Pac-Who? Zags and Wolf Pack Are the Best in the West

Can't really say there's a new sheriff in town.

Gonzaga and Nevada are just picking up where they left off last season.

• The Zags made it to the Sweet 16 again, and
• The Wolf Pack got there for the first time.

They're each a known quantity, they're loaded, and they're in March Madness mode already.

 

Dudes are getting tuned up for spring at the expense of Pac-12 favorites.

Washington was a surprise last season when it dawned on Mike Hopkins that Jim Boeheim was actually a zombie. The title coach-in-waiting at Syracuse had absolutely zero meaning, so dude took the 'Cuse zone, changed coasts, befuddled the Pac-12 with it, and became the conference coach of the year.

That zone stifled Kansas last season, and damn near got Gonzaga at the Kennel this week:

 

Not sure if Bill Walton dug deep on the term, but Spokane -- Gonzaga's home -- is the local native American tribe's word for children of the sun.

The point is, the Huskies had to post their game of the season to date to make this as close as the 81-79 final indicated. They won't have to do so to succeed in the Pac-12.

 

Gonzaga has turned itself into a force by looking every-damn-where for talent, which usually takes them overseas.

Nevada, on the other hand, mines the ever-expanding lode of graduate and other transfers.

Eric Musselman found a pair of iron men in the Martin twins -- Cody and Caleb -- who logged 37 and 39 minutes respectively in the Wolf Pack's 72-66 comeback victory over Pac-12 contender Arizona State:

 

Musselman can run a short bench, as evidenced by Jordan Caroline -- a Southern Illinois Saluki transfer -- putting in 37 minutes and ex-Portland Pilot Jazz Johnson chipping in 31 in a helluva sixth-man role.

 

As a matter of fact, yes.

The Zags arranged a killer non-con schedule, like they always do. With Killian Tillie still recovering from surgery, it's a gauntlet that makes an undefeated season improbable.

Nevada's put together a challenging non-con itinerary, too, but it's likely the Mountain West's travel logistics that will steel them for spring.

 

If nothing else, they'll show up mean at their road games.

Meanwhile, unless someone steps up more than they've shown so far, only the Pac-12's reputation will net them more than three Dance invitations.