PAC-12 Focus

In a weekend void of upsets, Oregon came through on Sunday with a home victory over the favored Utah Utes. Meanwhile, ESPN spent the weekend in Tucson for their game of the week which featured Arizona as a 14 point favorite over the visiting UCLA Bruins. Two weeks remain in conference play as teams battle for conference tournament seeding. Arizona sits all alone at the top but they travel to the Rocky Mountains to face off against Colorado and then Utah, which sits one game back in the loss column. Oregon has won eight out of their last 10 games and sits comfortably in third place.

Player of the Year:

Joseph Young, SG, Oregon (19.9 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 3.3 apg)

Oregon Live photo - Joseph Young

Predicted to finish eighth in the conference in the pre-season, senior guard Joseph Young has led the Ducks to a 10-5 conference record and a third-place standing. Young did not have his best game of the year in the Utah upset this past weekend but he has been the toughest cover in the Pac-12. He is second in the conference in scoring at 19.3 points per game and has scored in double figures in 14 out of 15 games. To go with his scoring exploits, Young added six assists against both Colorado and UCLA. Young is tops in the league in free throw shooting at 92.9% and is ninth in three point shooting at 40.7%.

All-Conference:

Delon Wright, PG, Utah (12.8 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 5.5 apg)

Wright is a leader for All-American honors despite a dip in his personal statistics. Last year Wright averaged 16.9 points and 6.7 rebounds per game in conference play but with a stronger team this year his assist numbers have rose and the talented point guard comes in just behind TJ McConnell. Despite the most recent loss to Oregon, a game in which Wright scored 20 points in 40 minutes, a golden opportunity awaits this week when the Wildcats come to town. In an earlier loss, Utah hung around for the first half, but now the All-American candidate will look to improve on the 10 points he previously scored. A win here would be significant for both the Utes and Wright as well.

Stanley Johnson, SF, Arizona (13.9 ppg, 6.8 rpg, 1.14 spg)

The top freshmen in the Pac-12 had his worst shooting performance of conference play on Saturday against UCLA, but he still managed to contribute in other ways grabbing 10 boards in 32 minutes. Johnson has put up double figure games in all but four and is also averaging close to seven rebounds a game from the small forward spot. In a Thursday night blowout of USC, Johnson went for 13 points, seven rebounds, and six assists in just 25 minutes. 

T.J. McConnell, PG, Arizona (12 ppg, 5.71 apg, 56% FG)

Arizona’s point guard makes his first appearance on the All-Conference list during his Arizona tenure. McConnell’s scoring is up this year at 12 points per game and he also leads the conference in assists and is third in assist to turnover ratio. In addition, McConnell is also fifth in field goal percentage. In the Wildcats last loss, a rivalry game at Arizona State, McConnell scored a season high 25 points. His assist numbers are up and McConnell is playing at a very high rate having recorded an offensive efficiency rating of 100 or more in all but his first conference game.

Chasson Randle, SG, Stanford (20.3 ppg, 3.07 apg, 1.36 spg)

Randle is the leading scorer in conference play at 20.3 points per game and most recently scored 19 points in a rivalry win over California. He’s struggled shooting the ball over the past three games, but he has Stanford at fourth place in the conference (barely). The senior has also scored in double figures in every conference game and is also seventh in steals.

On the Verge: Anthony Brown (Stanford), Tyrone Wallace (Cal), Gary Payton II (Oregon State), Nigel Williams-Goss (Washington), Norman Powell (UCLA)

Freshman of the Year:

Stanley Johnson, SF, Arizona

Other Top Freshmen: Kevon Looney (UCLA), Dillon Brooks (Oregon), Jordan McLaughlin (USC)

An Introduction: Alonzo Verge Jr.

The hype around Alonzo Verge Jr. is growing in the Chicago area and the wiry sophomore certainly lived up to the billing on Tuesday night in front of a packed house. Just days after the Chicago Sun-Times did a glowing feature on the high-scoring guard, Verge went out and scored 41 points in a 96-94 win over conference foe Proviso East.

Last year Willowbrook won just two games on the season, but with their latest victory they now have reached the 20 win mark and have won 14 in a row. The turnaround is primarily due to the scoring exploits of one of the top sophomores in the state. Two years ago it was Jalen Brunson who slowly built a local buzz as a sophomore before exploding onto the national scene during the spring. Now it’s Alonzo Verge Jr. who is building the buzz. He came into the Proviso East contest averaging 22.5 points which included multiple 30 point and 40 point outbursts.

