PAC-12 Awards: Halfway Point

Surprises are a plenty at the halfway mark of the PAC-12 regular season. Nine game down. Nine more to go. The Oregon Ducks currently sit in first place at 7-2 while four teams sit just one game back including USC and Washington, who were both picked to finish near the bottom of the conference. The road trips have been dangerous so far with just two road teams (Utah and Oregon) sweeping any of their road trips. Utah is coming on strong winning five in a row while pre-season Arizona has been plagued by injuries and a few close calls. The league currently has a plethora of talented players with only five being able to be named to the all-conference team. Who has a leg-up with nine games left?

Player Of The Year:

Andrew Andrews, G, Washington: 22.7 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 5.7 apg

The Huskies were coming off a disastrous 5-13 conference record last year and not a lot was expected out of one of the youngest teams in the country which starts four freshmen. Andrew Andrews put together a strong junior season averaging 16.6 ppg in conference play, but hit the ground running helping Washington win the first three games of conference play as he scored 35 points in a win against UCLA and then went for 29 points, 10 rebounds, and seven assists in a road win at Washington State. Andrews has topped the 30-point mark in 33% of his conference games and has easily put together one of the more impressive stat lines as the Huskies have returned to an up-tempo style of play. The senior guard struggled in his last trip to Southern California shooting just 6-24 from the field and will need to return to his stellar ways as a few other opponents are nipping at his heels.    

 1^st Team All-Conference:

Dillon Brooks, F, Oregon: 17.2 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 3.2 apg

Last year the surprising Ducks were led by Joe Young who was sensational in conference play. Dillon Brooks impressed in his first year although he experienced the traditional ups and downs one might expect from a freshman. This year, Brooks has taken over the reigns and is the leading scorer for the top team in the league. He’s scored in double-figures in 8 out of 9 games and is averaging over 22 points over the last three games which included a road sweep of Arizona and Arizona State. If Brooks can continue his sophomore leap the rest of the way, he could easily make it back to back player of the year awards for the Ducks.

Jakob Poetl, C, Utah: 16.7 ppg, 7.7 rpg, 2.2 apg

Utah is the hottest team in the conference winning their last five games and a big reason why is that Poetl has been living up to his billing as a potential lottery pick. In conference play, the sophomore center is shooting 54% from the field, but over the last five games he is approaching 61% and has scored 20 or more in the last three. Last year Poetl struggled at times in conference play and only broke double figures four times, but this year with some added strength he has turned into a dominant player down low.

Gary Payton II, G, Oregon St.: 15.7 ppg, 7.9 rpg, 6.0 apg

Gary Payton II was challenging for POY status before an off week in Arizona. For the year, Payton II has put up some monstrous numbers including a 22 point, 15 rebound, eight assist effort against USC and a 26 point, 15 rebound game against Colorado. He is currently leading the conference in assists and is also second in steals. The 6’3” guard came down to earth last weekend as he scored just two points in a loss to Arizona State and then struggled a few days later against Arizona.

Josh Scott, F, Colorado: 15.9 ppg, 9.7 rpg, 2.3 apg

It feels like Josh Scott has been around Colorado forever. The Buffs stumbled to a disappointing 7-11 season last year, but behind the play of Scott (and George King), Colorado is sitting pretty at 6-3 following a sweep of Stanford and Cal. Scott has scored in double figures in every game and has also recorded five double-doubles. He was previously named as the conference player of the week as well.

On The Cusp:

-Ryan Anderson, Arizona

-Julian Jacobs, USC

-Chris Boucher, Oregon

-Julian McLaughlin, USC

-Jaylen Brown, Cal

-Josh Hawkinson, WSU

-Isaac Hamilton, UCLA

-Bryce Alford, UCLA

Freshman Of The Year:

Jaylen Brown, F, Cal: 17.7 ppg, 5.6 rpg / Dejounte Murray, G, UW: 16.0 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 4.9 apg

Just like the player of the year race, this race is too close to call. Jaylen Brown was expected to star at Cal and so far he has performed admirably despite defenders playing significantly off his outside shot. He is the most unstoppable player in the country on a fast break and is still managing to shoot 50% from the floor in conference play. Meanwhile, in Seattle, expectations were high for the local star in Murray, but so far he has easily exceeded any and all of them. Murray leads the conference in steals and is also one of the top rebounding guards and assist men. He put on some added strength after high school and the added muscle shows when he attacks the basket. He takes tough shots at times lowering his shooting percentage, but has been one of the many bright spots so far for the Huskies.

