Is it fair to label college basketball players as disappointments? Most of these players are right around 20 years old, and they have huge expectations placed on their young shoulders. Maybe it isn't fair, but we, the fantasy owners, know little of fairness. We want our players, no matter their age and their excuses, to produce nightly to help our teams win. So, I don't feel too badly about naming the following seven players as this year's disappointments from around the Pac-10 and SEC. Some of them were overhyped while some were victims of past success. In any case, they did not perform and now have to be named.
Michael Washington, F/C, Arkansas Razorbacks
In 2008-09, Washington was one of the nicest surprises of the season. He was mainly bench filler for the Razorbacks as an underclassman. As a junior, he made many fans of fantasy owners with 15.5 points and 9.8 rebounds. We expected more of the same as a senior, but it never happened. Part of the reason was the ascension of freshman Marshawn Powell, who was supposed to help on the block. He did more than help: Powell moved Washington out of the way. Washington's numbers fell to 12.4 points and 5.7 rebounds, and he offered very few glimmers of hope for a return to junior production. Washington did miss two games in the first month of the season with back problems and perhaps they plagued him all season, but he soldiered on. He did have four double-doubles, including 22 points and 11 rebounds in a Jan. 31 win over Ole Miss. Fouls have also been a big problem and Washington has been eliminated from five games and been limited by foul trouble in many others. The Razorbacks did win five in a row after Courtney Fortson returned, but have now dropped two of their last three. Washington's career looks like it will fade away.
Senario Hillman, G, Alabama Crimson Tide
Much like Washington, Hillman had a solid 2008-09 campaign which led to hope for an even better 2009-10 when he was a junior. It didn't happen. Perhaps Hillman simply didn't fit new coach Anthony Grant's system, but after averaging 12.1 points as a sophomore, his scoring average fell to 7.9 points this year. Hillman topped out at 15 points, which he achieved twice, most recently against Tennessee State on Dec. 30. As will be the case with a lot these players, their spot in the pecking order was usurped by someone else. In Hillman's case, it was Mikhail Torrance who became the team's go-to-guy. Nevertheless, Hillman has played heavy minutes but never produced fantasy relevant numbers. He has scored in double-figures in his last three games, but has not scored above 11 points in that span. Hillman will have another shot next year, but he will have to make more shots (just 38.1% from the floor) or find other ways to contribute.
Albert Jackson, F/C, Georgia Bulldogs
No one can say that Jackson entered the season with especially high expectations. Through three years at Georgia, Jackson had proved to be a big body (6-foot-11, 265 lbs), but not much more. Despite starting for all but seven games, Jackson never proven to be worth much fantasy attention. He scored in double-digits twice and averaged just 3.6 points. One would expect someone so big would haul in more than 3.6 rebounds, which was his lowest average since his freshman year. Like Hillman, Jackson was dealing with a new coach in Mark Fox and a new system. Still, Jackson's numbers seemed impervious to the system, and he never played up to his stature. If the big man had one semi-redeeming skill, it was his ability to block shots. He averaged 1.2 blocks in 17.3 minutes and twice blocked four shots in a game. His was a quiet career which will be over in less than a month.
Tajuan Porter, G, Oregon Ducks
Porter was never my type of player: a tiny shooter who couldn't or wouldn't pass. However, I would never will anything like what has befallen him during his senior season. The 5-foot-6 guard has lost his shot. Without it, he has nearly no value, and in leagues that use field goal percentage, he might actually have negative value. Porter has made just 34.3% of his shots and a career-low 33.3% of his threes. He did finish off 2009 in style with the best game of his season. He scored 31 points in a Pac-10 opening win over Washington State, but it did take him 26 shots to amass his total. February has been a cold slap in the face for Porter. He has not scored in double digits and has connected on just 4 of 25 three-pointers (16%). It may be that he is still feeling the lingering effects of a sprained ankle that caused him to miss four games in December. Porter played off the bench in the Ducks' last game and he may be relegated to a reserve role for the rest of his short career.
Jerime Anderson, G, UCLA Bruins
For a program as proud as UCLA, this entire season could be chalked up in the disappointment column. Nothing has gone as planned and things fell apart early. While players like Nikola Dragovic and freshman Tyler Honeycutt have had some flashes, Anderson - a 6-foot-2 sophomore - has never found a comfortable role. Of course, part of that lack of comfort has been due to a variety of injuries including a strained groin that caused him to miss three games in late January. Anderson started 13 of the first 14 games of the season, but found himself on the bench at the start of games beginning on Jan. 6. During the non-conference schedule, Anderson could be relied upon to provide a few assists: he had six games of five or more dimes. Since his benching, he really hasn't been good for anything. He is shooting 50% from the field, but he only takes 4.4 shots per game. He has hit 9 of his last 12 shots, so maybe there is hope for his years as a Bruin upperclassman.
Abdul Gaddy, G , Washington Huskies
Gaddy was a victim of hype and his own unselfishness. Reputed to be one of the best point guard prospects on the west coast heading into the season, Gaddy figured to be the guy to trigger the Husky offense. It never happened. He started the season as a reserve and was never able to take the ball out of Isaiah Thomas and Quincy Pondexter's hands. Granted, those two like to handle the ball and both know how to score, but a point as talented as Gaddy may have made the game easier for the scoring duo. We'll never know. Even though Gaddy was installed as a started in mid-December, most of his minutes were empty for fantasy purposes. Gaddy made just 39.5% of his shots and 11.8% of his threes. Other than a seven-assist game in November against Fresno State, Gaddy never had more than five assists in a game. Next year, he will still have to share the backcourt with Thomas, and Pondexter is the only senior on the squad. In other words, reasons for much improvement are limited.
Kyryl Natyazhko, C, Arizona Wildcats
The Wildcats were relying on so many freshman that some of them had to bust. Derrick Williams turned out to be the real deal, Kevin Parrom was injured for the first half of the season, and Lamont Jones was behind Nic Wise (who certainly didn't play up to my number one player in the conference prognostication). Then, there was the 6-foot-10 Natyzahko who came to the desert billed as a European-type player who could also bang. Although he was touted as a member of the fine freshman class, he never earned enough playing time to really show much of anything. He brought down seven rebounds twice and topped out at nine points. Granted, he only played 20 minutes in two games but it's not as if coach Sean Miller's team couldn't use some size (with the 6-foot-8 Williams manning the post in most games). Of course, bigs tend to mature more slowly than smaller players, so maybe Natyazhko will improve slowly. After averaging 2.1 points and 2.3 rebounds, the only direction is up.