Pac 10 Sports Blog

The ULCA Bruins are headed to the NCAA Tournament’s Elite 8 for the 3rd consecutive season. #1 UCLA topped #12 Western Kentucky 88-78 on Thursday night, Friday morning in the East, in the Sweet 16 round and will face #3 Xavier on Saturday with the Final Four on the line. The Bruins were led by a career-high 29 points by phenom Kevin Love.

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By Gabriel Baumgaertner           

With the culmination of the first half of Pac-10 conference play, everything has been as unpredictable as many predicted. Uber-Freshmen O.J. Mayo and Kevin Love each had breakout games against Cal, Oregon continued its habit of losing to unranked teams on the road, and Arizona State has emerged from the last year’s loser to a contender this year.  The Pac-10 is making its case for the strongest conference in the country, having had two teams in the top 5 and five in the top 25 as well as a winning record in the Pac-10/Big 12 challenge. UCLA’s dominance of Washington State appeared to solidify their position as the best in the conference, but a home loss to rival USC certainly has left the Pac-10 as jumbled as most anticipated.So it seems that the Sports Illustrated jinx may exist after all.  No, UCLA was not on the cover of the famed sports publication before its bout with crosstown rival USC, rather the jinx has hit both teams with its college basketball preview issue.  The cover featured Kevin Love posting up O.J. Mayo and the issue later hailed the USC-UCLA game as a preview for a potential post-season showdown.  It is hard to say that UCLA has been “jinxed” at all.  Coming into Saturday the Bruins had posted a 16-1 record, losing only to then No. 8 Texas 63-61.  Much of the hype that followed the USC-UCLA game in the preseason had died considerably going into Saturday, as UCLA had established themselves with a bruising, dominant victory over then undefeated Washington State the previous Saturday while USC had wheezed its way into Pac-10 play, losing its first three games before defeating Washington.  While many anticipated the heralded Love and point guard Darren Collison to dominate USC’s weak defense, UCLA were the ones who looked defenseless, as the touted Bruins defense surrendered 70 points for only the second time this season, but the second time in two games.  The play of Collison, Love and Josh Shipp as well as the emergence of sixth man Russell Westbrook has been a bright spot, but the lack of a post presence from Alfred Aboya and Luc Richard Mbah a Moute has some labeling the Bruins as not as strong as once thought.  While nobody will label the Bruins as soft, Love and Lorenzo Mata-Real are the only ones that have established themselves as low post presences.  A weekend sweep at the Oregon schools helped the Bruins’ case to get back into the Top 5, but skepticism still looms. The Sports Illustrated cover may have jinxed the USC Trojans for the beginning of Pac-10 play, as just two weeks ago Tim Floyd’s squad were in the midst of a three game losing streak that left them with only the lowly Oregon State Beavers as the only winless Pac-10 teams.  Beginning with a convincing victory over the Washington Huskies, the Trojans have appeared to find their niche, overcoming their lack of depth and stringing together road victories over Oregon and the hated UCLA Bruins.  While many anticipated the Trojans to hop on the shoulders of O.J. Mayo ride into March Madness, fellow freshman Davon Jefferson burst onto the scene in Westwood, outplaying Mayo in USC’s shocking upset of UCLA.  The Trojans also have received key contributions from sophomores Daniel Hackett and Dwight Lewis, but the worry is that few others are capable of contributing at all.  The Trojans finally come back home for a weekend tilt with the Arizona schools, hoping to keep up their current success. Bay Area basketball has certainly been a roller coaster throughout Pac-10 play and is possibly best summarized in “missed opportunities.”  Stanford only lost one game during Brook Lopez’s nine game suspension to start the season, but one must wonder how Lopez would be playing right now if he played during that stretch.  Despite only two conference losses, Stanford appears still hungry, having led both UCLA and Oregon in the final five minutes before faltering.  Washington State has received the “ugly victory” reputation, but Stanford’s stifling defense is not to be overlooked. Between Brook and Robin Lopez, the Cardinal have essentially dominated defensively in every game they have played thus far, shutting down the likes of Arizona State’s Jeff Pendergraph, USC’s Taj Gibson and Davon Jefferson and more notably Arizona’s Chase Budinger, Cal’s Ryan Anderson and USC’s O.J. Mayo.  Despite not being the quickest perimeter defenders, the sheer size of the Cardinal coupled with Coach Johnson’s tricky defensive schemes have made them a most feared team in the Pac-10.  If Stanford can improve their point guard play, they have the depth to make a big run come March.  With sharpshooters Anthony Goods, Landry Fields, Kenny Brown and Mitch Johnson as well as the dominant post presence of the Lopez twins, Stanford possesses one of the surprisingly more versatile offenses in the Pac-10.  While visions of it embarrassing loss to Louisville in round one of the NCAA Tournament last March are still fresh, Stanford certainly looks primed to overcome its ball-handling woes and compete for a Pac-10 title. While teams are often classified “overrated” or “underrated”, Cal would probably be best classified as “unable to finish”, having consistently stumbled in the final five minutes until their weekend sweep at the Washington schools.  It is hard to question the Bears’ talent, as they boast possibly the best trio of sophomores in the country in Ryan Anderson, Patrick Christopher and Jerome Randle, but persistent futility in the final five minutes of recent games has been plagued Ben Braun’s squad.  Center DeVon Hardin, who contemplated leaving for the NBA before deciding to stay for his senior year, has been somewhat disappointing offensively this year, but has picked it up in recent games and remains a daunting defensive presence.  Anderson has been the player to watch this year, averaging 22 points and 10 rebounds a game and having scored 30 points in three of his last five games.  Cal has begun their attempts to defy the choke artist label, winning two big games at the Washington schools, both of which were hotly contested in the final minute.  Duke transfer Jamal Boykin has stepped in nicely, starting in place of an ill Harden in the Washington games, showcasing his abilities on the boards as well as a potent inside and out threat.  Many have been quick to criticize the Bears failure to support Anderson, but Christopher and Randle are both legitimate scoring threats, they are just not looked toward on the majority of Cal possessions.  Though an NCAA tournament berth may be difficult to acquire, the Bears are a team that no Pac-10 team will be looking forward to face in the second half of the season.

