Complete 2014-15 Pac-12 NCAA Basketball Primer Heading into Conference Play

While it's not the best or deepest conference in the nation, the Pac-12 could be the most intriguing as we head into conference play.

Arizona came into the season as the only real national title contender. However, we have seen enough over the past two months to know there is a lot of talent out west, even if the games are too late for most people to watch.

What we want to know at this point is how the teams will fare once things get tougher in the second half of the season. The teams in this conference have earned big wins while also suffering some bad losses, which creates a lot of uncertainty going forward.

This primer will help prepare you with everything you need to know for the upcoming conference season.

Nonconference Records

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Arizona 12-1

Washington 11-1

Utah 10-2

California 10-3

Oregon 10-3

Oregon State 9-3

Stanford 8-3

USC 8-4

Arizona State 8-5

UCLA 8-5

Colorado 7-5

Washington State 6-6

Biggest Lessons in Nonconference Play

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Arizona is good but not invincible

The Wildcats are clearly one of the best teams in college basketball thanks to an elite defense that can slow down even the best opponents. With All-Conference-level talent at every position, this group is clearly capable of contending for a national championship.

On the other hand, a loss at UNLV followed another close call on the road against UTEP. You have to admire Sean Miller for challenging his team with some tough matchups away from home, but things are only going to get more difficult in the Pac-12. 

If Arizona struggles to consistently score points, there could be some problems.

Utah is a team to fear

While a team like Washington had a relatively weak nonconference schedule, Utah beefed its up to prepare itself for Pac-12 play. Despite a few losses, road wins over BYU and UNLV, as well as a home win over Wichita State, are extremely impressive.

With Delon Wright, Jakob Poeltl and a healthy Jordan Loveridge, this is a team no one will want to play this season.

Joseph Young can carry Oregon

This season seemed to be a lost cause after a miserable offseason that featured a number of players leaving the program, including Damyean Dotson, Dominic Artis and Brandon Austin after the trio was involved in a sexual assault case.

However, Joseph Young has made sure the story of the season is a positive one after lifting Oregon to a 10-3 record. The guard leads the conference with 19.6 points per game and is a major reason this team has any chance of making the NCAA tournament.

Bottom of conference will provide some easy wins

One measure of a conference's strength is the competitiveness of the bottom few teams. This is not a good sign for the Pac-12, because Washington State, USC and even Oregon State could end up with a rough year.

This group has struggled its way toward losses to Quinnipiac, Portland State, Army, Idaho and more while earning few wins of any note. There is talent on each roster, but don't expect too many wins against the rest of the conference over the next few months.

Top Storylines to Watch

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Will Arizona be able to create enough offense?

The Wildcats are the most talented team in the conference and therefore are favored to win, but a major question is whether they will be able to score enough to pull out the wins they need.

Arizona misses Aaron Gordon's offensive rebounding ability as well as Nick Johnson's knack for hitting a big shot. Stanley Johnson has been a great scorer, but someone has to show the ability to take over when needed.

This is a lot of pressure to put on a freshman.

Are the most improved squads for real?

Three of the best teams in the conference this season have been ones that didn't even make the NCAA tournament a year ago. Even with some losses, Washington, Utah and Cal have all put together quality nonconference profiles that are likely going to impress the committee come March.

Still, there are reasons to doubt whether any of these teams can be legitimate conference contenders after struggling for much of last season. Teams obviously improve, but you want to see a little more success before completely jumping on the bandwagon.

Although Washington is coming off a bad loss to Stony Brook, don't count out the Huskies with do-it-all guard Nigel Williams-Goss along with an elite interior defender in Robert Upshaw.

Can UCLA beat a good team?

UCLA might be the biggest mystery heading into conference play. The Bruins had to rebuild most of their rotation from last year, so a slow start was expected, but we still don't know if they are any good.

Steve Alford's squad has beaten most of the teams it should have while not even being competitive against opponents like Kentucky, North Carolina and Gonzaga. The recent loss to Alabama might end up being the most damaging.

The starting lineup is as good as there is in the country, but a lack of depth could knock the group far down in the standings.

Will Colorado turn things around?

After returning most of its key players from an NCAA tournament appearance a year ago, many expected big things from Colorado this season. The media predicted the Buffaloes to finish third in the Pac-12 behind only Arizona and Utah back in October.

Since then, they have struggled against just about everyone. The team is 7-5 without facing too many top-level opponents, making it hard to expect too much more success going forward.

That being said, the scoring trio of Askia Booker, Josh Scott and Xavier Johnson can surprise just about anyone in a given day.

Rivalry Games and Can't-Miss Matchups

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Stanford at California (Jan. 14)

You will be able to pass on many of the regional rivalries in the Pac-12 this season as Oregon-Oregon State, Washington-Washington State, Arizona-Arizona and UCLA-USC will all be pretty one-sided.

On the plus side, Stanford and Cal should remain an exciting battle with both teams likely being competitive in the conference. Guards Tyrone Wallace and Chasson Randle have difference styles on the court, but they can each score the basketball and should create and exciting one-on-one battle in this one.

UCLA at Arizona (Feb. 21)

While UCLA has the ability to make the NCAA tournament, it will need to earn some high-profile wins to truly impress the committee. In a conference without too many elite teams, this will limit the opportunities.

There is just one game on the schedule against Arizona, making this road matchup the biggest of the year for the Bruins to try to earn a resume-building victory.

Meanwhile, Stanley Johnson, Kevon Looney, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson and others will make this a must-see game for NBA scouts.

Arizona at Utah (Feb. 28)

Although it's difficult to imagine Arizona completely running the table in the Pac-12, it will take a great effort for anyone to pull off an upset. In fact, KenPom.com (subscription required) lists the team as a favorite in all but one conference game this year.

That one game is the road trip to the Hunstman Center in Utah, a place that will be difficult for anyone to win in this season.

Delon Wright and Jakob Poeltl have shown the ability to beat quality opponents already this year and will present quite a challenge for Sean Miller's squad.

Freshmen to Watch

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Stanley Johnson, Arizona

The leading scorer on one of the best teams in the nation, Stanley Johnson is averaging 14.5 points and 6.8 rebounds per game. He knows how to create his own shot both inside and out, and he has become incredibly difficult to defend. 

Kevon Looney, UCLA

On a team that needed some immediate help in the low post, Kevon Looney has been a godsend. The forward is among the best in the conference with 10.4 rebounds per game and already has seven double-doubles on the season.

Jakob Poeltl, Utah

There weren't many expectations coming into the season, but Jakob Poeltl has been one of the best centers in the nation this season. While the Austrian seven-footer is still raw on the offensive end, he makes a big impact defensively and is a vital part of Utah's success so far.

Jordan McLaughlin, USC

Although USC has not turned many heads as a team, you can't blame Jordan McLaughlin. The point guard has shown great quickness to get into the lane whenever he wants and leads the team in both points and assists per game. 

Dillon Brooks, Oregon

Joseph Young is the main attraction for Oregon, but Dillon Brooks deserves his praise as well after averaging 14.5 points and 5.6 rebounds per game to start the season. The forward has been a consistent performer this year, scoring double figures in all but one game.

Top Pac-12 Player of the Year Candidates

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T.J. McConnell, Arizona

Five different players on Arizona average more points than T.J. McConnell, and any of Stanley Johnson, Brandon Ashley or Rondae Hollis-Jefferson could stake a claim toward a Player of the Year nomination. However, McConnell might be one of the most valuable players in the nation.

Not only does the point guard excel at creating scoring opportunities for teammates, but he is an elite on-ball defender and is a main reason the Wildcats are so successful.

Joseph Young, Oregon

The conference's leading scorer and someone you never want to bet against. Joseph Young can score from anywhere on the floor no matter what type of defense you want to use against him. 

Nigel Williams-Goss, Washington

Although he is completely underappreciated nationally, Nigel Williams-Goss can fill up the stat sheet as well as anyone in college basketball. The former McDonald's All-American is averaging 13.6 points, 6.7 assists and 5.3 rebounds and will carry the Huskies to great heights.

Delon Wright, Utah

Another player who does it all for his team, Delon Wright is a rare player who can give you over 15 points, five assists and five steals almost every night.

If Utah is going to remain a top contender in the conference, the senior guard will have to keep up this type of production throughout the year.

Tyrone Wallace, California

It's hard to find too many better rebounding guards than the 6'5" Tyrone Wallace, who is averaging 8.8 boards per game. Of course, this is overshadowed by the junior's offensive play this season. Wallace has scored 19.2 points per game this year as he turned himself into one of the weapons in the nation.

Even coming off consecutive losses to Wisconsin and CSU Bakersfield, Cal will be in good hands with Wallace. 

Chasson Randle, Stanford

Coming into the year with 1,651 career points, Chasson Randle hasn't slowed down a bit on that end of the court. The senior isn't always among the most efficient players on the court, but he can put up points as well as anyone, averaging 18.5 points per game.

If Stanford makes a run to the top of the standings, Randle will remain a top contender for this award.

Bryce Alford, UCLA

Usually, the list of Player of the Year candidates has slimmed down at this point of the year, but there are simply too many stars to leave off. This helps Bryce Alford remain in the conversation after becoming one of the most improved players in the nation this season.

The coach's son went from a guy who got too many minutes to one of the best point guards in the nation, and he can help carry the Bruins to a big second half of the season.

Pac-12 Favorite and Dark Horse

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Favorite: Arizona

There will be challengers, but Arizona should come out of this conference on top of the pack. The defense will give everyone trouble thanks to the on-ball play of T.J. McConnell and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson as well as the length of Kaleb Tarczewski down low.

With Stanley Johnson, Brandon Ashley and others making plays on offense, the Wildcats should be able to get the wins they need to win a regular-season title.

Dark Horse: Stanford

Not counting ranked teams like Utah and Washington, Stanford qualifies as the best dark horse to win a conference title.

The Cardinal have a veteran lineup thanks to seniors Chasson Randle, Stefan Nastic and Anthony Brown, all of whom know what it takes to win tough games at this level. The road victory over Texas showed what this group is capable of when things go right.

With the way Randle can help close out games, Stanford can be a serious contender in the Pac-12.

Who Makes the NCAA Tournament?

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Shoo-ins: Arizona, Utah, Washington

Things could obviously go wrong, but each of these teams has put together an impressive nonconference resume. If the season ended today, all three could even find themselves with top-four seeds.

Washington might still have the most to prove, especially after ruining its perfect record with a terrible home loss to Stony Brook. Still, the win over Oklahoma will carry a lot of weight going forward.

Hopefuls: California, Stanford, UCLA, Oregon

California and UCLA have both shown signs of being an NCAA tournament team this season, but the best win between them is Cal's neutral-court victory over Syracuse. Both squads will have to do a lot more to get into the dance.

Meanwhile, Stanford and Oregon will have to find some consistency during the conference season, but a winning record in the Pac-12 will go a long way. 

Long shots: Colorado, Arizona State

Arizona State's recent win over Harvard will help, but neither of these teams has the profile of an NCAA tournament team. What these squads do have is talent, which could lead to success in the Pac-12.

Savon Goodman has made a huge impact for the Sun Devils, while Colorado plays quality defense and has the scorers to do damage. 

If either team can steady itself heading into conference play, a tournament bid is not out of the question.

Predicting Final Pac-12 Standings

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1. Arizona

2. Utah

3. Stanford

4. Washington

5. UCLA

6. California

7. Oregon

8. Colorado

9. Arizona State

10. USC

11. Oregon State

12. Washington State

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