Pac-10

Pac-10 Basketball Preview: 2009-10

CHN — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 16:33:24 -0500

With usual Pac-10 powers Arizona and UCLA in re-loading mode, the door is open for California & Washington to put their stamp on the 2009-10 season.

Conference Rank: 6th

10 year average: 6th

Pac-10 Page

ALL PAC-10 TEAM
Pos.	Player	Team	Yr.

G	Jerome Randle	Cal	Sr
G	Nic Wise	Arizona	Sr
G	Isaiah Thomas	Washington	So
F	Klay Thompson	Washington St	So
F	Quincy Pondexter	Washington	Sr
Second Team
G	Derek Glasser	Arizona St	Sr
G	Patrick Cristopher	Cal	Sr
G/F	Dwight Lewis	USC	Sr
F	Landry Fields	Stanford	Sr
C	Roeland Schafternaar	Oregon St	Sr

Player of the Year - Jerome Randle Freshman of the Year - Abdul Gaddy
CHN Award Winners		Returning Leaders
CHN All-Americans Jerome Randle (4th Team) Isaiah Thomas Nic Wise All-Freshman Team Abdul Gaddy (2nd) Tyler Honeycutt Kyryl Natyazhko Derrick Williamd *Withey may leave Arizona		Points: Jerome Randle 18.3 Rebounds: Landry Fields 6.6 Assists: Jerome Randle 5.0 Team: Washington 78.6

Pac-10 Standings
Nat'l	Team	League	Tourney

12	Washington	Pac-10	1	NCAA
15	California	Pac-10	2	NCAA
29	UCLA	Pac-10	3	NCAA
42	Arizona State	Pac-10	4	NCAA
56	Arizona	Pac-10	5	NIT
86	Oregon	Pac-10	6	CBI/CIT
89	Oregon State	Pac-10	7	CBI/CIT
120	USC	Pac-10	8	CBI/CIT
141	Washington St	Pac-10	9
189	Stanford	Pac-10	10

*Click on links for full Top 144 team preview

Poll: Who Do You Think Will Win the Pac-10?

Other Pac-10 Content

Pac-10 Fantasy Stats Preview

Pac-10: Top 25 Players

Pac-10: Five Year Ranking

Pac-10 Basketball: Top 25 Players

Shawn Siegel — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 18:21:40 -0500

Ranking players is more art then science. How do you compare the potential of freshmen with seniors who have already peaked? How much does physical talent come into play versus intangibles and experience? How big a role do numbers play? All of these questions make lists like this fun and debatable.. if you disagree with CHN's rankings, post what you think below.

PG
1. Jerome Randle - Cal
2. Nic Wise - Arizona
3. Abdul Gaddy - Washington
4. Malcolm Lee - UCLA
5. Derek Glasser - Arizona State

SG
1. Patrick Christopher - Cal
2. Isaiah Thomas - Washington
3. Dwight Lewis - USC
4. Tajuan Porter - Oregon
5. Calvin Haynes - Oregon State

- Impressive that Cal owns the two top spots here, but Washington's backcourt is no joke either. Shooting guard in the Pac-10 is a bit weak compared to the other BCS leagues, even with Thomas included, even though he could have been listed as a PG.

College Basketball Preview - 348 Team Ranking - Alphabetical Ranks/Previews

PAC-10

SF
1. Klay Thompson - Washington St
2. Quincy Pondexter - Washington
3. Theo Robertson - Cal
4. Landry Fields - Stanford
5. Rihards Kuksiks - Arizona State

PF
1. Nikola Dragovic - UCLA
2. Tyler Honeycutt - UCLA
3. Matthew Bryan-Amaning - Washington
4. Alex Stepheson - USC
5. Leonard Washington - USC
C
1. Roeland Schaftenaar - Oregon State
2. Drew Gordon - UCLA
3. Kyryl Natyazhko - Arizona
4. Michael Dunigan - Oregon
5. DeAngelo Castro - Washington State

- The frontcourt talent just doesn't come close to matching the other power-conferences. In fact, most of the PF's and C's were secondary players for their teams last year, or are unproven.

