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Arizona Basketball: 5 reasons why Wildcats will win Pac-12 in 2019-20

By Holden Walter-Warner

PORTLAND, OR - MARCH 19: The Arizona Wildcats mascot cheers against the Texas Southern Tigers during the second round of the 2015 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Moda Center on March 19, 2015 in Portland, Oregon. (Photo by Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images)
PORTLAND, OR - MARCH 19: The Arizona Wildcats mascot cheers against the Texas Southern Tigers during the second round of the 2015 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Moda Center on March 19, 2015 in Portland, Oregon. (Photo by Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images) /
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MARIETTA, GA – MARCH 25: Nico Mannion and Josh Green attend the 2019 Powerade Jam Fest on March 25, 2019 in Marietta, Georgia. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images for Powerade)
MARIETTA, GA – MARCH 25: Nico Mannion and Josh Green attend the 2019 Powerade Jam Fest on March 25, 2019 in Marietta, Georgia. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images for Powerade) /

1. Nico and the newbies

The biggest reason for optimism in Tucson is the arrival of a stellar recruiting class, ranked sixth in the nation and second in the conference by 247 Sports. Chief among the new recruits is in-state point guard Nico Mannion, ranked ninth overall in the Class of 2019 and first among all point guards.

Mannion is the best pure point guard recruit Miller has brought in during his Arizona tenure. He’s athletic, has a good basketball IQ, and has a modern jump shot. During his senior year in high school, he shot 44 percent from three-point range while averaging 23.4 points per game. There’s a good chance he’ll immediately be the best player on the roster.

His presence has obscured the arrival of another heralded recruit. Small forward Josh Green is the #13 prospect in the nation according to 247 Sports, third among his position. The Phoenix native has spent time at the IMG Academy, honing his game for a potential one-and-done college career.

Green’s athleticism is off the charts and he promises to be one of the most athletic freshmen in the country. If his shooting catches up to Mannion’s, Arizona will have one of the top freshmen duos in the nation.

The other members of the class are four-star power forward Zeke Nnaji and three-star center Christian Koloko.

Next. Top 25 programs of all time. dark

An incoming class of elite freshmen is one of several reasons why Arizona could – and should – find themselves back on top of the Pac-12 this season.

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