Three-Point Play

Each week the "Three-Point Play" will touch on three topics from the college basketball world. This first version includes the following:

• The improvement of junior forward Isaiah Hicks for UNC
• A look at Washington's 3-0 start in the PAC-12
• USC's improvement from 3-15 last year to 3-1 this year in conference play 

The Isaiah Hicks Improvement

UNC power forward Isaiah Hicks was a McDonald’s All-American and a five-star recruit in the class of 2013, but was the forgotten man coming into this college season after an unremarkable first two years in Chapel Hill. As a freshman Hicks had to watch his lower ranked classmate in Kennedy Meeks (No. 68) outplay and outshine him as Meeks averaged 16.3 minutes compared to just 7.3 minutes for Hicks. Playing mostly on the perimeter, Hicks showed small glimpses of his raw talent, but he scored over five points in just one game. As a sophomore, the minutes doubled for Hicks and he averaged 6.6 points per game, but his performance was still a far cry from the expectations placed on him from the time he committed to Carolina.

Now, Hicks is still not a starter for the talented Tar Heels, but he is one of the most improved and least talked about players in the country. His scoring average has increased to 10.2 points per game in just 18.6 minutes and he currently is ranked No. 4 in the country in KenPom’s offensive efficiency rankings sporting an impressive 140.0 rating. With added strength to go with his fluidity, Hicks has become a more aggressive offensive player and just played a large part in helping UNC pull out a close win over Syracuse last Saturday. He’s converting 82.4% of his shots at the rim per Hoop-Math and has also increased his time at the foul line. Last year, Hicks’ took 2.3 free throws per game which has jumped up to almost four per game this year. A 58% free throw shooter as a freshman, Hicks is now hitting a remarkable 80.6% as a junior. Over the years, UNC has lost numerous games due to its porous free throw shooting, but this year Hicks is a primary reason that UNC is No. 21 in free throw percentage. While Hicks is still not mentioned on any mock draft sites, if he continues his upward trajectory in terms of improvement it will be only a matter of time until the five-star recruit begins to receive NBA attention.

Is Washington Back?

Conference play is only two weeks old for the PAC-12, but so far only one team remains unscathed. After a road overtime victory on Saturday, the Washington Huskies stand 3-0 in the conference and 11-4 overall. After being the class of the PAC-12 for many years, the Huskies have not made the NCAA Tournament since 2011, despite winning the conference regular season in 2012. Now, Lorenzo Romar and crew have gotten back to their up-tempo ways. After regularly playing an up and down style that had them In KenPom’s Top 30 tempo rankings year after year, the Huskies finished No. 183, No. 71, and No. 133 in 2013, 2014, and 2015, respectively. Now, Washington is ranked No. 5 and averaging 78.1 possessions per game (which has been helped by two recent overtime games). Along with the increased tempo, Washington currently has the early leader in the PAC-12 player of the year and freshman of the year. Andrew Andrews is averaging 29.3 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 4.7 assists while also shooting 48% from three. Also, freshman Dejounte Murray is averaging 21.7 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 4.7 assists. The road certainly gets tougher for the Huskies with a trip to Arizona coming up this week, but for now Washington is relying on its guard play while getting back to its winning ways.

USC’s Turn Around

Staying in the PAC-12, most pre-season predictions had the USC Trojans finishing anywhere from 8^th to 10^th in the conference standings. After going just 3-15 last year, it was expected that Andy Enfield’s team would be improved, but not nearly enough to challenge the top echelon of teams. Now, three months into the season, USC is rated No. 25 by KenPom and sports a 3-1 conference record which could easily be 4-0 given the 22 point lead they relinquished to Washington (granted, they could also be 1-3 after giving up substantial leads to Washington, ASU, and Arizona). After their four overtime victory at home against Arizona, the LA market is starting to notice USC for its basketball team. Both the offense and defense have made remarkable leaps this year. The offense jumped from No. 244 in adjusted offensive efficiency to No. 36 and the defense has improved from No. 83 to No. 37. As a team, USC is currently shooting 41% from the three-point line including a 10-23 performance against Arizona. Freshman power forward Bennie Boatwright spaces the floor for the Trojans and has been one of the top freshmen in the conference. Julian Jacobs and Jordan McGlaughlin put the pressure on opposing defense’s and Elijah Stewart provides a strong scoring spark off the bench now that Enfield made the decision to start Katin Reinhardt. On defense, the Trojans have employed a soft pac line defense at times and have made a conscious effort to stop the opposing guards off pick and roll plays. With a young and talented team, the Trojans are looking to establish themselves in the PAC-12. Through two weeks they are off to a start that wasn’t anticipated, but now they enter a three game road stretch playing at UCLA before travelling to Oregon. A 2-1 mark for USC would be a dream come true, but even a 1-2 finish would be respectable. It’s not easy to change a culture and establish an identity, but in year three, Andy Enfield is in the midst of doing just that.  

