SB Nation - Dwight Lewis

GameDay Open Thread: USC vs. Tennessee

Joey Kaufman — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 19:22:26 -0000

More photos » by Chris Carlson - AP

7 days ago: Southern California guard Dwight Lewis, left, is fouled by Idaho State guard Austin Kilpatrick during the second half of a NCAA basketball game in Los Angeles, Friday, Dec. 11, 2009. USC won 59-53. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)

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USC Trojans vs. Tennessee, December 19, 2009 1:30 PM PST, Fox Sports West

For the first time since a December 3^rd matchup against Texas in Austin, a USC basketball game will be televised - this time on Fox Sports West. However, the Trojans may not like too many people to tune, as they take on 9^th ranked Tennessee, causing many pundits nationwide to predict a blowout in favor of the Volunteers. But still, there is a chance, albeit a small one, for Kevin O'Neill's bunch to earn an upset after the group was competitive against the second-ranked Longhorns earlier this month. Here's a short preview from the Los Angeles Times:

Update: USC has won two straight games since consecutive defeats to ranked teams on the road. Tennessee has won four straight since its only loss of the season, a 73-72 defeat to then-No. 5 Purdue in the final of the Paradise Jam. The Volunteers return five starters from a 21-win team a year ago and lead the Southeastern Conference in scoring (84.1) and scoring margin (23.9).

It has been eight days since the Trojans last suited up for a game, so as a result, there have been a few minor changes to the lineup

Senior point guard Mike Gerrity, who transferred from Charlotte and played at Pepperdine earlier in his career, will finally be eligible after the NCAA granted him a "progress towards degree" waiver. Highly-regarded for his excellent ball handling skills, the Mater Dei product will take over the starting point guard position from Donte Smith, who has started all eight games so far.
Freshman forward Evan Smith, who has become a valuable contributor off the bench, will miss this afternoon's game after suffering a mild concussion during practice last Tuesday. He also missed the Sacramento State game a week ago after contracting bronchitis.
Sophomore point guard Percy Miller, who was serving as the backup to Smith during Gerrity's absence, is questionable for the game because of an AC joint sprain in his left shoulder that was aggravated about a week ago.
While Gerrity is now eligible to play, the Trojans are still waiting for sophomore Leonard Washington to become elgible as well, but unlike the senior point guard, he was not granted a waiver and must wait until the team's December 31^st matchup against Arizona to finally take the court.

So tonight's starting 5 should look something like this:

C-Alex Stepheson

F-Nikola Vucevic

F-Marcus Johnson

G-Dwight Lewis

G-Mike Gerrity

Much like the games against Texas and Georgia Tech, today's matchup will provide this group with a learning experience and opportunity to grow as a unit against tough competition. But still, the goal is clearly to come away with a victory, and there a few things the Trojans can do to put themselves in a position to do just that.

Take care of the ball. There is no question that the Achilles heel of this team has been their knack for turnovers. So far, they rank last in the Pac-10 in this department, but with the return of Gerrity, there is reason to believe that progress could be made.
Slow the game down. This is extremely important for two main reasons. One, the Trojans don't have a ton of depth so if they're forced to play a high energy, up-and-down contest than it's certainly foreseeable for their players to get sluggish during the second half. Two, Tennessee is one of the highest scoring teams in the country and excels in transition. The Trojans fail in both categories, as they are not known for their scoring and are far more half court-oriented team. Playing at that pace, would be the quickest way for them to put themselves out of the game.
Stay out of foul trouble. The Trojans will need their two big men, Alex Stepheson and Nikola Vucevic, to play close to 40 minutes, as Tennessee relies on an athletic front line for a lot of their scoring. Once again, the Trojans have a thin bench so if either Stepheson or Vucevic get in foul trouble early, it could be a long afternoon for O'Neill's crew.

Prediction: As much as I'd like to see, I simply can't envision a scenario in which USC is able to pull off the upset, primarily because Tennessee is such a quality basketball team that is more than deserving of their top ten ranking. I think this will be similar to the Texas game, in which the Trojans are competitive for the first half, until the Volunteers blow it open with a strong second half. So in the end, I think Tennessee rolls 73-57.

Tennessee at USC Preview with Conquest Chronicles

Will — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 15:00:23 -0000

More photos » by Chris Carlson - AP

7 days ago: Southern California forward Alex Stepheson dunks against Idaho State during the first half of an NCAA basketball game in Los Angeles, Friday, Dec. 11, 2009. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)

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We traded questions with the fine folks at Conquest Chronicles for Saturday's game between the Vols and Trojans - Joey Kaufman was kind enough to answer for us, and you can find our responses at their site.

