ANAHEIM, Calif. — At the dawn of the men’s college basketball season, the Pacific-12 was considered in many circles to be the sport’s premier conference. And despite legions of doubters east of its time zone, the league entered the N.C.A.A. tournament with seven invitees and a No. 2 ranking in the respected rating percentage index, or R.P.I.
One by one, though, Pac-12 teams have fallen, leaving Oregon as the conference’s last remaining representative in the tournament.
By thrashing Duke, 82-68, in a West Regional semifinal on Thursday night, Oregon stands one victory from ending a dry spell of more than 75 years since a visit to the Final Four.