- 17,900
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Didn't he go to UConn first? He should have just came to Michigan.
KU
The College Basketball Post
- Thread in 'Sports & Training' Thread starter Started by allen3xis,
- Start date
KU
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Kentucky coach Billy Gillispie has been on quite a roll when it comes to recruiting elite big men.
Before making his way to Lexington, Gillispie landed five-star center DeAndre Jordan at Texas A&M. Shortly thereafter, he signed anotherMcDonald's All-American, power forward Patrick Patterson, at Kentucky.This spring saw the addition of five-star forward Dominique Ferguson tothe Wildcats' 2010 class, followed by the celebrated commitment of dominant 2009 center Daniel Orton last month.
Few coaches in America can boast of bringing in a better batch of big men in such a short amount of time, and another top prospect may be taking notice.Josh Smith, the No. 1 rated player in the country for 2010, says thecombination of UK's tradition and Gillispie's reputation have him taking a close look at the program.
"They're recruiting me pretty hard," said Smith, a 6-foot-10, 270-pound center from Covington (Wash.) Kentwood High School. "They send memail all the time, and I've got to talk to coach Gillispie a couple of times. He seems like a really cool guy, a guy who really wants to win. I've seenhis teams play before, and he seems like the type of coach you'd like to play for. And, obviously, they have a lot of history and tradition there.
"I also like the system they run. They seem to have a lot of good big guys going there. They like to build their team around the post, and their big menget a lot of touches. That's something that appeals to me."
This summer, Smith got an opportunity to play with and against Orton. He says the Cats are getting a good one in the 6-10 Oklahoman.
"I've played against him in AAU ball and we played together in the adidas Nations," Smith said. "I've gotten to be pretty good friendswith him. He's a great player. I know he'll do some big things for Kentucky."
And who got the better of the Orton-Smith matchups this summer?
"Oh, we had some battles," Smith said with a laugh. "Playing against him and Derrick Favors really made me a better player. They always gave me a goodchallenge, and I think I challenged them, too. I'd say it was about 50/50 in those matchups."
During one of their recent conversations, Smith said Gillispie suggested that he come to Lexington for a visit this season. "He said he'd love to getme down there to see what their program is all about. He said I'd be a perfect fit for the kind of players they're bringing in, that I could go thereand be part of a national championship. That's something I'd actually like to do sometime. I'm not sure when, but it's definitely apossibility."
There's a long line of coaches seeking Smith's attention these days. He says he hasn't begun the process of paring down his list, but frequentlycites "the big six" - Kentucky, UCLA, Indiana, North Carolina, Duke and Kansas - as some of his main schools of interest. Arizona, Cal, Georgetown,Louisville, USC, Texas and Washington are also heavily involved.
"Texas has jumped up lately," he said. "And UW is there, too. A lot of the schools have been stepping up their game. Louisville has, too.They've got Peyton (Siva) from my AAU team there, and he's been in my ear about the whole package thing. But I don't have any favorites yet.That's too far off in the distance right now."
Smith has taken one unofficial visit this fall, but it wasn't exactly for basketball. "I went to USC, but it was mainly for the football game,"he said. "It was the USC-Ohio State game, and I just wanted to have fun and see a good game, but it kind of turned into an unofficial visit."
His attention, for the moment, is one preparing for his junior season. It's less than a month until Kentwood's first game.
"I've just been lifting and running, trying to get in shape," Smith said. "I'm ready for the season, though. I'm excited to get backout there. I feel like I really improved this summer, especially my outside shooting. We had an open gym one day where I stepped out and hit a 3-pointer. RickPitino was there, and later on he wanted to know when I learned to do that. (Laughs) I think I'll be a little bit harder to defend this year."
| 
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| Jeff Drummond/CatsPause.com | |
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| Josh Smith powered up a shot during this summer's adidas Takes 5ive Classic in Cincinnati. |
Few coaches in America can boast of bringing in a better batch of big men in such a short amount of time, and another top prospect may be taking notice.Josh Smith, the No. 1 rated player in the country for 2010, says thecombination of UK's tradition and Gillispie's reputation have him taking a close look at the program.
"They're recruiting me pretty hard," said Smith, a 6-foot-10, 270-pound center from Covington (Wash.) Kentwood High School. "They send memail all the time, and I've got to talk to coach Gillispie a couple of times. He seems like a really cool guy, a guy who really wants to win. I've seenhis teams play before, and he seems like the type of coach you'd like to play for. And, obviously, they have a lot of history and tradition there.
"I also like the system they run. They seem to have a lot of good big guys going there. They like to build their team around the post, and their big menget a lot of touches. That's something that appeals to me."
This summer, Smith got an opportunity to play with and against Orton. He says the Cats are getting a good one in the 6-10 Oklahoman.
"I've played against him in AAU ball and we played together in the adidas Nations," Smith said. "I've gotten to be pretty good friendswith him. He's a great player. I know he'll do some big things for Kentucky."
And who got the better of the Orton-Smith matchups this summer?
"Oh, we had some battles," Smith said with a laugh. "Playing against him and Derrick Favors really made me a better player. They always gave me a goodchallenge, and I think I challenged them, too. I'd say it was about 50/50 in those matchups."
During one of their recent conversations, Smith said Gillispie suggested that he come to Lexington for a visit this season. "He said he'd love to getme down there to see what their program is all about. He said I'd be a perfect fit for the kind of players they're bringing in, that I could go thereand be part of a national championship. That's something I'd actually like to do sometime. I'm not sure when, but it's definitely apossibility."
There's a long line of coaches seeking Smith's attention these days. He says he hasn't begun the process of paring down his list, but frequentlycites "the big six" - Kentucky, UCLA, Indiana, North Carolina, Duke and Kansas - as some of his main schools of interest. Arizona, Cal, Georgetown,Louisville, USC, Texas and Washington are also heavily involved.
"Texas has jumped up lately," he said. "And UW is there, too. A lot of the schools have been stepping up their game. Louisville has, too.They've got Peyton (Siva) from my AAU team there, and he's been in my ear about the whole package thing. But I don't have any favorites yet.That's too far off in the distance right now."
Smith has taken one unofficial visit this fall, but it wasn't exactly for basketball. "I went to USC, but it was mainly for the football game,"he said. "It was the USC-Ohio State game, and I just wanted to have fun and see a good game, but it kind of turned into an unofficial visit."
His attention, for the moment, is one preparing for his junior season. It's less than a month until Kentwood's first game.
"I've just been lifting and running, trying to get in shape," Smith said. "I'm ready for the season, though. I'm excited to get backout there. I feel like I really improved this summer, especially my outside shooting. We had an open gym one day where I stepped out and hit a 3-pointer. RickPitino was there, and later on he wanted to know when I learned to do that. (Laughs) I think I'll be a little bit harder to defend this year."
dacomeup
Supporter
- 26,522
- 37,411
Completely forgot about this dude.
Didn't he go to UConn first? He should have just came to Michigan.
KU
Naw, UK.
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[h1]Hansbrough tops AP preseason All-Americans for third straight year[/h1]
Associated Press
Updated: November 3, 2008, 12:24 PM ET
It's no surprise Tyler Hansbrough made The Associated Press' preseasonAll-America team -- this is his record third straight year as its leading vote-getter. For the first time, however, the North Carolina forward was a unanimousselection.
Joining Hansbrough on the team Monday were UCLA guard Darren Collison, also arepeat from last year's preseason team, Davidson guard Stephen Curry, Notre Dameforward Luke Harangody and Oklahoma forward Blake Griffin.
Hansbrough, a 6-foot-9 senior and the reigning national player of the year, was placed on all 72 ballots by the same media panel that selects the weekly Top25. Hansbrough missed being a unanimous pick last season by one vote, and he fell seven votes shorts as a sophomore.
The preseason team was first selected before the 1986-87 season. The last unanimous pick was Duke guard Jason Williams in 2001-02, and the last repeatselection was Michigan State guard Mateen Cleaves in 1999-00.
Hansbrough averaged 22.6 points and 10.6 rebounds in leading the Tar Heels to a school-record 36 wins and the Final Four last season. He will miss about twoweeks of practice after being diagnosed last week with a stress reaction in his right shin.
"Of course, we are all disappointed for Tyler and our team, but everybody on the roster has a chance to do a little more and play a little better tohelp make up for the loss of the national player of the year," North Carolina coach Roy Williams said.
Hansbrough has played in all 108 games in his first three seasons and he did not miss a practice his first two years and only one as a junior.
Hansbrough was a second-team All-America after his sophomore season and was a unanimous pick after last season. He is the first national player of the yearto return to school since Shaquille O'Neal at LSU in 1991.
"To no one's surprise Tyler didn't rest on his previous accomplishments," Williams said. "He worked hard in the offseason to becomean even better player. He has grown so much as a person and a player throughout his career and it has been a joy to watch."
Curry, who led Davidson's surprising run to the regional finals of last season's NCAA tournament, was second in the voting with 66. Curry averaged32 points and was 23-of-51 from 3-point range during the tournament run despite seeing defenses aimed at stopping the slender guard. He averaged 25.9 pointsfor the season and his contribution to the team should change some this season with the graduation of point guard Jason Richards, who led the nation inassists.
The 6-8 Harangody, who was named on 58 ballots, was the Big East player of the year last season after averaging 20.4 points and 10.6 rebounds. His insidepresence allowed the Fighting Irish to average 79 points, tired for the No. 1 spot in the conference.
Collison, a third-team All-America selection after leading the Bruins to a third straight Final Four appearance last season, received 46 votes. The 6-1senior averaged 14.5 points and 3.8 assists last season, and he will combine with JoshShipp to give UCLA one of the nation's top backcourts this season.
Griffin, who received 45 votes, surprised many when he decided to return to the Sooners for his sophomore season. The 6-10, 250-pound Griffin averaged 14.7points and 9.1 rebounds last season in leading Oklahoma through a rough Big 12 schedule and into the NCAA tournament.
Arizona State sophomore James Harden, with 25, was the only other player named onmore nine ballots.
Last year's preseason team was Hansbrough, Collison, Roy Hibbert of Georgetown, Chris Lofton of Tennessee and Drew Neitzel of Michigan State. Hibbertwas a second-team selection after the season and Lofton was on the third team.
Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press
Associated Press
Updated: November 3, 2008, 12:24 PM ET
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It's no surprise Tyler Hansbrough made The Associated Press' preseasonAll-America team -- this is his record third straight year as its leading vote-getter. For the first time, however, the North Carolina forward was a unanimousselection.