1.) How well is this team adjusting to Kevin O'Neill's style and tempo?
So far this season, the Trojans appear to be fully on board with Kevin O’Neill's style of play, which carries both positives and negatives. Traditionally, O’Neill’s team’s are extremely tough defensively so the fact that the Trojans are holding opponents to 58 points per game and 38.5% shooting this early in the season are certainly good signs. No team has scored over 80 points on them despite the fact that they played both Texas and Georgia Tech on the road. However, while the team has bought into O’Neill's defensive-oriented philosophy, they unfortunately have adopted his offensive plan as well. After eight games, the Trojans rank last in the Pac-10 and 255th nationally in points per game with 59. Not only are the Trojans slowing the game down, but they continue to shoot poorly from the field. So far, they have posted a field goal shooting percentage of just 42% and a 3-point shooting percentage of 30%. That isn’t exactly indicative of a great offensive team. Unfortunately, nothing in O’Neill’s past seems to suggest the poor offensive showing this season is anything of an aberration so it remains to be seen how much they will or even can improve.

2.) What did USC learn from losses to other ranked teams in Texas and Georgia Tech? How well did they play in those games?

The road games against Texas and Georgia Tech were real tests for the Trojans, but unfortunately, they failed both miserably. Against the Longhorns, O’Neill’s bunch was somewhat competitive, as they trailed by just six at halftime and even four at the 9-minute mark in the second half. But Nikola Vucevic, who had 18 points on the game, soon fouled out, and Texas was able to finish strongly and win by a score of 69-50. While the game in Austin did feature at least some positives, the matchup against Georgia Tech was an utter disaster. Dwight Lewis was benched six minutes into the game, the team turned the ball over 19 times, and eventually lost by 26 points.

And to be perfectly honest, I’m not sure exactly what this team learned from the either game. One of the common denominators in both losses was their tendency to turn the ball over and allow the opposition to go on multiple scoring runs. You would think in the contests following they would try and shore up the problem, but turnovers continued to haunt the Trojans in home games against Sacramento State and Idaho State – 25 against SSU and 17 against ISU. Something clearly needs to change.

3.)   Who are the players the Vols should watch out for on Saturday?

The Vols really need to keep an eye on two guys in particular – Dwight Lewis and Alex Stepheson. By all accounts, Lewis is the Trojans’ best scorer and has the capability of scoring fifteen-to-twenty points on any given night provided he gets enough attempts. Against UC Riverside, he scored 22 points, and most recently had 19 against Idaho State. He is a shooter first and foremost, so Tennessee must make sure he doesn’t get too many open looks. Stepheson is the Trojans’ starting center and has been a force on the defensive so far this season, as he averages 3 blocks and nearly 10 rebounds per game. Most recently, he recorded double-doubles against Sacramento State and Idaho State, as well as 7 and 4 blocked shots.

4.)   In an obvious down year for the Pac-10, what are the expectations for the Trojans? How far can they go?

The Pac-10 is so awful this year that many Trojan fans actually believe that ‘SC has an outside chance to take home the conference crown and earn an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament once again. While certainly an unlikely scenario, their estimations are not too far off either. Cal and Washington are the only legitimate threats to win the title, and even both teams have looked vulnerable this season (Cal lost to New Mexico and Washington lost to Texas Tech). So theoretically, the Trojans could end up earning an automatic bid to the Big Dance simply because they have the chance of winning the conference’s postseason tournament this March – which fortunately takes place about 5-10 minutes away from USC at Staples Center. I certainly don’t think they end up finishing first, but a top half finish and trip to the NIT are certainly viable possibilities.

5.)   Through his first eight games, how much have people bought into what O'Neill is doing? Is USC on board with O'Neill or are people still skeptical?

So far Trojan fans have been very reasonable with Kevin O’Neill, especially considering the circumstances surrounding the program right now. Even when he was hired, O’Neill, who has sub-500 career record, did not receive an inordinate amount of criticism, as most fans realized that USC was not in the position to hire a top-notch coach. The best term to describe the outlook most fans have toward O’Neill right now is "cautiously optimistic," as he has already proven to be a capable recruiter in his short stint as the Trojans’ head man. So far, ESPNU ranked the Trojans’ Class of 2010 in their top twenty and the jewel of the group is 6’4" wingman Bryce Jones, who is regarded by some to be the best perimeter player coming out of Southern California this year. So through recruiting alone, many Trojan fans have become believers in O’Neill. In terms of the on-the-court product this year, most are willing to give O’Neill a break considering this team’s lack of depth due to the Tim Floyd/O.J. Mayo fiasco that occurred in June, and are taking on the "wait and see" approach.