College Basketball Preview - 144 Teams in 144 Days - Alphabetical Ranks/Previews

Pac-10 Basketball: 5-Year Ranking

Shawn Siegel — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 10:18:52 -0500

PAC-10 5-YEAR STANDINGS

CHN's annual 5-year ranking answers a simple question is in a simple manner: Who has been the best team in the Pac-10 over the last five years?

Teams get points for league wins, making the postseason (NIT or NCAA) and winning games in the Big Dance. NIT wins are meaningless here, as are non-conference wins. Also, league tournaments wins are not taken into account. (An original trial-scoring system included points for conference tourney wins. But the flukish nature of these tourney's did more harm than hurt: ie, 2008 Georgia, 2006 Syracuse, and 2004 Maryland ended up getting too much credit despite the reality that they were mediocre to sub-par teams.)

100 total points is set up to be the equivalent of batting .300 in baseball.. anything above and beyond is all-world stuff. 50 points is mediocre and you only start to get bad below 40 points.

Pos.	Was	Team	2005	2006	2007	2008	2009	Wins	Gms.	Points

1	1	UCLA	11	14	15	16	13	69	90	77	Win %
			1st Round	Finals	Final 4	Final 4	2nd Round			39	Post Pts.
										116

2	3	Arizona	15	11	11	8	9	54	90	60	Win %
			Elite 8	2nd Round	1st Round	1st Round	Sweet 16			22	Post Pts.
										82

3	4	Washington	14	13	8	7	14	56	90	62	Win %
			Sweet 16	Sweet 16	X	X	2nd Round			16	Post Pts.
										78

4	2	Stanford	11	11	10	13	6	51	90	57	Win %
			1st Round	NIT	1st Round	Sweet 16	X			11	Post Pts.
										68

5	7	USC	5	8	11	11	9	44	90	49	Win %
			X	X	Sweet 16	1st Round	2nd Round			12	Post Pts.
										61

6	6	Wash St	7	4	13	11	8	43	90	48	Win %
			X	X	2nd Round	Sweet 16	NIT			11	Post Pts.
										59

7	8	California	6	12	6	6	11	41	90	46	Win %
			X	1st Round	X	NIT	1st Round			5	Post Pts.
										51

8	5	Oregon	6	7	11	9	2	35	90	39	Win %
			X	X	Elite 8	1st Round	X			10	Post Pts.
										49

9	9	Arizona St	7	5	2	9	11	34	90	38	Win %
			NIT	X	X	NIT	2nd Round			6	Post Pts.
										44

10	10	Oregon St	8	5	3	0	7	23	90	26	Win %
			NIT	X	X	X	X			1	Post Pts.
										27

-Ties are broken by favoring conference winning %

Pac-10 Thoughts

- Oregon tumbles after a disastrous 2 win season.

- Stanford is slowly fading down the list.

- UCLA dominates the league with 13 more wins then the closest team.

- 3rd place Washington actually has more league wins than Arizona, but has had less postseason success.

Postseason Points

NIT = 1

NCAA 1st Round = 2

NCAA 2nd Round = 4

Sweet = 6

Elite 8 = 8

Final Four = 10

Final = 11

Champs = 12

Other 5-Year Rankings

ACC

Big 12

Big East

Big Ten

SEC

.. All

Pac-10 Basketball: Fantasy Preview

Shawn Siegel — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 11:47:39 -0500

This is the 5th of six fantasy stats projections for BCS conference starters, one of my favorite series of the year, and a helpful guide when drafting for fantasy college basketball leagues. For an idea of whether I know what I'm talking about, check out last year's Pac-10 Stats Projection. As always, some teams were nailed better then others..

