OK, with a great 2011 season that far exceeded expectations now behind us, I wanted to put together a quick look at what we should be looking at next season. Overall, the conference should be much improved, with Cal and Oregon the only two teams I see taking a significant step back. I tried to note any possible attrition, particularly with Arizona, Oregon State, and Washington, but did not assume any future recruits/transfers. Also, this got a little long, so I'm breaking it up into multiple posts.
Arizona- Fogg and Perry were the leaders this year, so losing them will be a pretty big blow. Solomon Hill, Nick Johnson, and (if he returns) Josiah Turner will be the returning core. Angelo Chol’s also a talented kid who had a disappointing freshman year, but this team will be built around a great incoming freshman class. They already have signatures from 4 of the Rivals top-50 for 2012. With Hill, Chol, Ashley, Jerrett, and Tarczewski, they’ll be big and athletic, but their guard play may be a question, particularly if Turner does not return. They’ll likely be the pre-season favorites to win the conference, but they’ll be extremely young and need the freshmen to live up to the hype immediately. Also, there are some Arizona fans questioning Miller's ability to develop young talent, as Chol and Turner were highly-regarded recruits who did not live up to their billing last season.
Arizona State- Well, the good news for ASU is they won’t lose anyone to graduation. The bad news is there was very little talent to begin with and Keala King, the leading scorer to begin the year, was dismissed mid-season. They managed to land one Rivals top-150 prospect in Eric Jacobsen, who will add some size to the lineup, but this team has a long way to go. They should be among the bottom-3 in the conference again next year.
Cal- Considered the conference’s best team for much of this year, Cal’s lack of size and depth caught up with them at the end of the season. Unfortunately for Bears fans, neither situation looks to be improving next year. They lose their best interior player in Harper Kamp, as well as their leader in Jorge Gutierrez. Ty Wallace was a nice pick-up, but he’ll be hard-pressed to fill Gutierrez’s shoes next season, and it’s unlikely their other signee (Kaileb Rodriguez) will be ready to contribute. The guard play should be solid with Wallace, Cobbs, and Crabbe, but David Kravish and Richard Solomon are the only big men of note, and their depth will be almost non-existent next year. Cal looks to be due for regression next year, when the rest of the conference should be much improved.
Oregon- The Ducks made a run at the tourney this year, but lose most of their scoring punch next year, with Joseph, Sim, and Ashaolu all graduating. Artis, Dotson, and Carter make for a solid incoming class, but Carter and Dotson look to be more long-term projects than immediate impact players. They’ll need Artis and Tony Woods to step up as solid compliments to EJ Singler if they’re going to be a factor next year.
Oregon State- The Beavers graduate only Kevin McShane, who played 8.5 mpg this year, and landed a decent recruiting class, led by Rivals top-150 prospect Langston Morris-Walker. The wildcard here is Jared Cunningham. If he returns, this is a talented, experienced group who should be a team to watch next year. If he leaves early for the NBA, they lack a go-to scorer and look much more like a middle-of-the-pack team, at best.
Arizona- Fogg and Perry were the leaders this year, so losing them will be a pretty big blow. Solomon Hill, Nick Johnson, and (if he returns) Josiah Turner will be the returning core. Angelo Chol’s also a talented kid who had a disappointing freshman year, but this team will be built around a great incoming freshman class. They already have signatures from 4 of the Rivals top-50 for 2012. With Hill, Chol, Ashley, Jerrett, and Tarczewski, they’ll be big and athletic, but their guard play may be a question, particularly if Turner does not return. They’ll likely be the pre-season favorites to win the conference, but they’ll be extremely young and need the freshmen to live up to the hype immediately. Also, there are some Arizona fans questioning Miller's ability to develop young talent, as Chol and Turner were highly-regarded recruits who did not live up to their billing last season.
Arizona State- Well, the good news for ASU is they won’t lose anyone to graduation. The bad news is there was very little talent to begin with and Keala King, the leading scorer to begin the year, was dismissed mid-season. They managed to land one Rivals top-150 prospect in Eric Jacobsen, who will add some size to the lineup, but this team has a long way to go. They should be among the bottom-3 in the conference again next year.
Cal- Considered the conference’s best team for much of this year, Cal’s lack of size and depth caught up with them at the end of the season. Unfortunately for Bears fans, neither situation looks to be improving next year. They lose their best interior player in Harper Kamp, as well as their leader in Jorge Gutierrez. Ty Wallace was a nice pick-up, but he’ll be hard-pressed to fill Gutierrez’s shoes next season, and it’s unlikely their other signee (Kaileb Rodriguez) will be ready to contribute. The guard play should be solid with Wallace, Cobbs, and Crabbe, but David Kravish and Richard Solomon are the only big men of note, and their depth will be almost non-existent next year. Cal looks to be due for regression next year, when the rest of the conference should be much improved.
Oregon- The Ducks made a run at the tourney this year, but lose most of their scoring punch next year, with Joseph, Sim, and Ashaolu all graduating. Artis, Dotson, and Carter make for a solid incoming class, but Carter and Dotson look to be more long-term projects than immediate impact players. They’ll need Artis and Tony Woods to step up as solid compliments to EJ Singler if they’re going to be a factor next year.
Oregon State- The Beavers graduate only Kevin McShane, who played 8.5 mpg this year, and landed a decent recruiting class, led by Rivals top-150 prospect Langston Morris-Walker. The wildcard here is Jared Cunningham. If he returns, this is a talented, experienced group who should be a team to watch next year. If he leaves early for the NBA, they lack a go-to scorer and look much more like a middle-of-the-pack team, at best.
