The 2022-23 college basketball season is officially here, and the Pac-12 conference will once again have multiple contenders for deep runs in the NCAA Tournament.
Dana Altman and the Oregon Ducks had a disappointing 2021-22 campaign, but they return senior guard Will Richardson and add key contributors around him, including freshman center Kel’el Ware and transfer guards Keeshawn Barthelemy and Jermaine Couisnard.
Meanwhile, both Arizona and UCLA lost significant contributors from last year’s squad, but both are still going to be dangerous after making key additions in the offseason.
Outside of the top three the Pac-12 is a bit of a crapshoot. Perhaps Stanford will step up under sophomore Harrison Ingram and push for a tournament berth? Or maybe Mike Hopkins finally put together the winning formula in Seattle for the Huskies? Heck, Arizona State might be a surprise contender after adding multiple big-time contributors via the transfer portal.
Here is a first look at the Pac-12 men’s basketball power rankings before the first official games of the 2022-23 season: