two to four year ban (while a mitigated Level 1 brings either no ban or a one-year ban)."

The program may also have to vacate wins if past student-athletes were found to be ineligible. 

There is currently no timeline available for the IARP to rule on Arizona's case. 

One of the most coveted backcourt recruits in the 2022 class made his decision Wednesday as Amari Bailey committed to UCLA, per Jeff Borzello of ESPN.

Bailey is the No. 3 overall player and No. 1 combo guard in the country, per 247Sports' composite rankings.

At least for casual observers of high school basketball, Sierra Canyon School became an overnight sensation thanks to the arrivals of Zaire Wade and Bronny James. Bailey's skills would have shone through no matter where he played, but the added attention paid to Sierra Canyon allowed his profile to increase.

Jerry Meyer of 247Sports evaluated Bailey in November and compared him to Utah Jazz guard Jordan Clarkson:

"Has good length for a combo guard. Plays with strength. A quality functional athlete with a blend of fluid and explosive athleticism. Handles with vision and a feel for the game. Adept at changing direction and changing speeds. Can score at all three levels. Versatile defender who is disciplined and opportunistic. Is a dangerous offensive rebounder and solid defensive rebounder."

The Chicago native originally committed to DePaul before he entered high school, walking back that decision in March 2018. He then committed to UCLA in December 2018, explaining at the time how suiting up for the Bruins is a dream for him dating back to when he was younger. Once again, though, he had second thoughts and reopened his recruitment.

"I've learned to just take my time," Bailey said to Rivals.com's Eric Bossi in December 2019. "I felt good about both of the decisions, and I don't regret either one of them. So now I'm taking my time and getting to know coaches a little bit more but I was fine with both. Just sometimes stuff happens."

Given how highly he's regarded, adopting a more deliberate approach and allowing his high school career to unfold was the sensible decision.

Bailey has put together an impressive highlight reel.

Zaire Wade and Amari Bailey with the NASTY double block got Dwayne Wade OUT of his SEAT!! pic.twitter.com/Ps53zOesHC

— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) November 1, 2019

Top 2022 SG Amari Bailey will be making his season debut tonight‼️ pic.twitter.com/TlWWLS4LRj

— SLAM HS Hoops (@SLAM_HS) November 13, 2020

Big bday shoutout to Amari Bailey 💯 pic.twitter.com/K4urVOqg3l

— Overtime (@overtime) February 18, 2020

ESPN's Paul Biancardi also made the point that Bailey would be required to shoulder a larger load for Sierra Canyon during his junior season, with the school having a pair of top-10 talents in BJ Boston (No. 5) and Ziaire Williams (No. 6), per 247Sports' composite rankings, move on in 2020:

The growth of @amariBailey has been enjoyable to watch. As a soph last year he was the third or fourth option. His role has now changed. Now he needs to think score first, by being shot ready , drive ready & by moving off the ball. His passing vision & accuracy is outstanding. pic.twitter.com/wjtWJfR2t5

— Paul Biancardi (@PaulBiancardi) November 14, 2020

Athleticism can take a player far, and Bailey is an incredible athlete. At 6'4" and 170 pounds, he also has the size to defend both guard positions, which is becoming increasingly necessary with the trends in basketball.

More than just Bailey's measurements is what he can do with his physical gifts. As Meyer outlined, he's a good scorer who can distribute while also being a plus defender.

Bailey will make an immediate impact for UCLA in 2022-23 before presumably moving on to the NBA in 2023.

Arizona is self-imposing a one-year postseason ban for its men's basketball team.

The school called it a "proactive measure in its ongoing NCAA enforcement process" and "an acknowledgement that the NCAA's investigation revealed that certain former members of the MBB staff displayed serious lapses in judgment and a departure from the University's expectation of honest and ethical behavior."

BREAKING: The University of Arizona announces a self imposed one-year postseason ban for @APlayersProgram pic.twitter.com/8Q74It25Fz

— Mac Colson (@MacColsonTV) December 29, 2020

The Athletic's Seth Davis reported in October the NCAA provided Arizona with a formal notice of allegations regarding nine possible violations, five of which were of the highest level (Level I). Sean Miller was charged with a lack of head coach control, and women's swimming and diving coach Augie Busch received the same charge.

By the school's own admission, the postseason ban is basically an attempt to possibly head off a more serious punishment. Whether the strategy will work is another story.

Arizona, long defiant about NCAA investigation, announces a postseason ban. The question is: will it be enough? Odds are no

— Dana O'Neil (@DanaONeilWriter) December 29, 2020

Bruce Pascoe of the Arizona Daily Star noted the NCAA's Independent Accountability Review Process is looking into the matter and has the authority to levy "a non-appealable resolution."

