We take an early look at next year to see if Arizona Basketball keeps its top spot in the Pac 12.
If you’re a college basketball fan, including Arizona Basketball fans, this time of year is a miserable one. You anxiously wait to see which of your favorite players decide to stay in college or turn pro. Then there’s the recruiting carousel of the chaos of the nation’s top remaining recruits deciding their future destination.
Don’t forget about the anarchy that is the transfer market in college athletics. It is arguably more tumultuous and exciting simultaneously as the NCAA tournament. Once the decision making is complete, fans can get a good glimpse of what the future holds for the upcoming season. Now that the smoke has cleared let’s take a peek at how the Pac 12 hierarchy could take form.
Arizona Wildcats Basketball
The bottom tier bringing up the rear…
No. 12 Washington State:
The Cougars basketball program just can’t seem to get itself together. One could say it’s in shambles. They finished the year 12-19 (4-14 conf.) and will likely only get worse this upcoming season.
Wazzu has now lost six scholarship players: Four from transfers, one turned pro, and another is not returning. Among those leaving is reserve guard Milan Aqcuaah, their lead guard, and second-leading scorer Malachi Flynn. Leading scorer Robert Franks, who tested the NBA Draft, is returning. Head Coach Ernie Kent doesn’t have any notable players coming in, and their losses are enormous, so they land at the bottom of the cellar for now.
Best Guess Starting lineup prediction: PG-Vionte Daniels SR, SG-Carter Skaggs JR, SR, SF-CJ Elleby (FR), PF Robert Franks, and PF/ C Arinze Chidom SO.
No. 11 California:
The Golden Bears are another program trending in the wrong direction. They finished dead last in a very weak conference and endured their worst season in school history. To proverbially rub salt on the wound, Cal is seeing some of its best players depart. The bulk of their frontcourt, Kentucky transfer Marcus Lee and Kingsley Okoroh expire their college eligibility. Don Coleman, the teams leading scorer, is transferring to South Alabama. Cole Welle, Nick Hamilton, and Derek King are graduating bench players.
On top of that, more guard depth is escaping Berkeley, as guards Brandon Chauca and Austin McCullough elected to transfer. That is a lot of roster turnover that is hard to recover from, especially in the short-term. There is hope for the East Bay program. Second-year head coach Wyking Jones just hired recruiting guru David Grace from UCLA. Jones does bring in a few four-star players, but his roster is still lacking in depth and talent.
Best Guess starting lineup is PG-Darius McNeill SO, SG-Matt Bradley (4* FR), SF-Jacobi Gordon (4* FR), PF-Justice Seuing SO, PF/C-Andre Kelly (NR FR).
No. 10 Oregon State:
Coach Wayne Tinkle is slowly putting together a solid program up in Corvallis. While the Beavers may not have had a successful season by win/loss column or conference standings, they finished at .500 which isn’t ideal, but its progress. What hurts Tinkle’s team is the sudden departure of stud forward Drew Eubanks to the NBA. Had he returned, OSU’s starting five is good enough to compete with any in the country and would make the Beavers a legitimate Tournament-caliber squad.
Their post depth takes a blow with the graduations of Cheikh Ndiaye and Seth Berger. Guard Ronnie Stacy also graduates, while depth players JaQuori McLaughlin and Kendal Manuel join the transfer wire. OSU will still be a solid, competitive team as leading scorers Tres Tinkle, Stephen Thompson Jr., and Ethan Thompson all return. Their recruiting class isn’t one that will wow fans, but Coach Tinkle has had some recruiting success. For now, the Beavers stand as the best of the lowest tier.
Best Guess at a starting lineup is PG-Ethan Thompson SO, SG-Stephen Thompson Jr. SR, SF-Alfred Hollins SO, F/PF-Tres Tinkle JR, Jack Wilson (3-star) FR.
No. 9 Utah:
Utah is a team that is not going to repeat its top three conference finish like they did in 2018. They will find themselves towards the bottom, even though Sedrick Barefield returns for his final year of college. However, as it stands the Utes are losing 4 of their top 6 leading scorers, and around 60 percent of their offensive production.
Seniors Justin Bibbins, David Collete, Ty Rawson, and Gabe Bealer graduate. They also lose some young depth, as Chris Seeley and Kolbe Caldwell are seeking to transfer. So far, they are not bringing enough talent in to replace the departures. They have a lone four-star recruit in Riley Battin, and a graduate transfer in Novak Topalovic, who averaged around 10 points and seven rebounds per game at Idaho State. I’m putting the Utes in the bottom tier.
Best Guess at a starting lineup is PG Sedrick Barefield* SR, SG- Parker Van Dyke SR, F/SF- Donnie Tillman SO, F/PF-Novak Topalovic (Grad Transfer)NA, PF/C-Riley Battin (4*)FR/Jayce Johnson JR.
Riley Battin is a beast on the court and will be a fan favorite. Our Site Expert Shereen Rayan got a chance to watch him play in the Kings of the Court Showcase a few months ago.
