What the Pac 12 is lacking in star power (lost top ten scorers from last year) it makes up for in opportunity. Fantasy players will be able to assess rosters out West and look for players that are going to be asked to play bigger roles for their respective squads. There are going to be a lot of shots and points up for grabs so be prepared to take some chances on guys that haven't lit up the college scene yet. Here are a couple of players that could bring a huge return on investment after the first couple of rounds of your draft.
Josiah Turner, freshman guard, Arizona Wildcats
Point guard U may have found its next star. Before even stepping foot on campus, Turner has had a couple of breaks (no pun intended) already go his way. Jordin Mayes had foot surgery back in July and Lamont Jones transferred to Iona. The Wildcats will need someone to create offense as the loss of Derrick Williams could loom large. Turner has good size (6-foot-3), is slippery smooth, and should be able to get in the lane at will. He may struggle with his perimeter shot but his athleticism should allow him to score in double-digits right away and be a contender for the conference assist title. Be sure to tune into Wildcats games this year to watch this team get out on the fast break as Turner may only reside in Tucson for one year.
Jahii Carson, freshman guard, Arizona State Sun Devils
What, you thought the Arizona was the only team in the state with a flashy new point guard? Carson arrives in Tempe with a reputation as a charismatic scorer (32.2 points as a senior in high school) with a swagger that could carry the Sun Devils back to respectability. For a guy that’s 5-foot-10 you have to love this quote. “I like to dunk. I like to get up and down the court. It's what people want to see, especially with me being the hometown guy. It's going to be great.” Look for him to instantly be the best player on the team and he could even re-energize Keala King to show up for his sophomore season.
Richard Solomon, forward, California Golden Bears
The Golden Bears return four starters but they need to replace Markhuri Sanders-Frison in the middle. Enter Solomon. The 6-foot-10 sophomore averaged 5.6 points, 4.4 rebounds, 0.8 blocks, and 0.6 steals in 15.7 minutes last year. With an additional 10-12 minutes he could approach a double-double average and two blocks. He should have plenty of freedom roaming the lane as defenses will be geared up to stop Allen Crabbe on the perimeter. Not much upside as the team has some pretty defined roles but he should be a solid player that can be had later on in drafts.
Carlon Brown, guard, Colorado Buffaloes
Brown sat out last season after transferring from Utah where he averaged 12.6 points and 4.1 rebounds as a junior. The Buffaloes lost their top four scorers from last season whom combined for 59.5 points and 42.2 shot attempts. They are going to need someone to pick up the slack offensively and Brown looks ready for the challenge. When describing Brown Buffs coach Tad Boyle says, “He is an explosive athlete. He has the ability to get the rim and finish in traffic.” Look for him to approach 15 points per game and grab five rebounds. That’s pretty good production if you can get him late in your draft.
Anthony Brown, guard, Stanford Cardinal
The Cardinal are hoping Brown is ready to emerge as a team leader after being an All-Pac-10 Freshman Team selection last season. He finished third on the team with a scoring average of 8.7 points and made 42 three-pointers all while being the youngest player in the conference. He spent his summer playing for the USA U19 World Championship Team where he was a teammate of ASU’s Carson. That experience should get him ready to explode onto the conference scene this year. He flashed elite talent in games against Oregon State (21 points, eight boards) and Seattle (21 points and 11 rebounds). Jeremy Green’s early entry into the NBA Draft leaves Brown as the clear go-to player on the team and he should find himself amongst the league leaders in points and three’s come seasons end.
Abdul Gaddy, guard, Washington Huskies
Gaddy was starting to live up to his freshman hype before a torn ACL sidelined him halfway through last season. In a little over 23 minutes of action last year, he averaged 8.5 points and 3.8 assists. He shot 50% from the field, 41% from deep, and 82% from the line last year which were dramatic improvements from his first season on campus. He led the conference in assist to turnover ratio at 3.1 and with Isaiah Thomas out of the picture he becomes the primary ball-handler on the team. The Huskies will keep pushing the ball up the court and with perimeter sharpshooters Terrence Ross and C.J. Wilcox manning the wings, Gaddy should approach at least five assists per game. If his improved stroke proves to be for real, then he should be one of the top point guards out West.
David Foster, center, Utah Utes
The Utes are entering the Pac-12 at down time for the program and things could get ugly this year. New coach Larry Krystkowiak has to rebuild an entire roster from scratch that saw an amazing eight players transfer. One guy that did stick around was Foster, the 2009-2010 Mountain West Conference Defensive Player of the Year. The 7-foot-3 center is a shot-blocking machine who finished seventh in the nation with 3.2 blocks despite only playing 20 minutes a night. He is an offensive liability (2.9 points) but he does an adequate enough job on the glass (5.2 rebounds) to help out. Those numbers shouldn’t really concern you since you are drafting him to watch him swat away shots like a young Mark Eaton. Centers in BCS conferences are hard to find and you could do worse than this one category stud.
Maurice Jones, guard, USC Trojans
The tiny guard from Michigan will be asked to carry a big load this year. The Trojans had trouble putting the ball in the hoop last season with Nikola Vucevic (NBA) and Jio Fontan (torn ACL) available. Amazingly the Trojans only have two players on the roster that scored a point last year, Jones and Garrett Jackson. While freshman Alexis Moore will take over the point, Jones is the one that will be asked to step up and score the rock. He averaged 9.9 points last year and scored in double-figures 15 times. He also set a USC freshman record with 69 steals. While he should see his usage rate go up, be careful if field goal percentage is used in your league. He only shot 37.2% from the floor as his height (5-foot-7) prevents him from finishing in the paint. He has a good shot at averaging 15 points just because he might be the first, second, and third option on a team starving for baskets.