How good will Oregon be in 2018-19?

The 2018 Pac-12 basketball season was supposed to have a national title contender in Arizona, a Top 10 team in USC, NCAA Tournament teams in UCLA, Oregon, Arizona State, and Utah. Instead, the league sent just three teams to the NCAA Tournament and no team made it past the first round, including national title contender Arizona.

The Pac-12 was severely down last season after seeing 12 players get drafted and two more make NBA rosters after going undrafted. The hope will be this year's inexperience will lead to better teams in 2019. Eight teams in the Pac-12 will return three or more starters from this past season. Three teams have Top 25 recruiting classes, including Oregon and UCLA brought in the Top 3 classes. The league, in theory, should be trending up, but that won't be decided until league play starts next year.

With college basketball entering the final week of the year, here's a quick look at what next year's Pac-12 could look like:

Expect more than a handful of Pac-12 players to declare for the NBA Draft in the coming weeks. However, most should return to school for another year of basketball. We already know of a few players who have declared. For now, we'll assume any player ranked inside the ESPN Top 50 of their Top 100 NBA Draft prospects will declare and not return to school:

Arizona's DeAndre Ayton (declared), Allonzo Trier (won't return to Arizona), Rawle Alkins (won't return to Arizona), UCLA's Aaron Holiday, Oregon's Troy Brown, and USC's Chimezie Metu.

Here's what the 12 Pac-12 teams should look like from a starting five and a sixth man:

Arizona

As the roster sits right now it's tough to envision Arizona making the NCAA Tournament next season. All five starters are gone and the Wildcats have zero commits for 2018 to replace them with. Duke transfer Chase Jeter becomes eligible next season, but look for the Wildcats to hit the grad transfer market hard. Right now this team's ceiling is the NIT, at best.

G - Alex Barcello SO 6-2 2.4 ppg, 2.3

G - Dylan Smith JR 6-5 4.3 ppg, 1.6 rpg

G - Emmanuel Akot SO 6-7 1.8 ppg, 1.1 rpg

F - Ira Lee SO 6-7 2.4 ppg, 2.3 rpg

F - Chase Jeter JR 6-10 Duke Transfer

6t Man - Brandon Randolph SO 6-6 3.7 ppg

Arizona State

Call me crazy, but I expect Arizona State to be better than they were in 2018 next season. Yes, Tra Holder, Kodi Justice, and Shannon Evans II are all gone, but it's who becomes eligible to play next year that has me so high on ASU. Cleveland State guard Rob Edwards is eligible and is a 1,000-point scorer and should assume the primary scoring duties. San Diego State transfer Zylan Cheatham will provide better depth at the forward spot off the bench. A Top 20 recruiting class will fill holes in the starting lineup and add more depth off the bench. ASU likely won't start off 13-0 in non-conference play, but I doubt they'll finish in the bottom half of league play.

G - Remy Martin SO 6-0 9.6 ppg, 2.9 apg

G - Rob Edwards JR 6-4 16.5 ppg, 4.5 rpg at Cleveland Stae in 16-17

G - Luguentz Dort FR 6-4 No. 55 player overall in 2018

F - Taeshon Cherry FR 6-8 No. 29 player overall in 2018

F - Romello White SO 6-8 10.5 ppg, 7.1 rpg

6th Man - Micky Mitchell JR 6-7 5.8 ppg, 5.2 rpg

Cal

The California Golden Bears were terrible in 2018. In 2019 they should elevate their status to simply average. Depth and talent will once again be an issue. Freshmen Darius McNeill and Justice Sueing were solid pieces in 2018, but the Bears lack the Pac-12 depth to compete with the big boys of the league. Boise State transfer Paris Austin will be a nice building block for the next two seasons.

G - Don Coleman 6-3 SR 14.2 ppg

G - Darius McNeill 6-3 SO 11.3 ppg

F - Matt Bradley 6-4 FR No. 106 player overall in 2018

F - Justice Sueing 6-7 SO 13.8 ppg, 5.4 rpg

F - Roman Davis 6-7 JR 1.9 ppg, 2.1 rpg

6th Man - Paris Austin 6-0 JR 12.3 ppg, 2.8 apg at Boise in 16-17

Stanford

The Stanford Cardinal should return the Pac-12's preseason favorite for player of the year in Reid Travis. Daejon Davis and Kezie Okpala could also be all-Pac-12 next year as sophomores. The talent and the depth at Stanford will go up in 2018-19 and with that, the Cardinal should be a team to make the NCAA Tournament and compete for a conference championship.