The Middle Tier, (obviously) the middle third of the conference.
No. 8 Stanford:
The Cardinal was a team that surprised many with a finish in the top half of the league. While they didn’t make the tournament, head coach Jerod Haase is building himself a program to watch in the next few years.
Short term, the program will be hurting as they stand to lose the services of Michael Humphrey, one of the Cardinal’s top rebounders and Dorian Pickens, their highest scoring perimeter player. Also, reserve guard Robert Cartwright is transferring to UCSB. The biggest offseason blow to the team is Reid Travis who is looking to transfer out of the program. Travis is far and away the best player on the team and their heart and soul. Long term, the Cardinal have rising sophomores-to-be in Daejon Davis and Kezie Okpala.
Their bench remains intact, and their incoming class is solid, ranked in the Top 30 by 247 Sports. The losses will lead to a setback for Stanford back into the bottom half of the league.
Best Guess at a starting lineup is PG- Daejon Davis SO, SG-Isaac White SO, SF-Kezie Okpala, PF-Oscar da Silva SO, C- Lukas Kisunas (3*) FR.
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No. 7 Colorado:
The Buffs were mediocre but showed some signs of competitive edge. While I project them slightly above their 9th place finish this last year, I do see some growth from this program. They are losing some solid veterans. Big man Tory Miller-Stewart is a grad transfer, and two of their best back court players in Dominique Collier and George King, graduate.
But Coach Tad Boyle has some talented players coming back. McKinley Wright IV came out of nowhere as a freshman averaging nearly 15 points and six assists per game. Wright is bound to come back even stronger as a sophomore, and he will get help from fellow guard Namon Wright.
Their post looks just as good with Tyler Bey, Lucas Stewert, and Dallas Walton. Depth from the bench and low ranking recruiting class will determine if the Buffs stay towards the bottom half of the Pac-12, or if they surprise and contend.
Best Guess starting lineup PG-Mckinley Wright IV SO, SG-Namon Wright SR, SF-Tyler Bey SO, F/PF-Lucas Stewert JR, PF/C-Dallas Walton SO.
No. 6 Arizona State:
ASU endured a season full of extremes. They went undefeated in non-conference play and ranked as high as No. 3, but finished with an 8-11 Pac-12 record and an eighth place finish. Overall, their program trajectory is trending in a positive direction.
The Sun Devils bring back a lot of key freshmen from this past season, but this team will be severely lacking in veteran leadership. Sun Devil fans should be excited to see the growth of youngsters Remy Martin, Kimani Lawrence, and Romello White, while they are bolstered by a top ten recruiting class and the eligibility of SDSU transfer, Zylan Cheatham. That excitement should be tempered, as Coach Bobby Hurley’s squad loses a trio of players that he relied upon heavily.
Tra Holder (18.2 ppg), Shannon Evans II (16.5), and Kodi Justice (12.7) who accounted for nearly 60 percent of ASU’s offense, all graduated. Not to mention the loss of depth from guys like Carlton Bragg and Ramon Vila. The eligibility of touted freshman recruit Taeshon Cherry remains in question with his involvement in the FBI probe. With Cherry, they could contend for the upper echelon of the conference. With or without the youngster, the Sun Devils pound for pound will have as much talent as anyone, but this team is extremely young, so for now, they take the six spot.
Best Guess at a starting lineup is PG-Remy Martin SO, SG-Luguentz Dort (4*) FR, SF-Elias Valtonen (4*) FR, PF-De”Quon Lake SR, PF/C-Romello White SO.
No. 5 Arizona:
Arizona Basketball endured a season with as many ups and downs as the Rocky Mountains. The program experienced some big wins and frustrating losses all with a storm of off-court noise surrounding it. The Wildcats and their fans have enjoyed nearly a decade of dominance in the Pac-12 and as the premier national team on the West Coast.
That reign of success could come to an end this year with the fallout from the pending FBI probe and unfair media defamation from ESPN. In addition, Arizona loses its ENTIRE starting lineup to the NBA and graduation. DeAndre Ayton, Allonzo Trier, and Rawle Alkins will have their names read by Adam Silver, while Parker Jackson-Cartwright, Keanu Pinder, and Dusan Ristic will receive their well-earned diplomas and possible Summer League and/or G-League two-ways. That group accounted for nearly 91 percent of Arizona’s offensive output! Usually, that would spell disaster for a program, but this is Arizona, and Sean Miller knows how to recruit.
As it stands, the Wildcats bring in the 21st best incoming class according to 247 Sports. Four-stars Devonaire Doutrive, Belgian wing Omar Thielemans, and highly touted lead guard Brandon Williams will join forces with the likes of Chase Jeter, Ira Lee, Emmanuel Akot and Brandon Randolph. Grad Transfers Justin Coleman from Samford and Ryan Luther from Pitt will bolster the lineup for a competitive Wildcat team. I have them in the 5th spot, for now, they have the talent to compete in the conference, but there are lots of question marks and unknowns at this point.
