Today is National Walkout Day, when students across the country are leaving class to remember the loss of 17 students at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High. It's a good time to note that Diane Douglas, our Superintendent of Public Instruction, is fine with the idea of teachers carrying guns in schools. More than fine, actually. She thinks teachers packing heat is just like having armed guards protecting banks. "Banks have security to keep our money safe," she said. "I think we should keep our children equally safe."

Douglas is standing ankle deep in the NRA Tar Pit. It might not be the best place for an educator facing an election to be stuck right now. The #NeverAgain and #VoteThemOut movements could help rid us of education's gun-crazy dinosaurs come November.

Douglas promoted arming teachers on the Bill Buckmaster show two weeks ago, but no one picked up on it, myself included, until Monday when the AZ Republic ran a story. After reading the article, I went back to the February 28 Buckmaster Show and listened myself.

Douglas used the bank-school comparison twice; she clearly came to the show prepared with the analogy and liked the way it sounded. And she went further, stating that Arizona law already allows teachers to be armed, citing Arizona Revised Statute 15-341 A23. She really loves ARS 15-341. She made sure to repeat the statute number three times so no one would miss her point.

The problem is, Douglas' interpretation of the statute is questionable.

ARS 15-341 states governing boards may

"prescribe and enforce policies and procedures that prohibit a person from carrying or possessing a weapon on school grounds unless the person is a peace officer or has obtained specific authorization from the school administrator."

According to the Republic article, Heidi Vega, spokeswoman for the Arizona School Boards Association, believes the language refers to someone like a police officer giving a talk in a classroom. I think the ASBA interpretation is correct, based on a close reading of the passage.

SXSW is an all-you-can-hear sonic buffet—and as with any buffet, you might try something only to realize you don't really have an appetite for it. So it was tonight, as I bounced from a club featuring a droning band with sad songs that lacked the crucial "rock" ingredient of rock ’n’ roll to Empire Garage's outdoor venue, where Austin's own Big By's Big Brass Brand helped cleanse my audio palette. Inside the Empire Control Room, Austin's Vapor Caves were doing a mellow electronic thing that was worth a nibble. But across the street, at Barracuda Backyard, the Wedding Present—all the way from Leeds, England—finally got my SX party started with an in-your-face set of screeching guitar, pounding drums and feedback that soaked the packed crowd in sweaty rock ’n’ roll. After giving up on getting in to see Lukas Nelson (Willie's kid!) and Nathaniel Rateliff at a Pandora showcase, I wandered through the Sixth Street crowds to BD Riley's to see Belle Adair, an Arkansas band that recorded the recently released Tuscumbia at Mussel Shoals' legendary FAME studios with the help of Wilco engineer/producer Tom Schick. After that set of rough-edged Americana, I stuck around for a set from Thunderpussy, who showed that girls can rock just as hard as boys. It was well past midnight so I split before the end of the set, but when I popped into the convenience mart across the street for a few provisions, it felt like the whole store was reverberating from Thunderpussy's licks. Those girls bring the noise.

For those of you who can't get to Austin this year: You can still enjoy a dynamite sampler of 100 of the best bands here. NPR Music has once again assembled The Austin 100. Check it out and/or download it here.

The most wonderful weekend of the sports calendar tips off Thursday, when dozens of teams will start their three-week odyssey to win college basketball’s ultimate prize.

The teams, taking part in the annual tradition colloquially known as March Madness, will engage in all-out war for 40 minutes, with one side breathing a sigh of relief as the other weeps at a premature end of their season.

The event, which brings in an eye-popping $10 billion in sports wagers (only $3 billion of which is done legally), features a myriad of storylines, too many to count.

For the hometown Wildcats of Arizona, there’s any number of options, from the team’s run-ins with the FBI, to the health of players like Rawle Alkins and the issues that arise from trying to prepare for an unfamiliar foe in 72 hours.

The Wildcats’ quest to snap the program’s well-known 17 year Final Four drought begins at 6:40 p.m. local time Thursday in far-flung Boise.

Raging Bulls

Their quest as the fourth seed in the tournament’s South Region starts with The University of Buffalo Bulls, winners of the Mid-American Conference.

The Bulls, who are 26-8 this season, feature a high-powered offense that scores 84.8 points per game, good for eighth overall in the nation.

They feature a cast of blue-collar, experienced players, with a six-man rotation that features four juniors, one senior and one sophomore.