Lute Olson is certainly a notable absence from the sidelines of the Pac-10 this season, and Arizona is playing as if they truly do miss their old coach.  The Wildcats’ anointed future head coach, Kevin O’Neill, has the Cats playing very disciplined basketball, but it still feels as if they have not shown their true potential yet.  With a team that boasts future top-10 picks in sophomore Chase Budinger and freshman Jerryd Bayless, many predicted the Cats would challenge UCLA and Washington State for Pac-10 supremacy, but instead they remain jumbled in the middle, three games out of first place.  Budinger and Bayless have been consistently strong, but the questioned depth of ‘Zona has proved to be an issue, and the lack of contributions from talents Jordan Hill and Jawann McClellan has been nothing short of frustrating for Cats fans.  A victory over Washington State shot Arizona back into the top 25, but a blowout loss at UCLA put them back into the unranked doldrums, a spot where Arizona basketball hardly ever lies.  The loss of speedy point guard Nic Wise is another blow to the already undermanned Wildcats, making this upcoming tilt with rival Arizona State all the more interesting.

Arizona State was definitely the Cinderella story to begin Pac-10 play, winning their first four conference games after having won only one all of last year, but the Sun Devils have since drifted into insignificance, losing five consecutive games after a ten game winning streak.  Much of the recent problems are attributed to the recently poor post play of junior Jeff Pendergraph, who started tremendously, but has since struggled.  Pendergraph has shown glimmers of brilliance (26 points, 8 boards and 4 blocks in a road victory against Cal) but then shows tremendous futility (6 points and 1 rebound in an embarrassing 84-52 loss against UCLA).  Freshmen James Harden and Ty Abbot continue to boast their great shooting potential, but defense has been a big question.  Coach Herb Sendek clearly has his team headed in the right direction, but he must get his team out of this funk if they hope to reach the coveted NCAA Tournament.

