In order of finish as predicted in Pac-12’s official preseason poll:
(Key losses were departed seniors unless otherwise specified.)
1. OREGON
Arizona Oregon's Payton Pritchard, left, is fouled going to the basket by Arizona's Alex Barcello, right, during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game Saturday, March 2, 2019, in Eugene, Ore. (AP Photo/Chris Pietsch)
Trend/stock: Stable. Ducks could be even more talented than the team that finished as a buzzsaw last season.
Games vs Arizona: Jan. 9 at Eugene, Oregon; Feb. 22 at McKale Center
Coach: Dana Altman (235-96 in nine seasons at Oregon, 645-339 in 31st season overall)
Last season: 25-13 overall; 10-8 Pac-12 (tie 4th), lost in NCAA Sweet 16
Returning core: G Payton Pritchard (Sr., 12.9 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 4.9 apg), G Will Richardson (So., 6.0 ppg, 2.4 rpg, 2.5 apg), C Francis Okoro (So., 3.1 ppg, 3.2 rpg).
Key losses: F Paul White (12.0 ppg, 3.9 rpg), F Louis King (13.5 ppg, 5.5 rpg, left early pro basketball), F Kenny Wooten (6.3 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 2.2 bpg, left early for pro basketball), C Bol Bol (9.6 ppg, 2.7 bpg, left for NBA Draft), G Victor Bailey Jr. (7.4 ppg, 2.0 rpg, transferred to Tennessee), G Ehab Amin (5.9 ppg, 1.5 spg), F Miles Norris (3.3 ppg, 1.9 rpg, transferred to UC Santa Barbara).
Newcomers: G Anthony Mathis (New Mexico grad transfer), F C.J. Walker (five-star freshman), F Shakur Juiston (UNLV grad transfer), C N’Faly Dante (five-star freshman), F Addison Patterson (four-star freshman), F Chandler Lawson (four-star freshman), F Lok Wur (four star freshman), G Chris Duarte (juco transfer)
Upside: Long known for pulling in talent at the 11th hour just before school starts, Altman nearly outdid himself this time. Altman landed two high-profile grad transfers in Shakur Juiston of UNLV and Anthony Mathis of New Mexico, who will reunite with former high school backcourt mate Payton Pritchard. Then two would-be high school seniors — five-star center N’Faly Dante and forward Addison Patterson – opted to reclassify and quickly committed to the Ducks. The scramble came after Wooten, Bol and King all took off for the NBA Draft; King and Wooten were not selected.
Downside: With all those newcomers – and egos – Altman will need time to mesh it all together, just as he did last season. Dante’s status was also in question when he was not admitted to school at the beginning of Oregon’s fall quarter.
He said it: “The two grad transfers (Mathis and Juiston) are really going to be important for us. The guys we signed early, CJ Walker, Chris Duarte, Chandler Lawson, are all going to have to be a big part of our team. The three guys we’ve got returning – Payton, Will and Francis — are really going to have to lead us through the early part of the season. Then hopefully the freshmen will come along.” — Altman
2. COLORADO
Colorado Buffaloes guard McKinley Wright IV (25) in the second half of an NCAA college basketball game Sunday, Feb. 17, 2019, in Boulder, Colo.
Stock: Rising. Buffs have the kind of veteran roster that served league champ Washington pretty well last season.
Game vs Arizona: Jan. 18 at McKale Center
Coach: Tad Boyle (189-123 in nine seasons at Colorado; 241-165 in 12 seasons overall)
Last season: 23-13 overall; 10-8 Pac-12 (tie 4th)
Returning core: G McKinley Wright (Jr., 13.0 ppg, 4.9 rpg), G Shane Gatling (Sr., 9.7 ppg, 1.9 rpg), F D’Shawn Schwartz (Jr., 9.2 ppg, 3.7 rpg), F Tyler Bey (Jr., 13.6 ppg, 9.9 rpg), C Evan Battey (So., 8.1 ppg, 4.4 rpg), F Lucas Siewert (Sr., 8.9 ppg, 5.0 rpg), G Daylen Kountz (So., 5.6 ppg, 1.4 rpg), C Dallas Walton (Jr., 5.7 ppg, 3.4 rpg), G Eli Parquet (1.2 ppg, 1.0 rpg), F Alexander Strating (1.9 ppg, 1.1 rpg), F Jakub Dombek (redshirted last season)
Key losses: G Namon Wright (7.0 ppg, 2.9 rpg), G Deleon Brown (4.1 ppg, 1.2 rpg, left early for academic reasons),
Newcomers: F Maddox Daniels (juco transfer)
Upside: Not only do the Buffs have nearly everyone back but, after playing with a bum shoulder most of last season, Wright is fully healthy for a potential league MVP-type season. Walton, a skilled 7-footer, is back from a torn ACL, too.
