Each week The Intentional Foul takes a look
at the top players in each of the BCS conferences (sorry Mountain West) and selects
a Player of the Year, All-Conference Team, and a Freshman of the Year. In the
2013-14 season all teams play 18 conference games over a span of 2.5 months. While
most fans only see the pre-season and post-season awards, this feature will monitor
the ebbs and flows of conference play with weekly awards. Big East and Big XII
awards are written by Dan Russo, a life-long Hoya fan while the AAC and SEC conferences
are covered by Stephen Kalayil, a Louisville alum. All awards are free of bias
but for any disagreement feel free to send out a tweet.
AAC:
In a close race for the AAC regular season title, Louisville
got a signature road win in dramatic fashion over No. 7 Cincinnati to pull
within half a game of UC for the AAC lead. The UofL/Cincy matchup might be the
last time these two rivals play as UofL departs to the ACC after this season. SMU continued their surprising year by
defeating UCONN on the road. The SMU win might have sealed their first NCAA
birth since 1993.
Player of the Year:
Sean Kilpatrick (Cincinnati) – 21.7 ppg, 4.6 rpg
There may not be a closer race for conference player of the
year than the AAC. Kilpatrick, Russ Smith, Shabazz Napier, and Montrezl Harrell
are making strong cases for POY, but Kilpatrick is still clinging to the top
spot. In a heartbreaking loss to
Louisville, Kilpatrick joined the 2000 point club and became only the second
Cincinnati player in history to accomplish that feat, joining the great Oscar
Robinson. Kilpatrick had 28 points, six
rebounds, one assist and one steal against the Cardinals staunch defense. He
was the only offense for a cold shooting UC team and singlehandedly almost won
the game for them. In a romp over UCF,
Kilpatrick notched 23 points, one assist and two rebounds.
All Conference Team:
Shabazz Napier (UCONN) – 19.8 ppg, 5.0 apg
All season, Napier has put up superstar numbers in AAC play.
In this past week, his performance wasn’t at his normal superstar status against
a tough SMU team. In a loss to SMU,
Napier had a balanced line of 15 points, two rebounds, two assist and three
steals but committed five turnovers. In a win over Temple, Napier had 17
points, 12 rebounds and seven assists in a dominating performance.
Russ Smith (Louisville) – 18.0 ppg, 4.1 apg
Russ Smith may have had the biggest shot of his career
against Cincinnati by draining a jumper with 2.2 seconds left to defeat
Cincinnati. Russdiculous was plagued by
foul trouble in the game but still managed a very balanced stat line of 10
points, five assists, three steals and three rebounds. In a 26 point win over USF, Smith had 19
points, two assists and five rebounds.
Montrezl Harrell (Louisville) – 13.8 ppg, 8.3 rpg, 1.7
bpg
Trez just keeps getting better and better every week for the
Cardinals. In the matchup with
Cincinnati, Harrell was a force on both ends of the floor and posted a stat
line of 21 points, 10 rebounds (6 offensive), two steals and one block. Harrell
was UofL’s go to scorer and much of the offense was ran through him. He
dominated his matchup with UC’s Justin Jackson and helped get him into early
foul trouble. In the early week game
against USF, Harrell posted 14 points, four rebounds and two assists on the
Bulls and set the UofL single season dunk record.
Markus Kennedy (SMU) – 12.8 ppg, 7.9 rpg
Kennedy had one dud game this week against Houston by only
posting four points and three boards in a forgettable outing. However, this
game shouldn’t take away from his overall performance this season in AAC
competition and keep him on the all conference team. In an upset win over UCONN, Kennedy redeemed
himself with 13 points, seven rebounds, two assists and two steals. He punished
the underwhelming UCONN frontline.