Four Bulls average more than 10 points per game, led by junior guard CJ Massinburg, who averages an eye-popping 7.4 rebounds per game.

That stat is all the more incredible when you realize that Massinburg is all of 6-foot-3-inches tall and 194 pounds.

Massinburg, who hails from the Dallas, Texas area originally, is the driving force and heartbeat for Coach Nate Oats’ squad—dictating the pace of both the team’s offensive and defensive schemes.

It all comes down to numbers, but the most important numbers in the state audit of Tucson Unified School District revolve around its shrinking enrollment. If the district's student enrollment numbers stabilize—or, better, increase—the problems with spending, which are significant but not major, can be eased without great difficulty. If the district can't reverse its enrollment slide, other fixes aren't going to matter much.

I'll go over the main points of the audit. If you want to go to the source, here's the entire TUSD state audit, and here are the report highlights. Hank Stephenson's article in the Star does his usual good job covering the issue, though, damn it . . .

[WARNING: Rant Ahead.] I am really tired of the Star's standard "If TUSD bleeds, it leads" headline and opening. The audit and the Star both present a nuanced analysis of district's spending issues, giving valid reasons for some of the expenditures, but you wouldn't know that from the paper's head and the first 70 words. The headline: "Audit slaps TUSD on high costs for administrators, underused schools." "Slaps." That stings. All that's missing are three big red exclamation points to hammer the point home. Next comes the one-two punch of the opening paragraphs reinforcing the "TUSD: Bad!" theme. After that, the article adds nuance, but by then the initial district damning has already set the tone, adding unnecessarily to the community's negative perceptions of the district. [Rant completed. We will continue with the previously scheduled topic.]

Tucson Unified's enrollment has been declining for years, from about 61,000 students in 2000 to around 45,000 currently. The enrollment drop has slowed in recent years, but it hasn't stopped. The result is underused schools, which means higher building costs and more school-based administrators per student than if the schools were at capacity. If enrollments continue to decline, it's going to be hard to resist another round of school closures, which will accelerate the downward spiral. If enrollment numbers rise, other problems will diminish.

Superintendent Trujillo has told me reversing the district's downward enrollment trend is high on his list of priorities. This is his first year at the helm, so it will take time to see what kind of changes he has in mind.

Hi! I’m Saban!

I am a 7-month-old boy who is excited to meet my fur-ever family! I came to HSSA from another shelter so they don’t know much my past. They do know that I am a very playful boy who enjoys my daily walks at HSSA. I love treats and the Behavior Programs Supervisor said I would make a great agility dog! I am looking for an active family that can give me the attention I crave.

I would do best in a home with kids over 12 years of age and with dogs that are similar in size. Bring your family, including dogs, to meet me at HSSA Main Campus at 3450 N. Kelvin Blvd. Have questions? Give an adoptions counselor a call at 520-327-6088, ext. 173. Make sure to ask an adoptions counselor about my special adoption fee, sponsored in part by PetSmart Charities.

See you soon,
Saban (521336)

The group of teens gathered in a science class room at Tucson High are not there to talk biology. They’re talking about how fear of being shot is hindering their studies.

“We want regulations on guns,” said Tucson High junior Vivian Reynoso, president of school’s Human Rights Club. “We want to not be afraid to come to school and worry that someone is going to come in with a gun and shoot us.”

Perhaps living in a time when school shootings are no longer shocking has matured these teens. Like many students who endured the Feb. 14 school shooting in Florida, they are having no problem articulating what they want.

Some want stricter gun regulations. They all want the government to take clear action that sees results. They will all be sharing their ideas of what that action looks like at the March 24 rally, March for Our Lives.

“We’re fighting for this, and this is what we want,” Reynoso said. “We’re gonna keep fighting until they give it to us.”

March for Our Lives—a nationwide rally for better gun regulation and school safety measures—was started by student survivors of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas shooting, after 17 people were killed by a former student with a legally-purchased AR-15.

The central march is in Washington D.C., and could be the biggest march, nationwide, since the Women’s March, with close to 600 cities signed up at marchforourlives.com.

Press filled the Tucson High classroom, on Friday afternoon, where about 30 teens from a number of local high schools, including Flowing Wells, Catalina Foothills, University High, Marana High, City High and Tucson High, candidly faced the media’s cameras and spoke of their experience, growing up dealing with gun violence in schools.

