The college basketball universe is ever changing. No matter who is involved with this sport, great basketball is played and stories are told on a daily basis. Whether its legendary coaches or the most unknown players, everyone has a story to tell, though we sometimes only hear or remember the stories that are told the loudest. Success during March Madness and on college basketball’s greatest stage is an easy way to make that happen.
Regardless, we’re continuing our series that’s been telling some of those stories. We’re looking at the best players of the last ten years from each of the current collegiate conferences in the nation. As previously mentioned, success in the NCAA Tournament is an easy way to be remembered in this sport, though that’s significantly easier said than done. However, we’re looking at another power conference today in what feels like a somber event.
In recent weeks, the Pac-12 has been devastated by conference realignment, as all but four of the league’s members have announced their departures for next season. Instead of focusing on an uncertain future, we’re looking back at some of the great names that have played in his league in recent years. With great programs like Arizona, Oregon, and UCLA making noise at the national level, there are dozens of memorable players, though just twenty-five fit into today’s list.
Please remember that this series is only looking at the Pac-12’s best players from the last ten years. This means that those players who played before 2013 won’t be considered, though we will include them if their careers stretched into this last decade. We’re only considering their work in Pac-12 Basketball, meaning any performances in other leagues will be mentioned but not factored into the rankings. This is another power conference full of stars and talented young athletes, meaning we’re in for quite a treat in the Pac-12.
25. Ivan Rabb
A Top 5 prospect from the Class of 2015, Rabb chose Cuonzo Martin and California, giving Martin quite the boost for his first recruiting class with the Golden Bears. Rabb was clearly an elite recruit and played a substantial role during his two seasons in the Pac-12, leading California to heights they haven’t matched since.
In that highly-anticipated freshman season, he averaged 12.5 points and 8.5 rebounds, helping guide the Golden Bears on a 23-win season to earn a 4-seed in the NCAA Tournament. Unfortunately, Cal was upset and hasn’t returned to the Big Dance since, though Rabb’s sophomore year was pretty good. He’d have some nice performances, including a 17-point, 20-rebound affair at UCLA, leading the Golden Bears to 21 wins and a 5th-place conference finish. That year saw him average 14.0 points and 10.5 rebounds each game.
A marvelous young talent, Rabb was one of the Pac-12’s best rebounders during his brief career, earning Second Team All-Pac-12 honors as a freshman and the First Team nod as a sophomore. He was a massive part of the frontcourt in the program’s only two great seasons from the last decade and did average a double-double as a sophomore. He’d be selected early in the second round of the 2017 NBA Draft.
24. Josh Scott
Scott is a 6’10 center who arrived at Colorado back in 2012, becoming a key piece of Tad Boyle’s program. Considered a Top 50 recruit, the Buffaloes were eager to add him into the fold, as Scott was a full-time starter for his entire four-year run in Boulder. He put up decent numbers as a freshman, but really got going from there.
In his sophomore season, he averaged 14.1 points and 8.4 rebounds per game and helped lead Colorado back to the Big Dance in a 23-win season. Though the Buffaloes fell short of the Big Dance the following year, he had similar numbers as a junior before a great effort in his final season. Not only did Scott lead Colorado to another 20-win season and trip to the NCAA Tournament, but he averaged 16.3 points and 8.8 rebounds, continuing as a double-double machine for the Buffaloes.
Scott’s contributions were great at a program few consider a basketball power of any kind. Scott was named First Team All-Pac-12 in two of those seasons and was a solid contributor on both offense and defense. He led the Pac-12 in field goal percentage as a junior and was one of the top rebounders throughout his career. He was certainly one of the finest players for Colorado since the turn of the century.
23. Lauri Markkanen
There was no shortage of intriguing recruits in Tucson and Markkanen certainly fit that bill. A 7’0 center and top 100 prospect originally from Finland, he joined Sean Miller’s program back in 2016 and would spend just his freshman year in the Pac-12, developing into quite a star in a short period of time.
In that lone collegiate year, he averaged 15.6 points and 7.2 rebounds, with great shooting numbers from all over the court. A career-high 30-point performance came against rival Arizona State and he put up 29 points in the Pac-12 Tournament against UCLA, a day before the Wildcats won that title. Markkanen then led the Wildcats to the Sweet Sixteen.