Downside: Nobody will be taking the Buffs lightly this time, even away from their mile-high home arena, and the unprecedented external expectations will create additional pressure. There also might not be enough minutes to keep everyone happy.
He said it: “The fact that people have picked us where they’ve picked us maybe makes you feel good for a minute, but it’s not going to win you any games. Just like when they pick you 11th, it’s not going to lose you any games. You’ve just got to go out and play and you’ve got to come to the gym every day with the attitude we’re going to get better, and we’ve got to prove ourselves every single night we step on the floor.” — Boyle
3. WASHINGTON
Washington head coach Mike Hopkins rips his jacket off while stomping onto the court to argue a call against his Huskies in the first half against Arizona in their Pac 12 game at McKale Center, Thursday, February 7, 2019, Tucson, Ariz.
Stock: Dipping a bit temporarily. Huskies are much younger but more talented than a year ago.
Games vs UA: Jan. 30 at Seattle; March 7 at McKale Center
Coach: Mike Hopkins (48-24 in two seasons at Washington; 48-24 overall)
Last season: 27-9 overall; 15-3 Pac-12 (1st), lost in NCAA second round
Returning core: F Naz Carter (Jr., 8.1 ppg, 2.7 rpg), F Jamal Bey (So., 1.0 ppg, 0.6 rpg), G Elijah Hardy (1.2 ppg), F Hameir Wright (Jr, 2.8 ppg, 2.3 rpg), C Sam Timmons (Sr., 1.9 ppg, 2.2 rpg).
Key losses: G Jaylen Nowell (16.2 ppg, 5.3 rpg, left early for NBA draft), F Matisse Thybulle (9.1 ppg, 3.1 rpg), F Noah Dickerson (12.3 ppg, 7.5 rpg), G David Crisp (12.2 ppg, 2.1 apg), G Dominic Green (6.1 ppg, 2.7 rpg)
Newcomers: C Isaiah Stewart (five-star freshman), F Jaden McDaniels (four-star freshman), G Quade Green (Kentucky transfer not scheduled to be eligible until December), G Marcus Tsohonis (four-star guard), G Raequan Battle (21.5 ppg, 8.2 rpg)
Upside: Thanks to a recruiting class that includes the interior dominance of Stewart, the talent of McDaniels and the well-regarded Green, the Huskies have a roster that might be more talented than the one that ran away with the Pac-12 last season.
Downside: The Huskies were a mess defensively early in Hopkins’ first season, then thrived as a veteran group last season featuring Pac-12 defensive POY Matisse Thybulle. But Thybulle and Pac-12 MVP Jaylen Nowell are gone, so another learning curve awaits the new bunch and the sound chemistry of last season will need to be recreated. In additions, there are questions at point guard, where Green won’t be eligible until December pending a waiver request and Hardy was lightly used last season.
He said it: “We have a lot of superheroes. We’d be a good Marvel comic. We’ve got a lot of length, we’ve got a lot of athleticism, we’ve got a lot of depth. Now it’s putting it together.” — Hopkins
4. ARIZONA
Arizona freshmen Josh Green and Nico Mannion (1) spent three years on the same travel-ball team.
Stock: Rising. Elite recruiting should help Wildcats rebound from the FBI-induced mediocrity of last season.
Coach: Sean Miller (264-87 in 10 seasons at Arizona; 384-134 in 15 seasons overall).
