The 2022-23 college basketball season is almost upon us, with games around the Pac-12 getting rolling on Monday, Nov. 7.

A year after only getting three teams into the NCAA Tournament, the Pac-12 could have five or six competing for spots this season. With a strong top and what looks to be a rising middle class in the league, we should be in for an entertaining season. What are some of the biggest questions facing Pac-12 teams this year? We put together a few questions and then had our resident hoops experts — Jon Gold and Derek Peterson — debate them.

Here’s a look at what they said in our preseason Pac-12 hoops roundtable:

1. What’s your favorite game on the non-conference slate?

Jon Gold: How can it not be UCLA vs. No. 4 Kentucky on Dec. 17 in the CBS Sports Classic? The Johnny Juzang Bowl is a matchup of two of the classic bluebloods in college basketball. Kentucky enters the season with its most talented team in years, and coming off a shocking early exit in last year’s NCAA Tournament — when the 2-seed Wildcats lost to March Madness darling and 15-seeded Saint Peter’s in the East Regional 1st round — you know John Calipari is going to be fired up coming into the season. How has it been a decade since the Calipari-led Cats cut down the nets? Is this the year they do it again? A win over the Bruins in this one would portend big things to come.

Derek Peterson: That’s probably the right answer. Can I interest you in another Pac-12 vs. SEC contest?

DP: It was a come-out-of-nowhere season for Arizona last year. Sure, folks expected them to be good under Tommy Lloyd, but THAT good? Probably not. In that way, this year’s Wildcat team feels very similar. UCLA is again the preseason pick to win the league. Arizona is talented, the defending champs, and flying a bit under the radar. The Cats host Tennessee on Dec. 17 at McKale Center. It’s a return trip. The Vols handed Arizona one of only four losses a season ago in Knoxville. Tennessee is 11th in the preseason AP poll, but fourth in preseason KenPom. Rick Barnes wins on defense. Last year’s Vol team did. They have five returning seniors on the roster, including Santiago Vescovi (13.3 PPG last year), one of the best freshmen in the country in wing Julian Phillips, and a coach that has reached the NCAA Tournament in four straight seasons. I wouldn’t be surprised if Tennessee won the SEC. The trip to Tucson is going to tell us all we need to know about Arizona right before league play gets rolling.

JG: See, you asked my favorite non-conference game, not the best conference game. Your breakdown on what should be one special matchup between the Cats and Vols was spot-on. But give me two iconic programs over one iconic program and Tennessee.

JG: Speaking of Arizona…

2. Can the Wildcats sustain the success they enjoyed in 2021-22?

DP: I think it’s going to depend on what kind of step Pelle Larsson takes. He feels like the swing piece to me. Azuolas Tubelis is back as a matchup problem in the frontcourt. Kerr Kriisa returns to man the point. Courtney Ramey joins the backcourt from Texas, giving Tommy Lloyd another ball-handler to run the offense (letting Kriisa spot up more) and a physical perimeter defender. That physicality was a major storyline for Arizona in the tournament last year; I’m buying the notion Ramey helps in that arena. I don’t know how effective he’ll be at it, but Lloyd found a player who, on paper, feels like a seamless replacement for Dalen Terry in Campbell transfer Cedric Henderson Jr. I love Oumar Ballo, and it sounds like the UA does as well. They should have another good defense, but the thing that made last year’s team special was the combustibility of the offense. Bennedict Mathurin’s ability to take over games as a scorer played as big a part in that as anything. Can Larsson step into that go-to role? He showed the ability to knock down 3s as a freshman, was better driving to the basket last season, and has been the talk of Tucson this offseason. Is it asking too much for him to jump from 7.2 points a game to something like 14 or 15? Because that’s what I think Arizona needs for another strong season.

JG: Arizona needs a lot more than that, I’m afraid. It’s not just the loss of Mathurin, one of the best players in the country and the unquestioned Pac-12 player of the year. The Wildcats also have to replace the conference’s defensive player of the year, Christian Koloko. Koloko turned Arizona from a good defense to a great one last year, picking up 2.8 blocks per game to go along with 7.3 rebounds. The Wildcats’ physicality was exposed in a big way in a Sweet 16 loss to Houston, and that was with Koloko. Without him, Arizona is going to have to be much tougher on the perimeter. I’m less concerned about the Wildcats’ offense than their defense, if only because of the drastic change of manpower. I am excited to see how Kriisa evolves this year. If he has a T.J. McConnell-like impact on the offense, Arizona’s offense will hold up.

DP: Sounds like we’re on opposite sides of the coin when it comes to the Cats. I like it.

3. Who do you believe to be the most impactful transfer in the Pac-12 this season?

JG: I’ll leave you to cover Courtney Ramey to an even deeper extent. And CBS Sports does indeed rate Ramey as the top transfer in the Pac-12, though only the 17th-most impactful in the nation. But I think people are sleeping on Keion Brooks’ move from Kentucky to Washington. Brooks is a former 5-star recruit, and sometimes it takes a move like this for a star talent to realize his potential. He’s already realized some of it — he comes to the Huskies after topping 10 points per game each of the last two seasons for the Wildcats — but he’ll be the unquestioned No. 1 for Washington. That’s a big difference from Kentucky.

DP: Plus, Washington sure does have a strong track record of taking talented transfers and unleashing them as a go-to option. I think Ramey will be strong for Arizona, but I agree with Brooks as the pick here, so we can move on.

