PAC-12 Play Is On Its Way

By P.J. Coffaro

Heading into the first official season of Pac-12 basketball it is unclear, depending on who you are talking to, as to who the favorite is to win the conference. The conference appears as open as I think I have seen in quite some time. Of course the usual suspects should be considered but there a few other teams who believe they have a chance to win as well. As many as five teams can stake claim that they have a legitimate shot to win the title. I will give a breakdown of every team and give my prediction on what the final standings will be heading into the pac-12 tournament.

Arizona (9-4)

This is in my opinion one of the teams that have a legitimate shot to win the conference this year. The Wildcats have an extremely athletic team, one in which Washington is the only team that can match up with them in that category. They have had a problem finding their identity this season as they lost their top two scorers in Derrick Williams and Momo Jones. If they can find a way to score more points they will be a very tough team to beat due to how well they are playing defensively. Sean Miller has always been a coach who has had good defensive teams and always gets his team playing their best come tourney time. Outside of scoring the biggest issue this team will have is rebounding because they lack a true center and will have to rebound by committee and flat out outwork their opponents. Despite being young, with the non-conference schedule they have played, they should be just fine heading into Pac-12 play and one of the favorites.

Arizona State (4-8)

Quite frankly the Sun Devils are a team that has no leadership and nobody that everyone can look to as a leader. With the departure of several key seniors it has left this roster without any seniors. They are 4-8 heading into conference play and have not played a hard schedule at all. Unless something drastic happens they will be a team trying to play spoiler to their opponents. Look for the Sun Devils to finish toward the bottom of the pack this year.

California (10-3)

A common pick to win the Pac-12 this season are the Cal Golden Bears. I was not sold on them coming into the season and they did nothing to prove to me that they will win the conference despite their 10-3 record. Not one of the ten opponents they beat will be a part of the tournament unless they win their conference tournament. The Golden Bears played three legitimate opponents and got demolished by 2 of the 3 and still lost that other game. This is not a very deep team and that will wear on them come the end of the season. They are a good team that will compete in the Pac-12, I just don’t think they can out duel the likes of Arizona and Washington. To win the Pac-12 they will need Jorge Gutierrez and Allen Crabbe to really play and average a combined 40 points a night.

Colorado (7-4)

Heading into their first season in the Pac-12 the Buffaloes look as if they will be 8-4. They are going to be a bit of an unknown without any real impressive wins but have some bad losses. Like Arizona, they don’t have a standout guy to go to offensively as they do it by committee. A team eager to get out of the Big-12 and have a chance to compete in basketball, look for them to finish toward the middle of the conference in their first season.

Oregon (9-3)

A team where only their fans expect them to be able to compete for a Pac-12 might have earned some respect outside Eugene. Heading into conference play with just three losses and quality ones at that. They don’t have quality wins but have played several tough opponents in which they competed with. Led by Garrett Sim, EJ Singler this is a team that might be able to shock some people with some big time wins. Coach Dana Altman has this team going in the right direction and look for them to compete in the coming years, but as for this year they should be around the middle.

Oregon State (10-2)

A team that not many outside of the Pac-12 know about is the Beavers. They have been on the rise over the past few years under head coach Robinson. They have had a stellar non-conference season. If they continue to score like they have then they will be the surprise team in the conference this season. Scoring over 80ppg and a team that has always stifled opponent with the 1-2-2 zone they play could be a dangerous combo. I have yet to mention Jared Cunningham who will definitely have the potential to win Pac-12 player of the year. Look out for the Beavers as the team to surprise.

Stanford (10-2)

Coach Dawkins appears to finally be getting his own recruits and they are off to a fast start. He did manage to work under possibly the best coach in Coach K and is building his team in a similar way. The Cardinal are a very deep team with 9 players playing at least 13 minutes a game and nobody playing over 30 minutes a game. This team should be very fresh heading into Pac-12 play and look for them to compete.

UCLA (6-5)

After an absolute horrendous start to the season the Bruins appear to heading in the right direction albeit against lesser opponents. However, how much of the early season debacles can be attributed to the distractions of former center Reeves Nelson who is no longer on the team. They have been playing great suffocating defense and with the addition of the Wear twins, the Bruins are still a team I don’t want to play. Despite the slow start and less than impressive record, don’t be surprised if UCLA manages to finish toward the top of the conference.

USC (5-8)

Although they have a terrible record, don’t let it full you as the Trojans have lost a lot of good opponents. Don’t expect them to compete for the conference but also don’t expect them to be a pushover either. With a player like Maurice Jones, they will always have a chance to win any game that is close. Look for the Trojans to steal a few wins at home and have some effect on who wins the conference.

Utah (3-9)

The other newcomer of the Pac-12 appears like they wont be much competition this season. The Utes have not played a hard schedule at all and yet only have three wins. Not a whole lot of positives to find heading into conference play. Look for Utah to finish at the bottom in their first season.

Washington (6-5)

Along with Arizona, the Huskies will be the most athletic team on the court most nights this season. They might have five losses but like the Wildcats they have all been rather impressive opponents they have lost to. Also like Arizona they have lost several key players and are coming into their own as a young group. Freshman Tony Wroten has been one of the most impressive freshmen in the country and shows no signs of slowing down. Look for the Huskies to be at the top competing for the title.

Washington State (8-4)

A team heading into Pac-12 play with a 6 game winning streak. None of those opponents would have been anyone who scared you however. I don’t think too many people expected much from the Cougars this season after losing star Klay Thompson and Casto. Just two players average in double figures may be a problem for them. A very young roster, look for them to compete hard and give teams trouble in Pullman, but don’t look for them to compete for a title.

PJ's Prediction:

1) Arizona
2) Washington
3) California
4) UCLA
5) Stanford
6) Oregon State
7) Washington State
8) Oregon
9) Colorado
10) USC
11) Arizona State
12) Utah

What are y'all's thoughts on the conference, what are your predictions?