“Our safety in school should be the number one concern because no parent should ever have to let their kid go to school and not have their kid come back home,” said Marana High School student Eric Brown. “It shouldn’t be on our minds to be afraid to be in school. Our number one priority is our education—that’s why we’re in school.”

University High sophomore Sharmila Dey said after the Florida shooting, her teachers gave the class a talk about what to do in the event of a school shooting.

Your Weekly guide to keeping busy in the Old Pueblo.

Music

Old Time Rock n’ Roll Dance Party with Heartbeat. Don’t you just love that old time rock n’ roll? That kind of music just… soothes the soul. At least that’s what some people say. At this musical revue, the front seating section will be cleared out, so that you can dance the night away, or feel free to sit back and enjoy the music. Or you could sit back with some food and drink from the kitchen until you’ve had enough to drink that you want to go up and dance to some classic oldies. 7 p.m. Friday, March 9. Gaslight Music Hall, 13005 N. Oracle Road. $12.50 GA.

Remembering Mr. Sinatra. You’ve definitely heard of Frank Sinatra, but you may also may have heard of Julie Budd, who often performed as one of Ol’ Blue Eyes’ supporting acts at Caesars Palace. OR maybe you saw the oft-compared-to-Barbara-Streisand vocalist star in the 1981 film The Devil and Max Devlin. Whether you’ve heard of her or not, though, you won’t want to miss this chance to hear her pay tribute to Frank Sinatra himself at this Invisible Theatre-hosted show. 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 10 and 3 p.m. on Sunday, March 11. Berger Performing Arts Center, 1200 W. Speedway. $42.

Arizona Friends of Chamber Music Festival. If you missed the first few days of this symphonic spectacular, fear not! You’ve still got two more chances to see performances by Celino Romero, Bernadette Harvey, Romie de Guise-Langlois, Yura Lee, the Morgenstern Trio, the Dover Quartet and the Romero Guitar Quartet. And they’ll be playing the likes of Vivaldi’s Guitar Concerto in D, Ravel’s Violin Sonata No. 2 and Stravinsky’s Suite from L’Histoire du Soldat. Friday, March 9 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, March 11 at 3 p.m. Leo Rich Theater, 260 S. Church Ave. $30 each day.

Women Rock. Well duh, women rock. But some women, like Carole King, Tina Turner and Janis Joplin are actual rock ’n’ roll icons. Celebrate these babes at this event, which features the Tucson Symphony, a cast of singers, and hits that you’re definitely going to be singing along to, like “Proud Mary,” “Love is a Battlefield” and “You’re So Vain.” 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 10 and 2 p.m. on Sunday, March 11. Tucson Music Hall, 260 S. Church Ave. $15 to $77+.

Catalina Organ Festival. The next organ festival event features David Enlow, who’s not only the organist and choir master at the Church of Resurrection in New York, but a member of the organ faculty at the Juilliard School, which sounds like a pretty big deal even if you don’t know anything about organ virtuosity. He’s also the dean of the American Guild of Organist’s New York City Chapter. He’ll be playing the works of Bach, Franck, Dvorak and Debussy, along with some improvisations of his own, which are no-doubt pretty mind-blowing. 7 p.m. Friday, March 9. Catalina United Methodist Church, 2700 E. Speedway Blvd. $20 online and $25 at the door.

Theater

Abeyance: A State of Temporary Disuse or Suspension. Everybody loves spending time in a waiting room. Everyone especially loves spending time in the waiting room before you head in for a job interview, where you get sweatier and sweatier as the nerves build and the prospect of being jobless forever stares you right in the face. It’s terrible when you’re going through it, but it turns out it’s hilarious to watch someone else go through it, like Tyler West does in this one-man show about a very broke man waiting for the interview of his life. Let’s just be glad it’s not just this time and have some hearty laughs at his (character’s) expense. 10:30 p.m. on Friday, March 9 and Saturday, March 10. Live Theatre Workshop, 5317 E. Speedway Blvd. $10.

In 1969, at the ripe young age of 17, I first head The Chieftains. It was their second album and the tune was called “Banish Misfortune.” Until then, my general concept of Irish music was Bing Crosby singing “McNamara’s Band.” I had never heard an Irish Uilleann (elbow) pipe or a or a bodhrán drum or even a penny whistle. It blew my mind much more significantly than the various recreational drugs I was experimenting with at the time, and it endeared me to Irish cultural tradition as an indescribable enrichment in my life. Their recent performance at the Fox Theatre has not diminished my esteem for their incredible talents or their infectious inclusivity in all they do.

