The end of an era is here, as the Pac-12 begins conference play this week in men’s basketball.
It’s the final season all 12 schools will all play together in the same conference..
While No. 4 Arizona is the clear front-runner heading into conference play, there appears to be an open race beyond that — from schools like Utah and Colorado, or others like USC and Oregon, as well as the Washington schools — for a handful of others to earn their way into NCAA Tournament contention.
How is each program trending heading into Pac-12 play? Here’s a team-by-team look at each Pac-12 team — in order of their current NET rankings — what they’ve accomplished in nonconference play and what’s ahead in the immediate future:
No. 4 Arizona Wildcats
Record: 9-2.
Rankings: No. 2 in NET rankings, No. 3 in KenPom.
The rundown: The Wildcats come out of a challenging nonconference slate where they played five ranked teams (and beat three) with a 4-2 Quad 1 record, including victories over Duke, Michigan State and Wisconsin. Their most recent game was a thriller, as they lost in double overtime to then-No. 14 Florida Atlantic.
A pair of transfers — Caleb Love from North Carolina and Keshad Johnson from San Diego State — lead a deep Wildcats squad. Love is averaging 16.5 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.6 assists to pace five Arizona players that average in double-figures.
Upcoming schedule: Friday at California (8:30 p.m. MST, Pac-12 Network), Sunday at Stanford (2 p.m., Pac-12 Network), Jan. 4 vs. Colorado (7:30 p.m., ESPN), Jan. 6 vs. Utah (6 p.m., Pac-12 Network).
Utah Utes center Branden Carlson (35) dunks the ball in the final minute of a men’s basketball game against the BYU Cougars at the Jon M. Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City on Dec. 9, 2023.
Megan Nielsen, Deseret News
Utah Utes
Record: 9-2.
Rankings: No. 25 in NET rankings, No. 31 in KenPom.
The rundown: The Utes are on a league-high six-game winning streak heading into conference play, highlighted by a victory over over then-No. 14 BYU, the current No. 3-ranked team in the NET rankings. There are also wins over Saint Mary’s and Wake Forest.
Fifth-year senior Branden Carlson has averaged a team-best 16.8 points and 6.2 rebounds to lead a solid group of veterans that includes other returners Gabe Madsen and Rollie Worster alongside transfers Lawson Lovering and Cole Bajema, with two-time transfer Deivon Smith recently becoming eligible.
Upcoming schedule: Friday vs. Washington…
Read More: How Pac-12 basketball is shaping up heading into conference play 2023-12-28 23:45:00