Pac-12 Basketball: Early grades for each teams 2023 offseason moves
2. Arizona Wildcats – Grade: B
The Wildcats lost two key pieces this offseason in point guard Kerr Kriisa to the transfer portal, as well as Azuolas Tubelis to the pros. They also were in a notable recruiting battle with Gonzaga for Creighton transfer Ryan Nembhard but ultimately lost that.
Arizona has rebounded nicely since, landing Alabama transfer Jaden Bradley in the backcourt, joining Kylan Boswell and the returning Pelle Larsson. Plus, they recently brought in San Diego State transfer Keshad Johnson to replace Tubelis in the frontcourt. There may be some shooting questions with the projected lineup but the Wildcats could end up being an elite defensive unit.
1. UCLA Bruins – Grade: C
I really wanted to give UCLA an “incomplete” since all five starters are currently in the NBA Draft process. But as long as Adem Bona and Amari Bailey come back for their sophomore seasons, they will have survived that part of the offseason. They only lost a couple of lower-end bench players and landed international prospect, Ilane Fibeuil.
Next. 8 potential grad transfer candidates to watch. dark
The only incoming transfer the Bruins have landed is Lazar Stefanovic, a double-digit scoring guard off the bench at Utah. He’s a good fit in the backcourt but if he ends up being the top transfer pickup, the team better hope several starters come back for next year. Otherwise, Pac-12 Basketball will have a new favorite.