A look over my top ten players from the Pac 10 reveals that the conference lacks star power. A quick look at Andy Katz’s list of 50 possible Wooden Award has six Pac 10 players and Katz doesn’t place any in his top 15. That’s hardly surprising, but the conference offers a nice amount of depth and deeper fantasy leagues could find useful players and possibly diamonds in the rough from players not mentioned in my previous article. So, to keep the ball rolling, here are some names to consider when examining the western most conference.
Arizona Wildcats Even if Nic Wise had chosen to stay in the draft and was on his way to play in Europe or Asia, the Wildcats would have a competitive team. F Solomon Hill seems the best bet to break out and his profile makes him sound a bit like one of his namesakes, Grant Hill. C Kyryl Natazhko is the highest rated prospect by Scouts, Inc. but post players generally take the longest to adapt to the next level. F Derrick Williams (who along with G Lamont “Momo” Jones left USC when Tim Floyd departed) is the heir apparent to Jordan Hill. Another freshman, F Kevin Parrom, came along with coach Sean Miller from Xavier and should team well with Wise on the fastbreak. Of the returnees, F Jamelle Horne (6.8 ppg, 5.1 rpg) is the most likely to be productive, although he was better known during his sophomore season for committing ludicrous fouls at the end of games.
Arizona State Sun Devils Like their cross-state rival, the Sun Devils will have opportunities for players to step up. They have plenty of perimeter power in F Rihards Kuksiks (2.7 3pg) and G Ty Abbott (1.4 3pg), but neither of them have shown the ability to create their own shot (mainly because they didn’t have to). Freshman G Demetrius Walker comes with a reputation of playing very hard, but he will need to share time with Abbott at the two. The Sun Devils have some size returning as well in former-Duke Blue Devil C Eric Boateng, who hasn’t earned much playing time in his two years in the desert, and freshman C Ruslan Pateev, who is 7-0, 240 lbs.
California Golden Bears In addition to their fine backcourt, the Golden Bears bring back nearly every essential piece from the NCAA tournament team of 2008-09. F Theo Robertson was the team’s third double-digit scorer and did most of his damage from beyond the three-point line. The senior hit 2.3 3pg and provided 13.1 ppg on 48.8% from the floor and 48.7% from long range. F Jamal Boykin led the team in rebounding at 6.4 rpg, The fifth year senior also added 9.6 ppg. He may get some help in 7-3 sophomore C Max Zhang who provided 17.3 rpg for the Chinese team at the World University Games. Coach Mike Montgomery also brought in a 6-8, 270 lb bruiser from junior college named F Markhuri Sanders-Frison who may bear watching.
Oregon Ducks After consistent success, the quack went out of the Ducks last year and they represented the basement of the Pac 10. Perhaps symbolizing that disappointment was sophomore C Michael Dunigan who opened the season strongly, but got hurt and couldn’t stay out of foul trouble after the first two weeks. He averaged 15 ppg and 8.3 rpg in the team’s first five games, but finished with averages of 8.4 ppg and 4.6 rpg. Senior F Joevan Catron led the team in rebounding (6.6 rpg) and assists (2.3 apg). Among the incoming recruits, F Jamil Wilson is a highly touted recruit from Racine, WI. He could start at small forward and could be backed up by F E.J. Singler, Kyle’s younger brother. Keep an eye on sophomore F/C Josh Crittle, who at 6-8, 260 lbs, at least looks the part of a player.