Though the Bay has suffered from “missed opportunities”, there is no denying that Oregon has clearly been the most disappointing state in Pac-10 play this season.  Evaluating the Oregon State Beavers is almost pointless, as their winless campaign in the Pac-10 appears to have no end in sight, having lost all but one conference game by ten points or more (the only non-double figure loss was a nine point loss to Washington).  The firing of coach Jay John is just the beginning of what should be a giant revamping of the Beaver program.  The only real talent the Beavers did have, center CJ Giles, was recently kicked off the team by interim coach Kevin Mouton, adding yet another embarrassing blemish to a team that is nothing short of disgraceful.  While players were hardly unnerved by the loss of Giles (fellow starters Josh Tarver and Marcel Jones refused to answer what they thought of Giles being kicked off), Giles was probably their only chance of winning a conference game.  While nobody enjoys seeing a team go winless, the Beavers will need to stage a major upset in order to avoid the goose egg.

Most expected the Beavers to finish in last place in the Pac-10, but few anticipated the struggles that the Oregon Ducks have endured this season.  Ernie Kent’s squad was predicted by many to compete for the Pac-10 title and make a deep run in the NCAA Tournament, they now have to finish the season strongly to even hope for an NCAA Tournament berth.  The Ducks recently snapped a four game losing streak with a victory over in-state rival Oregon State, but their play has been underwhelming at best.  With key contributors Malik Hairston, Bryce Taylor, Tajuan Porter and Maarty Leunen returning from last year’s Elite Eight squad, Oregon was not expected to struggle with the likes of Washington, USC and Arizona State.  The Ducks probably need to sweep the streaking Bay Area teams this weekend in order to help their tournament hopes, but they are going to need to improve their perimeter offense to make up for their complete lack of size.  The only big man to do anything for the Ducks this season has been Joevan Catron, as 6′9 Maarty Leunen has not been as versatile as expected.  The Ducks’ leading rebounder in several games has been the 6′6 Hairston, a testament to their rebounding issues.  If Porter, Leunen and Taylor can return to their sharpshooting form, the Ducks will return to the top of the Pac-10.The Pac-10 has been touted by many as the best conference in the country, but only two teams have enjoyed the privilege of being in the top 5 in the country at some point this season.

The gritty Washington State Cougars do not boast any superstars in their lineup, but stifling defense and a molasses-paced offense have frustrated teams to no end.  The Cougars limp into their home weekend series against the Los Angeles schools, having lost consecutive heartbreakers to Cal and Stanford last week.  Though the losses sank the Cougars from second in the conference into a three way tie for third, few doubt the Cougars’ abilities.  It is difficult to crown any single Cougar as the “best player” this year, as Derrick Low and Kyle Weaver are consistent scoring threats, but are very aware when to dish the ball to somebody like Daven Harmeling or Taylor Rochestie for a perimeter shot or inside to big Australian center Aron Baynes.  The young Tony Bennett is certainly proving that he is an elite Pac-10 coach, not having superstars like Kevin Love, O.J. Mayo or Brook Lopez at his disposal.  Despite their recent struggles, look for the Cougars to make a huge run come March.

While Pullman, Washington boasts a top 25 team with no superstars, Seattle appears to be a center for disappointing recruits.  Jon Brockman, Quincy Pondexter, Ryan Appelby, Tim Morris is great on paper, apparently not so on the court. The Huskies are still a legitimate threat in the Pac-10, but continue to underachieve.  The recent bright spot has been the play of reserve Venoy Overton and Brockman never fails to impress, but Pondexter has been a major disappointment, and Ryan Appelby has yet to find the deadly three point touch that torched the Pac-10 last year.  Unless a major run is put together by the Huskies, the NIT looks to be a likely destination. All Midseason First Team Pac-10 G Darren Collison- UCLAG  Derrick Low- Washington StateF Ryan Anderson- CalF Kevin Love- UCLAC Brook Lopez- Stanford Second TeamG O.J. Mayo- USCG Jerryd Bayless- ArizonaF Chase Budinger- ArizonaF Robin Lopez- StanfordF Jeff Pendergraph- ASU  All-Bust Team:G Jawann McClellan- ArizonaG Tajuan Porter- OregonF Lawrence Hill- StanfordF Jordan Hill- ArizonaC DeVon Hardin- California 