The New York Post's Zach Braziller criticized the move for what he viewed as shielding Miller from further scrutiny:

Arizona wants everyone to believe Sean Miller had no idea what his longtime assistants were doing, like they went rogue. Laughable. https://t.co/jydeZyEmrH

— Zach Braziller (@NYPost_Brazille) December 29, 2020

Arizona was one of the biggest schools implicated in the FBI's investigation into corruption in college basketball.

Former Wildcats assistant Emanuel "Book" Richardson pleaded guilty to a felony count of conspiracy to commit bribery in January 2019. Richardson admitted to accepting money in order to direct Arizona players to specified financial advisers when they entered the professional ranks.

ESPN's Mark Schlabach reported in February 2018 the FBI had a wiretap in which Miller spoke to Christian Dawkins about funneling $100,000 to Deandre Ayton to ensure the star center would sign with the school.

In May 2019, prosecutors also shared a recording of a call between Richardson and Dawkins in which Richardson said Miller was paying Ayton $10,000 a month while he played for Arizona.

While unranked, Arizona looked to be on track for an NCAA tournament bid after winning seven of its first eight games. The Wildcats rank 51st in ESPN's College Basketball Power Index.

Stanford head coach Tara VanDerveer picked up the 1,099th victory of her career Tuesday, moving her ahead of Pat Summitt to become the all-time winningest coach in NCAA women's basketball.

The Cardinal beat Pacific 104-61 in Stockton, California, to help VanDerveer achieve history. 

The greatest.#TaraAtTheTop pic.twitter.com/SboiWxxElN

— Stanford WBB 🌲🏀 (@StanfordWBB) December 16, 2020

A trailblazer of the game. A legend. A winner.#TaraAtTheTop | #GoStanford pic.twitter.com/ltUqLrKebH

— Stanford WBB 🌲🏀 (@StanfordWBB) December 16, 2020

She had tied Summitt with Stanford's 83-38 victory over California on Sunday.

"We were great friends," VanDerveer told reporters of her relationship with the legendary Tennessee coach, who died in 2016. "I learned a lot from coaching against Pat. I coached a lot of Pat's players internationally. ... I learned how much her players loved playing for her. As a coach, I think that's all of our goals: To be like Pat is to be a coach where your players really love playing for you."

The 67-year-old got her start at Idaho ahead of the 1978-79 season and moved on to Ohio State after two years. The Buckeyes went 28-3 and reached the Elite Eight during the 1984-85 season, after which she took the Stanford job.

She has remained with the Cardinal ever since, with her only break coming when she took charge of the United States national team ahead of the 1996 Summer Olympics. Team USA captured gold, cruising past Brazil in the final.

A testament to the foundation VanDerveer had laid, Stanford still made the Final Four in 1995-96 while she was away from the team.

To say the Cardinal have been a women's basketball powerhouse would be an understatement. Their two national titles undersell how consistent they've been under VanDerveer's watch. Stanford hasn't missed the NCAA tournament since 1987, advancing to the Final Four on 13 occasions.

The program isn't slowing down, which can occasionally happen as coaches spend more than three decades in the same place. Sometimes things grow stale as an older coach fails to connect with younger players in the same way, or they struggle to keep up with how the game changes.

Warriors coach Steve Kerr with some thoughtful remarks about Hall of Fame @StanfordWBB coach Tara VanDerveer, poised to pass the late Pat Summitt as all-time winningest women’s basketball coach tomorrow night when the No. 1 Cardinal play at Pacific. pic.twitter.com/TLoBZBTTBx

— Janie McCauley (@JanieMcCAP) December 14, 2020

Stanford sits No. 1 in the Associated Press' Top 25 poll. A 2019 recruiting class that featured Haley Jones, Ashten Prechtel, Fran Belibi and Hannah Jump is starting to deliver significant returns. 

The Cardinal also landed Cameron Brink, the No. 3 player in HoopGurlz's 2020 rankings while signing Brooke Demetre (No. 11) and Okikiola Iriafen (No. 19) for 2021.

Geno Auriemma is hot on VanDerveer's heels with 1,092 wins and may eventually overtake her for the all-time record. But VanDerveer looks set to enjoy the record for a little while, with Stanford poised to maintain its place among the women's college basketball elite.

The Pac-12 has voted to begin its men's and women's college basketball seasons on Nov. 25, the conference announced Thursday. 

This will match the rest of the country after the NCAA Division I Council voted earlier this month to begin the 2020-21 season on that date. 

In August, the Pac-12 had postponed all sporting events through the end of the calendar year as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the league voted Thursday to begin the college football season on Nov. 6 with a seven-game conference season, per Kyle Bonagura and Heather Dinich of ESPN.

The college basketball season will begin later in the month, although no fans will be allowed to attend games until at least January 2021.

The Pac-12 had previously cited information from the league's Medical Advisory Committee on making the decision to postpone events, but the group put out revised recommendations last week based on new developments around the country and within the league.

