Pac-12 Networks broadcasters preview men's basketball season

In the wake of Full Court Friday, Pac-12 Networks analysts and play-by-play announcers answered some crucial questions about the twelve teams as they enter the 2015-2016 season. 153 Pac-12 men’s basketball games will appear on the Pac-12 Networks leading up to the conference tournament in Las Vegas.

Matt Muehlebach on Arizona

Who will replace TJ McConnell?

The smart aleck answer is no one! The real answer is a combination of Kadeem Allen—their best perimeter defender with his huge wing span—and Parker Jackson Cartwright, the change of pace and savvy 5-10 sophomore. Sleeper: Justin Simon, the 6-5 uber athletic freshman, could see some action as well.

How important is the presence of vet Kaleb Tarczewski in a lineup missing the other four starters from 2014-2015?

Without him they are not a top 20 team -- with him, a chance to be a top ten team.  Zeus is the anchor to everything they do. I think he is one of the top 2 or 3 defensive centers in college basketball. If he remains healthy, he could shatter the record for most wins and most starts in Wildcat history. He's also on track to be the first Wildcat player to graduate from Arizona's business school -- pretty heady stuff!

How important will the three transfers be to this team?

Great question. Answer: So important that it is possible that no college team will benefit more from transfers this year than Arizona.  All three will start initially. When they tip the ball for their first game, fifth year senior Ryan Anderson, who has already scored an eye-popping 1282 points for an ACC team, will be Arizona's best player. Fellow fifth year senior Mark Tollefson has also already broken the 1,000 point barrier in college while playing at USF (1016 points).  How's that for a variation in what we think of as "One and Done"!  Add defensive specialist Kadeem Allen as the likely starting point guard, and you can see why these Terrific Transfers will have such a huge impact on Arizona's chances to defend their Pac-12 title and make a deep run in March!

Mary Murphy on Arizona State

What does Bobby Hurley bring to this team?

Bobby Hurley brings so much to this team. Bobby is college basketball royalty. He is relevant in any college basketball conversation. At every level as a player and coach, he has been a winner. He brings great credibility on the practice floor, in games, in the locker room, on the recruiting trail and in the community. Coach Hurley has a quiet, forceful presence. He has a great feel for his team and how to get the best out of every man on his team.

Do you foresee height being an issue this season?

What the Sun Devils lack in size they make up for with versatility and athletic ability. They have guys, Savon Goodman, Obinna Oleka, Willie Atwood, who can effectively play multiple positions. They can hurt you both inside and outside. ASU’s best big man, Eric Jacobsen is 6-10, has lost 25 pounds from a year ago and is in great shape. Clearly “EJ" staying out of foul trouble will be key to ASU’s success this year. This is a group that will attack the basket, attack the boards and not worry about the height of their opponents.

What will early tough games against UNLV and Kentucky do for the Sun Devils?

It will be quite the road trip, Saturday, December 12 at Kentucky and Wednesday, December 16 at UNLV! The best way to prepare for Pac-12 play is to get out on the road and compete against tough teams in a hostile environment. The Sun Devils struggled on the road last year while playing well at home. Clearly one of the big goals in the non-conference is to bring the same effort, effectiveness and focus to the road. ASU will also take a trip to Coach Bobby Hurley’s New Jersey backyard, Brooklyn, NY, for two games and make a trip to Creighton. All these games will go a long way in preparing the Sun Devils for what lies ahead in Pac-12 play.

Josh Lewin on USC

This team is young but experienced...will the presence of all of last season’s starters help the Trojans compete in the Pac-12?

Absolutely. By "compete" we need to keep expectations real, though... mid-pack would be a heck of a year for Andy Enfield with an eye on next year being the one where everything really pops. There is a true foundation at Galen Center now, and Trojans fans should be excited by that. Last year's freshmen are now sophomores and that's huge.

What do you expect from true freshmen Chimezie Metu and Bennie Boatwright?

I would hope if they don't each go for 20 points right away, there's not any sense of disappointment. Both of those guys are top tier talents, but there's always a learning curve. I love that USC has gone with a home game friendly non-conference schedule that seems to set up for the young guys to ease into and get acclimated to the waves. Boatwright will be a fan favorite for sure, and I think Metu can eventually be a real difference-maker.

With no true centers listed on the roster, who do you expect to step up and fill that void?

While there's no true "5" Malik Martin at 6-11 and Metu at 6-10 can certainly hold sway for them...the Serbian big man, Jovonovic, is always a factor too. But the Trojans will live and die with their guard play, which should be strong. Katin Rheinhart can change a game when he gets on a roll from outside.

Ted Robinson on UCLA

Will the youth of the Bruins prove to be a strength or a weakness?

