Throughout the preseason, the Pac-12 microsite will be rolling out these featured breakdowns of each of the 12 league schools. Today’s release is the Utah Utes.

Strengths. Although Utah had a terrible season last year with almost nothing going right, their coach, Larry Krystkowiak, took charge of the team and made sure that his players knew he didn’t need them if they didn’t play by his rules. He kicked leading scorer Josh Watkins off the team midway through the season. Although Krystkowiak hasn’t had consistent success yet, he’s a good leader for this young team. The Utes have few strengths on this unproven squad right now. However, Utah will have a lot of size, although it will be of the mostly inexperienced variety. They have some returning scoring and rebounding ability with Jason Washburn, but also welcome transfers Dallon Bachynski and Renan Lenz into the fray. Although Bachynski is raw, he still stands at 7’0″ and Lenz should be able to come in and rebound right away and provide a complement to Washburn. Also, the Utes bring in a promising young ESPN 100 recruit in Jordan Loveridge. He could easily become Utah’s best player as the season develops due to his ability to score in the lane, shoot from the outside, and rebound well for a forward.

Jason Washburn, the best player returning for the Utah Utes, will have to step it up this year for Utah to be competitive in the Pac-12 (AP)

Weaknesses. The Utes’ biggest weakness coming into this season is the fact that they don’t have a core of returning players to rely on. Krystowiak brought in 10 new players between recruits and transfers, but none of these players are coming from notable schools. Consequently, Utah doesn’t yet have the talent to really compete in the Pac-12. Last year, the conference was terrible and still they somehow managed to win only three games in the conference. This year, the conference is better, which doesn’t bode well for the Utes especially since they just lost 7’3” David Foster to the same foot injury that hindered him and kept him out for most of last year. It looks like it’s going to be another long season in Salt Lake.

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The biggest news this week in Pac-12 recruiting was that Darin Johnson, a 6’4″ three-star shooting guard out of Sacramento, chose Washington over Oregon. That was a big get for Lorenzo Romar and really sets up his class nicely with Johnson and Nigel Williams-Goss, setting up a potentially lethal backcourt for the Huskies in the future.

Last week, we previewed half of the Pac-12’s recruiting hauls for the upcoming season and now here’s the other half…

Oregon Ducks

Commitments so far: 

Tyree Robinson- 3 stars, ranked 12oth nationally by Rivals. 6’3″ 190 lbs. Robinson is an explosive combo guard who can take players off the dribble and pull up in the lane with a floater. He can also score from beyond the arc. His mid-range game needs work, but he doesn’t have to use it often because of his ability to get to the basket. At times, his speed gets the best of him, but overall he is an elite guard in the 2013 class.

The Number of Twins in College Hoops is Getting Ridiculous

Tyrell Robinson– 3 stars by Rivals and 2 stars by ESPN. 6’3 190 lbs. Robinson is a better mid-range scorer than his brother Tyree, and is more of a passer as well. He can get into the lane with the same ease, but doesn’t have a great three-point shot. His defense is very sound as he can move well laterally and get right in the opponents’ body without fouling. Overall, he’s a lesser prospect than his brother, but brings better defense and passing.

Both recruits are planning on playing football for the Ducks but want to play basketball as well. It should be interesting to see how Dana Altman handles it. Although it’s clear Oregon is a football school, both of these kids have potential to be great future additions in the backcourt for the Ducks.

Recruits they want: Here’s where it gets interesting for the Ducks. They lost out big time on Darin Johnson and Jabari Bird committed to Cal too early in the process for them to try to change his mind. There’s a lot of ways this recruiting class could shape up for them. They’re still in the hunt for Aaron Gordon, but as mentioned, there’s no certainty with him. They’re also high on Torren Jones, but another good pickup for them would be Jordan Bell.

Jordan Bell- 4 stars by Rivals, 3 stars by ESPN. Ranked 67th nationally by Rivals. 6’7″ 205 lbs. Bell is an unreal shot-blocker and his leaping ability is unmatched. He is still a work in progress because his frame isn’t entirely filled out, but his rebounding and energy around the rim stand out. He’s a willing and good passer as well and can run the floor. He has no outside shot yet and looks uncomfortable when given the ball in the post because he doesn’t have a true post move. Ultimately, Bell is turning into a can’t-miss prospect, though, because of his defensive prowess and explosiveness around the basket.