Among those developments are the conference's partnership with Quidel to provide rapid-results COVID-19 testing to student-athletes in close-contact sports and member schools' ability to conduct cardiac testing and monitoring on student-athletes who have had COVID-19.

Commissioner Larry Scott noted the path that led to the change:

"From the beginning of this crisis, our focus has been on following the science, data and counsel of our public health and infectious disease experts. Our agreement with Quidel to provide daily rapid-results testing has been a game-changer in enabling us to move forward with confidence that we can create a safe environment for our student-athletes while giving them the opportunity to pursue their dreams. At the same time, we will continue to monitor health conditions and data and be ready to adjust as required in the name of the health of all."

The league will now start on time for the basketball season after significant uncertainty over the past few weeks.

As Matt Norlander of CBS Sports noted, the Pac-12 was a "huge barrier" for everyone else putting together non-conference schedules and multi-team events such as preseason tournaments.

The league has several exciting teams once play actually begins, especially after some key players decided to return to school instead of entering the NBA draft like Remy Martin (Arizona State) and Chris Smith (UCLA). The Sun Devils and Bruins should be top to climb up national rankings this season as well as Oregon, Arizona, Stanford and others.

Highly touted small forward Harrison Ingram announced his commitment to Stanford on Friday:

Breaking: Harrison Ingram (@Harrisoniingram), ESPN's No. 16-ranked player in the class of '21, has announced his commitment to @StanfordMBB, per @PaulBiancardi.

(🎥:: @BrightCreates | 🎨: @TiptonEdits) pic.twitter.com/x4tQOTr8ZE

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) September 18, 2020

Ingram is fourth at his position and 11th overall nationally in 247Sports' composite rankings for 2021. The Dallas native is also the best recruit in the state of Texas.

On Aug. 1, he had narrowed his finalists to six schools: Harvard, Howard, Michigan, North Carolina, Purdue and Stanford.

Final 6👑 pic.twitter.com/knDisCktjA

— Harrison (@Harrisoniingram) August 1, 2020

247Sports' Brian Snow compared Ingram to former UCLA star and Memphis Grizzlies forward Kyle Anderson:

"On the court he is kind of a point forward who uses savvy, skill and intelligence to dominate games. Ingram can play on the ball or off of it, knows how to create space for himself by changing speeds, and is one of the better passers in the class. Also, despite not being a fantastic athlete, Ingram is a very solid rebounder, and competes on the defensive end. His elite IQ and skill make him one of the best prospects in the class, and someone who will exceed his physical tools as a player and producer."

Ingram helped guide St. Mark's to a Southwest Preparatory boys' basketball championship in February, dropping 14 points in an 85-57 victory over Houston Christian.

5⃣⭐️ 2021 wing Harrison Ingram led @SMTXbasketball to a SPC State Championship and picked up an offer from @UNC_Basketball 🏆 @Harrisoniingram pic.twitter.com/QWbdAgKdKZ

— BallerTV (@BallerTV) February 20, 2020

His profile rose significantly last summer when he and Team YGC36 toppled reigning champion Compton Magic Elite in the Adidas Gauntlet Finale. Team YGC36 was also crowned the 16U division champs after defeating the Atlanta Celtics.

While Ingram was bound to have plenty of prominent coaches knocking on his door, on-court reputation wasn't going to be his sole consideration during the recruitment process.

Snow noted he has a 4.0 GPA, and The Undefeated's William C. Rhoden profiled the Ingram family for a piece in December 2017 that laid out how Ingram's father, Tyrous, was concerned with more than just basketball.

Will Ingram, Harrison's older brother, plays basketball at Middlebury College, a Division III school in Vermont.

"Will went Division III," Tyrous said. "He is doing well academically and looking at a summer internship. He will go on to work on Wall Street, will get an MBA and make a lot of money, hopefully."

Tyrous expressed reservations about Harrison playing for a Division I power because his academic career might take a back seat.

Ingram's potential is impossible to ignore, though. While an NBA career is almost never a guarantee for a player just hitting the college level, it's certainly a feasible goal for Ingram down the line.

Ingram and his family can cross that bridge when it comes. In the immediate future, he's likely to assume a starring role for the Cardinal in 2021-22.

The Mike Montgomery era feels like a lifetime ago.

Stanford made 10 straight NCAA tournament appearances before Montgomery moved on to coach the Golden State Warriors in 2004. Since then, the Cardinal have made just four trips to the Big Dance.

Stanford head coach Jerod Haase might have things trending in the right direction. The Cardinal won 20 games in 2019-20 and assembled the Pac-12's third-best recruiting class in 2020, per 247Sports.

The school's academic record likely played a role in Ingram's decision, but his commitment is a strong endorsement of Haase as well.