Pac-12 Basketball: Preseason power rankings for 2021-22 season

If there was ever a sexy dark horse pick for a Power 6 conference team, it would be Kyle Smith’s Cougars. In just two seasons, Smith has turned around the Cougars to be a dangerous opponent, something that hasn’t consistently been the case since Tony Bennett left for Virginia. Their 63rd KenPom preseason ranking is the highest the school has placed in the analytics system in a decade.

They were ranked 24th in defense by KenPom as well, a side of the court that has been Smith’s calling card since traveling to the Palouse. Smith uses an analytical mindset to get opponents’ offenses in terrible shot selection situations. The Cougars had the lowest opponent 3-point attempts last season and look to stifle the interior with their on-again-off-again 2-3 zone. After two years of maximizing his options, Smith is looking to take the Cougars to another level.

Perhaps the best-kept secret for this sleeper team is how big of a leap their offense is ready to make. Michael Flowers and Tyrell Roberts join the Cougs after two terrific seasons at South Alabama and UC San Diego. The Cougars had the highest turnover rate last season and plugging in these two transfers could solve a lot of their ball-handling issues. Roberts is a fantastic outside shooter (46% in his last season) who also has great composure moving the basketball. Flowers could be one of the best acquisitions in all of college basketball considering his ability to operate in traffic and score from multiple levels.

They’re joining a backcourt led by junior Noah Williams, who looks to take over departing senior Isaac Bonton’s billing as a lead scorer. Williams is a three-level scorer who at 6-foot-5 bullies smaller guards but also has the handles to blow by defenders. With multiple 30+ scoring nights, it was clear he could be the first option once it was his time.

The Cougars also have a solid frontcourt attack with sophomore Efe Aboghidi and Dishon Jackson. Both are elite rebounders and Aboghidi has the athleticism and touch to be a threat on offense as well, making the Cougars a tough matchup for teams looking to play small or by packing the paint.

The Cougars also have a solid bench filled with both athletic defenders and perimeter shooting, making this team a real threat to finish in the top half of the conference and earn national recognition.