Their 56th Anniversary tour reveals many ol' members who have passed on, including some of Ireland’s stand-alone greatest traditional musicians, but they came to Tucson with three original members: leader Paddy Moloney, flutist Matt Molloy and singer/bodhrán player Kevin Conneff. They not only brought with them a treasure house of great young Celtic performers to share with us, but they seamlessly incorporated local artists with them on stage. I have seen them in many parts of the world and they always bring a surprisingly fresh offering each time.

Triona Marshall on harp proves to be an honorable replacement for the lovably wacky Derek Bell (Van Morrison’s one-time spiritual advisor and fellow Belfast man). Tara Breen on fiddle jolted us by jumping to her step-dancing feet (only later to play Irish music on a saxophone. Really, a sax?).  Jon Pilatzke (where’d ya get them bloomers, lad?) embarked on his own fiddle-frenzy before leaping into wild steps with his brother Nathan, along with more singing and dancing with Alyth McCormack and others. With the Chieftains it is wise to expect the unexpected.

Today teachers all over Arizona are wearing red to spotlight low teacher pay—and the shortage of teachers which is exactly what you'd expect in a state with some of the lowest salaries and largest class sizes in the country. Teachers are asking the rest of us to wear red in solidarity.

You know, red and black go really good together. Arizona can say yes to the demands of teachers wearing red and still keep the state budget in the black. How do we manage it? The first step is to make a commitment to increase the state budget so we can afford to fund schools, social programs and infrastructure adequately. The next step is to ask, "What's the best way to do it?"

We have plenty of options to choose from. Close tax loopholes for corporations and other special interests. Renew the Prop. 301 sales tax for education, with a penny added to the total. Stop the stupid, goddamn tax cuts for corporations and the wealthy. Increase taxes on the wealthiest among us so they pay their fair share.

I'm not suggesting which are the best ways to increase state revenue. That's the next step, after we agree to take the "red and black" challenge.

However, I do have two suggestions for things we need to do if we hope to add needed money to the state coffers. Give voters the opportunity to repeal Proposition 108 from 1992 which requires a two-thirds majority in the legislature to pass any new taxes. And vote out politicians who say "No new taxes, period."

Welcome to the most wonderful time of the year, ladies and gents, when the glitz and glamour of commercialism and college athletics collide, in a jumbled free-for-all with pride and postseason dreams on the line.

This smorgasbord of excess that I'm referring to is the month-long tradition of March Madness™—and the stomach-splitting drama that is the Pac-12 Tournament.

This year's Iliad will once again take place in the gilded palace that Phil Anschutz and greed built on The Strip, in Las Vegas' T-Mobile Arena.

There's no shortage of storylines in this year's tournament, from Arizona's year of FBI-and-internal-driven drama to UCLA's triumph over hubris (See, their China trip) and Utah's meteoric rise in the season's latter half.

The net result of this myriad of storylines is a wide-open conference tournament that anyone can win, and a week that's sure to feature equal parts debauchery off the court and delirious entertainment on it.

Without further adieu, here's my preview of this week's tournament in, as Bill Walton calls it, "The Conference of Champions."

Opening Round Games: (Wednesday)

Colorado vs. ASU/Stanford vs. Cal/Oregon vs. Washington State/Washington vs. Oregon State

Most of these games should be blowouts, with Stanford playing a mediocre Cal team and Oregon playing an overmatched Washington State squad.

The other two matchups, in Colorado-ASU and Washington-Oregon State more than make up for the dearth of entertainment, however.

In the former, we'll see the enigmatic bundle of neurosis and unrelenting cursing that is ASU Coach Bobby Hurley, whose team went from 12-0 and on top of the world in the non-conference season to 20-10 and on the verge of missing the NCAA Tournament some 67 days later.

The Devils, thanks to an offense that lives (and dies) at the three-point line, have gone from the sweethearts of the nation, with wins over top-10 teams like Xavier (in Vegas) and Kansas (in Lawrence).

It's hard to remember that the Devils, entering their conference opener in Tucson, were ranked third in the AP top-25, and on top of the basketball world.

They'll have to channel the style of play best characterized as organized chaos to advance past a pesky CU squad that features a three-headed offensive tour de force, in McKinley Wright IV, George King and Namon Wright.

Those three Buffs have combined to score 37.1 points per game this season, and will test ASU's defense all game long.

