SB Nation - Taj Gibson

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

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.

Deacon Dump 7/10: James Johnson signed, a myth begins

MRickman84 — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 17:24:35 -0000

James Johnson facts - Chicago Bulls Confidential
James Johnson wasn't born. He just decided to live. James Johnson has counted to infinity. Twice.

BULLS: Bulls sign draft picks Johnson and Gibson
The Chicago Bulls announced today the signings of 2009 first round draft picks James Johnson and Taj Gibson.

Indianapolis Pike's Marquis Teague 'so good it's ridiculous' | The Courier-Journal

Deacons coach watches recruit | news-press.com | The News-Press
Dianne Dailey has seen golfers more experienced than Michelle Shin get eaten up by U.S. Women's Open conditions, so she's not worried that her new recruit made a few mistakes in the opening round at Saucon Valley Country Club. Advertisement The coach of the Wake Forest women's golf team, which Shin will join in the fall, was on hand Thursday to watch the 18-year-old from Cape Coral, along with recent Demon Deacons graduate Nannette Hill and former Wake star Laura Diaz.

James Johnson to participate on Chicago Bulls summer league team

MRickman84 — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 21:32:56 -0000

via www.nba.com

The 16th pick overall, Wake Forest's James Johnson, will be playing on the Chicago Bulls summer league team as he transitions his game from college to the pros. The Bulls will kick off their summer session on July 14 against Golden State and will play four more games from the 15th to the 19th.

The Bulls summer roster reads like an ACC all-star team, with notables including Johnson, DeMarcus Nelson, Julius Hodge, Brandon Costner and AD Vassallo. Also on the team are players like Taurean Green, Taj Gibson, James Augustine, Luke Zeller, Nick Lewis and Josh Shipp.

Deacon Dump 6/30- Teague, Johnson adjust to first week in the NBA

MRickman84 — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 18:03:06 -0000

Bradley's Buzz: Draft grades for the Hawks (and Thrashers) | Mark Bradley
"On the other hand, [Teague] was ranked in our top five for much of the year, and had his team not crashed in the tournament or had he gone back to school for another year, he would have been a top-10 pick. So the Hawks got great value here."

Northwest Herald | Bulls expect rookies to be ready
"They’ve already got a great floor general," Johnson said. "Hopefully I can work my way to where the coaches trust me to do something like that."

Johnson, Gibson know Bulls history - nba - SI.com
"I grew up getting toughed up, roughed up,'' Johnson said. "That's how we all were. We were all competitive. Playing basketball or fighting, we went hard at it.''

Bulls draft picks James Johnson, Taj Gibson ready to get to work -- chicagotribune.com
''It was heart-pounding, crazy,'' the two-season collegian said. ''Like I won the lottery. To run out there and see my name on the main thing, it was like a dream come true.'' Johnson will make Bulls dreams come true if he turns out to be one of the main things in a new generation of fleet-winged ''bigs'' who can defend, get the ball for Derrick Rose and race out to help close kick-sass fast breaks.

Johnson adds many positives to Bulls' framework :: CHICAGO SUN-TIMES :: Bulls
''It was heart-pounding, crazy,'' the two-season collegian said. ''Like I won the lottery. To run out there and see my name on the main thing, it was like a dream come true.'' Johnson will make Bulls dreams come true if he turns out to be one of the main things in a new generation of fleet-winged ''bigs'' who can defend, get the ball for Derrick Rose and race out to help close kick-sass fast breaks.

The PlayMakers: Wake Forest Demon Deacons...
Jim Grobe has become something of a miracle man in Winston Salem. Wake Forest had been a downtrodden program, rotting in the lower depths of the ACC and in 2006 it all changed. Wake Forest, lead by Grobe and quarterback Riley Skinner, somehow managed to reach eleven wins. Miraculously, they weren't a one hit wonder and managed to win nine games in 2007 and finished with eight in 2008. Those kind of numbers are absurd at a school like Wake, where the stadium holds less than 35,000 people and has under 5,000 under graduate students. Grobe and Skinner hope to continue their winning ways at BB&T field this season but they have plenty of talent to replace at some key positions.