It was clear that Markkanen had an impressive game. He was First Team All-Pac-12 and really emerged on the national stage. He was actually the conference’s top free throw shooter and one of their most efficient scorers as well. Markkanen did fantastic work for a Wildcats team that won multiple games in the Big Dance and he set himself up well for the future. A few months later, he’d become the 7th pick of the 2017 NBA Draft.
22. Remy Martin
Martin certainly had himself quite the collegiate career, starring for several seasons in the Pac-12 before winning a national title elsewhere as a super-senior. We’ll just be focusing on this 6’0 point guard’s success at Arizona State, where he played from 2017 to 2021 under Bobby Hurley’s guidance. He clawed out playing time early before becoming quite the stud as an upperclassman.
He was nearly a double-digit scorer off the bench as a freshman before delivering later in his career, averaging 12.9 points and 5.0 assists as a sophomore. He actually had 21 points in an upset win at Kansas as a freshman and played in the NCAA Tournament in his first two seasons. While his Sun Devils wouldn’t return to the Big Dance again, Martin averaged 19.1 points per game in both his junior and senior seasons, becoming a major offensive threat in the Pac-12.
Martin was the Pac-12 Sixth Man of the Year as a freshman before earning three straight All-Pac-12 honors, including the First Team nod in his last two years. He was a great scorer and did the little things for the Sun Devils, with decent assist, steal, and free throw shooting figures. As previously mentioned Martin did transfer after that senior season and won a national title with Kansas to finish off his career, though his work with Arizona State was far superior from an individual perspective.
21. Jaylen Brown
California has been a disappointment in basketball in recent years, but they had quite the lineup back in 2016. Brown was a major part of that, as he was the #3 recruit in the nation and chose Cuonzo Martin’s program. A 6’7 small forward from Marietta, Georgia, he’d have a successful lone season with the GOlen Bears before establishing himself in the NBA.
Paired nicely was another player on today’s list, Brown helped lead the Golden Bears to their most successful season of the decade. Brown averaged 14.6 points and 5.4 rebounds per game, taking California to 23 wins, 4th place in the Pac-12, and what remains their most recent trip to the NCAA Tournament. He had a couple of 27-point performances and a few double-doubles, though he saw his collegiate career end at Hawaii’s hand in a Tournament upset.
Brown was named Pac-12 Rookie of the Year and also earned First Team All-Pac-12 for an excellent campaign. He was an impactful scorer and also had decent metrics on the defensive side of the ball. Brown showed plenty of potential during that season for the Golden Bears and set himself up well for the future. He was taken with the 3rd pick of the 2016 NBA Draft and remains a massive star for the Boston Celtics.
20. Markelle Fultz
After starring at the famous DeMatha Catholic High School in his hometown of Upper Marlboro, Maryland, Fultz hopped to the other coast. This 6’4 point guard was one of the top recruits in the nation and was a fantastic addition for Washington in 2016. Unfortunately, Lorenzo Romar’s program struggled mightily even while Fultz had an amazing year.
In what would be his only collegiate season, Fultz averaged 23.2 points, 5.9 assists, and 5.7 rebounds per game for the Huskies. He topped 30 points in his first two collegiate games and flirted a few times with a triple-double. While Washington would only win nine games during a horrific performance, Fultz was a star on the court and the lone bright spot in what would be Romar’s final season leading the program.
Even with Washington finishing 11th in the Pac-12 standings, Fultz was named First Team All-Pac-12 and clearly established himself with a ton of potential. He was sixth in the nation in points per game, was one of the top assist guys in the Pac-12, and did plenty of good for himself in spite of his team’s struggles. As a result, this former 5-star recruit was taken with the 1st pick of the 2017 NBA Draft by the Philadelphia 76ers.
19. McKinley Wright IV
A 6’0 point guard from North Robbinsdale, Minnesota, Wright had himself quite the impactful run at Colorado. He joined the Buffaloes in 2017 and was the starting point guard from the very beginning, putting up some pretty impressive figures across a full four-year career in the Pac-12.
His freshman numbers were already quite solid, putting up 14.2 points and 5.5 assists. The Buffaloes would win at least 21 games in his final three seasons, with Wright continuing to be an essential scoring and ball handler. He had a career-high 30-point game as a freshman, led Colorado to the quarterfinals of the NIT as a sophomore, and helped deliver a trip to the Big Dance to finish things off. In that senior year, he averaged 15.2 points and 5.7 assists and had a double-double in a first-round Tourney win against Georgetown.