G - Daejon Davis 6-3 SO 10.7 ppg, 4.8 apg, 4.4 rpg

G - Cormac Ryan 6-5 FR No. 58 overall player in 2018

F - Oscar da Silva 6-9 SO 6.2 ppg, 4.7 rpg

F - Kezie Okpala 6-8 SO 10.0 ppg, 3.7 rpg

F - Reid Travis 6-8 SR 19.5 ppg, 8.7 rpg

6th Man - Marcus Sheffield 6-5 JR 6.7 ppg in 2017; missed 2018 season with an injury

Oregon

The Ducks should bring back two starters, maybe three if Troy Brown elects to pass on the NBA Draft this summer. For now, we'll include him in the draft because he's a projected first-round pick by most mocks. None the less, starters Payton Pritchard and Paul White are back, plus Kenny Wooten and Victor Bailey off the bench this season. Add in the No. 2 ranked recruiting class and the Ducks are a Pac-12 favorite in 2019. Finding another point guard and another scorer could be the difference in Oregon being an NCAA Tournament team and a Final Four team.

G - Payton Pritchard 6-2 JR 14.5 ppg, 4.8 apg

G - Victor Bailey 6-4 SO 6.6 ppg, 4.6 rpg

F - Louis King 6-8 FR No. 17 player overall in 2018

F - Paul White 6-9 SR 9.1 ppg, 3.4 rpg

C - Bol Bol 7-3 FR No. 4 player overall in 2018

6th Man - Kenny Wooten 6-9 SO 6.4 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 91 blocks

Oregon State

The Beavers don't lose any of their key pieces from this season but they have some major holes to fill. Their biggest weakness might be the lack of a true point guard. If OSU can find a player who's capable of starting at the Pac-12 level then OSU could take a huge leap next year. Tres Tinkle is a Pac-12 Player of the Year favorite along with Reid Travis at Stanford. Drew Eubanks will likely test the NBA waters, but he should come back to school.

G - Stephen Thompson Jr. 6-3 SR 15.8 ppg, 3.3 apg

G - Ethan Thompson 6-5 SO 9.9 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 3.5 apg

F - Alfred Hollins 6-6 SO 5.8 ppg, 2.6 rpg

F - Tres Tinkle 6-8 JR 17.6 ppg, 7.2 rpg, 3.7 apg

C - Drew Eubanks 6-10 SR 13.2 ppg, 6.8 rpg, 1.7 bpg

6th Man - Zach Reichle 6-5 SO 1.7 ppg, 1.3 rpg

Utah

The Utes will see two of their top three players graduate in David Collette and Justin Bibbins and Utah doesn't have a clear replacement for either. Sedrick Barefield is a nice piece to bring back, but Utah will need JUCO guard Charles Jones and redshirting guard Devante Doutrive to be as good as expected to prevent any kind of major dropoff. Center Jayce Johnson was an elite recruit out of high school, and now the Utes will need him to play like it down low. I worry about the depth at Utah, but Larry Krystkowiak is one of the best developmental coaches in the country.

G - Charles Jones 6-2 JR 19.7 ppg, 3.7 apg during JUCO sophomore year

G - Sedrick Barefield 6-2 SR 11.6 ppg, 2.5 apg

F - Devante Doutrive 6-5 rFR 183rd best player in 2017

F - Donnie Tillman 6-7 SO 7.9 ppg, 4.5 rpg

C - Jayce Johnson 7-0 JR 5.4 ppg, 5.5 rpg

6th man - Parker Van Dyke 4.3 ppg SR 6-3

Colorado

Freshman McKinley Wright might be the best point guard coming back next season in the Pac-12, and fellow freshmen Tyler Bey and Dallas Walton showed promise this year at times. The Buffs should take a step forward and could be a fringe NCAA Tournament with a year of experience under their belts and a healthy roster.

G - McKinley Wright IV 6-0 SO 14.2 ppg, 5.5 apg, 4.7 rpg

G - Namon Wright 6-5 SR 9.7 ppg, 3.5 rpg

G - Tyler Bey 6-7 SO 6.1 ppg, 5.1 rpg

F - Lucas Siewert 6-10 JR 6.8 ppg, 3.0 rpg

C - Dallas Walton 7-0 SO 5.7 ppg, 3.4 rpg

6th man - Deleon Brown 6-4 JR 5.0 ppg

USC

USC could be a Top 25 team if senior Bennie Boatwright comes back for his senior year, or they could be a middling Pac-12 team without him. For now, Boatwright should come back to school. Kevin Porter headlines a Top 15 recruiting class that also features Top 80 commits Elijah Weaver and J'Raan Brooks. The point guard will be the weak spot for the Trojans going into the year.