By Gabriel Baumgaertner,

After a tumultuous college football season riddled with upsets and injuries, many have looked to the basketball season for stability within the Top 25 rankings. The upset trend appeared to creep into basketball with unknown Gardner-Webb University beating the lauded Kentucky Wildcats 84-68 in Lexington. The college basketball world had barely recovered from the Gardner-Webb shock before witnessing super-recruit O.J. Mayo’s USC debut ruined by the Mercer Bears of Macon, Georgia. Though basketball has frequently been more vulnerable to the upset than football, the point differential of these upsets has many analysts believing that even the smallest conference opponents are formidable. The Pac-10, thought to be the best overall conference of the 2007-2008 season, has already been bit three times by the small conference upset, with USC losing to Mercer 96-81,Oregon losing to St. Mary’s 99-87 and Stanford losing to Siena 79-67. How would those upsets affect this season’s first rankings…

1. UCLA (6-0)
A CBE Classic Championship and the exposure of Kevin Love’s physical side has Westwood excited and the rest of the Pac-10 frightened. Though it is far too early to say whether Love has lived up to the extraordinary expectations placed upon him, he has certainly made a strong impression in the first six games of his freshman season. Love was highly regarded for his passing and scoring abilities coming out of Lake Oswego High School in Lake Oswego, Oregon, but his rebounding and toughness were called into question by some. Tom Izzo’s Michigan State squad attempted to test Love’s brawn by frequently double-teaming him and engaging in a series of physical rebound battles. Love responded by grabbing eleven rebounds and scoring twenty-one points en route to a come-from-behind 68-63 victory over the No. 10 Spartans. The standout play of Russell Westbrook has also elevated UCLA. Averaging twelve points and six assists in replacing injured All-American point guard Darren Collison, the Bruins have a third guard (complimenting Collison and Josh Shipp) with proven scoring ability. Once Collison is able to return, one will be hard-pressed to find holes in this shockingly potent UCLA squad. Facing only one more difficult non-conference challenge with a Dec. 2 bout against the Texas Longhorns, UCLA may very well begin Pac-10 play undefeated.

2. Washington State (6-0)
The Cougars are finally targeted this season, as they are no longer the surprise team that took the Pac-10 by storm last year. Coach Tony Bennett has never been one to gloat over his team’s performance, even after big wins (when asked whether he felt his team had the best defense in the Pac-10 after allowing 26 points to Mississippi Valley State, Bennet responded “Ask me that when we play a Pac-10 team.”) Bennett’s team has hardly been challenged yet, with the only close game coming from Air Force. However, the play of Derrick Low, Kyle Weaver and and Taylor Rochestie has been encouraging. All three have showcased 20 point games and are proven scorers. If Darvin Harmeling, who missed all but one game of the 2006-2007 season, can stay healthy, Washington State will have a fourth solid scoring option to complement the strongest defense in the Pac-10. With state rivals Gonzaga coming to Pullman on Dec. 2, the defensive minded, slow paced Cougars look to make a solid impression on a national stage. If the defensive play and offensive consistency continue, look for many opponents to get pulverized in Pullman.

3. USC (5-1)
This spot probably should go to Oregon, but I still cannot get over the Ducks pitiful defensive performance against the Gaels of St. Mary’s. While several Duck fans will be quick to point out the beating the Trojans suffered at the hands of the Mercer Bears, the Trojans have strung together a series of solid wins while the Ducks face their first true test when they visit Kansas State on Thursday. Super-Freshman OJ Mayo has immediately become the focus of the Trojan offense, avearging just under 22 points a game, and has received tremendous support from fellow freshman Davon Jefferson as well as sophomore Daniel Hackett. Most were skeptical about the Trojans ability to score outside of Mayo this year, having lost top scorers Nick Young, Gabe Pruitt and Lodrick Stewart. USC’s talent shined in their 70-45 domination of No. 19 Southern Illinois, smothering the Salukis defensively and shooting 60% from the floor. Taj Gibson presents a broodish inside presence that should take care of most rebounding responsiblities and help the Trojans develop some form of inside game. If the Trojans can keep up the fast, sharpshooting guard play, they should be able to establish themselves near the top of the conference.

