SB Nation - Derek Glasser

Pac-10 Weekly Wrap: Finally, a quality win!

Nuss — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 20:50:33 -0000

More photos » by Joe Nicholson - AP

Why is this man smiling? Because he's been the best player in the Pac-10 for the conference's best team, that's why.

After a couple of weeks off, the Weekly Wrap is back. I wish I could say that a lot has changed in the three weeks since I wrote the last one of these, but unfortunately it hasn't. The Pac-10 did finally pick up a quality out-of-conference win -- from the most unlikely of sources in USC -- but it did little to offset the perception that this is a weak Pac-10 after numerous missed opportunities.

It's a perception that's not likely to change, despite the conference now being ranked the fifth strongest nationally by kenpom.com (just ahead of the SEC, if you can believe that). If you look at the standings, it's pretty easy to see why. The conference has about five good to really good offensive teams, about five good to pretty good defensive teams, but only two that combine the two (Washington, Cal and ASU). Everyone else is good at one or the other, leading to some pretty uneven performances.

There are some big games on the slate tomorrow night: Cal at Kansas, UW vs. Texas A&M, WSU vs. LSU, and Stanford at Texas Tech. If the Pac-10 is going to get more than just a couple of bids come March, it needs to plant a seed in the minds of the committee that it's just a young conference that is getting better as the season moves along. Winning most or all of those would do wonders for the perception of the conference.

If Cal can beat Kansas -- or, at least, lose a thriller -- all of a sudden, beating Cal in conference means something.

On to the rankings! There hasn't been a lot of movement the past couple of weeks, but I have a feeling that might change by this time next week.

1. Washington
Rank last week: 1
Record: 7-2

The Huskies are still on top, but I sure would feel a lot better about it if they'd actually beat someone away from Hec Ed during the nonconference season. The loss to Texas Tech was a toss-up, but losing in Los Angeles to Georgetown -- in the manner they did -- raises some serious questions about Washington's toughness without Jon Brockman in the middle.

There have been hints of it against other opponents (Montana, Cal-State Northridge), but the Huskies have been able to overwhelm those opponents with their athleticism. Not so against the Hoyas. They've got a tough one against Texas A&M tomorrow, but again, it's at home. In fact, the Huskies don't leave Hec Ed again until Jan. 8.

Bright spot: Quincy Pondexter is finally, truly, unequivocally delivering on the promise he held as one of the top recruits on the west coast lo these many years ago. (Just take a look at his individual stat rankings over at kenpom.com.) That he's not receiving more pub nationally probably is due to the lack of a signature game in a signature win for the Huskies. But if he keeps this up, it won't stay that way for long.

Question mark: Pop quiz time: Where do the Huskies rank in the Pac-10 in adjusted offensive efficiency? First? Third? Try fifth -- behind (in order) Cal, Arizona State, WSU and Oregon. This team has just frankly not been that great offensively, exceeding 1.10 points per trip just three times this year. This is something to keep an eye on, because while the Pac-10 has been bad, there are some really good defensive teams in there. USC showed this week what a great defensive team powered by a fluky shooting night can do to a good team.

2. California

Rank last week: 2
Record: 6-3

The Bears have played three games in three weeks -- their tilt with Kansas tomorrow will be their first in 13(!) days. They started off with a loss on the road to New Mexico -- certainly not a bad loss, per se, but not great for a team that many thought could be the dominant team in the Pac-10 -- then finished up with dominant wins over Iowa State at home and Pacific on the road. They haven't been on TV much in these parts, so I don't have much insight to add; I will be catching the ESPN360 replay of tomorrow's game on Wednesday, since I'll be at the WSU/LSU game.

Bright spot: Theo Robertson is back. Need I say more? An offense that's already very good will get even better -- if he can stay on the floor.

Question mark: Tomorrow night is bigger than big for Cal. If they can hang with -- or outright beat -- the Jayhawks, the Bears' ceiling likely becomes a No. 2 seed. If they get blown out? Maybe a No. 3, but more than likely a No. 4 or No. 5, since there just don't remain any chances for great wins on their schedule. (Sorry, Huskies -- you no longer qualify.)

3. Arizona State

Rank last week: 3
Record: 8-3

The Sun Devils just keep chugging along, showing that experience just might be the difference maker for this team. They did lose to Baylor at home, but only by three while giving up 69.0 effective field goal percentage. It's a loss that smacks of the kind of loss that teams featuring zone defense suffer from time to time. Of more import to me is the nice win against a good San Diego State team. Still pretty clearly the third best in the conference, and the Pac-10's best chance for a third at-large bid if they can separate themselves from fourth place once league play starts.

Bright spot: Derek Glasser has been doing his best Taylor Rochestie on steroids impersonation this year. They're similar in so many ways, but Glasser's shooting has been insane -- his offensive rating is currently 130.5 with a high assist rate. He's been better than I ever thought he could be.

Question mark: There's a saying in football that the defenses often start out in front of the offenses at the beginning of the year. Well, in college basketball it seems experience starts out in front of inexperience, and that's the case with ASU. Which makes me wonder: Will this team continue to get better? Or will they get passed by other teams that would seemingly have more talent as they gain more experience?

4. Washington State

Rank last week: 4
Record: 8-2

Well, the Cougs missed an opportunity at Gonzaga, got whipped by K-State and soundly beat Idaho and Portland State. The funny thing is that we all thought this was going to be a roller coaster. While there aren't any "good" wins on the slate, there aren't any bad losses, either. That's a pretty enormous testament to what Ken Bone is doing. If the Cougs cap the nonconference slate with a win over LSU, it has to be considered a rousing success. The Cougs are a solid No. 4 in these rankings.

Bright spot: Marcus Capers. Come back this afternoon to find out why. (We call that a teaser in the news biz!)

Question mark: The Cougs are one of those teams that feature a very good offense, but so-so defense. Hence, all the attention we pay to the defense -- it really could be the difference maker in terms of getting this team to the postseason. Signs point to the defense getting better, although some of that might be explained by simple regression in terms of opponents' 3-point shooting. We'll learn more tomorrow against a team that's as athletic as we are.