Wright’s career was full of promise and potential and he earned three straight spots on the First Team All-Pac-12. He was a solid scorer and rebounder and his 683 career assists are the second-highest total from the past ten seasons. Wright did impressive work not only leading the pack but carrying the torch at times for the Buffaloes and certainly had an incredible impact, especially in that senior season where Colorado earned a 5-seed in the 2021 NCAA Tournament.
18. Tres Tinkle
A 6’7 wing from Missoula, Montana, Tinkle developed into a major star at Oregon State, spending five years playing under his father Wayne with the Beavers. A Top 100 recruit from the Class of 2015, he would put up some incredible figures with the program, though he did redshirt as a sophomore after getting knocked out early in the season with an injury.
As a freshman, Tinkle was good for 13.1 points and 5.4 rebounds per game as the Beavers made the NCAA Tournament for the first time in nearly three decades, though Tinkle missed that trip due to a foot injury. He showed potential the next year before averaging 17.6 points per game as a redshirt sophomore. The Beavers struggled with Tinkle out of the lineup and had three pretty solid seasons, with Tinkle actually surpassing 20 points per game as a junior.
Oregon State was in much better shape with Tinkle in the program and he was rewarded with three straight First Team All-Pac-12 awards. His 2233 career points are one of the highest totals in recent Pac-12 play while he had pretty decent steals numbers as well. The fact of the matter is that Oregon State fell to pieces without him and was a competitive program in the Pac-12 during the four-plus seasons he was on the court.
17. Chasson Randle
Randle is a 6’2 combo guard from Rock Island, Illinois who starred for four seasons at Stanford under Johnny Dawkins. Considered a Top 75 recruit in the Class of 2011, he spent nearly his entire career in the Cardinal backcourt as a starter, putting up some pretty nice numbers in those first two seasons. We’re just able to focus on his upperclassman play today, but he took a big step forward as a junior after all.
In that junior season, Randle averaged 18.8 points per game and made 39% of his 3-pointers. He was the leading scorer on a Stanford team that not only won 23 games but advanced to the Sweet Sixteen of the 2014 NCAA Tournament as a 10-seed, upsetting Kansas in the second round. Randle actually put up very similar numbers in his senior season and actually had a career-high 35 points against Rhode Island during the Cardinal’s run to the NIT title, quite the finish to his career.
An anchor in Stanford’s backcourt, Randle took home First Team All-Pac-12 honors in each of those seasons and also named the NIT Most Valuable Player in 2015. He was one of the top scorers in the Pac-12 and played a massive role in the program’s success. Notching both an NIT title and a Sweet Sixteen in the Big Dance cemented Randle’s role not just as a great offensive player, but as a great team leader for the Cardinal.
16. Johnny Juzang
A Top 40 recruit from the Class of 2019, Juzang picked Kentucky but didn’t spend a long time with the Wildcats. This 6’6 wing from Los Angeles played brief minutes as a freshman before deciding to transfer, heading to UCLA, back to his hometown. Suffice to say Juzang had a massively important role with the Bruins for the next two years, far exceeding anything he did with the Wildcats before the pandemic.
As a sophomore, he’d average 16.0 points and 4.1 rebounds, finally getting opportunities to star at UCLA, but the numbers alone didn’t tell the story. He was one of the primary cogs in a historic postseason run for the Bruins, who advanced from the First Four to the Final Four in 2021, with Juzang scoring 28 points against Michigan in the Elite Eight and 29 in their loss to Gonzaga. He’d put up very similar numbers in his junior season and led UCLA back to the Big Dance, this time getting to the Sweet Sixteen.
Clearly, Juzang was much better off on the west coast and earned the First Team All-Pac-12 nod as a junior after making incredible contributions in his two seasons. He emerged as a fantastic scorer, averaging nearly 23 points a game in that Final Four run as a sophomore. He did plenty of great stuff for UCLA during that period before heading off to the NBA at the end of his junior season, though not before becoming a part of history.
15. Jaylen Nowell
One of 2017’s Top 100 recruits, Nowell played an important role after selecting Washington for his collegiate career. A 6’4 wing from Seattle, Nowell stayed in his hometown and joined new head coach Mike Hopkins’ program, spending two seasons starring for the Huskies. Considering the state of that program after his departure in 2019, Nowell made quite the impact at Washington.