Trojans' Return to .500 Incredibly Painful

Joey Kaufman — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 07:08:20 -0000

More photos » by Chris Carlson - AP

7 days ago: Southern California guard Dwight Lewis, left, blocks a shot by Idaho State guard Donnie Carson during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in Los Angeles, Friday, Dec. 11, 2009. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)

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While it may be cliché to say, each athletic competition provides teams with the opportunity to either improve upon their previous performance or instead continue to develop poor tendencies. Unfortunately, the latter was the case during the Trojans' 59-53 victory over Idaho State on Friday night.

Despite a seemingly more talented starting five, USC struggled immensely during the second half of the game when Idaho State reverted to a stifling zone defense that made it increasingly difficult for the Trojans' offense to find any success. ‘SC, which started off the game firing on all cylinders, held a commanding 25-6 lead at the 10:36 mark. Using a fluid offense, placing an emphasis on feeding the ball to big men Alex Stepheson and Nikola Vucevic while allowing Dwight Lewis to see open looks from the outside, the Trojans appeared poised to cruise to a relatively easy home victory.

However, over the next thirty minutes, the Trojans' shooting suddenly went stone cold, especially when facing a tough Idaho State 2-3 defense, and as a result, the Trojans were outscored by the Bengals 47-34 over the remaining portion of the game. Not exactly a pretty showing.

Yes, there were some positives, but Friday night's performance summed up everything that is presently wrong with this basketball team. Despite the fact they have already played in eight games, the Trojans continue to be hindered by some bad tendencies.

1.) Turnovers: Coming into tonight's game the Trojans were second to last in the Pac-10 in turnovers per-game average, and dead last in assist-to-turnover ratio. Despite two additional days of practice, nothing appeared drastically different against Idaho State. No, there weren't 26 turnovers, but an assist to turnover ratio of 13:17 is not a particularly comforting sign either. At one point, they even had a turnover on seven consecutive possessions, which clearly indicates that this is a lingering issue for this team.

2.) Free Throwing: The problem with the Trojans' dismal shooting from the charity stripe is the fact that it isn't just one player holding down the team's free throw shooting percentage. Alex Stepheson went 0-for-3 from the foul line, Marcus Johnson went 2-for-6, and Nikola Vucevic 2-for-4. A night where they shoot 56% collectively on 25 free throw attempts can be rather frustrating.

3.) Vucevic's lack of shot attempts: Despite the fact that he is presently the team's leading scorer, I find it incredibly strange that this team does not get their starting power forward the ball more often in the low post. Kid Euro, who is shooting 55% from the field, had just six shot attempts, which is incredibly low especially when compared to Marcus Johnson's 12 shots. Not only did he have so few field goal attempts, but he rarely touched the ball even when Idaho State utilized a zone defense. There is no reason this should occur, especially when you have a player with his skill set.

4.) Depth or lack thereof: At the end of the day, the Trojans' lack of depth will eventually serve as their Achilles' heel. Using just eight players (2 of whom, Davis Rozitis and Evan Smith, played a combined total of 4 minutes) makes it incredibly tough down the stretch. Lewis, Stepheson, and Vucevic, were all visibly tired during the winding minutes of the second half, and the mere fact that they were able to finish the game is testament to a good offseason conditioning program and overall effort.

Yet, while these remain crucial problems for the Trojans, Kevin O'Neill's emphasis on tough defense gives Trojan fans such as myself hope for the future. Once again the Trojans held a team to a field goal shooting percentage that was less than their season average. Idaho State shot just 35% on the night, when they are accustomed to shooting around 43%. The mere fact that they make it incredibly challenging for the opposition to score or receive second chance scoring opportunities keeps the team in the game even when the offense struggles - which is happening quite frequently. If they can possibly shore up some of the lingering problems, then it remains possible that they won't just be a .500 team this season.