On the Verge: Joe Jackson (Memphis), Nic Moore (SMU),
TaShawn Thomas (Houston), Isaiah Sykes (UCF), Justin Jackson (UC)
Freshman of the Year:
Terry Rozier (Louisville) – 9.0 ppg, 3.1 rpg
Despite not being a starter, Rozier has taken a firm hold on
the AAC freshman of the year race. The
freshman has been making plays beyond his years as demonstrated by making the
game winning pass to Russ Smith in the Cardinal’s win at Cincinnati. Against
UC, Rozier had 11 points, five rebounds and two assists. In the USF game, Rozier had 13 points, five
rebounds and two steals.
BIG 12:
Kansas continued to roll with a 2-0 week including a pasting
over Texas. With a good week Kansas can clinch the top spot in the Big 12 this
week. Iowa State stopped their slide with a 2-0 week and moved back into a tie
for second with Oklahoma (1-0) and a now-reeling Texas team, who lost to both
Iowa State and Kansas this week. Marcus Smart returned for Oklahoma State and
helped them stop a seven game skid. They are still on the wrong side of the
bubble but with Smart back they have a chance to play their way back into the
tournament. The other team now that had a good week was Baylor, who went 2-0
with wins over Oklahoma State and West Virginia.
Player of the Year:
Andrew Wiggins (Kansas) – 16.9 ppg, 6.3 rpg,
Wiggins had two good games this past week to reclaim the top
spot. He hit a game winning layup with two seconds left against Texas Tech on
Tuesday. In the game he had 19 points and six assists. He followed that up with
21 points and six assists on only 12 shots in a stomping of Texas, helping
Kansas gain revenge on one of its two conference losses. Wiggins has become
more efficient as the season as prolonged, now shooting 45% during conference
play. He leads the best team in the conference at 17 ppg, good for tenth in the
conference.
All Conference Team:
Juwan Staten (West Virginia) – 19.6 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 5.8 apg
Staten only had one game this week which was a loss to the
Baylor Bears. In the game Juwan put up 16 points, eight boards, and six
assists. Staten is tied for the lead league in scoring, is second in assists,
and the 6’1 guard is 20th in rebounding.
Melvin Ejim (Iowa State) – 19.6 ppg, 8.6 rpg
Ejim helped lead the Cyclones to a 2-0 week and back into a
tie for second place in the conference. In a big win over then second place
Texas, Ejim dropped 25 points and chipped in eight rebounds, two assists, and two
steals. Melvin had 14 points, four boards, and two assists in a Saturday win
over TCU. Ejim is tied for the league lead in scoring and is second in
rebounding. He also leads the conference, shooting 54% from the floor in
conference play.
Deandre Kane (Iowa State) – 17.4 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 5.9 apg
Rinse and repeat, Kane stuffed the statsheet again. This
time he did it in two wins. He put up 22 points, seven rebounds, and five
assists in a big win over Texas and followed that up with 20, six, and five in
a win over TCU. Kane is top ten in scoring (No. 7), top 20 in rebounding (No.
20), and leads the conference in assists. He’s also second in the conference in
steals.
Buddy Hield (Oklahoma) – 17.5 ppg, 4.3 rpg
Hield holds on to his first team all-conference spot this
week even though Oklahoma played only one game. The Sooners beat Kansas State
to move into a tie for second place. Hield led the way with 18 points, three
boards, four assists, and three steals.
On the Verge: – Perry Ellis (Kansas), Marcus Foster (Kansas
State), Javan Felix (Texas), Marcus Smart (Oklahoma State)
Freshman of the Year:
Andrew Wiggins (Kansas)
ACC:
Two weeks left in ACC play and after several close calls,
Syracuse finally dropped from the unbeaten ranks. UVA sits alone in first place
with an unexpected 14-1 conference record after they squeaked by the rival
Hokies in Blacksburg and then pounded a hapless Notre Dame team in
Charlottesville on Saturday. Whether it’s easy scheduling or great play, the
Cavaliers are primed for a one seed in the ACC tourney. With the postponed
UNC-Duke game being made up this week; both schools were forced to play three
games. UNC went 3-0 as the Tar Heels are on a nine game win streak and Duke
went 2-1 with a close home victory over Syracuse. Two weeks left and the POY
and the ACC First Team are still up for debate.