Oregon State Beavers For the first time in ages, the Beavers outdid their rivals and moved up. After going winless in the Pac 10 in 2007-08, the Beavers won eight conference games and took home the CBI tournament crown. Oregon State returns most of its team as well. I think F/C Roeland Shaftenaar is the most intriguing player and not just for name value. He has center eligibility, which is always at a premium in fantasy college hoops and provided 10.5 ppg, 4.0 rpg, and 3.3 apg. G Calvin Haynes led the team in scoring at 13.0 ppg and 1.6 3pg. He’ll be pushed by freshman G Roberto Nelson who has some offensive skills. Swingman Seth Tarver led the team in rebounding at 5.4 rpg and chipped in 8.0 ppg while F Daniel Deane (5.3 ppg, 4.1 rpg) could be someone to remember
Stanford Cardinal No one knew exactly what to expect from first year coach Johnny Dawkins, but the long time Duke assistant acquitted himself well in the Pac 10. Of course, he had a veteran roster to rely upon and the seniors have all left the building. The Cardinal should continue to have a solid returning duo with Fields and F Josh Owens, the 6-8 native of Atlanta who provided 6.9 ppg on 56.1% from the floor and 3.6 rpg in 20.7 mpg. Sophmore G Jeremy Green was on the All-Pac 10 freshman team and converted 45.6% of his threes for 1.3 3pg. The recruiting haul includes 6-2 PG Gabriel Harris, who should start immediately. In the low post, 6-9 F Andrew Zimmerman, from Oostburg, WI via Foothill junior college, could provide some help. He previously played at Santa Clara.
UCLA Bruins The Bruins have been devastated by players leaving early for the draft. Nevertheless, coach Ben Howland continues to restock the shelves with impressive recruiting classes. While there might not be a Kevin Love or Jrue Holiday type prospect in the young’uns for UCLA, someone will likely step to the front. F Nikola Dragovic is the team’s top returning scorer (9.4) and rebounder (4.3). He also made 1.6 3pg. C J’Mison Morgan was heavily hyped prior to last year after he reneged on a commitment to LSU. F Drew Gordon was also heavily hyped and looked promising this summer before injuring his knee. Among the newcomers, F Tyler Honeycutt or F Mike Moser could be the team’s go-to player. Honeycutt has skill and athleticism and Moser is a tough defensive player.
USC Trojans Like Howland, new USC coach Kevin O’Neill prefers a slow down defensive game. That might lead to more wins for the Trojans, but it also results in fewer possessions and less fantasy relevance for his players. O’Neill should care about fantasy (although I am sure he would probably tell me where to stick it). After the mass exodus of Trojans, the team will have a short bench which could recoup some fantasy value. G Dwight Lewis led the team in scoring at 14.4 ppg and converted 1.6 3pg. 6-8 F Leonard Washington showed some skills (6.1 ppg, 4.2 rpg) in his freshman year and will lead the frontcourt. He missed four games with an ankle injury and was slowed for the remainder of the season. Former-Tar Heel F Alex Stepheson is also now eligible and could help with low post defense.
Washington Huskies The Huskies had three players in my top ten, but have plenty of depth too. British F Matthew Bryan-Amaning had a double-double on Dec. 14 against Portland State, but was mainly a bench player. The 6-9, 236 lb forward could inherit Jon Brockman’s spot and might see 30+ mpg if he can stay out of foul trouble. If Abdul Gaddy has troubles adapting to college basketball (he is rather slight), G Venoy Overton could get more of an opportunity. The 5-11 guard has played 20.5 mpg in his first two seasons and provided 3.2 apg as a freshman. The Huskies also have brought in some power players in 6-7 freshman F Clarence Trent and 6-9 juco transfer F Charles Garcia, Jr. Trent has offensive skills and Garcia can man the post.
Washington State Cougars With the Bennett shackles off the offense, the team could be more fantasy relevant. Of course, it may be that new coach Ken Bone doesn’t want to dismantle what Tony Bennett built and will continue to rely on the team’s defensive identity. The Cougars have returning talent. F DeAngelo Casto played played on the U.S.’s U19 team but hurt his knee. He is expected to be ready for the season. The 6-9 sophomore set a Cougar freshman record with 39 blocks last year. When I watched Washington State last year, I liked F Nikola Koprivica. He reminded me of Toni Kukoc and is the team’s only senior. Freshman F Brock Motum is a 6-9 Aussie. He did strain his calf this summer, but like Costa should be ready to roll in November when the season tips off.