Last season: 17-15 overall; 8-10 Pac-12 (eighth)
Returning core: G Devonaire Doutrive (3.3 ppg, 3.0 rpg), C Chase Jeter (Sr., 10.9 ppg, 6.6 rpg), G Dylan Smith (7.2 ppg, 3.7 rpg), F Ira Lee (Jr., 6.6 ppg, 4.2 rpg).
Key losses: G Brandon Randolph (12.4 ppg, 3.3 rpg, left early for pro basketball), G Justin Coleman (8.9 ppg, 3.8 apg), F Ryan Luther (8.4 ppg, 4.3 rpg), G Alex Barcello (3.3 ppg, 0.9 rpg, transferred to BYU), F Emmanuel Akot (3.8 ppg, 2.8 rpg, transferred to Boise State).
Newcomers: G Nico Mannion (five-star freshman), G Josh Green (five-star freshman), F Zeke Nnaji (four-star freshman), C Christian Koloko (four-star freshman), F Stone Gettings (Cornell grad transfer), G Max Hazzard (UC Irvine grad transfer), F Jordan Brown (sit-out transfer from Nevada), G Jemarl Baker (sit out transfer from Kentucky; applying for waiver to play this season).
Upside: Mannion’s pied-piper qualities helped form the Wildcats’ elite recruiting class and his wide-ranging talents as a point guard are now expected to help elevate them back to a more customary position on the court.
Downside: The Wildcats have a chemistry-testing mix of four fifth-year seniors, who are all aiming to play somewhere for money next season, and four highly rated freshmen who have already attracted pro scouts.
He said it: “Based on having eight new players and what we went through a year ago, it would not surprise me, if we don’t take a few lumps in the month of November and December. But I do believe we have a much bigger upside, a higher ceiling.” — Miller
5. USC
Southern California's Victor Uyaelunmo (34) and Arizona's Brandon Williams (2) vie for a rebound during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in the first round of the Pac-12 conference tournament Wednesday, March 13, 2019, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)
Stock: Rising. Like Arizona, USC is coming back from FBI-induced struggles on and off the court.
Games with UA: Feb. 6 at McKale Center; Feb. 27 at Los Angeles
Coach: Andy Enfield (110-93 in five seasons at USC; 151-121 in seven seasons overall).
Last season: 16-17 overall; 8-10 Pac-12 (t-8th)
Returning core: F Nick Rakocevic (Sr., 14.7 ppg, 9.3 rpg), G Elijah Weaver (So., 5.1 ppg, 1.7 rpg, 2.4 apg), G Chuck O’Bannon (Jr., 1.3 ppg, 0.6 rpg, injured most of season),G Jonah Mathews (12.6 ppg, 78 3-pointers at 39.3%)
Key losses: F Bennie Boatwright (18.2 ppg, 6.6 rpg), F Kevin Porter Jr. (9.5 ppg, 4.0 rpg, left early for NBA), F J’Raan Brooks (transfer), G Shaqquan Aaron (Sr., 4.3 ppg, 2.1 rpg), G Derryck Thornton (transfer to Boston College),
Newcomers: C Isaiah Mobley (five-star freshman), F Onyeka Okongwu (five-star freshman), F Max Agbonkpolo (four-star freshman), G Quinton Adlesh (13.5 ppg, 2.6 rpg at Columbia/grad transfer), G Kyle Sturdivant (four-star freshman), G Ethan Anderson (20.8 ppg, 6.2 rpg), G Drake London (three-star, also football player), G Daniel Utomi (14.2 ppg, 93 3-pointers at Akron/grad transfer)
Upside: The college-ready Onyeka should immediately combine with the gifted Mobley and feisty veteran Rakocevic for one of the best frontcourts in the country. There’s plenty of shooting, too.
Downside: The Trojans return only three players who averaged double-figure minutes last season, Rakocevic needs more consistency to reach all-league status and somebody needs to help Weaver at point guard.
He said it: “We have three bigs who can protect the basket. We also have some exceptional length and quickness on the perimeter. So we think we can be a much better defensive team and get that transition game going, and then we also have some very good shooters.” — Enfield
6. ARIZONA STATE
Arizona State Sun Devils head coach Bobby Hurley gives an official an earful during the first half.