5. USC

Rank last week: 9
Record: 5-4

Too big of a jump here after whipping Tennessee at home, you say? Too much value placed on one very good shooting night from a bad offensive team, you say? Well, at least they've shown that they can do it, which is a heck of a lot more than we can say for most other teams. After all, look at five through 10 in this conference and tell me who deserves to be higher than USC.

That's what I thought.

Bright spot: It's not a total fluke the Vols shot just 2-of-22 from 3-point range against the Trojans -- they're 23rd nationally in effective field goal percentage allowed (although it has been built mostly on stingy 2-point defense). Kevin O'Neil is following the Bennett rebuild blueprint to a T: Play superlative defense until the offense catches up.

Question mark: Will the offense ever catch up this year? It has been positively horrendous at times, and one good night doesn't make us believe everything is OK.

6. Oregon

Rank last week: 6
Record: 6-4

They can't beat a decent team on the road (Mizzou, Portland) and can't beat a decent team at home (Montana, St. Mary's). I guess they get credit for nearly beating the Gaels, but I know most people were expecting a lot more out of this team -- especially Duck fans. There have even been rumblings that it's time for Ernie Kent to go. I'd like to take this moment to remind everyone that I said I thought the Ducks wouldn't be very good until next year, and I stand by that statement.

Bright spot: Freshman Jamil Wilson has a knack for rebounding (14.1 OR% and 19.3 DR%) and blocking shots (3.5%). So that's nice.

Question mark: Will Kent's job status become a distraction? Especially if they win their last two nonconference games (as they should) and then start off Pac-10 play 0-2 coming through UW and WSU on New Year's weekend (as they might)?

7. Arizona

Rank last week: 5
Record: 4-5

The Wildcats have played the second-toughest nonconference schedule in the Pac-10, and it shows. These guys needed a patsy-filled schedule as bad as anyone, and instead they've played the likes of Wisconsin, Vandy, UNLV, Oklahoma and San Diego State -- all losses. They played tough in Maui and play well at home, but their last two games on the road have been convincing losses (OU and SDSU).

Bright spot: Jamelle Horne is rebounding like a power forward (21.3 DR%), despite being roughly the size of Klay Thompson. It's part of the reason the Wildcats have been surprisingly effective on the glass despite none of their actual big men rebounding like big men.

Question mark: Five times this year, the Wildcats have scored less than .92 points per possession (1.0 being average). Four of those five were against the good teams on their schedule. That's a scary thought heading into conference play.

8. Stanford

Rank last week: 7
Record: 5-5

We know moral victories don't really count. But losing by one at home to Oklahoma State and by eight on the road at Northwestern -- two teams that should be in the top half of their conferences -- says something about the way Johnny Dawkins has his Cardinal fighting. They are not going to be an easy win for anyone once Pac-10 play starts.

Bright spot: Landry Fields is really good -- so good that I'd probably place him in the No. 2 spot behind Pondexter in the Pac-10 POY race at the moment.

Question mark: Will the Cardinal keep bringing their A-plus effort if they don't soon get a favorable result? They've got a chance to get one tomorrow against Texas Tech.

9. Oregon State

Rank last week: 8
Record: 5-5

No shame in losing on the road to Nebraska. But Illinois-Chicago? Really? It seemed like the Beavers finally had some things figured out after beating George Washington and Colorado. Then the pitiful effort on the defensive glass against the Flames. They now possess arguably the two worst losses in the Pac-10. This is a tough, tough team to figure.

Bright spot: The offense seems to be coming around -- above 53 effective field goal percentage in five of the last six games. That's pretty good.

Question mark: Now that the Beavers have kissed any chance of an at-large bid goodbye -- and make no mistake, that was the goal heading into the season -- will they pull it together enough to be consistently tough in the league?

10. UCLA

Preseason rank: 10
Record: 3-7

The Bruins are yet another victim of aggressive scheduling. Normally, that's not a problem for the Bruins, but it's led to them losing six of their last seven, five of those by double digits. I'm tempted to say this could happen to anyone with enough early defections, but can you honestly picture North Carolina or Duke or Kansas sinking to these depths under their great coaches? That's what's so weird about this.

Bright spot: The Bruins really do seem to be getting better, even if it's not reflected in the win column. I watched them play Notre Dame on Saturday, and while the Irish aren't exactly a great team, they're a solid Big East squad, and the Bruins competed. They do seem like they still care.

Question mark: Just how much potential is there for the Bruins to improve? Certainly, they're not as bad as they've shown. But I just don't see the kind of talent on the floor I once did. Unless Ben Howland knows something I don't know, this is a bottom half of the conference team, even if they start playing significantly better.

ASU Basketball Review After 10 Games

Cory Williams — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 22:52:44 -0000

So here is how our team looks after 10 games and a record of 7-3. As a unit, we are still developing, but I give a lot of credit to our freshmen (Lockett, Rudd, Walker) for playing well in the early going.

Most pleasant surprise: Trent Lockett. The young man plays the game well, going hard after every opportunity. He was proclaimed to be the best player on the court in the first half against Duke by the ESPN announcers before foul trouble took its toll.

Lockett needs to continue to play well in the OOC schedule to help him prepare for the increased level of competition found in Pac-10 play.

Biggest disappointment: Ty Abbott. After a resurgence in the Pac-10 Tournament last season, I thought Abbott was ready to become a significant piece of the Arizona State offense. Unfortunately, he has disappeared once again, with his latest effort against Delaware State (1-4 from the field, 5 points) providing little to inspire confidence.

What has happened, Ty? This could have been your team. In the end, it is clear that Derek Glasser is the leader and the galvanizer on this team.

What we are good at: Our team excels when the pace is moderate, giving us an opportunity to get back into our zone defense. Our clear lack of height has been exposed by taller teams this season. On the other side of the floor, Glasser can find his teammates off the dribble and if we can score 75 points and keep Lockett out of foul trouble, I am going to bet we will have won the game.

