This article is part of our Conference Preview series.
The 2016-17 season was an up year for the Pac 12. Arizona was excellent as usual usual, UCLA wormed its way into the national conversation behind Lonzo Ball, and Oregon played to its talent level by advancing to the Final Four. Unfortunately, all three of those teams suffered severe personnel losses, but there is plenty of talent still in conference. The top three teams did restock the shelves with the below mentioned transfers and freshmen. USC may be the team to watch with a talented roster of returnees, so maybe the Trojans can take advantage while the other teams take some time to find their way.
Top Three Players
Elijah Brown (G)
In two years with New Mexico, Brown showed that he could score against anyone in the country. The 6-foot-4 son of coach Mike Brown started his career at Butler, so he is back at a Tier 1 school after three years away. He averaged 18.8 points and 5.2 rebounds with the Lobos last season, but moved on as a graduate transfer to the Ducks. He may have to improve his shot selection under coach Dana Altman -- he hit just 37.9 percent of his field goals last season and struggled with a strained hamstring. Brown should fit in the backcourt next to Peyton Pritchard and could be among the leading scorers in the Pac 12.
Reid Travis (F) 
When it comes to the All-Pac 12 team, the conference is generous. The first team includes 10 players, but nine
The 2016-17 season was an up year for the Pac 12. Arizona was excellent as usual usual, UCLA wormed its way into the national conversation behind Lonzo Ball, and Oregon played to its talent level by advancing to the Final Four. Unfortunately, all three of those teams suffered severe personnel losses, but there is plenty of talent still in conference. The top three teams did restock the shelves with the below mentioned transfers and freshmen. USC may be the team to watch with a talented roster of returnees, so maybe the Trojans can take advantage while the other teams take some time to find their way.
Top Three Players
Elijah Brown (G)In two years with New Mexico, Brown showed that he could score against anyone in the country. The 6-foot-4 son of coach Mike Brown started his career at Butler, so he is back at a Tier 1 school after three years away. He averaged 18.8 points and 5.2 rebounds with the Lobos last season, but moved on as a graduate transfer to the Ducks. He may have to improve his shot selection under coach Dana Altman -- he hit just 37.9 percent of his field goals last season and struggled with a strained hamstring. Brown should fit in the backcourt next to Peyton Pritchard and could be among the leading scorers in the Pac 12.
Reid Travis (F)
When it comes to the All-Pac 12 team, the conference is generous. The first team includes 10 players, but nine of them moved on. Travis is the last man standing. The 6-8 senior was able to stay healthy for the majority of the season and led the Cardinals with 17.4 points and 8.9 rebounds. He did miss four games in January with a shoulder injury, but closed the season with four double-doubles in his last eight games. Stanford is one of the more experienced teams in the conference. If they are able to win enough to finish close to the top of the Pac 12, Travis could be among the leading candidates for Player of the Year.
Chimezie Metu (F) 
The Trojans are led by a pair of talented sophomore forwards. Bennie Boatwright missed half of the 2016-17 season with a knee injury, and Metu was able to step forward while his teammate was down. The 6-11 forward provided 14.8 points, a team-leading 7.8 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks as USC advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the second straight season after a five-year gap. In helping his team advance to the Sweet 16, Metu averaged 19.0 points and 7.0 rebounds. Fouls are an occasional problem for the big man, but he managed to play 31.3 minutes and fouled out just once.
Top Newcomers
DeAndre Ayton (C)
Coach Sean Miller has built the Wildcats into one of the most consistently successful teams in the country. While they have not yet advanced to the Final Four, this could be the season. The squad returns top scorer Allonzo Trier for a full season, but all eyes will be on the 7-0 Ayton, who could be next in the parade of one-and-done players at Arizona. The center is a polished offensive player who has range out to 3-point territory. He also knows how to use his size in the paint and should be able to anchor the Wildcat defense.
Marcus Lee (F) 
It is easy to get lost at Kentucky among the cavalcade of stars. Lee spent three seasons coming off the Wildcat bench and did the most with his limited playing time. As a junior in 2015-16, Lee averaged 6.4 points on 68 percent field goal shooting and 6.0 rebounds in 21.8 minutes. The 6-10 senior will have the opportunity to get as much playing time for the Golden Bears as he can handle. New coach Wyking Jones did not inherit much talent from Cuonzo Martin, who left to coach at Missouri. The top four scorers from last year's team have moved on, which leads to a huge opening for Lee to slide in. He could average a double-double.
Jaylen Hands (G) 
It may seem like coach Steve Alford is simply recruiting point guards with basketball-related names. After a one-and-done season from Lonzo Ball, he has the 6-3 Hands joining the team. The freshman may not start ahead of Aaron Holiday, but he will get significant playing time for the Bruins. Hands is excellent at attacking the basket and using his ball-handling skills creatively. The freshman guard may not be much of a threat from the perimeter as a freshman, but he should be able to use his ability to penetrate to set up teammates. He may play in Ball's shadow, but Hands will help the Bruins in his own way.
Pair of Sleepers
Deleon Brown (G)
The Buffaloes return a pair of experienced guards in Domonique Collier and George King, but there is plenty of room for the 6-4 Brown to make an impact off the Buffalo bench or as a third starting guard. The sophomore averaged just 3.2 points in 12.0 minutes, but played in all but three games for coach Tad Boyle (the Buffaloes won all three). Despite the limited opportunities, Brown scored in double digits three times, including 10 points in a March 2 win over Stanford. Based on per minute stats, Brown could help on the boards and with defensive thievery. Someone is going to have to replace some of Derrick White's production, and it could well be Brown.
Carlos Johnson (G) 
Under previous coach Lorenzo Romar, talent was never a problem for the Huskies. The team was able to recruit top talent, including last year's number one draft pick, Markelle Fultz. Winning was another subject. New coach Mike Hopkins will likely attempt to install the Orange 2-3 zone and Johnson could be a fine player to look at for the top of the zone. The 6-3 sophomore came off the bench last year to score 5.9 points and grab 3.0 rebounds. After the season was lost in February, Johnson received more playing time and scored a career-high 19 points with 12 rebounds in the loss to Arizona State on Feb. 16. He will need to improve his accuracy from long range (just 21.9 percent on 3-pointers), but he should be a contributor to Hopkins' first team.