Stock: Dipping slightly. Sun Devils have instilled a tougher culture but the losses of Luguentz Dort and Zylan Cheatham are significant.
Games with UA: Jan. 4 at McKale Center, Jan. 25 at Tempe
Coach: Bobby Hurley (73-58 in four seasons at ASU; 115-78 in six seasons overall).
Last season: 23-11 overall; 12-6 Pac-12 (2nd), lost in NCAA first round.
Returning core: G Remy Martin (Jr., 12.9 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 5.0 apg), G Rob Edwards (Sr., 11.1 ppg, 3.3 rpg), C Romello White (Jr., 8.7 ppg, 5.2 rpg), F Kimani Lawrence (Jr., 8.6 ppg, 3.5 rpg), F Taeshon Cherry (So., 5.9 ppg, 2.6 rpg).
Key losses: G Luguentz Dort (16.1 ppg, 4.3 rpg, left early for pro basketball), F Zylan Cheatham (12.1 ppg, 10.3 rpg)
Newcomers: G Alonzo Verge (juco transfer, first-team juco all-American), F Khalid Thomas (juco transfer), F Andre Allen (juco transfer), F Jalen Graham (three-star freshman), G Caleb Christopher (three-star freshman), G Jaelen House (three-star freshman).
Upside: Without Dort and Cheatham, Guard U may be more about versatility than physicality this time. But the frontcourt still has potential with a veteran anchor in White, especially if Taeshon Cherry shakes off freshman inconsistency and Kimani Lawrence starts making the most of his versatility.
Downside: The Sun Devils’ backcourt took a hit when Dort became one of six Pac-12 players to leave for the NBA Draft and not get taken. That means a lot of work for Remy Martin and juco all-American Alonzo Verge if the Sun Devils are going to reach a third straight NCAA Tournament. ASU needs Edwards to fully shake off back issues that plagued him last season, too.
He said it: “I think our guards are built to play in transition, play in a fast game. If you put a lot of guys who can get up and down the floor and who can shoot the ball, then you have a lot of options. And then we do have a guy I think we throw the ball to inside in Romello White — just the way he looks and what he’s doing in our workouts — that I think we’re going to have enough balance that we’ll be able to attack in a variety of ways.” — Hurley
7. OREGON STATE
Oregon State's Stephen Thompson Jr. drives to the basket past Arizona's Ira Lee, right, during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game in Corvallis, Ore., Thursday, Feb. 28, 2019.
Stock: Stable. Beavers have a veteran look led by league MVP candidate Tres Tinkle.
Games with UA: Jan. 12 at Corvallis, Oregon; Feb. 20 at McKale Center
Coach: Wayne Tinkle (75-83 in five seasons at Oregon State; 233-174 in 12 seasons overall)
Last season: 18-13 overall; 10-8 Pac-12 (t-4th)
Returning core: F Tres Tinkle (Sr., 20.8 ppg, 8.1 rpg), G Ethan Thompson (Jr., 13.7 ppg, 5.0 rpg), C Kylor Kelley (7.7 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 3.4 bpg), F Alfred Hollins (4.8 ppg, 3.7 rpg), G Zach Reichle (Jr., 3.5 ppg, 2.0 rpg), G Antoine Vernon (So., 1.8 ppg, 0.8 rpg).
Key losses: G Stephen Thompson (16.1 ppg, 4.2 rpg), C Gligorije Rakocevic (5.2 ppg, 4.8 rpg)
Newcomers: G Sean Miller-Moore (juco transfer), G Jerod Lucas (four-star freshman), G Gianni Hunt (three-star freshman), F Payton Dastrup (BYU junior transfer), C Roman Silva (juco transfer), Dearon Tucker (three-star freshman), F Julien Franklin (three-star freshman).
Upside: Returning all-league pick Tres Tinkle and junior guard Ethan Thompson helped OSU considerably — and their Beaver-coaching dads — by pulling out of the NBA Draft. Combined with the shot-swatting Kelley, other productive veterans and key additions, the Beavers have enough to be a dark-horse candidate in the Pac-12 race and compete for an NCAA Tournament berth.