GameDay Open Thread: USC vs. Idaho State

Joey Kaufman — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 00:11:29 -0000

More photos » by Jeff Lewis - AP

about 1 month ago: Southern California's Marcus Simmins and UC Riverside's Larry Gurganious fight for a loose ball during the second half of their NCAA college basketball game on Tuesday, Nov. 17, 2009, in Los Angeles. USC won 77-67. (AP Photo/Jeff Lewis)

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USC Trojans vs. Idaho State, December 11, 2009 7:30 PST

Yet again, tonight's contest won't be televised so the only way you're going to watch ‘SC hoops is if you subscribe to Trojans all-access or head down to Jefferson and Figueroa for some live action. Despite the fact that five of the first seven games so far have been at home, the Trojans have yet to win consecutive games so tonight's matchup with the Bengals should provide an interesting test. Here's the preview from the official team site:

The USC Trojans (3-4) will face the Idaho State Bengals (2-7) on Dec. 11 in the Galen Center at 7:30 p.m. The game will be broadcast live on USCTrojans.com. It will also air live on USC radio flagship sister station KGIL 1260 AM with Rory Markas and Jim Hefner calling the action.

SCOUTING THE BENGALS -- The Idaho State Bengals are 2-7 this season after falling 79-67 at home to Boise State on Dec. 9. ISU was 13-19 last season, but return 4 starters and 8 lettermen. They have wins this season vs. Colorado Christian and at UMKC. ISU's leading scorers through 9 games are Amorrow Morgan (15.3), Broderick Gilchrest (13.1) and Demetrius Monroe (11.7). USC leads the all-time series 4-0, winning the last meeting 77-68 on Nov. 28, 1980.

USC DEFEATS SACRAMENTO STATE -- USC defeated Sacramento State 51-36 at the Galen Center on Dec. 8 to snap a three-game losing streak. The Trojans committed a season-high 25 turnovers, but held the Hornets to 23.0 percent shooting to secure the victory. USC recorded 12 blocks in the game, tying the school record set in 1982. Nikola Vucevic (14 points/15 rebounds) and Alex Stepheson (10 points/10 rebounds) both registered double-doubles.

Just a few more things to keep in mind before you all get carried away in the comments section:

1.) Idaho State isn't the typical 2-7 team. Despite a rather pedestrian record, the Bengals have played a tough schedule so far that has included the likes of Bradley, BYU, Notre Dame, and Utah. As a result, their experience against some of the nation's tougher foes should make their matchup with the Trojans all the more competitive.

2.) The Trojans must protect the ball. According to an article in yesterday's Los Angeles Times, the Trojans have committed 61 turnovers in the past three games alone, and they presently rank second to last in the Pac-10 in turnovers per-game average with 16.9. These numbers need to drastically improve if ‘SC is to be competitive in the conference so it would certainly be refreshing to see the Trojans significantly improve in the taking care of the ball, especially after their 25-turnover game against Sacramento State on Tuesday.

3.) They must continue to dominate the glass. Since the return of Alex Stepheson two weeks ago, the Trojans have out-rebounded all of their opponents, including second ranked Texas and twenty-third ranked Georgia Tech. If the trend continues, it's hard to imagine the Trojans losing to less talented foes such as Idaho State.

4.) Dwight Lewis needs another big game. I said this in my last post, but just to reiterate - if the Trojans intend on maximizing their potential as a team this year and finish in the top half of the Pac-10, than they will need Dwight Lewis to become a legitimate number one scoring threat. This team needs an individual with Lewis's talent and ability to create his own shot and lift the team on offense down the stretch. The Georgia Tech game in which Lewis played six minutes and failed to score a single point raised question marks regarding Lewis, but if he can bounce back with another solid couple of games (i.e. scoring close to 20 points), then there is reason for ‘SC fans to be confident in his abilities once again.

Leave your thoughts on tonight's matchup below.

Fight On! Beat the Bengals!

Trojans Return to Comfort of Galen With Encouraging Victory

Joey Kaufman — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 07:21:57 -0000

More photos » by Jason Redmond - AP

10 days ago: Southern California guard Dwight Lewis (21) goes up for a shot against Sacramento State in the second half of their NCAA college basketball game in Los Angeles on Tuesday, Dec. 8, 2009. Southern California won 51-36. (AP Photo/Jason Redmond)

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After a frustrating road trip in which the Trojans suffered embarrassing defeats at the hands of both Texas and Georgia Tech, the concept of returning to Los Angeles to face a sub-.500 team from the Big Sky conference seemed more than appealing. Placed in an ideal setting, this was the type of game in which ‘SC needed to come out with a bang, showcasing its offensive prowess as well as its defensive toughness. Unfortunately, only one of those was accomplished in the team's 51-36 victory over the visiting Sacramento State Hornets.

While the drawbacks of Tuesday night's performance were quite noticeable, it remains incredibly important to note that this inexperienced team took some small, yet significant steps in the right direction. Most importantly, their senior leader and team captain Dwight Lewis bounced back from a dismal outing against Georgia Tech (0 points in 6 minutes) by scoring 16 points on 5-for-12 shooting in 38 minutes of action. It wasn't his best game by a long shot, but after being benched by head coach Kevin O'Neill on Saturday, it was more than refreshing to see Lewis playing like his usual self.

