California

Pac-10 Coach Raking: Big Ben

Jeff Fox — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 12:33:40 -0500

Take a wild guess who is ranked as the top coach in the Pac 10? You got it, that guy.

1) Ben Howland – UCLA

Ben Howland is truly the king of the Pac 10. He has the Bruins on course for a fourth-straight Final Four.

2) Mike Montgomery – California

A great hire for Cal – Mike Montgomery has the coaching pedigree to lead the Golden Bears back to their 1990s Jason Kidd-led level.

3) Tim Floyd – USC

There’s a new player in L.A. hoops. Tim Floyd seems to have the recruiting touch and the Trojans are ready to fight back against neighborhood bully UCLA.

4) Herb Sendek – Arizona State

Herb Sendek has the Sun Devils headed towards the upper echelon of the Pac 10 and is now the top coach in the Land of McCain.

5) Tony Bennett – Washington State

There is no way that Washington State should be a player in the Pac 10 every year, yet Tony Bennett has them doing just that.

6) Lorenzo Romar – Washington

The back-to-back Sweet Sixteen appearances in ’05 and ’06 seem ages ago. At least Lorenzo Romar has Jon Brockman around for his senior season.

7) Ernie Kent – Oregon

Ernie Kent’s Ducks appear to have peaked in 2007 with their appearance in the Elite 8. Don’t expect a repeat performance this season.

8) Johnny Dawkins – Stanford

It should be a long season for first year coach Johnny Dawkins. Couldn’t at least one of those Lopez twins have stuck around for another season?

9) Craig Robinson – Oregon State

It’s debatable who has the tougher task ahead of him – Craig Robinson or his brother-in-law Barack Obama.

10) Russ Pennell – Arizona

Its always hard to follow a legend, but being thrown into the head coaching position at the last minute (and thrown into the middle of a soap opera to boot) makes Russ Pennell’s job even harder.

Pac-10 Basketball: Player Grades

Shawn Siegel — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 00:21:56 -0500

Pac-10 Player Grades

I've graded each Big 12 starter based on projected stats and overall talent. Along with a bench grade, each team has a potential score of 60.0. Teams are ranked according to the sum of the player grades, but these do not necessarily match my (or the sites) predicted standings. The projected stats are from CHN's Fantasy Stats Preview. . Each team's top graded player is highlighted in red.

1	UCLA
	G Darren Collison - 17, 4, 4	9.5
	G Jrue Holiday - 15, 4, 5	8.5
	G Josh Sipp - 12, 4, 2	6.0
	F James Keefe - 7, 5, 1	5.0
	C J'Mison Morgan - 8, 6, 1	5.5
	Bench	6.5
		41.0
2	ARIZONA STATE
	G Derek Glasser - 8, 2, 4	5.5
	G Ty Abbott - 9, 3, 2	5.0
	G James Harden - 21, 6, 5	9.5
	F Jerren Ship - 7, 4, 1	5.5
	F Jeff Pendergraph - 14, 7, 1	8.0
	Bench	5.5
		39.0
3	USC
	G Daniel Hackett - 9, 4, 4	6.5
	G Dwight Lewis - 13, 3, 2	7.0
	F Demar DeRozan - 15, 6, 3	8.5
	F Kasey Cunningham - 6, 4, 1	4.5
	C Taj Gibson - 12, 9, 1	7.0
	Bench	5.0
		38.5
4	WASHINGTON
	G Venoy Overton - 6, 3, 4	5.5
	G Justin Dentmon - 12, 3, 2	6.0
	F Quincy Pondexter - 12, 6, 2	6.0
	F Matthew Bryan-Amaning - 9, 6, 1	5.0
	F Jon Brockman - 19, 11, 1	8.5
	Bench	6.5
		37.5
5	ARIZONA
	G Nic Wise - 14, 3, 5	7.5
	G Chase Budinger - 20, 5, 3	8.0
	F Jamelle Horne - 8, 5, 1	5.5
	F Jordan Hill - 15, 9, 1	7.5
	F Fendi Onobun - 6, 5, 1	4.5
	Bench	4.0
		37.0
6t	STANFORD
	G Mitch Johnson - 8, 4, 6	6.0
	G Anthony Goods - 14, 3, 2	7.0
	F Landry Fields - 8, 4, 1	5.5
	F Lawrence Hill - 14, 6, 1	7.0
	F Josh Owens - 7, 5, 1	5.0
	Bench	6.0
		36.5
6t	WASHINGTON STATE
	G Taylor Rochestie - 14, 4, 5	7.0
	G Nikola Koprivica - 8, 3, 1	5.0
	G Klay Thompson - 11, 3, 3	7.0
	F Daven Hamerling - 8, 3, 1	5.5
	F Aron Baynes - 13, 8, 1	7.0
	Bench	5.0
		36.5
8t	CALIFORNIA
	G Jerome Randle - 11, 3, 4	6.0
	G Patrick Christopher - 17, 4, 3	7.5
	F Theo Robertson - 11, 5, 2	5.5
	F Harper Kemp - 8, 5, 2	5.0
	F Jamal Boykin - 10, 6, 1	5.5
	Bench	5.0
		34.5
8t	OREGON
	G Kamyron Brown - 8, 3, 5	4.5
	G Tajuan Porter - 17, 3, 3	7.0
	G LeKendric Longmire - 9, 3, 1	5.0
	F Joevan Catron - 12, 7, 2	6.5
	C Michael Dunigan - 9, 6, 1	5.5
	Bench	5.5
		34.0
10	OREGON STATE
	G Josh Tarver - 7, 3, 3	4.5
	G Seth Tarver - 12, 5, 3	5.5
	G Lathen Wallace - 12, 4, 1	5.0
	F Omari Johnson - 9, 6, 1	4.5
	F Daniel Deane - 10, 6, 1	5.0
	Bench	4.0
		28.5