Early 2010 NBA mock draft - FOX Sports on MSN
4. Al-Farouq Aminu, 6-8, 215, F, Soph., Wake Forest: With Jeff Teague and James Johnson gone, it's his show at Wake. Aminu is athletic and can attack; he needs to work on his perimeter shot.

Johnson keeps eye on Hawk' summer activity | Hawks Blog
He’s also looking forward to one of the perks of living life on a NBA salary. Teague said he’s looking foward to getting a car. "I’ve never really had my own car," he said. "It was like a 1988 Toyota Camry. The rest of my friends had cars in the 2000s. I went to Wake Forest and there I am riding around in my ‘88 Camry that’s not looking to good."

Potential Draft Picks for the Orlando Magic, If They Buy-In to the Second Round

Ben Q Rock — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 18:00:21 -0000

The Orlando Magic don't have a selection in tomorrow night's NBA Draft, having traded their first-rounder to Memphis in February's season-saving Rafer Alston acquisition, and their second-rounder to Oklahoma City (then Seattle) as part of the sign-and-trade deal which brought Rashard Lewis to Orlando in 2007; OKC has since shipped that pick to Phoenix.

But there's still a chance the Magic could acquire a pick this year, which is why it's prudent for us to examine whom they might realistically attain. What's realistic, by Magic standards? Anyone in the second round. Not only are first-round picks expensive to purchase--the maximum amount that can change hands is $3 million--but the players selected come with guaranteed deals. So even if the Magic were to buy, say, the 28th pick from Minnesota, they'd still be out $3 million for the transaction, plus another $3 million or so from the first two years' salary of that player's contract. That's quite the financial hit to take on a guy who might never play meaningful minutes.

But second-round picks figure to be more affordable, and with more sellers due to the sheer number of teams with picks to spare. Portland has 4 picks, Detroit and San Antonio have 3 apiece, while, Charlotte, Miami, Minnesota, and Phoenix have two each. So, after the jump, we'll take a look at which second-round prospects might fit-in well with the Magic, should they decide to make a move.

Before proceeding, I'd like to acknowledge Zach McCann of Orlando Magic Daily, who did this sort of exercise first; and to Jon Nichols of Basketball-Statistics, whose list of potential Magic targets also informed this post.

The two biggest areas of need for Orlando this year are power forward and point guard. The Magic will need another big man in the rotation if Marcin Gortat leaves via free agency, as I expect he will. They'll also need a young point guard whom they can groom as Jameer Nelson's backup, as Rafer Alston may be on his way out, and Anthony Johnson's contract runs out at the end of this season.

First, the power forwards. Jeff Pendergraph (6'10", 240 pounds, 22 years old), Jon Brockman (6'07", 252 pounds, 22 years old), and Taj Gibson (6'09.75", 214 pounds, 23 years old) would be my choices, in that order. Pendergraph, as DraftExpress notes, is the nation's most efficient scorer at 1.37 points per possession. Offensively, his scouting report recalls Gortat:

Pendergraph is a meat and potatoes type player, mostly living off scraps offensively. The overwhelming majority of his points come off the ball--cuts, offensive rebounds, pick and rolls, and in transition. He's smart, has terrific hands, and finishes pretty well around the basket-which makes him a reliable target inside.

On the downside, Pendergraph is only an average rebounder and shot-blocker.

Brockman isn't the offensive player Pendergraph is, and he's much shorter, but makes up for it with bulk and hard work. Again according to DraftExpress, Brockman took a backseat on offense this year as freshman Isaiah Thomas came into his own, but he still worked hard on his game. He's also one of the nation's leading rebounders. Unlike Gortat, he's not much of a finisher, but the Magic could certainly use a dedicated rebounder to fill-out their bigman rotation. Brockman could definitely be that guy.

The final power forward on my draft board is Taj Gibson. A tremendous athlete, he has the rebounding and shot-blocking aspects of the game down. The biggest problem with him is his skinny frame. Could he, at 214 pounds, defend NBA power forwards in the low-post? And, on offense, could he muscle through them to finish at the rim? Those two question-marks make him a riskier pick than either Pendergraph or Brockman.

