Men’s College Hoops Preview: The Pac-12 Geared Up for Its Final Act

The league’s top squads’ incoming talent is immense, while those in the middle have boosted rosters with the transfer portal.

As part of its 2023–24 men’s basketball preseason coverage, Sports Illustrated is rolling out previews for each of the six high-major conferences. Next up is the Pac-12.

This will be the final season of the Pac-12, at least in anything resembling its current form. Ten of the league’s 12 schools are set to scatter to other high-major conferences next year, but that doesn’t mean the last act for the league can’t be a good one. The incoming talent for the league’s top teams is outstanding, and teams in the middle beefed up their rosters via the transfer portal to keep things interesting.

SI’s picks for …

Player of the Year: Oumar Ballo, Arizona

Newcomer of the Year: Isaiah Collier, USC

Dark-Horse Team: Washington

First-Team All-Conference:

• Isaiah Collier, USC
• Boogie Ellis, USC
• Caleb Love, Arizona
• Tristan da Silva, Colorado
• Oumar Ballo, Arizona

SI’s predicted order of finish:

1. Arizona

• PG Kylan Boswell
• SG Caleb Love
• SF Pelle Larsson
• PF Keshad Johnson
• C Oumar Ballo

The regular-season success has been plentiful under Tommy Lloyd through two seasons. Is this the Wildcats team that breaks through in March? Adding mercurial guard Love is a high-risk, high-reward move, but he’s among the nation’s best scorers when at his best, making this an intriguing buy-low chance for Lloyd. Former elite recruit Boswell could be the bigger linchpin though, taking over for Kerr Kriisa at point guard. With steady backcourt play, the Wildcats should be a title contender given the presence of a star big like Ballo and veteran transfer Johnson up front.

While the Wildcats welcome one of the nation’s best scorers in transfer Love, Boswell is also primed for a breakout year at point guard.  :: Stephen R. Sylvanie/USA TODAY Sports

2. USC

• PG Isaiah Collier
• SG Boogie Ellis
• SF Kobe Johnson
• PF DJ Rodman
• C Joshua Morgan

The Trojans have among the best backcourts in the country with top high school recruit Collier and fifth-year returner Ellis. Collier is the exception in an otherwise weak 2023 high school class, a fierce two-way competitor with the ability to create for himself and others, while Ellis quietly is one of the best returning players in the sport after averaging nearly 18 points per game a season ago. Add in a potential breakout campaign from Johnson on the wing, and this Trojans team can contend for a Pac-12 title and more.

3. UCLA

• PG Dylan Andrews
• SG Jan Vide
• SF Lazar Stefanovic
• PF Berke Buyuktuncel
• C Adem Bona

No team has embraced international recruiting more than the Bruins, who added freshmen from Serbia, France, Spain and Turkey this spring. The incoming talent is immense, headlined by potential first-round picks Aday Mara and Buyuktuncel. Mara’s passing ability at 7'3" is intriguing, while Buyuktuncel should make an immediate impact at both forward spots. Integrating into the American game (particularly under a demanding coach like Mick Cronin) might be a struggle early, but the upside is very high if it comes together. I’m also bullish on sophomore PG Andrews.

4. Colorado

• PG KJ Simpson
• SG Julian Hammond
• SF Cody Williams
• PF Tristan da Silva
• C Eddie Lampkin

The Buffaloes are an intriguing dark horse, with its top two scorers (Simpson and da Silva) returning after averaging nearly 32 points per game combined last season and elite recruit Williams incoming. Williams, the brother of Oklahoma City Thunder wing Jalen Williams, is the highest-rated recruit in Colorado history. Pair him with Simpson and da Silva, and this is a team that can make noise in the Pac-12.

Averaging 15.9 points per game last season, da Silva returns for his senior season with the hopes of improving his draft stock.  :: Stephen R. Sylvanie/USA TODAY Sports

5. Oregon

• PG Jackson Shelstad
• SG Kario Oquendo
• SF Jermaine Couisnard
• PF Kwame Evans Jr.
• C N’Faly Dante

Hobbled by injuries a season ago, the Ducks certainly have the talent to be a Pac-12 contender if healthy. Three top-40 high school players join the fray, including potential starting PG Shelstad, who could have a Payton Pritchard–like impact on the Oregon program. Add in some continuity, particularly with returning center Dante, and a return to the NCAA tournament should be the expectation for the Ducks after missing the Big Dance in each of the past two seasons.

