Our second edition of the Players to Watch series brings us to the Pac-12 Conference, where all 12 teams arrived in Sin City with sights on the conference tournament crown.
While Arizona ran through the conference for much of the season, who needs to play well for them to continue their run into the heart of March?
Kaleb Tarczewski, Arizona: Arizona’s junior big man spent much of the season as an underwhelming member of UA’s supporting cast, taking a back seat to the likes of Brandon Ashley and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson. As of late, though, Tarczewski has stepped up his game and will be a key factor to watch going forward for the Wildcats.
Joseph Young, Oregon: The conference’s top scorer and Player of the Year has been everything and more for the Ducks this season. Can he keep up his high scoring ways and lead UO to wins over Utah (again) or Arizona for the first time? That will ultimately be the question here.
Jordan Loveridge, Utah: There’s no doubting that Loveridge has spent much of his time in Salt Lake City being one of the conference’s toughest match ups. This season, though, has become more and more of a disappointment for the talented junior. If Utah wants to regain their momentum from earlier this year, he’s the key.
Bryce Alford, UCLA: The much-maligned point guard, and coach’s son, has struggled with consistency this season in balancing his pursuit of his own offense versus his role as a creating point guard. If Alford can find that balance, UCLA has a chance to push Arizona in the Pac-12 semi-finals.
