The addition of DeAndre Ayton alone should make Arizona a Final Four contender, but Sean Miller has surrounded him with a bevy of athletic wings, and this team should be more similar to the outstanding 2014-15 Wildcats than Miller's last few teams. As a hyper-athletic 7-footer with a ridiculous wingspan, Ayton should immediately improve what was an uncharacteristically mediocre (for Miller's standards) interior defense. Both the 2PT percentage defense and block rate for the Wildcats last season were the worst of Miller's tenure since his first two seasons in Tucson. Miller's wing corps around the mobile Ayton is deep and talented. Two more stud freshmen, Ira Lee and Emmanuel Akbot figure to slot in as hybrid 3/4s. Lee is an athletic slasher while Akbot can play anywhere from 2-4 with plus passing and ball skills on the perimeter. The frontcourt also returns highly efficient low post scorer Dusan Ristic. Ristic is extremely skilled around the rim, but he's a net loss defensively (Arizona was +.07 points per possession better on the defensive end when he was off the floor, per HoopLens), and doesn't rebound well for his 7-foot frame. Keanu Pinder gives Miller a secondary defensive big when the lineup dictates it. Miller's depth at the 2/3 is outstanding, with returnees Allonzo Trier and Rawle Alkins (due back by December) being bolstered by UNC Asheville transfer Dylan Smith and freshman Brandon Randolph. Randolph, when cleared from concussion symptoms, can open up the floor for the outstanding rim attacking 6-foot-5 duo of Trier and Alkins, two wings who epitomize the "positionless" basketball revolution. Both are capable shooters, ball handlers, and relentless penetrators. Smith is yet another athletic 6-foot-5 2/3 hybrid who can shoot and slash, and brings defensive tenacity to the perimeter (when his suspension is lifted). Parker Jackson-Cartwright will be running the show as the nominal point guard, but with the ball handling ability of Trier and Alkins, he can also slide off the ball as a steady perimeter threat. Alex Barcello is yet another freshman perimeter option who can play 1-3 as a much-needed shot maker.

WEAKNESSES: Too much. Perhaps inconsistent perimeter shooting? Looming FBI investigation rumors from the Adidas scandal?

It's not that Arizona can't shoot, as they hit at the nation's 19th best percentage and 40 percent in league play. It's more that the 3 simply wasn't a large part of the offense. With an embrace of "pace and space" basketball, the Wildcat offense should be more spread out and versatile this year.

SCHEME: Miller runs a motion-based offense concentrated on attacking the rim, and defensively he runs an outstanding pack line principled scheme that is one of the best in the country in terms of forcing two-point jump shots. Looks at the rim (again, last year was an aberration), open 3-point shots and transition opportunities are virtually non existent when Miller's squad defends the way he wants them to. With this team's elite length and athleticism, look for Arizona to return as one of the premier defensive teams in the country.

USC is absolutely loaded. With everyone of note returning from last year's tournament squad and the addition of former five-star Duke recruit Derryck Thornton, Andy Enfield has a Final Four contender on his hands (although the dark Adidas cloud hangs over the Trojan program as well). While Enfield's roster is loaded with underclassmen talent, the heart and soul of the Trojans is the senior backcourt duo of Jordan McLaughlin and Elijah Stewart. McLaughlin has become one of the steadiest PGs in the league with outstanding penetration ability coupled with a plus jump shot (which he has worked hard to develop, as he didn't come to USC as a natural shooter). Stewart, meanwhile, is a versatile defender and a plus shooter off of McLaughlin's penetration. A pair of sophomores off the ball offer a plethora of upside on both ends of the floor. De'Anthony Melton proved to be one of the best all-around defenders in the league last year, posting the league's top steal rate and 12th-highest block rate. While Melton is an athletic penetrator and plus distributor as a secondary ball handler to McLaughlin, fellow soph Jonah Mathews (Jordan's brother) has potential to be a lethal volume shooter on the perimeter as an outlet from the constant backcourt penetration of his teammates. He's also one of the better perimeter defenders in the backcourt. Thornton, meanwhile, allows Enfield to actually give McLaughlin a rest, and can set up dual PG sets when they're on the floor together. The frontcourt is just as loaded as the backcourt, with 6-foot-10 matchup nightmare Bennie Boatwright leading the way. Boatwright is a lethal offensive threat as a stretch 4 on the perimeter. Boatwright can shoot and handle the basketball from anywhere on the floor, but his defensive game is a different story. HoopLens paints the picture pretty well, as the Trojans scored at 1.18 points per possession when he was on the floor and 1.09 when he was off. Unfortunately, opposing offenses scored at 1.12 ppp when he was on the defensive end and just 1.03 when he was on the bench/injured. He's also a poor rebounder for his size, but part of that can be chalked up to his role in Enfield's zone defense. Chimezie Metu is the anchor of that zone, but his block rate and overall defense and rebounding ability (again, potentially deterred by scheme) didn't really grade out as well as you would expect given his height/athleticism combo. Nevertheless, he's an improving talent on both ends and the anchor of the frontcourt. Louisville transfer Shaqquan Aaron saw a diminished role as the season progressed, and with highly-touted freshmen Chuck O'Bannon and Jordan Usher coming in as highly skilled 3/basket facing 4s, his minutes likely won't rebound. Victor Uyaelunmo is another freshman addition who projects as a major rim protector in limited minutes, while Nick Rakocevic earned Enfield's trust as a tenacious rebounder on both ends when Boatwright was hurt. The Uyaelunmo/Rakocevic duo could serve as offense for defense substitutions in certain scenarios.