If Lewis is incapable of scoring in double figures on a consistent basis, then this team has absolutely no chance of finishing in the upper half of the Pac-10 this winter. It's tough to put so much pressure on one guy, but when you lose half your team to the professional ranks and your recruiting class vanishes out of thin air, there is only so much you can do. With a rotation of just 7 or 8 guys, somebody has to provide a significant percentage of the scoring output, and that guy has to be Lewis.

But what will make most ‘SC fans enthusiastic about the 2009-2010 Trojans was the team's strong inside presence, which completely dominated a physically inferior Hornets team. But don't get me wrong - Sacramento State is certainly a respectable opponent. They aren't an intimidating foe (see: losses to Idaho, UC Riverside, and Weber State). But they did defeat the Pac-10's Oregon State Beavers after leading by 22 points at halftime so they aren't a total pushover either. Still, the Trojans made them look like a division-two team with their dominating interior defense. When the final whistle blew, the Trojans had 12 blocks (7 by starting center Alex Stepheson) and 49 total rebounds. In comparison Sacramento State grabbed just 29 boards and had 0 blocked shots.

The combination of Stepheson and sophomore forward Nikola Vucevic made it nearly impossible on the Hornets' starting big men, Justin Eller and Michael Selling, who combined for just 3 points on 0-for-9 shooting. That isn't going to beat anybody, much less a team from the Pac-10.

But Eller and Selling weren't the only ones to struggle when it came to scoring. Collectively Sac State shot just 23% from the field and went 3-for-16 from behind the arc. But it wasn't just an "off night" for the Hornets, as much credit deserves to be doled out to the Trojan defense, which held them to far below their season averages (41% from the field and 31% from 3-point land).

While the defensive capabilities of O'Neill's bunch were certainly a site to see, the offense proved to be another story. Playing with just seven players, the Trojans continued to experience some of the same problems, which plagued them on their three-game slide last week. Free throw shooting was abysmal, as the team shot just 60% from the charity stripe. The assists were astoundingly low yet again (13), while they finished with a season high 26 turnovers. The Trojans aren't going anywhere if they collectively post an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1:2. But on a positive note, most of the blame for the low ratio doesn't need to be placed on the shoulders of junior point guard Donte Smith, who had five assists compared to just 2 turnovers - a significant improvement from a player who was averaging three turnovers per assist prior to tonight's contest.

Provided this team can shore up its lingering turnover problem and dismal free throw shooting, then it remains quite possible that they could make last week's disastrous road trip a distant memory.

Six Games In, USC Hoops Providing Only a Few Answers

Joey Kaufman — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 02:09:46 -0000

More photos » by Mark J. Terrill - AP

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Just six games into the 2009-2010 college basketball season, there are still plenty of questions surrounding Kevin O'Neill's rag-tag Trojan bunch. USC, which presently holds a rather pedestrian 2-4 record, has proven capable of competing with some of the nation's top teams (see: Thursday's game at Texas), while at the same time, they have also showed a tendency to lose to inferior opponents (see: a November 21^st home loss to LMU). Based solely on these games, it can be rather difficult to evaluate these Trojans, who continue to raise numerous question marks that make in nearly impossible for ‘SC fans and casual observers to form any conclusions regarding this year's squad. However, even with that said, there are still a few things that the early part of the season has taught us:

1.) Nikola Vucevic is a budding star

After just six games, one thing is absolutely clear: Nikola Vucevic is the most skilled big man in the Pac-10 conference. I don't mean to suggest that he is the most complete player or the most physically dominant. In fact, I strongly believe his shot-blocking, defensive positioning, and ability to run a pick-and-roll could all use some work, especially at this stage in his career. However, I do mean to suggest that the true sophomore is the most complete big man that the conference has to offer in terms of offensive skills and fundamentals. He is capable of scoring in numerous ways, either down at the block or 10-15 feet away from the basket. So far this year, "Kid Euro," as the message board geeks frequently call him, has averaged a double-double with 14.5 points per game and 10.3 rebounds per game despite attempting just 11.5 field goals per game. As the season progresses, expect Vucevic's offensive efficiency to continue to grow.

