LAS VEGAS โ Possibly the two top challengers for the Pac-12 menโs basketball race this season, Arizona and USC each put three players on the conferenceโs preseason all-league teams.
In media voting announced Tuesday during the Pac-12 womenโs media day, Arizona center Oumar Ballo made the conferenceโs 10-player first team, while guards Kylan Boswell and Caleb Love made the five-player second team. Also, UA guard Pelle Larsson was named an honorable mention pick.
For USC, guards Boogie Ellis and Isaiah Collier made the first team, while defensive whiz Kobe Johnson was named a second-team pick.
Ballo and Ellis were among the five players returning from the 2022-23 all-Pac-12 first team at the end of last season, all of whom were named to the 2023-24 first team, along with Utahโs Branden Carlson, Oregonโs NโFaly Dante and Coloradoโs Tristan da Silva.
The other five preseason 2023-24 first-team players named were Collier, Washingtonโs Keion Brooks, Stanfordโs Spencer Jones, UCLAโs Adem Bona and Coloradoโs KJ Simpson.
Arizona is scheduled to bring Ballo and Larsson, along with coach Tommy Lloyd, to Wednesdayโs Pac-12 menโs media day, before which the leagueโs official menโs poll will be released. Early national projections have mostly rated UA and USC the highest in the conference, with Colorado, Oregon and UCLA also expected to have teams that are expected to become nationally competitive.
The Wildcats and Trojans tied for second place in the Pac-12 last season at 14-6, four games behind UCLA. Ballo is Arizonaโs only returning starter, but the Wildcats reloaded in the transfer and international markets, adding Love from North Carolina on a roster that includes seven new players.
While Ballo and forward Azuolas Tubelis were first-team all-Pac-12 picks after last season, guard Courtney Ramey received all-conference honorable mention, and Boswell was an honorable mention all-freshman pick.