Next, a look at the point guards. The draft is full of them. However, many of them will wind up in the lottery, leaving a lot of iffy players and combo-guards to the second round. I wouldn't select any of these guys ahead of any of the power forwards, but based on the Magic's need at that position, they're worth discussing anyway.

Sergio Llull (6'03", 176 pounds, 21 years old), A.J. Price (6'02", 190 pounds, 22 years old), and Jeremy Pargo (6'02", 219 pounds, 23 years old) round out my draft board. Llull, from Real Madrid, is an ballhandler and decision maker, particularly in pick-and-roll situations, which comprise 46% of his total offense. Fans who have followed the Magic during the Van Gundy era know how often the team uses the pick-and-roll, and having another player who can run it effectively makes the team that much more dangerous. Llull also a willing defender and communicator, although DraftExpress wonders if his frame might be too slight to fight through NBA screens. There's also no guarantee he'd join the NBA, as his guaranteed salary in Europe likely exceeds what he'd earn stateside. If the Magic are to shell out for a second-rounder, they'd want to make sure they're drafting someone who's guaranteed to make the trip. With that said, the way in which Llull's strengths mesh with the Magic's DNA makes him a worthy gamble.

Price is less exciting due to his lack of speed, but on the plus side he apparently possesses good court-vision, runs the pick-and-roll well, and can shoot from the outside. Any point guard who can run the pick-and-roll and hit the three-ball reminds me of Nelson, which is a plus.

Pargo rounds out our list. He doesn't draw many fouls, but makes up for it with his ability to finish around contact in the lane. The biggest knock against him is his tendency to make poor decisions against top competition. One of the reasons the Magic drafted Courtney Lee last year was his poise, his maturity, his ability to immediately compete and contribute at the NBA level. Pargo apparently lacks that attribute, which makes him the least attractive of any player we've discussed here. Still, his speed and playmaking skills would make him a welcome addition to the Magic's bench for the next year or two while he learns the ropes.

Ultimately, as far as second-rounders go, the players I've mentioned in this post are closer to Travis Diener and James Augustine than to Monta Ellis and Paul Millsap. But that's okay. Again, for the right price, Orlando can find itself in a good position to land a decent 12th-man type. And, should that player not pan out, the Magic are free to waive him without financial penalty, as his salary is non-guaranteed. Buying into the second round is a low-risk, medium-reward proposition for the Magic. Should they decide to make a deal, any of these players would be a good fit.

Conquest Chronicles Links for June 24th

Paragon SC — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 14:00:35 -0000

Here is today's offering...

Trojans in the NBA Draft

Ballin' is a Habit: Former USC recruits starting to make decisions
Nice Write-up

Gibson Update - Inside USC with Scott Wolf
Some news on Taj...

More Kevin O'Neill News

Kevin O'Neill's hiring... - Seth Davis - SI.com
Some nice words on K.O. form Seth Davis

Hoops on Campus - NY Daily News
USC's new coach looks for new beginning

USC Football News

Rivals.com - USC's Corp welcomes the competition at fall camp
Nice write-up on Aaron Corp

In The Bleachers Podcast - Bruce Feldman Talks SEC & Pac 10
Feldman on USC... Here is the interview.

Former Player News

Former USC basketball player Boseman won't face charges - LA Daily News
Too bad bruin fans...

Kubiak leaves minicamp with his best team yet - Houston Chronicle
Some great news on Cush!

All-decade defense: Strahan, Taylor stand out - NFL Nation - ESPN
USC standout Troy Polamalu makes the ESPN all decade defensive team.

Carson visits 'The Herd'
Carson Palmer spent ten minutes chatting with ESPN's Colin Cowherd. Here is the Interview.

Miscellaneous...

UCLA safety Woods asks for release - LA Daily News
Skippy only needs to run off a few more...will he do it?

Pac-10 takes on different look - Inside Bay Area
Informative...

Our own Mock Draft: The Worst Off-Season Moves

SFBE.NF — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 02:22:17 -0000

There's a lot of guessing going on with who will go where and when and why during Thursday's NBA Draft. No need for that here. It's a fairly crappy draft, and outside of the top three, many of the players look the same to us. We have deferred this analysis for others, sticking solely to our game and what we have seen develop so far this off-season.