2.) Donte Smith is not an adequate Pac-10 point guard

Personally, I really like Donte Smith. The guy is a hard worker, and he lost a ton of weight this past offseason in order to better serve a depleted Trojan team this year. However, despite his efforts, there is still very little reason to believe that the Pomona, California native can actually serve as an effective point guard for the Trojans. Early results indicate that Smith is incapable of distributing the ball to the team's scorers efficiently, as he presently posts a sub-par assist-to-turnover ratio of 2:5. That isn't going to cut in the Pac-10, even if it's a down year for the conference.

3.) Free throw shooting is still an issue

Under Tim Floyd, free throw shooting served as the team's Achilles' heel, as poor shooting down the stretch often proved extremely detrimental to the team's chances of success. It doesn't appear any different in 2009, as the team collectively holds a free throw shooting percentage of 67%. That just isn't going to win games. As the 2007-2008 Memphis Tigers proved, free throw shooting can often determine results and when a team is shooting this poorly from the charity stripe, it's tough to imagine them winning any close games.

4.) Dwight Lewis should not be your best player

Being one of the few holdovers from the Tim Floyd era, it is understandable as to why so many fans and media members were prepared to anoint Dwight Lewis as the savior for the 2009-2010 USC basketball season. But early results indicate that Lewis is not prepared to shoulder the burden as the team's leader. Through six games, the Louisiana native, who averaged 14.4 points per game last season, has posted an average of just 10.7 points per game. That won't satisfy too many people, especially after the senior captain was expected to shoulder much of the offensive burden with the departures of DeMar DeRozan, Taj Gibson, and Daniel Hackett. What has been the most disturbing aspect of Lewis's season thus far has been his tendency to be a complete non-factor in some games. After scoring a season-high 22 points in the opener against UC Riverside, he scored just 11 and 6 in the following two games against Loyola Marymount and Coppin State. In Saturday's debacle at Georgia Tech, in which the Trojans lost by 26 points, Lewis scored zero points while playing just six minutes. It's a bad sign when your supposedly top player can score over 20 points in one game yet fail to score at all in another.

5.) Reinforcements are needed

In the season opener against UCR, Kevin O'Neill played just seven players - a clear indication of the team's severe lack of depth at this point in the season. Luckily, help is on the way. North Carolina transfer, Alex Stepheson, who missed the first two games of the season, has come on strong as of late. Against Texas, Stepheson was a severe disappointment after going 0-for-8 from the field, while scoring just 1 point. Yes, he did grab eight rebounds, which was a much needed boost for the team, but his offensive capabilities were severely limited. However, against Georgia Tech, it looked as if the 6'9" center had finally turned the corner by scoring 22 points on 7-of-14 shooting and grabbing 7 rebounds. If he can be that productive on the offensive end, then the Trojans will have a nice inside combination of Stepheson and Vucevic. Yet, even the return of Stepheson to form won't be enough to catapult the Trojans into the upper-echelon of the conference. They will need Mike Gerrity, a transfer from Charlotte who is eligible to play in January, to be capable of taking over the point from Smith, and Leonard Washington to continue to build upon a solid freshman season from a year ago when he returns in late December. Provided, these players can be productive, the Trojans will suddenly have a much deeper, talented roster for Pac-10 play.

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

USC Hoops Season Retrospective: Top 5 Moments

Laughing Stock — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 05:58:21 -0000

5. Dwight Lewis Comes Up Big Against Oklahoma

via nbcsportsmedia2.msnbc.com

Although shooting guard Dwight Lewis has played somewhat erratically this season, in a hostile road environment on the road against Oklahoma he kept SC in the mix late into the game. The junior tied Sooner Blake Griffin with 25 points to lead all scorers, and connected on 3-4 shots from behind the arc to go along with a perfect 6-6 from the free throw line. Although SC lost the game 72-71, it was great to see Lewis play up to his potential by shooting with confidence and leading his team against a talented OU squad. Dwight also had a big game in another tight loss against Michigan State.

4. Taj Gibson "Finesses" His Way to a Perfect Game

via msnbcmedia.msn.com

Taj Gibson has been one of the steadiest players throughout the entire season, but really showed the ability to step up and dominate with aggressive play. Gibson logged 24 points on 10-10 shooting (including a pair of earth shattering dunks) to go with 6 rebounds and 5 assists. Not only that, but he also imposed his will on defense with 3 blocks on route to helping the team hold BC to only 32.7% shooting. The spectacular performance made the three year starter one of only four players in tournament history to have perfect shooting nights with at least 10 attempts. I wonder what Josh Southern had to say about west coast toughness after this game?

