Colorado's Spencer Dinwiddie drives past Georgia's Charles Mann on Dec. 28 in Boulder. The Buffs open Pac 12 play on Thursday when they host Oregon State"I think (the Pac Micah Hyde Jersey 12) is in a much better position than it was at this time last year," said Ernie Kent, the former head coach at Oregon and currently an analyst for the Pac 12 Network.

Three Pac 12 teams (No. 1 Arizona, No. 10 Oregon, No. 20 Colorado) are ranked among the Associated Press Top 25 this week, and UCLA has been receiving votes most of the years. Eight of the 12 teams were among the top http://www.nflshopauthenticonline.com/nike-haloti-ngata-jersey-c-1_53_56.html 65 in the Sagarin power ratings this week.

Kent said that having the No. 1 team in the country is a big deal for the Pac 12 because "you've got the focus back out on the West." It certainly helped Andrew Quarless Womens Jersey the Pac 12's reputation when Stanford went on the road to beat then No. 10 Connecticut.

A year ago, the Pac 12 made a big leap forward by Andrew Quarless Green Jersey sending five teams to the NCAA Tournament. The conference might be strong enough to top that number this year.

"As long as the right schools beat each other up, Micah Hyde Kids Jersey they come out of conference play in good shape, with potentially five teams, I think," Kent said, "and maybe depending on who that team is . there could be a sixth or seventh team sitting there."

Conference play gets underway on Thursday night, with 10 of the 12 teams in action. Like Kent, Colorado head coach Tad Boyle believes the conference has been every bit as good as advertised, which suggests a fun couple of months ahead.

Oregon's Joseph Young, left, drives past Morgan State's Blake Bozeman in Eugene, Ore., on Dec. 29."You look at the standings and you see Stanford in the middle of the pack; they're as talented a team as anybody in the league," Boyle said. "The way you judge packersnflofficial.com/Nike-Jamari-Lattimore-Jersey.html a league is not necessarily at the top of it. Every league's got good teams and good players at the top of it. It's the middle of the pack and the lower end."