5. Lance Stephenson still looking for a home
Lance Stephenson is dumb. As one of the most decorated players in New York City prep ball history, Stephenson had his pick of a bevy of heavy hitters in the college basketball world. To date, Stephenson has balked on his trip across the pond to play professionally. He has been accused of groping a 17 year old girl and is awaiting his hearing. His father is a menace to coaches on the sidelines and Stephenson is literally and figuratively "dumb," academic eligibility is in question. Wait, academic eligibility is in question? Is that why Memphis is really the only program still blowing up Stephenson's celly?

4. Devo and Paul Harris play puff puff pass, then enter the NBA Draft
Syracuse's Eric Devendorf and Paul Harris had a "brain-storming" session in early April, and the resulting decision was tragically never second guessed. The level of THC was not measured during said brain-storming but we're pretty certain that Krayzie Bone did not chime through their AIWA stereo and preach to them of the royalties to come in the NBA. These two tatted up, "one trick ponies" have ZERO chance of hearing their name called by any NBA team on Thursday night. Devendorf is too annoying and Harris is a 6'5 brick-house without a jump shot. Should any NBA Scout even be familiar with these two knuckleheads, he/she should probably be fired immediately.

3. Look! There's a child manning the Memphis sidelines
Seems like the remaining Tiger players and new coach have all chipped in for the industrial pack of Advil from Costco. It will be needed. The true "King of Memphis" left the program and all the recruits split as well. John Calipari left just before the academic injustice sh*t-storm walked into Memphis. Josh Pastner, 31, now takes over a program that may be facing some penalties, or at least a hit on their swagger. C-USA may now become as irrelevant as the America East Conference, a play-in game/one bid league.

2. Meeks gambles to inherit millions
Jodie Meeks, the deadly downtown assassin, has declared himself for the NBA Draft. Now on the surface, it seems like a logical decision for the kid who dropped 54 points on the Tennessee Vols but for college basketball fanatics, we have lost a chance to see the most exciting pre-season reach the status and hype of the Fab Five or LJ and Stacey Aug's Runnin'Reb's. John Calipari steps into Lexington with #1 recruit John Wall and inherits big man Patrick Patterson, had Meeks stayed the certainty of bringing the nets back to UK seemed inevitable. We will tip out cap to Meeks, grudgingly.

1. University of Self-Indulged Choices

University of Southern California, oh how the sun does not shine down on thee. Two years ago Tim Floyd signed OJ Mayo and it was only a matter of time before the truth would be revealed. During Mayo's one year stay at USC, it has been confirmed that Floyd arranged for improper benefits be paid to the young stud. Floyd resigned and the roster of the Trojans has suffered the loss of three key underclassmen, DeMar DeRozan, Daniel Hackett and Taj Gibson. Hey, at least they still have Lil' Romeo. USC has since hired Lute Olsen's replacement at Arizona, Kevin O'Neill. O'Neill apparently "knows" the game but according to former Wildcat players, oil and water don't mix. We might as well throw in the fact that a former USC player was picked up this past week on an alleged car hijacking charge. Can Will Ferrell please do a funnyordie.com skit on this toilet bowl program?

Conquest Chronicles links for June 23rd

Paragon SC — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 13:00:31 -0000

Lots of little things out there today...

USC Football

Scout.com: Keeping Up with Pete Carroll
Interview on Fox Sports

USC's Mitch Mustain dealing with academic eligibility issues | Los Angeles Times
This is a bit disconcerting

Smith appeal denied by CU transfer committee - Big 12 - ESPN

USC Basketball

Cantu returns to Central Coast for annual camp, awaits fate at USC
Need to keep an eye on Cantu...

How will USC hoops do in the NBA Draft?

Jamison Picks DeRozan - Wizards Insider

Lakers should have USC's Taj Gibson high on draft list | Los Angeles Times
Taj to the Lakers?

NBA Draft preview: USC Trojans (Part I)

NBA Draft preview: USC Trojans (Part II)

Mike Garrett continues to draw scrutiny

USC's Mike Garrett says his record speaks for itself; agreed | Adam Rose
A lot of people are looking at Mike Garrett and his "coaching" record

Former Player News...

