Arizona Basketball: Five toughest Pac-12 teams Wildcats will face
By David Rosen
Arizona Basketball will be facing a challenging non-conference and conference schedule, including five tough Pac-12 opponents.
A little bit less than three months before the start of the Pac-12 schedule for Arizona Basketball. They kick things off against the Arizona State Sun Devils at home on Jan 4th. The 18 game schedule will have its ups and downs, but that’s what makes the Pac-12 conference exciting. There are though five Pac-12 opponents the Wildcats will face that stand out above the rest.
Last season Washington was the regular-season champs and Oregon ended up winning the Pac-12 tournament. Arizona got knocked out of the first round against USC and their season would end there. This upcoming season, the Wildcats have a much better chance of winning both the regular season and conference tournament.
Players leaving for the NBA, those who’ve graduated and those who’ve stayed and top-notch incoming freshman classes have contributed to a whole new look to the Pac-12 conference this season.
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The latest preseason Top 25 poll has four teams ranked in the Top 25. If only the conference had a commissioner who knew how to promote and market the 12 teams, this conference would get the recognition it deserves. Maybe someday that will happen. We can all hope.
On any given night, any team can pull off the upset in this conference. There are though five teams that the Wildcats will face that will be their toughest challenges.
Based on the current roster, experience, leadership, and overall talent, these are the five toughest Pac-12 teams:
- Oregon Ducks
- Colorado Buffaloes
- Washington Huskies
- USC Trojans
- UCLA Bruins
The Ducks have made the most these past couple of months, which includes landing some top talent, transfers, and freshmen, including their most recent acquisition of five-star center N’Faly Dante. Experience plus talent and depth make this a dangerous team. They swept the Wildcats last season, which doesn’t happen that often. Don’t expect that to happen again this time around.
The Buffaloes bring the most experience to the conference with all five starters returning. They finished fourth last season in the Pac-12 and lost in the third round of the NIT to Texas. They split the head to head matchup with the Wildcats last season and have a lot to prove
The Huskies dominated the Pac-12 last season but will have a whole new look this time around. They do bring in two top recruits plus a transfer from Kentucky and their top scorer from last season Nahziah Carter. The Wildcats lost a close one to the Huskies by 7 at home in their only meeting.
Both the Trojans and UCLA finished towards the bottom half of the Pac-12 conference. The Trojans bring the No.3 ranked incoming class, which includes two five-stars and one four-star rated recruit. While the Bruins have the No.10 recruiting class, but they do have Shareef O’Neal in the lineup and new head coach Mick Cronin running things. They can certainly make some noise this season.
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At Zona Zealots, we look forward to the challenges that face Arizona Basketball this season. Whether at home or away, we know this team has the goods to be a serious contender, not just in the Pac-12 but in the country. Bear Down, Arizona!