Nowell’s freshman year was pretty great as he averaged 16.0 points in a bounce-back season for the Huskies. He dropped 32 points on Belmont on opening night and helped the Huskies to a 21-win season and trip to the NIT. During his sophomore season, things went even better for both Nowell and Washington. He was up to 16.2 points and 5.3 rebounds a game, including a 44% mark from outside the arc. The Huskies won 27 games and the regular season title in the Pac-12, with Nowell scoring 19 points in their lone NCAA Tournament win over Utah State.
His leadership and great performance as a sophomore saw him named Pac-12 Player of the Year for spearheading the Huskies to the Pac-12 title. Nowell was a solid scorer who sat among the league leaders in a plethora of categories. Most importantly, he was a winner for the Huskies in those two seasons, as the program took quite the nosedive after that season. Meanwhile, Nowell was a second-round NBA draft pick and has spent the last four years playing professional ball.
14. Tyger Campbell
A 5’11 point guard from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Campbell chose UCLA, joining Mick Cronin on the west coast in 2019. Campbell was a fantastic player and started all 137 games he played for the Bruins across these four most recent seasons. Not only was he a leader, but he was an extremely talented part of some awesome seasons in Los Angeles.
The Bruins bounced back nicely during Campbell’s freshman season, though his sophomore year was the real spotlight. Campbell averaged 10.4 points and 5.4 assists and helped lead the Bruins to the Final Four as an 11-seed, including his 17-point, 7-assist performance in their epic and close loss to Gonzaga. Over the course of his final two seasons, he’d remain an impactful leader at the point for the Bruins, guiding the program to two Sweet Sixteen appearances while racking up decent scoring numbers in the process.
Not only Campbell was named First Team All-Pac-12 in those final three seasons, but he also established himself as the west coast’s premier point guard. He was surrounded by a ton of talent and finished 3rd in the conference in assists in each of his four seasons. While all the metrics might not jump out at you, Campbell played an incredibly important leadership role and was a pretty solid shooter too, leading the Pac-12 in free throw shooting in that final year.
13. Gary Payton II
Payton’s collegiate career began in relative obscurity at Salt Lake CC before transferring to Oregon State in 2014, joining the program his father starred at back in the late 80’s and early 90’s. A 6’3 combo guard from Las Vegas, Payton joined a Beavers program under new head coach Wayne Tinkle that greatly exceeded expectations across the next two seasons.
As a junior, he averaged 13.4 points, 7.5 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and 3.1 steals, filling the stat sheets and becoming quite the leader right off the bat for the Beavers. That included a triple-double against Grambling State, a feat that nobody had done for Oregon State since his father nearly three decades earlier. In his senior season, Payton continued to carry the ball, averaging 16.0 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 5.0 assists while leading Oregon State to their first NCAA Tournament in 26 years. He had 20 points and 17 rebounds in a Pac-12 Tournament loss to California before VCU ended his college career in the Big Dance.
Payton was named Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year and First Team All-Pac-12 in each of those two seasons at Oregon State, establishing himself not only as an impressive scorer but as an elite defender as well. He became quite the sparkplug for a long-dormant Beavers program while leading the conference in steals in both seasons. Payton’s numbers across the board were fantastic and he helped put the program back in shape for the first time since his father was on the court; his career continues seven years later in the NBA.
12. Jakob Poeltl
Poeltl is a 7’0 center originally from Austria who arrived in the Pac-12 at Utah back in 2014. The Utes were still struggling to find their footing since joining the league a few years prior, but Poeltl played a major role in their success over the next two seasons, becoming one of their most impactful frontcourt stars since the turn of the century.
In his freshman season, Poeltl averaged 9.1 points and 6.8 rebounds and played quite the role for the Utes. He played his best ball late in the year, helping Utah to a 2nd place finish in the Pac-12 and a run to the Sweet Sixteen, with a season-high 18 points against Stephen F. Austin in the opening round. His numbers were even more impressive the following year, including a career-high 32-point effort against Temple. On the year he was good for 17.2 points and 9.1 rebounds and led the Utes back to the NCAA Tournament, with 16 points and 18 rebounds against Fresno State in a first-round victory.
Poeltl truly established himself in that second season, as he was named a Second Team All-American, Pac-12 Player of the Year, and the winner of the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award. He was one of the most efficient scorers in the nation and developed into quite the weapon for the Utes, as the program won three NCAA Tournament games during those two seasons. Poeltl then became the 9th pick of the 2016 NBA Draft after becoming quite the legend with the Utes.