Best Guess at a starting lineup is PG-Justin Coleman SR, SG- Brandon Williams (4*) FR, SF- Emmanuel Akot SO, PF-Ryan Luther SR, C- Chase Jeter RS JR. (Editor Note: Dylan Smith has a good chance at starting along with Chase Jeter with their experience, something Miller covets, knowing his system)
The Top Tier
No. 4 Washington:
The Huskies had an average but promising season. Head coach Mike Hopkins has a full year under his belt and will be prepared to build upon last years’ 7th place finish. Luckily for him, he returns all of his notable players from the year prior. Jaylen Nowell, Noah Dickerson, David Crisp, and Matisse Thybulle will have another run and can crack the top tier of the conference.
Washington also has a respectable recruiting class, ranked 33rd by 247 Sports. Coach Hopkins finally has a veteran-laden roster that has the talent to make it to March. And for that reason I have them edging Arizona for the last spot in the top tier group.
Best Guess starting lineup PG- David Crisp SR, SG- Jaylen Nowell SO, SF- Matisse Thybulle SR, PF- Noah Dickerson SR, C-Sam Timmins JR.
No. 3 USC:
Southern Cal joined Arizona in a season full of highs and lows for the same reasons. There were wins, suspensions, investigations, and disappointments. Andy Enfield’s bunch finished as the runner-up to Arizona before getting bounced early in March. Stud big man Chimezie Metu is taking his talents to the NBA while the highly productive backcourt duo of Elijah Stewart and Jordan McLaughlin expire their eligibility. That trio made up three of the top four Trojan scorers which is a significant loss.
DeAnthony Melton also is NBA bound, despite not being able to play this season. However USC will be back in prime contention for the conference crown and the NCAA Tournament. Bennie Boatwright comes back from testing the NBA to anchor the squad. Players like Jonah Mathews, Nick Rackocevic, Jordan Usher, Shaqquan Aaron, and Derryck Thornton all look to take the next steps in their development. Coach Enfield also brings in a top 20 incoming class. There will once again be plenty of talent in Los Angeles, so I have USC penciled in at the Three spot.
Best Guess at a starting lineup is PG- Jordan Usher SO, SG-Jonah Mathews JR, SF-Shaqquan Aaron SR, PF-Bennie Boatwright SR, C-Nick Rakecovic JR.
Arizona Wildcats Basketball
No. 2 UCLA:
I kept going back and forth on this pick, but I think Oregon will be the team to beat (more on that later). There will be plenty of debates this summer about the best Pac 12 team, and UCLA will absolutely have a place in those conversations.
Head Coach Steve Alford will have a target on his head, as it is “put up or shut up” time in Westwood. Alford has had many years with top-flight recruits but meager results on the court. Aaron Holiday, the Bruins best player and scorer, is off to the NBA. Thomas Welsh and GG Golomon graduate.
Despite these losses, UCLA is returning and recruited more talent compared with what is departing. Last year’s stud freshmen Kris Wilkes and Jaylen Hands return after trying out for the NBA. Prince Ali becomes the savvy backcourt veteran. And then Alford has a loaded, top-ranked recruiting class to boot. Jaylen Hill and Codey Riley will be back in the line-up after suspension and Hill has huge upside no one has seen yet. The big question mark is obviously if all that talent can come together and accomplish what its “on-paper” projections say it can. For now, I am counting on that fact.
Best Guess starting lineup PG-Jaylen Hands SO, SG-Prince Ali JR, SF-Kris Wilkes SO, PF-Cody Riley SO, Cody Riley (5*) FR.
No. 1 Oregon:
As mentioned earlier, the Oregon Ducks will be the top Duck in the Pac 12, and possibly the West Coast. It cannot be ignored that Oregon will lose some quality production. Troy Brown declared for the draft, Elijah Brown, MiKyle McIntosh, and Roman Sorkin Graduate. MJ Cage and Keith Smith Are transferring to Pepperdine. The Ducks are still LOADED. Oregon will be doing its best Arizona impression with returning scorer Payton Pritchard, Paul White, Victor Bailey Jr, and Kenny Wooten anchoring the team. The veterans are joined by a top three recruiting class of potential One-and-Done NBAers. The Pac 12 should (hopefully) be trending up, and Oregon will be a big part of that trend.
Best Guess starting lineup PG-Payton Prichard Pritchard JR, SG-Will Richardson (4*) FR, SF- Louis King (5*) FR, PF- Miles Norris (4*) FR, C- Bol Bol (5*) FR
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There will be some new teams looking to make progress and take over the West. Oregon and UCLA will be the very top of the league, while USC and Washington will certainly contend. Lots of unknowns surround Arizona Basketball but on paper they have a roster that can hang with any team. ASU, Colorado, and Stanford will be competitive teams that must rely on inexperienced players to step up. The bottom tier of the conference will continue to be awful barring any surprises. Overall, I predict the conference to be much stronger and more consistent than it was previously. At Zona Zealots, we love exchanging different ideas and opinions. Let us know what YOU think about how the Pac 12 turns out! As always, Bear Down.