An Inside Look:

Scoring comes naturally to Verge Jr. His father was a standout scorer at Proviso West in the late 1980’s and finished on the All-State third team in 1987-88 (take a look at this list and see what names pop out). The 6’0” guard was famous for his own 30 point and 40 point performances as he won two straight scoring titles in the West Suburban Conference. His son, Alonzo Verge Jr. stands 6’3” with a lanky frame, long arms, and braids falling down below his eyes but likes to score just like his father.  

First Half Scoring:

Verge Jr. started the game in attack mode and after missing his first shot of the game hit a driving lay-up from the right side off of a steal to kick things off. The quick first step was evident as Proviso East was forced to put their smallest and quickest defender on Verge Jr when they weren't running double teams at him. He added in another driving lay-up in addition to a pull-up three from the right wing to finish with nine points in the first quarter. His scoring slowed down in the second quarter as he forced the issue at times but he still ended the half with 14 points.

14 points, 5-11 FG’s, 1-4 3PT, 3-4 FT’s

Second Half Scoring:

The second half began just like the first half did with Verge Jr. pushing the tempo and looking for cracks in the defense. He found a few as he made two driving lay-ups early on in addition to a deep three from the left wing. After an offensive put-back he ended the quarter missing his final three shots. Another nine point quarter gave the sophomore 23 points heading into the fourth quarter of a tightly contested game.

Without wasting words, Alonzo Verge simply dominated the fourth quarter. In a matter of possessions Verge Jr. hit a three off of a left to right cross, converted a driving lay-up, and added in another NBA range three from the right wing. He was perfect from the line down the stretch going 8-8 and also added in a highlight reel lay-up where he did his best Steph Curry dribbling impersonation on his way to the basket. He scored 18 points in the final stanza and did not miss a shot as Willowbrook held on for the win.

27 points, 8-12 FG’s, 3-4 3PT, 8-8 FT’s

Areas for Improvement:

Verge Jr. is both blessed and cursed with an innate ability to score and get a shot almost any time he wants. It’s easy for Alonzo to free himself of his defender and rise up for a shot, but this also leads to forced / difficult shots at times. When he caught the ball on the perimeter with his feet set, he knocked in both of his three point attempts that were well behind the line. When he was shooting off the dribble, his shots usually came off-balance while drifting to the right or the left (even though he still went 2-6 from three in these situations). His fancy ball-handling skills allow him to attack from both sides of the court while also single handedly breaking a man-to-man press; however he over-dribbled at times which led to a high turnover rate. Alonzo recorded seven steals, but he was also always on the lookout for an easy run-out or fast break situation which often left him in a compromised defensive position or resulted in an easy offensive rebound for his opponent.

Strengths:

Quickness and scoring ability. Despite being the focus of Proviso East’s defense, Verge Jr. still scored 41 points. At times he was a little out of control, but he took over in the fourth quarter and created for himself or his teammates at almost any time. His long and quick first step allows him to get by defenders where he utilized both hands in the paint to score. He has a quick triggered release which combined with his range makes him a threat starting with the NBA three-point line.  Not just a scorer, Verge Jr. dropped off several nice passes to teammates resulting in easy lay-ups and used his long arms to create steals. He likes to talk trash, but does so with a smile on his face at all times and might be the most jovial basketball player around. There’s no doubt that Alonzo Verge Jr. is one of the top sophomores in the state and he will most likely begin garnering national recognition when AAU play starts up in the spring.

College Freshmen Tracker

There are only a few weeks left in the regular season and the current freshmen are no longer considered freshmen. So far several of the elite newcomers have made their impacts known throughout conference play and will be up for Player of the Year honors. The big name players and big name schools dominate the list, but several “lesser” known freshmen are ready to break into the first installment of the Top 10.

1.      Jahlil Okafor, C, Duke

18.2 ppg, 9.3 rpg, 66.5 FG%

The top rated recruit in the 2014 high school class has also been the top freshmen throughout the year. Okafor is currently in the front running for ACC Player of the Year and is also in contention for National Player of the Year talks. The future top draft pick is fourth in the ACC in scoring, third in rebounding all while leading the league in field goal percentage. In addition, he’s scored in double figures in every game so far this season. With a plethora of post moves, Okafor is looking to lead Duke to a number one seed.