UCLA's youth translates to talent. Their incoming group is talented,  with high ceilings. The player they most need to replace is Norman Powell. He stayed 4 years and guided the Bruins through both player and coach transitions. Who will be the on-floor "rock" for this team?

Will early contests against Kentucky, UNC and Gonzaga help accelerate the maturation process?

UCLA has taken the challenge with a strong non-con schedule. They may take a lump early (as in Kentucky last year), but these games should help the Bruins in February and March. Playing at Gonzaga, for example, will help toughen them for the trip to McKale.

How versatile is Jonah Bolden?

Talking to the UCLA coaches, they see Bolden more in the mold of Kevon Looney than Kyle Anderson. I wondered if the Aussie could play a role like Anderson filled in Steve Alford's first year. But UCLA sees Bolden as a strong rebounder who can contribute inside as well as out. Thus the Looney comparison.

Casey Jacobsen on Utah

How can the Utes reach the next level and surpass their preseason expectations?

Based on their successful season last year, reaching the next level for this team means winning the conference.  For that to happen, they have to continue to be a dominant defensive team (#1 in scoring defense) but take a step forward offensively.  Arizona was the only team in top 3 in both scoring offense and defense.  That is why they are elite year after year. It would also help if they can be better on the road, as the Utes were only 10-8 on neutral or away arenas.  

What do you think Lorenzo Bonam will bring to the team?

Lorenzo Bonam has already shown that he is physically ready to play at the Pac-12 level.  The question will be whether he can lead this team against the “big time” teams that Utah has on its schedule (San Diego State, Wichita St, Kansas, Duke, Arizona).  Delon Wright ruined it for all other junior college transfers because of how quickly he became a star.  Normally, it takes junior college players half of a season to get adjusted to the new level of competition.  I expect Bonam will be good, but it could be bumpy until January.  

Jakob Poeltl added some moves to his repertoire during the offseason. How important will it be for him to add offensive production?

It’s important that Jakob increases his scoring, especially given the fact that Utah needs to fill the 14.5 points-per-game void that Delon Wright leaves behind.  Jakob could have gone to the NBA last season and been in the 15-20 range of the draft, but I believe he chose to come back so that he can improve his game on a team that will feature him more this season.  If he proves that he can score in the post against guys like Kaleb Tarczewki, Tony Parker, and Josh Scott…he’ll be in the top 10 of the NBA Draft.  I can’t wait to see what happens.

Mike Yam on Colorado

Expectations are low entering the season thanks to an injury-riddled 2014-2015 season. What improvements do the Buffs need to make in order to surpass these expectations?

Last year, the expectation level was pretty significant based on the success that they’ve had. They lost Spencer Dinwiddie, but you thought they would figure it out without him. Obviously, that didn’t happen. They’re a cohesive unit, but injuries were key. They’re returning some of the best frontcourt players in the conference, so if I’m Tad Boyle, I’m holding my hat on that. They’re expecting a guy like Josh Fortune to come up and really step up in a huge way. I think the biggest question for me is what are they going to get in terms of consistency in their backcourt, and that’s something they didn’t have last year. Askia Booker, for as good and talented as he was on the floor, was on fire one night and ice cold the next night. Consistent production in the backcourt and the team staying healthy are by far the two most crucial aspects of this team’s success this year.

What does Josh Scott need to do to distinguish himself as an elite player?

I think he is already elite, but he has to stay healthy. I think there’s no question that he can be an NBA player just based on his size and his skill set. He really worked two seasons ago on his passing game out of the post, and I think it paid dividends. Last year was disappointing because he wasn’t healthy enough. When he was out there post-injury in late December and January, you could tell he wasn’t one hundred percent. He was laboring to get up and down the floor. He told us at media day not only that he does not like the comparison to Drake, but he said he’s completely healthy. To me, if he’s healthy and can show that he is the Josh Scott that we saw a couple seasons ago, I think he’s going to be one of the top two or three post players in the Pac-12 Conference.

Who else will the Buffs look to for offensive production?

Fortune is that guy. Tad Boyle said at media day that he’s been impressed by his shooting touch. He’s a transfer out of Providence who had to sit out a year. If you get a guard like fortune to knock down shots, especially from range, I think that’s going to pay huge dividends because that’s something we didn’t see last year as a result of the inconsistency of Booker. Fortune would be the guy I would point to as the lynchpin of the team’s success, just based on the fact that he’s the newcomer. I don’t know who that stud guard is. Josh Scott can carry a team if he’s healthy—I just need to see it from some guard play.

Mike Montgomery on Stanford

How will the Cardinal need to adjust following the injury to starting PG Robert Cartwright?

Stanford has had a multitude of injuries, none more significant than to your starting point guard. Players will be playing out of position to help with the loss, but it is similar to losing your QB in football. Somebody’s going to have step up—Christian Sanders or Malcolm Allen—and be consistent.

How can Stanford make the jump from NIT Champions to March Madness participants?