WEAKNESSES: Defense. Rebounding. Adidas scandal.

Simply put, Boatwright probably will never be a plus defender, and Metu is still learning on the job, so I'm not sure Enfield will stray from the 2-3, even with the influx of NBA-ready talent. The zone certainly takes a toll on the defensive rebounding, though, where the Trojans really struggled last year. Additionally, Melton is the alleged focus of the FBI probe into USC, and he didn't participate in offseason scrimmages, which is fairly ominous for his status to start the year. That would be a huge loss for USC, particularly defensively.

Few teams lost as much firepower as the Ducks, but Dana Altman brought in a bevy of grad transfer talent along with a stud freshman to keep Oregon near the top of the Pac-12. Payton Pritchard at the point is the only returning Duck of note from last year's Final Four team. Pritchard should be ready to catapult into a massive role as a sophomore as a penetrating lead guard with a plus jump shot. He'll have high-scoring New Mexico grad transfer Elijah Brown as his running mate in the backcourt. Brown is an uber penetrator and pure scorer with an outstanding jump shot and an ability to handle the basketball as well. The dual ball handling ability of Pritchard and Brown should open up the floor for frosh Troy Brown, a 6-foot-7 slasher who can handle the rock himself and lead the break in transition. Brown could have a massive one-and-done year in Altman's NBA schemed offense. Victor Bailey Jr. is the most athletic addition to the backcourt, and he should see immediate minutes with the dearth of proven scoring options outside of the elder Brown, while another highly-touted frosh in Abu Kigab could see help on the glass and defensively as an athletic 6-foot-6 wing. MiKyle McIntosh comes in at the 4 as a perfect fit in Altman's various defensive trapping schemes. McIntosh is long and athletic and was a defensive menace at Illinois State. His offensive game, however, is a bit limited. He's an efficient finisher at the rim, especially trailing in transition, and he's a plus passer out of the post, but he doesn't have the stretch capabilities so common out of today's 4, and limits the floor spacing that was a key component of Altman's offense last year. Altman has several options at the 5 between frosh Kenny Wooten, Georgetown transfer Paul White, and redshirt freshman MJ Cage. Of the three, Wooten profiles as the most likely to provide a reasonable facsimile of the athleticism that Jordan Bell brought to the frontcourt, but Cage and White have the benefit of a year learning Altman's system in practice. Senior Roman Sorkin will also be a factor in the frontcourt rotation, but I expect Wooten to eventually command the most minutes based on his sheer athleticism, and Altman's center is expected to cover a lot of court on the back end of his traps.

WEAKNESSES: Proven scoring. Lack of experience in intricate defensive scheme.

The addition of Elijah Brown was a huge score for Altman, as he's the only proven bucket getter on the team, so I'm more concerned about the new faces adjusting to Altman's shifting defensive schemes.