2.       D’Angelo Russell, G, Ohio State

19.1 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 5.5 apg

Russell was expected to do big things in Columbus due to the significant departures in Columbus, but nobody expected him to do what he is currently doing. Russell has made a charge up the mock draft rankings and is now considered a potential top five pick. The well-rounded guard finally gets to run a team after sharing the reigns with such players as Kasey Hill, Ben Simmons, and Joel Berry in high school and AAU play and is averaging 20.5 points, 7 rebounds, 5.7 assists, and 1.5 steals. Two weeks ago Russell recorded a rare triple-double against Rutgers with 23 points, 11 rebounds, and 11 assists.

3.       Stanley Johnson, SF, Arizona

14.8 ppg, 6.8 rpg, 1.8 apg

Playing for one of the top teams in the country, Stanley Johnson took over the early role as Arizona’s leading scorer. The powerful Johnson has scored in double-figures in nine conference games and is shooting 74% from the free throw line and almost 40% from three which was his primary weakness coming into the college season. While other players are putting up more points, Johnson is doing his damage on a team that returned numerous key parts from its Elite 8 run last year.

4.       Kevon Looney, PF, UCLA

12.4 ppg, 9.9 rpg

The Milwaukee native has turned into a double-double machine in sunny Westwood. Looney took advantage of the immediate playing time offered to him and also raised his draft stock significantly. Looney is second in the Pac-12 in rebounding and has put up double-doubles in half of his league games. He is versatile enough to take big men off the dribble and is also shooting 13-34 from three after a 4-6 performance against the two Oregon schools this past week. Looney’s best statistical game came in a win over Stanford with 27 points and 19 rebounds.

5.       Melo Trimble, PG, Maryland

15.7 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 3.0 apg

After struggling to a 9-9 record in their last season in the ACC, the Terps currently sit at 9-4 in the Big 10 and are tied for second place. The main reason? The play of Melo Trimble, the Washington Post All-Met Player of the Year. Melo is seventh in the Big 10 in scoring and despite going 0-13 in a two game stint has rebounded to score 58 points in his last three games.

6.       Karl Anthony-Towns, PF, Kentucky

9.1 ppg, 6.4 rpg, 52.3 FG%

Anthony-Towns is only playing 20 minutes per game on a loaded Kentucky team, but sits at No. 6 in the Ken Pomeroy player of the year ratings due to his 116.7 offensive efficiency rating. Towns put together 12 points and 13 rebounds in a close win at LSU and has scored in double figures in four out of his last five games. NBA teams are salivating at a chance to get Towns on their team next year due to his size, length, and agility.

7.       Devin Booker, SG, Kentucky

10.8 ppg, 47.3% 3PT%

In the Nike EYBL, Booker always had the ball in his hands and while his athleticism made a jump from his junior to senior year, his proficiency decreased. Now Booker comes off the bench for Kentucky but is the team’s second leading scorer. His pure stroke is shining through and he’s hitting 47% from deep while sporting an outstanding 127.6 offensive efficiency rating.

8.       James Blackmon Jr., SG, Indiana

15.9 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 83% FT’s

The sweet shooting Indiana guard has teamed up with Yogi Ferrell to re-unite the Bloomington faithful. Blackmon is hitting almost 39% from three and just put together a 24 point, 7 rebound performance against Minnesota including 6-10 from three.

9.       Eric Paschall, F, Fordham

17.7 ppg, 5.4 rpg

Fordham might sit in last place in the Atlantic 10, but freshman forward Eric Paschall is lighting up the scoreboards and is second in the league in scoring with 18.6 points per game in conference play. Paschall scored 31 points in his first college performance and has scored in double figures in every league game so far.

10.   Tyus Jones, PG, Duke

11.3 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 5.3 apg, 3.1 A/TO

Tyus Jones was known as the best pure point guard in high school for the last few years and he was handed the reins in Durham from Day 1. Jones is second in the ACC in assists per game and has started to come into his own after a slow start to conference play. Beginning with a win at Louisville, Jones has scored in double figures in nine out of ten games and while he made clutch three’s to hand UVA their only loss of the season, Jones also just recorded a 16 point, six rebound, 12 assist performance on the road in Tallahassee.

Players that just missed the cut:

·         Justise Winslow (Duke)

·         Myles Turner (Texas)

·         Riley LaChance (Vanderbilt)

·         Domantas Sabonis (Gonzaga)

Who did I miss? Send me a tweet @seanmohoops

BIG XII & Big East Awards

BIG 12:

Halfway through conference play and once again the road to a Big 12 championship runs through Lawrence. After a split with the ISU Cyclones the Kansas Jayhawks lead the Big 12 with a 8-2 record and a game lead over the Cyclones. Besides ISU there are three other teams within two games of first place.