Stanford 

Commitments so far: 

Marcus Allen- 3 stars, ranked 133rd nationally by Rivals. 6’2″ 175 lbs. Allen is a very athletic player who wants the ball in his hands when his team needs to score. He’s not a complete player yet and doesn’t have one set skill that is better than any others. He could use work on his on his shot and handle, but he’s still a good overall player.

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It’s still very early in the basketball recruiting season, yet, many Pac-12 schools have already received multiple commitments. Although these are only verbal commitments, it’s still a good sign to see multiple high quality players already commit to the Pac-12.

Arizona Wildcats

Commitments so far:

Rondae Jefferson – 5 stars, ranked 16^th nationally by Rivals and 15^th nationally by ESPN. 6’7”, 215 lbs. Jefferson is a big athletic wing who can fit the basketball through tight passing lanes and can finish with a variety of moves. He can get out in the open court and play with and without the ball. He would fit well in any team’s system with his size, length, athleticism and his ability to play defense. He needs to work on his jumper, but other than that, he’s a very sound player.

Elliot Pitts – 4 stars by ESPN, 3 stars by Rivals. Ranked 117^th nationally by Rivals and 89^th by ESPN. 6’5″, 190 lbs. Pitts is a very smooth multi-dimensional guard. He has an above average shot and can get it off whenever he wants with his dribbling skills that keep defenders off balance. He can pass when he needs to when pressed in the lane and can finish inside as well. His shot does not yet have the consistency for him to be a knockdown shooter from beyond the arc at the college level, but his mid-range game is hard to top.

Recruits they want:

Aaron Gordon – 5 stars, ranked 5^th overall nationally by Rivals, 6^th overall nationally by ESPN. 6’7”, 210 lbs. Whichever school lands Aaron Gordon immediately becomes a National Championship contender. He isn’t just an explosive dunker; he’s a beast around the rim and can take you off the dribble at times. His tenacity on the glass cannot be matched and he can go coast to coast and lead the fast break. Although his shot needs work, it’s hard to find a more athletic explosive player in the 2013 class than Gordon. Gordon visits Arizona on October 19 and is considering Oregon, Kentucky, Washington and Kansas along with Arizona.

Arizona State Sun Devils

Commitments so far:

Chance Murray – 3 stars, 6’3” 180 lbs. Arizona State is still in a rebuilding phase under Herb Sendek, but they did get a solid player in Chance Murray. He’s a physical player and he’s not going to blow you away in any aspect of the game yet, but he’s a good scorer in the mid-range and has an above average first step to help him get into the lane. He needs work on finishing after contact, but Murray has the potential to be a starter at the college level.

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Throughout the preseason, the Pac-12 microsite will be rolling out these featured breakdowns of each of the 12 league schools. Today’s release are the Colorado Buffaloes.

Strengths: Tad Boyle is starting to build up quite a reputation in Boulder. In his two years at Colorado, he’s gone 32-4 at the Coors Event Center and after being snubbed from the NCAA Tournament in his first year, he proceeded to win the Pac-12 Tournament and upset UNLV in the second round of the NCAA Tournament last year. Boyle has a system that relies on getting out in transition while playing great team defense, and everyone on this team fits that mold.

From a roster standpoint, a returning trio of Andre Roberson, Spencer Dinwiddie, and Askia Booker will certainly help the Buffaloes try to overcome their lack of experience. The core of this team is very strong; Booker and Dinwiddie provide quickness, power, and efficient shooting while incoming freshman Josh Scott should present a good complement to Roberson with his rebounding ability. The biggest strength in the starting five is Roberson, as he averaged a double-double last year and continues to improve in every facet of the game. There is no one better than him defensively in the post in the Pac-12 and his rebounding skills are hard to match.

Andre Roberson is a candidate for Pac-12 Player of the Year. (AP)

Weaknesses: It’s safe to say this team is very young. There are no impact seniors and only one impact junior. Consequently, the youth of this team could very well affect its depth. However, when you take a look at last year’s team, the same things were said and look where the Buffs ended up. Josh Scott and Xavier Johnson, two projected starters, are incoming freshmen and will be expected to make an impact immediately. Although college basketball is a sport where freshmen can be influential right away with the most ease, it’s no sure thing. The bench of this team is still very much in question. Sabatino Chen can shoot the ball well when open and Jeremy Adams can get a bucket here and there, but the bench’s ineptitude is going to hurt the Buffaloes early on until someone proves they can contribute. The depth and youth of this team will determine how successful the Buffaloes will be this year.

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