Washington Huskies are top dog in watered-down Pac-10 men's basketball

Washington Huskies are top dog in watered-down Pac-10 men's basketball

By Jeff Faraudo
jfaraudo@bayareanewsgroup.com
Silicon Valley Mercury News.com


Posted: 12/28/2010 07:53:20 PM PST
Updated: 12/28/2010 10:27:09 PM PST



Washington coach Lorenzo Romar said it was flattering two months ago when his Huskies were picked for the first time to win the Pac-10 basketball title.

"That's all it is," he said. "You've still got to win the games."

The Huskies get to work on that part of the equation tonight when the Pac-10 schedule begins. If anything, UW appears somewhat more vulnerable after falling short in its only three high-profile nonconference games.

A year after the Pac-10 finished the season with only two entries in the NCAA tournament and no representatives in the final Associated Press Top 25 (for the first time since 1949), the conference seems only marginally better.

"I think our league is going to be pretty good by the end of the year," USC coach Kevin O'Neill said.

USC and Washington State could have much to say about that, provided they add to some encouraging recent performances. But the league is young -- with no seniors at UCLA, Stanford or WSU -- and Pac-10 teams are just 5-13 against Top-25 opponents.

Cal coach Mike Montgomery rates Washington and Arizona as the league's elite.

"After that I think there's a bunch of hopefuls, really," he said. "Everybody has had a loss or two that would raise an eyebrow."

Here's how we see it unfolding:

1. Washington

Coach: Lorenzo Romar (ninth season)

Nonconference record: 8-3

Outlook: The Huskies are the deepest and most explosive team in the conference. Led by guard Isaiah Thomas, UW has topped 100 points four times. But in losses to Kentucky, Michigan State and Texas Tech, it was held to an average of just under 67 points. Nearly unbeatable at home, the Huskies and their reliance on the 3-point shot haven't always traveled as well.

2. Arizona

Coach: Sean Miller (second season)

Nonconference record: 11-2

Outlook: Sophomore forward and Pac-10 player of the year candidate Derrick Williams is an efficient scorer who has added a new wrinkle to his game: He leads the league in 3-point accuracy. The Wildcats have improved their depth, rebound well and have made as many or more free throws than five Pac-10 teams have attempted. They need more consistent play from guards MoMo Jones and Kyle Fogg, who are shooting a combined 30 percent from 3-point range.

3. UCLA

Coach: Ben Howland (eighth season)

Nonconference record: 8-4

Outlook: The Bruins boast the league's most imposing frontcourt. The sophomore forward tandem of Tyler Honeycutt and Reeves Nelson generates 29 points and 16 rebounds per game, and if 6-foot-10, 305-pound freshman center Joshua Smith can limit his fouls he can become a monster inside. The key will be guard play, so erratic last season that Howland brought in JC transfer Lazeric Jones to play the point. Progress? The Bruins won their final five nonconference games after a stunning home loss to Montana.

4. USC

Coach: Kevin O'Neill (second season)

Nonconference record: 8-5

Outlook: The Trojans absorbed a surprising 20-point home loss to Rider in mid-November but won four of five entering the conference, dropping only a last-second decision at Kansas. They own wins over Tennessee and Texas and have toughened themselves with four true road games. Transfer point guard Jio Fontan provides stability and scoring, and Nikola Vucevic and Alex Stepheson are ranked 1-2 in the Pac-10 in rebounding. The Trojans look like a contender.

5. Washington State

Coach: Ken Bone (second season)

Nonconference record: 10-2

Outlook: The Cougars, with victories over Gonzaga, Mississippi State and Baylor, appear to be legit. They are improved at both ends of the floor and their depth is substantially better, in part because of JC arrival Faisal Aden, who is contributing 16.1 points per game. Junior wing Klay Thompson, who leads the conference at 22.3 points per game, continues to add to his game. One concern: Can the perimeter-oriented Cougars battle the big guys inside?

6. Cal

Coach: Mike Montgomery (third season)

Nonconference record: 6-5

Outlook: The Bears are playing capably on defense, but they rank at the bottom of the Pac-10 in scoring, shooting and 3-point accuracy. They have been held to 57 points or fewer in five games, and freshmen starting guards Allen Crabbe and Gary Franklin entered Tuesday's game shooting a combined 26.7 percent from 3-point range. Montgomery hopes playing the league's toughest nonleague schedule pays off.

