Two to go?

Arizona not only got a much needed win but did it impressively. Arizona inched closer to an NCAA Tournament bid thanks to a 10-point win over WSU. Now they have to close the deal.

Assuming .500 in Pac-10 play is enough, the Cats are two games away. You never want to pencil in a victory but it sure looks like Oregon State has quit. Let's just assume the win in Corvallis now they have to win one more.

First off is USC. A team Arizona handled in LA. Like Arizona, the Men of Troy are dinged up. They rely on young players and are up and down. The good news is that Arizona has confidence from their earlier win and Daniel Hackett is not supposed to play. The bad news is that the Wildcats are struggling to string consecutive important wins together and O.J. Mayo is really playing well.

We all assume a loss to UCLA but they are not unbeatable. They can be beaten. Washington did it. I know the Huskies beat the Wildcats, but Arizona is the better team. An upset would be tough, but it is senior day and it is a rivalry.

The Oregon trip seems to be the vital one. As mentioned above, Oregon State should be a win and Oregon is dangerously close to playing their way out of the NCAA tourney. If they continue to struggle will they have the will to battle? Will they put up the same fight that they will if the Ducks have something to play for?

We can't forget that there is also the Pac-10 Tournament. The league tournaments are not supposed to factor into things heavily but if a win or two in the Staples Center puts Arizona at 20 wins, that has to count?

What was nice to see was that Arizona did not fold mentally. The loss to Washington could have torn the team down, but it did not. They played a great game against a tough opponent. Now they need at least two more of those wins.