While there's no replacing Lonzo Ball, one of the best point guards I've personally ever seen in college basketball, Steve Alford does have two five-star recruits coming in, and the backcourt of Jaylen Hands and Aaron Holiday is more than enough to keep the Bruins relevant on the national scene this year. Hands is an elite point guard prospect with a long wingspan for his 6-foot-3 frame. Highlights show off an outstanding ability to see the court (not quite Lonzo-esque, but who is?) and attack the rim in transition. Paired with the otherworldly explosiveness of Holiday, the Bruin backcourt should once again be one of the best in the country, especially with Prince Ali back in the fold this year. Hands and Holiday can work off each other as dual point guards, in a penetrate-and-kick heavy halfcourt scenario. Kris Wilkes (who I was fortunate enough to see several times at North Central in Indy) is the other five-star freshman addition for Alford, and he'll thrive as an explosive playmaking wing in Alford's transition offense. Thomas Welsh returns at the 5 as the country's most dominant mid-range big. Welsh scores in the mid-range and baseline like he's playing pop-a-shot, and he has steadily improved as a rim protector and rebounder. Gyorgy Goloman provides much-needed frontcourt depth.

WEAKNESSES: Depth (especially considering the latest news). Defense. Halfcourt offense.

Of course I have to mention the shoplifting incident in China. It's unclear how that will play out, but outside of North Korea, China is probably the worst place in the world for LiAngelo Ball, Cody Riley and Jalen Hill to have done this. I have no idea what the status of those three going forward is, but Hill and Riley were going to be relied upon heavily as explosive freshmen in the frontcourt. Alford could potentially have even less depth than last year, when he basically had none. Additionally, this team figures to give up points in bunches, similar to last year's team, and when Hands and Wilkes aren't in transition, the offense might look a little wonky.

Bobby Hurley's squad in Tempe should be one of the more improved teams in the league, and will likely be battling for an at-large bid if his frontcourt additions can give him even a modicum of interior production. Hurley will utilize four-out perimeter sets (and at times even vacant post sets) with a backcourt led by Shannon Evans (who notched 50 in ASU's last exhibition game), Kodi Justice, Tra Holder and Remy Martin. Evans, Holder,and the freshman Martin are all ball handlers who can penetrate and fill it up from outside, while Justice is a deadly volume shooter on the wing who hit 46 percent of his 3-pointers in league play last year. That tetrad could post one of the nation's highest 3-point attempt rates, and Hurley will likely push the pace and an even faster tempo with three ball handlers leading the way. Add in highly-touted stretch 4 Kimani Lawrence as a floor spacer that can open things up for that ball handling trio, and the ASU offense has the potential to be one of the more explosive units in the country. Hurley will be relying heavily on two newcomers to shore up a nonexistent frontcourt. Romello White projects to have a massive year as the "one" in Hurley's four-out lineup. Think Jordan Washington at Iona when you think of White's potential numbers this year, as he'll work against single post defenders all game, every game. De'Quon Lake provides much-needed rim protection out of the JUCO ranks this year. Hurley will have even more firepower at his disposal when Ohio State transfer and four-star wing Mickey Mitchell is eligible in December.

WEAKNESSES: Interior defense. Rebounding.

Again, ASU was horrific defending at the rim and rebounding on both ends last year. The plan obviously is for White and Lake to shore those areas up, but both are unproven at the D1 level, and White is currently suspended, with his status moving forward still up in the air (he is expected to be back, though). If they're not the answers Hurley is looking forward, this team has many of the same problems as last year.

SCHEME: Offensively Hurley has fully embraced small ball and rolls out a bevy of quick, sharp shooting guards. While that was a winning formula in the MAC, it's hard to get by without a frontcourt in the Pac-12, and Hurley had to use a lot of zone last year to compensate on the other end. If White and Lake are the real deal down low, Hurley can be much more aggressive with his guards defensively, but the Sun Devils still project to be a bottom half defense again.

STRENGTHS: Talent/length upgrade in backcourt/wing. Grown man frontcourt.

