Conference Preview: Pac-12

On paper, the Pac 12 should belong to Oregon. The Ducks made the Elite Eight and brought back most of their players, so it would make sense that the team will be able to hold off Arizona and UCLA who are comprised of at least some major new parts. These things rarely work the way they are supposed to, but Oregon remains the prohibitive favorite because of the returns of Dillon Brooks and Tyler Dorsey to go along with shot blocker Chris Boucher. Don't forget fifth-year senior Dylan Ennis, a transfer from Villanova, who was limited to two games with a broken foot and received a redshirt for one more season.

TOP PLAYERS

Markelle Fultz (G - freshman)

Here is a phrase that fantasy owners should be looking for: "He may need to do everything for his team." Those words may well describe the 6-foot-4 Fultz who will be given the ball from the opening tip. The Huskies sent two players to the NBA (Marquese Chriss, Dejounte Murray) and their top scorer (Andrew Andrews) finished his eligibility. Enter Fultz who will be asked to lead the offense, call his own number for points, and grab a fair share of boards for a guard. The Huskies may miss the NCAA tournament for the sixth straight season, but Fultz will make them appointment viewing.

Josh Hawkinson (F)

For the second straight season, Hawkinson averaged a double-double. The Cougar had a slight uptick in production and averaged 15.4 points and 11.1 rebounds. He even hit 15 3-pointers at a 38.5 percent clip, which is a part of a game that he may expand upon as a senior. Even though Washington State only won nine games, the 6-10 senior produced consistently and had a streak of 11 straight double-doubles in December and January. He put up 21 points and 20 rebounds in an overtime loss against Washington on Jan. 9. Look for the double-doubles to continue to roll for the top five fantasy pick.

Dillon Brooks (F)

It is unfortunate that Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski chose Brooks to chastise after an excellent performance in the NCAA tournament because that headline somewhat overshadowed a breakout season for the 6-6 junior. Brooks led the Ducks with 16.7 points to go along with 5.4 rebounds and 3.1 assists. He hit a season-high 30 points to go along with nine assists in the Feb. 7 win over Utah. He scored a combined 47 points in NCAA tournament wins over St. Joe's and Duke, but was held to seven points in the loss to Oklahoma in the Elite Eight. Brooks tested the NBA waters, but decided to come back to school for his junior season.

TOP NEWCOMERS

Lonzo Ball (G - freshman)

Guard play was not a weakness for the Bruins last year and the team returns a healthy trio of Bryce Alford, Isaac Hamilton, and Aaron Holiday. However, UCLA lacked a true playmaker, which is the role that the 6-6 Ball will fill. With the plethora of aforementioned scoring options as well as freshman forward T.J. Leaf and center Thomas Welsh, Ball could easily lead the conference is assists. And it is not as if Ball can't score when he finds himself open. He scored 23.9 points to go along with 11.3 rebounds and 11.5 assists as a high school senior. If your league awards extra points for triple-doubles, Ball could be a consideration.

Derrick White (G)

It is hard to say what will happen when a player coming from a small school jumps into the big pond. White, a 6-5 guard, was very successful at Colorado-Colorado Springs, a Division II school. Last season, he averaged 25.8 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 5.2 assists, but will need to find a role with the Buffaloes. The team has Josh Fortune, Dominique Collier, and Xavier Johnson, who is returning from a torn Achilles tendon. They are all nice players, but none of them have White's upside. The senior sat out last season and could be ready for a surprising lone season in Boulder.

David Collette (F)

I am not one to hold a grudge. I drafted Collette in a small conference league last year, only to have him announce that he was transferring before the season even started. The 6-8 forward was coming off a redshirt freshman in which he averaged 12.8 points and 5.0 rebounds for Utah State. Something happened after two preseason games and Collette made tracks. He landed with coach Larry Krystkowiak who is vying with a huge amount of roster turnover. Collette, who will be eligible in December, played one game against Pac 12 competition in 2014-15 and put up 32 points and 14 rebounds in a loss to USC.

A PAIR OF SLEEPERS

Ray Smith (F)

It is quite odd to have resisted the Wildcats' roster until the sleeper portion of the proceedings. Arizona won the Pac 12 regular season in both 2013-14 and 2014-15 before falling to third last season. The team had hoped the 6-8 Smith would be a big part of replacing all of the talent that fled to the NBA, but Smith tore an ACL and did not play. It was his second torn ligament in the past two years. While the injury history is a concern, Smith should not be forgotten and could be a big factor for the Wildcats who have some questions in the frontcourt.

Robert Cartwright (G)

An injury also knocked Cartwright out for the season during the preseason. The 6-2 point guard broke his left arm in a gruesome way as he fell awkwardly in a scrimmage. He was expected to be the starter prior to the injury and the team did not have a player average better than 2.6 assists. That may have led to the demise of Johnny Dawkins. Jerod Haase will hope that Cartwright is healthy because the team has talent at many other spots. He could push Christian Sanders for the lead guard role.