Keep in mind stats are highly dependent on minutes, and freshmen are obviously the hardest to predict. I try to note places below where other starters not listed may emerge or where competition for major minutes exist. Stats are listed by ppg, rpg, and then apg.

PAC-10

ARIZONA

G Nic Wise - 19, 4, 4
G Kyle Fogg - 11, 3, 3
F Jamelle Horne - 10,7, 1
F Solomon Hill - 7, 4, 1
C Kyryl Natyazkho - 9, 6, 1

Notes: The question here is where will scoring come from besides Wise? Fogg should be much improved this year, but the incoming bigs are no sure things.

ARIZONA STATE

G Derek Glasser - 10, 3, 5
G Ty Abbott - 11, 4, 2
G/F Trent Lockett - 8, 4, 1
F Rihards Kuksiks - 14, 5, 2
C Eric Boateng - 4, 4, 0

Notes: Kuksiks will need to step up his scoring output wiith Harden & Pendergraph no longer around. Lockett is a freshman, and is not guaranteed to start. Jamelle McMillan, the backup PG, could also start in a 3-guard lineup. Either way, McMillan should be good for 5 ppg and 3 apg.

CALIFORNIA

G Jerome Randle - 19, 4, 5
G Patrick Christopher - 17, 4, 3
F Theo Robertson - 12, 4, 3

F Jamal Boykin - 11, 7, 1

C Markhuri Sanders-Frison - 6, 7, 1

Notes: Last year, I severly underrated Jerome Randle's numbers and overrated the freshman. This year, the only unsettled position is up front, where Juco transfer Sanders-Frison will have competition from holdover reserve Harper Kamp. Backup guard Jorge Gutierrez will see 20 mpg as wel.

OREGON
G Malcolm Armstead - 6, 2, 4
G Tajuan Porter - 17, 3, 3
G LeKendric Longmire - 8, 4, 1
F Joevan Catron - 8, 8, 1
C Michael Dunigan - 12, 8, 1

Notes: Oregon hopes Armstead, a Juco newcomer, is the answer at PG. Dunigan averaged 8 & 5 last year in under 20 mpg and should be markedly better.

OREGON STATE

G Calvin Haynes - 14, 3, 2
G Seth Tarver - 7, 5, 2
G Lathen Wallace - 10, 3, 2
F Daniel Deane - 8, 6, 1
F Roland Schaftenaar - 13, 5, 3

Notes: Haynes was one of the bigger fantasy suprises in the Pac-10 last year, and its hard to expect much more then what he showed. Schaftenaar's production also jumped markedly last year, and he could score a bit more if his outside shooting % increases.

STANFORD

G Drew Shiller - 5, 2, 4
G Jeremy Green - 10, 3, 1
F Landry Fields - 16, 7, 2
F Andrew Zimmerman - 5, 4, 1
F Josh Owens - 11, 7, 2

Notes: Fields is the only fantasy performer of note here. Owens, a junior is your 2nd best bet. He shot a high % from the floor last year as well.

UCLA

G Jerime Anderson - 6, 2, 4

G Malcolm Lee - 11, 4, 2
F Tyler Honeycutt - 12, 4, 2
F Nikola Dragovic - 12, 5, 2
C Drew Gordon - 8, 7, 1

Notes: Dragovic is the only guy returning who played 20 mpg last year. He's a solid shooter, but will have space to shoot? Honeycutt is a big-time freshman, but last year's headline newcomer (Holiday) only averaged 9 ppg.

USC

G Donte Smith - 7, 2, 3
G Dwight Lewis - 16, 4, 3
F Marcus Johnson - 6, 4, 1
F Leonard Washington - 11, 6, 1
F Alex Stepheson - 10, 8, 1

Notes: Lewis is the go-to scorer now on a team lacking a true star. Stepheson averaged 4 ppg and 5 rpg at UNC two seasons ago and should come close to doubling that.

