What we've learned about each Pac-12 basketball team after the first month of the season – 247Sports

If you’re a Pac-12 team not named Arizona, it’s a good bet that you got smacked in the mouth in college basketball’s first month. Arizona’s win on the road over Duke is the Conference of Champions only Quadrant 1 victory so far. Everyone else is a combined 0-15 in Quad 1 games.
It could be nothing, it could be something. There’s no debating that even in losses, teams like Utah and UCLA have passed the eye test.
“I think Mick’s done a great job with UCLA with all those new guys and young guys and to get them to play that hard and that physical, that’s really, really hard when you get that many new young guys,” Gonzaga coach Mark Few said after the Zags’ barely escaped the young Bruins in the Maui Invitational.
In early November, the Pac-12 was billed as a two-team race between USC and Arizona. In early December, everyone is wondering if anyone can catch Arizona or if it’s just a race for No. 2.
RELATED: What we’ve learned about each Big Ten basketball team after the first month
Here’s a look at each Pac-12 team’s first month: What we like, what we don’t like, key stat to know and what it means moving forward.
What we like: KJ Simpson’s decision-making is soooooo much better. The junior guard has evolved as Colorado’s go-to initiator. Simpson loves to reject ball screens and get two feet in the paint, and when that happens, everything else opens up. The volume of 3-pointers he’s attempting per game has gone down, but the quality of Simpson’s looks has gone up. It’s early, but Simpson has career-best efficiency marks across the board, and the wise choices he’s continued to make give it a better chance of being sticky throughout the season. Simpson is playing like he wants to be the Pac-12’s best point guard.
What we don’t like: When Simpson doesn’t have the ball in his hands, Colorado looks very uncomfortable. Tristan da Silva, Cody Williams, Eddie Lampkin and Julian Hammond have all struggled mightily with turnovers so far. It’s no surprise that Colorado’s two losses have come in the games with sky-high turnover rates. This is an excellent rebounding team that can be elite offensively if it doesn’t cough it up.
Key stat: Over 49% of Colorado’s shot attempts come at the rim. That ranks ninth-best nationally.
What it means: Arizona is still searching for its biggest challenger in the Pac-12. There’s no reason why it can’t be Colorado thanks to its size and guard play. This team is super close to putting it all together on both ends of the floor. Simpson and Williams have been electric in the open floor. da Silva hasn’t played poorly, but he can be better. Lampkin is still clearly trying to get settled, but it’s only a matter of time until he gets his sea legs. It just has to quit shooting itself in the foot with turnovers. Colorado certainly looks like the Pac-12’s best bet to give Arizona a true run for its money after the first month.
What we like: Gabe Madsen’s movement without the basketball is very subtle but super effective. The 6-foot-6 senior erupted for a career-high 29 points on eight 3-pointers in a competitive loss to Houston in mid-November, and he’s been playing with a bunch of confidence since then. The work he does before he gets the rock leads to very good results. Madsen has a sneaky-good knack for relocating and making himself available for kickouts. The Minnesota native is shooting nearly 43% from downtown, but he’s attacking long closeouts smartly. He’s turned into a strong play-finisher for a Utah offense that has proven to be very potent.
What we don’t like: Utah’s two-big lineup is defending the rim well, but it is getting carved beyond the arc. Utah’s opponents are shooting a 3-pointer on 43.8% of its shots this season which is one of the worst marks in the country. Maybe Utah is a little unlucky right now from a shooting variance perspective, but the Utes have to run teams off the stripe a bit better.
Key stat: Utah has a 92.6 defensive rating with Branden Carlson on the floor and a 108.7 defensive rating when he’s on the bench, per hoop-explorer.
