Pac-10 Review

Arizona: Considering the mess that Lute Olson and Kevin O'Neill left behind, Russ Pennell has done an outstanding job with the Wildcats. While Arizona may be tempted to try to reel in a big-name coach to take over for Pennell at the end of the season, the administration would be wise to give Pennell a look. Unlike recent Wildcats' squads, Pennell's club is playing something resembling hard-nosed basketball. And he has the Wildcats poised for a NCAA berth, despite their nonexistent bench. While Chase Budinger and Jordan Hill get all the attention, Nic Wise is equally important. The 5-10 junior point guard is Zona's on-court leader and averages an impressive 14.8 points and 4.7 assists per contests. Expect one of the country's hottest teams to end up with between a six and eight seed.

Arizona State: It is absolutely ridiculous that James Harden isn't getting more consideration for national player of the year. And while Harden has been sensational, his supporting cast has been much better than advertised. Look for the Sun Devils to end up with around a five seed, but don't expect this team to make a deep run in the tourney. They simply have no post depth to speak of. Someone needs to put out a missing person report for Eric Boateng. The junior big man, a former Duke Blue Devil and McDonald's All-American, has been a complete no-show this year (averaging just 2 points and 2 boards per game).

California: Like so many teams in the Pac-10, Cal's thin bench will likely doom the Golden Bears' chances of making a deep tourney run. However, this team has an extremely talented starting lineup and one of the best perimeter threesomes in the country. Point guard Jerome Randle leads the Bears in points and assists per contest. Physically imposing wings Patrick Christopher (6-5 215) and Theo Robertson (6-6 225) can fill it up – 40% and 54% from behind the arc respectively. Curiously, Cal swept Pac-10 leader Washington but was swept by perennial conference doormat Oregon State (though the Beavers are much improved). I expect the Bears to pick up a six or seven seed.

Oregon: Disastrous season in Eugene. In a Pac-10 that is not nearly as competitive as it was last year, the Ducks have managed a single conference win. After watching Oregon beat Kansas State in early December, I never would have managed how poorly this team would play going forward. Yes, the Ducks lost a ton of talent from last year's team, but Oregon's roster is hardly devoid of skilled athletes. Ernie Kent has had some nice seasons at Oregon, but this year's campaign, which includes a 14-game losing streak, may have been the proverbial last straw. On the bright side, Michael Dunigan, the Ducks' 6-10 freshman McDonald's All-American, has a ton of talent. If he stays in school and develops, he could be special. Oh, and Joevan Catron is the homeless man's DeJuan Blair.

Oregon State: That the Beavers are competitive for the first time in recent memory is a testament to first-year Oregon State coach Craig Robinson, who happens to be President Barack Obama's brother-in-law. In fact, the Beavers rise from the trash heap has been so unexpected that I am (seriously) tempted to believe this is all part of some grand conspiracy to make it look as if anything and everything associated with President Obama turns to gold. And I can't imagine the whole “I hang with Barack” thing hurts with the recruits. Things really may be turning around at Gary Payton University.

Stanford: It seems like the college basketball world has eagerly been awaiting Johnny Dawkins' coaching debut for years. The conventional wisdom was that Coach K's long-time assistant was destined for success. Well, I guess this is what we've been waiting for – ninth place in the Pac-10, the only team in the conference that has lost to Oregon, and seriously in jeopardy of finishing .500 on the season. And the record doesn't even tell the whole story, since the Cardinal racked up a 11-0 record against an embarrassingly soft non-conference schedule. Dawkins' defenders may be tempted to argue that, with the Lopez twins early departure to the Association, the cupboard was bare. Hardly. Anthony Goods, Lawrence Hill, Landry Fields, Josh Owens, and Micah Johnson are all solid players. The Dawkins era in Palo Alto is still young, but year one has been a major disappointment.