11. Joe Young
A 6’2 combo guard from Houston, Young stayed in his hometown to start his college career, playing for the Cougars when that program was still in Conference USA. He actually had a really impressive sophomore season with the Cougars, but opted to transfer to Oregon, starring at the power conference level for his final two collegiate seasons.
In his junior season, Young put up 18.9 points per game in his first season in the Pac-12, dropping a career-high 36 points against Western Carolina in just his second game with the Ducks. He’d help lead Oregon to the NCAA Tournament and had 29 points in a season-ending loss to Wisconsin. As a senior, Young was good for 20.7 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 3.8 assists a game. He had several 30-point performances, including in a season-ending loss in the second round of the Big Dance, again at the hands of Wisconsin.
There was a lot to love about Young’s game and it really shined in his senior year. Young was the top scorer and free throw shooter in the conference and was named Pac-12 Player of the Year as a result. He helped lead Oregon to a fantastic season and really played his role well on offense after transferring to the Ducks. He wasn’t still around for the Ducks’ deeper run in the Big Dance a few years later, but he played a massive role in Dana Altman’s program during those two seasons.
10. Delon Wright
While he’d later become a star in the Pac-12, Wright actually began his collegiate journey in 2011 at the City College of San Francisco. This 6’5 point guard from Los Angeles turned plenty of heads at the junior college level before deciding to transfer to Utah. Wright joined a Utes program that had really struggled in recent years and was a major factor in their turnaround.
In his first season of D1 ball, Wright averaged 15.5 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 5.3 assists per game as the Utes won 21 games, a nice improvement over the previous season. He came up just short of a triple-double on multiple occasions and had great steals figures as well. As a senior, Wright shot the ball even better and led the Utes to a 26-win season that involved a trip to the Sweet Sixteen.
Not only was Wright named First Team All-Pac-12 for both seasons, he won the Bob Cousy Award and was a Second Team All-American in his final collegiate campaign. Wright truly rose to stardom after playing junior college ball in northern California, becoming one of the most efficient scorers in the Pac-12 while ranking nationally in steals in both seasons as well. Wright was the 20th pick of the 2015 NBA Draft and continues to play professional ball nearly a decade later.
9. Azuolas Tubelis
A 6’11 big man from Lithuania, Tubelis would become quite the stud in three seasons at Arizona. He joined the program in 2020 and had a great freshman year under Sean Miller before becoming a national star the next two seasons, sticking it out with the Wildcats. Tubelis was a major part of this program’s most recent success and has recently been one of the nation’s best frontcourt pieces.
Good for 12.2 points and 7.1 rebounds a game as a freshman, Tubelis was even more impactful under new head coach Tommy Lloyd. He helped lead Arizona to the Sweet Sixteen and a pair of conference titles as a sophomore (putting up 30 points on Utah early in the season) before really breaking out as a junior. This most recent season saw him average 19.8 points and 9.1 rebounds per game, leading Arizona to another fantastic year with 28 wins.
He was First Team All-Pac-12 in those last two seasons, but that junior year was the real highlight for Tubelis. Not only did he help lead the Pac-12 in scoring and rebounding, he was also Pac-12 Tournament MVP and guided the Wildcats to another conference title. Arizona was in great hands these last few seasons with Tubelis’s leadership in the frontcourt, but he’s continuing his basketball career in the NBA from here on out.
8. Bennedict Mathurin
Mathurin is a 6’7 wing from Montreal who was actually a Top 100 recruit from the Class of 2020. He was recruited to Arizona by Sean Miller and had a solid freshman season, but Mathurin really developed into a star under new head coach Tommy Lloyd in his sophomore year. We’ll look at both seasons here, though Arizona truly got an impressive star on the court.
In that freshman season, Mathurin was still very solid, averaging 10.8 points and 4.8 rebounds, albeit in a disappointing season for the Wildcats. Year two was anything but disappointing, as the program had a new breath of life. Mathurin averaged 17.7 points and 5.6 rebounds and was an important figure as the Wildcats won the Pac-12 regular season and tournament titles and advanced to the Sweet Sixteen. He dropped 27 points against an elite UCLA squad in the Pac-12 Tournament final and had 30 points in a wild game against TCU in the NCAA Tournament.
