Pac-12 basketball is coming off of a season in which Oregon reached the Final Four. How can the conference build off of that heading into this year?
Widely regarded as one of the top conferences in the country, the Pac-12 has several top teams heading into this season. Oregon might be taking a step back in comparison to last year, but Arizona is a clear-cut top-5 team in the country.
What are some questions facing the conference heading into the year?
1. How will the FBI investigation continue to affect the top teams?
Arizona and USC were both discussed when the news broke of the recent FBI Investigation as each had an assistant arrested and subsequently fired as a result. The consequences in terms of recruiting have been mixed, with a couple guys de-committing while others haven’t been enticed to leave. How the distractions will affect the on-court product is another issue itself.
2. Can Sedrick Barefield lead Utah to contention?
After struggling mightily to begin their time in the Pac-12, the Utes have supplanted themselves as a solid team. After losing Kyle Kuzma to the NBA, it’ll be up to the SMU transfer to become the new star of the team. In the game that Kuzma missed last season against San Francisco, Barefield had 35 points. That’ll have to happen more often if Utah wants to avoid the NIT.
3. How improved will Oregon State be?
After losing star player Tres Tinkle to a season-ending injury a year ago, the Beavers collapsed to a 6-27 record. With everyone back, however, Oregon State has a chance to surprise some people in the league. Whether it’s part of the bubble conversation or beyond is yet to be determined.
4. What system does Mike Hopkins use at Washington?
The former assistant at Syracuse is now the head coach of what was one of the more embarrassing displays of defense last season with the Huskies. Coming from the Boeheim School of the 2-3 zone, there’s a good chance he’ll incorporate this with his new team. Washington does have the athletes and size to play it effectively, but maybe not the mindset to do so.
5. Is the Pac-12 only a three-bid league?
One problem the conference has had as of late has been getting more teams in the NCAA tournament. The top and bottom teams are pretty much set: USC, Arizona, and UCLA are ranked in the AP top 25 and are safe bets to get in. Washington, California and Washington State are safe bets to not get in. The players in the middle like, Oregon, Stanford, and Oregon State, are tougher to predict. A three-bid season would be a disappointment, but it is possible.
Next: Previewing the preseason AP top-25
That leaves the remaining six teams in the middle to vie for those at-large spots. The objectives are simple: beat the top three teams and avoid losing to the bottom three. Whoever of those six teams accomplishes these tasks the best will be going dancing in March.