8.0+ Players

9.5 Darren Collison

9.5 James Harden

8.5 Jon Brockman

8.5 Demar DeRozan

8.5 Jrue Holiday

8.0 Chase Budinger

8.0 Jeff Pendergraph

Note: The Bruins sum of 41.0 is slightly lower than other BCS conference leaders (UNC is #1 at 47.5). Oregon State has the lowest sum of any BCS team with 28.5.

Player Grades Archive (other leagues)

Fantasy Stats Preview

Top Lists: Floor Generals, Underrated Players, Do-It-All Stars

Jason Brubaker — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 00:44:32 -0500

We’ve covered the preseason All-Americans, Final Four picks and individual team previews. Now it’s time for the fun stuff – the guys who make college basketball so fun to watch. Let the debates begin:

Floor leaders: These guys are coaches on the floor

1) Darren Collison G, UCLA: Three seasons, three Finals Fours. Not a bad resume heading into his senior year.

2) Eric Maynor G, VCU: Would we even be talking about VCU basketball if it weren’t for this guy? Quite simply, he does it all for the Rams

3) Jeremy Pargo G, Gonzaga: Seasoned veteran keep Zags offense clicking

4) Nick Calathes G, Florida: Was given controls of the team as a true freshman, has great understanding of the game

5) Ty Lawson G, UNC: Speedy leader manages to keep all of UNC's scoring options happy.

Inside/outside: Good luck matching up with these versatile threats

1) Kyle Singler F, Duke: Was Devils' best post player and leading rebounder, but also comfortable on the perimeter (51 3’s)

2) Earl Clark F, Louisville: Has NBA scouts drooling over his potential (11 ppg, 8 rpg)

3) Damion James F, Texas: Terrific rebounder (10.3 rpg) and post presence also can hit from outside (38 3’s, 41%)

4) Tyler Smith G/F, Tennessee: Looks like a small forward, plays like a point guard, the toughest match-up in the SEC.

5) James Johnson F, Wake Forest: Multi-talented forward was a pleasant surprise for Deacons last year (14.6 ppg, 8 rpg)

Under-Appreciated: These guys don't get the headlines, but you can bet their opponents know about them

1). Patrick Christopher (Cal) - Dangerous scorer is often overshadowed by flashier Pac-10 guards

2). Marcus Ginyard (UNC) - Defensive stopper does the dirty work for nation's best team

3). Jessie Sapp (Georgetown) - Combo guard is perfect fit for Hoya's motion offense

4). Wesley Matthews (Marquette) - Does a little of everything for the Eagles but stays under the radar

5). David Lighty (Ohio State) - Overlooked because of one-and-dones, but is natural leader for young team

Previously:

Top Dunkers, Shooters, Rebounders

Top Shotblockers, Comeback Players, Hidden Gems

Disagree with Jason's picks? Let us know your top lists below!