It will be difficult for Stanford to be an NCAA team this year! They are very young and need to get some players healthy. I like their talent, especially Michael Humphrey and Reid Travis but both are unproven at this point.

Who is going to be the player to watch this season?

I really like Humphrey. I think he could make big strides this year, he’s got size and is skilled and can play multiple positions. I have also seen major improvements from Reid! He should be a force inside, and will need to be multiple positions.

Ben Braun on Cal

Cal has the two best recruits in the Pac-12...how should they benefit from them immediately while ensuring they are given time bulk up?

Both Rabb and Brown will help Cal tremendously. The team must encourage them to grow and play through some early mistakes while they gain valuable experience. They will only get better.

Last year, Cal performed well with low expectations...How will national attention affect their play?

I think national attention can help the team. It should bring good home crowd support. It will help bring confidence to the program and players. Managing expectations involves staying in the present and focusing on the process over future aspirations which all good players and programs have.

Who gives Cal the best chance of usurping Arizona?

Cal has the best chance to catch Arizona. They have better depth than a year ago. They are very experienced on the perimeter with Tyrone Wallace, Jabari Bird and Jordan Mathews. They have two big time impact freshmen. Cuonzo Martin is in his second year implementing his system. They also seem to have good chemistry. Going overseas this summer helped.

What will it be like to be around two programs that you coached?

I look forward to covering two programs I've coached. Great universities where I've maintained wonderful relationships. Should be a lot of fun!

Eldridge Recasner on Oregon

With Joseph Young gone and Dylan Ennis injured, how important will defense be for the Ducks?

I feel defensively Oregon will be fine with Joseph Young gone and Dylan Ennis  injured. Tyler Dorsey appears to be playing with a lot of confidence.  The question for me is who will step up as a leader and run the team, as PG is the most important position on the floor.

What will transfer Chris Boucher bring to the team?

What Chris Boucher appears to bring to the team is a shot blocker and rim protector. In the two exhibition games he has 12 blocked shots.

How will Tyler Dorsey’s experience at the FIBA U19 Championship help him and his team in the early going?

Playing in the FIBA U19 Championship should help Tyler Dorsey's confidence, playing against some of the best players in the world only makes you better. Tyler scoring 15 points in 28 minutes versus Northwest Christian and 16 points in 22 minutes versus Southern Oregon proves this. Impressive numbers for a freshman.  I think it will also help Tyler handle the pressure of having to run the show for the Ducks.

Kevin O’Neill on Oregon State

How will the Beavers overcome the combination of youth and injury?

The biggest challenges for the Beavers are all chemistry based. How do veteran players and new guys mix and make sure winning is top priority?

OSU has two coaches’ sons on the team...What will this dynamic bring to the team?

Two coaches having sons on the team won't be a problem because both guys are good players who will earn their time.

The Beavers were planning on implementing a faster pace with their newfound depth. Does the plan change?

I don't think their pace of play will change very much. They have a style based on defense that works well.

Lamar Hurd on Washington

Will starting four freshmen prove risky when conference games begin?

Yes, but it's the hand the Huskies have been dealt for this season.  On the bright side, the four freshmen are VERY talented.  Also, having them thrown into the fire this year will certainly prepare them and give them some experience that will more than likely play a role in the future.  Remember, Nate Robinson and Brandon Roy played a lot as freshmen for the Huskies - two years later, they were leading UW to a #1 seed in the NCAA tournament.

How can the Huskies maintain momentum throughout the season—something that plagued them last year?

They cannot accept mediocrity.  They can't use the excuse "We're a young team playing in a tough conference." Although it's the truth, they can't adopt that mindset.  Their primary veteran, Andrew Andrews, has to set the tone each day in practice and in every game of how hard the team will play.

What does Andrew Andrews mean to this team?

I alluded to it in my last answer... He's the tone-setter. When freshmen come into college, there are two main people they look to for guidance: their head coach, and their veteran leader.  And more times than not, they'll prefer to communicate with their veteran leader than they will with their head coach.  So it's important that Andrews can be someone who can love on them one minute, but then, if necessary, light into them the next.  As long as he has the younger guys' respect, he'll be able to lead effectively.

Dan Dickau on Washington State

Who will the Cougs rely on as they try to take the next step?

The Cougs must rely on Ike Iroegbu to take another huge step.  Josh Hawkinson is a known commodity and is proven.  Iroegbu showed great signs last year down the stretch.

What is their biggest strength entering the season?

Biggest strength this year is the fact that they have a proven big man in Hawkinson who averaged a double-double last season.

Do you they have the potential to shock the Pac-12?

To shock the Pac-12, they will need the new guards to improve and get used to the Pac-12 quickly as well as the big man additions of Connor Clifford and Valentine Izundu to be as good as Ernie Kent is saying they are.