Pac-12 proponents enter this particularly perplexing season in prayer of a postseason, nothing more, nothing less. Theyβre even willing to pull for their players at a safe distance.
Can the players reward that loyalty with a pitch-perfect performance? Unable to make up for the embarrassment that was the 2019 NCAA Tournament with a collective deep run this year, perhaps itβs time for the Pac-12 to prevail once more.
If that was too many Ps for two paragraphs, donβt worry, thereβs only one more. P is for patience this year β all of us included β and here are 25 other letters to remember.
A is for Akinjo. The Wildcats know a thing or two about taking an already finished product from back east and turning him into a desert diamond. Can James Akinjo produce for the Wildcats like T.J. McConnell once did? The former Big East Freshman of the Year has some lofty expectations in Tucson.
B is for Bradley. Matt Bradley is Cal basketball. After averaging 17.5 points and 4.9 rebounds per game, Bradley earned first-team preseason all-Pac-12 nod this time around. A deadly outside shooter, Bradley set the Cal freshman record for 3-point field goal percentage (47.2%) in 2018-19 and added 66 more treys last year.
C is for Campbell. Tyger Campbell, the talented UCLA point guard who boasts both the best hair and the best name in the Pac-12, could be the big difference-maker for the Bruins. A redshirt sophomore who missed what wouldβve been his true freshman year in 2018-19 because of a torn ACL, Campbell averaged 8.3 points and a team-high 5.0 assists per game last year. He is one of just five on the preseason all-conference second team.
D is for Duarte. Oregonβs Chris Duarte transitioned well from Northwest Florida State College, a juco in Niceville, Florida, into an all-conference honorable mention selection last year. Heβll need to make the most of his swan song to help the Ducks replace do-everything star Payton Pritchard.
E is for Enfield. Kudos to USC head coach Andy Enfield for landing Isaiah Mobley in 2019. That recruiting coup led to the Trojans also landing Mobleyβs younger brother Evan, who was named the Morgan Wootten McDonaldβs National Player of the Year in April. So maybe the E is for Evan?
F is for freshmen. Mobley isnβt the only diaper dandy in the Pac-12 this year. Stanfordβs Ziaire Williams (See: Z is for...) and Arizona Stateβs Josh Christopher are also McDonaldβs All-Americans; Christopherβs Sun Devils teammate, Marcus Bagley, and UCLAβs Jaylen Clark should also impress.
G is for Gach. The departure of Utah guard Both Gach might be the hardest transfer loss for any Pac-12 coach to swallow. Larry Krystkowiak watched as his 6-foot-6-inch combo guard headed back to his home state of Minnesota to play for the Golden Gophers. Now the Utes will have to replace what likely wouldβve been an improvement on Gachβs 10.7 points, 3.6 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game last year.
H is for Hurley. Wildcats fans canβt feel good about whatβs happening up north. Bobby Hurley has solidified himself as a formidable recruiter, and the Sun Devils appear to have their best squad in the Duke legendβs tenure in Tempe.
I is for Isaac. Isaac Bonton might just be the lone bright spot up in Pullman. Wazzu hopes Bonton blossoms into another Klay Thompson after he averaged 15.3 points per game, 11th in the conference, as a junior. Bonton also drops dimes: He finished ninth in the Pac-12 last season with 4.0 assists per game.
J is for JJ. UCLA must have the best pair of JJs in the country β preseason all-conference honorable mention selection Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Kentucky transfer Johnny Juzang, who was granted immediate eligibility this season. If the JJs can hit their j-jumpers, Bruins coach Mick Cronin will be jubilant.
K is for Kerr. For the first time in A-to-Z history, no, not Steve. His namesake, Arizona freshman Kerr Kriisa, is one of the top international recruits in college hoops. The Estonian guard can make an immediate impact if he locks in on defense.
L is for Lars. Arizona isnβt the only team with international flavor. Calβs Lars Thiemann made 18 starts as a freshman, and despite middling numbers β3.0 points and 2.2 rebounds per game β he is in store for a bigger role this year.
