Although the Pac 10 will add two more teams (Colorado and Utah) and morph into the Pac 12 this year, it doesn’t look like a banner year for fantasy prospects. The conference lost its top ten scorers from last year and eight of the ten players on the All Pac 10 First-Team. Quick question, who is the top returning scorer in the conference? If anyone answered Utah’s Josh Watkins (14.5 points) then they should deserve a golden star. There isn’t a sure fire 20 point scorer or an elite point guard in the bunch and to complicate things even more the best team in the conference isn’t represented below. There are numerous players that could emerge and anyone on the list could end up being on the top at season’s end.
1. Joshua Smith, center, UCLA Bruins
Here is head coach Ben Howland’s take on Smith. "Josh, 1-on-1 in the low post, is unstoppable by another college player. He's just too big, too strong. You don't have guys like that often.” The 305-pound man child has all the potential in the world if he would ever dedicate himself to getting in shape. He was held to 21.7 minutes last year as he battled with foul trouble and conditioning issues but he was still able to put up 10.9 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 1.0 blocks. He should put up a handful of 20-10 games and be a double-double machine but ultimately his weight issues create some doubt as to whether he will ever live up to his potential. His center eligibility pushes him to the top of the pack amongst Pac 12 players.
2. Allen Crabbe, guard, California Golden Bears
The 6-foot-4 guard really came into his own during conference play last season averaging 16.4 points and 5.8 rebounds. He also shot a league leading 48% from three-point land. Those numbers were enough for him to take home the Freshman of the Year honor. He topped the 20-point plateau four times in his last five games and has a legitimate shot to lead the conference in scoring. The roles are defined in Berkeley as the Golden Bears return four starters and Crabbe is the man that will be expected to carry the scoring load on most nights. The only downside is that he has dealt with two concussions during the calendar year and that could be an issue going forward.
3. Andre Roberson, guard, Colorado Buffaloes
Roberson is a star on the rise. The 6-foot-7 sophomore managed to lead the team in rebounding (7.8 boards) despite not starting a single game. His minutes (22.3) and scoring (6.7) should go up dramatically as the Buffaloes lost their top four scorers from last season. He does carry some risk as he isn’t a great three-point shooter (only made 12 last year) and only managed to score in double-figures seven times as a freshman. His upside is tremendous as he is a guard who could realistically lead the league in rebounding and he cleans up in the defensive categories (1.3 steals and 1.1 blocks). Take a chance on this talented youngster and watch him blossom into a Player of the Year candidate.
4. Jorge Gutierrez, guard, California Golden Bears
He’s not the most talented player on the court but he keeps finding ways to get the job done. I remember watching him in person at Madison Square Garden in 2009 and wondering how this guy even got a Division I scholarship. Boy, was I wrong. The 6-foot-3 senior from Mexico has the chance to be the best fantasy point guard in the conference. He is a multi-category contributor who averaged 14.6 points, 4.5 assists, 3.8 rebounds, and 1.6 steals last year. He is turnover prone (3.0) and struggles with his shot sometimes (43% career shooter) but he more than makes up for it court savvy.
5. Terrence Ross, guard, Washington Huskies
Every report out of Seattle can’t stop gushing about Ross’s potential and the thought is that he can help keep the Huskies at the top of the Pac 12 standings even though they lost their top three players from last season. Isaiah Thomas recently stated that Ross was the most talented player he played with in college which is saying something since Quincy Pondexter was a stud. Ross only averaged 8.0 points last season but he wasn’t needed to score on a loaded squad. He should easily double his production and be one of the top scorers in the league. If he learns how to get to the free-throw line (only 33 attempts last season) he could approach 20 points per game. This is a potential over production pick but I have a really good feeling about him this year.
6. Reeves Nelson, forward, UCLA Bruins
Nelson is one of those players that isn’t a sexy pick but he just puts up numbers. He collected 14 double-doubles last year and is the leading returning rebounder in the conference (8.9 boards). Don’t expect much more than the 13.9 points he put up last year as he should lose some touches to Smith and the Wear twins. His value is limited somewhat due to his lack of steals (0.4) and blocks (0.4). A solid if unspectacular pick.
7. Aaron Fuller, forward, USC Trojans
The Trojans are going to need someone to step up and replace the 26.9 points and 19.5 rebounds that Nikola Vucevic and Alex Stepheson averaged last season. Enter the 6-foot-6 transfer from Iowa. Fuller really started to come on in Big Ten conference play as a sophomore when he averaged 12.3 points and 7.6 rebounds. His 30-point, 13-rebound game against Michigan showed his potential and going up against the Trojans frontcourt every day in practice should have helped him develop even more. He needs to do a better job on the defensive end (0.4 steals and 0.3 blocks) to become a stud fantasy player.
8. Olu Ashaolu, forward, Oregon Ducks
The 6-foot-7 senior transfer from Louisiana Tech averaged 14.2 points and finished second in the WAC last year in rebounding (9.4 boards). He had some monster games (26 points, 17 rebounds against Nevada, and 24 points, 18 rebounds against Idaho) but he should find it much tougher to push around the big boys on the West Coast. His free throw shooting (60%) and turnovers (3.5) suggest he will not dominate but he should be able to replace Joevan Catron's production from last year.
9. Jared Cunningham, guard, Oregon State Beavers
The 6-foot-4 junior is one of the premier thieves in the country as his 2.8 steals placed him second amongst BCS conferences players in steals. He is a good enough scorer (14.2 points) to help your team out but he will need to become more of a playmaker (2.1 assists) if he is going to become an elite point guard. He causes havoc off the dribble and really knows how to get to the free throw line (7.1 attempts) but ultimately his potential won’t be reached unless he works on his outside shot. His ranking will depend on how important steals are in your league.
10. Harper Kamp, forward, California Golden Bears
Kamp is the third Golden Bear to make this list but he doesn’t have as much upside as the other two. He is the highest scoring (14.2 points) returning post player in the conference but his lack of rebounding (5.6 boards) keeps him on the bottom of the list. He is a consistent player but he only managed to rip down double-digit boards three times last year. He also only blocked eight shots. Factor in that he played almost 33 minutes per game last year and there isn’t much room for growth here. Solid pick but not a game changer.
Others considered – Kevin Parrom (Arizona), Trent Lockett (Arizona State), Carlon Brown (Colorado), Jabari Brown (Oregon), E.J. Singler (Oregon), Anthony Brown (Stanford), Josh Owens (Stanford), Dwight Powell (Stanford), Josh Watkins (Utah), Abdul Gaddy (Washington), Faisal Aden (Washington State)