Can the Oregon Ducks go back-to-back after finishing the 2019-20 campaign as the top team in the Pac-12? Will the USC Trojans, Colorado Buffaloes or one of the other three teams to record 20 victories last season beat out the favored Ducks for conference supremacy this coming season?
Okay MYBookie basketball betting faithful, with the start of the 2020-21 college hoops season getting closer by the day, it’s time to take a look at what lies ahead in the loaded Pac-12 conference so you can get ready your bets and place them against our College Basketball odds.
College Basketball Betting Analysis | 2020 PAC-12 Conference
Oregon
- Key Returners: Will Richardson, Chris Duarte, N’Faly Dante, Addison Patterson, Chandler Lawson
- Key Losses: Payton Pritchard, Anthony Mathis, Shakur Juiston, Francis Okoro, C.J. Walker
- Key Newcomers: Eric Williams Jr. (Duquesne), Eugene Omoruyi (Rutgers), Amauri Hardy (UNLV), Jalen Terry, LJ Figueroa (St. John’s), Aaron Estrada (Saint Peter’s)
Oregon went 24-7 last season to finish atop the Pac-12 standings, but the Ducks will need to overcome the loss of Pac-12 Player of The Year and a four-year starter in guard Payton Pritchard. Still, Oregon is loaded with talent starting with senior guard Chris Duarte (12.9 ppg) and junior Will Richardson (11.0 ppg). The Ducks have added UNLV transfer Amauri Hardy, Rutgers transfer
Eugene Omoruyi, Duquesne transfer Eric Williams Jr. and St. John’s transfer LJ Figueroa, a player that led the Red Storm in scoring last season by putting up 14.5 points per game. How Oregon’s new players will fit in remains to be seen, but the Ducks will contend for the conference crown in 2020-21.
UCLA
- Key Returners: Chris Smith, Tyger Campbell, David Singleton, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Jalen Hill, Cody Riley, Jake Kyman, Jules Bernard
- Key Losses: Prince Ali
- Key Newcomers: Johnny Juzang (Kentucky), Jaylen Clark
First and foremost, the Bruins return all five starters from a team that went 19-12 a year ago in head coach Mick Cronin’s first season. Unfortunately, UCLA lost a five-star recruit in point guard Daishen Nix’s decision to join the NBA’s G League, but the Bruins added Kentucky transfer Johnny Juzang and a four-star recruit in freshman Jaylen Clark.
Arizona State
- Key Returners: Remy Martin, Alonzo Verge Jr., Taeshon Cherry, Jalen Graham, Kimani Lawrence, Jaelen House
- Key Losses: Romello White, Rob Edwards
- Key Newcomers: Josh Christopher, Marcus Bagley, Chris Osten, Holland ‘Boo Boo’ Woods (Portland State)
Arizona State went 20-11 last season under head coach Bobby Hurley and return the Pac-12’s leading returning scorer in Remy Martin (19.1 ppg). Senior guard Alonzo Verge Jr. is back after putting up 14.6 points per game and the Sun Devils have added a big-time talent in freshman wing Joshua Christopher, the No. 12 overall prospect in the 2020 class. Arizona State also added Portland State transfer Holland Woods and Ohio State transfer Luther Muhammad. Three straight 20-win seasons looks like a virtual lock to me.
Stanford
- Key Returners: Oscar Da Silva, Daejon Davis, Spencer Jones, Bryce Wills, Jaiden DeLaire
- Key Losses: Tyrell Terry
- Key Newcomers: Ziaire Williams, Max Murrell, Michael O’Connell
The Cardinal went 20-11 last season but hasn’t been in the NCAA Tournament since 2008. The good news is that Stanford had the nation’s No. 11 recruiting class and bring back four starters from last year’s squad, including ssenior forward Oscar Da Silva (15.7 ppg).
Arizona
- Key Returners: Brandon Williams, Jemarl Baker Jr., Ira Lee, Christian Koloko
- Key Losses: Nico Mannion, Josh Green, Zeke Nnaji, Max Hazzard, Chase Jeter, Dylan Smith, Stone Gettings
- Key Newcomers: Terrell Brown (Seattle), Jordan Brown (Nevada), James Akinjo (Georgetown), Dalen Terry, Bennedict Mathurin, Kerr Kriisa, Tibet Gorener, Azuolas Tubelis, Daniel Batcho
Arizona went 20-11 last season but will have to replace a trio of one-and-done performers in Nico Mannion, Josh Green and Zeke Nnaji. The Wildcats have lost their top six scorers from last season and now, they look like they’re going to have a difficult 2020-21 campaign.