Clay Matthews News
Packers notes: Matthews willing to wait

Team Needs: Backup Point Guard - CelticsBlog
Some interesting thoughts on Gabe Pruitt in the comments

Stais Boseman arrested for allegedly taking part in carjacking - SI.com
Nimrod...

Miscellaneous

2009 Preview: Rating The Defensive Ends | Heismanpundit
HP has a nice series of players to watch by position in 2009

Money Players: "One and done" is never done
Nice write-up on one-and-done's

Enjoy your day!

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.

Workouts, Workouts, Workouts Press Clippings

Zach B — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 15:07:24 -0000

The NBA Draft workouts have seemingly slowed to an absolute crawl. I can't imagine how Josh, Jeremy and the rest of the guys feel; I'm tired of it and I haven't even been working out! Today is a pretty busy day for the draft prospects. Here is the look at today's Gonzaga news...

Hoops Addict " Exclusive Interview With Austin Daye

Yesterday Austin worked out with the Toronto Raptors and while any news about the workout is hard to come across we were able to find this video interview. Much like me, he seems to be getting tired of the workout process and the interviews. He talks about his father's influence once again, having a good support base around him, and what he thinks he can bring to the Toronto Raptors. He also discusses whether or not he reads the mock drafts and all that stuff put out by us silly bloggers. Toronto is one of the teams that really likes Austin and has the need for a wing like him. They've got the eighth selection but they could easily trade back into the middle of the first to grab him.

Guards Lawson, McKee to work out for Wizards -- baltimoresun.com

It's a busy day for the rest of the Gonzaga draft hopefuls as the other three will be working out along the Eastern seaboard hoping to impress the scouts. In Washington, Jeremy Pargo and Josh Heytvelt will workout together for the Wizards. The Wiz have the fifth and 32nd pick in the upcoming NBA Draft so unless their are a ton of injuries in the next few weeks, I wouldn't expect either of these Zags to land in Washington. Participating with Josh and Jeremy are Ty Lawson, Coppin State's Tywain McKee, USC's Taj Gibson, and Patrick Beverly of Arkansas fame.

ZAGSBLOG " Levance to Work out for Knicks

Their aren't many draft prospects hotter right now than Gonzaga's Micah Downs. Every report that we have come across regarding the former Gonzaga wing has been sensational. Previously thought to be undrafted, Micah has caused some stirs on draft boards and could squeeze his way into the second round. He looks to impress Mike D'Antoni today as he takes part in the New York Knicks workout. Working out along with Micah is a bunch of potential second round to undrafted prospects. Headlining the field is Pitt's Levance Fields, Texas' Connor Atchley, Georgia Tech's Alade Aminu (who is a likely second rounder), and Talladega's Jeral Davis.

Four Bulldogs Selected In Major League Baseball Draft - GONZAGA OFFICIAL ATHLETIC SITE

Three links of draft workouts is about all I can handle for one day anymore. Gonzaga had a busy day yesterday in the Major League Baseball drat as four Zags were selected. Heading the class was junior catcher Tyson Van Winkle, who was selected 10th by Diamondbacks. He was followed soon after by senior pitcher Steven Ames in 17th by the Los Angeles Dodgers, then Matt Fields in 22nd by the Toronto Blue Jays and lastly senior slugger Ryan Wiegand in 25th by the Tampa Bay Rays. Hopefully all four get signed on and get a chance at making it all the way to the bigs

Rivals.com Basketball Recruiting - Whispers: USC program crumbling

Nick Johnson, one of the top combo guards in the Class of 2011, has picked up offers from Arizona, Georgia, Oregon State and Washington to go along with his previous offer from Arizona State.

We had a fan post a couple days ago asking about the status of Nick Johnson, a shooting guard from Arizona and I think I'm ready to call Gonzaga's courtship of him over. While Johnson is a tremendous prospect and will be one of the top players in the 2011 class, Mark Few and the staff have plenty of kids to pick and choose from in their own backyard. Brett Kingma and Gary Bell are both fantastic guard options from the Western side of the state and Portland's Kyle Wiltjer would be a fantastic get at power forward. Like EDZ said in the fanpost, don't expect Nick to get out of Arizona and the farthest North I expect him to get would be UCLA.