Joining Hansbrough on the team Monday were UCLA guard Darren Collison, also arepeat from last year's preseason team, Davidson guard Stephen Curry, Notre Dameforward Luke Harangody and Oklahoma forward Blake Griffin.
Hansbrough, a 6-foot-9 senior and the reigning national player of the year, was placed on all 72 ballots by the same media panel that selects the weekly Top25. Hansbrough missed being a unanimous pick last season by one vote, and he fell seven votes shorts as a sophomore.
The preseason team was first selected before the 1986-87 season. The last unanimous pick was Duke guard Jason Williams in 2001-02, and the last repeatselection was Michigan State guard Mateen Cleaves in 1999-00.
Hansbrough averaged 22.6 points and 10.6 rebounds in leading the Tar Heels to a school-record 36 wins and the Final Four last season. He will miss about twoweeks of practice after being diagnosed last week with a stress reaction in his right shin.
"Of course, we are all disappointed for Tyler and our team, but everybody on the roster has a chance to do a little more and play a little better tohelp make up for the loss of the national player of the year," North Carolina coach Roy Williams said.
Hansbrough has played in all 108 games in his first three seasons and he did not miss a practice his first two years and only one as a junior.
Hansbrough was a second-team All-America after his sophomore season and was a unanimous pick after last season. He is the first national player of the yearto return to school since Shaquille O'Neal at LSU in 1991.
"To no one's surprise Tyler didn't rest on his previous accomplishments," Williams said. "He worked hard in the offseason to becomean even better player. He has grown so much as a person and a player throughout his career and it has been a joy to watch."
Curry, who led Davidson's surprising run to the regional finals of last season's NCAA tournament, was second in the voting with 66. Curry averaged32 points and was 23-of-51 from 3-point range during the tournament run despite seeing defenses aimed at stopping the slender guard. He averaged 25.9 pointsfor the season and his contribution to the team should change some this season with the graduation of point guard Jason Richards, who led the nation inassists.
The 6-8 Harangody, who was named on 58 ballots, was the Big East player of the year last season after averaging 20.4 points and 10.6 rebounds. His insidepresence allowed the Fighting Irish to average 79 points, tired for the No. 1 spot in the conference.
Collison, a third-team All-America selection after leading the Bruins to a third straight Final Four appearance last season, received 46 votes. The 6-1senior averaged 14.5 points and 3.8 assists last season, and he will combine with JoshShipp to give UCLA one of the nation's top backcourts this season.
Griffin, who received 45 votes, surprised many when he decided to return to the Sooners for his sophomore season. The 6-10, 250-pound Griffin averaged 14.7points and 9.1 rebounds last season in leading Oklahoma through a rough Big 12 schedule and into the NCAA tournament.
Arizona State sophomore James Harden, with 25, was the only other player named onmore nine ballots.
Last year's preseason team was Hansbrough, Collison, Roy Hibbert of Georgetown, Chris Lofton of Tennessee and Drew Neitzel of Michigan State. Hibbertwas a second-team selection after the season and Lofton was on the third team.
Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press
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Conference USA Preseason Poll
1. Memphis
2. UAB
3. Tulsa
4. UTEP
5. Southern Mississippi
6. Marshall
All-Conference Team
Robert Vaden, G/F, Sr., UAB (Preseason Player of the Year)
Robert Dozier, F, Sr., Memphis
Stefon Jackson, G, Sr., UTEP
Jerome Jordan, C, Jr., Tulsa
Jermaine Taylor, G, Sr., Central Florida
Horizon League Preseason Poll
1. Cleveland State (40) 478
2. Wright State (3) 412
3. Illinois-Chicago (2) 361
4. Wisconsin-Green Bay 335
5. Butler (3) 326
6. Wisconsin-Milwaukee 216
7. Valparaiso 207
8. Loyola (1) 189
9. Detroit 98
10. Youngstown State 73
All-Conference
Josh Mayo, Sr. Illinois Chicago
J'Nathan Bullock, Sr., Cleveland State
Cedric Jackson, Sr., Cleveland State
Vaughn Duggins, Jr., Wright State
Matt Howard, Soph., Butler
Ivy League Preseason Poll
1. Cornell (16) 128
2. Penn 110
3. Yale 80
4. Harvard 77
5. Brown 75
6. Columbia 45
7. Dartmouth 33
8. Princeton 28
Big West
Media Poll (the top four remained the same in the coaches poll)
1. Cal State Northridge (14) 173
2. UC Santa Barbara (3) 156
3. Pacific (2) 127
4. Cal State Fullerton (1) 107
5. Long Beach State 96
6. UC Irvine 73
7. UC Davis 65
8. Cal Poly 54
9. UC Riverside 49
All-Conference Team
Josh Akognon, G, Sr., Cal State Fullerton
Anthony Brown, F, Sr., Pacific
Chris Devine, F, Sr., UC Santa Barbara
Donovan Morris, G, Sr., Long Beach State
Tremaine Townsend, F, Sr., Cal State Northridge
Deon Tresvant, G, Sr., Cal State Northridge
MEAC
1. Morgan State (15)
2. Hampton (2)
3. Delaware State
4. Norfolk State (1)
5. South Carolina State (2)
6. Coppin State (1)
7. Florida A&M
8. North Carolina A&T (1)
9. Howard
10. Bethune-Cookman
11. Mareyland Eastern Shore
All-Conference
Tywain McKee, Coppin State
Jason Johnson, South Carolina State
Marquise Kately, Morgan State
Lamar Twitty, Florida A&M
Corey Lyons, Norfolk State
John Holmes, Bethune-Cookman
1. Memphis
2. UAB
3. Tulsa
4. UTEP
5. Southern Mississippi
6. Marshall
All-Conference Team
Robert Vaden, G/F, Sr., UAB (Preseason Player of the Year)
Robert Dozier, F, Sr., Memphis
Stefon Jackson, G, Sr., UTEP
Jerome Jordan, C, Jr., Tulsa
Jermaine Taylor, G, Sr., Central Florida
Horizon League Preseason Poll
1. Cleveland State (40) 478
2. Wright State (3) 412
3. Illinois-Chicago (2) 361
4. Wisconsin-Green Bay 335
5. Butler (3) 326
6. Wisconsin-Milwaukee 216
7. Valparaiso 207
8. Loyola (1) 189
9. Detroit 98
10. Youngstown State 73
All-Conference
Josh Mayo, Sr. Illinois Chicago
J'Nathan Bullock, Sr., Cleveland State
Cedric Jackson, Sr., Cleveland State
Vaughn Duggins, Jr., Wright State
Matt Howard, Soph., Butler
Ivy League Preseason Poll
1. Cornell (16) 128
2. Penn 110
3. Yale 80
4. Harvard 77
5. Brown 75
6. Columbia 45
7. Dartmouth 33
8. Princeton 28
Big West
Media Poll (the top four remained the same in the coaches poll)
1. Cal State Northridge (14) 173
2. UC Santa Barbara (3) 156
3. Pacific (2) 127
4. Cal State Fullerton (1) 107
5. Long Beach State 96
6. UC Irvine 73
7. UC Davis 65
8. Cal Poly 54
9. UC Riverside 49
All-Conference Team
Josh Akognon, G, Sr., Cal State Fullerton
Anthony Brown, F, Sr., Pacific
Chris Devine, F, Sr., UC Santa Barbara
Donovan Morris, G, Sr., Long Beach State
Tremaine Townsend, F, Sr., Cal State Northridge
Deon Tresvant, G, Sr., Cal State Northridge
MEAC
1. Morgan State (15)
2. Hampton (2)
3. Delaware State
4. Norfolk State (1)
5. South Carolina State (2)
6. Coppin State (1)
7. Florida A&M
8. North Carolina A&T (1)
9. Howard
10. Bethune-Cookman
11. Mareyland Eastern Shore
All-Conference
Tywain McKee, Coppin State
Jason Johnson, South Carolina State
Marquise Kately, Morgan State
Lamar Twitty, Florida A&M
Corey Lyons, Norfolk State
John Holmes, Bethune-Cookman
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UCLA plays Cal Baptist tonight...is CSTV worth buying??
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Originally Posted by PhilBalla09
UCLA plays Cal Baptist tonight...is CSTV worth buying??
i think for it's price it is...I think i get that, and some FSN's for 3 or 4 bucks a month
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it's the internet feed. UCLA has a package 9.95 for one game and 14.95 for both games...
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Once T-Will return's they'll be alright (I hope).
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I want to say so to. But its the same $#*@ every year with them.
Always lots of recruits. Haven't done whats expected.
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UK vs Missouri-St.Louis tonight....its finally here YES!!!!
- 7,891
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I have a feeling he doesn't live up to expectations this season. Maybe not a one hit wonder but won't have the impact or the numbers he had last year.
My boy 'Gody loves the hate. I'll be looking to forward to Gody giving Thabeet the buissness. Gody will repeat as Big East player of the year againthis year and y'all will continue to whine and say he sucks while he beats up on the Big East again.
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^ won't happen.
I just want to put that out there now.
I've said in here I think Gody's #'s go down this year.
I just want to put that out there now.
I've said in here I think Gody's #'s go down this year.
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Don't be surprised if Marcus Jordan joins his brother at Illinois...
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I know he was the more highly touted of the 2, but thats about all I know. Is the kid a legit high level D-1 player?
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look at Harangody's number in elimination games in BET and NCAA's...all I'ma say
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He's definitely a legit high major player. With work...can probably develop himself into a starter somewhere by his Junior/Senior year. He had a solidsummer against some high competition.
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take it for what it's worth, but this is what you're supposed to do in an exhibition game.
