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Arizona Wildcats (Home/Away)
Sean Miller is somehow still in Tucson, meaning the Wildcats will have a legitimate chance at a Pac-12 title. Arizona will have a wealth of pieces at their disposal, anchored by likely all-leaguer Chase Jeter, a loaded recruiting haul headlined by two five-star prospects and a few key returners.
Arizona State Sun Devils (Home/Away)
Arizona State may not have the best team in the Pac-12 on paper, but a likeable cast with experience in Tempe may help this group overachieve. The Sun Devils have also been a thorn in the Beavers’ side, as they topped Oregon State in both meetings last year by a combined 6 points.
California Golden Bears (Home/Away)
Some good news for Oregon State is that they’ll get the Golden Bears both at home and away, as California has enough rough campaign potentially sitting on the horizon. First-year head coach Mark Fox has a lot of cleaning up to do in Berkeley after the end of the Wyking Jones era.
Colorado Buffaloes (Home/Away)
Tad Boyle led the Buffaloes to the NCAA Tournament in four of his first six seasons on campus (4/5 in the Pac-12), but hasn’t been dancing since 2016. Boyle believes this unit, who looks mostly similar to last season’s 23-win squad, has the ability to return the program to the field of 68.
Iowa State Cyclones (Home)
The Cyclones were rampaged by off-season player movement, losing four of their top five scorers from the 2018-2019 campaign. However, Iowa State still has forward Michael Jacobson and guard Tyrese Haliburton in Ames, while also adding Colorado State transfer Prentiss Nixon to the mix.
Oklahoma Sooners (Neutral - Portland, OR)
A game slated to be played in the inaugural Phil Knight Invitational at the Moda Center, this match-up will be flanked by an Oregon-Memphis contest that should headline the event. The Beavers are 0-4 all-time against Oklahoma, with their last meeting taking place in 2000.
Oregon Ducks (Home/Away)
Another tumultuous summer might somehow turn out fine for the Ducks, as Dana Altman has managed to assemble a starting five that can compete with anyone in the Pac-12, led by star guard Payton Pritchard, NJCAA Player of the Year Chris Duarte and two Mountain West transfers.
San Jose State Spartans (Neutral - Las Vegas, NV)
Having posted back-to-back four win campaigns under head coach Jean Prioleau, the honeymoon period is running out for the San Jose State program director. Prioleau’s best squad yet will need to navigate a tough non-conference slate, which includes games against four Pac-12 opponents.
Stanford Cardinal (Home/Away)
Swingman KZ Okpala’s decision to leave Stanford wasn’t much of a surprise to those at the NBA level, yet it’s safe to say those behind in Palo Alto weren’t ready to Cormac Ryan to leave for Notre Dame. The Cardinal’s back-court of Daejon Davis and Bryce Wills will have to carry the load now.
Texas A&M Aggies (Away)
Another program welcoming a new coach to town, Buzz Williams will take over in College Station, with as expected, a load of work to do. The return of swingman Savion Flagg will give the Aggies the leader they need on the floor, but a group of freshman will have to fill roles from the get-go.
UCLA Bruins (Home)
Mick Cronin’s debut won’t be started with a bare cupboard, as the Bruins may be aided with the turning of a new leaf in Westwood. UCLA should have play-makers and offensive options abound. How quick the depth chart adapts to Cronin’s defensive identity will decide this team’s fate.
UC Santa Barbara Gauchos (Home)
The Beavers will welcome an old familiar face to Corvallis when UC Santa Barbara and former Oregon State point guard JaQuori McLaughlin comes to town. McLaughlin, who averaged 10.3 points and 3.2 assists per game last season, will lead the Gauchos in 2019-2020.
USC Trojans (Home)
Another Pac-12 team loaded with a batch of fresh faces, USC welcomes arguably the league’s best recruiting haul to campus, headlined by five-star prospects Isaiah Mobley and Onyeka Okongwu, as well as two crucial transfers in Daniel Utomi (Akron) and Quinton Adlesh (Columbia).
Utah Utes (Home/Away)
Doubt Utah at your own risk. The Utes will sport a super young, yet excitable roster, that figures to be one of the most youthful in the whole West. Larry Krystkowiak will have a major coaching job on his hands, as he’ll rely on Timmy Allen, Both Gach and Riley Battin to be ahead of schedule.
Washington Huskies (Away)
The Huskies will likely run the league again, unless Arizona’s plans to derail Washington come to fruition. Mike Hopkins is replacing a veteran cast with it’s own youth movement that will operate around the focal points of five-star talents Isaiah Stewart and Jaden McDaniels.
Washington State Cougars (Away)
Another new coach to the league, Kyle Smith will have to mesh a blend of returners in CJ Elleby, Marvin Cannon and Ahmed Ali, with a huge recruiting haul that was scrapped together over the last handful of months. Smith will need to change the culture on the fly in Pullman.
Wyoming Cowboys (Away)
A trip to Laramie will complete the Beavers “two-for-one” deal with Wyoming, which began back in 2017. The Cowboys are projected to finish towards the bottom of the Mountain West, after losing their most talented player in Justin James from a team that won only 8 games last year.