7. Arizona State

Coach: Herb Sendek (fifth season)

Nonconference record: 7-4

Outlook: There is little that jumps out about the Sun Devils, who entered the conference schedule with four straight wins over teams with losing records. But Sendek's teams play defense, dictate tempo and rarely fail to produce an upset or two. Keep an eye on freshman forward Kyle Cain, who has three games with at least 14 rebounds.

8. Stanford

Coach: Johnny Dawkins (third season)

Nonconference record: 6-4

Outlook: The Cardinal is very young and showed that inexperience in its first two road games of the season, losing by a combined 44 points at Butler and Oklahoma State. Stanford allowed an average of 81 points in those games and shot just 25 percent from the 3-point line. Junior Jeremy Green is dependable, but the Cardinal needs contributions from its freshmen, especially Dwight Powell and Aaron Bright.

9. Oregon

Coach: Dana Altman (first season)

Nonconference record: 7-5

Outlook: The Ducks were competitive in a home loss to Missouri, but their wins came against teams whose combined record is 18 games under .500. Forwards Joevan Catron and E.J. Singler have combined to produce 30 points and 13 rebounds per game, but they don't have much help. The Ducks could get an emotional lift with the Jan. 13 opening of the new Matthew Knight Arena.

10. Oregon State

Coach: Craig Robinson (third season)

Nonconference record: 5-6

Outlook: It's hard to believe the Beavers aren't better than this, but there is little evidence to prompt optimism. OSU lost at home to Utah Valley and Texas Southern, and its five wins came over teams with a combined record of 21-38. Sophomore guard Jared Cunningham (San Leandro High) averages 13.9 points per game and leads the Pac-10 in steals, but OSU is the league's worst rebounding team and shoots poorly from the 3-point line.
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The Fabulous Forum
The who, what, where, when,
why — and why not — of L.A. sports

Pac-10 basketball roundtable: What to look for the rest of the season
The Los Angeles Times
December 27, 2010 | 12:37 pm


Recently, five writers from around the Pac-10 basketball conference gathered digitally for a roundtable, answering five pertinent Pac-10 questions before the start of conference play on Wednesday, when UCLA plays host to Washington State at Pauley Pavilion and USC plays host to Washington at the Galen Center. The writers: Ben Bolch (Los Angeles Times), Percy Allen (Seattle Times), Bob Clark (Eugene Register Guard), Jeff Faraudo (Contra Costa Times) and Doug Haller (Arizona Republic).

1. At this point in the non-conference season, what's surprised you most?

PERCY ALLEN: Regardless of what the coaches may say, I'm surprised the conference hasn't improved from last season. The scarcity of meaningful non-conference wins is alarming and suggests we're looking at another year when the Pac-10 sends just two teams -- if that -- to the NCAA tournament. At this time (Dec. 14), there's not a Pac-10 team that's ranked, and I don't know when that will change. I wouldn't be surprised if we went through the Pac-10 season without a team in the polls.

BEN BOLCH: Oregon’s not-so-terrible start. Having been picked by the media to finish last in the Pac-10, the Ducks didn’t figure to have much to showcase when they opened Matthew Knight Arena next month. But Oregon has won pretty much every game it should have won and nearly upset ninth-ranked Missouri. Senior forward Joevan Catron has blossomed into one of the better big men in the conference, and sophomore forward E.J. Singler has stepped up as a formidable rebounder. Coach Dana Altman appears to have the Ducks poised for a run at the middle of the Pac-10, and that’s saying something in the wake of the mess left by predecessor Ernie Kent.

BOB CLARK: Faisal Aden. I thought he was supposed to be a backup for Klay Thompson. He's the third-leading scorer in the league. He's making 43% of his threes. His addition has me wondering if the Cougars can go from last in the league to contending for first. Next up might be Cal's competitiveness, ignoring that five-point first half. I didn't see how the Bears would score points, but maybe that was discounting the coaching of Mike Montgomery. On the other end, I thought both Oregon State and Arizona State would be better than they've shown. I know they're both counting on a lot of new players, but some of those results have been mystifying. And disappointing.

JEFF FARAUDO: Probably the fact that Oregon is better than I expected, and Oregon State is worse. Not sure why, especially with regards to the Beavers. But they have been awful against an awful schedule.

DOUG HALLER: Washington State. I picked them sixth in the preseason media poll, partly because of how they finished last season (last in the Pac-10) and also because I didn't know what junior-college transfer Faisal Aden would bring. As it turns out, the Cougars are much improved, especially on defense, and Aden is one of the Pac-10's top scorers. Add in Klay Thompson, who's playing at an All-American level, and Reggie Moore, possibly the conference's top point guard, and the Cougars are a conference contender.

