The Cougs are off tonight, but that certainly doesn't mean tonight is without interest for Coug fans -- as we established after last weekend, a lot of what happens tonight will affect where WSU is seeded in the Pac-10 Tournament. And I don't have to tell you that how we perform in that tournament will ultimately decide whether we play in the NCAA Tournament for the third consecutive year.
Here's a quick look at each game, and how you ought to root for maximum benefit for the Cougs. (By the way, I only marginally understand all the tiebreaking scenarios, so if you think I've got my info wrong below, let me know.)
Stanford at No. 21 Arizona State, 5:30 p.m. PST -- Go Devils! This one is pretty cut and dried. While ASU and Stanford won't factor into our seeding chances, we want ASU to win. Every win the Sun Devils pile up between now and the end of the season makes us look better and helps our RPI.
Where you can find the game: FSN AZ, Justin.tv
Cal at Arizona, 7:30 p.m. PST -- Go ... um ... not sure. If you think Pac-10 Tournament seeding is most important, then you root for Cal, given that we're neck-and-neck with the Wildcats in the standings. If you think improving our RPI is most important to boost our overall resume, then you root for Arizona, over whom we actually possess a win.
Where you can find the game: FSN, Justin.tv
Oregon at USC, 7:30 p.m. PST -- Go Oregon! Never thought I'd say that in my lifetime, but the Trojans are the one team we're battling with that holds the clear tiebreaker edge over us. A win by either the Ducks or Beavers over the Trojans would guarantee us a higher finish than USC. Additionally, a win by Oregon does help the RPI, however marginally.
Where you can find the game: Channelsurfing.net (just scroll down to find the game)
Oregon State at No. 20 UCLA, 7:30 p.m. PST -- Go Bruins! Not only does a win over Oregon State help our seeding chances, a win by UCLA helps the old RPI.
Where you can find the game: FCS (Comcast channel 415), DirecTV channel 694, Dish Network channel 408