Player of the Year: 

Buddy Heild (Jr. - Oklahoma) – 19.5 ppg, 5.9 rpg

One of the best pure scorers in college basketball, Heild has turned his game up lately as the Sooners have won five in a row and moved into second place after a big win against Iowa State. The athletic wing also averages 1.6 steals per game and leads the conference making 2.7 threes per game in addition to his league leading 19.5 points per game which is almost three points higher than the next closer player.

All Conference Team: 

Georges Niang (Jr. - Iowa State) – 14.1 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 3.1 apg

Mr. Consistency. Georges Niang has been very reliable as the Cyclones have won three of their last five to take third place in the conference after a 94-83 loss to Oklahoma. Despite having his worst game against Oklahoma, Niang scored 20 points twice go along with 19 against Texas in Iowa State’s latest run.

Perry Ellis (Sr. - Kansas) – 12.6 ppg, 7.3 rpg

As the Jayhawks have won 5 of 6 to wrest control of the Big 12 Perry Ellis and Frank Mason III have been there to lead the very balanced Jayhawks. In a big win over ISU last week Ellis went for 17 points, six boards, and four assists He then put up a double-double as KU was upset on the road by Oklahoma St.

Rico Gathers (Jr. - Baylor) – 10.7 ppg, 13.3 rpg

Mr. Gathers is a beast. Looking more like a NFL defensive lineman the junior for Baylor has owned the boards and started scoring more than in past years. In the Bear’s current three game win streak he has pulled down 15, 17, and 16 rebounds to go with two double-doubles. He is first in the Big 12 in rebounding at 13.3 per game and he is also second in the country with 12.6 overall.

Juwan Staten (Sr. – West Virginia) - 11.9 ppg, 4.7 apg

Staten has continued to be the top performer for Bob Huggins’ surprising Mountaineers. The team has dropped two in a row which erased them from the polls and will need Staten to lead his team to wins in order to keep his spot on the first team.

On the Verge – Monte Morris (So. – Iowa St.), Devin Williams (So. – West Virginia), Le’Bryan Nash (Sr. Oklahoma State), Ryan Spangler (Jr. – Oklahoma), Kenny Chery (Sr. - Baylor), Frank Mason III (So. – Kansas)

Freshman of the Year:

Myles Turner (Texas) – 9.4 ppg, 5.9 rpg, 2.9 blocks/Kelly Oubre (Kansas) – 9ppg, 5.5 rpg

The two potential top 10 picks in the upcoming NBA draft have both flashed the potential scouts love but have been inconsistent which has driven fans of their respective teams crazy. In Kansas’ last game, Oubre had only 1 point and 3 rebounds but in the game in the big win over Iowa State Oubre went 16, 5 boards, and 3 assists. Similarly, Turner hasn’t been able to consistently perform up to expectations. He hasn’t broken double-digits in his last three outings but he does lead the conference at 2.9 blocks per game.

Big East:

As we pass the halfway mark in conference play no team has stepped up to separate themselves from their conference foes. Villanova is leading the pack a half game up on Butler. Only two other teams having winning conference records but eight of the ten teams in the conference are battling for NCAA tournament berths. Similar to their teams, no player has distinguished themselves last year, like Dougie McBuckets and Bryce Cotton did last year. Check below for the first team all-conference players.

Player of the Year:

Kris Dunn (So. - Providence) – 17.2 ppg, 8.1 apg, 6.8 rbg

Kris Dunn is the most complete player in the Big East. As a PG, he is partially judged by wins and losses and he has led the Friars to the third place record in the conference, 1.5 games behind Villanova. In addition to winning, Dunn continues to put up big numbers. In a win against Georgetown last week, Dunn had 12 points and 9 rebounds while throwing in 6 steals. He leads the league in assists and steals, is 5^th in scoring, and 4^th in rebounding.

All Conference Team: 

Roosevelt Jones (Jr. – Butler) – 15.2 ppg, 5.5 rbs, 3 apg

The surprising Bulldogs have been led by the combination of Jones and Kellan Dunham. The 8-3 Butler squad went 2-0 this week to jump into second place. Jones averaged 17 per game in the two wins. Roosevelt is 8^th in scoring, 9^th in assists while also throwing in 1 block per game.

