Oregon Ducks vs. Arizona Wildcats

Oregon Ducks guard Johnathan Loyd (10) was all smiles after the Ducks beat the Arizona Wildcats, 64-57, on Saturday. He's even happier to return home with week to Las Vegas riding a seven-game win streak.

(Randy L. Rasmussen/The Oregonian)

EUGENE -- Upon arriving in his hometown of Las Vegas this week, Oregon senior point guard Johnathan Loyd will head straight to his longtime barber, Erwin, for a cut.

The final thing that the so-called "Mayor of Las Vegas" plans to do before leaving is hoist a second straight Pac-12 basketball tournament title trophy.

"Look good, play good," Loyd said Monday, and it was difficult to tell whether the 2013 Pac-12 Tournament MVP was sharing his philosophy or a making a prediction.

He's had a history of being right this season. When guard Dominic Artis and forward Ben Carter were suspended nine games to start the season, Loyd said the Ducks could be just fine. They started 13-0. Three weeks ago after beating Oregon State, Loyd confidently predicted an uneven Oregon squad (22-8) was ready to make a run toward the postseason, and the Ducks responded with six consecutive victories.

Now the Ducks and their four players with Vegas ties enter this week's Pac-12 Tournament hoping to translate their white-hot touch from the last four weeks into a four-game stay at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. As the Ducks prepared for their tournament opener at 6 p.m. Wednesday against Oregon State, additional bold predictions were left unsaid, replaced instead by an obvious confidence.

"It’s survive and advance from here on out and that’s how we’ve been playing," said Loyd, who averages 7.5 points and 4.8 assists per game. "Same mindset — get the win."

The roots run deepest in Sin City for natives Loyd and Carter, who are each graduates from local powerhouse Bishop Gorman.

The other two are transplants who flourished in the desert. Sophomore point guard Dominic Artis played one season at another prep power, Findlay Prep, after starting high school in Richmond, Calif.

Senior forward Mike Moser arrived in 2010 and played three seasons for UNLV after transferring from UCLA. The city is the place he channeled his disappointment from not finding a role in Westwood into an honorable mention All-American career with the Runnin' Rebels.

"It’s been a good place to play for me," Moser said. "I hope I can spread that to my teammates, as well."

As a first-team Mountain West selection and two-time NCAA Tournament veteran, Moser has reason to remember Vegas fondly. But unlike Loyd's MVP performance a season ago of 19 points in the Pac-12 title victory against UCLA, Moser's last hurrah in Las Vegas was dismal due in large part to an elbow injury.

Moser shot 4-of-19 from the field to go with 18 rebounds in three games in the Mountain West Conference Tournament in his home gym, UNLV's Thomas & Mack Center.

If he were to play like that this week, it would be a surprise on the level of Oregon's seven-game winning streak: During the win streak he's averaging 17.1 points and 11.1 rebounds.

"I'm excited to go back to Vegas," Moser said, his eyes widening and a smile forming.

Count Altman as another Duck excited to return. He is 5-2 in the conference tournament at Oregon, including last season's 3-0 run to the championship. This year Oregon will have to win four games to repeat, and no seventh-seeded team has ever won the Pac-12's tourney title.

"Everyone else is worried about the NCAA Tournament," he said, "but I think conference tournaments are fun."

He recalled seeing loads of fans from Utah, Colorado, Arizona and Southern California make the trek for Vegas, which also hosts the West Coast and Mountain West conference tournaments the same week. A total of 63,750 attended the 2013 Pac-12 tournament, an increase from the 2012 tournament in Los Angeles despite the 8,000-seat capacity difference between the downtown Staples Center and Vegas' in-casino venue that is more known for holding prize fights.

"(Vegas) was still a college atmosphere, fans were cheering loud and they were more on top of you," Loyd said. "I'm glad they moved it."

Starting Wednesday, there will be a pocket of Oregon fans, too, no doubt several there to cheer on the four Ducks with Las Vegas ties.

"(Loyd) likes it there and Ben played pretty well so they’re going home, they’ve got family and friends and it’s something unique and different for them," Ducks coach Dana Altman said. "I don’t think it makes too big a difference but they will get excited.

"And hopefully Johnny will play as well as he did a year ago."