3. Marcus Johnson Shows No Regard For Human Life

Marcus Johnson posterizes Jorge Gutierrez - USC vs Cal Slam Dunk (via VCTrojan)

The single best dunk of the season came courtesy not of the Vince Carteresque Demar Derozan, but instead from fellow super athlete Marcus Johnson. Although the Senior transfer from UConn may only get to play half of one season, he definitely left his mark on the program with this spectacular play. Although Johnson wasn't the same after injuring his shoulder, his play early in the conference season was crucial in wins over Stanford, Cal, and Washington State, and his combination of quickness and length continued to bother opposing teams after his return. Now it is up to the NCAA to determine if he will play another season as a Trojan.

Top 2 after the jump!

2. Hackett Comes Through Against the Arizona Schools

via www.latimes.com

Hackett's stats simply don't do him justice for this pair of games. On the home stand he scored a paltry 15 points on 4-14 shooting, but his play was crucial to both victories. Against the Sun Devils Hackett held the Pac 10's leading scorer to 4 points on 0-8 shooting, which prompted a chant of "ZERO POINTS! ZERO POINTS!" from the student section when Harden got to the line late in teh game to shoot a pair of free throws. Two days later the junior PG drove the ball up court in the waning seconds against Arizona and drew a foul from Jamelle Horn which allowed him to score the game's final point giving USC the 65-64 victory. Hackett would continue to make clutch plays and became the go to option in late game situations.

1. Demar Derozan Throws Down against UCLA and Leads USC to a Pac 10 Title

DeMar DeRozan highlights vs. UCLA March 13, 2009 21 pts, 5 dunks (via bochan228)

What more is there left to write about USC's improbable run to their first Pac 10 tournament title? Derozan was at the absolute top of his game and played like a future all star on his way to being named the tournament's most outstanding season. More importantly, the team as a whole finally played up to their potential and salvaged an often frustrating season. On the whole though, Derozan deserves a ton of credit for the team's post season success and may have played himself into the top half of the lottery.

NCAA Tournament Picks You Can't Go Wrong With

dvieira — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 02:18:54 -0000

The NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament starts bright and early Thursday morning and if you haven't submitted your picks to the ATQ Tournament Challenge, please get going! You really have no excuse. It costs you nothing to get in and you get to have bragging rights over your fellow quack addicts. Trust me, you won't have any issues with NCAA Regulations orget fired from your head coaching job. That's just not what we're about. To get us all in the mood, I've thrown together some thoughts on some matchups that you MAY want to consider when filling our your own bracket. This won't be a comprehensive list of all the games, but just some key matchups you may want to consider when you are coming up with excuses for your boss why you are watching the games online in a completely free, unobtrusive way.

If you gamble using these picks and lose all of your money, don't blame me. I provide these for entertainment purposes only! Remember, there are dangers to filling brackets out.

Big Red preparing to eat a baby,
via i58.photobucket.com

5 Utah vs. 12 Arizona

Ah the dreaded 5 vs 12 matchup! History tells us that a lot of upsets happen in 5 vs 12 land. Utah comes in winners of the Mountain West Conference, winning some good games against Gonzaga and Washington State. Luke Nevill is a beast underneath, averaging almost a double-double, and the entire team is balanced. Arizona didn't end the season very well but they had a killer schedule to go through. We aren't far removed from the month stretch of an emotional win over Houston through wins against USC and UCLA. Nic Wise, Chase Budinger and Jordan Hill have all become unstoppable. Arizona matches up well in this game. Russ Pennell has said that he won't be getting the job to coach Arizona in the future so what do they have to lose? Take the wildcats in this game. WINNER: Arizona

7 Boston College vs. 10 USC

Another one of my upset specials, USC seems to have righted the ship coming into the end of the season by winning the Pac-10 championship, going through Cal, UCLA and Arizona State (all teams in the tournament). Taj Gibson is a man playing among boys and is a tough matchup for BC. The Trojans have 3 other guys besides Taj that are averaging in double figures in points. Dwight Lewis, Daniel Hackett, and freshman sensation DeMar DeRozan should all get their buckets. BC has played some great teams, but haven't always come out on the winning end. They split their games with Duke and lost both games to Wake Forest by double digits. DeRozen and Gibson should provide bad matchup problems for BC. Look for USC to pull the upset. Take the Trojans. WINNER: USC

7 California vs. 10 Maryland

I don't like this game for the Bears. I really don't know why. Both teams have some good wins and some really bad losses. Losing to Clemson in blowout fashion was not very good but Maryland has beaten Wake Forest and UNC this year and that makes them very dangerous. As for Cal, sometimes they look really good and sometimes they are just plain awful. I like Maryland's defense in this game and I think it shuts down the 3 point shooting from Cal. Take the Terrapins. WINNER: Maryland