WASHINGTON

G Isaiah Thomas - 14, 3, 4
G Abdul Gaddy - 12, 4, 4
F Quincy Pondexter - 14, 7, 2
F Matthew Bryan-Amaning - 10, 7, 1
F Darnell Gant - 5, 5, 1

Notes: Thomas had a fine freshman year, but UW would be better served if he didn't shoot as much and others like Gaddy & Pondexter helped out. Bryant-Amaning is a potential breakout player.

WASHINGTON STATE

G Reggie Moore - 9, 3, 3
G Nikola Koprivica - 6, 3, 2
G Klay Thompson - 18, 5, 3
F Brock Motum - 8, 5, 1
F DeAngelo Castro - 8, 8, 1

Notes: Klay Thompson has future 20 ppg potential. Moore & Motum are newcomers, and both should see 25+ mpg from the get-go.

Projected Pac-10 Leaders

Top PPG
1) Jerome Randle (19)
2) Nic Wise (19)
3) Klay Thompson (18)

Top RPG
1) Castro/Catron/Dunigan/Stepheson (8)

Top APG
1) Derek Glasser (5)
2) Jerome Randle (5)

3) Multiple Players (4)

Fantasy Stats Preview Archive

- ACC

- Big 12

- Big East

- Big Ten

Washington Basketball Preview: #12

Joel Welser — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 10:56:20 -0500

Overall Rank: #12

Conference Rank: #1 Pacific 10 Conference

2008-09: 26-9, 14-4

2008-09 postseason: NCAA

Coach: Lorenzo Romar (145-81 at Washington, 238-169 overall)

This is a young Washington team, but it may be the most talented in the Pac-10. Coach Lorenzo Romar lost superstar forward Jon Brockman who averaged a double-double last season, but the recruits keep coming in and this group should build on last year’s success. With UCLA expecting to have a somewhat down year, this is the time for Washington to take home its second straight conference title.

Key Losses: F Jon Brockman, G Justin Dentmon

Key Newcomers:

Abdul Gaddy is one of the best recruits in the nation. He has the size, speed and vision to be a great distributor and scorer for the Huskies. The only negative about his game is his outside shooting, but he can still score in bunches and his outside shot will only improve in time. Gaddy is certainly the highlight of this class, but wing C.J. Wilcox and forward Clarence Trent are not bad prospects. The Huskies will also get the services of redshirt freshman Tyreese Breshers who will add some much needed depth under the basket.

Backcourt:

Yet, without Brockman, this team will turn its focus to the very talented group on the perimeter. Point guard Isaiah Thomas led the team with 15.5 points and 2.6 assists as a freshman. His turnover numbers were a little high, but with Gaddy by his side, the turnover issues should be a little better this time around. At 5-8, Thomas will be the traditional point guard, but do not be surprised if the 6-3 Gaddy brings the ball up the floor much of the time. But the backcourt has more weapons then Thomas and Gaddy. Venoy Overton is a great defender and Elston Turner could turn into the team’s best three-point shooter and will likely provide a spark off the bench.

Frontcourt:

Last year Quincy Pondexter played the small forward spot, but he may spend more time at the power forward position this year due to all the talent on the perimeter. Either way, the 6-6 senior will be productive. Last year he averaged 12.1 points and was second on the team in rebounding with 5.9. He may be a little undersized to play the four, but he does not have the outside shooting ability to play the three. That means Coach Romar can move him around based on the competition and circumstance. Darnell Gant will probably start again somewhere. He is not much of a scorer, but Gant is a strong rebounder. He will be pushed by junior Justin Holiday who is a quality defender at either forward spot.

Who to Watch:

The play of Matthew Bryan-Amaning will probably help decide whether or not this team plays big or small. With Pondexter at the small forward spot, the Huskies ranked sixth in the nation in rebounding margin last year. Bryan-Amaning is not going to grab rebounds like Brockman, but he is a capable big man who can score around the basket and hit the glass.