Downside: The Beavers need a point guard, probably Vernon for now and maybe Hunt after he develops, to emerge and allow Thompson the freedom to play off the ball. The Beavers will miss the clutch scoring of his older brother, Stephen, too.
He said it: “It has to perform, it has to produce, but I feel like the depth and the talent level is maybe as good as we’ve ever had at Oregon State.” — Wayne Tinkle
8. UCLA
Arizona guard Alex Barcello, left, and forward Ira Lee bother Bruins guard Prince Ali (23) in the first half Saturday. UA lost to USC and UCLA by a combined 44 points.
Stock: Stable, for now. Intense new coach Mick Cronin might be the guy to end the Bruins’ underachieving.
Games with UA: Feb. 8 at McKale Center, Feb. 29 at Los Angeles
Coach: Mick Cronin (first year at UCLA, 365-171)
Last season: 17-16 overall; 9-9 Pac-12 (5th)
Returning core: G Prince Ali (Sr., 9.6 ppg, 2.7 rpg), F Jalen Hill (So., 4.3 ppg, 6.0 rpg), F Cody Riley (So., 5.5 ppg, 4.1 rpg), F Alex Olesinski (Sr., 2.3 ppg, 2.4 rpg), G David Singleton (So., 5.2 ppg, 1.2 rpg), F Shareef O’Neal (medical redshirt last season), G Tyger Campbell (medical redshirt last season), G Chris Smith (Jr., 6.3 ppg, 3.7 rpg), F Jules Bernard (So., 7.6 ppg, 3.1 rpg).
Key losses: F Kris Wilkes (17.4 ppg, 4.8 rpg, left for NBA), G Jaylen Hands (14.2 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 6.1 apg, left for NBA), C Moses Brown (9.7 ppg, 8.3 rpg),
Newcomers: F Jaime Jaquez, Jr. (four-star freshman), G Jake Kyman (four-star freshman).
Upside: Cronin will be sitting with a boatload of former four-star recruits who could quickly change the momentum in Westwood — especially if point guard Tyger Campbell (ACL) and forward Shareef O’Neal (heart ailment) recover well from medical redshirt seasons.
Downside: There’s no telling how well Bruins will handle Cronin’s defensive-minded demands, nor whether their fans will have an appetite for a slower pace. An adjustment could be quick or it might take all season.
He said it: “The old adage is ‘if you don’t defend, you can’t win.’ Well, you’d better be able to score, too. ... but obviously I do believe it’s hard to win if you’re easily scored upon. Because if you go play Dana Altman’s team, they’re not going to let you score easy, so you’d better not let them score easy.” — — Cronin
9. UTAH
Utah coach Larry Krystkowiak stews in overtime over a fifth foul call on Utes center Jayce Johnson (34). Krystkowiak’s Utes have never won at McKale Center, but, said the coach, “At some point we’ll get one here.”
Stock: Dropping. The Utes’ offseason revolving door spun even faster this time, producing an unusually young roster.
Game vs. UA: Jan. 16 at McKale Center
Coach: Larry Krystkowiak (155-111-97 in eight seasons at Utah; 197-131 in 10 seasons overall).
Last season: 17-14 overall; 11-7 Pac-12 (3rd)
Returning core: F Timmy Allen (So., 12.2 ppg, 5.1 rpg), F Both Gach (So., 7.7 ppg, 2.1 rpg, 2.1 apg), F Riley Battin (So., 6.4. ppg, 3.4 rpg),
Key losses: G Sedrick Barefield (16.8 ppg, 3.8 apg), G Parker Van Dyke (8.5 ppg, 1.7 rpg), F Donnie Tillman (10.5 ppg, 5.3 rpg, C Jayce Johnson (grad transferred to Marquette), F Vante Hendrix (7.8 ppg, 3.0 rpg, transferred to New Mexico), G Charles Jones (2.6 ppg, 0.9 rpg, transferred to Portland State), C Brandon Morley (2.4 ppg, 1.7 rpg, transferred to Utah Valley).