Nike Global Challenge: USA Recap

The USA teams were the class of the Nike Global Challenge with the USA West team handing the USA East their first loss in the championship game on Sunday afternoon. The West team was stocked with talent from Texas and also got some help from Stephen Zimmerman and Dejounte Murray. Throughout the challenge, the four USA teams suffered just one loss to the foreign teams with the USA South falling to China on Day three.

Best Duo:

Stephen Zimmerman, 6’11”, C, 2015 & Tyler Davis, 6’10”, C, 2015 – USA West

Back in April before the start of the EYBL season, Zimmerman and Ivan Rabb were supposed to be a fearsome frontcourt duo. That wasn’t necessarily the case and Zimmerman rarely broke double digits in EYBL competition. Playing with Davis and a plethora of outside shooters gave Zimmerman the space he needed to operate down low. With a 17.5 point and 11.5 rebound average, Zimmerman grabbed the MVP of the Challenge and looked more confident and fluid in the process. He did a lot of his work in the paint, whether it was dunks, lay-ups, or short hook shots but he also displayed his outside shooting ability (at times) as well as his passing skills from the high post.

While Zimmerman got the MVP, Tyler Davis was the workhorse down low using his 270 pound frame to his advantage. Before sitting out the championship game, Davis averaged 15 points and 8 rebounds including a 19 point, 14 rebound effort in his last game. Throughout the challenge, Davis ran the floor and banged down low in the post. The majority of his baskets came in the paint on follow-ups or fundamental post moves, but he also stepped outside of the paint and knocked in a few mid range jump shots and delivered several assists to Zimmerman.

Both players noted they enjoyed playing with each other and the chemistry was evident from the opening tip on Wednesday night.

Toughest Competitor:

Chris Clarke, USA East, 6’6”, SF, Cape Henry (VA), 2015

Chris Clarke and the words “motor” have been synonymous all summer long and certainly nothing changed in the Challenge. Clarke was all over the floor attacking the basket or hounding opposing players in the full court press. For his efforts, Clarke was named to the All-Tournament team after averaging 16 points per game and shooting 71.8% from the floor (21-38). In addition Clarke also grabbed almost 3.3 offensive rebounds per game. Anytime Clarke got the ball he went straight toward the rim. When China went to a 2-3 zone in the first game, Clarke flashed to the middle, caught the ball in the zone and in one quick movement turned and was at the rim in one dribble. He never seemed to get tired and Clarke never went away from his strengths. Whoever winds up with Chris Clarke will get a difference maker from Day 1 in college. 

5 USA Notables:

Jalen Brunson, USA Midwest, 6’2”, PG, Stevenson (IL), 2015

Hailing from the Chicago burbs, Brunson looked right at home playing within the city limits. While Brunson is known for his three point stroke in high school play he only shot 23% during EYBL action. Well, in four games at the Challenge Brunson finished 10-15 from behind the arc. He had no trouble with the FIBA distance and hit several tough step backs in addition to NBA three’s. Brunson controlled the game for his Midwest team throughout their third place finish and averaged 14 points and 6.25 assists per game. The class of 2015 is weak at the point guard spot, but over the past two weeks at the CP3 camp and the Nike Global Challenge, Brunson definitively established himself as the top point guard in the class and an impact player at the next level. 

Edrice Adebayo, USA East, 6’8”, PF, Northside (NC), 2016

Bam’s offensive game continues to improve. Known as “raw” on the offensive end, Adebayo’s skill-set is starting to catch up to his athleticism. In his second game against Africa, Adebayo jumped out to a quick start with a fast break dunk, reverse lay-up in traffic, and a 12 foot jump shot. He already has a college ready upper body and is quick off his feet. With good form on his free throws and jump shot, Adebayo is starting to get more confidence in his 12-15 foot jumper. He hit several over the three day stretch and did so off a pick and pop or face-up. He led his East team in scoring at 17 points a game and also grabbed 7 rebounds. With continued skill work, it won’t be long before Adebayo rises rapidly up the rankings. 

De’Aaron Fox, USA West, 6’4”, PG, Cypress Lake (TX), 2016

The talented USA West team had Zimmerman and Davis down low and a plethora of shooters on the wings, but they also had junior De’Aaron Fox running the show. Fox led the Challenge with 7.25 assists per game and also turned in a strong 3.2 A/TO rate. Fox hit shots when he needed, but for the most part the talented guard was content to push the pace, break down his man off the dribble, and find an open teammate. Fox didn’t make the cut for the USA 17U team, but he did showcase his skills in Colorado Springs and continued to do so in one of the last big time events of the summer.