6. Washington

• PG Sahvir Wheeler
• SG Paul Mulcahy
• SF Keion Brooks Jr.
• PF Moses Wood
• C Braxton Meah

The Huskies pushed the chips in this spring, entering a hot-seat year for coach Mike Hopkins. The result: a roster certainly talented enough to make the NCAA tournament, though, with some flaws. Kentucky transfer Wheeler is a great buy-low bet after a rough senior season in Lexington, and Rutgers import Mulcahy provides another ball-mover and defender. This team should be ferocious defensively with Meah protecting the rim, but do the Huskies have enough shooting to go dancing?

7. Stanford

• PG Jared Bynum
• SG Andrej Stojaković
• SF Spencer Jones
• PF Brandon Angel
• C Maxime Raynaud

Many believed last year would be the end for coach Jerod Haase, but the embattled coach earned one more year from the Stanford administration. Will that faith pay off? Providence transfer PG Bynum has played in plenty of big games and will hopefully provide the stability the Cardinal have lacked at that position lately, while freshman Stojaković could be yet another boon to the backcourt. Add in big wing shooters like Jones and Angel, and the Cardinal will be difficult to guard offensively. Defensive improvements are a must, though, after two straight years outside the top 100 in KenPom’s rankings on that end of the floor.

8. Cal

• PG Jalen Cone
• SG Devin Askew
• SF Keonte Kennedy
• PF Jaylon Tyson (needs NCAA waiver)
• C Fardaws Aimaq

Stanford alum and former Laker Mark Madsen gets the unenviable task of turning around this moribund Cal program, but is off to quite a promising start. Madsen completely flipped the roster in the transfer portal and added some legit star power, headlined by the Texas Tech duo of Tyson and Aimaq. Aimaq should be a double-double machine in the Pac-12 if healthy after an injury-riddled campaign at Tech, and Tyson will be leaned on heavily as a playmaker on the wing. I’m not sure this team has NCAA tournament talent, but this being a potential postseason team after winning just three games a year ago is quite the turnaround.

9. Utah

• PG Rollie Worster
• SG Deivon Smith (needs NCAA waiver)
• SF Gabe Madsen
• PF Ben Carlson
• C Branden Carlson

Craig Smith has yet to find the magic at Utah that he conjured at Utah State, where he built the Aggies into an elite mid-major program. Talent still looks like an issue to break into the upper echelon of the Pac-12, though the return of Branden Carlson up front certainly helps. Carlson, who averaged more than 16 points and 7 rebounds per game a season ago, is perhaps the nation’s most underrated big and should lead the way for the Utes. It’s just not clear where the rest of the offense is coming from, especially if Georgia Tech transfer Smith isn’t cleared by the NCAA as a second-time transfer.

Carlson, who averaged more than 16 points and 7 rebounds per game last year, should lead the way for the Utes this year :: Joe Rondone/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK

10. Washington State

• PG Joseph Yesufu
• SG Kymany Houinsou
• SF Jabe Mullins
• PF Andrej Jakimovski
• C Isaac Jones

Washington State has found its footing as a program under Kyle Smith, but another above-.500 finish in league play feels like an uphill battle after the departures of Justin Powell and Mouhamed Gueye. On the bright side, Kansas transfer Yesufu should put up big numbers, and a breakout year could be in store for backcourt sidekick Houinsou. Idaho transfer Jones is an analytics darling after putting up monster numbers in the Big Sky, though he’ll have to prove he can produce against better athletes at the high-major level.

11. Arizona State

• PG Frankie Collins
• SG Adam Miller (needs NCAA waiver)
• SF Jamiya Neal
• PF Kamari Lands
• C Shawn Phillips Jr.

Bobby Hurley staved off the hot seat for another year by sneaking into the NCAA tournament, but replicating that success in 2023–24 won’t be easy. Arizona saw a mass exodus into the transfer portal this spring, with three starters headed to new schools. The return of point guard Collins should help, but this group doesn’t have the firepower it had offensively a season ago, nor the athleticism up front to wreak havoc defensively as it did in ’22–23. Hurley needs big years from forwards Neal and Lands, while a pair of backcourt transfers with eligibility questions in Miller and Jose Perez are also key.

12. Oregon State

• PG Jordan Pope
• SG Christian Wright
• SF Dexter Akanno
• PF Tyler Bilodeau
• C Michael Rataj

It’s hard to find too many reasons for optimism here. The Beavers did at least retain a young core headlined by talented guard Pope, but this group lacks the talent to consistently compete with Pac-12 foes on paper. I’d be surprised if this isn’t a third straight under-.500 season for Oregon State. Conference instability and a hefty buyout may be the only two things keeping Wayne Tinkle in charge in Corvallis beyond this season.