5 Illinois vs. 12 Western Kentucky

Dangerous matchup for Illinois in the dreaded 5 vs 12 spot in the South Bracket. The Hilltoppers were the talk of the tournament last year when Western Kentucky beat heavily favored Drake at the buzzer. They have also beaten Louisville in Nashville this year 68-54 but that was WAY back in November. That seems like an eternity ago. WKU is has won 15 of their last 17 games, crushing the competition. That streak includes a win against Arizona State in the desert. Illinois has some good wins at the end of the season, beating Ohio State and Minnesota but don't forget about their 38-33 loss to Penn State. Just for that, I might never pick Illinois again. Take the Hilltoppers, if, for nothing else, they have the strangest mascot in the world. WINNER: Western Kentucky

Final Four:

Louisville
Memphis
North Carolina
Pittsburgh

Champion: North Carolina

Poll

Upset Most Likely to Happen This Weekend

Arizona upsets Utah

21 votes

USC upsets Boston College

15 votes

Maryland upsets California

18 votes

Western Kentucky upsets Illinois

22 votes

Jshufelt upsets the Pizza Man

9 votes

85 votes | Poll has closed

78-81 OT, 63-75: Bay Area Beatdown

Laughing Stock — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 23:40:50 -0000

To say this weekend was dissappointing would be an understatement. All I can say is thank whatever higher power ordained that these games not be televised as experiencing these games in real time was just short of excruciating. SC had an excellent chance in both games, but managed to blow both in completely different ways. So without further ado, let's begin this little tour of pain.

On Thursday night's game the Trojans were down by 10 or more midway through the 2nd half when Floyd drew a technical from the refs. Although the Bears would hit the free throws it really energized the team and they played great ball down the stretch. It took six or seven minutes to erase the double digit deficit, but when all was said and done the Trojans had a chance to take the lead and leave only 10-15 seconds left on the shot clock for the bears to score. Unfortunately the possesion ended in a blocked Marcus Simmons jump shot and Cal got an opportunity to set up their offense and take a quick shot. They missed, but in overtime an awful goal tending call by one of the refs on Derozan made it so that SC had to play from behind and foul for much of the end of over time. Hackett made a clutch three pointer to bring the game within a basket, but after Cal converted the free throws on the other end he just couldn't hit another one as SC had almost no time to dribble up court and shoot.

On Saturday SC held a 44-33 lead over Stanford with around 12 minutes to go to only be outscored with a flurry of three pointers 21-6 over the next four minutes to give Stanford a 54-50 lead. Although it was the farm's first lead of the game, they never relinquished it and the gap only widened as the game played out. Despite a relatively dominant performance in the first and beginning of the second, with the announcers remarking at half time that SC really should have been up 8 or 10 points at the half, SC really sunk themselves with poor shooting and defense down the stretch. Really, "Collapse" with a capital C is the only reasonable word that describes what happened saturday night.

More after the jump...

And especially for the Stanford loss, the numbers really tell the story. 9 for 21 from the free throw line, 11 offensive rebounds for Furd, and 2 for 6 from three point land. Not only was SC unable to rack up the freebie points, but they simply could not prevent the second chance points despite a big size advantage and the team could not respond with volume scoring as the Trojans are simply scared and hesitant to shoot from beyond the arc. Most teams win with an 11 point lead in the middle of the second half, but SC simply had no killer instinct and they basically laid down and died when Stanford fought back.

SC had a chance to tie Arizona and possibly finish in 5th place, but now they must win this last home stand to even get to .500 in conference. I think its obvious that the talent is there, but something is off psychologically. There is simply no way that the team as a whole is this bad at shooting three pointers and free throws, and the players need to start playing out of their heads. This goes doubly for Dwight Lewis, who only had 19 points on 7 of 21 shooting on the trip, as he is a de facto leader as one of the team's upperclassmen. The NIT is still within reach, and this grouop of players has more than the requisite talent to make a run in the conference tournament. It all depends on whether the players have given up on the season yet.

Next up is a home stand against the relatively woeful Oregon schools. In all honestly a home loss to either team at this point is basically indicative of a complete implosion, but I think USC will take both games and bring some momentum into the conference tourney. It might be easy to start thinking about next year with all of the talent that is incoming, but this season isn't over yet and there is still plenty to play for.

FIGHT ON and BEAT THE DUCKS!!

**Also, my apologies with getting this out so late. In addition to being very busy this weekend, I was also feeling a bit too frustrated to write about these games right away and I wanted to cool off a bit.