G - Derryck Thorton 6-2 JR 3.8 ppg

G - Jonah Mathews 6-3 JR 9.3 ppg

G - Kevin Porter 6-5 FR No. 35 player overall in 2018

F - Bennie Boatwright 6-10 SR 13.6 ppg, 6.4 rpg

F - Nick Rakocevic 6-11 JR 8.1 ppg, 6.2 rpg

6th Man - Jordan Usher 6-7 SO 4.8 ppg

UCLA

UCLA will have concerns at point guard with Aaron Holiday likely going pro, but talent will not be an issue next season at the remaining positions. The Bruins have signed back-to-back Top 5 recruiting classes and in theory, have the talent to win the Pac-12 and get to the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament. Will Steve Alford be able to develop it in time is the question.

G - Jaylen Hands 6-3 SO 9.9 ppg, 2.6 rpg

G - Kris Wilkes 6-8 SO 13.7 ppg, 4.9 rpg

G - Prince Ali 6-3 JR 9.1 ppg

F - Cody Riley 6-10 rFR suspended in 2018

C - Moses Brown 7-0 FR No. 21 overall player in 2018

6th Man - Shareef O'Neal No. 33 overall player in 2018

Washington

The Washington Huskies bring every scholarship player back from last year and should be one of the favorites for the Pac-12 title because of it. Incoming freshman center Bryan Penn-Johnson could decide if the Huskies go from solid to great. Matisse Thybulle returns as the Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year.

G - David Crisp 6-0 SR 11.6 ppg, 3.1 apg

G - Jaylen Nowell 6-4 SO 16.0 ppg

G - Matisse Thybulle 6-5 SR 11.2 ppg, 3.0 spg

F - Noah Dickerson 6-8 SR 15.5 ppg, 8.4 rpg

C - Bryan Penn-Johnson 7-0 FR 98th best player overall in 2018

6th Man - Domonic Green 6-6 SR 5.4 ppg, 2.1 rpg

Washington State

Washington State was hoping Robert Franks would say no to the NBA and be the bridge to send the Cougar program trending up. Instead, it is being reported he'll go pro and sign with an agent and end his college career. Malachi Flynn is a good point guard but he needs help the Cougars don't have enough of it.

G - Malachi Flynn 6-1 JR 15.8 ppg, 4.3 apg

G - Viont'e Daniels 6-2 SR 9.0 ppg

G - Carter Skaggs 6-5 JR 8.2 ppg

F - Jeff Pollard 6-9 JR 3.6 ppg, 1.7 rpg

F - Isaiah Wade 6-8 JR 12.1 ppg, 9.5 rpg at Iowa Western Junior College

6th Man - Milan Acquaah 6-3 SO 4.9 ppg

Picking the Pac-12 a year out:

1. UCLA - Top 5 classes in back to back years should keep UCLA on top.

2. Stanford - Reid Travis should be the league's best player, but Stanford's youth will push them to the top.

3. Oregon - If Troy Brown returns, Oregon becomes the favorite to win the Pac-12.

4. USC - Bennie Boatwright's decision to return to go pro will decide the Trojan's fate

5. Washington - Mike Hopkins will have higher expectations in year two, and he'll pass with flying colors.

6. Oregon State - A good point guard away from being a Top 4 team.

7. Arizona State - New faces but look for ASU to still play an up and down style of basketball.

8. Colorado - McKinley Wright might be the Pac-12's best point guard next season.

9. Utah - Utah might be the wildcard of the Pac-12. The West Coast's Coach K could surprise people with a Top 4 finish.

10. Arizona - It'll be a strange and down year in the Pac-12, as of now.

11. Washington State - The Cougars will be better but still have major holes.

12. California - Getting to .500 on the year will be the goal for Cal

NCAA Tournament Teams

Locks: UCLA, Stanford, Oregon, Washington

Should be in: USC, Oregon State

Could be in: Arizona State, Colorado, Utah

UCLA, Stanford, Oregon, and Washington should be the favorites to win the league. USC gets into that group as well if Bennie Boatwright returns and OSU if they sign a high-level point guard. The league won't have a truly dominant team, which should lead to an exciting race for the Pac-12 regular season title.