What we need to work on: Ball control from the big men. Eric Boateng, while better than advertised, has looked awfully sloppy with the ball. He is not someone I want taking a big shot late in the game (Baylor, anyone?) and he needs to work on passing the ball out of the post-up. He's not doing his team any favors by taking an off-kilter hook shot.

Last words: Herb Sendek is doing a good job of motivating his team. We haven't pulled any upsets yet, but the comeback victory against TCU and the solid victory over LSU lead me to believe that this is a middle-of-the-pack finisher in the Pac-10 (ranked between 4 and 7 by year's end).

			FG			3PT			FT			Rebounds			Misc
	G	M	M	A	Pct	M	A	Pct	M	A	Pct	Off	Def	Tot	Ast	TO	Stl	Blk	PF	PPG
Derek Glasser	10	31.7	3.7	7.6	48.7	1.6	3.2	50.0	4.1	4.7	87.2	0.1	2.0	2.1	5.6	1.8	1.0	0.2	0.9	13.1
Rihards Kuksiks	10	28.5	3.8	8.5	44.7	2.5	6.5	38.5	1.4	1.7	82.4	0.7	2.6	3.3	2.6	1.1	0.9	0.3	1.8	11.5
Eric Boateng	10	25.9	3.9	5.8	67.2	0.0	0.0	0.0	2.5	3.6	69.4	2.5	3.8	6.3	0.9	2.9	0.9	0.4	2.1	10.3
Trent Lockett	10	24.6	3.3	5.7	57.9	0.3	0.4	75.0	2.4	3.2	75.0	1.5	3.0	4.5	0.7	1.7	0.7	0.1	2.3	9.3
Jamelle McMillan	10	27.0	2.5	4.8	52.1	1.2	2.5	48.0	0.7	1.4	50.0	0.3	2.9	3.2	2.6	0.9	1.0	0.2	2.4	6.9
Ty Abbott	9	17.6	2.2	4.8	46.5	1.2	3.0	40.7	0.7	1.1	60.0	0.8	1.3	2.1	0.6	0.8	0.6	0.2	1.7	6.3
Demetrius Walker	8	12.4	1.4	4.4	31.4	0.4	1.3	30.0	1.5	2.3	66.7	0.0	1.6	1.6	0.8	0.9	0.4	0.0	1.4	4.6
Victor Rudd	5	7.8	1.4	2.8	50.0	0.6	2.0	30.0	1.0	1.6	62.5	0.2	1.6	1.8	0.0	0.4	0.0	0.6	1.2	4.4
Jerren Shipp	9	13.6	1.6	2.8	56.0	0.6	1.3	41.7	0.3	0.7	50.0	0.4	1.1	1.6	0.4	0.6	0.9	0.2	0.7	4.0
Taylor Rohde	9	9.6	1.3	2.4	54.5	0.0	0.3	0.0	1.3	2.0	66.7	0.7	1.0	1.7	0.1	0.4	0.2	0.0	1.2	4.0
Rusian Pateev	8	9.5	1.0	1.9	53.3	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.6	1.1	55.6	1.1	1.1	2.3	0.8	0.6	0.3	0.6	1.5	2.6
Brandon Thompson	7	3.6	0.3	0.4	66.7	0.3	0.4	66.7	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.1	0.1	0.3	0.4	0.4	0.0	0.3	0.9
Marcus Jackson	5	3.6	0.2	0.6	33.3	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.4	0.6	66.7	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.4	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.8

Arizona State Basketball: Top 25 Material?

Cory Williams — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 21:36:52 -0000

More photos » by Julie Jacobson - AP

Glasser doesn't respect your mouthpiece.

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Before the season began, most experts and fans were in complete agreement about ASU basketball: it was going to be a very mediocre campaign.

But here we are, 6 games into the schedule, and the Sun Devils are 5-1 after a resounding win over LSU in the 3rd place game of the NIT Preseason Tournament.

ASU is playing textbook basketball, led on the court by the experienced Derek Glasser, who is doing a great job finding open men near the basket. Glasser is responsible for the meteoric rise of Eric Boateng, who has contributed heavily to the successes of this squad.

The Sun Devils have blown out several mediocre teams at home this season. They rallied as a team to come back and beat TCU, which looked improbable at the time.

When tasked with the very talented Duke Blue Devils, ASU gave it their best shot and nearly came out of Madison Square Garden with the win. Instead of mailing in the consolation game, they came out after haltime and blasted LSU to the tune of 44-18 in second half scoring.

This is a team that knows what it takes to win, and has good leadership in Herb Sendek. They may run into some serious resistance once conference play begins, but for right now, this team deserves a little national recognition.

With 25 games left in the season before the Pac-10 tournament tips off, a little optimism about this team's capabilities is deserved. Realistically, this team can win 14-16 more games if they continue to play as hard as they have been.

With a 19-21 win season, ASU may be destined for another NCAA Tournament. At the very least, one thing is certain: Arizona State basketball is back in business, and it doesn't appear to be going away anytime soon.

Duke 34, ASU 30: Halftime Impressions of the NIT Semifinals

Cory Williams — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 03:18:57 -0000

More photos » by Gerry Broome - AP

Devils across the nation are awaiting the second half.

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What an impressive half from the Sun Devil side of things! Trent Lockett put up 11 points quickly before racking up 3 personal fouls. Lets get to the bullet points:

The ASU defense is very active tonight, exposing the fact that Duke's players aren't all that athletic.
Kyle Singler has been a non-factor, which needs to continue for the Sun Devils to have a chance to win this game.
If it weren't for some happy feet by Eric Boateng, he'd be putting up big numbers tonight.
Doug Gottlieb is a nozzle.
Derek Glasser has great court vision, but needs to take the open shot when it is given to him.
Duke might be the most overrated team in the country at this point, but I think the Sun Devils are far better than anyone imagined.

Lets continue this discussion in the comments! Go SUN DEVILS!