Final Projection:

The good news is this team has depth and options. They can play small and play Overton or Turner at the small forward position and move Pondexter to the four when they want to be a quicker team with more scoring options, or they can play big and be nearly as dominating on the glass as they were last season. With those options, Coach Romar will win a lot of games and last year’s freshmen are now experienced sophomores who are ready to become stars in the Pac-10.

Projected Post-season Tournament: NCAA

Projected Starting Five:

Isaiah Thomas, Sophomore, Guard, 15.5 points per game

Abdul Gaddy, Freshman, Guard, DNP last season

Quincy Pondexter, Senior, Forward, 12.1 points per game

Darnell Gant, Sophomore, Forward, 3.1 points per game

Matthew Bryan-Amaning, Junior, Forward, 6.0 points per game

Next Top 144 Teams
13		14		15		16

College Basketball Preview - 144 Teams in 144 Days - Alphabetical Ranks/Previews

Cal Basketball Preview: #15

Joel Welser — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 11:20:43 -0400

Overall Rank: #15

Conference Rank: #2 Pacific 10 Conference

2008-09: 22-11, 11-7

2008-09 postseason: NCAA

Coach: Mike Montgomery (22-11 at California, 569-255 overall)

The expectations were quite low for Coach Mike Montgomery during his first season as the head coach at California. However, the Golden Bears easily exceeded those expectations and finished the season with 22 wins and a trip to the NCAA Tournament. With six of their seven major contributors returning, there is good reason to expect Cal to be even better this year and compete for a Pac-10 title.

Key Losses: C Jordan Wilkes

Key Newcomers:

Center Jordan Wilkes is the lone departure and a couple newcomers will attempt to fill that void. Markhuri Sanders-Frison, a junior college transfer, has the most experience and could play 10 to 15 minutes per game. Bak Bak is certain to be a fan favorite with such a great name. But the 6-10, 200-pounder can play some ball too. He will need some time to develop and put on weight, but he could be an impact player sooner than later. Brandon Smith, generously listed at 5-11, is a smooth point guard who will spend the year learning behind senior Jerome Randle.

Backcourt:

Patrick Christopher and Theo Robertson both averaged over 33 minutes per game last year, but that is not a bad thing since they are both such great players. Christopher emerged as more than just a shooter and averaged 14.5 points per game. Robertson had a great year, connecting on 48.7 percent of his three-point attempts. For a 6-6 forward, he is extremely difficult to defend when his shot keeps falling. However, those two may not have to play so many minutes this time around thanks to the emergence of Jorge Gutierrez. As a freshman he never started a game, but by the end of the season he was playing a lot more minutes. Fellow sophomore D.J. Seeley and experienced senior Nikola Knezevic will provide plenty of depth.

Frontcourt:

Jamal Boykin may not put up great numbers, although he did average 9.6 points and led the team with 6.4 rebounds, but he never lacks hustle. Boykin will hit the glass hard and always plays tough and smart. He will once again man the four spot and the only question remaining is who replaces Wilkes at the center position. Wilkes only averaged 17.8 minutes per game, so plugging in Harper Kamp, who averaged nearly 20 minutes per contest, should work out just fine. Kamp has never been that productive on paper, but he is an upperclassman now who could surprise. However, the Golden Bears just need his 6-8, 255 pound frame to play decent defense and grab a few rebounds. If the team needs more size, they can look to 7-3 sophomore Max Zhang who played in just 15 contests as a freshman.

Who to Watch:

The talent is in the backcourt, but the most talented player of them all is Jerome Randle. The 5-10 point guard averaged 18.3 points and 5.0 assists last season and is the sparkplug that makes this team go. Randle is amazingly quick and can set up easy buckets for the shooters on the wings. But he is obviously capable of scoring himself too. And in many cases the opposing defense is worried about Christopher and Robertson and Randle will simply walk up the court and knock down a three-pointer.

