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 /

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Pac-12 Basketball Tommy Lloyd James Snook-USA TODAY Sports /

8. Are the Wildcats an NCAA Tournament team?

The Arizona Wildcats were embroiled in some Level I violation charges levied by the NCAA and were banned from last season’s conference tournament and NCAA Tournament. Now that their punishment is up, can the Wildcats make this year’s NCAA Tournament?

The Wildcats still had a productive year in 2020-21 going 17-9 on the year and 11-9 in Pac-12 basketball action, good for fifth in the standings. The downside though is their top scorer and playmaker in James Akinjo is off to Baylor.

Azuolos Tubelis and Benedict Mathurin return giving them an experienced presence on the wing and on the interior. Tubelis was their leading rebounder a season ago, snagging 7.1 rpg on the year. Mathurin is an active wing threat that posted 10.8 ppg, 4.8 rpg and 1.2 apg while shooting 41.8 percent from 3-point land.

7-footer Oumar Ballo joins their lineup from Gonzaga after earning All-Freshmen WCC honors this past season as does last year’s Big Sky Defensive Player of the Year, Kim Aiken Jr.. The 6-foot-7 forward put 11.3 ppg, 8.4 rpg, 2.0 apg, 1.3 spg and 1.0 bpg at Eastern Washington last season.

Arizona will have some adjustments to make in 2021-22, but with some seasoned veterans on both ends of the floor and size on the interior, look for them to make some noise by the time Pac-12 play arrives.

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