ASU Improves SOS by Facing Duke in the Preseason NIT Semifinals

Cory Williams — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 20:10:53 -0000

One knock on ASU basketball in recent years has been their pedestrian OOC schedule. Outside of the Hardwood Series between the Pac 10 and the Big XII, and ASU's scheduling of BYU this season and last, the Sun Devils have played a fair amount of cupcakes in the early season.

With the invitation to the Preseason NIT, however, the Devils are about to experience a dramatic increase in Strength of Schedule. Regardless of outcome, ASU will be playing the #9 team in the country, Duke, and then either face #12 UConn or a solid LSU team that is 3-0 on the season.

This serves ASU very well, considering the argument against them in 2007 was their weak SOS. After defeating Arizona (19-14) twice in conference play and having a better record than the Wildcats (ASU was 19-12), UA was still invited to the big dance based on their SOS (and their perceived prestige, I guarantee) while the Devils were relegated to #1 seed in the postseason NIT tournament.

While it is not realistic to expect this ASU team, sans Harden and Pendergraph, to be truly NCAA tournament-caliber, it does not hurt that we are 4-0 and playing well. This ASU squad has a lot of experience, and they have been known in recent years to be a fun team to watch. If the Sun Devils can put up a good fight against their opponents in Madison Square Garden, they will be in great shape come conference play.

Eric Boateng, a transfer from Duke, will be playing motivated basketball on Wednesday night. He has a lot to prove, and will see significant minutes as the #1 center for the Sun Devils. Boateng got into foul trouble against San Francisco the other night, and he will have to make smart decisions in order to stay in the game against the Blue Devils.

The Devils are at a crossroads, where their freshmen are learning from the experience of Glasser, Abbott, McMillan, and Kuksiks. Herb Sendek has developed his team mentally and physically, and the time has come for ASU to put on a show against an excellent Duke team.

BtB 2009-10 Pac-10 Preview

Chris Dobbertean — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 23:57:08 -0000

Last year, the Pac-10 was sneaky good on the national stage, sending 90 percent of its membership to the postseason with little preseason fanfare. However, the postseason ended up being a bit of a downer for the six teams who made the NCAAs, as only Arizona, who was probably the last team in the field of 65, made the second weekend. The College Basketball Invitational was a bigger success, as Oregon State and Stanford met in a semifinal. The Beavers won that matchup and ended up as champions--after they defeated UTEP in a three-game series. Oddly enough, Oregon State had to win the CBI to get to .500 for the year, which is a major accomplishment considering where the Beavers were before Craig Robinson's arrival.

All of that success came at a price for last year's contenders. Six Pac-10 players were selected in the first round of the NBA Draft: Pac-10 Player of the Year James Harden (Arizona State), All-Pac 10 first teamer Jordan Hill (Arizona), all-freshman selection DeMar DeRozan (USC), Jrue Holliday (UCLA), first team selection Darren Collison (also UCLA), and second teamer Taj Gibson (USC). Three more players, first-teamers Jeff Pendergraph (ASU), John Brockman (Washington), and Chase Budinger (also U of A), were selected in the second round. Of those nine, five were underclassmen.

That means the conference will have to try to replicate its success with only two all-Pac-10 first-teamers back (Patrick Christopher and Jerome Randle of California) and just two second-teamers, including Freshman of the Year Isaiah Thomas (UW), returning. That means those two teams, who unarguably lost the least, start out as the favorites. UCLA should fit in right behind, though they'll be young. Arizona should also be able to contend, though. much like the Bruins much depends on newcomers, and late signings at that. Oregon State, who should be even better in their second season in Robinson's system, could surprise more than West Coasters this time around, especially as most of their roster is intact. Among the remaining five teams, things are muddled. That mess may become clearer during the non-conference season.

The league also turned over 30 percent of its coaches during the offseason. I'll discuss those changes in each team's individual write up after the jump.

First, here's a look at the final 2008-09 Pac-10 standings.

Pacific-10 Conference Standings

(updated 4.4.2009 at 12:56 AM EDT)

	Conf		Overall
	W	L	W	L
Washington Huskies	14	4	26	9
UCLA Bruins	13	5	26	9
Arizona St. Sun Devils	11	7	25	10
California Golden Bears	11	7	22	11
USC Trojans	9	9	22	13
Arizona Wildcats	9	9	21	14
Washington St. Cougars	8	10	17	16
Oregon St. Beavers	7	11	18	18
Stanford Cardinal	6	12	20	14
Oregon Ducks	2	16	8	23

Now here are my picks for the 2009-10 season, presented in reverse order. If a team's name is a link, click it to go to that school's SBN site, where you'll find in-depth, team-specific analysis during the season.

Stanford (last NCAA: 2008) Johnny Dawkins' task wasn't going to be easy this season, as he had to replace his two leading scorers (Anthony Goods and Lawrence Hill) and his starting backcourt (Goods and Mitch Johnson). His task was made more difficult when start recruit Andy Brown was lost for the season with a torn ACL. Today, Dawkins indefinitely suspended guard Jeremy Green (6.4 ppg, 45.6% from 3, 2.1 rpg) for violating team rules further reducing the Cardinal roster. The best news for Dawkins is that senior forward Landry Fields (12.6 ppg, 6.6 rpg) is still around. He and 6-9 center Josh Owens (6.9 ppg, 3.6 rpg) will anchor the frontcourt, but inexperience in the backcourt could lead to Stanford spending a second straight year near the bottom of the league. The Cardinal will play in Cancun over Thanksgiving, where they'll face Virginia, then either Cleveland State or Kentucky.

USC (last NCAA: 2009) Tim Floyd left not long after he interviewed for the opportunity to be Lute Olson's replacement at Arizona. Replacing Floyd is...Kevin O'Neill, who was the coach-in-waiting in Tucson during the 2007-08 season. He faces a serious rebuilding project, as the Trojans second, third, and fourth leading scorers--Gibson, DeRozan, and Daniel Hackett of a year ago are all gone. Leading scorer Dwight Lewis (14.4 ppg, 3.3 rpg) is back, however, to anchor a frontcourt that should be respectable, as 6-9 UNC transfer Alex Stephenson is newly-eligible and 6-6 Marcus Johnson will be back from a shoulder injury. They'll join returnees Leonard Washington (6.1 ppg, 4.2 rpg) and Nikola Vucevic (2.6 ppg, 2.7 rpg). The backcourt is a major question mark though, as junior Donte Smith and freshman Percy Miller (aka Lil' Romeo) will compete with Charlotte transfer Mike Gerrity for the point guard spot that was supposed to be filled by Lamont Jones. The Trojans will spend Christmas in Hawai'i, which should be a winnable tournament, even in a down year.

