Pac 10 Sports Blog

A total of 12 Pac-10 players were taken in the 2008 NBA draft a couple weeks ago, three more than the closest conference, the Big-12, and six more than any other conference. Headlining the Pac-10 draft class were five players taken in the lottery, making more than a third of this year’s lottery selections Pac-10 players. Those were, O.J. Mayo taken third by Minnesota, Russell Westbrook taken fourth by the former Sonics, Kevin Love taken fifth by Memphis, Brook Lopez taken tenth by New Jersey and Jerryd Bayless taken 11th by the Blazers.

Later the same night, however, Love and Mayo swapped teams in a surprise trade that both respective G.M.’s called a success for their team. Of the five players taken in the top 14 picks, I think that Brook Lopez has the greatest chance to make a lasting impact on his new team. This is not because Lopez is more NBA ready than the rest of them, he may even be the least, but he joins a team that is not going to need much from him. The Nets return the much-maligned Vince Carter, but also picked up Memphis’s Chris Douglas Roberts and California’s Ryan Anderson later in the first round. Not all three of the rookies will start, but it gives them potential to be stacked from position 1-5 with Devin Harris returning at point, then Carter, CDR, Anderson, and Lopez filling out the roster. Word is that they maneuvered well enough to free up some cap space so when Lebron James becomes available at the end of his contract in 2010 they can sign him. By then, Lopez should be more able to go stronger to his right, defend better, and keep his emotions in check so he can stay in the game longer, all things that he had problems with at Stanford.

The other player amongst the lottery picks that intrigues me as an Oregonian is Bayless going to the Blazers. I have to admit that I was hopping the Blazers would get D.J. Augustin because he is more of a true point guard or Donte Green from Syracuse. I really didn’t think the Blazers needed another combo guard since any will pale in comparison to Brandon Roy, who takes over the point in the fourth quarter anyways. Also, with Rudy Fernandez coming in next year from Spain, there probably won’t be much time to be had off the ball while Roy’s at point. However, Bayless has already responded to such criticism, explaining that the reason the public may have that perception of him is because he was forced to score more during his one year at Arizona because of the injuries the Wildcats suffered throughout the season. I’ll be curious to see if this claim actually holds any water when the Blazers begin Summer League play tomorrow, July 14, against Washington. Even if Bayless is a true point, then that bumps Roy to shooting guard where Fernandez is his most successful, and I’m not sure if Fernandez is willing or able to play small forward where the Blazers really needed their most help. I don’t mean to question the most creative G.M. in the NBA, but I’m puzzled why Kevin Pritchard loves Bayless so much. One things for certain though, the addition of Greg Oden will be a big help. Even with a congested backcourt, I predict that the Blazers make the playoffs for the first time in six seasons as a seventh or eighth seed.

In other Pac-10 news, the college football season is approaching and Ted Miller of ESPN.com previews each of the Pac-10 teams. Unfortunately, only California is free to read if you aren’t an insider.

Regardless, voluntary summer workouts are currently in swing for all ten teams, which amounts to a moderate amount of excitement for any college football fan. You can never be sure how these workouts effect the upcoming season. Dennis Dixon missed all of them for the Ducks last year while he played minor league baseball and he played Heisman-level football in a whole new offense. Still, Dixon didn’t just forget about football, he threw passes to his baseball teammates and had periodical visits from his then-new offensive coordinator Chip Kelly before fall camp began in August. So some work on football during the summer definitely helps, but it’s not damning if your favorite team doesn’t have their star players present.

Rain may have halted play at the College World Series Thursday, but the Cardinal have continued their hot play, regardless of the murky weather.

So far in the College World Series, the Cardinal erupted in the ninth inning of their game against Florida State to win 16-5, holding FSU to its lowest run total since their first game in the Tallahassee Regional, and eliminated the top-seeded team in the tournament, 8-3, on Wednesday.

On Saturday, Standford faces Georgia in the College World Series. The Bulldogs represent the one blemish on Stanford’s record at the CWS and their one loss in their last nine games. That came in a pitcher’s dual on Monday that ended 4-3 in Georgia’s favor. In that game, Standford jumped on the Bulldogs early, scoring three runs in the top of the third, but then only managed to get one single in the last six innings.