USC
- Key Returners: Ethan Anderson, Isaiah Mobley, Max Agbonkpolo
- Key Losses: Onyeka Okongwu, Nick Rakocevic, Daniel Utomi, Quinton Adlesh, Jonah Mathews
- Key Newcomers: Evan Mobley, Noah Baumann (San Jose State), Isaiah White (Utah Valley), Tahj Eaddy (Santa Clara), Chevez Goodwin (Wofford), Boubacar Coulibaly, Drew Peterson (Rice), Josh Morgan (Long Beach State)
USC went 22-9 a year ago and will add the nation’s No. 3 overall recruit in gifted 6-11 big man Evan Mobley to go along with his brother Isaiah, a five-star recruit a year earlier. The addition of the younger Mobley will help replace one-and-done star Onyeka Okongwu. Another 20-win season looks like a virtual lock.
Utah
- Key Returners: Rylan Jones, Alfonso Plummer, Timmy Allen, Mikael Jantunen, Riley Battin, Branden Carlson
- Key Losses: Both Gach
- Key Newcomers: Ian Martinez, Pelle Larsson
Utah extended their five-year run of finishing with a winning record by going 16-14 a year ago. Better yet, the Utes return starting forward Timmy Allen (17.3 points and 7.3 rebounds) and almost every other key contributor from last year’s squad. Now, the Utes will look to reach the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2016.
Colorado
- Key Returners: McKinley Wright IV, D’Shawn Schwartz, Evan Battey, Dallas Walton
- Key Losses: Tyler Bey, Lucas Siewert, Shane Gatling
- Key Newcomers: Jeriah Horne (Tulsa)
Colorado went a fantastic 21-10 last season and return a half-dozen of their top 10 players from a year ago, including leading scorer and McKinley Wright IV (14.4 ppg, 5.0 apg). Still, the Utes are going to have a tough time challenging for the conference crown with many of their conference counterparts improving their teams much more than the Buffaloes did.
Washington
- Key Returners: Quade Green, Nahziah Carter, Hameir Wright, Marcus Tsohonis, Jamal Bey, RaeQuan Battle, Nate Roberts
- Key Losses: Jaden McDaniels, Isaiah Stewart, Elijah Hardy, Sam Timmins
- Key Newcomers: Erik Stevenson (Wichita State), J’Raan Brooks (USC), Cole Bajema
Washington went 15-16 overall, but a pitiful 5-13 in conference play. To make matters worse, the Huskies lost a pair of top-10 recruits in Isaiah Stewart and Jaden McDaniels, although they’ll have former Kentucky transfer point guard Quade Green back after he was ruled academically ineligible and missed the final two months of the season. Washington also added Wichita State transfer Erik Stevenson, Michigan transfer Cole Bajema and USC transfer J’Raan Brooks.
California
- Key Returners: Matt Bradley, Andre Kelly, Grant Anticevich, Lars Thiemann, Joel Brown, D.J. Thorpe, Kuany Kuany
- Key Losses: Paris Austin, Kareem South
- Key Newcomers: Makale Foreman (Stony Brook), Ryan Betley (Penn), Monty Bowser, Jalen Celestine
Cal went an uninspiring 13-18 last season in Mark Fox’s first season as coach. Junior guard guard Max Bradley is back after putting up 17.5 points per game as a sophomore last season. The Bears also return two frontcourt starters in Grant Anticevich and Andre Kelly while adding transfer perimeter shooters Makale Foreman and Ryan Betley.
Washington State
- Key Returners: CJ Elleby, Isaac Bonton, Noah Williams, Aljaz Kunc, Tony Miller
- Key Losses: Jeff Pollard, Deion James, Jervae Robinson, Jaylen Shead
- Key Newcomers: Andrej Jakimovski, Carlos Rosario, Dishon Jackson
Washington State went 15-16 last season, but an awful 5-13 in conference play. The Cougars also lost leading scorer CJ Elleby but added a pair of four-star recruits in wings Andrej Jakimovski and Carlos Rosario. Nevertheless, I expect Washington State will struggle to keep up with the pack in 2020-21.
Oregon State
- Key Returners: Ethan Thompson, Zach Reichle, Alfred Hollins, Jarod Lucas, Gianni Hunt
- Key Losses: Tres Tinkle, Kylor Kelley, Antoine Vernon, Sean Miller-Moore
- Key Newcomers: Tariq Silver (JUCO), Rodrigue Andela (JUCO), Maurice Calloo (JUCO), Isaiah Johnson
Oregon State went a solid 17-13 last season but lost the program’s all-time leading scorer and rebounder in Tres Tinkle, though the Beavers will return senior leader Ethan Thompson and fellow returning starters returning starters Zach Reichle and Alfred Hollins. Oregon State also added a trio of junior college transfers. I’m expecting a nearly identical campaing in 2020-21 to the one the Beavers had a year ago.
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