Arizona State (last NCAA: 2009) The Sun Devils return three starters, most notably senior point guard Derek Glasser (8.8 ppg, 4.8 apg). However, the two starters who left are big pieces to replace, Harden and Pendergraph. Herb Sendek will have to rely on several returnees who saw little playing time last season and a boatload of newcomers, led by 7-2 Russian center Ruslan Pateev and 6-2 local product Demetrius Walker, to replace all of that production. Sendek's team should once again be one of the best in the country defensively (if the newbies buy into his system), but the big question will be can he get enough scoring. The Sun Devils host the West regional of the NIT, where Cal State-Northridge and TCU appear to be their biggest obstacles to getting to New York.

Washington State (last NCAA: 2008) Like the rest of the teams in what I'm projecting as the Pac-10's second division for this year, the Cougars lost significant scoring punch at the end of last season. In this case, their top two scorers are gone, Taylor Rochestie (13.2 ppg, 4.5 apg) and Aron Bynes (12.7 ppg, 7.5 rpg, 1.3 bpg). As you can see, the Cougs' former point guard and center brought more to the table than just points. So the challenge for former Portland State head coach Ken Bone in his first year as Tony Bennett's replacement is to find players who can fill those gaps, all while complementing 6-6 sophomore G Klay Thompson (12.5 ppg, 4.2 rpg), one of the best shooters in the conference. 6-8 sophomore and 6-9 Australian freshman Brock Motum will be called on to fill Bynes' spot, while Thompson will be supported by a couple of youngsters in the backcourt--Reggie Moore and Xavier Thomas. The Cougars head north for Thanksgiving. They'll compete in a Great Alaska Shootout group that includes hosts Alaska-Anchorage and Nicholls State. If they win both of those, they'll probably face Oklahoma in the final.

Oregon (last NCAA: 2008) Despite all the rumors to the contrary, Ernie Kent is still the head man in Eugene. Sure the Ducks only won 8 games during all of last year, including only two in the league, but that was with a team that featured eight freshmen. This year's Oregon outfit should be a bit more experienced, and may be even better next year, as leading scorer Tajuan Porter (15.4 ppg) and Joevan Catron (7.2 ppg, 6.6 rpg) are the only seniors on the roster. There's also only one junior, 6-5 swingman LeKendrick Longmire (9.9 ppg. 3.7 rpg). Kent really needs to get someone to play at the point, however, with JC transfer Malcolm Armstead the best hope. One of his teammates at Chipola CC, 6-7 F Jeremy Jacob is also expected to be a major contributor to the frontcourt alongside Catron, Longmire, and 6-10 C Michael Durnigan (8.4 ppg, 4.6 rpg). The Ducks will host a four-team round-robin very early in the season, where Colorado State should be their main competition for the title.

Arizona (last NCAA: 2009) Sean Miller left Xavier to replace Russ Pennell who replaced Kevin O'Neill who filled in for Lute Olson. His first couple of tasks in Tucson have to be considered major successes, as he kept 5-10 guard Nic Wise (15.7 ppg, 4.6 apg) from joining Hill and Budinger in the NBA. Then, he snagged a late recruiting class that should help keep the Wildcats competitive in the Pac-10. 6-6 Solomon Hill and 6-10, 255 pound C Kyryl Natyazhko will provide support to Jamelle Horne (6.8 ppg, 5.1 rpg) in the frontcourt. Two New Yorkers 5-11 Lamont Jones and 6-6 swingman Kevin Parrom could bring a whole new dimension to the Cats' game. The new look Wildcats get their first real test in Maui, where they open with Wisconsin and could face old tournament rival Gonzaga in their second game.

Oregon State (last NCAA: 1990) The Beavers edged toward respectability last year, claiming the CBI crown, beating Stanford in 3 or 4 meetings (the one loss was arguably the most crucial, in the Pac-10 tourney), and sweeping Cal (though they did provide the Ducks one of their two league triumphs). When I saw them play in their first game of last season, I thought it would be a very long season for Craig Robinson's squad. But they grew throughout the year and now they'll try to take the next step nationally. Point guard Rickey Claitt (7.4 ppg, 2.5 apg) is gone, but point center Roeland Schaftenaar (10.5 ppg. 4 rpg, 3.3 apg) is back. So is leading scorer Calvin Haynes (13 ppg, 3 rpg) and the Tarver brothers, starting PG Josh (3.9 ppg. 1.5 apg) and Seth (8 ppg, 5.4 rpg). The newcomers are a promising group as well. They include two Aussie forwards, Angus Brandt and Rhys Murphy, 6-7 forward Joe Burton, and guards Jared Cunningham and Roberto Nelson. Richmond transfer Chris Richard is also eligible this season, and he'll help bolster the backcourt. The Beavers will open their regular season in Lubbock as part of a four-team tournament. They'll challenge host Texas Tech for the title.

UCLA (last NCAA: 2009) A team that lost four of its top five leading scorers probably shouldn't be rated third in this league, but considering the roster changes and inexperience that hound teams four through 10, the Bruins sit here for the moment. Of course, Ben Howland's team could start slowly, as they've turned into the walking wounded during preseason practices. Forward Nikola Dragovic (9.4 ppg, 4.3 rpg) and G/F Michael Roll (6.7 ppg) are the Bruins two leading returning scorers, and Drew Gordon (3.6 ppg, 3.4 rpg) will undoubtedly get better with more time on the court. This season, Howland's freshmen, led by 6-9 swingman Tyler Honeycutt, 6-8 F Reeves Nelson, and 6-8 Mike Moser, are going to have to carry a lot of the load. The Bruins will anchor the 76 Classic, where they'll open with WCC contender Portland before facing a tough second opponent, Butler or Minnesota.

