2017-18 Pac-12 MBB Prospectus
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PRESEASON OUTLOOK 2017–2018 PAC-12 CONFERENCE CARRYING MOMENTUM INTO 2017-18 MEN’S BASKETBALL SEASON u The past two seasons of Pac-12 men’s basketball have seen the Conference reestablish itself as one of the premier leagues in the NCAA. Entering 2017-18, the Conference of Champions is primed to have the last team standing in San Antonio: u 2017-18: - The majority of preseason poll prognostications list ARIZONA as the nation’s team to beat, while USC appears inside the top 10. - 2002-03 was the last time a Pac-12 program was the AP preseason NEW COACHES IN TOWN No. 1 ranked team when Arizona was atop the poll. - For USC, a preseason AP top 10 ranking would be its first since u Mike Hopkins (WASHINGTON) and Wyking the 1974-75 campaign. Jones (CALIFORNIA) joined the ranks of Pac-12 head coaches in the offseason. u 2016-17: - Oregon reached the NCAA Final Four, the first Pac-12 school to Among the 12 head coaches in the Pac-12: advance to national semifinals since 2008. u All 12 played the sport collegiately, 10 at the - Pac-12 posted a 10-4 record in NCAA Tournament play, its most Division I level tourney wins since 2007 and the third-most of any league (ACC u Three were CoSIDA Academic All-Americans & SEC - 11). u Three were both drafted and played in the NBA - A Pac-12 program advanced to the Elite Eight for the fourth straight year, the only league to ac- u Two were First Team All-Americans complish that feat. - A national-best three teams (Arizona, Oregon, UCLA) finished in the top 10 of the Associated Press NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK and ESPN/USA Today Coaches polls. - Four Associated Press All-Americans, the most of any conference in the country and tied for most Along with 31 returning starters among more in league history (1975). than 90 returning players, more than 75 - League record and national-best 14 selections in the NBA Draft, including Nos. 1 & 2 overall picks newcomers - players set to make their league in Markelle Fultz and Lonzo Ball. Fultz was the league’s first No. 1 pick since Bill Walton in 1974. debut in 2017-18 - will dot the rosters of Pac- 12 men's basketball programs this season. u 2015-16: - A league-record seven teams earned NCAA Tournament bids. u 59 freshmen, including five McDonald's - Four teams ranked in the final Associated Press Top 25 poll, the most for the league since 2007. All-Americans in DeAndre Ayton (ARIZ), Troy - Nine teams finished season in top 100 of NCAA RPI, the most in Conference history. Brown Jr. (ORE), Chuck O’Bannon Jr. (USC), and Jaylen Hands and Kris Wilkes (UCLA). The five incoming McDonald’s All-Americans is tied for the most-ever in Conference history (2006, 2012). u Of the 59 freshmen there are 19 ESPN Top 100 and 247 Sports Top 100 signees, the second-most of any Conference in the country. u Nine teams had recruiting classes rated in the top 40 in the country by at least one of the major scouting services (ARIZONA, UCLA, OREGON, USC, STANFORD, ARIZO- NA STATE, OREGON STATE, COLORADO, WASHINGTON). NEW SLATE FILLED WITH TOUGH GAMES Pac-12 teams in non-conference play in SAN FRANCISCO, PAC-12 TO HOST NCAA TOURNAMENT IN 2020 2017-18: u For the first time since the inaugural NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament in 1939, March Madness u Will play at least 57 games against teams is coming to the city of San Francisco. that participated in the postseason in 2017, including at least 31 against opponents from u The NCAA announced in April 2017 that the Pac-12 Conference will serve as host of the NCAA the 2017 NCAA Tournament. Men’s Basketball Championship West Regional on March 24 & 26, 2022 at the Golden State War- u Will play at least 24 opponents that won riors’ new Chase Center, the state-of-the-art sports and entertainment complex being built in San a conference title (regular season or tourna- Francisco’s Mission Bay neighborhood that is slated to open for the start of the 2019-20 NBA season. ment) in 2016-17. u All scheduled opponents boasted a com- u It marks the first time the NCAA Tournament will be played within the city of San Francisco since bined 2016-17 winning percentage of .524. the West Regional was staged at the California Coliseum on Treasure Island in March 1939. 2 PAC-12 MEN’S BASKETBALL PROSPECTUS PRESEASON OUTLOOK PRESEASON OUTLOOK RETURNING STARTERS (31) CAREER LEADERS (ACTIVE) RETURNING PRODUCTION Arizona (3) POINTS SCORING Rawle Alkins, So., F .....................10.9 ppg/4.9 rpg Tra Holder (Sr.), ASU ............................................. 1215 1. USC ............................................... 97.9% Allonzo Trier, Jr., G .......................17.2 ppg/5.3 rpg Jordan McLaughlin (Sr.), USC ............................... 1188 2. Oregon State .................................. 