4. Oregon (6-1)
The Ducks have remained in the top 25 despite their embarrassing loss to St. Mary’s just over a week ago, and rebounded nicely with a 110-79 thrashing of University of San Francisco. However, the Ducks have yet to prove they can play defense- at all, and such inconsistency does not belong in the top 25. My skepticism stems from the fact that St. Mary’s did not shoot the ball that well, draining 47% of their shots. 47% is a very solid night, but a squad with talent like Oregon’s should easily overcome a good shooting night by a clearly inferior team. While defense is a big concern for Ernie Kent’s kids, their ability to put the ball in the hoop certainly is not. Oregon has five players averaging in double figures, and have proven themselves one of the most versatile teams in the country. While most praise is directed toward senior guard Malik Hairston, the unsung hero is definitely senior Maarty Leunen, who has proven that he can score both inside and beyond the three point arc. It will be fun to see whether the Ducks can contain freshman phenom Michael Beasely in their visit to Kansas State on Wednesday. If Kent’s club surrendered 37 points to St. Mary’s freshman Patty Mills, who knows what a supreme talent like Beasely could do to this defense.

5. Arizona (3-2)
I hate the fact that I am putting this team here because of how weak I truly think they are, but taking Kansas to OT in an intensely passionate game at Allen Fieldhouse elevates them to the #5 spot. I firmly believe that the ‘Cats have no solid options behind Chase Budinger and Jared Bayless and that will haunt them when Pac-10 play begins. My confidence in the Arizona team comes from the fact that they have been playing sans coach Lute Olson for all five games thus far and I do not believe senior guard Jawann McClellan has played to his full potential. Bayless is emerging as one of the better point guards in the Pac-10, averaging 18 points and 5 assists per game in his first five games as a Wildcat. Arizona’s two losses are by a combined seven points to two teams that played in the NCAA Tournament last year (Virginia and Kansas), but they have yet to defeat a formidable squad, as Missouri-Kansas City, Adams State and Northern Arizona are not foes the Wildcats will see in the postseason. Their matchup against #9 Texas A&M at home should be an accurate barometer of where the Cats will stand in this year’s ferocious Pac-10 field.

6. California (3-0)
I should not be ranking Cal, instead I should put “TBA” next to their ranking, since they truly have not played enough to be given a fair assessment. Devon Hardin is expected to lead the Golden Bears back from a disappointing 2006-2007 campaign, but Hardin has been shut down offensively by both Nichols State and San Diego State. The Bears have used Hardin mainly as a decoy in their first three games, delegating most of the scoring to sophomores Ryan Anderson and Patrick Christopher, averaging 20 and 21 points per game respectively. Though the team has been riddled with injuries (until the return of Jerome Randle on Saturday, the Bears dressed only two scholarship guards), Cal was able to overcome a fourteen point defecit to defeat a strong San Diego State squad. Nikola Knezevic has emerged as a strong guard alongside Randle, seamlessly running the offense, fastbreak and displaying shutdown defense in each of the three games thus far. Ben Braun’s squad will face its first difficult non-conference opponents in Nevada, Missouri, Jackson State and Kansas State, four teams that qualified for postseason play last March. If Hardin can continue his defensive paint dominance (averaging fourteen rebounds and just under three blocks in the first three games) and Anderson and Christopher can score with continued efficiency, the Golden Bears will be a feared team.

7. Stanford (7-1)
I am certainly lowballing the Cardinal here. This is not because of how they match up with the other major Pac-10 squads, rather their complete lack of difficult non-conference opponents. An unranked Texas Tech team is the only challenge that Stanford faces heading into Pac-10 play, and none of the eight games, with the exception of UC Santa Barbara, have featured a team that could appear in the NCAA Tournament. An upset loss to Siena dropped Stanford from the top 25 ranks, and they have yet to find their way back despite three consecutive wins since the embarrassing loss to the Saints of Albany. The most obvious absence is that of the academically ineligible Brook Lopez, who combined with his twin brother Robin, made for an unmatched post presence both offensively and defensively last year. Because of Lopez’s academic ineptitude, Coach Trent Johnson has turned to a guard focused scoring attack, relying on sharpshooters Lawrence Hill, Anthony Goods, Landry Fields and Kenny Brown for a deadly perimeter shooting. With transfer point guard Drew Shiller and returning starter Mitch Johnson, the Cardinal might be the deepest backcourt in the Pac-10. I have an inclination that this team will be much higher as conference play commences, but they certainly are not preparing themselves well with a soft non-conference schedule.