Final Projection:

With Randle’s ability to do about everything, Cal is very difficult to stop. This is a team that was very consistent on offense last season thanks to the efficient shooting of Randle and Robertson and the capable ball handling of Randle. The expectations for this team are growing and most expect Coach Montgomery to take his team back to the NCAA Tournament and then do some damage once they are there.

Projected Post-season Tournament: NCAA

Projected Starting Five:

Jerome Randle, Senior, Guard, 18.3 points per game

Patrick Christopher, Senior, Guard, 14.5 points per game

Theo Robertson, Senior, Forward, 13.1 points per game

Jamal Boykin, Senior, Forward, 9.6 points per game

Harper Kamp, Junior, Forward, 3.8 points per game

Next Top 144 Teams
16		17		18		19

College Basketball Preview - 144 Teams in 144 Days - Alphabetical Ranks/Previews

Poll: Who Will Win the Pac-10

Shawn Siegel — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 10:38:49 -0400

UCLA Basketball Preview: #29

Joel Welser — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 12:23:01 -0400

Overall Rank: #29

Conference Rank: #3 Pacific 10 Conference

2008-09: 26-9, 13-5

2008-09 postseason: NCAA

Coach: Ben Howland (152-54 at UCLA, 320-153 overall)

Compared to UCLA’s three consecutive Final Four appearances, the second round loss to Villanova in the 2009 NCAA Tournament was disappointing. That disappointment has quelled expectations heading into the 2009-2010 campaign. And the loss of four starters certainly does not help. However, Coach Ben Howland has a talented, albeit young, team that should be strong enough to keep the Bruins in the hunt for a Pac-10 title.

Key Losses: C Alfred Aboya, G Darren Collison, G Jrue Holiday, F Josh Shipp

Key Newcomers:

Coach Howland addressed his needs in the frontcourt with this talented recruiting class. All five newcomers are at least 6-8. The early departure of Jrue Holiday means the group on the perimeter could use some depth too. That may put some extra pressure on Mike Moser and Tyler Honeycutt who, despite their size, can play on the wing. Honeycutt has been shooting up most recruiting rankings over the summer and could be the player from this class that has the biggest impact as a freshman. Brendan Lane, Reeves Nelson and Anthony Stover will add some depth up front.

Backcourt:

The problem is that this team needs depth in the backcourt. Without Holiday and Josh Shipp on the wings, the Bruins will have to rely heavily on Malcolm Lee and Michael Roll. Lee was rarely given the opportunity to play as a freshman, but he is a great scorer who can knock down the outside shot and finish around the basket. Michael Roll is one of the few experienced players on the roster, but he only started two games as a junior. Roll hit an incredible 51.5 percent of his attempts from beyond the arc and if he can keep that up, the Bruins will not have much trouble scoring. However, Roll is pretty much just a shooter and without Darren Collison creating shots for him, Roll might not get as many open looks.

Frontcourt:

Yet again, UCLA’s power will shift to the frontcourt. Nikola Dragovic came on strong at the end of the year and ended the season averaging 9.4 pionts and 4.3 rebounds. Dragovic’s best asset is his outside shooting and he actually led the team in three-point shots made. Drew Gordon had a decent freshman campaign, but only averaged 10.9 minutes per game. Gordon is the most athletic of the forwards and his ability to hit the glass will be very valuable while Dragovic hangs around on the perimeter. With James Keefe, who started 14 games last year, and J’mison Morgan ready to battle it out with the newcomers for minutes off the bench, the Bruins will certainly not lack depth under the basket.

Who to Watch:

The master plan was that after Collison left Holiday would take over the point guard duties. Unfortunately, that little plan went away after Holiday opted to go to the NBA after his freshman campaign. That leaves sophomore Jerime Anderson as the starting point guard. He averaged under nine minutes per game as a freshman, but Anderson has the skills to run this team. He will not have to score too much, but Anderson needs to turn into a leader and keep the turnovers to a minimum.

