Good things usually happen when three or more Pac-12 teams make Sweet 16 in same year

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YEARS IN WHICH THREE OR MORE PAC-12 TEAMS MADE THE SWEET 16

1996-97
Arizona: National Championship
Cal: Sweet 16
Stanford: Sweet 16
UCLA: Elite Eight
Note: Utah made Elite Eight as part of the WAC

1997-98
Arizona: Elite Eight
Stanford: Final Four
UCLA: Sweet 16
Washington: Sweet 16
Note: Utah national championship runner-up as part of the WAC

2000-01
Arizona: National championship runner-up
Stanford: Elite Eight
UCLA: Sweet 16
USC: Elite Eight

2001-02
Arizona: Sweet 16
Oregon: Elite Eight
UCLA: Sweet 16

2006-07
Oregon: Elite Eight
UCLA: Final Four
USC: Sweet 16

2007-08
Stanford: Sweet 16
UCLA: Final Four
Washington State: Sweet 16

2013-14
Arizona: Elite Eight
Stanford: Sweet 16
UCLA: Sweet 16

2014-15
Arizona: To be determined
UCLA: To be determined
Utah: To be determined

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Site founder and award-winning sports journalist Javier Morales has published his first e-book, “The Highest Form of Living”, a fiction piece about a young man who overcomes a troubled upbringing without his lost father and wayward mother through basketball and hope. His hope is realized through the sport he loves. Basketball enables him to get past his fears. His experience on the court indirectly brings him closer to his parents in a unique, heartfelt way. Please order it at Amazon (for only $4.99) by clicking on the photo:

This year is the eighth time at least three Pac-12 teams have advanced to the Sweet 16 in the same NCAA tournament. Some data:

— Arizona won the national title in 1996-97 the first time that happened and also advanced to the title game in 2000-01. In both of those years and in 1997-98, four conference teams made the Sweet 16. Four teams advancing that far has not happened since 2000-01.

— Arizona has advanced to at least the Elite Eight five of those years.

— In five of the first seven times this has happened a conference team advanced to at least the Final Four.

— The conference’s best showing was in 2000-01 when three teams advanced to at least the Elite Eight (Arizona, UCLA and USC). Can that happen again this year?

— UCLA is the only constant in those eight times followed by Arizona (six) and Stanford (five).

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ALLSPORTSTUCSON.com publisher, writer and editor Javier Morales is a former Arizona Press Club award winner. He has also written articles for Bleacher Report and Lindy’s College Sports.