The Devis' fate on Wednesday will likely come down to the play of senior guards Tra Holder and Shannon Evans II—who looked unstoppable during the team's early season success, and unorganized during their late season slide.

Elsewhere, the matchup of Pac-12 Coach of the Year Mike Hopkins' Washington squad and Oregon State will be a sneaky good game to watch.

The Huskies, behind Hopkins' stifling matchup zone defense and do-it-all freshman guard Jaylen Nowell, who is averaging 16.2 PPG as a freshman, are on the verge of clinching a spot in the Big Dance.

It'd be huge for them to do so, as the Huskies haven't made it to the NCAA Tournament since 2011.

They'll need to find a way to contain an enigmatic, but explosive at times Oregon State squad, that features a core-four of Tres Tinkle, Drew Eubanks, Stephen Thompson Jr. and Ethan Thompson.

Those four players, who will likely power the Beavers in years to come, have looked downright dominant at times this season—averaging a combined 57.2 points per game this season.

Keep an eye on the Wednesday games, all of which will be shown on the Pac-12 Network, as they'll feature some spectacular action.

Quarterfinals (Thursday)

Arizona vs. ASU or Colorado/UCLA vs. Stanford or Cal/USC vs. Washington or Oregon State/Utah vs. Oregon or Washington State

Here's where the plot thickens like a set of arteries after a night at the all-you-can-eat buffet at the MGM.

There are so many possible storylines in this round of the tournament that it'd be nearly impossible to sum them all up in this space, but I'll do my best.

Arizona vs. Colorado or ASU

First, the potential rematch of Arizona vs. Colorado or ASU would be must-see television, given how the team fared against both opponents.

It's difficult to harken back to the 'Cats 80-77 loss at the hands of the Buffs in Boulder on Jan. 6, but it was one to forget.

That matchup, the first of four conference L's for Coach Sean Miller and company, saw the Wildcats fall behind by 20 points in the first half, and 16 at the half, before a furious comeback attempt that fell just short.

The Wildcats got a measure of revenge against Tad Boyle's team 19 days later—with an 80-71 win in Tucson over the Buffs, thanks to an unreal 22-for-23 effort at the free throw line.

The Wildcats' had a similarly-spectacular season series against their rivals in Tempe, winning both games—84-78 and 77-70.

The reason for Arizona's success in those games, which would be subsequently replicated, was hedging over on-ball screens, preventing the Devils' from having any uncontested three-pointers.

That tactic was especially successful against the Devils, given their lack of interior height (their center is 6-foot-10).

It's important to remember that teams generally step under screens, in fear of surrendering rebounds inside—which isn't much of a worry when you have two seven-foot starters, as Arizona does.

UCLA vs. Stanford

The other quarterfinal matchups present interesting storylines as well, with UCLA's shoot first and don't ask questions offense likely running into the defense-first buzzsaw that Jarod Haase's Stanford teams pride themselves on.

How will the Bruins slow down Stanford's two-man juggernaut of forward Reid Travis and guard Dorian Pickens, who average 19.6 and 14.7 points per game, respectively?

How will the Bruins' fare against the duo in their third matchup, after surrendering 18 and 11 points to Travis, and 26 and 16 points to Pickens in their two games this year.

It'll be interesting to see how the Bruins' look offensively, with first-team All-Conference guard Aaron Holiday scoring 31 and 21 points apiece against the Cardinal this season.

This could be the game of the day, with two teams in desperate need of deep runs in Vegas to have a realistic shot at making the 68-team NCAA Tournament.

Utah vs. Oregon

There's also the likely matchup of Utah, which enters the tournament having won six of its last seven games, and an underrated Oregon squad that's hitting its stride at the right time.

It'll be interesting to see if the Utes, who beat Oregon by 10, 66-56, in their lone meeting this season, can keep their recent mojo alive against Dana Altman's team.

One matchup to keep an eye on between the Utes and Ducks would be at guard, where Utah's 5-foot-8-inch wonder Justin Bibbins and three-point extraordinaire Payton Pritchard of Oregon will square off.

This matchup is interesting, not just because of the six-inch height differential, but also because the two are the lifeblood of their team's offenses.

It's no surprise that Pritchard had one of his worst games against the Utes, scoring 7 points on 2-for-10 shooting. Bibbins, meanwhile, was red-hot against the Ducks, scoring 19 points on 7-of-11 shots, the second of what would be 11-straight games scoring at least 10 points for Bibbins.