Player of the Year:
Jabari Parker (Duke) – 17.1 ppg, 9.5 rpg
There is a lot to like about Parker’s chances for ACC POY as
a freshman, but there is also a lot I have reservations about. First off,
Parker had a fantastic week averaging 17.3 ppg and 11.7 rpg in a 2-1 week for Duke.
He had his most efficient game against Syracuse going 6-8 from the field and
3-3 from the three point line. He also added in 10 rebounds. Against UNC Parker
went for 17 and 11 and was absolutely unstoppable in the first half before
disappearing in the second. After a rough four game start the ACC season, Parker
has picked his play up and attacked the basket aggressively. While he is fifth
in the conference in points and first in rebounds there are several factors
that could go against his POY chances. He is shooting 44% from the floor in ACC
play despite shooting 56% this week. His outside shooting against Syracuse
bumped his three point percentage over 30% for the first time all year as he is
now shooting just 31% from the three point line in conference play. Last but
not least is his defense. Parker is an atrocious defender to put it mildly.
When Leslie McDonald drives by you, well, you know that your lateral quickness
is struggling. Parker has been Duke’s workhorse offensively, but has struggled
on the other side. For now, he takes the top spot but that can easily change
over the next two weeks.
All Conference Team:
TJ Warren (N.C. State) – 22.7 ppg, 6.4 rpg
The sophomore star is the ACC’s leading scorer, but he is
hurt by the fact that his team is just 7-7 in league play. Warren led the
Wolfpack to a road win over Virginia Tech with 31 points on 12-21 shooting.
N.C. State lost on the road earlier in the week to Clemson, but Warren chipped
in with 20 points and five rebounds. He has scored in double figures every game
but one and is shooting over 50% from the floor and last shot under 50% eight
games ago. Last year Erik Green won the POY despite playing for a last placed
team which gives Warren hope with his impressive scoring ability.
C.J. Fair (Syracuse) – 15.6 ppg, 6.5 rpg
Fair drops out of the top spot after a lengthy stay on top
as Cuse lost both of their games they played including a home game to Boston
College. Fair went for 20 points and 11 rebounds against BC, but only scored 12
points in a loss to Duke although his potential game winning lay-up was called
a charge. Fair has been in double figures in almost every game and has scored
numerous key baskets that keyed the Orange’s undefeated start.
Malcolm Brogdon (Virginia) – 14.7 ppg, 6 rpg, 2.9 apg, 1.4
spg
Brogdon is the only player to score in double figures in
every ACC game and is the best player on the top ranked team in the conference.
His assist and steal numbers are down over the past few games but he did go for
13 points, seven rebounds, and six assists in a blowout win over Notre Dame.
Marcus Paige (UNC) – 15.5 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 5.1 apg
Paige has led the Tar Heels to nine straight wins and had a
huge second half against Florida State on the road and against Duke at home.
Paige hit big three after big three in Tallahassee and then scored all 13 of
his points in the second half against Duke. After barely touching the ball in
the first half, Paige got aggressive and started attacking the slower Duke
defenders. Paige has averaged 17 ppg during the nine game winning streak.
On The Verge: KJ McDaniels (Clemson), Lamar Patterson
(Pittsburgh), Tyler Ennis (Syracuse)
Freshman of the Year:
Jabari Parker (Duke)
BIG 10:
Who wants to win the Big 10? With two weeks left the
conference is up for grabs. Bo Ryan’s squad is on a five game win streak with
wins at Michigan and at Iowa to cap a fantastic week. Nebraska extended their
win streak in two games they were favored to win and Michigan knocked off
Michigan State for the second time this year.
Player of the Year:
Terran Petteway (Nebraska) – 19.4 ppg, 5.4 rpg
Don’t look know but Nebraska has won five conference games
in a row with home wins over Penn State and Purdue this week. On Thursday the
leading scorer in conference play went for 26 points and then followed that up
with 29 points on 10-19 shooting. He has scored in double-figures 13 out of 14
games including a 35 point game earlier in the year. The Texas Tech transfer
has been a god send for Tim Miles and he will have to continue to produce with
games at Illinois and Northwestern on deck.
