Every portion of a Cal basketball season has its virtues. The non-conference season has the excitement of discovery and the sheer novelty of the return of basketball to your daily life. The post-season has the sheer thrill/terror of the single elimination format, and the suffocating pressure of attention as the entirety of the fan base narrows its focus to one game.
But the 18 games of Pac-12 play is what I live for. The ebb and flow as teams pick up home sweeps and try to claw for road wins. The brief sigh of relief when you see that Washington State is next on the schedule, only to be seized by the awful thought of a potential loss.