LaDontae Henton (Sr. - Providence) – 23.3 ppg, 5.7 rpg

Part of Providence’s dynamic duo, Henton has been on the receiving end on a lot of the Kris Dunn assists. The highly skilled wing leads the conference in scoring pouring in 20.8 per game in conference. Henton shoots the three well making 2.8 a game in conference play and also chips in nearly 6 boards. He averaged 20 a game in a 1-1 week in a tough road trip at Georgetown and Xavier.

Ryan Arcidiacono (Jr. - Villanova) – 12.9 ppg, 3.6 apg, 1.0 spg

“Arch” as he’s known to fans is one of three or four guys from the balanced Villanova team deserving consideration for this spot. Arch has a 2.1/1 Assists to turnover ratio and has been very consistent in leading the top ten ranked Wildcats. As he’s recovered from a wrist injury Ryan has tightened up his three point stroke and is now shooting 47% in conference from distance.

Sterling Gibbs (Jr. - Seton Hall) – 18.7 ppg, 4.6 apg

Gibbs, like the Pirates, has struggled over the past two weeks. A big game coming up for the Pirates this week when they play another team headed in the wrong direction, the Hoyas of Georgetown. The hall welcomed back Isaiah Whitehead last week and hope he can work with Gibbs to address some of the offensive issues challenging the Hall. Gibbs has been the one bright spot for the Pirates – putting up 18.5 per game last week to go along with 4 steals.

On the Verge –D’vauntes Smith-Rivera (Jr. - Georgetown), Rysheed Jordan (So. - St. John’s), Darrun Hilliard (Sr. – Villanova)

Freshman of the Year:

Angel Delgado (Seton Hall) – 9.6 ppg, 10.1 rbg,

Delgado has seen his rebounding drive his offense, as the Pirates have struggled integrating him. In response, Delgado has increased his energy and focus on rebounding; contributing more put backs while shooting 56% from the floor. 

ACC & PAC 12 Conference and POY Awards

ACC:

We are more than half way done with league play in the ACC and Virginia sits all alone at the top with a 9-1 record which makes them 28-3 in the ACC over the past two seasons. While UVA just finished up their three game gauntlet with a 2-1 record (which in reality should have been a perfect three in a row), the Wahoos will now need to find ways to continue their impressive play without their second leading scorer Justin Anderson who is now sidelined for 4-6 weeks. Could Anderson’s injury open up the ACC race?

With only a handful of games left in a top heavy ACC let’s take our first look at how the ACC All-Conference team stacks up:

Player of the Year:

Jahlil Okafor (Duke) – 17.8 ppg, 10.3 rpg, 62.4% FG’s

After a close loss to Notre Dame on the road, Duke quickly bounced back to upset Virginia, before eeking out a win over Georgia Tech and then annihilating Notre Dame in a rematch. Through it all, the top rated freshman has been a dominant force in the low post. He’s scored in double figures every game including a 20 point, 10 rebound performance this past weekend on 9-11 shooting. Okafor is fourth in the ACC in scoring, second in rebounding, and first in field goal percentage. He’s the focus of double teams every night, but still produces with remarkable consistency and a strong post repertoire.

All-Conference Team:

Jerian Grant (Notre Dame) – 17.1 ppg, 6.4 apg

What a year a difference makes for Notre Dame. Senior guard Jerian Grant has put together some amazing performances as evidenced by 23 point, 6 rebound, 12 assist game against Duke including a few ridiculous shots. Grant is the leading assist man in the ACC and is also averaging 1.9 steals a game. He struggled in his last game at Cameron going 3-10, but isn't too far behind Okafor in POY rankings.

Rakeem Christmas (Syracuse) – 19.7 ppg, 9.6 rpg, 2.1 bpg

Easily the most improved player in the conference and maybe the country. Last year Christmas averaged just 5.8 points per game and now he is the second leading scorer in the ACC and first in blocked shots. Despite just getting the news that the Orange wouldn’t be eligible for the NCAA tournament, Christmas still put up 23 points, 12 rebounds, and 6 blocked shots in a close loss to Pitt. He’s scored in double figures each game showcasing a strong right hand hook and put together a 35 point, 9 rebound effort earlier in the season.

Malcolm Brogdon (Virginia) – 14 ppg, 3.5 rbg, 2.2 apg

Mr. Consistency. Last year Brogdon was a double-digit scoring machine in conference play and this year he has continued that trend despite going for eight points in two close wins over Miami and Virginia Tech. With Justin Anderson’s injury, Brogdon will have to increase his scoring, but the versatile wing shouldn’t have a problem. Brogdon can attack the basket using his size and strength and can also knock down open jump shots in Tony Bennett’s motion offense. Brogdon had a strong claim for first team ACC last year, but now he is making another strong push.

