Wilner Hotline – Pac-12 basketball: Winners and losers from NBA Draft decisions, transfer portal moves and even old-fashioned recruiting

The near-term outlook for Pac-12 basketball changed markedly in the final days before the NBA Draft deadline, but not in a one-size-fits-all fashion.

Stanford, USC and Oregon received good news from draft prospects, while Arizona and UCLA were not nearly as fortunate.

Combine draft decisions prior to the June 1 deadline with transfer portal movement over the past few months and the Pac-12 race in 2022-23 has become vastly more interesting.

We expect parity, not dominance, at the top of the conference.

The Hotline plunged into the three forces that shape rosters (high school recruiting, transfer portal moves and NBA Draft decisions) to establish our set of winners and losers from the offseason cycle.

Here we go …

Arizona
Key departures: Christian Koloko (NBA), Bennedict Mathurin (NBA), Dalen Terry (NBA)
Notable additions: Henri Veesaar (recruit), Dylan Anderson (recruit)
Comment: Few programs (anywhere) were hit as hard by NBA attrition as the Wildcats — it’s the price of success. Veesaar is a well-regarded young big man from Estonia, but the losses of Mathurin and Terry will set the perimeter back significantly on both ends.
Verdict: loser

Arizona State
Key departures: Jalen Graham (Arkansas), Jay Heath (Georgetown), Kimani Lawrence (eligibility), Marreon Jackson (eligibility)
Notable additions: Frankie Collins (Michigan), Devan Cambridge (Auburn), Desmond Cambridge (Nevada), Austin Nunez (recruit)
Comment: Collins was the No. 7 point guard in the country as a prep senior and could join the Cambridge brothers as instant-impact players. But as the Sun Devils experience yet another spring overhaul, our question isn’t about the names, it’s about the chemistry.
Verdict: hung jury

Cal
Key departures: Andre Kelly (UCSB), Jordan Shepherd (eligibility), Grant Anticevich (eligibility)
Notable addition: Devin Askew (Texas)
Comment: Askew needs a waiver from the NCAA to play next season given that he already transferred once (from Kentucky to Texas). If eligible, he’ll help immensely. Kelly’s move to UC Santa Barbara is a major hit, and don’t underestimate Shepherd’s departure.
Verdict: loser

Colorado
Key departures: Jabari Walker (NBA), Evan Battey (NBA), Keeshawn Barthlelemy (Oregon)
Notable addition: Jalen Gabbidon (Yale), Ethan Wright (Princeton), Joe Hurlburt (recruit)
Comment: Walker is one of the most significant losses in the Pac-12 but hardly the only departure for a program that had been a model of roster stability. The outlook isn’t entirely grim for CU, however. Several talented underclassmen are expected to return.
Verdict: loser

Oregon
Key departures: De’Vion Harmon (Texas Tech), Jacob Young (eligibility), Franck Kepnang (Washington)
Notable additions: Keeshawn Barthlelemy (Colorado), Jermaine Cousinard (South Carolina), Tyrone Williams (JC transfer), Dior Johnson (recruit), Kel’el Ware (recruit)
Comment: Typical amount of turnover for Dana Altman, but the key name isn’t listed: Point guard Will Richardson withdrew from the draft and should lead a resurgence in Eugene. Harmon and Young will be missed, but the Ducks have added loads of talent, as usual.
Verdict: winner

Oregon State
Key departures: Maurice Calloo (NBA), Jarod Lucas (Nevada), Gianni Hunt (Sacramento State), Warith Alatishe (transfer/TBD), DaShawn Davis (Mississippi State), Roman Silva (eligibility)
Notable additions: Christian Wright (Georgia), Jordan Pope (recruit)
Comment: OSU’s chemistry was awful last season, forcing Wayne Tinkle to overhaul his roster in a desperate attempt to change the trajectory. Whether the Beavers added one player or 10, they were coming out ahead in the offseason cycle as long as the bad air was blown away.
Verdict: winner

Stanford
Key departures: Jaiden Delaire (San Diego), Noah Taitz (Loyola Marymount)
Notable additions: Michael Jones (Davidson), Jaylen Thompson (recruit)
Comment: Delaire counts as a major loss but is offset by the return of forward Harrison Ingram, who withdrew from the draft and will be one of the Pac-12’s top players next season. Jones (42.1% on 3-pointers) should add needed marksmanship from the perimeter.
Verdict: winner

UCLA
Key departures: Johnny Juzang (NBA), Jules Bernard (NBA), Peyton Watson (NBA)
Notable additions: Amari Bailey (recruit), Adem Bona (recruit)
Comment: Granted, it could have been worse for the Bruins, who managed to retain Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Tyger Campbell. But Bernard’s last-minute decision to remain in the draft clearly creates a net loss … unless the five-star arrivals are as good as advertised.
Verdict: loser

USC
Key departures: Isaiah Mobley (NBA), Chevez Goodwin (eligibility), Ethan Anderson (Wyoming), Max Agbonkpolo (Wyoming)
Notable additions: Vince Iwuchukwu (recruit), Kijani Wright (recruit), Tre White (recruit)
Comment: The Trojans lost their best player (Mobley) and four of their top seven scorers but earned a net victory. Why? Because Boogie Ellis and Drew Peterson (25 ppg combined) withdrew from the draft, and the recruiting class is absolutely first class.
Verdict: winner

Utah
Key departures: Both Gach (NBA), David Jenkins (transfer/TBD), Riley Battin (transfer/TBD)
Notable additions: Mike Saunders Jr. (Cincinnati), Ben Carlson (Wisconsin), Keba Keita (recruit)
Comment: Our sense is the Utes might experience addition by subtraction as second-year coach Craig Smith adjusts the roster to fit his system. The key here is Saunders, who averaged 20 minutes per game for the Bearcats and must help stabilize the perimeter.
Verdict: hung jury

Washington
Key departures: Terrell Brown (eligibility), Emmitt Matthews Jr. (West Virginia), Daejon Davis (eligibility), Nate Roberts (NBA)
Notable additions: Franck Kepnang (Oregon), Noah Williams (Washington State), Koren Johnson (recruit)
Comment: The Huskies picked up two helpful pieces in the portal with Kepnang’s defense and Williams’ wing scoring. But absent the arrival of a first-round NBA talent, the offseason was destined to conclude as a net loss for Mike Hopkins and Co. due to Brown’s departure.
Verdict: loser

Washington State
Key departures: Efe Abogidi (NBA), Noah Williams (Washington), Mouhamed Gueye (transfer/TBD), Tyrell Roberts (San Francisco), Michael Flowers (eligibility)
Notable addition: Adrame Diongue (recruit)
Comment: The Cougars are on the short list of biggest losers with five of their top six scorers moving on. That’s not to say each specific case constitutes a roster whammy. But on the whole, WSU suffered a net loss that could slow the ascent under Kyle Smith.
Verdict: loser