4. Who will be this year’s biggest surprise team in the Pac-12?

JG: I love what Kyle Smith is doing up in Washington State, but I don’t see the Cougars really breaking through. Stanford’s got a shot to jump a level, but a ton is riding on Harrison Ingram. Would it be a huge upset if I pick Dana Altman and the Ducks to finish 2nd in the Pac-12? After Oregon finished the COVID-shortened 2020 campaign atop the Pac-12 before things were shut down, the Ducks came back a year later and did even better, going 14-4 en route to a regular-season conference title and an eventual Sweet 16 berth. Oregon regressed last season after losing a bunch of talent, but getting Will Richardson back for a super senior season was huge. Not to mention Quincy Guerrier and N’Faly Dante. If either UCLA or Arizona take a surprising step back this season, due to injuries or anything else, the Ducks will be right there.

DP: Arizona came out of nowhere last season in the best kind of way. Oregon State fell apart in the worst kind of way. Both were major surprises to folks in Pac-12 country. I could go either way with this, and because of that I gave strong consideration to Stanford being my pick here. I think the Cardinal will be really good or really underwhelming. There might not be an in-between with that group. Since I’m not going that route, though, I’ll stay on the positive side of the discussion and go with the Devils in Tempe. Arizona State was picked seventh in the league preseason poll. ESPN’s panel had them at No. 6. I think Bobby Hurley’s squad could catch some teams by surprise. Like, top-four Pac-12 finish ceiling. Like, NCAA Tournament ceiling. Do I feel uneasy about going all-in on Hurley’s hot-and-cold group? A little, so I won’t. But I’m very intrigued by the transfer additions to supplement this roster. DJ Horne (12.5 PPG) returns. Marcus Bagley is presumably healthy. Devan and Desmond Cambridge (16.2 PPG at Nevada) come to town, as does 7-footer Warren Washington. Hurley has a deep team with size. It’s a bid-or-bust kind of season in Tempe. I like what ASU’s selling.

JG: I could see that happening. I had the chance to catch up with Hurley at Pac-12 media day, and we talked about how his coaching approach had evolved in recent years. I really think he’s been affected by some of the Sun Devils’ chemistry issues. I expect him to be his usual fiery self on the sidelines, but his players might benefit from a softer touch.

JG: Since you mentioned the NCAA Tournament, let’s go there next…

5. How many Pac-12 teams make the NCAA Tournament?

DP: Well, let’s get the obvious out of the way. UCLA and Arizona will be back. I think it’s a safe bet to pencil in Oregon on your board as well.

JG: Not so high on USC?

DP: I was going to ask about them next. I watch Arizona and UCLA and I see offenses that can operate in the halfcourt when necessary. I watch USC and I struggled to find the floor general that could settle things. USC built its strong start last season on an unyielding defense, but it slipped to 45th in KenPom’s adjusted defensive efficiency to end the year. Isaiah Mobley was the connector, a savvy passer and a really high-IQ defender. He’s gone. The situation with Vince Iwuchukwu is concerning. With Andy Enfield eschewing the transfer portal, is there any concern about the Trojans possibly taking a step back?

JG: Yeah, a big concern. Enfield has really helped the Trojans become a respectable program, so much so that they are firmly a top-6 program in the west (along with Gonzaga, UCLA, Arizona, San Diego State, and Saint Mary’s). But the loss of the Mobleys in back-to-back years can’t be overstated. They were really that talented.

DP: I’m a firm believer that Enfield deserves more respect than he gets for the job he’s done. I have reservations about USC, but I’m also not expecting the bottom to fall out. That backcourt is still plenty talented, with Drew Peterson and Boogie Ellis. To answer the question, I’ll say the Pac-12 gets five bids. UCLA, Arizona, Oregon, USC, and a surprise fifth — Arizona State or Stanford.

JG: I’ve got your top 3 as well as Stanford. The Trojans and Colorado are going to be jilted by the committee.

6. Who wins the Pac-12’s regular-season championship?

JG: Are you convinced UCLA wins the championship? I’m not. You have to be impressed by what Mick Cronin has done in short order in Westwood, but the Bruins feel a player away from truly contending. Unless Amari Bailey announces his presence by the beginning of December, I wonder who that third guy is for the Bruins? Cronin is convinced Tyger Campbell goes into Steph Mode this year, but I don’t think it’s ever a good thing when a point guard has to be the straw that stirs the drink and the drink, too. Jaime Jaquez Jr., cool as a cucumber, serves as pretty good ice cubes. But I’m worried UCLA is lacking that Johnny Juzang-type scorer who can put in 15 regularly.

JG: All that is to say, I think Arizona sneaks past UCLA to win its second straight title. But I also think Oregon will be in the mix.

DP: That’s a take!

DP: See, I think Bailey is that 15-point scorer. I love his game. If Cronin lets him cook, Bailey could turn himself into a high lottery draft pick. To that end, I think UCLA just has too much firepower and the fewest questions of the top teams. Jaylen Clark is the forgotten man. He showed some punch as a scorer in spots last year. I think what will benefit him is he might be the fourth option on any given night. I, too, am skeptical about Campbell suddenly being a shoot-first guard, but I think he and Jaquez are going to lead things just fine. They probably have the best starting five in the league.

7. Who is the Pac-12’s Player of the Year

DP: Can I pick Tyger Jaquez as my Pac-12 Player of the Year?

JG: Exactly. I’m a little afraid of them splitting the vote. Then again, Mathurin won player of the year honors despite the presence of Koloko last year. I think it’s clear whichever team wins the regular-season title will also claim the Player of the Year. Hence my choice of Ąžuolas Tubelis. Tubelis didn’t have to shoulder much of the scoring burden last year, yet he still averaged more than 12 points per game. I expect him to up that by 50 percent, up to 18-plus per contest, to go along with 10 boards. If he settles somewhere north of 20 double-doubles, I think it’s his award for the taking.