USC vs. Washington or Oregon State

I'm not even going to try to predict which team will win the first round fistfight that is OSU and Washington, so I'll just breakdown a potential matchup for each team.

For USC, it's been a season of lofty expectations (they were picked to finish second in the preseason conference poll), and inconsistent play.

The Trojans did, indeed, finish second in the conference, going 12-6, despite losing junior forward Bennie Boatwright going down for the season to a knee injury.

His injury, which derailed a promising junior season for the Mission Hills native, hasn't really slowed down the Trojans, going 3-1 since his injury against Oregon.

Their lone loss during that stretch was perhaps the most damaging, both résumé-and-psyche-wise, falling to crosstown rival UCLA, 83-72, on the Trojans' home court.

It'll be interesting to see how Andy Enfield's Trojans squad fares against either opponent, with a Washington squad that can force you into making dumb passes and taking bad shots.

The same goes for an Oregon State squad that drags you into a 40-minute rock fight with its brand of defense-first basketball.

Both teams have fared well on the defensive side of the ball, with OSU ranking second in the conference in points allowed (70.8), while Washington is first in steals per game (8.1).

It'll be interesting to see how the Trojans, who rank second in the Pac-12 in turnover margin, at +2.9, fare against either team come Thursday.

Semifinals (Friday)

[Likely Matchup] Arizona vs. UCLA (7 p.m., Fox Sports 1)

Here's where I put on my Nostradamus outfit and try my hand at predicting how things will fare in the Sin City.

I think that Arizona should be able to out-muscle Arizona State and/or Colorado, and don't see the Bruins stumbling against Stanford.

The two played in one of the best games of the conference season in their lone tilt this year, with UCLA knocking off Arizona, 82-74, at McKale—the Wildcats lone home loss this season.

That game saw UCLA make an unreal number of deep shots early, including Jaylen Hands' buzzer-beating three at the end of the first half.

The Bruins made 11 threes in total against the Wildcats, with all five of their starters scoring more than 10 points in the victory.

Arizona also had an uncharacteristically shaky performance from Ayton, who made 7-of-19 shots from the floor, feeding into the Bruins' surge in confidence.

The matchup of Ayton and Bruins' senior center Thomas Welsh will be fascinating, with the Redondo Beach native scoring 11 points while pulling down 8 rebounds in their win in Tucson.

It's always must-see basketball when Miller and UCLA Coach Steve Alford square off, and this matchup is no different.

Expect a dizzying spectacle of highlight reel dunks, face-melting threes and blown defensive assignments in this semifinal matchup.

[Likely Matchup] USC vs. Oregon (9:30 p.m., Fox Sports 1)

I'm going with chalk for much of this tournament, simply because I don't see the conference "elites" (Arizona, UCLA and USC) stumbling against inferior opponents.

That trend ends with the matchup of third-seed Utah and sixth-seeded Oregon, because I think its impossible for Altman's teams to fail in March.

The Ducks, who made it to the Final Four a year ago, have coalesced around a team-wide lust for three-pointers, making 281 this season, while also maximizing their trips to the charity stripe.

Altman's team leads the conference in free throw percentage, hitting 77.7% of them this season, 1.3% higher than the next closest team (Arizona).

The Trojans, meanwhile, have found success by being good (but not great) at most facets of the game—ranking in the top-five in a number of categories.

The Men of Troy rank first in assists, and top-five in points scored, points allowed, scoring margin, field goal percentage, three-point shooting, defensive rebounding and blocked shots.

Finals (Saturday)

[Likely Matchup] Arizona vs. Oregon (8 p.m., Fox Sports 1)

Like I said before, I'm not dumb enough to go against Altman in March. The Ducks might be the six-seed in Vegas, but have more than enough firepower to make it to Saturday's finale.

Oregon and Arizona played two memorable games this season, with Arizona beating the Ducks, 90-83, in Tucson. Oregon got revenge in Eugene, however, beating the Wildcats 98-93 in overtime.

The two have fast become one of the best rivalries west of the Mississippi, and should provide a spectacle equal to last year's 83-80 triumph in last year's title game, their first conference tournament crown since 2002.

Both teams should be fully healthy come Saturday, and that's extra reason to watch. Can the Wildcats' tower of power, in Dusan Ristic and Ayton, overcome the Ducks' speed and shooting touch? Can the Wildcats slow down the Ducks long enough to pull away with their second-consecutive title?

Tune in well after dark on Saturday night to find out. What happens in Vegas, on the basketball court, is sure to not stay there.