Newcomers: G Alfonso Plummer (juco transfer), C Matt Van Komen (7-foot-4 three-star freshman), G Jaxon Brenchley (three-star freshman), G Rylan Jones (four-star freshman), Mikael Jantunen (Finnish freshman), G Brendan Wetzel (three-star guard), F Lahat Thioune (redshirted last season), F Branden Carlson (four-star freshman).
Upside: The Utes add intriguing size, with the 6-10 Thioune, the 7-0 Carlsen, and the 7-4 Van Komen, while Plummer was an elite juco shooter at Arizona Western. Regardless of who’s on his roster, Krystkowiak usually finds a way to get it done. The Utes haven’t finished below fourth place in the Pac-12 since 2014.
Downside: Allen and Gach quickly established themselves as freshmen last season but having them anchor the team as “veterans” as sophomores underscores how young this team is. The Utes will need some time to develop, maybe all season.
He said it: “I’ve always said it’s super difficult to be a freshman. It’s a lot harder than people think to make the transition. I don’t care how many stars you have. It’s pretty rare to have a big impact as a freshman, and so much gets thrown at these kids. And so we push our guys to continue to improve, but I like that group, the leaders that we have there. And I’ve never put a whole lot into the star, the five-star, four-star, three-star deal.” — Krystkowiak
10. STANFORD
Stock: Falling. Stanford’s long-held advantage in stability is eroding.
Game vs. UA: Feb. 15 at Palo Alto, California
Coach: Jerod Haase (128-102 in three seasons at Stanford; 128-102 in seven seasons overall).
Last season: 15-16 overall; 8-10 Pac-12 (tie, 8th)
Returning core: G Daejon Davis (Jr., 11.4 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 4.4 apg), F Oscar da Silva (Jr., 9.8 ppg, 6.3 rpg), G Bryce Wills (So, 6.0 ppg, 3.5 rpg), G Isaac White (Jr., 3.1 ppg, 1.0 rpg), F Jaiden Delaire (So., 3.8 ppg, 2.0 rpg), C Lukas Kisunas (1.6 ppg, 1.8 rpg), C Keenan Fitzmorris (redshirted last season).
Key losses: F KZ Okpala (16.8 ppg, 5.7 rpg, left early for NBA), G Cormac Ryan (8.7 ppg, 3.5 rpg, transferred to Notre Dame), G Marcus Sheffield (5.6 ppg, 1.2 rpg, transferred to Elon)
Newcomers: F Spencer Jones (three-star freshman), G Tyrell Terry (four-star freshman), F Neal Begovich (unranked freshman), F James Keefe (three-star freshman)
Upside: Terry’s all-around point guard skills mean Daejon Davis moves off the ball more often and increases production. Bryce Wills finished last season on a roll, too.
Downside: Over the past two offseasons, Stanford has lost five transfers and Okpala to the draft. That’s par for the course at many high-major programs but the Cardinal simply can’t get spring recruits in quickly enough to fill surprise holes. Leadership is a question too, though the Cardinal is hoping Davis can fill that void.
He said it: “One of the challenges at Stanford is that the ability to transfer out is much greater than it is to transfer in. But our stability is still much greater than anywhere else in the country. We have lost some underclassmen and I would anticipate that would happen elsewhere. … I do think this group has reason for optimism and excitement.” — Haase
11. WASHINGTON STATE
Stock: Stable. Kyle Smith’s analytics-based approach takes time, so the Cougars aren’t likely to compete for the top four spots anytime soon.
Games vs. UA: Feb. 1 at Pullman, Washington; March 5 at McKale Center
Coach: Kyle Smith (first year at WSU, 265-122 in nine years overall)
Last season: 11-21 overall, 4-14 (11th) in Pac-12
Returning core: F CJ Elleby (So., 14.7 ppg, 7.1 rpg), G Jervae Robinson (Sr., 4.6 ppg, 1.4 rpg, 1.9 apg), F Jeff Pollard (Sr., 4.8 ppg, 2.6 rpg), G Marvin Cannon (Jr., 6.9 ppg, 3.4 rpg).
