It's probably fair to say that most people assumed we'd be at this point with #2 Cal facing #3 UCLA and #1 Stanford facing #4 Colorado in the 2013 Pac-12 tournament semifinals.
So now the question is whether either of the lower seeds in today's games can find a way to beat the higher seeds.
norcalnick of SB Nation's California Golden Blogs is not optimistic about UCLA's chances to pull off a seeding upset.
Markel Walker has been playing hurt for some time now, and the team just doesn't seem quite as dangerous as they did earlier in the year. The good news for Cal is that, no matter how they are playing at the moment, the Bruins (RPI 13) still represent a valuable resume win as they make the case for a #1 seed.
More importantly, UCLA is just a good match-up for Cal. The Bruins let the Bears run, they don't play pressure defense, they are turnover prone, and they don't pack the paint. It's not a surprise that Cal's most aesthetically awesome win came in Westwood.
Colorado might've been a tougher matchup for Cal as they lost two games to the Bears by a combined seven points and they're currently working on a 10-game winning streak of their own, as described by Matt Sparkman of SB Nation's Ralphie Report. But that's a moot point given the seeding: Colorado draws Stanford, which beat them by double digits in both meetings this season.
Colorado could conceivably force Stanford into turnovers and make it tough for Cardinal guards to get the ball to Ogwumike that's easier said than done.
And that's probably the bottom line for today's game: beating either of the top seeds has been easier said than done this season, which is why they're in the position they are to begin with.
For today's schedule and full tournament bracket, visit Pac-12.com. For more on analysis of the tournament, check out our Pac-12 tournament storystream.