95.1% Dusan Ristic, Sr., F ......................10.9 ppg/5.5 rpg Elijah Stewart (Sr.), USC .......................................... 981 3. Stanford ......................................... 78.4% George King (Sr.), COLO .......................................... 880 4. Washington .................................... 68.9% Arizona State (3) Thomas Welsh (Sr.), UCLA ...................................... 831 5. Arizona State .................................. 54.8% Shannon Evans II, Sr., G ...............15.0 ppg/3.0 rpg Dorian Pickens (Sr.), STAN ...................................... 823 6. Arizona .......................................... 48.4% Tra Holder, Sr., G ......................... 16.2 ppg/3.7 apg Aaron Holiday (Jr.), UCLA ....................................... 772 7. Utah .............................................. 44.8% 8. Colorado ........................................ 34.8% Kodi Justice, Sr., G .........................9.2 ppg/2.8 rpg Stephen Thompson Jr. (Jr.), OSU ............................ 764 9. Washington State ........................... 30.2% Dusan Ristic (Sr.), ARIZ .......................................... 755 California (1) 10. UCLA ............................................. 28.8% Chimezie Metu (Jr.), USC ........................................ 753 11. California........................................ 13.9% Kingsley Okoroh, Sr., C ...................4.6 ppg/5.5 rpg Shannon Evans II (Sr.), ASU ............. 1248 (494 @ ASU) 12. Oregon ........................................... 13.5% Colorado (2) REBOUNDS REBOUNDING Dominique Collier, Sr., G................ 6.0 ppg/1.6 apg Thomas Welsh (Sr.), UCLA ...................................... 677 1. USC ............................................... 96.3% George King, R-Sr., G ...................11.1 ppg/6.8 rpg Michael Humphrey (Sr.), STAN................................ 459 2. Oregon State .................................. 90.0% Reid Travis (Jr.), STAN ............................................ 452 3. Stanford ......................................... 78.5% Oregon (1) George King (Sr.), COLO .......................................... 430 4. Washington .................................... 72.1% Payton Pritchard, So., G .................7.4 ppg/3.4 rpg Noah Dickerson (Jr.), WASH .................................... 425 5. Arizona .......................................... 52.3% Drew Eubanks (Jr.), OSU ......................................... 412 6. Utah .............................................. 50.2% Oregon State (5) Chimezie Metu (Jr.), USC ........................................ 403 7. Arizona State .................................. 40.5% Drew Eubanks, Jr., F ....................14.5 ppg/8.3 rpg Dusan Ristic (Sr.), ARIZ .......................................... 400 8. Colorado ........................................ 40.4% Kendal Manuel, R-So., F ................7.8 ppg/2.4 rpg Tory Miller (Sr.), COLO ............................................. 343 9. UCLA ............................................. 36.3% JaQuori McLaughlin, So., G ..........10.5 ppg/2.2 rpg Elijah Stewart (Sr.), USC .......................................... 342 10. Washington State ........................... 31.1% Stephen Thompson Jr., Jr., G .......16.3 ppg/4.3 rpg 11. California........................................ 21.7% 12. Oregon ........................................... 15.2% Tres Tinkle, R-So., F .....................20.2 ppg/8.3 rpg THREE-POINT FIELD GOALS Elijah Stewart (Sr.), USC .......................................... 175 Stanford (4) THREE-POINT FIELD GOALS Kodi Justice (Sr.), ASU ............................................ 140 1. USC ............................................... 97.2% Robert Cartwright, R-Jr., G ............ 6.7 ppg/3.5 apg Jordan McLaughlin (Sr.), USC ................................. 131 Michael Humphrey, Sr., F ...............9.4 ppg/6.2 rpg 2. Oregon State .................................. 93.6% David Crisp (Jr.), WASH ........................................... 128 3. Stanford ......................................... 82.8% Dorian Pickens, Sr., G/F ...............12.6 ppg/3.5 rpg Dorian Pickens (Sr.), STAN ...................................... 128 4. Washington .................................... 76.1% Reid Travis, R-Jr., F ......................17.4 ppg/8.9 rpg Bennie Boatwright (Jr.), USC ................................... 107 5. Arizona State .................................. 55.2% Tra Holder (Sr.), ASU ............................................... 107 6. Utah .............................................. 52.1% UCLA (1) Stephen Thompson Jr. (Jr.), OSU ............................ 105 7. Washington State ........................... 48.3% Thomas Welsh, Jr., C....................10.8 ppg/8.7 rpg Aaron Holiday (Jr.), UCLA ........................................