SALT LAKE CITY — The Pac-12 Conference will embark on a 20-game league men’s basketball schedule this season — assuming we have a season — up from the 18-game schedule it has used for decades.
It’s likely going to mean more losses for some schools that won’t get a couple of automatic nonconference home wins. But overall, it should help increase the league’s NET rankings and number of NCAA Tournament teams.
Utah coach Larry Krystkowiak is in favor of the new plan, as are most of the Pac-12 coaches.
“It’s going to strengthen our league. We’re taking away two (nonconference) games that maybe aren’t as strong. This gives you a better idea who is the best team in our league.” — Oregon State coach Wayne Tinkle
“It’s going to strengthen our league,” Oregon State coach Wayne Tinkle said. “We’re taking away two (nonconference) games that maybe aren’t as strong. This gives you a better idea who is the best team in our league.”
Who knows, after last week’s decision to play conference-only games in football, perhaps basketball teams will end up doing the same thing and play a 22-game schedule with home-and-homes against every team in the league and no nonleague games.
Because a 20-game schedule is too bulky to fit in the usual two-month period between Jan. 1 and the Pac-12 Tournament in March, teams will be forced to play two extra league games between Nov. 29 and Dec. 19. Those games have already been scheduled, with Utah’s two extra games being set for Thursday, Dec. 3, at home against Washington and Sunday, Dec. 6, at Arizona State.
While the 2020-21 season is still up in the air, if it is played, it will begin in less than four months, with workouts for some teams set to start this month.
When things were shut down in March, the league was on the verge of having as many as six or seven teams selected for the NCAA Tournament, with many of those teams featuring several young, talented players. Some have declared for the NBA draft and have until Aug. 3 to pull out, so those decisions will affect some teams’ prospects for the upcoming season.
Keeping in mind that there are still changes in store as well as the uncertainty over COVID-19, here is an early look at how the Pac-12 is shaping up for 2020-21:
Oregon (24-7, 13-5)
The Ducks have been the league’s top program over the past five years with three regular-season titles and two tournament titles, as well as NCAA appearances every year but one since 2013.
While the Ducks lose top players every year, they just seem to reload under coach Dana Altman, who will begin his 11th year in Eugene. They lost league player of the year Payton Pritchard, but return Chris Duarte (12.9 ppg, 5.6 rpg) and Will Richardson (11.0 ppg) and expect bigger things from a pair of five-star recruits, center N’Faly Dante and forward C.J. Walker, who didn’t contribute much last year. Joining the team are transfers Eric Williams (Duquesne) and Eugene Omoruyi (Rutgers).
UCLA (19-12, 12-6)
It took awhile for the Bruins to get going last year under first-year coach Mick Cronin, but once they did, they nearly won the league title, winning 11 of their last 14 and finishing second, a game behind Oregon.
All the starters are back with 6-9 Chris Smith (13.1 ppg), the Pac-12’s most improved player, being a question mark because of a possible NBA early entry. Starters Jalen Hill, Tyger Campbell, Jaime Jaquez and Cody Riley all return, and the Bruins added Johnny Juzang, a 6-5 wing who was granted a waiver to play after a disappointing season at Kentucky. The Bruins had signed Daishen Nix, a five-star recruit, rated the No. 1 point guard in the nation, but in April Nix decided to forgo college and play in the NBA’s G League next season instead.
Stanford (20-11, 9-9)
The Cardinal had the 23rd youngest team in the country last year according to KenPom, and all the key players will return unless guard Terrell Terry opts to go to the NBA.
Oscar da Silva, a 6-9 forward from Germany, led the team in scoring last year (15.7 ppg) and returns for his senior season, but guard Terry, who averaged 14.6 ppg as a freshman, may turn pro. Other top returning players include guards Daejon Davis and Bryce Wills and forward Spencer Jones. The top incoming player is five-star recruit, 6-7 forward Ziaire Williams from Southern California.
Arizona State (20-11, 11-7)
The Sun Devils’ hopes for this season will depend on the decisions of Remy Martin and Alonzo Verge, who both applied for the NBA draft. If they pull out of the draft, ASU could be one of the better teams in the league with two seniors who averaged 19.1 ppg and 14.6 ppg, respectively. If not, they’ll be counting on some sophomores and juniors who didn’t see a lot of minutes last year. The Sun Devils also lost two key players to graduation and Romello White to the transfer portal. Josh Christopher, a 6-4 freshman guard five-star recruit, is expected to move right into the starting lineup, as could wing Marcus Bagley.
Utah (16-15, 7-11)
The Utes haven’t had a great offseason, losing starting guard Both Gach, who transferred to Minnesota, as well as prized recruit Caleb Lohner, who asked to be released from his letter of intent and will attend BYU.
Still, there is plenty of optimism for the Utes heading into next season, with eight of their top nine scorers returning, along with two four-star recruits who are expected to step in and see a lot of action.
Leading scorer and rebounder Timmy Allen is back, along with point guard Rylan Jones, who will need to stay healthy more than ever now that Gach isn’t there to fill in. Two-year starting forward Riley Battin returns along with improving 7-foot sophomore center Branden Carlson. Top reserves Mikael Jantunen, Jaxon Brenchley and Alfonso Plummer, who sank 11 3-pointers in his last game, also return. Ian Martinez, a sharpshooting guard from Southern California, and Pelle Larsson, a wing player from Sweden, are key newcomers.
Colorado (21-11, 10-8)
The Buffaloes were on track to win the Pac-12 regular-season title last year but collapsed down the stretch, losing their final five games, including a first-round game in the Pac-12 Tournament to 11th-seed Washington State. The Buffs had an experienced team last year and several players will be back, led by senior point guard McKinley Wright IV (14.4 ppg), senior forward D’Shawn Schwartz and junior forward Evan Battey. Leading rebounder and second-leading scorer Tyler Bey has declared for the NBA draft and will likely stay in it. Newcomers include Jeriah Horne, a grad transfer from Tulsa, and Germany’s Tristan da Silva, the younger brother of Stanford’s Oscar da Silva.
Arizona (20-11, 10-8)
After losing their top six scorers from last year, including three players expected to go in the first round of the NBA draft, the Wildcats decided to go international to stock up for next season. The Wildcats lost 6-11 forward Zeke Nnaji, point guard Nico Mannion and guard Josh Green, who combined for 42 points per game in 2019-20, as well as seniors Dylan Smith, Stone Gettings and Chase Jeter.
Coach Sean Miller signed 6-9 Lithuanian twins Azuloas and Tautvilas Tubelis in late May after earlier signing Turkish forward Tibet Gorener, French big man Daniel Batcho, Estonian point guard Kerr Kriisa and Haitian-Canadian wing Bennedict Mathurin. Also joining the team is guard Terrell Brown, a grad transfer from Seattle U., and Arizona prep star Dalen Terry.
USC (22-9, 11-7)
The Trojans lost four starters, including possible NBA lottery pick Onyeka Okongwu, and return just one starter in guard Ethan Anderson (5.5 ppg). They’ll have some talent, however, led by 6-11 center Evan Mobley, who was ranked as the top recruit in the country by many experts. The Trojans will rely on several transfers, including guard Drew Peterson (Rice), center Joshua Morgan (Long Beach State), guard Tahj Eaddy (Santa Clara), forward Chevez Goodwin (Wofford) and Isaiah White, a guard, who played at Salt Lake Community College and Utah Valley, where he averaged 14.5 points and 8.4 rebounds last year.
Cal (14-18, 7-11)
Under first-year coach Mark Fox, the Bears improved considerably last year and finished the season with an upset win over Stanford in the Pac-12 Tournament. They return nearly the entire team from 2019-20, including leading scorer Matt Bradley, a former Wasatch Academy (Utah) standout who averaged 17.5 points per game. Also back is 6-8 forward Grant Anticevich and part-time starter Andre Kelly. The Bears have added two grad transfers in Ryan Betley, a 6-5 guard who averaged 13 points in his career for Penn, and Jarred Hyder, who averaged 9.1 points as starting point guard for Fresno State.
Washington State (16-16, 6-12)
The Cougars finished last season on a high note, handily beating Colorado in the first round of the Pac-12 Tournament, but they didn’t get a chance to follow it up as coronavirus shut down college basketball the following day.
First-team all-league forward CJ Elleby put his name in the NBA draft pool for the second straight year after averaging 18.4 ppg and 7.4 rebounds. Guard Isaac Bonton (15.3 ppg) is back for second-year coach Kyle Smith, along with sophomore guard Noah Williams. New players include 6-10 Nigerian center Efe Abogidi and 6-7 Andrej Jakimovski of North Macedonia.
Washington (15-17, 5-13)
Despite having two of the top freshmen in the country last year in 6-9 frontcourt players Isaiah Stewart and Jaden McDaniels, the Huskies followed up a league championship with a last-place finish. Both players are headed to the NBA draft, where they’re both expected to be first-round picks. Returners for fourth-year coach Mike Hopkins include forward Jamal Bey, forward Hameir Wright, center Bryan Penn-Johnson and guards Nahziah Carter and Quade Green. Transfers include Cole Bajema from Michigan and J’Raan Brooks from USC.
Oregon State (18-13, 7-11)
The Beavers lost five key players, including the program’s all-time leading scorer Tres Tinkle, son of coach Wayne Tinkle, and shot-blocking center Kylor Kelley. Ethan Thompson, a 6-5 guard who has started all 94 games in his three years in Corvallis, is one of the many Pac-12 players who has entered his name in the NBA draft as an early entrant. The Beavers have a lot of young players and have added junior college transfers Maurice Calloo, Tariq Silver and Rodrigue Andela.