College Hoops Video

Midway through the NCAA season it has become painfully clear that one supposed major conference is going through a massive down spell and could end up with just the conference champion going to the tournament in March.

That conference, it will pain anyone on the West Coast to hear, is the Pac-10, which has been called some nasty names this season and looks about as confused as a Democrat supporter in Massachusetts.

Not a single team has lost less than two games in divisional play and California’s reasonable 13-6 record is the best around, while not a single team found its way into the top 25 for the week ending January 18.

Even worse? Not a single Pac-10 team even received a single vote in the AP poll as the likes of Harvard and William & Mary gleaned more interest than programs that have clearly under-performed badly.

Cal managed one vote in the USA Today poll, and as it stands would probably be the best team in the division, which makes sense given their record coming into conference play but not on performances since.

With consideration to basketball predictions, the loss at home to UCLA was a disappointment, the hiding at Washington more of an embarrassment, but at least with Jerome Randle playing well they managed to beat both Oregon teams despite struggling against the Ducks last Saturday.

But now comes the acid test, especially if there is only to be one Pac-10 team at the tournament – a run of four games on the road – Arizona State, Arizona, USC and UCLA over the next two weeks. A 3-1 record and the Bears will be on their way, but is that going to happen given the confusing nature of this shocking division?

The Pac-10 is a confusing mess that’s for sure. And it’s hard to see where the future is for these storied schools because the finesse and skill is sadly lacking outside of Washington State’s Klay Thompson, who according to some basketball tips could be on his way to the NBA in the summer.

A couple of weeks into the NCAA hoops season and it is a surprise name at the top of the scoring rankings in Washington State’s sophomore guard Klay Thompson, a player who has more than doubled his points output in his second season.

Although many expected the Cougars to be a decent team this season, most were looking to Reggie Moore and DeAngelo Casto to provide the points on a consistent basis, leaving Thompson’s outburst as something of a shock.

Washington State has yet to play anyone particularly special in the early going, but that changes this week with road games against ranked Gonzaga and also a Kansas State side which recently beat then No 18 Dayton on the road as well.

By the end of the week we should know just how good Thompson might be, although if you ask any of the San Diego Toreros he played against in the final of the Great Alaska Shootout on Saturday, you’ll probably just get a series of expletives

Thompson went off for a career high 43 points, hitting 16-of-24 shots and connecting on eight shots from beyond the arc. He is shooting a quite ridiculous (and improbable) 56.3% from the floor as well as providing decent rebound numbers and adding in a couple of steals per game as well.

His 28.3 points per game sees him head off Arkansas’ Rotnei Clarke and Houston’s Aubrey Coleman at the top of the scoring charts with only Luke Harangody of Notre Dame representing the players who had been expected to be at the top of the standings making his way into the top 10.

The performances were also enough for him to be named Pac-10 player of the week for the second week running, only the 17^th player in history to manage that feat. Can he keep it up? Well if he does Cougar fans are going to enjoy a really successful season and end it with a berth in the NCAA Championship – perhaps with basketball betting backing them to go into the deeper stages.

By Andy Charles – A professional sports writer who blogs about College Basketball and NBA Predictions .

2009 UCLA Bruins Basketball Schedule

11/04/09      vs. Concordia (Calif.)      Pauley Pavilion      7:30 p.m. PT
11/10/09      vs. Humboldt St.     Pauley Pavilion     7:30 p.m. PT
11/16/09      vs. Cal State Fullerton     Pauley Pavilion     9:00 p.m. PT
11/20/09      vs. Cal State Bakersfield     Pauley Pavilion     7:30 p.m. PT
11/23/09      vs. Pepperdine     Pauley Pavilion     8:00 p.m. PT

76 Classic
11/26/09     vs. Portland     Anaheim Convention Center     8:00 p.m. PT
11/27/09     Butler/Minnesota Anaheim Convention Center     TBA
11/29/09     TBD     Anaheim Convention Center     TBA

Pac-10/Big 12 Hardwood Series
12/06/09     vs. Kansas Pauley Pavilion     2:30 p.m. PT

John R. Wooden Classic
12/12/09     vs. Mississippi State Honda Center     1:30 p.m. PT
12/15/09     vs. New Mexico State     Pauley Pavilion     7:30 p.m. PT
12/19/09     at  Notre Dame Joyce Center     2:00 p.m. ET
12/22/09     vs. Colorado State     Pauley Pavilion     7:30 p.m. PT
12/27/09     vs. Delaware State     Pauley Pavilion     1:00 p.m. PT
12/31/09     vs. Arizona State     Pauley Pavilion     1:30 p.m. PT

2010 UCLA Bruins Basketball Schedule
01/02/10     vs. Arizona     Pauley Pavilion     10:00 a.m. PT
01/06/10     at California Haas Pavilion     7:30 p.m. PT
01/09/10     at Stanford     Maples Pavilion     3:00 p.m. PT
01/16/10     vs. USC     Pauley Pavilion     4:30 p.m. PT
01/21/10     vs. Washington Pauley Pavilion     7:30 p.m. PT
01/23/10     vs. Washington State     Pauley Pavilion     1:00 p.m. PT
01/28/10     at Oregon     McArthur Court     7:30 p.m. PT
01/30/10     at Oregon State     Gill Coliseum     4:30 p.m. PT
02/04/10     vs. Stanford     Pauley Pavilion     7:30 p.m. PT
02/06/10     vs. California     Pauley Pavilion     1:00 p.m. PT
02/14/10     at USC     Galen Center     7:00 p.m. PT
02/18/10     at Washington State     Friel Court     5:30 p.m. PT
02/20/10     at Washington Bank of America Arena     6:00 p.m. PT
02/25/10     vs. Oregon State     Pauley Pavilion     8:00 p.m. PT
02/27/10     vs. Oregon     Pauley Pavilion     2:00 p.m. PT
03/04/10     at Arizona     McKale Center     6:30 p.m. MT
03/06/10     at Arizona State     Wells Fargo Arena     TBA

2010 Pac-10 Tournament

03/10/10     Pac-10 First Round     Staples Center     TBA
03/11/10     Pac-10 Quarterfinals     Staples Center     TBA
03/12/10     Pac-10 Semifinals     Staples Center     TBA
03/13/10     Pac-10 Finals     Staples Center     TBA