Final Projection:

The success or failure of UCLA will likely depend on how well Anderson can run the show. But even if he does a decent job, the Bruins have to turn Lee and Roll into consistent scorers. If the Bruins cannot get points out of their perimeter players, the offense will have bouts of mediocrity. But Anderson, Lee and Roll are too talented to let this team slip too far and Coach Howland will turn this very young group into a good team by March.

Projected Post-season Tournament: NCAA

Projected Starting Five:

Jerime Anderson, Sophomore, Guard, 2.3 points per game

Malcolm Lee, Sophomore, Guard, 3.2 points per game

Michael Roll, Senior, Guard, 6.7 points per game

Drew Gordon, Sophomore, Forward, 3.6 points per game

Nikola Dragovic, Senior, Forward, 9.4 points per game

Next Top 144 Teams
30		31		32		33

College Basketball Preview - 144 Teams in 144 Days - Alphabetical Ranks/Previews

College Basketball: Preseason Conference Ranking

CHN — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 11:43:04 -0400

After finishing 1st in the RPI the last two years, the ACC should fall back slightly thanks to the big-name departures at UNC & Wake Forest. This should allow one of the Big 12, Big Ten, or even SEC a shot at being #1. The Pac-10 is weak enough that a high-major like the A-10, MVC, or MWC could surpass it.

Chime in with your thoughts below if you agree or disagree with CHN's preseason conference ranking.

2009-10 Conference Ranking

*08-09 is last year's conference RPI. Commentary by Shawn Siegel, ranking by CHN.

	Conference	08-09*
1	Big Ten 9 of 11 teams go into season with ncaa hopes, and as many as 7 may reach that goal	2
2	Big 12 ku is the clear title contender. the bottom few teams are weak though and the middle-tier is hit or miss	3
3	ACC no dominant team like last year, but solid as always.	1
4	SEC rise of uk brings league back to prominence after down year..	6
5	Big East lose tons of big name players, and still held down by likes of depual, rutgers, etc	4
6	Pac-10 conceivable the pac-10 only receives 3 tourney bids.	5
7	Atlantic 10 should get at least 2 invites to the ncaa tournament	8
8	MVC with improvement expected from usual leaders creighton & siu, mvc should be solid all-around	9
9	MWC just about every top team loses a top player, but mwc should be one of the more entertaining leagues	7
10	Conference USA though memphis takes step back, rest of league is better than usual.	10
11	WAC after some down years, wac will once again be compeititve league	11
12	Horizon butler has top 10 hopes, but squads like csu and green bay lose key seniors.	12
13	Colonial while still 1 bid league, likes of odu, n'eastern, gmu, and vcu are all quality	14
14	Sun Belt more then just wku, the entire east division is solid	17
15	MAAC siena, niagara, and rider all have postseason hopes	13
16	WCC gonzaga and smc both worse then season ago	15
17	MAC #'s should be better than last year, but west division still a struggle	21
18	Big West led by up-and-coming long beach state. always finish around this #.	18
19	Summit darling ndsu loses a lot, so usual contenders like oru and oakland should be at forefront again	26
20	Big Sky with exception of sacramento st, this is a solid league top to bottom.	24
21	Southland underrated league always good for some non-conference upsets	19
22	Ivy cornell will be the best the ivy has offered in quite some years	29
23	Southern steph curry's departure opens up door for charleston	20
24	America East decimation of binghamton will hurt league #'s	16
25	Atlantic Sun the league's upper half is as solid as it's been for a few years	27
26	Patriot could use a rebound from former top gun bucknell.	22
27	OVC morehead st continues its improbable rise..	23
28	Big South outside of radford, not much to get excited about here..	25
29	NEC nec hasn't had much going for it in recent years	28
30	MEAC as usual, will battle swac for title of country's worst	30
31	SWAC solid jackson st gives swac hope of surpassing meac	31