I would expect a similar game tomorrow since both teams’ strengths are their pitching, and considering Georgia’s dominating bullpen, the Cardinal will likely have to jump on the Bulldogs early in order to build up a lead their own relievers can protect. Georgia’s pitching staff is also not going to give anything away in that game, so the Cardinal hitters should be ready to hit. It’ll be a tough game for Stanford, especially since their offense is rather futile even when their not facing the great pitching of Georgia, but I suspect that the possibility of beating the team that broke their seven game winning streak will be tempting enough to ignite their sleeping bats.

If the Cardinal do win on Saturday, then they will have to play Georgia again on Sunday since that’ll be Georgia’s only loss so far in the world series. The winner of that game on Sunday will then be one of the final two teams remaining to play for the national championship.

I believe that the Pac-10 has already tied its own record for national championships in a school year, so if Stanford were to pull off a miracle, then it would mean a lot for the Pac-10 as a whole. Let’s go Cardinal!!

In other news, ESPN.com has come up with a series titled: “Face of the Program” in which they pick the one person, place, or play that defines the college football program at each school. Some of their choices for the Pac-10 are really easy, like Don James at the University of Washingto

In a surprising upset, Fresno State beat Arizona State, 12-9, on Monday to advance to the College World Series in Omaha Nebraska. The Bulldogs became the first No. 4 seed to advance to the World Series since the tournament expanded to a 64-team field in 1999.

In their game against ASU, the score was tied at 5 at the top of the seventh inning till Fresno State exploded for sixth runs. They added another run in the top of the ninth before Arizona State rallied for 4 runs in the bottom of the ninth to make the score seem closer than it was.

An odd footnote to the game, as reported by ESPN.com, was the “fight” that took place between Arizona State’s Ike Davis and Brett Wallace while the Sun Devils were taking their infield warm-ups 45 minutes before the game.

The two of them appeared to exchange words over a missed play and wrestled briefly in the infield.

Puzzlingly, Wallace and Davis are described as close friends.

When the team was asked about the incident after the game, Sun Devil Manager Pat Murphy explained it was supposed to be a joke. He explained further that the purpose of the “fight” was to loosen his team up after their deflating loss in their second game against Fresno. Murphy also added that the team did a similar stunt before a game against Coastal Carolina in 2005.

Whether it was fake or not, the Sun Devils are still heading home and the College World Series will begin this weekend without them. The first games take place on Saturday and Sunday in the double elimination tournament, but the final championship series doesn’t start till Monday, June 23.

Stanford stands as the only Pac-10 team still in the running, who face no. 4 overall seed Florida State on Saturday at 2 p.m. on ESPN. The Cardinal enter the game as winners of their last six games and eight out of their last 10. Florida State, on the other hand, scored 14 and 11 runs respectively in the final two games of their series against Wichita State after dropping the first game to the Shockers; a game in which they still scored 7 runs. In the final game of the series, FSU pounded Shockers’ ace, Anthony Capra, for six runs in the first inning before Capra could even get three outs. Capra had previously been undefeated this season.

Stanford, however, held no. 3-seeded Cal State Fullerton, a team that had scored 35 runs in five games in their regional, to three and five runs in the two games they played against them in the Super Regional.

It’ll certainly be an interesting match-up between Stanford’s pitching and Florida State’s hitting.

Knowing this about both teams, I expect Florida State to take the first game because hitting, for whatever reason, is usually more important than pitching when it comes to the College World Series. Now, the two are not playing a three game series, so Stanford will still have a shot against a team that offers a better match-up for Stanford.

Off the playing field, the Pac-10 received big news Monday when the Conference’s Commissioner, Tom Hansen, announced his intent to retire next summer. Hansen will step down on July 1, 2009 after 26 years as the Pac-10’s top dog, which is the longest tenure of any Division-I conference in the nation.

Hansen’s career has seen the football and basketball programs rise to prominence and Pac-10 teams have won 204 national championships during his tenure.

Of course, it is my opinion that the credit for these championships should go to the individual teams rather than a person who sits behind a desk all day. Otherwise, we might as well say that a city’s mayor is responsible for every “A” student’s earn in a school in that city.

