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Pac-12 Men’s Basketball Preview: Arizona, USC Top Choices
With conference realignment shaking things up, the Pac-12 will look a little different after this season. However, bettors can still enjoy one final season of a competitive Pac-12 slate and make NCAA basketball picks on a Pac-12 title winner.
And what better way to cap it off than by making some March Madness odds-defying NCAA basketball picks for the Pac-12 champion?
Despite last season’s early NCAA Tournament exit, Arizona, the pre-season favorite, still boasts a talented roster eager to claim a final Pac-12 crown before venturing to the Big 12. Can they overcome the conference’s competitive landscape and navigate the road to the NCAAM Final Four one last time? Only time, and some smart picks, will tell.
Arizona will join the Big 12 before the 2024-25 college basketball season begins, but that won’t stop the Wildcats from collecting one final Pac-12 title before they leave.
The Wildcats finished tied for second in the Pac-12 last season, and despite some changes and a big upset in the NCAA Tournament last season, NCAA basketball predictions have them as the conference favorite in 2023-24.
Arizona led the Pac-12 in scoring a season ago, averaging 81.9 points, and though leading scorer Azuolas Tubelis departed for the NBA, it returns Pac-12 Preseason Player of the Year Oumar Ballo.
Ballo was the Wildcats’ second scoring option last season, averaging 14.2 points and 8.6 rebounds. He’ll look to improve upon those numbers to help Arizona make a deeper run in the NCAA Tournament.
Here’s a look at some College basketball lines to consider!
The Wildcats also landed North Carolina transfer Caleb Love in the portal to help replace the four starters it lost, while Kylan Boswell should look to have a larger role at guard after averaging 4.6 points on 45% shooting in limited minutes last season.
Challenging Arizona for that top spot is likely to be USC, which has the second-best college basketball odds (+300) to finish atop the Pac-12 by season’s end.
The Trojans were one of the top scoring offenses in the conference a season ago, ranking third at 72.5 points a game. With leading scorer and all-conference guard Boogie Ellis back for his senior season, USC should be in line for another strong scoring season.
Ellis averaged 17.7 points and 3.1 assists last season. He’ll be aided by Washington State transfer DJ Rodman. The son of former NBA great Dennis Rodman, he will look to finish his college career on a high note after having his best season in 2022-23, averaging 9.6 points and 5.8 rebounds.
Together, the two veterans will hope to lead a freshman class headlined by Bronny James, son of LeBron. Though James’ status remains up in the air for the start of the season, the Trojans also have Pac-12 Preseason Freshman of the Year Isaiah Collier looking to make an immediate impact as well. Collier finished as the No. 2 recruit in the Class of 2023 rankings, and his strength as a facilitator should help Ellis’ scoring and continue to make USC a threat late into the season.
Finally, though some may not consider it a dark horse due to its success last season, UCLA may have a tougher time reaching the heights it did a year ago.
The Bruins finished first in the Pac-12 after leading the conference in defense and ranking second in scoring. However, with all five of their leading scorers, including Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year Jaylen Clark, now gone, having that same kind of run might be difficult.
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On the bright side, UCLA does return reigning Pac-12 Freshman of the Year Adem Bona, who finished last season with 7.7 points and 5.3 rebounds a game. He was also strong defensively, leading the team with 1.7 blocks a game, and he’ll look to improve those numbers.
Bona and sophomore Dylan Andrews, who averaged 3.3 points on 43% shooting in limited minutes last season, will look to lead a large freshmen class on another postseason run.
The Bruins brought in seven players this season, led by 7-foot-3 center Aday Mara, who joins the team from Spain. A five-star prospect, Mara is a strong passer, and his development, along with the rest of the class, will be the difference in UCLA’s season.
There’s one final season of Pac-12 college basketball before most of the teams break off to join the Big Ten, Big 12, or ACC, and it should be a competitive final season. Don’t forget to make your college basketball predictions for who will win it all one last time online at the sportsbook before it all starts in one week.
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Questions Of The Day
What Pac-12 team is the favorite to win the conference?
Arizona is favored to win the conference with +200 odds.
Which Pac-12 Conference team had the strongest recruiting class?
The USC Trojans had the strongest recruiting class, ranked in the top five by most sites.