What it means: It’s all about Branden Carlson’s health. When he’s on the floor, he’s one of the best players in the country, and Utah can be one of the Pac-12’s top risers. For all the hand-wringing over Deivon Smith’s denied waiver, Utah’s point guard play has been very steady thanks to hard-nosed veteran Rollie Worster. This team can really shoot it when Carlson, Madsen and Cole Bajema are on the floor, and there’s enough rim pressure and rim protection to be a real Pac-12 contender if Utah can eliminate some of the 3-point defensive woes. With many other Pac-12 rivals leaking oil, Utah has a real shot to finish inside the top-4. It can’t waste the opportunity.
What we like: Jordan Pope is still highly dangerous in ball screens. The Oregon State sophomore guard has to shoulder a huge load. He rarely comes off the floor, and it’s his job to handle the pressure repeatedly. Pope only has a 23.5% usage rate so far which might need to get ticked up because Oregon State’s offense only looks somewhat dangerous if he’s manipulating pick-and-rolls. Pope isn’t some 99th-percentile athlete, but he owns a tight handle and has numerous fakes in his bag to create space. There’s so little room for Pope to to operate.
What we don’t like: Oregon State might be the worst shooting team in the country. It is not going well. The Beavers are shooting just 25.7% on 3s which ranks 347th nationally. Combine that with a whopping 21% turnover rate, and it’s hard to create much offense. The shooting issues lead to more compact defenses which leads to turnovers which leads to easy buckets for the opposition in transition. It all goes hand in hand.
Key stat: Oregon State made 13 3-pointers in a win over Appalachian State and just 22 as a team in its other seven games.
What it means: Unfortunately for Wayne Tinkle, Oregon State looks like the Pac-12’s worst team. It hasn’t been remotely competitive in high-major games against Nebraska, Pitt or Baylor, and Oregon State needed overtime three times to escape with victories. The win over Appalachian State should age well especially after the Mountaineers knocked off Auburn, but Oregon State is still mired in the Pac-12 basement until proven otherwise. 
What we like: An aggressive Maxime Raynaud is exactly what Stanford needs. The 7-foot-1, 250-pound junior center has been extremely efficient around the rim (66%) and he’s shooting 94% from the free throw line. Raynaud’s ability to finish with both hands is pretty uncanny. For a righty, he might be better off finishing with a lefty hook. It’s unique and makes him a tough guard. Stanford has a big man that can hold serve with anybody offensively. 
What we don’t like: Stanford has not made many lead guards uncomfortable. Arkansas’ Tramon Mark had 25 points. Michigan’s Dug McDaniel erupted for 20 points and eight assists. Santa Clara’s Carlos Marshall had a 20-piece outing. Stanford opponents are shooting over 36% from 3-point range because of its inability to wall off driving lanes. Stanford’s defense has been forced into rotation far too often, and opponents are making it pay.
Key stat: Stanford allows 68.1 points per game in halfcourt possessions which ranks dead last in the Pac-12.
What it means: A make-or-break year for Jerod Haase is already off to a rough start. Stanford is 0-4 against top-150 teams this year, and the Cardinal has just one last opportunity to notch a signature non-conference victory (Dec. 21 vs. San Diego State). This is one of the oldest rosters in the country, and Stanford needs to start playing like it. Raynaud in the paint surrounded by this many competent shooters is a good recipe for offensive success, but it needs to get way more connected defensively if it wants to compete for a top-5 Pac-12 finish. 
What we like: Freed Jaylon Tyson. The Texas Tech transfer had an open-and-close case for a waiver. Once he finally got it, he’s been awesome. He’s earned the high-usage role he wanted when he entered the transfer portal. California coach Mark Madsen has handed Tyson a whopping 30.6% usage rate. The turnovers have been the cost of having the ball in his hands so much, but the reward has certainly been worth it. Tyson’s drives are so nasty, and he can be a free-throw machine. Cal doesn’t have ideal spacing, but Tyson is still manipulating his way wherever he wants on the court. He’s a legitimate three-level scorer who operates as Cal’s point guard and shows up on the defensive end as well. Tyson is a straight-up stud.
What we don’t like: Cal is 3-5 because of its injuries. Devin Askew and Jalen Celestine have only played three games. Keonte Kennedy just made his season debut. Without those three guys, Cal’s lack of depth was on full display. It was Tyson, Fardaws Aimaq, Jalen Cone and … not much else. 
Key stat: Cal has assisted on just 37.6% of its field goals this season which ranks 352nd nationally.
What it means: Cal has the 11th-best rating among the 12 Pac-12 teams on KenPom. It will not finish 11th. The moment Kennedy got on the floor, Cal suddenly looked completely different with four legitimate high-major difference-makers. Cal rolled a very solid Santa Clara program and looked as connected as it had all year long. This group will continue to get better and better as the season progresses. Will it be good? Maybe not, but it certainly won’t be a dumpster fire. There’s just too much talent, and both Aimaq and Tyson are All-league-caliber hoopers. Year 1 of the Mark Madsen era got off to a rough start, but progress is already impossible to ignore.
What we like: Mike Hopkins got Keion Brooks some reinforcements from the transfer portal and ticked his usage rate down a little bit. The early-season results have been excellent. The second-year jump for transfers is a real thing, and Brooks is in the process of doing just that for UW. The 6-foot-7, 210-pound forward is taking the same amount of shots, but they’re higher-quality looks. He might not ever be a high-volume, net-shredding 3-point assassin, but he’s been patient and way more under control. The synergy between Brooks and fellow Kentucky transfer Sahvir Wheeler has been on full display already. Brooks’ shooting percentages have vaulted from every area.
What we don’t like: Mike Hopkins has not been able to figure out the rotation at center quite yet. Braxton Meah did some very good things down the stretch last year, but he’s playing less than 15 minutes every night (although he has a super high usage rate when he’s on the floor). Now-healthy Franck Kepnang is the “starter” mainly thanks to his rim protection and offensive rebounding. Hopkins even mixes in some Wilhelm Breidenbach minutes. He even tried Kepnang and Meah together for three possessions, but Colorado State scored on every single one of them and that got ditched.
Key stat: Washington is playing at the second-fastest tempo of any team in the Pac-12.
What it means: Washington has had plenty of moments of competence which separates it from some of its Pac-12 brethren. Tight losses to Nevada, San Diego State and Colorado State certainly sting, but those look like three NCAA Tournament teams. Hopkins has certainly not bridled Wheeler. UW gets out and runs early and often, but the roster construction issues have been easy to spot. Moses Wood is truly the only high-volume shooter on the roster, and the Huskies’ perimeter defense hasn’t been stout. Nevada (1.12 points per possession), San Diego State (1.23 points per possession) and Colorado State (1.26 points per possession) all had no issues.
Saturday’s tilt against Gonzaga is vital for UW to make a real case that it is a good team, not just a solid, veteran-laden one. But cautious optimism for this group isn’t outlandish. There’s something here.
What we like: Myles Rice’s return from beating cancer isn’t just a great story – he’s also a real hooper. The 6-foot-3 freshman has been Washington State’s best guard, shooting 56% on 2s, 37% on 3s and 82% from the charity stripe. Rice’s change of speed on his drives is ridiculous, and Washington State coach Kyle Smith has dialed up ball screen after ball screen for his breakout star. Rice is playing at a high level, and it’s making everyone else’s role so much more defined.
What we don’t like: Joe Yesufu came to Washington State to be the alpha. It just wasn’t happening, and now he’s out with a nasty hip injury. That’s a pretty significant blow for a club that wasn’t super deep to begin with. If Washington State wants to flirt with a NCAA Tournament bid, Yesufu has to get healthy and become more impactful when Pac-12 play rolls around.
Key stat: Washington State ranks 24th nationally in rim rate, and it is shooting 66% at the rim as a team. Good stuff all around.
What it means: Washington State’s soft schedule has certainly helped the Cougs get off to a good start. A neutral site loss to Mississippi State won’t hurt, but Smith will be rooting for Archie Miller all year long so that the Rhode Island win starts looking a little better (I wouldn’t hold my breath). Rice’s emergence coupled with the brilliance of Idaho transfer Isaac Jones certainly gives Washington State a chance to be more than just a mediocre, middle-of-the-pack, Pac-12 squad. Rice and Jones are 100% legit. That duo certainly passes the eye test, but Washington State needs someone else to emerge as another option. Nigerian big man Rueben Chinyelu is going to be a good one soon, but an emergence from Jaylen Wells would go a long way if Yesufu is on the mend for a while. 
What we like: It’s taken almost no time for Jackson Shelstad to look like a real needle-mover for Oregon’s injury-riddled roster. Shelstad’s gorgeous game-winner against Michigan was a huge shot at the moment but might be just a sign of what’s to come for the dazzling freshman. Shelstad has major burst off the bounce and already gets to his spots effortlessly. Playing drop coverage against Shelstad feels like a bad idea. Shelstad can plug holes as a playmaker and shot-maker for an Oregon backcourt that desperately needs him right now.
What we don’t like: Nate Bittle, N’Faly Dante, Jesse Zarzuela and Mookie Cook were all supposed to be key pieces of Oregon’s rotation. They’re all hurt. The injuries significantly lower Oregon’s ceiling.
Key stat: Oregon is shooting nearly 40% on catch-and-shoot 3-pointers this season which is a far cry from last year’s rough 32.2% showing, per Synergy.
What it means: Oregon is impossible to fairly judge right now. The Ducks’ rim defense hasn’t been anything to write home about because of course it isn’t without Bittle and Dante. Oregon isn’t shooting a ton of 3-pointers because of course it isn’t without Bittle and Dante attracting an extra defender. Oregon’s depth is iffy because of course it is without four rotation guys. 
But Oregon still has enough talent to be frisky while it’s on the mend. Shelstad’s emergence helps Dana Altman limit the usage and playing time for some frustrating rotation players. Kario Oquendo and Jermaine Couisinard are both capable, big-body wing scorers. Mahamadou Diawara isn’t always effective, but he plays so dang hard. If Oregon can just tread water until Dante returns, it could make some noise in the wide-open middle of the Pac-12. 
What we like: The late pickup of Jose Perez has loomed awfully large. Arizona State’s offense would be a mess without him. The 6-foot-5 wing isn’t a super-sized, explosive athlete, but he might be Arizona State’s best isolation weapon. Bobby Hurley has used Perez in the mid-post area to go to work against smaller defenders, and Perez has already racked up 61 free throw attempts in just eight games.
What we don’t like: It certainly looks like shooting is going to be a real struggle all season for Arizona State which significantly caps the upside when it doesn’t have a true low-post threat. The Sun Devils truly have to be transition mavens to stay afloat offensively. As a team, Arizona State is shooting just 29% on jumpers. LSU transfer Adam Miller is still awaiting a waiver. The lefty assassin would be a huge shot in the arm.
Key stat: Arizona State is averaging just 0.78 points per possession in the halfcourt.
What it means: Arizona State feels like a Bobby Hurley team right now. They play hard. Frankie Collins, Jamiya Neal and Perez are talented guys who have to create pretty much everything offensively. It forces turnovers and tries to score as much in transition. When good teams like BYU or Mississippi State force Arizona State to try and score in the halfcourt, it’s a struggle. Before the season, Arizona State was pegged as a team that could finish anywhere between fifth and 10th in the league. Nothing has changed.
What we like: Arizona knows where its bread is buttered. The Wildcats have built a house in the lane and refuse to leave. When Oumar Ballo, Keshad Johnson or Motiejus Krivas are on the floor, Arizona might be the best rebounding team in the country. All three big men are a complete handful on the offensive glass, and it’s helped Arizona dominate at the rim. Tommy Lloyd’s bunch ranks 15th nationally with a 47.7% rim rate, per Bart Torvik. Arizona shoots a bunch of layups, and it makes a ton of them (66.1%). That’s a recipe that leads to an extremely high floor offensively.
What we don’t like: It’s fair to question if Arizona has enough shooting. It only has two guys on pace for more than 100 attempts from downtown. It’s also reasonable to be a touch concerned about Ballo’s ball-screen defense at times. But those are both small, nit-picky things. Arizona has played great. 
Key stat: Arizona owns the No. 13-rated offense and fifth-best defense, according to KenPom. No other Pac-12 team has a top-20 unit on either side of the floor. 
What it means: Arizona has been as impressive as any team in the country in the first month. Lloyd’s roster just meshes together nicely. Johnson and Ballo form a two-headed monster in the paint. Caleb Love, Kylan Boswell, Pelle Larsson, Jaden Bradley and KJ Lewis all bring a little different element to the Arizona backcourt. This team looks like a National Title contender.
What we like: Mick Cronin can coach some defense, man. UCLA, simply, refuses to budge one inch or give up one single easy look at the rim. UCLA opponents are shooting a miserable 53% at the rim against the Bruins, and only a quarter of their shots allowed come at the rim. If you want to beat UCLA, you have to make contested jumpers over and over again. UCLA’s defense is borderline unstoppable when Adem Bona is on the floor, allowing just 81.7 points per 100 possessions.
What we don’t like: UCLA takes so many tough 2s. It worked when the legend Jaime Jaquez was around. It might not when it’s Sebastian Mack, Dylan Andrews and Lazar Stefanovic who have to bail out possessions. Andrews’ midrange game is really smooth, but it’s not always a sustainable path to efficient offense. UCLA shoots more long twos than any other high-major team in the country. Houston gets away with it because it’s so elite on the offensive glass. If UCLA’s shot diet stays the same, its commitment to getting second-chance opportunities just has to be there as well.
Key stat: 40.4% of UCLA’s shots this season have been long 2s.
What it means: UCLA is ahead of the curve defensively which gives it such a high floor in the Pac-12. UCLA will carve up some teams who aren’t ready for the pressure or athleticism. It was always going to take time for this offense to get going, but the offensive process is a little scary right now. There are just so many new faces settling into new roles. Cronin is tinkering with his big-man rotation. He’s thrown freshmen into shark-infested waters and told ’em to sink or swim. Sebastian Mack is certainly swimming. Berke Buyuktuncel, Jan Vide and Aday Mara are dog-paddling for their life right now. 
That’s OK.

Even with all this change, UCLA has given Marquette and Gonzaga hell. The Bruins will be a bear in February, but it might keep looking a little rocky in December.
What we like: Don’t take Boogie Ellis for granted right now. The USC guard is on another level offensively. He’s absolutely dialed in from beyond the arc with unlimited range, and his drives have become even harder to guard. Ellis is a flamethrower who just doesn’t make many mistakes. He’s made at least three 3-pointers in five straight games. No other Pac-12 guard is as scary as Ellis.
What we don’t like: USC’s sense of urgency is not there on the defensive end. Teams are getting out in transition and getting really easy looks because of elementary-level mistakes like not matching up, just getting lost in the wash or lazy closeouts. Gonzaga hit three clutch 3-pointers in transition against USC, and that’s been a trend all year long.
Key stat: USC has allowed 16 transition 3-pointers in eight games. It allowed only 30 treys in transition in 33 games last season.
What it means: USC has not lived up to the billing so far. Maybe that’s a bit unfair. The loss to UC Irvine without Boogie Ellis and Kobe Johnson isn’t great, but isn’t atrocious. Oklahoma and Gonzaga have been two of college basketball’s best teams in the first month. USC isn’t there yet. The turnovers and lack of consistent rim pressure feel like fixable things, but two or three guys can’t be the only ones who want to play a lick of defense if USC wants to win the Pac-12.
© 2005-2023 CBS INTERACTIVE ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. CBS Sports is a registered trademark of CBS Broadcasting Inc.

source