ASU Basketball: 2019 Pac-12 Week 1 Power Rankings
By Trevor Booth
1. No. 14 Oregon
The Ducks are coming. Let’s rewind one year to the day.
Oregon is fresh off a trip to the Final Four, where a heartbreaking one-point loss to the eventual champion North Carolina Tar Heels had them ready for revenge. Heading into the season with returners Elijah Brown, MiKyle McIntosh and soon to be one-and-done Troy Brown, the Ducks had the look of a prime tournament contender.
Their season, however, failed to meet expectations.
This season, the vibe is different. These Ducks can really fly. Heading into the 2018 season, the Dana Altman reeled in the nation’s No. 3 recruiting class, trailing only behind blue-bloods Duke and Kentucky.
Headlining the class is the 7-3 Bol Bol, the son of the NBA’s tallest ever player, Manute Bol, and Louis King. The two McDonald’s All-Americans employ uncanny ability on a basketball court and should provide an unheralded amount of highlights.
The the most sure-fire part about the Pac-12’s potential premiere team is its returners. Payton Pritchard, Kenny Wooten, Paul White and Victor Bailey Jr. give the Ducks steady veteran presence to lead the charge.
Pritchard is coming off a career year where he lead the team in scoring. Wooten swatted away 92 shots last season, which is good enough for third all-time in Pac-12 history. Opposing offenses are going to have a hard time getting the ball past Bol and Wooten, who could set a new standard for rim protection in the NCAA.
– Geraffo