Pac-12 Basketball: Preseason power rankings for 2022-23 season

Considering how awful the Huskies were in the non-conference, it’s a complete shock that they finished over .500 in league play. Part of it had to do with the league’s leading scorer, Terrell Brown (21.7 ppg). He’s gone, along with the only other double-digit scorer on the roster, Emmitt Matthew Jr. They do return a pair of senior guards in Jamal Bey and PJ Fuller, with Fuller set to join the starting lineup.

Also joining those two is Noah Williams, a transfer from rival Washington State. As a sophomore, the 6’5 guard averaged 14.1 ppg but he took a major step back last season, producing just 9.5 ppg on 33% shooting from the field. He’ll need to not only have a bounce-back campaign but possibly lead this new backcourt in scoring to be competitive. Plus, look for four-star freshman combo guard Koren Johnson to be a key facilitator in the backcourt.

Last year, the frontcourt was non-existent and the backcourt had to do all of the work. This time around, the forwards and centers may actually be the strength of Washington’s roster. The big-name from the offseason was Keion Brooks, a 6’7 forward that averaged 10.5 ppg and 5.6 rpg in the past two years at Kentucky. He wasn’t the greatest fit next to Oscar Tshiebwe but not can be the focal point of the offense.

Two other transfers are former five-star prospect and Oregon big man Franck Kepnang, as well as former Fresno State center and 7’1 reserve big, Braxton Meah. There’s a little more depth on this roster on paper but can Brooks and Williams be the best players on a good Pac-12 team?