Coaches in the Pac 10 have historically rewarded winning when choosing the conference Player of the Year award. It appears that the race to finish in first place is down to Arizona, UCLA, and Washington. The leading candidates for the award from those schools are Derrick Williams (Arizona) and Isaiah Thomas (Washington). In fantasy however, winning isn’t as important as points, rebounds, or assists so we can broaden the field to include other players. Here are the top candidates for the Fantasy Player of the Year from the Pac 10.
Derrick Williams, Forward, Arizona
Credentials - Second in scoring (19.2) and fourth in rebounding (8.0)
Williams is going to garner a lot of attention for the award due to being the best player on the best team in the conference. In fact he is the only player on the team that averages more than 10 points (Lamont Jones is second at 9.4). He is the most efficient player in the country as he averages a remarkable 2.13 points per shot (19.2 points on only nine shots). For comparison, Jimmer Fredette averages 1.45 and Kemba Walker averages 1.27. Coming into the year everyone knew the 6-foot-8 power forward was a handful in the post. He is shooting 64% from the floor (second in the conference) thanks to his vast arrays of moves down low but what makes him so special is his ability to get to the free throw line. He is averaging more free throws (9.1) than field goals (9.0) on the season which helps him rack up points in a hurry. If that wasn’t enough, he has added an outside shot to his repertoire. After making only four three-pointers last year he has upped that total to 25 this year while shooting an incredible 69% from beyond the arc (which would lead the country if he had enough attempts). While all those stats add up to the Wildcats being in first place he comes up a little short in fantasy due to his lack of assists (1.0), steals (0.9), and blocks (0.6).
Isaiah Thomas, Guard, Washington
Credentials – Third in scoring (17.0), first in assists (5.7), and eighth in steals (1.3)
Thomas has really emerged as a playmaker in his third season in Seattle. He was a First Team All-Conference player last year but that had to do with his ability to put the ball in the basket. He was often criticized in the past for his shot selection and lack of assists but he has improved tremendously in both of those areas this year. His is scoring at an all-time high even though he is taking a career-low 11.6 shots thanks to a career best 45% shooting from the floor. His biggest improvement has come at his ability to be a floor general. Ever since Abdul Gaddy went down with a knee injury in early January, Thomas has been asked to become more of a distributor. He is averaging 7.2 assists in conference play which would be good enough fourth in the nation if extended out over an entire season. There aren’t too many guys that can go out and score 20 points or dish out 10 assists on any given night. He is also the gift that keeps on giving as he isn’t afraid to mix it up with the big boys. Even though he is listed at 5-foot-9 he still manages to grab 3.7 rebounds. He has a great chance to win the award if the Huskies can pull out a big win on the road Saturday in Tucson and finish in first place. He is clearly one of the best players in the country but he isn’t my pick for FPOY.
Nikola Vucevic, Forward, USC
Credentials – Fourth in scoring (16.9), first in rebounds (10.1), and fourth in blocks (1.3)
Vucevic is one of only three players (Jared Sullinger and Jordan Williams are the other two) in a BCS conference that averages at least 16 points and 10 rebounds a game. The 6-foot-10 junior from Montenegro led the Pac 10 in rebounding last year and looks like a lock to repeat that task this season. Fantasy owners who drafted him for his boards have gotten a pleasant surprise as he has raised his scoring average 6.2 points from last season. The Trojans have no one on the perimeter that can consistently put the ball in the basket which has made his improvement on offense even that much more impressive. Even with teams double and sometimes triple-teaming him he still finds ways to get buckets. He has recorded a conference leading 14 double-doubles and the only thing that slows him down is foul trouble. He is one of the best power forwards in the country but his lack of assists (1.6) and steals (0.5) knock him off the top spot in the FPOY race.
Klay Thompson, Guard, Washington State
Credentials – First in scoring (20.6), 21st in rebounding (5.2), third in assists (4.2), fourth in steals (1.9), and seventh in blocks (1.1)
Thompson is the one player in the conference that doesn’t have a fantasy weakness. He is known nationally as a scorer but he is so much more than that. I love to look at a player’s season highs in categories to give me a snapshot of their potential. Thompson would break down as follows: 36 points, 10 rebounds, nine assists, seven steals, three blocks, and five three-pointers. There aren’t that many players in the country that can give you that kind of production. He has a reputation as a volume scorer but he has really worked on his shot selection this year and it shows in his shooting line of 45% from the floor,41% from three-point land, and 81 % from the charity stripe. The Cougars are the bubble for a Tournament invite and are probably going to end up in fourth place in the conference which will hurt him in the coaches vote but that doesn’t matter in land of fantasy. He will have to play well down the stretch but right now his season averages are strong enough to keep him ahead of the field in the race for the Pac 10 Fantasy Player of the Year.