2. Is Washington still the overwhelming favorite?



ALLEN: No. The Huskies have shown they have problems winning on the road against big, physical teams. Granted, there are not a lot of those in the Pac-10, but UW hasn't shown the maturity to win on the road.

BOLCH: Yes. The Huskies have too much talent, too much depth and too good of a coach not to finish atop the Pac-10 during another down year for the conference. The Huskies have so many options that senior guard Venoy Overton ranks among the conference’s leaders in assists -- and he comes off the bench. Junior guard Isaiah Thomas continues to cement his legacy as one of the best players in school history, senior forward Justin Holiday is an explosive scoring threat, and sophomore guard Abdul Gaddy is significantly improved from a year ago. What’s not to like?

CLARK: That might depend on your definition of overwhelming. I'd say solid favorite, but the Huskies are going to need to win a few games out of Seattle, and they can't count on scoring 100 points very often against Pac-10 defenses, which is how they've won so far. But, yes, they have a lot of what is needed to win a title: experienced guards, some options on the inside and a bunch of people with the ability to score. And who has the overall depth of the Huskies?

FARAUDO: The favorite, yes. Overwhelming? Not sure I'd categorize it that way. The Huskies must demonstrate they can beat good teams. They have been competitive with the best opponents on their schedule but haven't gotten over the hump. We also need to see how they fare on the road, because that's been an issue for them in recent seasons, and teams that rely so heavily on three-point shooting sometimes don't travel well. At home, with that crowd, they are virtually unbeatable.

HALLER: Yes, it's just a matter of how quickly the Huskies put it together. They have all the pieces: experience in guards Isaiah Thomas and Venoy Overton. An inside presence in Matthew Bryan-Amaning. Justin Holiday is one of the Pac-10's more complete players, and C.J. Wilcox might be its best shooter. On top of all that, they have the best depth in the conference. For some reason, Washington still struggles away from home (losses to Kentucky, Michigan State and Texas A&M), but last season's team took a while to gel before making a Sweet 16 run. I think this one will do the same and maybe advance a step further.

3. Which team might surprise?

ALLEN: By surprise I'm assuming you're talking about a team outside the top five in the preseason media poll. In that case, I'll say USC. Not sure if transfer guard Jio Fontan is the real deal or not, but coach Kevin O'Neill believes he is. O'Neill said he's the team's best player, which is high praise because forward Nikola Vucevic may play in the NBA someday, and Alex Stepheson is one of the top post players in the conference.

BOLCH: USC. The Trojans are going to be Forrest Gump’s box of chocolates in that you never know what you’re going to get. They will pull off some upset victories (see Texas) and suffer a few bad defeats (see Rider). The addition of junior transfer Jio Fontan should help stabilize the Trojans’ inconsistent ways and could thrust them into the Pac-10 title race. Coach Kevin O’Neill’s signature stingy defense will also help USC win some games it probably shouldn’t given that the Trojans don’t boast overwhelming talent and often appear lost on offense. But their front-court tandem of Alex Stepheson and Nikola Vucevic is probably better than anyone else’s in the conference except the UCLA duo of Reeves Nelson and Joshua Smith.

CLARK: Honestly, if the Cougars do stay healthy and out of foul trouble, might they end up in the NCAA tournament? They've got that win over Gonzaga, which will become more important as the season goes on, and a close loss to Kansas State won't hurt the view of the selection committee. That tournament in Honolulu could play big, if WSU could beat a Mississippi State and a Baylor, and those teams went on to play well in their own leagues. And then there's this -- laugh if you want, but Oregon may surprise a team or two, on a night when the Ducks shoot well, and their full-court pressure wears down the ball handlers on another team.

FARAUDO: USC, without a doubt. The Trojans own perhaps the Pac-10's two best non-conference victories so far -- at home versus Texas and on the road versus Tennessee. They have two big, physical front-court players in Nikola Vucevic and Alex Stepheson, good young guards and a newcomer in point guard Jio Fontana who coach Kevin O'Neill says is his best player in every way. At this point, USC will be a disappointment if it doesn't finish in the top three or four in the conference.

HALLER: USC is the easy answer, but UCLA could surprise by challenging Washington. The Bruins have the Pac-10's best front line in Tyler Honeycutt, Reeves Nelson and Josh Smith. Problem is, you never know what you're going to get with the Bruins. The team that took Kansas to the wire and beat BYU or the team that lost to Montana at home.