Official Basketball Box Score
Missouri-St. Louis vs Kentucky
11/3/08 7:00 pm at Rupp Arena-Lexington, KY
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
VISITORS: Missouri-St. Louis
TOT-FG 3-PT REBOUNDS
## Player Name FG-FGA FG-FGA FT-FTA OF DE TOT PF TP A TO BLK S MIN
01 Jackson, Alex....... f 0-5 0-1 6-6 1 2 3 0 6 1 2 0 0 25
15 Green, Tim.......... f 1-6 0-0 1-2 1 5 6 4 3 0 2 0 0 20
05 Black, Jason........ g 2-4 0-1 2-2 0 3 3 3 6 1 2 0 0 25
21 Whittaker, Nathan... g 2-8 0-1 2-2 0 0 0 2 6 2 2 0 0 24
22 Brown, Jeremy....... g 4-15 1-5 1-1 1 2 3 1 10 1 2 2 1 32
03 Beasley, Beaumont... 3-6 1-4 0-0 0 0 0 2 7 2 4 0 0 20
04 Kliethermes, Cody... 1-3 0-1 0-0 1 0 1 1 2 0 0 0 0 9
11 Fear, Adam.......... 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 4
23 Bechtel, Ryne....... 1-6 1-6 0-0 0 2 2 1 3 0 0 0 0 14
33 Buxton, Sam......... 3-4 0-1 0-0 0 0 0 2 6 1 2 0 0 13
34 Lawrence, Ryan...... 2-4 0-0 0-0 1 1 2 1 4 0 1 1 2 14
TEAM................ 2 1 3
Totals.............. 19-61 3-20 12-13 7 16 23 17 53 8 18 3 3 200
TOTAL FG% 1st Half: 9-30 30.0% 2nd Half: 10-31 32.3% Game: 31.1% DEADB
3-Pt. FG% 1st Half: 1-9 11.1% 2nd Half: 2-11 18.2% Game: 15.0% REBS
F Throw % 1st Half: 4-4 100 % 2nd Half: 8-9 88.9% Game: 92.3% 1
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
HOME TEAM: Kentucky
TOT-FG 3-PT REBOUNDS
## Player Name FG-FGA FG-FGA FT-FTA OF DE TOT PF TP A TO BLK S MIN
13 Porter, Michael..... * 0-3 0-3 0-0 0 4 4 2 0 5 0 2 0 19
21 Stevenson, Perry.... * 3-3 1-1 2-2 1 4 5 2 9 1 1 4 0 20
22 Harris, Ramon....... * 3-5 1-1 5-6 2 3 5 2 12 5 2 1 2 24
23 Meeks, Jodie........ * 9-19 7-13 2-2 0 2 2 2 27 4 2 0 0 28
54 Patterson, Patrick.. * 9-13 0-0 6-9 8 3 11 1 24 3 1 0 0 31
01 Miller, Darius...... 6-7 2-3 0-2 3 4 7 0 14 1 2 0 1 17
03 Galloway, Kevin..... 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 2 2 1 0 0 0 1 0 6
10 Slone, Landon....... 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1
11 Delph, Adam......... 0-1 0-1 0-0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 2
12 Krebs, Mark......... 0-2 0-2 1-1 1 0 1 1 1 1 0 0 1 6
14 Halsell, Mark....... 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3
25 Williams, Donald.... 0-3 0-2 0-0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 3
30 Perry, Dwight....... 0-1 0-1 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3
34 Liggins, DeAndre.... 0-1 0-1 1-2 0 4 4 1 1 4 2 0 2 15
43 Carter, Jared....... 1-1 0-0 0-0 0 2 2 2 2 0 1 0 0 6
55 Harrellson, Josh.... 9-14 1-1 2-2 8 4 12 1 21 0 2 1 3 16
TEAM................ 1 2 3
Totals.............. 40-73 12-29 19-26 24 34 58 18 111 24 14 9 9 200
TOTAL FG% 1st Half: 22-35 62.9% 2nd Half: 18-38 47.4% Game: 54.8% DEADB
3-Pt. FG% 1st Half: 6-14 42.9% 2nd Half: 6-15 40.0% Game: 41.4% REBS
F Throw % 1st Half: 13-18 72.2% 2nd Half: 6-8 75.0% Game: 73.1% 0,1
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Officials: Mike Stuart, Doug Sirmons, Brent Barnaky
Technical fouls: Missouri-St. Louis-None. Kentucky-None.
Attendance: 20731
Score by Periods 1st 2nd Total
Missouri-St. Louis............ 23 30 - 53
Kentucky...................... 63 48 - 111
Points in the paint-MO-STLOU 26,UK 46. Points off turnovers-MO-STLOU 8,UK 29.
2nd chance points-MO-STLOU 4,UK 26. Fast break points-MO-STLOU 2,UK 2.
Bench points-MO-STLOU 22,UK 39. Score tied-0 times. Lead changed-0 times.
Last FG-MO-STLOU 2nd-00:01, UK 2nd-00:08.
Harrellson with 21 and 12 in 16 mins...
darthska
Staff member
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I am so looking forward to seeing Patterson this year.
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Word is we handled Va Tech again...by about 20.
...
Curry, Abrams will still make noise at the point
Monday, November 3, 2008 | Print Entry
Posted by Andy Katz
Davidson's Stephen Curry and Texas' A.J. Abrams are going through a transition of taking over the point fromintegral members of their respective Elite Eight runs a year ago.
Curry is replacing Jason Richards on the ball. Abrams is taking over for D.J. Augustin.
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Willis Glasgow/WG Sports Photos /US Presswire
Stephen Curry will keep scoring points now that he's at the point.
It shouldn't be as much of a problem as it would seem. The concern is always that you're taking away your best shooter, so by helping one positionyou're potentially hurting another. But neither Curry nor Abrams is going to shy away from taking shots. They are still expected to be the focal points oftheir respective perimeter options.
"A.J. is just like Steph Curry, they both have a great understanding of the game and stay within themselves,'' said Texas coach Rick Barnes,whose Longhorns scrimmaged Davidson in Austin over the weekend. "They don't care where you put them on the floor. They both have a great understandingof the game.''
Davidson coach Bob McKillop, who heaped high praise on the Longhorns' intense defensive effort, said Abrams handled the position quite well.
"He's a terrific scorer,'' McKillop said.
Barnes said Curry, like Abrams, is an all-around basketball player.
"It doesn't matter where he plays,'' Barnes said. "Bob has a system that he runs, and they execute it and believe in it. They are soteam-oriented.''
McKillop loved the experience of scrimmaging Texas. He said traveling on the road with this group, dealing with a tough defensive team and getting pushedwill only help the Wildcats in preparation for the season. Davidson has a potential showdown with Texas' top Big 12 rival in Oklahoma in a possible NITSeason Tip-Off second-round game later this month.
Texas wowed McKillop with its rebounding prowess, too. Dexter Pittman presented plenty of problems for the Wildcats. So, too, did Connor Atchley, whoisn't as thick or strong, but still has the long-armed reach to be a pest on the back line.
"This was one of those experiences where Steph Curry grew as a point guard by leaps and bounds,'' McKillop said. "We could not have had abetter laboratory. He's going to do it [play the point] and do it very well.''
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The Longhorns need A.J. Abrams to fill the gap left by D.J. Augustin.
The shooting of Bryant Barr and William Archambault was also a plus for Davidson against Texas, according to McKillop. Former Harvard signee Frank Ben-Ezedidn't play but is expected to start practicing Monday.
• Texas will next scrimmage Gonzaga in a neutral site in Denver over the weekend.
• There were a slew of these scrimmages across the country. Virginia Tech and Georgetown have scrimmaged the past few seasons. They did again over theweekend in Washington, D.C. The Hoyas were pleased with their effort and the consensus that freshman center Greg Monroe could be a special player. The same istrue of freshman guard Jason Clark. Virginia Tech coach Seth Greenberg concurred on Clark saying that he could "really shoot the ball.''Meanwhile, Greenberg said having Big John, John Thompson III's Hall of Fame father, speak to his team was a highlight. Greenberg said Big John commandssuch respect by the players that they were attuned to his every word.
The Hokies need another scorer, and against Georgetown, Greenberg was pleased with the productivity of sophomore Dorenzo Hudson. While the Hoyas have asystem that works for them and just takes time to develop, the Hokies are trying to find their identity with this group. Greenberg is hoping to see much moredefensive ball pressure from this group. Both teams are heading to loaded Thanksgiving week fields. Georgetown is in the Orlando Old Spice Classic with thelikes of Michigan State, Gonzaga and Tennessee while Virginia Tech will be with USC, Memphis and Xavier in Puerto Rico.
• Miami coach Frank Haith isn't shying away from pumping up freshman forward DaQuan Jones. He's a "beast,'' according to Haith, andwhile he gets lost defensively at times, his "talent is off the charts.'' Still, Haith isn't going to start Jones. He's going with one ofthe top guards in the country in senior Jack McClinton, junior James Dews and senior Lance Hurdle. He will bring Jones off the bench with senior forward BrianAsbury. The frontcourt of Cyrus McGowan, Dwayne Collins and a rotation behind them of Jimmy Graham and Adrian Thomas makes the Hurricanes the deepest teamunder Haith in his five years on the job.
• Interesting story in the Tucson Citizen by Lute Olson's doctor, Steven Knope, explaining moreabout the stroke and depression. There is an unbelievable amount of disclosure on the medical condition, something you normally don't see.
• The Memphis Commercial Appeal had a telling story about how Derrick Rose wants to be introduced at Chicago Bulls games.
• USC is still awaiting word on whether Alex Stepheson will win his appeal to play immediately instead of sitting out after transferring from NorthCarolina.
• Herb Pope was denied his appeal to play immediately at Seton Hall after transferring from New Mexico State. Pope is from the Pittsburgh-area. Seton Hallis in New Jersey. This was going to be one of the tougher hardship waivers to prove about the need to be closer to home due to duress since he wasn'tplaying in his home state. Pope will be eligible in 2009-10 with three years of eligibility remaining.
...
Curry, Abrams will still make noise at the point
Monday, November 3, 2008 | Print Entry
Posted by Andy Katz
Davidson's Stephen Curry and Texas' A.J. Abrams are going through a transition of taking over the point fromintegral members of their respective Elite Eight runs a year ago.
Curry is replacing Jason Richards on the ball. Abrams is taking over for D.J. Augustin.
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Willis Glasgow/WG Sports Photos /US Presswire
Stephen Curry will keep scoring points now that he's at the point.
It shouldn't be as much of a problem as it would seem. The concern is always that you're taking away your best shooter, so by helping one positionyou're potentially hurting another. But neither Curry nor Abrams is going to shy away from taking shots. They are still expected to be the focal points oftheir respective perimeter options.
"A.J. is just like Steph Curry, they both have a great understanding of the game and stay within themselves,'' said Texas coach Rick Barnes,whose Longhorns scrimmaged Davidson in Austin over the weekend. "They don't care where you put them on the floor. They both have a great understandingof the game.''
Davidson coach Bob McKillop, who heaped high praise on the Longhorns' intense defensive effort, said Abrams handled the position quite well.
"He's a terrific scorer,'' McKillop said.
Barnes said Curry, like Abrams, is an all-around basketball player.
