Arizona, ASU prevalent in preseason All-Pac-12 men’s basketball teams
Oct 24, 2022, 12:38 PM
University of Arizona Wildcat forward #10 Azuolas Tubelis during a basketball game between the University of Wyoming Cowboys and the University of Arizona Wildcats on December 8, 2021 at the McKale Center in Tucson, AZ. (Photo by Christopher Hook/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
(Photo by Christopher Hook/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Three members of the Arizona Wildcats and two Arizona State Sun Devils represent their respective schools in the media’s Preseason Pac-12 All-Conference men’s basketball teams.
The lone representative for either school to take home first team honors is Wildcats junior forward Azuolas Tubelis. The 6-foot-11 Lithuanian averaged 13.9 points and 6.2 rebounds in 36 games last season.
Only the NBA Draft’s sixth overall pick, Bennedict Mathurin, outscored Tubelis, while only second-rounder Christian Koloko outrebounded him.
Four of the five second team members are Wildcats or Sun Devils. ASU sophomore forward Marcus Bagley made the team despite playing 15 games in two seasons. Last year, he played just three games but averaged 10 points and four rebounds.
Fellow Sun Devil junior guard D.J. Horne also takes home second team honors. Horne transferred to ASU last season and led the team in scoring.
Those two join Wildcat junior guards Kerr Kriisa and Pelle Larsson. Kriisa averaged 9.7 points and 4.7 assists across 33 games, while Larsson averaged 7.2 points and shot 36.3% from behind the arc.
Lastly, center Oumar Ballo is the lone Arizona college player listed as an honorable mention. Ballo transferred to UA and played 37 games as Koloko’s backup. In 15.2 minutes per game, he averaged 6.8 points and 1.2 blocks.
All-Pac-12 men’s basketball preseason media poll – First Team
| Name | Yr. | Pos. | School |
| Tyger Campbell | R-Sr. | G | UCLA |
| Branden Carlson | Sr. | C | Utah |
| Boogie Ellis | Sr. | G | USC |
| Mouhamed Gueye | So. | F | Washington State |
| Harrison Ingram | So. | F | Stanford |
| Jaime Jaquez Jr. | Sr. | G/F | UCLA |
| Spencer Jones | Sr. | F | Stanford |
| Drew Peterson | 5th | G | USC |
| Will Richardson | Sr. | G | Oregon |
| Ąžuolas Tubelis | Jr. | F | Arizona |
All-Pac-12 men’s basketball preseason media poll – Second Team
| Name | Yr. | Pos. | School |
| Marcus Bagley | So. | F | Arizona State |
| Tristan da Silva | Jr. | F | Colorado |
| D.J. Horne | Jr. | G | Arizona State |
| Kerr Kriisa | Jr. | G | Arizona |
| Pelle Larsson | Jr. | G | Arizona |
Honorable Mentions
- Fr. G Amari Bailey (UCLA)
- Jr. G Jaylen Clark (UCLA)
- R-Jr. C Oumar Ballo (Arizona)
- Sr. F Quincy Guerrier (Oregon)
- Fr. C Kel’el Ware (Oregon)
- So. G K.J. Simpson (Colorado)
