Pac-12 Basketball: UCLA, Oregon atop WTE offseason rankings for '22-23

Pac-12 Basketball: UCLA, Oregon atop WTE offseason rankings for 2022-23

By Joey Loose | Jun 5, 2022

Jan 25, 2022; Los Angeles, California, USA; UCLA Bruins guard Jaime Jaquez Jr. (24) moves the ball as guard Tyger Campbell (10) provides coverage against Arizona Wildcats forward Azuolas Tubelis (10) during the second half at Pauley Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports /

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Pac-12 Basketball Oregon Ducks forward Quincy Guerrier Franck Kepnang Stephen Brashear-USA TODAY Sports /

2. Oregon

The hiring of Dana Altman in 2010 was one of the smartest moves Oregon athletics has made in recent memory. The Ducks have experienced a great level of success this last decade, highlighted by that Final Four run back in 2017. Last year wasn’t a highlight, as a 20-15 season ended without an NCAA Tournament bid, but there’s plenty of reason for optimism this year.

First and foremost, the Ducks will get guard Will Richardson (14.1 ppg last year) back for one last season, choosing not to head into the Draft. Then, the Ducks get an exciting post piece in Kel’el Ware, a 5-star center that will contribute from day one. Forward Quincy Guerrier is back and will look to have another double-digit scoring season, while transfers Keeshawn Barthelemy from Washington State and Jermaine Couisnard from South Carolina provide much-needed depth at guard.

Plenty of talent returns to Oregon and even more is headed to Eugene, giving the Ducks a real chance to cause some damage next season. There might be more experience on some of these teams ranked below them, but it’s silly to bet against Dana Altman and this crew. There seems to be a quality piece at every position (and we haven’t even gushed over all the new additions) and there’s no doubt that newfound depth will help the Ducks slug out some games in Pac-12 play.

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