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Whenever a team can start and finish conference play at home, it’s a bonus.
The Arizona Wildcats’ basketball team is given that opportunity in the Pac-12 with the 2014-15 schedule that was released yesterday.
Other positives for the Arizona Wildcats:
— They play at the Oregon schools in the second week of the conference season instead of later in the year. Oregon, with its roster dismantled because of off-the-court issues, figures to have a slow start under Dana Altman. The Beavers, with new coach Wayne Tinkle, will also take a while to come together. In a scheduling quirk, the Ducks and Beavers travel to Tucson only three weeks later by Feb. 1.
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— Arizona plays four of its last six games at home, including games against UCLA, USC, California and Stanford. The Wildcats play the Oregon schools and ASU twice before facing the Washington schools (on the road this year) and the L.A. schools for the first time. Things go back to normal in 2015-16 with the Wildcats having a home-and-home schedule with the rival Bruins again. The Wildcats do not travel to Pauley Pavilion in 2014-15 for the first time since the Pac-10 was formed in 1978-79. That’s a shame.
Potential obstacle for Arizona:
— The trip to Colorado and Utah in the second-to-last weekend will be a bear. With the departure of talent at UCLA and Oregon, Utah figures to be a prime challenger for Arizona for the Pac-12 title with Jordan Loveridge, Delon Wright, Brandon Taylor and Dakari Tucker coming back. The Utes were practically unbeatable at home last year. They aim to win every game in Salt Lake City in 2014-15 and win more on the road. Colorado lost Spencer Dinwiddie to the NBA but Tad Boyle is one of the league’s best coaches and he returns a nucleus of Askia Booker, Josh Scott and Public Enemy No. 1 — or at least Wildcat Fans Enemy No. 1 — Xavier Johnson.
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How a team ends the regular season is not always a defining factor heading into the Pac-12 tournament. UCLA lost at lowly Washington State to end the regular season in 2013-14 and won the Pac-12 tournament title over Arizona.
Having four out of the last six games at McKale Center, however, should benefit Sean Miller and the Wildcats over a longer stretch.
Exact dates, as well as times and television designations for the Pac-12 games, are tentatively set to be announced in early September. The conference only released yesterday the matchups for the weeks starting Jan. 2-4 and ending March 4-7.
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ARIZONA’S 2014-15 HOOPS SCHEDULE
Nov. 9 CAL POLY POMONA (exhibition)
Nov. 14 MOUNT ST. MARY’S
Nov. 16 CAL STATE NORTHRIDGE (Maui Invitational opening game)
Nov. 19 UC IRVINE
Nov. 24-26 at Maui Invitational, Lahaina, Hawaii (fixed bracket TBA, three games, participating teams: Arizona, BYU, Chaminade, Kansas State, Missouri, Pittsburgh, Purdue and San Diego State)
Dec. 2 GARDNER-WEBB
Dec. 6 GONZAGA
Dec. 9 UTAH VALLEY
Dec. 13 MICHIGAN
Dec. 16 OAKLAND
Dec. 19 at UTEP
Dec. 23 at UNLV
Dec. 29-Jan. 4 ASU
Jan. 5-11 at Oregon, at Oregon State
Jan. 12-18 COLORADO, UTAH
Jan. 19-25 at California, at Stanford
Jan. 26-Feb. 1 OSU, OREGON
Feb. 2-8 at ASU
Feb. 9-15 at Washington, at WSU
Feb. 16-22 USC, UCLA
Feb. 23-Mar. 1 at Utah, at Colorado
Mar. 2-9 STANFORD, CALIFORNIA
ALLSPORTSTUCSON.com publisher, writer and editor Javier Morales is a former Arizona Press Club award winner. He also writes articles for Bleacher Report and Lindy’s College Sports.
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