California (last NCAA: 2009) Mike Montgomery started to earn the trust of Cal fans last season, but if he can bring a Pac-10 crown to Berkeley, Golden Bear fans maybe, just maybe, able to stop seeing him as a Stanford guy. In a league decimated by player departures, Cal only lost only center Jordan Wilkes (4.7 ppg, 4 rpg). Their four leading scorers are back: Randle (18.3 ppg, 5 apg), Christopher (14.3 ppg, 2.1 apg), 6-6 F Theo Robertson (13.1 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 2.5 apg), and 6-8 F Jamal Boykin (9.6 ppg, 6.4 rpg). Montgomery's biggest challenge is getting more out of his bench, which is led by hardworking guard Jorge Gutierrez. He also needs to find a replacement for Wilkes. That could be 6-7 JC transfer Markhuri Sanders-Frison, but 6-10 Sudanese prospect Bak Bak could be an intriguing player for the Bears. Cal heads east for the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic, where they'll open with a Syracuse team who will have homecourt advantage at MSG. The winner of that tilt faces North Carolina or Ohio State. A trip to Lawrence to face Kansas also looms large.

Washington (last NCAA: 2009) Lorenzo Romar lost two key players off last year's Pac-10 champs, Brockman and G Justin Dentmon (14.5 ppg, 2.5 apg, 1.5 spg), but he recruited well. 6-3 Tacoma product Abdul Gaddy should slide into Dentmon's spot on the roster. Gaddy will focus on the point, while Thomas will play more in the 2 slot. Inside, 6-7 Clarence Trent will support senior Quincy Pondexter (12.1 ppg, 5.6 rpg), and 6-9 junior Matthew Bryan-Amaning (6 ppg, 4 rpg) should increase his contributions. The main challenge for UW will be replacing Brockman's prowess on the boards. He averaged nearly 12 a game, and it will be no small feat to replace them. The Huskies host a four-team round-robin tournament to open the season, featuring Belmont, Portland State, and Wright State. They also play Georgetown in this year's edition of the Wooden Classic.

It was a tough choice, but I'm picking Washington to edge Cal in the league race this season. The Huskies will hold Pac-10's auto bid in my 2009-10 Final Preseason Bracket, which I will release on November 9. Tune back in then to see my first guess at the number of bids the conference could receive in what might be a down year. Now, to wrap up this preview, here is my preseason All-Pac-10 team, featuring the best returning players from last season.

Preseason All-Pac-10 Team

Player of the Year: Jerome Randle, 5-10 G, Sr. (California)

Remainder of the Team
Patrick Christopher, 6-5 G, Sr. (California)
Quincy Pondexter, 6-6 F, Sr. (Washington)
Isaiah Thomas, 5-8 G, So. (Washington)
Nic Wise, 5-10 G, Sr. (Arizona)

Poll

Who is your pick to win the Pac-10 this season?

Arizona

8 votes

Arizona State

4 votes

California

28 votes

Oregon

2 votes

Oregon State

5 votes

Stanford

1 votes

UCLA

36 votes

USC

1 votes

Washington

363 votes

Washington State

4 votes

452 votes | Poll has closed

Declaration day: Pac-10's losers and winners

Nuss — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 18:00:46 -0000

More photos » by Reed Saxon - AP

That constipated look on Ben Howland's face? He's wondering just who the heck is going to play point for his team next year now that Jrue Holiday is officially gone. (AP Photo/Reed Saxon)

Browse more photos »

The deadline for underclassmen to announce their final intentions for the NBA Draft came and went yesterday. Here's a quick look and the losers and winners, from biggest to smallest, along with my way-too-early Pac-10 power rankings for next season.

LOSERS

USC: A couple of months ago, this pretty clearly would have been Arizona. Not anymore. Tim Floyd has resigned in disgrace and DeMar DeRozan, Taj Gibson and Daniel Hackett (!) are gone. I think it's become obvious that the program is in need of some serious house cleaning -- beyond these players leaving, there were some serious fractures on that team last year. The recruiting cupboard is all but bare, and there are likely sanctions on the way. Not a good day to be a Trojan. (But I guess we could say that about any day, right?)
Arizona State: James Harden is gone, and anyone who watched the Sun Devils play when he wasn't on the floor the last two years -- or when his legs finally gave out from inexcusable overuse -- know what that means. Herb Sendek has what appears to be a good recruiting class coming in, but let's be frank: None of them are game changers like Harden. He was a special kind of player that made Sendek look like a darn good coach. Let's see what he can do now that he doesn't have Harden around to ride like Secretariat.
Arizona: Boy, have the Wildcats pulled one heck of a magic act. In November, they were in complete disarray. Lute Olson was retiring just before the start of the season and their first choice for interim coach didn't want the job. Then, the season was mediocre by their standards, recruiting was at a standstill and it looked like their Big Three was bolting for the NBA. Now, they've got a fantastic coach in Sean Miller (after serendipitously being spurned by Tim Floyd), an unbelievable recruiting class considering the wreck this program was just a couple of months ago, and they're only losing Chase Budinger and Jordan Hill -- Nic Wise returns. Still not a great day for Arizona, but holy cow could it have been a lot worse.
UCLA: Had UCLA successfully recruited a point guard for this draft class, I suppose it would be debatable whether UCLA even belonged in the loser category, even with the loss of Jrue Holiday, who was never as good in LA as he was supposed to be. But with Darren Collison graduating and Holiday staying in the draft, the Bruins have a ton of question marks at the lead spot. Their leading returning assist men? Nikola Dragovic and Michael Roll. Yeah.

WINNERS

Cal: While traditional powers such as Arizona and UCLA got worse, Cal didn't have even one of its talented underclassmen test the draft waters. That means Jerome Randle, Patrick Christopher, Jamal Boykin and the rest of the Bears' roster will return. No team will be poised to take advantage of other teams' losses more than Cal, which will be a top 10 team heading into next season. The scary part is that they've got a coach who's used to his teams having to live up to high expectations. Watch out.
Washington: At the end of the year, people actually said with a straight face that Isaiah Thomas might declare for the draft. He didn't, and neither did Quincy Pondexter. With a fantastic recruiting class coming in led by Abdul Gaddy, the only thing keeping the Huskies from being a winner on Cal's level is the enormous question mark in the frontcourt where Jon Brockman used to be.
Washington State, Oregon State, Oregon, Stanford: This is a great time to be a program on the rise in the conference. After having some of the best teams in the country in 2007-08 and being unbelievably balanced last season, this figures to be a good time to be heading north, what with the traditional powers being down. There's room to move, and each of these programs have hope for the upcoming season that they can make that move.

Way-Too-Early Pac-10 Power Rankings

Cal - New version of WSU 2007-08 ... but with more talent. Scary.
Washington - Could easily repeat as Pac-10 champs if even one of their big men steps up inside. None of this foo-foo face up stuff; who will get dirty?
UCLA - I'm betting Ben Howland can figure out an adequate solution at PG.
Arizona - This shows just how fast it drops off after top 3. Depth still will be a major issue, but the combo of Wise and Fogg will make for a formidable backcourt.
Oregon State - This is a tough one: Does the Pac-10 stop being fooled by the Princeton offense, or does OSU get even better after another year in the system?
Arizona State - Still lots of experience here. Derek Glasser is underrated -- I understand, it's tough to take that chest hair seriously -- and Ty Abbott could be the breakout player of the year in the conference out of Harden's shadow.
Washington State - My heart wants to rank the Cougs higher, but with a new coach and still loads of inexperienced players ...
Oregon - Lots of talent. However, Ernie Kent doesn't exactly have a track record of coaching guys up to dramatic improvements between their first and second year. Look for the Ducks to be better in 2010-11. If Kent can hang on that long.
Stanford - Big losses (Goods, Hill, Johnson) and a solid-but-unspectacular recruiting class don't scream "mover and shaker."
USC - Until they get a coach and one or two of the as-yet-unsigned recruits, this is a team staring at the bottom of the conference.

What we've learned so far in the NCAA Tournament

MRickman84 — Sun, 22 Mar 2009 01:03:17 -0000

Spare the jokes about how we learned that Dino can't coach in the postseason and the Deacs still can't win in March. Aside from that, we have learned some interesting things after the first three days of the NCAA Tournament...

1.) Teams that jack it up lose.

Teams that rely on the three-ball as a primary portion of the offense lose in the tournament. They just do. Look at: Michigan, Butler, Portland State, Akron, Mississippi State, Utah, American, Northern Iowa, Temple, Ohio State-- all these teams are in the Top 100 in 3pt Attempted/FGA. Defenses are better in the NCAA Tournament, and teams will make you pay if you have a bad shooting night or can't rebound the ball.

2.) Stars will be stars

Role players often have breakout games (Derek Glasser!), but stars rule the NCAA Tournament. Blake Griffin, Ty Lawson, Terrence Williams, Hasheem Thabeet, the big-time players come out in March

3.) Big men still matter

I know it's a guard's league, but the big fellas still hold their own in the Dance. Blake Griffin had 32 points today in Oklahoma's win, Purdue's Jajuan Johnson went crazy against Washington's Jon Brockman (who also had a big game), Tyler Hansbrough and Ed Davis had good games against LSU--the boys in the middle make a difference, especially against teams that have a hole at the center position.

4.) But don't forget the guards

Guards take the big shots when it counts. When a team is down two with the ball, the big guy doesn't take the shot--the star guard does. And they shine. Dionte Christmas had a huge game, Cedric Jackson and Cleveland State went off against Wake Forest, James Harden scored seven straight when Arizona State needed him most, Ty Lawson and Wayne Ellington carried North Carolina. Guards win Championships.

5.) It pays to press

Teams in March who haven't seen the press panic. It's just true. If you spend your whole year without seeing it, a good press will take a team out of their game plan. That's why Louisville is picked to go so far. That's why Missouri is a darkhorse to go to the Final Four. Pressing teams turn opponents over, get quick buckets and make teams play at their tempo. Excuse Clemson from this conversation; apparently OP can't win in March at all.

What do you all think? Any other cardinal rules to this year's tournament?

Peeling The Orange: Getting To Know Syracuse

Cory Williams — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 23:39:57 -0000

With the second round fast approaching, we have teamed up with SBN's Syracuse blog, Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician to help satiate our readers' hungry minds. We exchanged Q&A's, so enjoy my probing questions about 'Cuse on their site.

What did the 6 overtime game against Connecticut tell you about your team?

Well before we get to the UConn game, I don't think Syracuse is in the right mindset to win that one unless the Seton Hall game happens the day before. SU played what was supposed to be an easy win over Seton Hall in the 2nd round of the Big East Tournament. It was just that, an easy win. But the game was extremely chippy and very physical. It got heated and the Syracuse players did something I hadn't seen from them in months. They got angry. And it came out as a swagger I wasn't used to seeing out of these guys.

So the next night against UConn, I like to think some of that was still there. Not that Devendorf needs more swagger, but I think the rest of the guys were playing with a new-found confidence that was lacking the first time they played UConn. Ultimately, if there's anything the UConn game taught us it's that these guys aren't done proving themselves. They know they have underachieved as a group for the last couple years and they're sick of hearing about it. They've got chips on their shoulders but for the first time they're being motivated by that instead of being held back by it.

Plus we learned how to beat Hasheem Thabeet. Just play at least 4 OTs. Simple.

How does Syracuse match up against the zone?

Well, if there's any two teams out there that know the zone, its the two of us. So we're not going to be caught off guard by it, we've been practicing it all season. As I'm sure you guys have learned, sometimes all it takes to break the zone is a hot hand outside. We've got two guys, Andy Rautins and Eric Devendorf, who can light it up from three-point range if they're feeling it. If they're not, we're going to have to rely more on the big men and Jonny Flynn's ability to get them the ball. That's a little trickier. All of our big guys are streaky and Paul Harris is a certifiable wild card on the offensive side of the ball some nights.

Did Syracuse exceed expectations this year?

It didn't feel like it at times, but yes they did. First, we came out of a tough OOC schedule with wins over Florida, Kansas and Memphis en route to a 12-1 record heading into Big East play. The Big East scheduling Gods decided to give us an easy start and an easy finish but the middle was a gauntlet unlike anything I've ever seen. We came out of a ten-game stretch that included games against Pitt, Louisville, UConn, Nova and West Virginia with a 3-7 record. It felt like we were taking a huge step back and there was nervous chatter about being on the bubble for brief period. But we finished the season strong and then the Big East Tournament happened. We were expecting a six seed before the BET so eventually getting a three seed was way ahead of expectations. Now, we have to make good on it. SU fans want to see this team go back to the Sweet Sixteen at least, and although they might not say it out loud, they expect the team to go even further.

How is part 2 of the Eric Devendorf experiment going?

You know, having Eric Devendorf on your team can be a little like having Terrell Owens or Jeremy Shockey on your team. As long as their making plays and scoring a lot, you can overlook all that other stuff. Lately, Devo has been making SU fans forget about the other stuff.

Hasn't always been that way. As you can imagine, he's got a bit of an ego and he lets that take control of his game sometimes. I can't tell you how many times I've watched him on a 2-on-1 fastbreak where he had an easy assist option and he passes it up to take, and miss, the shot. He doesn't like to admit that Jonny Flynn is the floor general, not him, and he's constantly trying to put the Orange on his back, with varying results.

There's rumors out there that he's going to leave after this season. Obviously he's not NBA material but he could have a lucrative career in Europe. If he does come back, I don't think SU fans will think that's a terrible thing. Assuming Jonny stays as well we will have the entire starting five back and we'll be even deeper with one of the top recruiting classes coming in. But if he does go, we will wish him well and move on just fine.

Jonny Flynn is dynamite. What kind of performance will he give against ASU?

Depends on what kind of performance ASU gives as well. Jonny is going to try and control the tempo of the game, pushing it up the floor and looking for Devo and Rautins on the wings or Paul Harris in the corners. If ASU puts Syracuse in a hole, expect Jonny to step up his one-on-one attack and try to create points himself. At the end of the day the one thing you can count on more than anything is that Jonny will be on the court. If he's out of the game for even a minute I will be shocked.

Paul Harris averages 12.6 points a game. If he is unable to go on Sunday due to his thumb injury, how would that affect the Syracuse game plan?

Paul is something of an enigma on offense. When left to his own devices, he is a mess. If he's not throwing up a crazy shot, he's missing a wide open dunk about as badly as someone can do it. But, if he's grabbing loose balls or rebounds and creating off of someone else's play, he's money. He's the ultimate garbage man. He'll put together a 17 point-12 rebound game and you almost won't even know how he did it.

So Paul would be missed greatly and mostly for reasons that don't show up in the stat columns. Add that to the fact that our sixth man Kristof Ongenaet was sick and missed today's game and Syracuse's already-thin bench could be getting razor-thin real quick. Not to mention the fact that it would deplete our inside game immensely, something that could bite us very quickly if we get into foul trouble.

I wish you guys luck now, because I won't be doing so come Sunday.

Sean

Keep yours eyes "peeled" on Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician to find out even more about Syracuse. Go Devils!

Upset (and Scare) Friday at the NCAA Tournament

MRickman84 — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 22:35:56 -0000

Whew. So there were some close games today. I really thought ETSU could possibly pull it out. Every time Pitt would hit a shot, the Bucs would come back down and drain another one. But there were some teams today who weren't so lucky...

How about those Dayton Flyers! Huggy Bear's problems in the NCAA Tournament continue (last year not withstanding--that was all Joe Alexander). The Big East has looked less than inspiring with Pitt's struggles, Marquette slipping by with a one point victory over Utah State, 'Nova having their hands full with American, as well as the WVU loss.

Really 'Cuse is the only Big East team thus far to really pummel somebody--and that is just because Stephen F. Austin is a terrible shooting team and the Orange play that good zone.

Speaking of Syracuse, what is Jim Boeheim thinking playing Jonny Flynn and Devendorf almost 40 minutes today? The game was never in doubt and Flynn and Devendorf have to be getting tired. This is going to come back to bite them and soon--it might happen in their game against Arizona State on Sunday.

On the subject of Arizona State, this is one dangerous team. Despite an inspired effort from Temple's Dionte Christmas (29 points and four rebounds), the Sun Devils moved on. Superstar James Harden did not have his best game (he hit his first shot from the floor with four minutes remaining in the game), but he scored seven straight points after that for Herb Sendek's squad when it counted and secured the victory.

The Devils also got a great game from Jeff Pendergraph (22 and seven rebounds) and from Derek Glasser, who had 17 in the first half and finished with 22 points and four assists on 6-8 shooting, 4-5 from 3pt.

If Arizona State gets by 'Cuse on Sunday, they could be a possible Elite Eight team. They are that disciplined on offense and that patient on defense.

Missouri coasted as expected--this is one of the better three seeds. Kansas on the other hand, struggled. Kansas is not that good a ball club and they will be exposed and soon. Dayton, if they play their game, could knock the Jayhawks off, but don't expect Bill Self to take the Flyers lightly.

The Oklahoma State-Tennesee game was a slug fest. If Ok State can hit shots, they could stick it to Pitt. The problem is, with those scare games against the lower seeds, sometimes those teams "find themselves" and recommitt. We could see Pitt really explode next game if Oklahoma State isn't careful.

Games to watch tonight: Wisconsin vs. Florida State, USC vs. BC, Siena vs. Ohio State and of course Wake Forest vs. Cleveland State.

Don't worry Vikings. I'm afraid, but hopefully the Deacs are not afraid--they are just ready to go out and stick it to Cleveland State. We'll find out in just a few hours.