Dane Miller's Week of Nov. 7 Pac-12 Men's Hoops Previews

College Basketball Pac-12 Men's Basketball

Dane Miller’s Week of Nov. 7 Pac-12 Men’s Hoops Previews

It’s never too early to think about Selection Sunday and the impact of nonconference games

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Posted on November 7, 2022


  By Dane Miller, SuperWest Sports

The 2022-23 Pac-12 Men’s Basketball Season starts today with 12 matchups on the Pac-12 Network.

The day began with a late-morning tip at Maples Pavilion that resulted in Standford defeating Pacific 88-78, and ends tonight with a showdown at Gill Coliseum, the first set of final scores should indicate where teams stand at the start of the year.

It’s never too early to be thinking about Selection Sunday and the impact nonconference games could have on a team’s resume. Any early stumbles might be too hard to overcome, putting an extra emphasis on starting strong.

I preview six select men’s basketball matchups for the week of November 7th below, and a complete schedule of tonight’s games, as well as my picks for all 12 contests, appear at the bottom.

Final Score: Stanford 88, Pacific 78

Monday, November 7
11:00 am PT, Pac-12 Network

All eyes are on Harrison Ingram and Spencer Jones as Stanford tips off the Pac-12 College Basketball Season.

Pacific is coming off one of its worst seasons since the 1980s and its fewest wins in WCC play since joining the league in 2013-14.

In years past, this is the type of matchup in which the Cardinal would struggle. But, the Tree have their most talented roster of the Jerod Haase era and should run the Tigers out of the gym.

If Stanford struggles, the preseason hype surrounding the program may begin to come under scrutiny.

UC Riverside at Colorado

Monday, November 7
5:30 pm PT, Pac-12 Network

This matchup might not be a cakewalk for Colorado.

UC Riverside has strung together three-straight winning seasons and is picked to finish fifth in the Big West.

And last year, the Highlanders tied their high mark for most conference wins in a single season with 10, after posting 10 during the 2020-21 campaign as well.

While that may not seem impressive, CU lost a disturbing amount of talent from last season’s squad.

This year’s Buffs will look nothing like they have the last few seasons and could be highly reliant on Ivy League transfers.

A slow start and a closer-than-expected game wouldn’t be much of a shock.

Nicholls at No. 17 Arizona

Monday, November 7
6:30 pm PT, Pac-12 Network

Facing a Nicholls team predicted to finish second in the Southland Conference, Arizona must be focused on this matchup.

The Colonels have three 20-win seasons over the last five years and are 40-10 in the Southland since the start of the 2019 season.

The Wildcats don’t traditionally play a relatively capable opponent for their opener, signaling one of the hallmarks in the transition to the Tommy Lloyd era.

Without point guard Courtney Ramey to start the year, it’s fair to expect a greater emphasis on scoring down low.

Look for Azuolas Tubelis and Oumar Ballo to have strong games, with Arizona pulling away due to strong defense that leads to transition scores and deadly runs.

UC Davis at California

Monday, November 7
8:00 pm PT, Pac-12 Network

Picked to finish sixth in the Big West, UC Davis presents a substantial challenge for California.

Ken Pom has the Aggies ranked 184th in his preseason ratings, while the Bears slot in at 146th. The accuracy of analytical rankings before any games tip off is highly debatable, but there’s little doubt this game will be close.

Mark Fox will need Devin Askew to have an efficient game from the field and Lars Thiemann to dominate the glass. ND Okafor should be given meaningful minutes, too.

If the Bears are up at halftime they should find a way to win. But if UC Davis wins the first half, it could turn into an embarrassing loss for California.

Sacramento State at No. 8 UCLA

Monday, November 7
8:30 pm PT, Pac-12 Network

The Bruins begin their campaign to return to the Final Four with a matchup against Big Sky opponent Sacramento State.

The Hornets are projected to finish sixth in both the Big Sky’s Media and Coaches’ polls, and shouldn’t pose any type of problems for No. 8 UCLA.

The game is more of a showcase for Mick Cronin’s team to display what they have. Yet, Cronin is sure to use the opportunity as a teaching moment.

Even if UCLA wins by 40, his postgame press conference will likely include critical language and an unhappy demeanor.

It’s what makes Cronin one of the top coaches in the country, and will contribute to the Bruins’ development early in the season.

Tulsa at Oregon State

Monday, November 7
9:00 pm PT, Pac-12 Network

In the return game of the home-and-home series, Tulsa looks for a repeat victory over Oregon State.

The Beavers are a question mark at this point of the year. Sophomore Glenn Taylor Jr. figures to be the primary threat to score, but the remainder of the roster needs to get sorted out.

Tulsa, on the other hand, has been on a downward trajectory over the past two seasons. The Golden Hurricanes have gone 11-23 in the American Athletic Conference since the start of the 2020-21 season.

It’s a game the Beavers should probably win at home. But with so many questions surrounding the roster, expect a toss-up that nobody can reasonably predict.

Tonight’s Games (PT)

– Pacific at Stanford, 11:00 a.m., Pac-12
– Tarleton at ASU, 4:00 p.m., Pac-12
– Texas St. at WSU, 4:30 p.m., Pac-12 Washington
– UC Riverside at Colorado, 5:30 p.m., Pac-12 Mountain
– Nicholls St at Arizona, 6:30 p.m., Pac-12
– Florida Gulf Coast at USC, 6:30 p.m., Pac-12 Los Angeles
– Florida A&M at Oregon, 7:00 p.m., Pac-12
– UC Davis at Cal, 8:00 p.m., Pac-12 Bay Area
– Long Island at Utah, 8:00 p.m., Pac-12 Mountain
– Weber St at Washington, 8:00 p.m., Pac-12 Washington
– Sacramento St at UCLA, 8:30 p.m., Pac-12
– Tulsa at Oregon St., 9:00 p.m., Pac-12 Oregon