8. Washington (4-2)
Lorenzo Romar’s club appears to already miss the one-and-done Spencer Hawes, as they have struggled mightily with ranked opponents Syracuse and Texas A&M to start the season. The bright side of this raw Husky team is that they have three players averaging double figures with one of their leading scorers, Ryan Appelby, continuing to recover from a nagging hand injury. Jon Brockman has emerged as the token “beast” of the Pac-10, reminiscent of Bryant “Big Country” Reeves that led Oklahoma State to the 1995 Final Four. Brockman leads Washington in both points and rebounds per game and has established himself as the team’s go-to-guy. The Huskies have also received solid offensive production from guard Justin Detmon and forward Quincy Pondexter and a great navigator in point guard Venoy Overton. Though Brockman is an intimidating inside presence, his backup options are grim if he suffers from foul trouble that has hindered him in the past or an effective double team. Road tests against Oklahoma State and LSU loom as well as a home bout against No. 14 Pittsburgh, giving the Huskies plenty of challenges before conference play.

9. Arizona State (3-1)
Jeff Pendergraph and James Harden are two names that will soon be taking the Pac-10 by storm. Harden was one of the top prospects in the class of 2007 and made a surprise commitment to ASU along with local Arizona native Ty Abbot and East Coast product Kraidon Woods. Pendergraph, a high school teammate of UCLA point guard Darren Collison, is regarded by some as the best rebounder in the Pac-10. Harden, Pendergraph and Abbot have been responsible for most of the scoring in their three victories thus far, including a hard-fought overtime victory over LSU. Reserves Derek Glasser and Duke transfer Eric Boateng are expected to contribute big off of the bench. Glasser started most of last year, but the arrival of Harden, Abbot and Christian Polk has meant a decreased role for the sophomore. Herb Sendek looks as if he has already begun the transformation of a notoriously bad basketball program, but a road test at Nebraska and a home date against No. 23 Xavier will display the real talents of the youthful Sun Devils.

10. Oregon State (3-2)
It is a miracle that coach Jay John has not been fired already. Coming into the season on the hottest of hot seats, John did not exactly thrill Beaver Nation with losses to Colorado State and Alaska-Fairbanks (a team that had lost by 58 points to California one week earlier). OSU does not face a difficult non-conference schedule, but they will need all the wins they can get, as they are sure to be dominated in conference play. Seth Tarver has been the do-it-all guy for the Beavers thus far, leading the team in all major scoring categories. The Beavers have a decent rebounder in Roeland Schaftenaar, but fellow big man Sean Carter has failed to prove himself as the defensive standout he was expected to be. I firmly believe this team will win two games or fewer come Pac-10 play, and Corvallis will be searching for somebody to revive this utterly lifeless basketball program.

Wow. Just got back from USC men’s basketball season opener against Mercer.

And I just have to say, I’ve been a hard core USC fan for life.

Today, they played pathetically. I could’ve stuck my high school girls team out there and we could’ve made more free throws than USC did. The first half was just plain sad, and the second half was a little better but USC just gave up.

If they play like that for the remainder of the season, i’m already kissing NCAA tournament hopes goodbye.

One bright spot though (depending on which way you look at it): O.J Mayo. This guy’s pretty good. He had 30+ points today. On the other hand, he IS the team. Besides for him and Taj Gibson, no one else was creating plays or scoring. It almost seemed like the hoop we were shooting at was twice as small as the hoop where Mercer was shooting.

But how long with O.J stay with us? No clue. I’m betting he leaves after this year. And then we’re dead. uh oh.