"It doesn't matter where he plays,'' Barnes said. "Bob has a system that he runs, and they execute it and believe in it. They are soteam-oriented.''
McKillop loved the experience of scrimmaging Texas. He said traveling on the road with this group, dealing with a tough defensive team and getting pushedwill only help the Wildcats in preparation for the season. Davidson has a potential showdown with Texas' top Big 12 rival in Oklahoma in a possible NITSeason Tip-Off second-round game later this month.
Texas wowed McKillop with its rebounding prowess, too. Dexter Pittman presented plenty of problems for the Wildcats. So, too, did Connor Atchley, whoisn't as thick or strong, but still has the long-armed reach to be a pest on the back line.
"This was one of those experiences where Steph Curry grew as a point guard by leaps and bounds,'' McKillop said. "We could not have had abetter laboratory. He's going to do it [play the point] and do it very well.''
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The Longhorns need A.J. Abrams to fill the gap left by D.J. Augustin.
The shooting of Bryant Barr and William Archambault was also a plus for Davidson against Texas, according to McKillop. Former Harvard signee Frank Ben-Ezedidn't play but is expected to start practicing Monday.
• Texas will next scrimmage Gonzaga in a neutral site in Denver over the weekend.
• There were a slew of these scrimmages across the country. Virginia Tech and Georgetown have scrimmaged the past few seasons. They did again over theweekend in Washington, D.C. The Hoyas were pleased with their effort and the consensus that freshman center Greg Monroe could be a special player. The same istrue of freshman guard Jason Clark. Virginia Tech coach Seth Greenberg concurred on Clark saying that he could "really shoot the ball.''Meanwhile, Greenberg said having Big John, John Thompson III's Hall of Fame father, speak to his team was a highlight. Greenberg said Big John commandssuch respect by the players that they were attuned to his every word.
The Hokies need another scorer, and against Georgetown, Greenberg was pleased with the productivity of sophomore Dorenzo Hudson. While the Hoyas have asystem that works for them and just takes time to develop, the Hokies are trying to find their identity with this group. Greenberg is hoping to see much moredefensive ball pressure from this group. Both teams are heading to loaded Thanksgiving week fields. Georgetown is in the Orlando Old Spice Classic with thelikes of Michigan State, Gonzaga and Tennessee while Virginia Tech will be with USC, Memphis and Xavier in Puerto Rico.
• Miami coach Frank Haith isn't shying away from pumping up freshman forward DaQuan Jones. He's a "beast,'' according to Haith, andwhile he gets lost defensively at times, his "talent is off the charts.'' Still, Haith isn't going to start Jones. He's going with one ofthe top guards in the country in senior Jack McClinton, junior James Dews and senior Lance Hurdle. He will bring Jones off the bench with senior forward BrianAsbury. The frontcourt of Cyrus McGowan, Dwayne Collins and a rotation behind them of Jimmy Graham and Adrian Thomas makes the Hurricanes the deepest teamunder Haith in his five years on the job.
• Interesting story in the Tucson Citizen by Lute Olson's doctor, Steven Knope, explaining moreabout the stroke and depression. There is an unbelievable amount of disclosure on the medical condition, something you normally don't see.
• The Memphis Commercial Appeal had a telling story about how Derrick Rose wants to be introduced at Chicago Bulls games.
• USC is still awaiting word on whether Alex Stepheson will win his appeal to play immediately instead of sitting out after transferring from NorthCarolina.
• Herb Pope was denied his appeal to play immediately at Seton Hall after transferring from New Mexico State. Pope is from the Pittsburgh-area. Seton Hallis in New Jersey. This was going to be one of the tougher hardship waivers to prove about the need to be closer to home due to duress since he wasn'tplaying in his home state. Pope will be eligible in 2009-10 with three years of eligibility remaining.
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Justin Martin has yet to play in a varsity basketball game at Lawrence North (Ind.)
However, the 6-foot-6 wing - who is ranked No. 36 in the Class of 2010 - has committed to Louisville.
According to Scout.com, Martin chose the Cardinals over Xavier.
``It was Coach Pitino," Martin told Scout.com. ``He's a great guy and the way he takes care of his players and motivates them to excel on and off thecourt. The environment of Louisville sold me and their staff is amazing at what they do."
....
Rider coach Tommy Dempsey likes to joke that one year ago, with Jason Thompson, the Broncos were picked fourth in the MAAC. This year, with Thompson in theNBA, they are picked third.
``I can't wait to tell Jason," Dempsey laughed. "We lost the 12th pick in the NBA Draft. Obviously, he wasn't thatgood."
Dempsey is kidding, of course.
Thompson was the second-leading rebounder in the entire country and was basically a lock for a double-double every night. He also gave the program nationalexposure and credibility.
However, Dempsey feels good about the team this season - the one that will likely feature Thompson's younger brother, 6-foot-6 versatile wing RyanThompson.
``I think we're in position to sustain the success and that's a mark of every program, especially at our level," Dempsey said.
Dempsey has more than just the younger Thompson, though. He'll also rely on one of the league's top shooter, senior Harris Mansell, and a pair ofsophomores - 6-foot-6 forward Mike Ringgold - one of the top freshman in the league a year ago - and athletic point guard Justin Robinson from England.
Dempsey that that without Jason Thompson, it's obvious the halfcourt defense will suffer. However, he still intends to play fast because of the Broncsathleticism.
``We'll create chaos defensively," he said.
MORE PREASON POLLS
Missouri Valley
1. Creighton (36) 386
2. Southern Illinois (2) 322
3. Illinois State (1) 309
4. Drake 274
5. Bradley 219
6. Northern Iowa 186
7. Indiana State 137
8. Evansville 122
9. Wichita State 105
10. Missouri State 85
All-Conference
Jonathan Cox, Sr., Drake
Osiris Eldridge, Jr., Illinois State
Bryan Mullins, Sr., Southern Illinois
P'Allen Stinnett, Soph., Creighton
Josh Young, Jr., Drake
Ohio Valley Preseason Poll
1. Murray State (11) 149
2. UT Martin (6) 142
3. Austin Peay (2) 129
4. Morehead State 118
5. Tennessee State 108
6. Tennessee Tech 77
7. Eastern Kentucky 59
9. Eastern Illinois 35
10. Jacksonville State 26
All-Conference Team
Leon Buchanan, F, Morehead State
Kenneth Faried, C, Morehead State
Jerrell Houston, Tennessee State
Lester Hudson, G, UT Martin
Daniel Northern, C, Tennessee Tech
Gerald Robinson Jr., G, Tennessee State
Mike Rose, G, Eastern Kentucky
Drake Reed, F, Austin Peay
Danero Thomas, F, Murray State
Marquis Weddle, G, UT Martin
SWAC Preseason Poll
1. Jackson State (3) 176
2. Alabama State (10) 167
3. Alabama A&M (2) 155
4. Southern (2) 143
5. Mississippi Valley State (2) 89
6. Grambling State 88
7. Texas Southern (1) 83
8. Prairie View A&M 79
9. Univ. Arkansas-Pine Bluff 70
10. Alcorn State 50
All-Conference Team
Grant Maxey, F, Jr., Jackson State (Preseason Player of the Year)
Trant Simpson, G, Jr., Alabama A&M
Andrew Hayles, G, Sr., Alabama State
Jacques Jones, F, Jr., Texas Southern
Jamal Breaux, C, Sr., Grambling State
However, the 6-foot-6 wing - who is ranked No. 36 in the Class of 2010 - has committed to Louisville.
According to Scout.com, Martin chose the Cardinals over Xavier.
``It was Coach Pitino," Martin told Scout.com. ``He's a great guy and the way he takes care of his players and motivates them to excel on and off thecourt. The environment of Louisville sold me and their staff is amazing at what they do."
....
Rider coach Tommy Dempsey likes to joke that one year ago, with Jason Thompson, the Broncos were picked fourth in the MAAC. This year, with Thompson in theNBA, they are picked third.
``I can't wait to tell Jason," Dempsey laughed. "We lost the 12th pick in the NBA Draft. Obviously, he wasn't thatgood."
Dempsey is kidding, of course.
Thompson was the second-leading rebounder in the entire country and was basically a lock for a double-double every night. He also gave the program nationalexposure and credibility.
However, Dempsey feels good about the team this season - the one that will likely feature Thompson's younger brother, 6-foot-6 versatile wing RyanThompson.
``I think we're in position to sustain the success and that's a mark of every program, especially at our level," Dempsey said.
Dempsey has more than just the younger Thompson, though. He'll also rely on one of the league's top shooter, senior Harris Mansell, and a pair ofsophomores - 6-foot-6 forward Mike Ringgold - one of the top freshman in the league a year ago - and athletic point guard Justin Robinson from England.
Dempsey that that without Jason Thompson, it's obvious the halfcourt defense will suffer. However, he still intends to play fast because of the Broncsathleticism.
``We'll create chaos defensively," he said.
