Pac-12 Basketball: 12 bold predictions for the 2018-19 season

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LAS VEGAS, NV – MARCH 08: Tres Tinkle #3 of the Oregon State Beavers drives against Nick Rakocevic #31 of the USC Trojans during a quarterfinal game of the Pac-12 basketball tournament at T-Mobile Arena on March 8, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Trojans won 61-48. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) /

4. Cal will finish last in the Pac-12… again.

Last year the 8-win Golden Bears were not good. They finished last in scoring (62.2) and this year they do not look good either. They do return leading scorer Justice Sueing (13.8 ppg) but lose a combined 25.6 points a game with the departure of Don Coleman (transferred to South Alabama) and Marcus Lee (graduated). If second year coach Wyking Jones wants to finish out of the cellar, he’ll need to find scoring from somewhere else besides Sueing.

5. Oregon State will finish in the top half of the Pac-12

The Beavers return 8 players and 75% of their scoring from last season’s team. Losing Drew Eubanks along with his 13.2 points and 6.8 rebounds a game hurts but junior Tres Tinkle should take the reigns as Oregon State’s leader. Stephen Thompson, Jr. (15.8 ppg) and Ethan Thompson (9.9 ppg) should also increase their scoring output with the loss of Eubanks opening up more looks at the basket. Two incoming freshmen, Jordan Campbell and Kye Blaser, can score and if they contribute early the Beavers should be able to improve on both last year’s 73.1 points a game and their 16 win total.

6. With the help of their non-conference schedule, Utah will make the NCAA Tourney this year

Last season, the Utes capped off a decent season by making it to the finals of the NIT before losing to Penn State. An appearance in the NIT championship game was nice but this year Larry Krystkowiak and his Utes would much rather be playing in the Big Dance during March. Last year, Utah entered Pac-12 play with an 8-3 record but lacking any wins over quality teams. Their best non-conference victory came against a Missouri team that ended their season 19-13.

This year, the Utes have a chance to make a statement (or three) during non-conference play. Their first chance comes when they play in The Wooden Legacy. A deep run (semi-finals or finals) would give them some early momentum. Utah also plays at Kentucky and ends their non-conference with a home game against Nevada. The Utes could enter Pac-12 play with three Top 25 victories already under their belt making for a great resume come March.