Terry Rozier (Louisville) – 20.4 ppg, 5.1 rbg

The sophomore guard is the top scorer in the ACC and has made the sophomore leap after averaging 7 points per game as a freshman. Rozier is a match-up problem for most opposing due to his athletic abilities and he can get to the rim against almost any defender. That being said, he is shooting 44% from the field and has put together two different 5-16 games in Louisville losses.

Freshman of the Year:

Jahlil Okafor (Duke)

Other Notes: Juniors Marcus Paige (UNC) and Montrezl Harrell (Louisville) were voted to the first team before the season with Paige being nominated as the pre-season player of the year. As of right now, both players failed to make the first team although there is still time. Paige is averaging 15 points, but has been plagued by injuries while Harrell is averaging 14.6 points and 9.1 rebounds. UVA’s Justin Anderson would have garnered first team honors, but with his injury his regular season is effectively complete.

PAC-12:

Luckily for the Pac-12, they select 10 players for their first team all-conference. This year they will need it for all of the talented individuals in this conference. While the league is clearly a two team league at the top with Utah and Arizona sporting 8-2 records there aren't any nights off (well, maybe when it comes to USC).

Player of the Year:

Chasson Randle (Stanford) – 21.9 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 2.6 apg

It seems like Randle has been around forever at Stanford. Last year he was named to the first team, but it seemed no one outside the west coast knew who he was, including Andrew Wiggins. This year, Randle is leading the league in scoring with 21.9 points per game. The senior guard has put together two games with 30 plus points and five games with 20 plus points. Stanford sits at 6-4 in conference play and they will need a player of the year type performance from Randle to move up the rankings.

All-Conference Team:

Delon Wright (Utah) – 12.3 ppg, 4 rpg, 6 apg

Wright’s stats are not as pretty as they were last year, but the versatile senior has helped the Utes to a share of first place in the conference with eight games to go. Wright is shooting 46% from the floor and while he was quite in a big game against Arizona earlier in the year he’s scored in double-figures in eight out of ten league games. Wright is also leading the league in assists at six per game.

Stanley Johnson (Arizona) – 14.7 ppg, 6.7 rbg

Johnson was expected to fill in for Aaron Gordon at the small forward spot, but the freshman has surpassed his former AAU teammate in terms of production in Tucson. Despite Arizona’s upset loss over the weekend to Arizona State, the Wildcats sit at 8-2 in the conference in large part due to the tenacity of Johnson who has put together games of 22 points, 8 rebounds, 19 points and 7 rebounds, and 18 points and 9 rebounds in three wins. Despite playing with a starting line-up featuring juniors and seniors, Johnson has fit right in and is the top freshman in the conference.

Joseph Young (Oregon) – 19.6 ppg, 3.7 rbg

The high scoring shooting guard put together an impressive display at home this week against the two Washington schools. In the week Young went for 32 points against Washington and scored over 2,000 points in his career and on Sunday Young came oh so close to a triple double with a 28 point, 10 rebound, 8 assist performance against Washington State. Young struggled in a loss to Washington earlier in the year, but has been the sparkplug that has propelled the Ducks to a surprising 7-4 start.

Tyrone Wallace (California) – 15.4 ppg, 6.9 rbg, 3.4 apg

Don’t look now, but the Bears have won four games in a row. They took care of both Southern Cal counterparts this weekend with a Wallace buzzer beater against USC and then a two point win against UCLA. Over the last four games, Wallace has averaged close to 19 points per game and despite being a 6’5” guard he is averaging 6.9 rebounds per game.

Nigel Williams Goss (Washington) – 17.2 ppg, 4 rbg, 5.4 apg

The sophomore guard has been the lone bright spot for Washington after a 5 game slide that coincided with the loss of Robert Upshaw. Williams-Goss had a standout freshman year and gave Aaron Gordon a run for his money for freshman of the year last year and now he is fifth in the conference in scoring and second in assists. 

Freshman of the Year:

Stanley Johnson (Arizona)

Other notes: Freshman Kevon Looney is averaging close to a double-double, but it’s Norman Powell that has quietly turned his game around after a disastrous game against Kentucky in front of a plethora of NBA scouts. The senior guard is averaging 17.5 points per game and after an eight point game in a loss to Utah, Powell has scored in double figures every game including five games of 20 plus points.