MORE PREASON POLLS
Missouri Valley
1. Creighton (36) 386
2. Southern Illinois (2) 322
3. Illinois State (1) 309
4. Drake 274
5. Bradley 219
6. Northern Iowa 186
7. Indiana State 137
8. Evansville 122
9. Wichita State 105
10. Missouri State 85
All-Conference
Jonathan Cox, Sr., Drake
Osiris Eldridge, Jr., Illinois State
Bryan Mullins, Sr., Southern Illinois
P'Allen Stinnett, Soph., Creighton
Josh Young, Jr., Drake
Ohio Valley Preseason Poll
1. Murray State (11) 149
2. UT Martin (6) 142
3. Austin Peay (2) 129
4. Morehead State 118
5. Tennessee State 108
6. Tennessee Tech 77
7. Eastern Kentucky 59
9. Eastern Illinois 35
10. Jacksonville State 26
All-Conference Team
Leon Buchanan, F, Morehead State
Kenneth Faried, C, Morehead State
Jerrell Houston, Tennessee State
Lester Hudson, G, UT Martin
Daniel Northern, C, Tennessee Tech
Gerald Robinson Jr., G, Tennessee State
Mike Rose, G, Eastern Kentucky
Drake Reed, F, Austin Peay
Danero Thomas, F, Murray State
Marquis Weddle, G, UT Martin
SWAC Preseason Poll
1. Jackson State (3) 176
2. Alabama State (10) 167
3. Alabama A&M (2) 155
4. Southern (2) 143
5. Mississippi Valley State (2) 89
6. Grambling State 88
7. Texas Southern (1) 83
8. Prairie View A&M 79
9. Univ. Arkansas-Pine Bluff 70
10. Alcorn State 50
All-Conference Team
Grant Maxey, F, Jr., Jackson State (Preseason Player of the Year)
Trant Simpson, G, Jr., Alabama A&M
Andrew Hayles, G, Sr., Alabama State
Jacques Jones, F, Jr., Texas Southern
Jamal Breaux, C, Sr., Grambling State
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[font=Arial, Helvetica]Parrish
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[font=Arial, Helvetica]Once upon a time the Pac-10 was the best league in the country.[/font]
[font=Arial, Helvetica]Like last year.[/font]
[font=Arial, Helvetica]It sent UCLA to the Final Four and in total 60 percent of its members made the NCAA tournament. That was strong. Butthe NBA Draft stripped the league of most of its marquee players, and what's left is a conference somewhere between reloading and rebuilding.[/font]
[font=Arial, Helvetica]UCLA? Reloading.[/font]
[font=Arial, Helvetica]Stanford? Rebuilding.[/font]
[font=Arial, Helvetica]Washington? Who knows?[/font]
[font=Arial, Helvetica]But either way, there is no denying this Pac-10 won't be as good as that Pac-10, and afterbeing ranked as the best conference last preseason it's now No. 5 in the countdown of leagues here at CBSSports.com.[/font]
[font=Arial, Helvetica]Here's a look at the Pac-10:[/font]
[h4][font=Arial, Helvetica]1. UCLA[/font][/h4]
[font=Arial, Helvetica]The good: Darren Collison's lackluster Final Four essentially sent the point guard back tocollege, meaning UCLA's trip to San Antonio was a lose-win. Sure, the Bruins lost to Memphis. But the consolation is that they get another year from anAll-American point guard, one who will now team with freshman Jrue Holiday to arguably create the nation's best backcourt.[/font]
[font=Arial, Helvetica]The bad: The early departure of Russell Westbrook isn't a big deal because A) Collison returnedand B) Holiday is a stud. But losing Kevin Love and Luc Richard Mbah a Moute up front will be difficult. Freshman J'Mison Morgan is good, but he's notLove. So there are question marks in and around the paint. The hope in Westwood is that junior James Keefe has a breakthrough season, Morgan comes alongquickly and fellow freshman Drew Gordon is a difference-maker off the bench.[/font]
[font=Arial, Helvetica]The bottom line: Ben Howland has lost tons of players the past three offseasons -- from JordanFarmar to Arron Afflalo to Ryan Hollins to Mbah a Moute and Westbrook and Love and so on and so forth. Still, UCLA is in position to make a fourth consecutiveFinal Four, which is a testament to recruiting and where Howland has the program headed.[/font]
[h4][font=Arial, Helvetica]2. Arizona State[/font][/h4]
[font=Arial, Helvetica]The good: The wild thing isn't that James Harden returned to school; it's that he didn'tseem to even seriously consider leaving for the NBA Draft despite the likelihood of being a top 20 pick. So good for Herb Sendek, who has quietly and quicklyturned things around at Arizona State. He could compete for the Pac-10 title in just his third season thanks to the Harden/Jeff Pendergraph combo that togetheraveraged 30.2 points and 11.7 rebounds last season.[/font]
[font=Arial, Helvetica]The bad: The Sun Devils were consistently outrebounded last season and there's no reason tothink that's changing because Pendergraph has almost no help up front. In a perfect world, Eric Boateng would use his 6-foot-10 frame to become thedominant player he was once projected to be. But it's difficult to be optimistic considering the one-time McDonald's All-American averaged just 2.6rebounds in 11.6 minutes last season after transferring from Duke.[/font]
[font=Arial, Helvetica]The bottom line: Five starters are back from a 21-win team that played in the nation's toughestconference. That's all you need to know to understand the Sun Devils have the potential to win the Pac-10 and advance deep into the NCAA tournament. Howdeep? Much of that will depend on Pendergraph and whatever frontcourt help he gets. But make no mistake, Harden is dominant enough to carry this team in March,perhaps as far as the Final Four.[/font]
[h4][font=Arial, Helvetica]3. Southern California[/font][/h4]
[font=Arial, Helvetica]The good: Daniel Hackett, Taj Gibson and Dwight Lewis form a nice nucleus that will allow USC toovercome two early defections to the NBA. Also helping is the arrival of DeMar DeRozan, a 6-7 wing who can run and dunk and dominate. If you're looking forsomebody besides Collison or Harden capable of winning Pac-10 Player of the Year, DeRozan is your man.[/font]
[font=Arial, Helvetica]The bad: Remember those two early defections I mentioned? One of them was O.J. Mayo, who was adamn-fine college basketball player despite the black eye he left behind. The guess here is USC is actually better this season than last season, which is tosay better without Mayo than with him. But losing a 20-point scorer is still losing a 20-point scorer, and it's rarely good when a dominant defensiveplayer and ball-handler disappears from the roster.[/font]
[font=Arial, Helvetica]The bottom line: Tim Floyd has established himself as an elite recruiter on the West Coast and witha beautiful facility and surrounding base of talent, it's clear the former Bulls coach will continue to build an emerging power. In the short term, nobodyshould be surprised if USC competes for a league title. In the long term, Final Fours are possible.[/font]
[h4][font=Arial, Helvetica]4. Arizona[/font][/h4]
[font=Arial, Helvetica]The good: Chase Budinger's surprising decision to withdraw from the NBA Draft is the only reasonit's reasonable to expect the Wildcats to extend their streak of NCAA tournament appearances. Sure, he'll be asked to do a lot. But Budinger iscapable, and when he's good Arizona will be tough to handle.[/font]
[font=Arial, Helvetica]The bad: The uncertainty surrounding the program and Lute Olson's abrupt retirement have taken alarge toll. It played a role in Brandon Jennings' decision to go to Italy, was the reason Emmanuel Negedu enrolled at Tennessee and, most recently, causedJeff Withey to transfer before ever even playing a game. Long story not so long, things are messy. And Arizona fans hoping for a sign of optimism from theannual Red-Blue scrimmage had to have walked away shaking their heads Saturday when the event was stopped early in the second half because of ...cramps.[/font]
[font=Arial, Helvetica]The bottom line: If it was possible to fast-forward five months and go straight to the hiringprocess I'm guessing Arizona athletic director Jim Livengood would do it. Alas, there is no such time machine. So Arizona will endure its secondconsecutive strange season under an interim coach, and anything more than an NCAA tournament bid and first-weekend exit is probably wishfulthinking.[/font]
[h4][font=Arial, Helvetica]5. Washington[/font][/h4]
[font=Arial, Helvetica]The good: Jon Brockman returns and is virtually guaranteed another big year. The 6-7 forwardaveraged 17.8 points and 11.6 rebounds last season, and he should be aided by the arrival of another top 20 recruiting class featuring forward Tyreese Breshersand point guard Isaiah Thomas.[/font]
[font=Arial, Helvetica]The bad: Quincy Pondexter was supposed to make strides from his freshman season to his sophomoreseason, but that didn't happen. Pondexter's points went down slightly (from 10.7 to 9.9) despite his minutes slightly going up (23.9 to 24.4), and heshot worse from the field (49.8 percent to 45.2), 3-point line (37.5 percent to 28.
and free-throw line (76.0 percent to 68.5). For Washington to avoid athird straight losing record in the Pac-10, this needs to change. Pondexter is obviously talented, but he must start performing to his ability.[/font]
[font=Arial, Helvetica]The bottom line: Lorenzo Romar's recruiting ensures Washington should never be too bad barringinjuries, but the product on the floor must improve after two seasons of no NCAA tournament bids. To be clear, the Huskies are capable of snapping that streak.But trying to ride Brockman nonstop isn't the way to do it. He needs a legitimate Robin to his Batman, whether it's Pondexter, Justin Dentmon or one ofthe freshmen.[/font]
[h4][font=Arial, Helvetica]6. Washington State[/font][/h4]
[font=Arial, Helvetica]The good: Tony Bennett is still in Pullman, which is a surprise to nearly everybody in the sport.The common theory for the past 18 months was that Bennett would lead Kyle Weaver and Derrick Low to graduation, then take the best job available. But Bennettremained loyal, and to help him through his third season will be veterans Aron Baynes and Taylor Rochestie, plus heralded recruit Klay Thompson.[/font]
[font=Arial, Helvetica]The bad: Like I mentioned, Weaver and Low are gone, plus Robbie Cowgill. That's 33.6 points pergame that left with those three players, and there's no obvious alternative source for that kind of production.[/font]
[font=Arial, Helvetica]The bottom line: The reason everybody thought Bennett would bolt WSU is because it's a difficultjob in a difficult league. Regardless of the coach, the Cougars should never consistently -- note the word consistently -- be better than UCLA,Arizona, USC, Arizona State, Washington or Oregon, and it's likely this is the season in which the program begins to return to reality, at least to somedegree.[/font]
[h4][font=Arial, Helvetica]7. Oregon[/font][/h4]
[font=Arial, Helvetica]The good: Tajuan Porter and Joevan Catron will be joined by a top 20 recruiting class that shouldserve as the future of Oregon basketball. The star of the group is Michael Dunigan, a McDonald's All-American center. He's capable of having a hugeimpact, and it'll be necessary for the Ducks to succeed.[/font]
[font=Arial, Helvetica]The bad: Three of the top four scorers from last season are gone, specifically Malik Hairston,Maarty Leunen and Bruce Taylor. When you consider a roster with those players had to "sneak" into the NCAA tournament, it's hard to be optimisticabout this one. Plus, Porter wasn't as good as a sophomore as he was as a freshman, for whatever reason. His 3-point percentage went from 43.7 to35.6.[/font]
