Pac-12 Basketball: 10 key questions looming for 2021-22 season
![Mar 22, 2021; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; (Editors Notes: Caption Correction) Oregon Ducks head coach Dana Altman talks with his team during a timeout against the Iowa Hawkeyes during the first half in the second round of the 2021 NCAA Tournament at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports Mar 22, 2021; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; (Editors Notes: Caption Correction) Oregon Ducks head coach Dana Altman talks with his team during a timeout against the Iowa Hawkeyes during the first half in the second round of the 2021 NCAA Tournament at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/3e77f43d62fab700775a954085089e12d6bdc6af3371b3eb2924ceb3d11b4693.jpg)
Things in the Pac-12 basketball landscape are changing as head coaches Mick Cronin, Tad Boyle and Wayne Tinkle are starting to find their stride in the conference. Five teams in the conference made last year’s NCAA Tournament and one word that could be used to describe the overall performance: spectacular.
As a whole, the Pac-12 went 13-5 in the Big Dance with 13 wins tying for the most for the Conference in a single NCAA Tournament since 2001. The Oregon State Beavers had everyone on upset alert as they made their first Elite Eight appearance since 1982. The UCLA Bruins made it to their first Final Four since 2007 and became the first First Four team since VCU in 2011 to achieve such a feat.
The talent is plentiful in the Pac-12 if last season was any indication. The Bruins return their starting cast looking to make more waves while the Oregon Ducks look to reload and avenge last season’s NCAA Tournament defeat to the USC Trojans.
The USC Trojans were impressive in their own right, with head coach Andy Enfield winning the Pac-12 Coach of the Year award and freshman sensation Evan Mobley making a clean sweep of the Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, and Rookie of the Year award. With Mobley off to the NBA though, the Trojans will need to find another star in 2021-22.
There are a ton of question marks heading into a new Pac-12 basketball season. Here’s a look at 10 key questions heading into 2021-22.