All Conference Team:
Nick Stauskas (Michigan) – 16.1 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 3.7 apg
In a battle for first place in the conference, Stauskas came
alive in a win over rival Michigan State. 25 points on 3-5 shooting from deep
led the way for the Wolverines after their home loss to Wisconsin earlier in
the week. The sharp shooter from Canada is shooting 42 percent from the three
point line in conference play.
Roy Devyn Marble (Iowa) – 17.8 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 2.9 apg
After a postponed game in Bloomington, IN, the Hawkeyes
suffered a home loss to Wisconsin on Saturday. In the loss Marble went for 21
points and also added 11 assists on 8-19 shooting. The Hawkeyes have two road
games this week and will need the most consistent player in the Big 10 to
continue his high scoring ways.
Gary Harris (Michigan State) – 17.7 ppg, 4.4 rpg
Harris got Michigan State back on the winning track with 25
points in a blowout win over Purdue and then scored 21 points in a tough road
loss to the Wolverines. Harris is getting a little too happy from the outside with
22 three point attempts over the past two games.
Sam Decker (Wisconsin) – 12.8 ppg, 6.5 rpg
The Badgers are right behind the Cornhuskers as the hottest
team in the Big 10. Decker averaged 15 points and 10 rebounds in two big wins
over Michigan and Iowa. The sophomore wing has four games in double figures.
While teammate Frank Kaminsky was the top player for Wisconsin this week, it’s
Decker who has been the most consistent over 13 games.
Freshman of the Year:
Noah Vonleh (Indiana) – 11.3 ppg, 9.3 rpg
Another solid game for the best freshman in the Big 10. The
Hoosiers got back on track in conference play with a win at Northwestern after
three straight losses. Vonleh had 12 points and eight rebounds and is averaging
close to a double-double. No other freshman is even close to Vonleh’s
consistency in the Big 10.
PAC 12:
It was a huge week for the Arizona Wildcats. After suffering
a double OT loss to rival Arizona State, the top team in the conference had to
make the trip out east to take on Utah and Colorado as slight road favorites.
The Wildcats did enough to just get by Utah in overtime and then made a
statement in a blowout win over Colorado. Meanwhile UCLA suffered a loss on
Saturday to Stanford which squashed any hopes of challenging Arizona for the
regular season crown.
Player of the Year:
Kyle Anderson (UCLA) – 16.4 ppg, 8.8 rpg, 6.8 apg
The Bruins came out of Northern California with one win
against California before they suffered a loss over the weekend to Stanford. Slo-mo
went for 11 points, nine rebounds, and seven assists in a win over Cal before
struggling against Stanford. Even in the loss he still added nine assists. So
far this season, Anderson has six double figure rebound games and three double
figure assist games. It’s gonna be tough for Anderson to let go of this top
spot over the last two weeks.
All Conference Team:
Nick Johnson (Arizona) – 15.9 ppg, 3.9 rpg
It’s no secret that Johnson has struggled with the absence
of Brandon Ashley but he might have got his mojo back on a huge trip to Utah
and Colorado. In two wins, Johnson scored 15 points against Utah and followed
that up with 20 points at Colorado on 8-15 shooting which was his first game
over 50% since January 26.
Justin Cobbs (California) – 17.6 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 6.2 apg
The Bears got embarrassed against UCLA, but bounced back in
the second half against USC to go 1-1 over the weekend. Cobbs went for 22
points and seven assists on a very efficient 8-10 shooting performance. He
struggled against the Bruins going just 2-8 from the field in his first single
digit scoring performance of the year. Cal currently sits at 8-5 in the PAC-12
after starting 5-0.