[font=Arial, Helvetica]The bottom line: Ernie Kent has been at Oregon for 11 seasons and reached a pair of Elite Eights,but his job never seems to be totally safe. As I've written many times, Gonzaga's Mark Few will always be linked as a possible successor becausehe's from Oregon and tight with athletic director Pat Kilkenny. That's one of the reasons Kent can't afford to slip much, because it'll makeOregon fans ask whether it's possible to get Few and be better.[/font]
[h4][font=Arial, Helvetica]8. California[/font][/h4]
[font=Arial, Helvetica]The good: The Bears made a home-run hire in Mike Montgomery, a Pac-10 legend from his days atStanford who led the Cardinal to 10 consecutive NCAA tournaments before bolting for the NBA in 2004. Now Montgomery is back in college, and though theadjustment won't be headache-free, it will be made easier by the presence of Patrick Christopher, a 6-5 junior who averaged 15.2 points lastseason.[/font]
[font=Arial, Helvetica]The bad: Montgomery would've been set up to win right away had Ryan Anderson not left early forthe NBA. His departure combined with DeVon Hardin's has Cal lacking size, evidence being how there are no returning players who averaged at least fourrebounds a game.[/font]
[font=Arial, Helvetica]The bottom line: Montgomery is too good to not get California back into the top half of the Pac-10.But this is not the type of roster he won with at Stanford, which is why expectations should be tempered for his first year on the job.[/font]
[h4][font=Arial, Helvetica]9. Stanford[/font][/h4]
[font=Arial, Helvetica]The good: Outside of veterans Anthony Good and Lawrence Hill, it's difficult to find much good.So let's get straight to the bad.[/font]
[font=Arial, Helvetica]The bad: Letting Trent Johnson walk to LSU after back-to-back NCAA tournaments was crazy,particularly when there was no clear contingency plan. The result was a sloppy hiring process that resulted in Stanford settling for a lifetime assistant withno obvious West Coast ties. So while it might all work out in the end, it's fair to be skeptical and think the administration will watch Johnson win theSEC West and wonder if it was too smart for its own good. And, oh yeah, Brook and Robin Lopez are no longer around. That's going to leave a hole in themiddle, especially since one-time signee Miles Plumlee asked for a release, got it and bolted for Duke.[/font]
[font=Arial, Helvetica]The bottom line: It's common sense that if you are going to play hardball with a proven coachlike Johnson and risk him calling your bluff, you had better have a legitimate backup plan prepared to be executed. Stanford, quite simply, did not, and theschool will suffer the consequences unless Johnny Dawkins quickly proves he can recruit to this particular institution and coach in the Pac-10.[/font]
[h4][font=Arial, Helvetica]10. Oregon State[/font][/h4]
[font=Arial, Helvetica]The good: The hiring of possible future First Brother-in-Law Craig Robinson has broughtunprecedented attention to Oregon State. It has helped establish a brand, and Robinson has used it to make advances in recruiting that won't pay off thisseason but almost certainly will going forward.[/font]
[font=Arial, Helvetica]The bad: When you get right down to it, this is a roster that finished 0-18 in the Pac-10 lastseason. So though the guess here is that the Beavers won't go winless in the league again, there's no reason to think they will threaten anybody untilRobinson gets an enhanced level of talent on campus.[/font]
[font=Arial, Helvetica]The bottom line: Robinson is the right coach and he's going to do well if he continues to lureprospects like Class of 2009 commitment Roberto Nelson. But the reality is that what he has is a tough job that was in bad shape when he got it. So anyturnaround will take time, though it's reasonable for OSU fans to be optimistic again.[/font]
[font=Arial, Helvetica]..[/font]
[font=Arial, Helvetica]I'm taking UW to have a nice year and finish #3
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[/font]
[font=Arial, Helvetica]Once upon a time the Pac-10 was the best league in the country.[/font]
|
| Quick facts |
| Defending regular-season champion: UCLA |
| Defending tournament champion: UCLA |
| Top returning scorer: James Harden (Arizona State), 17.8 ppg Jon Brockman (Washington), 17.8 ppg |
| Top returning rebounder: Jon Brockman (Washington), 11.6 rpg |
[font=Arial, Helvetica]Like last year.[/font]
[font=Arial, Helvetica]It sent UCLA to the Final Four and in total 60 percent of its members made the NCAA tournament. That was strong. Butthe NBA Draft stripped the league of most of its marquee players, and what's left is a conference somewhere between reloading and rebuilding.[/font]
[font=Arial, Helvetica]UCLA? Reloading.[/font]
[font=Arial, Helvetica]Stanford? Rebuilding.[/font]
[font=Arial, Helvetica]Washington? Who knows?[/font]
[font=Arial, Helvetica]But either way, there is no denying this Pac-10 won't be as good as that Pac-10, and afterbeing ranked as the best conference last preseason it's now No. 5 in the countdown of leagues here at CBSSports.com.[/font]
[font=Arial, Helvetica]Here's a look at the Pac-10:[/font]
[h4][font=Arial, Helvetica]1. UCLA[/font][/h4]
[font=Arial, Helvetica]The good: Darren Collison's lackluster Final Four essentially sent the point guard back tocollege, meaning UCLA's trip to San Antonio was a lose-win. Sure, the Bruins lost to Memphis. But the consolation is that they get another year from anAll-American point guard, one who will now team with freshman Jrue Holiday to arguably create the nation's best backcourt.[/font]
[font=Arial, Helvetica]The bad: The early departure of Russell Westbrook isn't a big deal because A) Collison returnedand B) Holiday is a stud. But losing Kevin Love and Luc Richard Mbah a Moute up front will be difficult. Freshman J'Mison Morgan is good, but he's notLove. So there are question marks in and around the paint. The hope in Westwood is that junior James Keefe has a breakthrough season, Morgan comes alongquickly and fellow freshman Drew Gordon is a difference-maker off the bench.[/font]
[font=Arial, Helvetica]The bottom line: Ben Howland has lost tons of players the past three offseasons -- from JordanFarmar to Arron Afflalo to Ryan Hollins to Mbah a Moute and Westbrook and Love and so on and so forth. Still, UCLA is in position to make a fourth consecutiveFinal Four, which is a testament to recruiting and where Howland has the program headed.[/font]
[h4][font=Arial, Helvetica]2. Arizona State[/font][/h4]
[font=Arial, Helvetica]The good: The wild thing isn't that James Harden returned to school; it's that he didn'tseem to even seriously consider leaving for the NBA Draft despite the likelihood of being a top 20 pick. So good for Herb Sendek, who has quietly and quicklyturned things around at Arizona State. He could compete for the Pac-10 title in just his third season thanks to the Harden/Jeff Pendergraph combo that togetheraveraged 30.2 points and 11.7 rebounds last season.[/font]
| Predicted Finish | |
| Team | Postseason |
| 1. UCLA | NCAA |
| 2. Arizona State | NCAA |
| 3. Southern California | NCAA |
| 4. Arizona | NCAA |
| 5. Washington | NIT/CBI |
| 6. Washington State | NIT/CBI |
| 7. Oregon | NIT/CBI |
| 8. California | none |
| 9. Stanford | none |
| 10. Oregon State | none |
[font=Arial, Helvetica]The bad: The Sun Devils were consistently outrebounded last season and there's no reason tothink that's changing because Pendergraph has almost no help up front. In a perfect world, Eric Boateng would use his 6-foot-10 frame to become thedominant player he was once projected to be. But it's difficult to be optimistic considering the one-time McDonald's All-American averaged just 2.6rebounds in 11.6 minutes last season after transferring from Duke.[/font]
[font=Arial, Helvetica]The bottom line: Five starters are back from a 21-win team that played in the nation's toughestconference. That's all you need to know to understand the Sun Devils have the potential to win the Pac-10 and advance deep into the NCAA tournament. Howdeep? Much of that will depend on Pendergraph and whatever frontcourt help he gets. But make no mistake, Harden is dominant enough to carry this team in March,perhaps as far as the Final Four.[/font]
[h4][font=Arial, Helvetica]3. Southern California[/font][/h4]
[font=Arial, Helvetica]The good: Daniel Hackett, Taj Gibson and Dwight Lewis form a nice nucleus that will allow USC toovercome two early defections to the NBA. Also helping is the arrival of DeMar DeRozan, a 6-7 wing who can run and dunk and dominate. If you're looking forsomebody besides Collison or Harden capable of winning Pac-10 Player of the Year, DeRozan is your man.[/font]
[font=Arial, Helvetica]The bad: Remember those two early defections I mentioned? One of them was O.J. Mayo, who was adamn-fine college basketball player despite the black eye he left behind. The guess here is USC is actually better this season than last season, which is tosay better without Mayo than with him. But losing a 20-point scorer is still losing a 20-point scorer, and it's rarely good when a dominant defensiveplayer and ball-handler disappears from the roster.[/font]
[font=Arial, Helvetica]The bottom line: Tim Floyd has established himself as an elite recruiter on the West Coast and witha beautiful facility and surrounding base of talent, it's clear the former Bulls coach will continue to build an emerging power. In the short term, nobodyshould be surprised if USC competes for a league title. In the long term, Final Fours are possible.[/font]
[h4][font=Arial, Helvetica]4. Arizona[/font][/h4]
[font=Arial, Helvetica]The good: Chase Budinger's surprising decision to withdraw from the NBA Draft is the only reasonit's reasonable to expect the Wildcats to extend their streak of NCAA tournament appearances. Sure, he'll be asked to do a lot. But Budinger iscapable, and when he's good Arizona will be tough to handle.[/font]
I've broken down each team's roster, including their strengths and weaknesses, and much more. Read more |
[font=Arial, Helvetica]The bottom line: If it was possible to fast-forward five months and go straight to the hiringprocess I'm guessing Arizona athletic director Jim Livengood would do it. Alas, there is no such time machine. So Arizona will endure its secondconsecutive strange season under an interim coach, and anything more than an NCAA tournament bid and first-weekend exit is probably wishfulthinking.[/font]
[h4][font=Arial, Helvetica]5. Washington[/font][/h4]
[font=Arial, Helvetica]The good: Jon Brockman returns and is virtually guaranteed another big year. The 6-7 forwardaveraged 17.8 points and 11.6 rebounds last season, and he should be aided by the arrival of another top 20 recruiting class featuring forward Tyreese Breshersand point guard Isaiah Thomas.[/font]
[font=Arial, Helvetica]The bad: Quincy Pondexter was supposed to make strides from his freshman season to his sophomoreseason, but that didn't happen. Pondexter's points went down slightly (from 10.7 to 9.9) despite his minutes slightly going up (23.9 to 24.4), and heshot worse from the field (49.8 percent to 45.2), 3-point line (37.5 percent to 28.