Arizona was perhaps the biggest surprise of the 2022 college basketball season and Mathurin’s standout season was a major reason. He was named Pac-12 Player of the Year, Tournament MVP, and was a Second Team All-American, playing a significant role in the Wildcats’ 31-win season and return to relevancy. After showing that talent, he was selected 6th in the 2022 NBA Draft by the Indiana Pacers.
7. Nick Johnson
A five-star backcourt prospect, Johnson certainly rose to recognition during his career at Arizona. A 6’3 guard from Gilbert, Arizona, he stayed close to home with the Wildcats, arriving on campus way back in 2011. Johnson was pretty solid in Arizona’s backcourt during his first two seasons, but it’s his magnificent junior season that we’re focusing on today.
In that third collegiate campaign, Johnson averaged 16.3 points and 4.1 rebounds per game, hitting 37% of his 3-pointers and playing a major role for the Wildcats. He was the leading scorer on an Arizona team that won their first 21 games and advanced to the Elite Eight of the 2014 NCAA Tournament. He was a major threat throughout that successful season, with a bunch of 20-point performances while also leading the Wildcats in assists.
Johnson was downright fantastic in leading the Wildcats and really established himself on the national stage. He was Pac-12 Player of the Year and was named a First Team All-American, while also finding a spot on the Pac-12’s All-Defense team. Johnson was one of the top scorers in the Pac-12 and led the Wildcats so close to the Final Four before falling to Wisconsin in the Elite Eight. Forgoing his senior season, he was a second round draft pick in the 2014 NBA Draft.
6. Evan Mobley
Mobley is a 7’0 center from Murrieta, California who was one of the top recruits in the Class of 2020. He’d join his brother and father (an assistant) at USC and would spend a single fantastic season in Andy Enfield’s program. The Trojans had quite the year following the start of the pandemic.
During his freshman season, Mobley averaged 16.4 points and 8.7 rebounds for the Trojans. He had numerous double-doubles, a pair of 26-point performances in the Pac-12 Tournament, and led USC into the Big Dance. From there, he was a massive part as the Trojans made a surprise trip to the Elite Eight, upsetting Kansas in the process. Mobley shot just under 62% from the field on the year and also averaged 2.9 blocks per game.
He performed like a 5-star recruit and was a major part of USC’s stellar season. After leading the conference in points, rebounds, and blocks, Mobley swept the awards, winning Pac-12 Player of the Year, Rookie of the Year, and Defensive Player of the Year. He was also named a Second Team All-American and was honored for his work taking the Trojans to the Elite Eight. He was then taken with the third pick of the 2021 NBA Draft, having done significant work as a college star.
5. Dillon Brooks
A 6’5 wing from Canada, Brooks found his way to Oregon back in 2014. He’d become a major part of the Ducks’ program from the beginning and would spend three seasons in Eugene. In becoming a major star in the sport, Brooks had one heck of a junior season both for himself and for his school.
He put up respectable figures as a freshman, averaging 11.5 points and 4.9 rebounds a game. He’d help lead Oregon to Pac-12 regular season and tournament titles as a sophomore, including a 22-point performance against Duke in the Sweet Sixteen. In each of his final two seasons, he’d average at least 16 points per game and lead the Ducks on a deep run, though junior year was the highlight. Brooks made 40% of his 3-pointers and guided Oregon on a 33-win season that ended in the Final Four.
Not only was he named First Team All-Pac-12 in those last two seasons< Brooks was a Second Team All-American and the Pac-12 Player of the Year as a junior. He’d become not only one of the top scorers in the conference, but one of its most impactful players. Brooks helped lead the Ducks to eight wins in the NCAA Tournament during his three seasons and remains a major name in professional basketball today, having been selected in the 2017 NBA Draft.
4. Jaime Jaquez Jr.
A 6’6 wing from Camarillo, California, Jaquez was a fringe Top 100 prospect back in 2019. He was originally recruited to UCLA by Steve Alford but stuck with the school after Mick Cronin was hired that offseason. Jaquez would spend four seasons with the Bruins and would turn into quite the star both in the Pac-12 and at the national level for this program.