UCLA: Last year's Bruins squad was a thing of beauty to watch. Russell Westbrook was perhaps the nation's premiere perimeter defender. Kevin Love's arsenal of post moves brought to mind the great Kevin McHale. And the team chemistry displayed by Ben Howland's club was nothing short of amazing. This year's Bruins – not so much. Despite what some experts have said, they still defend the perimeter extremely well. And they might actually be more dangerous from outside. Unfortunately, though, UCLA has no post presence. Sure, Alfred Aboya plays hard, but the next post move he executes will be his first. The Bruins brought in five highly-touted freshmen, and the reviews have been mixed. Jrue Holiday has been solid but not spectacular. Malcom Lee and Jerime Anderson have largely been non-factors on a Bruins team with an excess of perimeter talent. Center J'Mison Morgan has been especially disappointing, as his services in the post are needed in the worst way. And while I think Holiday will end up being the best of the bunch, I really like Drew Gordon's game. His numbers haven't been extraordinary, but he's a fluid athlete with a great feel for the game. While I wouldn't be surprised if Howland's team makes some noise in March, look for the Bruins' streak of three straight trips to the Final Four to come to an end.

USC: When Tim Floyd was at Iowa State, I considered him one of the most underrated talents in the country. Now, I don't know what to think. Are we supposed to take Tim Floyd's program seriously? O.J. Mayo was an incredible talent, but he pretty much highjacked the Trojans program for a season, using it as his personal audition for the Association. This year, Floyd brings in Percy Miller. Who is Percy Miller you ask? Percy Miller is rapper Lil' Romeo, Master P's son. Are you kidding me? Despite the ridiculous circumstances surrounding this program, I have to say that I really like USC's top six players. Dwight Lewis is a scorer. DeMar DeRozan started out slowly, but he's showing signs of what made him one of the nation's hottest recruits. Taj Gibson is an enforcer that leaves his heart on the court every night. And I might like Daniel Hackett the most of all. The 6-5 205-pound junior point guard has a big body, is selfless (almost to a fault), and is a fantastic leader (despite his recent post-game confrontation with Lewis). If he can cut down on his turnovers, he has a nice chance of contributing at the next level. Ultimately, I think the Trojans are going to be playing in the NIT, which is a shame because they should be dancing.

Washington: One of Lorenzo Romar's better coaching jobs. He's gotten a lot out of a moderately talented team. Freshman point guard Isaiah Thomas is a winner. Quincy Pondexter and Justin Dentmon are not pretty to watch, but they get the job done. Depending on what the Huskies do in the conference tournament, a four seed is a real possibility (although a five seed may be more realistic).

Washington State: There's not a lot of talent on the Cougars' roster, but this season has still been a little disappointing for Tony Bennett's senior-laden squad. While Taylor Rochestie, Aron Baynes, Caleb Forrest, and Daven Harmeling will be lost to graduation, Wazzu has some talented youngsters on its roster and will add a recruiting class the likes of which the good folks of Pullman have never seen.

Player of the Year: James Harden, Arizona State
Runner-up: Jordan Hill, Arizona
With my apologies to Kentucky's Jodie Meeks, Harden gets my vote for best two-guard in the country. On offense, he's virtually unstoppable. He's not quite on Meeks' level as a shooter, but his expansive offensive repertoire is unparalleled. He also knows how to fill up a stat sheet – 21.2 points, 4.2 assists, 5.6 rebounds, and 1.7 steals per contest. The only knock on Harden is that, on occasion, he will take a play off on the defensive end. Hill is a beast. Averaging 18 points, 11 rebounds, and 2 blocks per game, Hill looks like a can't miss prospect. His impact on the often lackadaisical Wildcats cannot be overstated.

Coach of the Year: Mike Montgomery, California
Runner-up: Lorenzo Romar, Washington
Montgomery, Romar, Russ Pennell, and Craig Robinson have all turned in very impressive coaching jobs this year. Montgomery has to be in the conversation for national coach of the year. If Arizona played as well as they have in the Pac-10 during the non-conference schedule, Pennell may have taken the prize. I can find nothing wrong with Robinson's efforts, but I'm not a fan of rewarding a .500 season, regardless of how dismal the last decade has been in Corvallis.