Key losses: F Robert Franks (21.6 ppg, 7.2 rpg), G Viont’e Daniels (6.2 ppg, 1.8 rpg), G Carter Skaggs (6.0 ppg, 1.7 rpg, transferred to UNC Wilmington), F Isaiah Wade (4.7 ppg, 3.5 rpg, transferred to junior college), G Ahmed Ali (7.3 ppg, 1.8 rpg, 2.9 apg, transferred to Hawaii)
Newcomers: G Noah Williams (three-star freshman), F Daron Henson (juco transfer), F Deion James (10.4 ppg, 5.3 rpg at Colorado State/grad transfer), G Isaac Bonton (juco transfer), C Volodymyr Markovetsky (Ukraine freshman), F D.J. Rodman (unranked freshman).
Upside: You gotta be different to make it in Pullman and Smith’s “nerdball” approach might be a long-term fit. He succeeded at Columbia and San Francisco by finding undervalued prospects and getting the most out of them over a three- or four-year span. Williams, the son of former WSU standout Guy “The Fly” Williams, has potential, as does the 7-1 Markovetsky.
Downside: Smith’s system is a huge adjustment on the floor and in recruiting, where he’s looking for long-term projects instead of the kind of quick-fixes predecessor Ernie Kent sought from juco transfers. But Smith doesn’t have much talent on hand to begin with other than potential all-leaguer CJ Elleby, who broke out with a surprisingly strong freshman season.
He said it: “We make a big deal about the data and that stuff, but it’s really about building these relationships, and what I’m excited about Pullman is it’s a great place to have culture. It’s a great place to get to know your guys. We have space. I’ve coached at San Francisco, where it’s hard to get a space to just get together. In New York, even worse. Having some outdoor space, some living area, and we’re going to have a barbecue, it’s great.” — Smith
12. CAL
Arizona Wildcats forward Ira Lee (11) gets outnumbered for a rebound by California Golden Bears guard Matt Bradley (20), guard Paris Austin (3) and forward Andre Kelly (22)during the second half.
Stock: Stable. The best talent new coach Mark Fox inherited from Wyking Jones transferred out of the program.
Game vs. UA: Feb. 13 at Berkeley, California
Coach: Mark Fox (first season at Cal)
Last season: 8-23 overall; 3-15 Pac-12 (12th)
Returning core: G Paris Austin (Sr., 11.6 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 4.3 apg), G Matt Bradley (So., 10.8 ppg, 3.6 rpg), F Andre Kelly (So., 6.3 ppg, 3.7 rpg), F Jacobi Gordon (So., 2.4 ppg, 1.8 rpg), F Grant Anticevich (Jr., 2.7 ppg, 1.4 rpg), G Juihwan Harris-Dyson (Jr., 3.5 ppg, 2.0 rpg),
Key losses: F Justice Sueing (14.3 ppg, 6.0 rpg, transferred to Ohio State), F Darius McNeill (11.0 ppg, 1.4 rpg, transferred to SMU), Connor Vanover (7.5 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 1.3 bpg, transferred to Arkansas)
Newcomers: G Dimitrious Klonaras (Greek freshman), C Lars Thiemann (German freshman), F Kuany Kuany (Sudanese-Australian freshman), F Joel Brown (three-star freshman), F D.J. Thorpe (three-star freshman), G Kareem South (13.8 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 2.0 apg at Texas A&M Corpus Christi/grad transfer).
Upside: Cal wavered before firing Wyking Jones, but may have still found the right guy: Fox is known for running programs that steer clear of academic and other off-court issues, winning big at Nevada but not as much at Georgia. He also brought in a sage on his new coaching staff in Trent Johnson, the former Stanford and Nevada coach who becomes a special assistant for the Bears.
Downside: Losing three of Cal’s best players – including the versatile Sueing and 7-3 shot blocker/stretch shooter Vanover – means Fox has to pretty much start from scratch.
He said it: “We want to put forth an effort that the people respect and admire … we want to graduate our players. We want to win. We want to do a lot of things. But it comes back to us making the right daily investments.” –Fox