[font=Arial, Helvetica]The bottom line: Lorenzo Romar's recruiting ensures Washington should never be too bad barringinjuries, but the product on the floor must improve after two seasons of no NCAA tournament bids. To be clear, the Huskies are capable of snapping that streak.But trying to ride Brockman nonstop isn't the way to do it. He needs a legitimate Robin to his Batman, whether it's Pondexter, Justin Dentmon or one ofthe freshmen.[/font]
[h4][font=Arial, Helvetica]6. Washington State[/font][/h4]
[font=Arial, Helvetica]The good: Tony Bennett is still in Pullman, which is a surprise to nearly everybody in the sport.The common theory for the past 18 months was that Bennett would lead Kyle Weaver and Derrick Low to graduation, then take the best job available. But Bennettremained loyal, and to help him through his third season will be veterans Aron Baynes and Taylor Rochestie, plus heralded recruit Klay Thompson.[/font]
[font=Arial, Helvetica]The bad: Like I mentioned, Weaver and Low are gone, plus Robbie Cowgill. That's 33.6 points pergame that left with those three players, and there's no obvious alternative source for that kind of production.[/font]
[font=Arial, Helvetica]The bottom line: The reason everybody thought Bennett would bolt WSU is because it's a difficultjob in a difficult league. Regardless of the coach, the Cougars should never consistently -- note the word consistently -- be better than UCLA,Arizona, USC, Arizona State, Washington or Oregon, and it's likely this is the season in which the program begins to return to reality, at least to somedegree.[/font]
[h4][font=Arial, Helvetica]7. Oregon[/font][/h4]
[font=Arial, Helvetica]The good: Tajuan Porter and Joevan Catron will be joined by a top 20 recruiting class that shouldserve as the future of Oregon basketball. The star of the group is Michael Dunigan, a McDonald's All-American center. He's capable of having a hugeimpact, and it'll be necessary for the Ducks to succeed.[/font]
[font=Arial, Helvetica]The bad: Three of the top four scorers from last season are gone, specifically Malik Hairston,Maarty Leunen and Bruce Taylor. When you consider a roster with those players had to "sneak" into the NCAA tournament, it's hard to be optimisticabout this one. Plus, Porter wasn't as good as a sophomore as he was as a freshman, for whatever reason. His 3-point percentage went from 43.7 to35.6.[/font]
[font=Arial, Helvetica]The bottom line: Ernie Kent has been at Oregon for 11 seasons and reached a pair of Elite Eights,but his job never seems to be totally safe. As I've written many times, Gonzaga's Mark Few will always be linked as a possible successor becausehe's from Oregon and tight with athletic director Pat Kilkenny. That's one of the reasons Kent can't afford to slip much, because it'll makeOregon fans ask whether it's possible to get Few and be better.[/font]
[h4][font=Arial, Helvetica]8. California[/font][/h4]
[font=Arial, Helvetica]The good: The Bears made a home-run hire in Mike Montgomery, a Pac-10 legend from his days atStanford who led the Cardinal to 10 consecutive NCAA tournaments before bolting for the NBA in 2004. Now Montgomery is back in college, and though theadjustment won't be headache-free, it will be made easier by the presence of Patrick Christopher, a 6-5 junior who averaged 15.2 points lastseason.[/font]
| Accolades |
| First team |
| G - Darren Collison, UCLA |
| G - James Harden, Arizona State |
| F - DeMar DeRozan, Southern California |
| F - Chase Budinger, Arizona |
| F - Jon Brockman, Washington |
| Second team |
| G - Jrue Holiday, UCLA |
| G - Josh Shipp, UCLA |
| F - Taj Gibson, Southern California |
| F - Jeff Pendergraph, Arizona State |
| F - Jordan Hill, Arizona |
| Player of the year Darren Collison, UCLA |
| Newcomer of the year DeMar DeRozan, Southern California |
| Breakthrough player Taylor Rochestie, Washington State |
| Coach on the hot seat Ernie Kent, Oregon |
[font=Arial, Helvetica]The bad: Montgomery would've been set up to win right away had Ryan Anderson not left early forthe NBA. His departure combined with DeVon Hardin's has Cal lacking size, evidence being how there are no returning players who averaged at least fourrebounds a game.[/font]
[font=Arial, Helvetica]The bottom line: Montgomery is too good to not get California back into the top half of the Pac-10.But this is not the type of roster he won with at Stanford, which is why expectations should be tempered for his first year on the job.[/font]
[h4][font=Arial, Helvetica]9. Stanford[/font][/h4]
[font=Arial, Helvetica]The good: Outside of veterans Anthony Good and Lawrence Hill, it's difficult to find much good.So let's get straight to the bad.[/font]
[font=Arial, Helvetica]The bad: Letting Trent Johnson walk to LSU after back-to-back NCAA tournaments was crazy,particularly when there was no clear contingency plan. The result was a sloppy hiring process that resulted in Stanford settling for a lifetime assistant withno obvious West Coast ties. So while it might all work out in the end, it's fair to be skeptical and think the administration will watch Johnson win theSEC West and wonder if it was too smart for its own good. And, oh yeah, Brook and Robin Lopez are no longer around. That's going to leave a hole in themiddle, especially since one-time signee Miles Plumlee asked for a release, got it and bolted for Duke.[/font]
[font=Arial, Helvetica]The bottom line: It's common sense that if you are going to play hardball with a proven coachlike Johnson and risk him calling your bluff, you had better have a legitimate backup plan prepared to be executed. Stanford, quite simply, did not, and theschool will suffer the consequences unless Johnny Dawkins quickly proves he can recruit to this particular institution and coach in the Pac-10.[/font]
[h4][font=Arial, Helvetica]10. Oregon State[/font][/h4]
[font=Arial, Helvetica]The good: The hiring of possible future First Brother-in-Law Craig Robinson has broughtunprecedented attention to Oregon State. It has helped establish a brand, and Robinson has used it to make advances in recruiting that won't pay off thisseason but almost certainly will going forward.[/font]
[font=Arial, Helvetica]The bad: When you get right down to it, this is a roster that finished 0-18 in the Pac-10 lastseason. So though the guess here is that the Beavers won't go winless in the league again, there's no reason to think they will threaten anybody untilRobinson gets an enhanced level of talent on campus.[/font]
[font=Arial, Helvetica]The bottom line: Robinson is the right coach and he's going to do well if he continues to lureprospects like Class of 2009 commitment Roberto Nelson. But the reality is that what he has is a tough job that was in bad shape when he got it. So anyturnaround will take time, though it's reasonable for OSU fans to be optimistic again.[/font]
[font=Arial, Helvetica]..[/font]
[font=Arial, Helvetica]I'm taking UW to have a nice year and finish #3
[/font]
dacomeup
Supporter
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Ryan Thompson had a field day against Columbia on Friday FWIW. .
- 7,891
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Originally Posted by allen3xis
[font=Arial, Helvetica]Parrish
[/font]
[font=Arial, Helvetica]
[/font]
[font=Arial, Helvetica]Once upon a time the Pac-10 was the best league in the country.[/font]
Quick facts Defending regular-season champion:
UCLADefending tournament champion:
UCLATop returning scorer:
James Harden (Arizona State), 17.8 ppg
Jon Brockman (Washington), 17.8 ppgTop returning rebounder:
Jon Brockman (Washington), 11.6 rpg
[font=Arial, Helvetica]Like last year.[/font]
[font=Arial, Helvetica]It sent UCLA to the Final Four and in total 60 percent of its members made the NCAA tournament. That was strong. But the NBA Draft stripped the league of most of its marquee players, and what's left is a conference somewhere between reloading and rebuilding.[/font]
[font=Arial, Helvetica]UCLA? Reloading.[/font]
[font=Arial, Helvetica]Stanford? Rebuilding.[/font]
[font=Arial, Helvetica]Washington? Who knows?[/font]
[font=Arial, Helvetica]But either way, there is no denying this Pac-10 won't be as good as that Pac-10, and after being ranked as the best conference last preseason it's now No. 5 in the countdown of leagues here at CBSSports.com.[/font]
[font=Arial, Helvetica]Here's a look at the Pac-10:[/font]
[h4][font=Arial, Helvetica]1. UCLA[/font][/h4]
[font=Arial, Helvetica]The good: Darren Collison's lackluster Final Four essentially sent the point guard back to college, meaning UCLA's trip to San Antonio was a lose-win. Sure, the Bruins lost to Memphis. But the consolation is that they get another year from an All-American point guard, one who will now team with freshman Jrue Holiday to arguably create the nation's best backcourt.[/font]
[font=Arial, Helvetica]The bad: The early departure of Russell Westbrook isn't a big deal because A) Collison returned and B) Holiday is a stud. But losing Kevin Love and Luc Richard Mbah a Moute up front will be difficult. Freshman J'Mison Morgan is good, but he's not Love. So there are question marks in and around the paint. The hope in Westwood is that junior James Keefe has a breakthrough season, Morgan comes along quickly and fellow freshman Drew Gordon is a difference-maker off the bench.[/font]
[font=Arial, Helvetica]The bottom line: Ben Howland has lost tons of players the past three offseasons -- from Jordan Farmar to Arron Afflalo to Ryan Hollins to Mbah a Moute and Westbrook and Love and so on and so forth. Still, UCLA is in position to make a fourth consecutive Final Four, which is a testament to recruiting and where Howland has the program headed.[/font]
[h4][font=Arial, Helvetica]2. Arizona State[/font][/h4]
[font=Arial, Helvetica]The good: The wild thing isn't that James Harden returned to school; it's that he didn't seem to even seriously consider leaving for the NBA Draft despite the likelihood of being a top 20 pick. So good for Herb Sendek, who has quietly and quickly turned things around at Arizona State. He could compete for the Pac-10 title in just his third season thanks to the Harden/Jeff Pendergraph combo that together averaged 30.2 points and 11.7 rebounds last season.[/font]
Predicted Finish Team Postseason 1. UCLA NCAA 2. Arizona State NCAA 3. Southern California NCAA 4. Arizona NCAA 5. Washington NIT/CBI 6. Washington State NIT/CBI 7. Oregon NIT/CBI 8. California none 9. Stanford none 10. Oregon State none
[font=Arial, Helvetica]The bad: The Sun Devils were consistently outrebounded last season and there's no reason to think that's changing because Pendergraph has almost no help up front. In a perfect world, Eric Boateng would use his 6-foot-10 frame to become the dominant player he was once projected to be. But it's difficult to be optimistic considering the one-time McDonald's All-American averaged just 2.6 rebounds in 11.6 minutes last season after transferring from Duke.[/font]
[font=Arial, Helvetica]The bottom line: Five starters are back from a 21-win team that played in the nation's toughest conference. That's all you need to know to understand the Sun Devils have the potential to win the Pac-10 and advance deep into the NCAA tournament. How deep? Much of that will depend on Pendergraph and whatever frontcourt help he gets. But make no mistake, Harden is dominant enough to carry this team in March, perhaps as far as the Final Four.[/font]
[h4][font=Arial, Helvetica]3. Southern California[/font][/h4]
[font=Arial, Helvetica]The good: Daniel Hackett, Taj Gibson and Dwight Lewis form a nice nucleus that will allow USC to overcome two early defections to the NBA. Also helping is the arrival of DeMar DeRozan, a 6-7 wing who can run and dunk and dominate. If you're looking for somebody besides Collison or Harden capable of winning Pac-10 Player of the Year, DeRozan is your man.[/font]
[font=Arial, Helvetica]The bad: Remember those two early defections I mentioned? One of them was O.J. Mayo, who was a damn-fine college basketball player despite the black eye he left behind. The guess here is USC is actually better this season than last season, which is to say better without Mayo than with him. But losing a 20-point scorer is still losing a 20-point scorer, and it's rarely good when a dominant defensive player and ball-handler disappears from the roster.[/font]
[font=Arial, Helvetica]The bottom line: Tim Floyd has established himself as an elite recruiter on the West Coast and with a beautiful facility and surrounding base of talent, it's clear the former Bulls coach will continue to build an emerging power. In the short term, nobody should be surprised if USC competes for a league title. In the long term, Final Fours are possible.[/font]
[h4][font=Arial, Helvetica]4. Arizona[/font][/h4]
[font=Arial, Helvetica]The good: Chase Budinger's surprising decision to withdraw from the NBA Draft is the only reason it's reasonable to expect the Wildcats to extend their streak of NCAA tournament appearances. Sure, he'll be asked to do a lot. But Budinger is capable, and when he's good Arizona will be tough to handle.[/font]
[font=Arial, Helvetica]The bad: The uncertainty surrounding the program and Lute Olson's abrupt retirement have taken a large toll. It played a role in Brandon Jennings' decision to go to Italy, was the reason Emmanuel Negedu enrolled at Tennessee and, most recently, caused Jeff Withey to transfer before ever even playing a game. Long story not so long, things are messy. And Arizona fans hoping for a sign of optimism from the annual Red-Blue scrimmage had to have walked away shaking their heads Saturday when the event was stopped early in the second half because of ... cramps.[/font]
naterb: Year-in and year-out, the PAC-10 is one of the best conferences in the nation. Last year the conference sent six teams to the NCAA Tournament, and two more to the NIT. It also produced seven first-round and five second-round picks in the NBA draft. There is no doubt about the talent and competitiveness this conference holds. Can the PAC-10 repeat its success from last year?