Dejounte Murray, USA West, 6’5”, SG, Rainier Beach (WA), 2015

Murray was the only representative from the Pacific Northwest, but the future Washington Husky won a few NBA scouts over with his skill set. Murray averaged almost 14 points per game and hit some clutch baskets in a closely contested win over the USA Midwest team. With his length and quickness, Murray got to the rim on the break and usually got by his defender on the wing in the half court set as well. He did turn the ball over too much, but Murray also provided some highlight reel plays in addition to his timely scoring.

Jaylen Brown, USA East, 6’7”, SF, Wheeler (GA), 2015

The USA South team went just 2-2 in the Challenge, but Scout.com’s new number one player in the class of 2015 still played up to the lofty expectations set for him. Using his brute strength and improved mid-range game, Brown averaged 21 points per game and 9.3 rebounds while shooting 48% from the field. He did most of his damage in the paint but showed enough ball-handling skills for all the scouts that wanted to see him in action. 

Top Shooters:

Playing under FIBA rules, the three point line was set at 22.1 feet compared to a high school arc of 19 feet and 9 inches. To no surprise the USA teams struggled from behind the arc more so than the international teams. With the extended arc, there were still a few players that demonstrated their shooting ability from all areas of the court.

Malachi Richardson, USA East, 6’6”, SF, Trenton Catholic (NJ), 2015

Only five USA players made over seven three’s in the Challenge and the future Syracuse Orangeman was one of them. Richardson finished the week hitting 7-18 good enough for 39%. Richardson went 5-7 in his first game against China and wasn’t really affected by the longer three point line. With his 6’11” wing span, Richardson’s shot is pretty hard to block and he also has a quick release. To go along with his mechanics, Richardson also gets a tremendous amount of backspin on the ball reminiscent to Gilbert Arenas back in his heyday. He averaged 14.5 points for the tournament and while he only made two more three’s after his first game he established himself as one of the top shooters from the USA.

Austin Grandstaff, USA West, 6’3”, SG, Rockwall (TX), 2015

Looking purely at the stats, it was teammate Matt McQuaid that shot better from behind the arc going 7-20 compared to the 8-26 that Grandstaff shot. That being said, Grandstaff makes his way into the top shooters listing for when he made his shots. They usually came at the beginning of games rather than towards the end in blowouts. Grandstaff made his attempts look easy with a quick flick of the rest and hit several from well beyond the FIBA international line.  

Mr. Consistent:

Esa Ahmad, 6’7”, SF, Shaker Heights (OH), 2015

The talented wing from Ohio is never flashy in his performance, but he seems to always get the job down. This held true in Chicago with Ahmad averaging 13.8 points and 5.8 rebounds per game. His field goal attempts through four games went this way: 5-7, 6-8, 3-9, and 8-9. He took advantage of a porous Chinese defense in the third place game with his strong drives to the basket. Ahmad is not going to blow you away with athleticism, but he is strong and just quick enough to consistently get to the rim. He is not a deadly outside shooter, but he went 5-10 from behind the arc. His stock improved over the summer, but Esa Ahmad is still overlooked in the class of 2015 despite his consistent nature.

Quietest Performance:

Deyonta Davis, USA Midwest, 6’8”, PF, Muskegon (MI), 2015

Davis averaged just less than 13 minute a game, but managed to score 8.8 points and grab seven rebounds while shooting a ridiculous 85% from the floor. Davis only attempted 20 field goals, but he converted 17 of them. The jumping jack from Michigan is one of the quickest leapers in the country and cleaned up down low. Coming into the AAU season, Davis did not have much exposure but the future Spartan certainly showed that he was worthy of such a high offer. 

Disappearing Act:

Donovan Mitchell, USA East, 6’3”, G, Brewster Academy (NH), 2015

It’s hard to blame Mitchell for one lackluster performance after being one of the hottest players throughout the July period. After jumping up to five-star status and committing to Louisville, Mitchell struggled in Chicago averaging just four points and 2.5 assists per game. Mitchell had talented guards around him, but in 82 minutes he shot just 7-20 from the field and was a relative non-factor in three out of four games. In the championship game, Mitchell went against one of his clones in King McClure and he let the Texan get the better of him. It’s been a long summer for Mitchell and one subpar tournament should be nothing to worry about, even though it did end his hot play on a down note.