4. Your pick for Pac-10 player of the year?

ALLEN: I think it's a two-man race between Arizona's Derrick Williams and Washington State's Klay Thompson. We've seen in the recent past the player with the best statistics doesn't always win this award, and the coaches sometimes give a vote to the best player on the best team. For my money, Williams and Thompson have separated themselves from everyone in the league right now. They're playing at a high level.

BOLCH: Isaiah Thomas, Washington. Klay Thompson will score more points. Nikola Vucevic will grab more rebounds. But in terms of making a difference, no one will eclipse Thomas. He is the leader of one of the nation’s most prolific offenses, a player equally comfortable passing and shooting. In fact, he is so unselfish that his scoring average was down a bit from last season in the early going. But whether he adapts to whatever opening an opponent presents by scoring 25 points or getting 12 assists, no one can match his impact.

CLARK: I don't think one Husky will stand out from the others enough, so I'd look to Klay Thompson of WSU or Derrick Williams of Arizona. Yes, I know, all I'm doing there is pointing out the league's top two scorers (at this date). But Thompson also leads in assists, and Williams is close to the lead in field-goal percentage and rebounds. Very nice all-around players. And if one of them leads his team to the title, or at least is in contention to the final week, he'll have the edge.

FARAUDO: Arizona's Derrick Williams is the best and most efficient player in the league. He can score without hogging the ball because he gets to the free-throw line so often. Plus he's added three-point shooting range from a year ago when he was primarily a low-block player. He means more to his team's success than perhaps any other player in the Pac-10.

HALLER: Klay Thompson. His maturity has elevated the Cougars. Example: In Washington State's win over Gonzaga on Dec. 8, Thompson scored just three points in the first half. Last season, this would've bothered him. This season, he stayed patient, using his defense to trigger his offense. He found an offensive rhythm in the second half, finishing with 24 points, six rebounds, six assists and seven steals.

5. Your pick for Pac-10 freshman/newcomer of the year?

ALLEN: Talk about a void of talent. Everyone likes to talk about the dearth of seniors in the Pac-10, but where are the outstanding freshman? Simply put, there aren't many. There's not a freshman currently among the top 20 scorers in the league. I say, when it's all said and done, UCLA big man Josh Smith will stand taller than anyone else.

BOLCH: Joshua Smith, UCLA. The arrival of the super-sized McDonald’s All-American in Westwood was a big deal not just because Smith tipped the scales at well over 300 pounds (don’t believe his listed weight of 305). The 6-foot-10 freshman can score, rebound, move people out of the way as if they’re made of straw and has some of the best hands for a big man Coach Ben Howland has ever seen. After a slow start plagued by foul trouble, Smith started to show the difference he could make with a double-double against Kansas. But you have to check some more obscure stats to fully appreciate Smith’s impact. He helped the Bruins upset Brigham Young by taking a charge and is the runaway leader on his team in that category. Smith will be in the middle of everything UCLA does as it tries to get back to the NCAA tournament.

CLARK: WSU's Faisal Aden is the best newcomer right now, but I've never seen Jio Fontan play. USC Coach Kevin O'Neill said Fontan will be his best passer, defender, scorer and leader, which is a lot to put on a transfer before he's seen any action. If he does all that and turns the Trojans into a first-division team, then he'll be pushing Aden for best newcomer. Just one question, though: How did a player that good end up at Fordham? And nobody between New York and Los Angeles tried to land him before the Trojans welcomed him across the country?

FARAUDO: I'm going with (real) big Joshua Smith of UCLA. If he can stay out of foul trouble, he should produce good numbers on a front line with two excellent forwards in Tyler Honeycutt and Reeves Nelson. Smith seems to have a better skill set than I had imagined. And at 6-foot-10, 305 pounds, he's gigantic.

HALLER: Smith is the freshman favorite, and with his size, he could develop into a real force as the season progresses. But Arizona State's Kyle Cain can make this an interesting race. Yes, he's raw offensively, but he could possibly lead the conference in rebounding. He already has games of 17, 16 and 14 boards. Outside of those two, no other freshman has really emerged.
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Pac-10's basketball image remains cloudy
By Jack Magruder
FOXSportsArizona.com


The Pac-10 made strides in burnishing its basketball image during the pre-conference season, but work remains to be done if it is to return to center stage.

USC provides the textbook example.

The Trojans had two of the league’s signature victories in December, hammering Texas by 18 points Dec. 5 as part of the Big 12/Pac-10 Hardwood Series before beating Tennessee in Knoxville two weeks later, Kevin O’Neill getting some payback against the Vols. At the same time, Rider and Nebraska handed USC two of its four defeats.