I've broken down each team's roster, including their strengths and weaknesses, and much more. Read more
[font=Arial, Helvetica]The bottom line: If it was possible to fast-forward five months and go straight to the hiring process I'm guessing Arizona athletic director Jim Livengood would do it. Alas, there is no such time machine. So Arizona will endure its second consecutive strange season under an interim coach, and anything more than an NCAA tournament bid and first-weekend exit is probably wishful thinking.[/font]
[h4][font=Arial, Helvetica]5. Washington[/font][/h4]
[font=Arial, Helvetica]The good: Jon Brockman returns and is virtually guaranteed another big year. The 6-7 forward averaged 17.8 points and 11.6 rebounds last season, and he should be aided by the arrival of another top 20 recruiting class featuring forward Tyreese Breshers and point guard Isaiah Thomas.[/font]
[font=Arial, Helvetica]The bad: Quincy Pondexter was supposed to make strides from his freshman season to his sophomore season, but that didn't happen. Pondexter's points went down slightly (from 10.7 to 9.9) despite his minutes slightly going up (23.9 to 24.4), and he shot worse from the field (49.8 percent to 45.2), 3-point line (37.5 percent to 28.and free-throw line (76.0 percent to 68.5). For Washington to avoid a third straight losing record in the Pac-10, this needs to change. Pondexter is obviously talented, but he must start performing to his ability.[/font]
[font=Arial, Helvetica]The bottom line: Lorenzo Romar's recruiting ensures Washington should never be too bad barring injuries, but the product on the floor must improve after two seasons of no NCAA tournament bids. To be clear, the Huskies are capable of snapping that streak. But trying to ride Brockman nonstop isn't the way to do it. He needs a legitimate Robin to his Batman, whether it's Pondexter, Justin Dentmon or one of the freshmen.[/font]
[h4][font=Arial, Helvetica]6. Washington State[/font][/h4]
[font=Arial, Helvetica]The good: Tony Bennett is still in Pullman, which is a surprise to nearly everybody in the sport. The common theory for the past 18 months was that Bennett would lead Kyle Weaver and Derrick Low to graduation, then take the best job available. But Bennett remained loyal, and to help him through his third season will be veterans Aron Baynes and Taylor Rochestie, plus heralded recruit Klay Thompson.[/font]
[font=Arial, Helvetica]The bad: Like I mentioned, Weaver and Low are gone, plus Robbie Cowgill. That's 33.6 points per game that left with those three players, and there's no obvious alternative source for that kind of production.[/font]
[font=Arial, Helvetica]The bottom line: The reason everybody thought Bennett would bolt WSU is because it's a difficult job in a difficult league. Regardless of the coach, the Cougars should never consistently -- note the word consistently -- be better than UCLA, Arizona, USC, Arizona State, Washington or Oregon, and it's likely this is the season in which the program begins to return to reality, at least to some degree.[/font]
[h4][font=Arial, Helvetica]7. Oregon[/font][/h4]
[font=Arial, Helvetica]The good: Tajuan Porter and Joevan Catron will be joined by a top 20 recruiting class that should serve as the future of Oregon basketball. The star of the group is Michael Dunigan, a McDonald's All-American center. He's capable of having a huge impact, and it'll be necessary for the Ducks to succeed.[/font]
[font=Arial, Helvetica]The bad: Three of the top four scorers from last season are gone, specifically Malik Hairston, Maarty Leunen and Bruce Taylor. When you consider a roster with those players had to "sneak" into the NCAA tournament, it's hard to be optimistic about this one. Plus, Porter wasn't as good as a sophomore as he was as a freshman, for whatever reason. His 3-point percentage went from 43.7 to 35.6.[/font]
[font=Arial, Helvetica]The bottom line: Ernie Kent has been at Oregon for 11 seasons and reached a pair of Elite Eights, but his job never seems to be totally safe. As I've written many times, Gonzaga's Mark Few will always be linked as a possible successor because he's from Oregon and tight with athletic director Pat Kilkenny. That's one of the reasons Kent can't afford to slip much, because it'll make Oregon fans ask whether it's possible to get Few and be better.[/font]
[h4][font=Arial, Helvetica]8. California[/font][/h4]
[font=Arial, Helvetica]The good: The Bears made a home-run hire in Mike Montgomery, a Pac-10 legend from his days at Stanford who led the Cardinal to 10 consecutive NCAA tournaments before bolting for the NBA in 2004. Now Montgomery is back in college, and though the adjustment won't be headache-free, it will be made easier by the presence of Patrick Christopher, a 6-5 junior who averaged 15.2 points last season.[/font]
Accolades First team G - Darren Collison, UCLA G - James Harden, Arizona State F - DeMar DeRozan, Southern California F - Chase Budinger, Arizona F - Jon Brockman, Washington Second team G - Jrue Holiday, UCLA G - Josh Shipp, UCLA F - Taj Gibson, Southern California F - Jeff Pendergraph, Arizona State F - Jordan Hill, Arizona Player of the year
Darren Collison, UCLANewcomer of the year
DeMar DeRozan, Southern CaliforniaBreakthrough player
Taylor Rochestie, Washington StateCoach on the hot seat
Ernie Kent, Oregon
[font=Arial, Helvetica]The bad: Montgomery would've been set up to win right away had Ryan Anderson not left early for the NBA. His departure combined with DeVon Hardin's has Cal lacking size, evidence being how there are no returning players who averaged at least four rebounds a game.[/font]
[font=Arial, Helvetica]The bottom line: Montgomery is too good to not get California back into the top half of the Pac-10. But this is not the type of roster he won with at Stanford, which is why expectations should be tempered for his first year on the job.[/font]
[h4][font=Arial, Helvetica]9. Stanford[/font][/h4]
[font=Arial, Helvetica]The good: Outside of veterans Anthony Good and Lawrence Hill, it's difficult to find much good. So let's get straight to the bad.[/font]
[font=Arial, Helvetica]The bad: Letting Trent Johnson walk to LSU after back-to-back NCAA tournaments was crazy, particularly when there was no clear contingency plan. The result was a sloppy hiring process that resulted in Stanford settling for a lifetime assistant with no obvious West Coast ties. So while it might all work out in the end, it's fair to be skeptical and think the administration will watch Johnson win the SEC West and wonder if it was too smart for its own good. And, oh yeah, Brook and Robin Lopez are no longer around. That's going to leave a hole in the middle, especially since one-time signee Miles Plumlee asked for a release, got it and bolted for Duke.[/font]
[font=Arial, Helvetica]The bottom line: It's common sense that if you are going to play hardball with a proven coach like Johnson and risk him calling your bluff, you had better have a legitimate backup plan prepared to be executed. Stanford, quite simply, did not, and the school will suffer the consequences unless Johnny Dawkins quickly proves he can recruit to this particular institution and coach in the Pac-10.[/font]
[h4][font=Arial, Helvetica]10. Oregon State[/font][/h4]
[font=Arial, Helvetica]The good: The hiring of possible future First Brother-in-Law Craig Robinson has brought unprecedented attention to Oregon State. It has helped establish a brand, and Robinson has used it to make advances in recruiting that won't pay off this season but almost certainly will going forward.[/font]
[font=Arial, Helvetica]The bad: When you get right down to it, this is a roster that finished 0-18 in the Pac-10 last season. So though the guess here is that the Beavers won't go winless in the league again, there's no reason to think they will threaten anybody until Robinson gets an enhanced level of talent on campus.[/font]
[font=Arial, Helvetica]The bottom line: Robinson is the right coach and he's going to do well if he continues to lure prospects like Class of 2009 commitment Roberto Nelson. But the reality is that what he has is a tough job that was in bad shape when he got it. So any turnaround will take time, though it's reasonable for OSU fans to be optimistic again.[/font]
[font=Arial, Helvetica]..[/font]
[font=Arial, Helvetica]I'm taking UW to have a nice year and finish #3
[/font]
I think it depends on how Pondexter does.