Delon Wright (Utah) – 17.3 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 4.9 apg
The versatile Wright struggled in a big time showdown with
the Arizona Wildcats, but then quickly bounced back with one of his better
games of the year in a blowout win over Arizona State. On Sunday night, Wright
went 7-7 from the field and finished with 22 points, nine rebounds, and six
assists. Behind Slo-Mo, Wright is one of the most versatile and best stat
stuffers in the country. The 6’5” junior has led Utah to a 7-8 record where
their only home conference losses have come to Oregon and Arizona in overtime.
Chasson Randle (Stanford) – 18.9 ppg, 4 rpg, 2.5 apg
Randle leapfrogs the ASU pair of Jahii Carson and Jordan
Bachynski with wins over USC and UCLA. In an important win over UCLA, Randle
went for 26 points on seven made three’s. Against USC Randle scored 18 points
and is now averaging 18.9 ppg on the year. Stanford sits at 9-5 in the PAC 12,
tied with Cal and will need a strong push to break their NCAA tournament
drought.
On The Verge: Jahii Carson (Arizona State), Josh Scott
(Colorado), C.J. Wilcox (Washington)
Freshman of the Year:
Aaron Gordon (Arizona) – 11.3 ppg, 8.1 rpg
The highly touted freshman had his worst game of the year at
Utah with just three points and three rebounds, but bounced back quickly with
23 points and eight rebounds at Colorado. In a close game, Gordon scored seven
points in a row for the Wildcats which turned a close game into a soon to be
blowout. He hit just his second three of the year (in conference) and used his
speed and athleticism to attack the basket. Once again Gordon stays on top,
even though Nigel Williams-Goss is nipping on his heels. The U-Dub freshman is
averaging 13.9 ppg, 3.9 rpg, and 3.9 apg.
BIG EAST:
The top two teams in the conference, Villanova and Creighton
both went 2-0 this week. Every other school in the conference either went 1-1
or 0-2. The Wildcats sneaked by St. John’s and Providence. The question is
whether Villanova can continue to win out or whether Creighton will be able to
win the conference outright. On the bubble picture, Xavier, Marquette, St.
John’s, and Providence all went 1-1. If this continues the Big East will likely
only get three NCAA tournament bids.
Player of the Year:
Doug McDermott (Creighton) – 26.8 ppg, 6.9 rpg
Creighton’s Doug McDermott keeps rolling as the best player
in the conference, and probably the best player in the country. McDermott had
25 and eight boards in a win over Marquette on Wednesday. He followed that up
with 29 points and three boards in a one point win over Seton Hall. With his
play, McDermott is currently No. 10 on the NCAA-scoring list.
All Conference Team:
Bryce Cotton (Providence) – 23 ppg, 6.2 apg
Providence went 1-1 this week, losing a heartbreaker to
Villanova in double-overtime before beating Butler in a close game. Cotton put
up 22, seven rebounds, and nine assists against Villanova, doing everything he
could to lead his team what would have been a big win in the eyes of the
tournament committee. Coming back from that disappointment, Cotton led the
Friars with 22 points and six assists in a win over the Butler Bulldogs. Cotton
is second in the conference in scoring and first in assists.
Semaj Christon (Xavier) – 18.2 ppg, 4.1 apg
Christon led Xavier to a 1-1 week with some steady play. In
a blowout win over Depaul he 14, four rebounds, seven assists, and two steals. Unable
to capitalize on that win, Xavier was blown out by a reeling Hoyas team in DC
on Saturday. Christon was the only Muskateer to show up, scoring 18 of the
teams 52 points. He also chipped in two assists. Christon is third in the
conference in scoring and seventh in assists.
JayVaughn Pinkston (Villanova) – 14.3 ppg, 6.8 rpg
Pinkston led the Wildcats down the stretch in wins over both
Providence and St. John’s. He scored 5 of his team’s 10 points in double-OT as
Villanova pulled away from Providence. Pinkston finished with 20 points and six
boards in the win. Against the Red Storm Pinkston only scored five points but
he contributed nine boards and a block in the win.
