The Pac-12 is the "Conference of Champions."
Soon enough, it might be the "Conference of Transfers."
The league loaded up in the offseason, and not by dipping into the youthful waters of high school recruiting. No, Arizona beefed up by raiding the transfer wire, Arizona State brought in the MAC Player of the Year and Oregon swiped a star from Syracuse.
Youβll find all of that and more in this yearβs Pac-12 A-to-Z.
A is for Aiken. Arizona snagged one of the conference's top incoming transfer in former Eastern Washington star Kim Aiken Jr. Aiken almost spurred an upset of No. 3 Kansas in the first round of the NCAA Tournament and is coming off a first-team All-Big Sky season after averaging 11.3 points and 8.4 rebounds per game. Now, the grad transfer will try to help the new-look Wildcats.Β
B is for Bagley. Given the sky-high expectations, Marcus Bagley's freshman campaign was a stark disappointment. The Arizona State freshman played just 12 games as he battled calf and ankle injuries, and while his averages of 10.8 points and 6.2 rebounds per game were passable, fans expected more. If anyone can take The Leap as a sophomore, it's him.
C is for Cronin. There hasn't been a recent hire in the Pac-12 better than Mick Cronin, who guided UCLA to a Final Four in just his second year with the program. Cronin has instilled a discipline that sorely lacked under previous head coach Steve Alford, harkening back to the Ben Howland heyday.
D is for Delaire. Stanford's Jaiden Delaire was the league's most improved player last year after doubling his scoring average from 6.1 points per game as a sophomore to 12.5 as a junior. He scored 20 or more points four times, including in three straight games in late January.
E is for Efe. One of the Pac-12's top defenders as a freshman, Washington State forward Efe Abogidi's path to the Palouse was a winding one. He started out in the NBA Academy Africa before moving to the NBA Global Academy in Canberra, Australia.
F is for Fab Frosh. Stanford's Harrison Ingram should have a showcase from Day 1, while UCLA five-star recruit Peyton Watson might take a while to break through the Bruins' experienced lineup. Oregon's Nathan Bittle and Washington's Jackson Grant are also McDonald's All-Americans who landed in the league this year.
G is for Grant. The Huskies hit a home run by reeling in Jackson Grant, the Olympia product and Gatorade Player of the Year for the state.
H is for Harmon. Oregon junior guard De'Vion Harmon got a preseason second-team nod from the conference after transferring in. Harmon averaged 12.9 points per game for Oklahoma last year, earning all-Big 12 Conference honorable mention honors.
I is for Isaiah. A former five-star recruit, USC's Isaiah Mobley played in the shadow of his brother, Evan, last year. The spotlight is on him now, after Isaiah averaged 9.9 points and 7.3 rebounds last season.
J is for Juzang. Had the Bruins not been daggered by Gonzaga on a desperation heave in overtime of the Final Four, Johnny Juzang almost certainly would've set a UCLA record for points scored in a single NCAA Tournament. Juzang was simply mad in March, scoring 20 or more points four times.
K is for Kriisa. One of new Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd's key re-recruits, Kerr Kriisa is back in the fold for the Wildcats after a frustrating freshman season. The point guard was not cleared to play until early February and only managed to see action in eight games. His maturation will be key for the Wildcats this year.
L is for Lucas. One of two all-conference honorees for Oregon State, Jarod Lucas is coming off a sensational sophomore season as he saw his scoring average rise from 4.6 points per game to 12.7.
M is for Marreon. After a down season, ASU coach Bobby Hurley must be relieved to know he still has some pull, landing MAC Player of the Year Marreon Jackson as a transfer. Jackson averaged 18.1 points, 6.1 rebounds and 5.9 assists per game for Toledo last year.
N is for Noah. Washington State's Noah Williams was named national player of the week after notching 72 points against Cal and Stanford in a two-game streak last year. But he's a preseason first-team all-conference member for his league-high 41 steals, too.
O is for Offense. Or more accurately, the lack of it. Not one Pac-12 team ranked in the top 40 nationally in points per game last season. The conference needs to get up and running if it is going to catch a buzz once more.
P is for Parquet. Blessed with one heck of a name for a basketball player, Colorado's Elijah Parquet was one of the league's best defenders a year ago. The Buffalo bruiser is back after leading the team in blocks and ranking second in steals.
Q is for Quincy. Yet another transfer with breakout potential, Oregon's Quincy Guerrier arrives in Eugene from Syracuse, where he averaged 13.7 points and 8.4 rebounds per game for the Orange. He instantly slotted in as a member of the preseason All-Pac-12 second team.
R is for Richardson. Oregon's Will Richardson bounced around to three different high schools, but he has been remarkably consistent for the Ducks. The preseason all-conference first-team selection averaged 11 points per game as a sophomore and 11.3 points as a junior last year, despite a thumb injury that limited him to 16 games.
S is for Sensational Sophomores. There are just three sophomores on the Pac-12 first and second teams, and Arizona has two of them. One is super shooter Bennedict Mathurin, who shot nearly 42% from 3-point range, and β¦
After receiving a lob, Arizona Wildcats forward Azuolas Tubelis shoots a layup during the first half of Decemberβs win over Cal State Bakersfield. Tubelis and fellow sophomore Bennedict Mathurin are expected to be the cornerstones of a young roster.
T is for Tubelis. The other is Azuolas Tubelis, one of the top returning scorers in the conference. Tubelis averaged 12.2 points and led the Wildcats with 7.1 rebounds per game despite not starting until the seventh game.
U is for Upsets. The Pac-12 has always been the home of upsets aplenty, but the Pac-12 Tournament was the perfect example. Starting with Cal knocking off No. 6 seed Stanford in the first round and continuing with the Beavers' big run to the title, once more no one was safe in the conference.
V is for Vision. Much has been made of UCLA's Johnny Juzang and Jaime Jaquez Jr., two of the top two-way players in the Pac-12, but the Bruins also return Tyger Campbell, the leading returning assist man in the Pac-12. If Campbell takes his game to another level, another Final Four is a possibility.
W is for Warith. The reigning Pac-12 Tournament MVP β the Beavers' first tournament MVP β Warith Alatishe was a beast in Las Vegas. He had double-doubles in back-to-back games, giving him nine for the season.
X is for Xzavier. Xzavier Malone-Key matured greatly over the last two years for Fairleigh Dickinson. Now he takes his talents to Corvallis, where he should become an instant team leader with the surprise team of the conference from last year.
Y is for Youth Movement. The cumulative preseason all-conference team includes five sophomores and two freshmen, including the aforementioned Bagley, Mathurin, Tubelis, Ingram, Abogidi and Watson, as well as Colorado's Jabari Walker. That's a lot of ascending talent.
Z is for Zero. As much talent as there may be in the Pac-12, there are no returning players ranked in the top 40 nationally in either points or rebounds. UCLAβs Campbell is the only returning conference player who ranks in the top 40 in assists (26th, 5.6 per game).
