Arizona basketball: Pac-12 conference schedule pairings revealed

With the non-conference schedule already set, we now have another big step toward the start of the college basketball season.

The Pac-12 Conference has released an outline of the 2016-17 conference schedule pairings, revealing when and where each team will be playing during the conference season (with approximate dates).

Dates, tip-offs, and television information is still to come, but for now here are a few quick need-to-know facts about the Arizona Wildcats' conference schedule:

• Arizona will play Utah, Colorado and the Oregon schools only once, hosting Utah and Colorado while playing the Oregon schools on the road.
• The Wildcats' conference schedule begins on the road against Stanford and Cal during New Year’s week.
• Arizona’s first home stand involves three games against Colorado, Utah and ASU.
• A trip to Eugene for a chance to avenge a winless season against Oregon will take place during the first week of February.
• UA will play only one game in the final week of the regular season, which is a contest at ASU.

The expectations are once again high with the returning talent and arrivals of five-star freshmen Kobi Simmons, Rawle Alkins and Lauri Markkanen. This is potentially one of the more talented, and certainly deeper teams Sean Miller has had during his UA tenure. The best time of the year is quickly approaching. It’s time to start getting excited.