James Bell (Villanova) - 15.4 ppg, 6 rpg
Bell had only nine points and seven boards in a win against
St. John’s as the Wildcats role players really stepped up in the win. However,
in the Providence win Bell nearly had a double-double with 17 points and nine
boards.
On the Verge: Markel Starks (Georgetown), D’vauntes
Smith-Rivera (Georgetown), D’Angelo Harrison (St. John’s)
Freshman of the Year:
Jordan is really coming into his as the season
progresses. Rysheed had laid claim to a
starting spot for the streaking Red Men and contributed two solid games this
week. He had 7 points, three assists, a rebound and a steal in the team’s sixth
straight win, a 77-52 pasting of the Butler Bulldogs. Jordan followed that up
with 13, six, and two in a loss to Villanova.
SEC:
Florida has taken a firm control over the SEC regular season
conference race after achieving their 18th and 19th wins in a row over Auburn
and Ole Miss. Second place UK is 3 games back of the Gators and the Georgia
Bulldogs are in 3rd place with a (9-5) record.
Player of the Year:
Scotty Wilbekin (Florida) – 14.9 ppg, 3.7 apg
Wilbekin’s outstanding point guard play for No. 1 Florida
has pushed him to the top spot in the SEC at this point of the season, edging
out Jabari Brown of Missouri. Against
Auburn this week, Scottie had 15 points and four assists in a closer than
expected game. He helped contain Auburn’s Chris Denson (No. 2 leading scorer in
SEC) to 15 points, which is six under his average. In a battle against one of
the better SEC backcourts of Marshall Henderson and Jarvis Summers of Ole Miss,
Scottie had 18 points, two rebounds and seven assists. Scottie has averaged 18.6 ppg and 4.3 apg
over the past six contests for the Gators.
All Conference Team:
Julius Randle (Kentucky) – 13.5 ppg, 10.0 rpg
The freshman star had a monster game against Ole Miss with a
25 point, 13 rebound explosion. He was 13-14 from the charity stripe and 6-7
from the field against an Ole Miss team that had no answer for him. Although Randle struggled a bit against a
tough LSU frontline, he had the biggest points of the game by hitting the
winning shot with 3.9 seconds left in overtime to give the (2nd place SEC) Wildcats
a chance in the SEC conference race. Randle finished up with eight points and
15 big time rebounds against the Tigers.
Jabari Brown (Missouri) – 21.1 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 2.0 apg
After having arguably the best week of any player in the
SEC, Brown came back to earth this past week in a win over Vanderbilt and loss
to Alabama. In the Vandy win, Brown was
contained to just 10 points which is well under his SEC leading average. In the loss to Bama, Brown responded with 23
points and five assists. Missouri’s chances to get to the tourney are slipping
and will need Brown to return to form in order to get back into the March
Madness conversation.
Jarnell Stokes (Tennessee) – 15.0 ppg, 11.6 rpg
Stokes just keeps on producing for the NCAA bubble
Volunteers. In a big conference win over a surprising Georgia team, Stokes had
an impressive stat line of 20 points, 11 rebounds, three blocks and three
assists. In a loss to lowly Texas A&M, he put up another huge stat line of
16 points, 16 rebounds and four assists.
Stokes and Randle are the only players averaging a double-double in the
SEC.
Trevor Releford (Alabama) -19.4 ppg, 3.35 apg, 1.8 spg
The Crimson Tide’s senior guard is making his first
appearance on the all conference team this season after some prime time
performances against Texas A&M and Missouri. As the lone bright spot for an underachieving
Alabama team, Releford is the SEC’s 5th leading scorer, 8th in assists and 3rd
in steals. Releford cannot be overlooked anymore after posting 20 points, three
rebounds, one assist and two steals in a tough loss to A&M. In an upset win
over Missouri, he had 18 points, six assists and two steals.
On the Verge: Johnny O’Bryant, Casey Prather (Florida),
Marshall Henderson (Ole Miss), Andrew Harrison (UK), Jarvis Summers (Ole Miss)
Freshman of the Year:
Julius Randle (Kentucky)
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