Pac-12 Basketball: Way-too-early power rankings for 2020-21 season

Mick Cronin was named Pac-12 Coach of the Year for the turnaround he led in Westwood, guiding the Bruins to an 11-3 finish after an 8-9 start. That turnaround was spearheaded by a roster of young players that are all expected to be back for the Bruins in 2020-21, giving the program high aspirations for the first time since Lonzo Ball was suiting up for them.

Tyger Campbell is one of the best point guards in the country and really found his rhythm late in the year (perhaps due feeling 100 percent after missing the 2018-19 season with a knee injury), averaging 11.7 points, 6.9 assists, and 3.5 rebounds over UCLA‘s last 10 games. With Jalen Smith and Cody Riley holding down the frontcourt and Chris Smith emerging as a legitimate Pac-12 Player of the Year candidate, there’s a lot to like about this group considering how many pieces they return.

Even though the Bruins are not getting the addition of five-star point guard Daishen Nix, who opted for the G League instead, they will be strong because of the rotation they bring back.

However, there are still some things that I think will keep them from being at the forefront of the conference race. For starters, they were one of the worst shooting teams in the conference and their inability to stretch the floor does limit their offense. Their defense should continue to improve in Year Two under Cronin, but they struggle to protect the rim despite their size and were in the bottom 10 nationally in three-point defense.

As the talent level is raised across the Pac-12, UCLA’s consistency and high floor gives them promise – but their lack of upside keeps them out of the top three.