He’d begin to establish himself during his freshman year, but things really came together during Jaquez’s second season on campus. He’d average 12.3 points and 6.1 rebounds and help lead the Bruins all the way to the Final Four as an 11-seed, including a 27-point outing against Michigan State. He’d guide UCLA to the Sweet Sixteen in each of his upperclassmen seasons and would become the program’s most important player as a senior. In that final year, he’d average 17.8 points and 8.2 rebounds, including a 29-point performance in his final game, a Sweet Sixteen loss to Gonzaga.
Jaquez played an important role during UCLA’s breakthrough success in recent years. He was twice First Team All-Pac-12, twice All-Defense in the league, but really peaked as a senior. In this most recent college basketball season, Jaquez was named Pac-12 Player of the Year and a Second Team All-American. His numbers across the board were impressive, finishing among the Pac-12’s leaders in points, rebounds, and steals. He was then taken in the first round of the 2023 NBA Draft by the Miami Heat.
3. Payton Pritchard
There was a lot to like about Pritchard’s four-year tenure with Dana Altman at Oregon. This 6’2 point guard from West Linn, Oregon was a Top 50 recruit back in 2016 who chose to stay in his home state and would become a star at the national level. Success came early and often for both Oregon and Pritchard, and he’d have quite the career leading the Ducks.
While a freshman, he’d help take Oregon to their first Final Four in nearly eight decades. His numbers took a big step forward after that, as he’d average at least 12 points a game in the next two seasons. Pritchard also established himself as an efficient shooter and took Oregon to a Pac-12 Tournament title and Sweet Sixteen run as a junior. In his senior year, the season shortened by the pandemic, Pritchard averaged 20.5 points and 5.5 assists per game. He led the Ducks to another regular season title in the Pac-12 and had a 38-point outburst at Arizona in one of his final games.
Pritchard was plenty impactful early in his career, but that senior year certainly took the cake. Emerging as the Pac-12’s leader in points and assists, he was named Pac-12 Player of the Year and a First Team All-American while also winning the Bob Cousy Award. Let’s not forget that he helped guide the Ducks to a Final Four as a freshman and was Pac-12 Tournament MVP two years later. Clearly a successful point guard, he became a late first-round pick in the 2020 NBA Draft.
2. Lonzo Ball
A 6’6 point guard from Chino Hills, California, Ball was a massively-touted recruit, considered one of the very best in the nation in 2016. He and his brothers were recruited to UCLA by Steve Alford, though Lonzo was the only one who reached stardom at the college level. Ball only needed to spend his freshman season with the Bruins because it really showcased his talent and potential.
On the year, Ball averaged 14.6 points, 7.6 assists, and 6.0 rebounds per game, really filling the stat sheets for the Bruins. He’d also shoot 41% from outside the arc and had a ton of success all over the court. He’d have a career-high 24 points against Arizona and would put up 14 assists in a game against Washington State a few weeks later. Most importantly, Ball helped take the Bruins to the Sweet Sixteen, scoring 18 points in an NCAA Tournament win over Cincinnati.
Spouting off numbers doesn’t really tell the whole story of Ball’s success, but he had an incredible freshman season. He was a First Team All-American, Pac-12 Rookie of the Year, and was a finalist for the Wooden Award. He was the national leader in assists with 274 on the season and was the most efficient shooter in the Pac-12. Ball when then drafted 2nd overall by the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2017 NBA Draft.
1. Deandre Ayton
One of the nation’s top recruits back in 2017, Ayton really established himself on the basketball court after choosing Arizona. A 7’1 center originally from the Bahamas, Ayton would spend just that single season with the Wildcats but clearly emerged as a major player and dominant frontcourt presence, and not just at the Pac-12 level.
In that lone freshman season, Ayton averaged 20.1 points and 11.6 rebounds, putting up monster numbers for the Wildcats. He made 63% of his 2-point attempts, accumulated 1.9 blocks per game, and led Arizona to regular season and tournament titles in the Pac-12. He had a 29-point, 18-rebound effort against Alabama and had a pair of 32-point performances in the semifinals and finals of the Pac-12 Tournament. Unfortunately, the Wildcats were upset in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament by Buffalo.
Ayton was quite possibly the best athlete the Pac-12 has had in recent memory. He was the Pac-12’s top scorer and one of the nation’s best rebounders and really racked up the awards. Ayton was a First Team All-American, Pac-12 Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year, Tournament MVP, and also took home the Karl Malone Award. Ayton was then selected with the 1st pick of the 2018 NBA Draft by the nearby Phoenix Suns and continues to be a dynamic center at the professional level.