Freshman of the Year: Isaiah Thomas, Washington
Runner-up: Klay Thompson, Washington State
Thomas wins in a landslide. While Memphis' Tyreke Evans and Oklahoma's Willie Warren are the top two freshmen in the country, Washington's 5-8 170-pound point guard is making a case for the three spot. The fact that he hasn't gotten more attention is just further evidence of East Coast bias. Runner-up could just as easily have gone to Jrue Holiday (having trouble scoring lately) or DeMar DeRozan (having trouble playing basketball early on), but Thompson, son of former NBAer Mychal Thompson, has been consistently effective throughout the year.

Defensive Player of the Year: Taj Gibson, USC
Runner-up: Darren Collison, UCLA
While Gibson may not be in the same league as Hasheem Thabeet or Jarvis Varnado in terms of altering shots or dissuading would-be penetrators from entering the paint, he's an excellent shot blocker in his own right (2.7 swats per game). Playing on a USC team that doesn't exactly exert maximum effort on the less glamorous end of the floor, you can see the frustration on the hardworking Gibson's face. The Trojans' pivot would be a perfect fit in the Big Ten. Collison is the ringleader of the Bruins' defense, and there may not be a peskier defender in the country.

1st Team All-Pac-10
Jerome Randle, California
Darren Collison, UCLA
James Harden, Arizona State
Chase Budinger, Arizona
Jordan Hill, Arizona
Budinger may not play hard-nosed basketball, but it's just impossible to ignore his athletic ability. The guy can create his own shot at will. He may be the most impressive white athlete I've seen at the college level. Last year everybody went crazy for West Virginia's Joe “Vanilla Sky” Alexander for being the white guy that can dunk. Then, Alexander wowed everyone with his “athletic ability” at the NBA combine. Budinger may not be able bench press nearly as much as Alexander and his vertical, while impressive, may not be quite Vanilla Sky-esque, but Budinger is the superior athlete. There is a fluidity (and a coordination) to his game that Alexander could never hope to emulate. That being said, watching Budinger can be infuriating, as he seems to coast on far too many possessions. And for that reason, it pains me to give Budinger the first team nod over workhorse Jon Brockman.

2nd Team All-Pac-10
Isaiah Thomas, Washington
Nic Wise, Arizona
Calvin Haynes, Oregon State
Jon Brockman, Washington
Taj Gibson, USC
OK, let me be the first to admit that I am not at all comfortable having three Arizona Wildcats on the all-conference teams. That being said, this just goes to show how important these three players are to the team's success. Wise edges out UCLA's Josh Shipp, Stanford's Anthony Goods, and USC's Dwight Lewis. After all of his injury issues, it's nice to see that Shipp will close out his career playing at a high level. Brockman, Washington's senior power forward, has put together a great career but has been largely ignored for his efforts. He's quietly averaged a double-double the last two seasons (and was 0.4 rebounds per game away from averaging a double-double during his sophomore campaign). With Blake Griffin, Tyler Hansbrough, DeJuan Blair, Luke Harangody, Jordan Hill, and Patrick Patterson hogging the headlines, the 6-7 255-pound Brockman has toiled in relative obscurity for the conference-leading Huskies.

All-Pac-10 Defensive Team
Darren Collison, UCLA
Seth Tarver, Oregon State
Jon Brockman, Washington
Jordan Hill, Arizona
Taj Gibson, USC
While it has improved over the past decade, the defense is still lacking in the Pac-10. The team numbers may look better with the Ben Howlands and Tony Bennetts of the world slowing things down and cranking up the defensive intensity, but offense is still king out west. Tarver just edges out UCLA freshman Jrue Holiday for the last spot on the team. The beefy Brockman isn't going to block many shots, but his position defense is impeccable (and no one is going to outmuscle him on the blocks).