College Basketball Preview - 144 Teams in 144 Days - Alphabetical Ranks/Previews

Arizona State Basketball Preview: #42

Joel Welser — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 08:31:08 -0400

Overall Rank: #42

Conference Rank: #4 Pacific 10

2008-09: 25-10, 11-7

2008-09 postseason: NCAA

Coach: Herb Sendek (54-45 at Arizona State, 308-203 overall)

Arizona State built their team around All-American James Harden and forward Jeff Pendergraph last season. Those two combined to average 34.6 points per game and Harden added 4.2 assists while Pendergraph led the team in rebounding and blocked shots. Those two are now gone and a bunch of former roleplayers have to step up and become leaders if the Sun Devils are going to go back to the NCAA Tournament.

Key Losses: G James Harden, F Jeff Pendergraph

Key Newcomers:

Replacing Pendergraph will not be easy and there is no clear cut returning player who is going to take over the job. That leaves playing time open for newcomers Stephen Rogers, Alex English, Demetrius Walker, Victor Rudd and Ruslan Pateev. Rudd, a 6-7 forward from Los Angeles, California and Ruslan Pateev, a 7-0 Russian, are the two who are most likely to make an impact right away. Trent Lockett and Brandon Thompson will provide some depth in the backcourt. Lockett is a good athlete who can add a spark off the bench.

Backcourt:

Derek Glasser started 33 games last year, averaging 8.8 points and 4.8 assists, but it was not until late in the season when he really showed that he can become a leader of this team. Glasser is a very consistent shooter and the backcourts top returning option, but there are others who are ready to step up and take over for Harden. Ty Abbott started last year and averaged 7.1 points and 4.0 rebounds. His ability to rebound from the wing will be very important this year. Jamelle McMillan started a handful of games last year and is a steady ball handler and a consistent outside shooter. Jerren Shipp will battle with McMillan for a starting job and when Coach Herb Sendek needs somebody who can slash to the basket, he will call on Shipp.

Frontcourt:

Harden is not really replaceable, but at least the Sun Devils have options on the perimeter. Replacing Pendergraph is turning into a much bigger issue. Eric Boateng is the most experienced option and the former Duke transfer only averaged 8.2 minutes per game last year. He is a decent scorer when given the opportunity, but mostly ASU will need him to grab some rebounds and play solid defense. And hopefully he can stay on the floor for at least 20 minutes per game without getting into too much foul trouble. The 6-8 Taylor Rohde saw very few minutes as a freshman, but he is just as likely as any of the incoming freshmen to find playing time in the frontcourt.

Who to Watch:

Ideally, Rihards Kuksiks would play on the wing, but in this system he works perfect as a power forward. At least he worked well with Pendergraph. The 6-6 junior is a great outside shooter. He connected on 2.7 three-pointers per game and hit 44.3 percent of his attempts. Kuksiks rarely scores from anywhere besides beyond the arc, but he does do a decent job hitting the glass.

Final Projection:

However, for Kuksiks to be a productive player, he needs somebody to clog the paint. If this team has to rely on Kuksiks to hit the glass and play in the paint, they are in deep trouble. That puts a lot of pressure on players like Boateng and Pateev to produce. The backcourt will carry this team, but without a threat in the paint, Arizona State’s talented shooters will not have any space to operate.

Projected Post-season Tournament: NCAA

Projected Starting Five:

Derek Glasser, Senior, Guard, 8.8 points per game

Jamelle McMillan, Junior, Guard, 4.8 points per game

Ty Abbott, Junior, Guard, 7.1 points per game

Rihards Kuksiks, Junior, Guard, 10.3 points per game

Eric Boateng, Senior, Center, 1.8 points per game

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College Basketball Preview - 144 Teams in 144 Days - Alphabetical Ranks/Previews