ANAHEIM, Calif. — At the dawn of the men’s college basketball season, the Pacific12 Conference was considered in many circles as the nation’s premier conference. Despite the 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 (RPI).
One by one, teams from the conference have fallen. Oregon was left alone to represent the Pacific-12 Conference following the early ouster of the conference’s other teams. The conference’s flagship program, U.C.L.A., did not even qualify.
By thrashing Duke, 82-68, on Thursday night in a semifinal of the West Regional, Oregon stands one victory from ending a dry spell between visits to the Final Four spanning more than 75 years.