M is for Mobley. Yes, we gave the younger Mobley some run earlier, his older brother Isaiah is not to be slept on either. Mobley the Elder was both a five-star recruit and a McDonaldβs All-American. Heβll boost his freshman averages of 6.2 points and 5.3 rebounds.
N is for Nnaji. Much was made of Arizonaβs freshman trio of Nico Mannion, Josh Green and Zeke Nnaji, but in preseason write-ups, Nnaji almost always got third billing. After averaging 16.1 points and 8.6 rebounds per game and earning conference freshman of the year honors, he might leave the Pac-12βs biggest void.
O is for Oscar. Stanfordβs savvy senior Oscar da Silva is coming off a first-team all-conference season, one in which he averaged 15.7 points and 6.4 rebounds per game. He was at his best in big games, like when he scored a career-high 27 points in a Feb. 1 win over No. 10 Oregon.
P is for patience. As weβve learned with the topsy-turvy Pac-12 football season, no game is guaranteed. Weβre in a P for pandemic, after all. All we can do is fans is appreciate the games we do get β and hope everyone involved stays safe.
Q is for Quade. Philadelphia-bred former Kentucky Wildcat Quade Green played in 15 games for Washington last year, and showed glimpses of greatness. After averaging 11.6 points and 5.3 assists per game, the talented point guard is poised for even bigger things.
R is for Remy. Arizona State star Remy Martin very well couldβve gone off to the NBA, but he returned to Hurley and earned a preseason All-American honor. The conferenceβs leading returning scorer at 19.1 points per game, Martin is the favorite for the Pac-12 player of the year award.
S is for Smith. Chris Smith improved from 3.9 points per game as a freshman to 13.1 points as a junior for UCLA, which regained his services on Aug. 3 when he withdrew his name from the NBA Draft. Smith is the main reason UCLA is the Pac-12 favorite entering the year.
T is for Thompson. Oregon Stateβs Ethan Thompson toyed with going pro after his freshman season. Then he returned to the Beavers and upped his scoring to 13.7 points per game as a sophomore and 14.8 last year as a junior before declaring for the NBA Draft. He did not hire an agent, however, and returns to lead the leagueβs worst team.
U is for underrated. Is Arizona getting the short end of the stick despite an array of international talent? Is Stanford being slept on despite perhaps the leagueβs post potent duo in Oscar da Silva and Ziaire Williams? Sure, Oregon loses Payton Pritchard, but is it too early to write the Ducks off? If UCLA and Arizona State are getting a fair amount of recognition, other Pac-12 leaders have a chip on their shoulders.
V is for Verge. All eyes will be on Alonzo Verge, the Pac-12βs reigning Sixth Man of the Year and leading bench scorer in the NCAA. Verge flirted with the NBA Draft before ultimately deciding to stay in Tempe. What happens now? Will he be a super-scorer off the bench, or bump up to a starting role?
W is for Wright. The Nate Archibald of the Rockies, Coloradoβs McKinley Wright packs the biggest punch in the Pac-12. Wright is a two-time all-conference first-team pick with a career average 13.8 points, 5.1 assists and 5.1 rebounds per game. There is no one craftier in the league.
X is for X-factors. We havenβt written much about Utah forward Timmy Allen, Oregonβs Will Richardson or Coloradoβs Evan Battey, but each could be the X-factor in the conference this season. Both Allen and Richardson are preseason first-team selections, while Battey earned an honorable mention nod.
Y is for youth movement. This would be considered a bumper crop by any conferenceβs standards, but for a Pac-12 thatβs been starving for some star power, itβs fair to say weβre in the midst of a youth movement. Which team will reign supreme? The one that can get its freshman phenom to make the fastest leap on the court.
Z is for Ziaire. A star among stars at Sierra Canyon High School last season, Ziaire Williams heads to Palo Alto as one of Stanfordβs top recruits in years. Heβs the first five-star recruit to play at Stanford since Reid Travis in 2014, and most recruiting services had him in the top-10 nationally.