Pac 12 Update

One cannot overstate the importance of UCLA's win over Arizona in regards to their tournament hopes and chances.  Lunardi's last stab at the bracket had the Bruins at number 7.  They are gunning for the 2 currently reserved for Arizona and by winning at the McKale Center, in a game they led throughout, and now having won 11 of their last 12, UCLA just may be able to pull that off.  UCLA sits at 16-4, 6-1, with only Oregon ahead of them in the conference standings.  They had to overcome a lot of turmoil early on and will get credit more for wins with their team humming than for losses from when they had to incorporate star freshman Shabazz Muhammad into the lineup.  Muhammad, meanwhile, has become the team's star and will be a high fantasy draft pick should the Bruins keep up their good play.  He averages 18.2 at the moment, but that number will continue to climb.  UCLA dearly needs forward Travis Wear to come back from a concussion suffered against Arizona as he is the team's third leading scorer and second leading rebounder.  Wear had entered the game on a roll too, averaging 16.7 points for the seven games leading into the Arizona game, in raising his season average to 12.2.
Arizona has plenty of time to make up for the loss, although the Cats are a full two games behind Oregon in the hunt for the regular season title.  Arizona does not play the Ducks again this season, so they will need help, but they are a team to scout because they can definitely do damage in March both in Las Vegas for the conference tourney and then in the NCAAs.  Sophomore guard Nick Johnson has had two big games in a row, scoring 23 versus UCLA and 19 against ASU, and should be able to raise his 13.3 average.
Dana Altman's Oregon Ducks have been under the radar this year but they have been playing great ball.  They have too much basketball yet to play but the team is in great shape being that they do not have to play either UCLA or Arizona the rest of the way, having already beaten both of those fine teams.  As for fantasy purposes, Oregon players will drop for two reasons.  One, again, they have been under the radar.  Secondly, they have five guys averaging in double figures but the current leading scorer is Damyean Dotson at 11.9, while number five is Dominic Artis at 10.2.  Wait those guys out and check to see if any player is hotter than the others before pulling the trigger on a Duck.