Bill Walton enjoying success of Pac-12’s four teams in Sweet 16

As the champion of the “Conference of Champions,” Bill Walton is having as good an NCAA Tournament as the Pac-12 itself.

The league makes up a stunning one-quarter of the Sweet 16 — no other conference has more than two teams remaining — after entering with so little respect nationally that its top-seeded entry was No. 5 Colorado.

Yet, the man who gave the league its champion nickname and never fails to preach Pac12 supremacy, dismissed the suggestion that he deserves credit this season for possessing a very prescient form of court vision.

“I’m not about recognition or credit or accolades,”walton said Thursday.“i’m a man of action. I love to work. I love my job. And I love seeing other people succeed.”

The difference now is that Walton was one of the few who foresaw the Pac-12 succeeding at this level. Of course, he’s always going to forecast the brightest of sunshine for his favorite conference. His regular broadcast partner at ESPN, Dave Pasch, was the one who joked on social media last week that Walton’s prediction for the Final Four featured all five Pac-12 participants.

As it is, UCLA, USC, Oregon and Oregon State advanced to the second weekend, while Colorado won once before being eliminated. Counting a no-contest victory, the Pac-12 is 10-1.

With four teams in the men’s Sweet 16, the Pac-12 has as many survivors as the Big Ten, ACC and Big 12 combined.

“We’ve seen peak performance on command,” Walton said. “The Pac-12 right now is on fire. This is the dream come true . ... Now, as in every tournament, you have to keep playing better.”