Jerod Haase has one of the better Pac-12 recruiting classes coming in, and it should bolster the Cardinal backcourt, which has seemingly been an issue for years, predating Haase's arrival. Playmaking combo guard Daejon Davis was the big coup for Haase, as he snagged him from Washington when Lorenzo Romar was dismissed. Davis can play off the ball with incumbent point guard Robert Cartwright or on it as dribble drive motion offense initiator from the top of the key. Freshman combo guard Isaac White doesn't have the recruiting pedigree of Davis or Cartwright, but he's probably going to be the best shooter out of the backcourt this year. Haase suddenly has a deep wing corps at his disposal, and it's a perfect blend of veterans and freshmen talent. Dorien Pickens returns as the only consistent volume shooter from the perimeter along with athletic "point-forward" Marcus Sheffield, while KZ Okpala, Kodye Pugh and Oscar Da Silva should all see regular minutes at the 3/4. Okpala and Da Silva are long, athletic wings at 6-foot-8 and 6-foot-9, respectively, while Pugh is something of stretch 4 and a strong rebounder. The heart of the Cardinal lies in the frontcourt with Reid Travis and Michael Humphrey. Travis is one of the most efficient block scorers in the league, while Humphrey is a slightly better defender of the two. Both are among the best overall rebounders in the league, and probably the best offensive rebounding duo. Interestingly, Haase only played them together on roughly 700 possessions, but when he did, it was the most effective Cardinal lineup, as they scored at 1.09 points per possession. What makes Haase's reluctance to play together even more baffling is that he comes from the Roy Williams tree and his sturdy dual big, high low scheme.

WEAKNESSES: Defense. Perimeter shooting. Rebounding.

Stanford did one thing well defensively in Haase's first year, and that was generate turnovers, as the Cardinal led the Pac-12 in defensive turnover rate. Other than that, they were below average in league play in pretty much every defensive statistical category. Additionally, Stanford didn't rebound their misses like a typical Haase team, which was a staple of his UAB teams. Pickens was the only consistent perimeter threat last year, and the freshman White appears to be the only help in that regard this year.

SCHEME: Haase is a man-to-man coach defensively, so the Johnny Dawkins amoeba zone was largely cast to the side last year. I mentioned Haase is a Roy Williams disciple, and he blends in a lot of the dual big action that was synonymous with KU/UNC basketball, and ubiquitous crashing of the offensive glass.

OUTLOOK: Haase has an interesting blend of a previous regime's seniors and his own stellar recruiting class. The veterans don't necessarily mesh with Haase's preferred style, so it will be interesting to see how he juggles this roster. Talent wise, the Cardinal are an at-large team. Realistically, I think the defense and perimeter shooting both struggle again, and Stanford is on the wrong side of the bubble on Selection Sunday.

7. Utah

SCHEME: Base flex motion and paint touch offense with a mix of man-to-man and well-masked matchup zone defensively. The tricky matchup zone is effective in limiting clean looks at the rim while also shutting down the 3-point line, leaving two-point jumps as the only option, and the Utes have always been very strong rebounding the misses under Krystokwiak.

OUTLOOK: Probably not enough firepower offensively for the Utes to make it to the dance as an at-large, but they'll be a tough out nightly in the Pac-12.

8. Oregon State

SCHEME: Tinkle reportedly wants to play at a faster pace this year with his wing corps returning and the addition of Ethan Thompson. Defensively, Tinkle loves to utilize a 1-3-1 zone that has been effective in the past, both in Corvallis and Missoula.

OUTLOOK: The Beavers should see one of the biggest turnarounds in D1 this year, and an NIT bid is well within reason.

9. Colorado

SCHEME: Boyle has always been a coach that looks to push in transition off the defensive glass, but this team looks to be one of his worst rebounding teams of his tenure in Boulder. In the halfcourt, Boyle uses a lot of motion principles – mostly motion post action and side pick-and-roll for the guards. Defensively, Boyle likes to disrupt on the perimeter by trapping on ball screens (Collier is particularly effective at this.)

OUTLOOK: Again, this looks to be rebuilding year for the Buffs, but a trio of seniors around Wright at the point should keep them at least competitive in a weaker Pac-12.

10. Washington

SCHEME: Ball screen heavy motion offense and of course the 2-3 zone.

OUTLOOK: The defense will likely be a train wreck for the first two months, but things could click down the stretch (3-point bombing Belmont is about as unideal of a first opponent as UW could have scheduled).

11. California