Those results are symptomatic of the inconsistent non-conference play that doomed the Pac-10 last March, when a record-low two conference teams made the 65-team NCAA field.

It's unclear whether things will change, but the conference is trying. Arizona State, which was left out of the NCAAs despite finishing second in the regular season last year, was among the teams that beefed up its non-conference load in an attempt to add quality wins and boost its RPI.

USC is not the only team that has stepped up in the preseason. UCLA beat scoring machine Jimmer Fredette and BYU, which handed Arizona one of its two losses. California topped Big East foe Notre Dame. Washington State beat a very athletic Baylor team in the Diamond Head Classic semifinals last week, and also dominated Palouse pal Gonzaga on Dec. 8.

Other preseason tournaments did not go as well. League favorite Washington showed poorly in Maui, although two of its three losses were to Kentucky and Michigan State. Stanford was swept in the Anaheim Classic, and UCLA was 0-2 in the preseason NIT, losing first to Villanova.

As league play commences Wednesday, the best thing that could happen, in terms of national prestige, would be if three or four teams emerged as clear top dogs, making the NCAA selection committee’s job a little easier. It did not help when Cal won the Pac-10 with five losses and only four teams finished above .500 in league play last season.

Not that anyone will volunteer to lie down, of course, and the parity appears such that the race will go down to the last weekend again this year.


Here's a glimpse of what we have learned about the teams so far, in order of predicted finish:

Washington (8-3) — Isaiah Thomas is still the most disruptive force in the league, combining his quick penetrations with a midrange jumper that keeps defenses off balance. A replacement for go-to Quincy Pondexter has not been identified, but with Thomas’ drive-and-kick style, the Huskies may play more on the perimeter. They have four players shooting at least 43 percent from three-point range.

Arizona (11-2) — Sean Miller is getting his feet on the ground in Arizona after replacing legend Lute Olson last year, and forward Derrick Williams — the only freshman on the All-Pac-10 team last year — is a lock to make it again this season. Williams, 6-foot-8, has increased his range and already has more three-pointers (13) than he had all last year (four).

Washington State (10-2) — J.C. transfer Faisal Aden, a 6-foot-4 guard, and 6-10 Australian native Brock Motum have blossomed — Aden as a scorer to complement star Klay Thompson, and Motum as an interior piece to pair with DeAngelo Casto. Fearless lead guard Reggie Moore was a member of the league’s all-freshman team a year ago.

USC (8-5) — Twin 6-10 inside players Alex Stephenson and Nikola Vucevic are 1-2 in the Pac-10 in rebounding, indicative of the way O’Neill likes to play — a patterned, precise offensive attack that includes relentless board play. He is building with three new starters.

UCLA (8-4) — Super 6-8 sophs Reeves Nelson and Tyler Honeycutt have seamlessly continued their ascent this season after starting about half the time last year, and each ranks in the top 10 in the league in scoring. The Bruins are still feeling the effects of the early defections of Kevin Love and Jrue Holiday, however, and their point play is up and down.

Arizona State (7-4) — The Sun Devils bit off a devil of a non-conference schedule, including games at New Mexico and Baylor, and their record has felt it. The Sun Devils will bomb from the perimeter with Rik Kuksiks and Ty Abbott, seniors who recently joined the 1,000-point club. Freshman center Kyle Cain has provided a strong rebounding presence.

California (6-5) — No team was hit harder by graduation than the Bears, who lost 2010 Pac-10 player of the year Jerome Randle, shooter Patrick Christopher, scorer Theo Robertson and big man Jamal Boykin. Knowing Mike Montgomery, however, the newcomers will (1) compete and (2) hit the glass. Glue guy Jorge Gutierrez is off to a good start.

Stanford (6-4) — Guard Jeremy Green is still scoring 16 points a game, as he did as a freshman last year, but without running buddy Landry Fields — 22 points per game, 36.3 minutes per game — the Cardinal is in transition.

Oregon State (5-6) — Is this the season the Beavers outsmart teams with the finer points of the patient Princeton offense that coach Craig Robinson brought with him from Brown in 2008? Seth Tarver and Roeland Schaftenaar have been missed, but Jared Cunningham is stepping up.

Oregon (7-5) — New coach Dana Altman has a solid resume after winning coach of the year honors in the three conferences — the Missouri Valley (Creighton), Big Eight (Kansas State) and Southern (Marshall) — but the cupboard is thin after the loss of lead guard Tajuan Porter. Even with E.J. Singler and Joevan Catron, this year will be a challenge.