However, this isn’t how I’ll remember Hansen’s body of work. I’ll remember how he perennially kept the Men’s Basketball tournament in Los Angeles even though there are NBA arenas in every state in the conference. I’ll remember how he kept the conference’s deal with Fox Sports Network rather than making a deal with ESPN for more national exposure, a move that has hindered the Heisman chances of any football player outside of Los Angeles and a move that has lessened the amount of Pac-10 teams that make the NCAA Men’s Basketball field each year. Finally, I’ll remember him most for his staunch support of the BCS (a system that has screwed the 2001 Ducks, 2003 Trojans, 2004 Bears, and 2005 Ducks, teams in his OWN CONFERENCE) and how he squashed talk of a playoff in college football at every opportunity.

For me, Hansen’s parting is just sweet and there is no sorrow.

As always, feel free to post comments with questions or concerns. I’d be curious to see what others think about the upcoming College World Series or Hansen’s retirement.

Until yesterday, there were three Pac-10 teams still alive in the Super Regional round of the NCAA Baseball Tournament. For those who don’t know, this is the sweet 16 in baseball and the winners of each three game series moves on to the College World Series in Omaha, Nebraska as one of the final eight teams remaining.

In an upset, Stanford swept Cal-State Fullerton, the fifth overall seed in the tournament and host to their series with Stanford, and are now one of the six teams that have already qualified for the eight team final.

Among the other six teams already in the College World Series is Miami (Fl.), the first overall seed, who had to struggle past a feisty Arizona team that took the first game of the three game series in 11 innings, 6-3. However, Miami, rated no. 1 in the nation at the end of the season in both the USA Today top 25 poll and Baseball America’s top 25, slugged out a win in game two, 14-10, and then finished the wildcats off with a 4-2 win yesterday.

The final Pac-10 team still alive in the tournament is Arizona State, the number three overall seed. Arizona State, also this season’s Pac-10 regular season champions and no. 4 in the nation at season’s end, dropped their second game against an upstart Fresno State team that they crushed in their first meeting. Fresno State is a team that was seeded fourth in their region and for those basketball fans out there, that’s like a 13-16 seed making it to the sweet sixteen. Their series is tied 1-1 heading into tonight’s third and final game with a spot in the college world series on the line.

I’d be surprised if Arizona State doesn’t crush Fresno State tonight because they have been superb throughout the season and have faced stiffer competition than Fresno State.

It’d be nice to see two Pac-10 teams in the college world series since the Pac-10 has been solid in baseball over the past few seasons. The conference got five teams in the tournament this year, and Oregon State had won the previous two tournaments before this one.

In other Pac-10 news, Wrestlers at Oregon filed a law suit on Friday in a court in Salem, Oregon to try and save their sport from being dropped as a Varsity sport in favor of Baseball next year.

According to an article on ESPN.com, the complaint filed was that the university mistakenly interpreted Title IX requirements when they dropped wrestling, a male sport.

Title IX is a little tricky in that universities can choose to either have an equal amount of varsity teams between men’s and women’s sports or equal scholarships for men and women athletes. I believe that the University of Oregon adheres to the former set of rules and so they needed to drop a men’s sport when they added baseball in order to still have a balanced amount of men’s and women’s teams. Also, the University is not completely balanced as of right now, so any change in terms of varsity athletics has to be seen as a move towards gender equality at the university. Otherwise they could face severe punishments from many more organizations much scarier than a handful of meaty wrestlers.

Personally, I live in Eugene and I think the wrestlers should just drop it. Nobody goes to wrestling and no one paid attention to it until it was dropped, at which point all the bleeding hearts in Eugene (and there are many) began singing wrestling’s praises.

The fact of the matter is that Baseball is better for the whole community. It will bring more money in and it allows the Eugene Emeralds to stay in the city when before the announcement, they were thinking about moving somewhere else in Oregon, where they could build their own new stadium.

Recently, this wrestling move (no pun intended) has been compared next to Arizona State’s move to drop wrestling to supposedly save money. However the two situations, like most sports comparisons, are too different to compare.

If any of you readers have more comments on this or other Pac-10 related stories, please comment on this post. Sports discussions are always the best way to receive sports news.

As the NCAA Tournament approaches and bracketologists make their final predictions on who will crack the beloved field of 65, the Pac-10 will do its final tuning up with its conference tournament starting tonight.  An already wild regular season ended with UCLA winning two extremely controversial games, Oregon sweeping the Arizona schools to keep their waning tournament hopes alive, and the lowly Oregon State Beavers finishing conference play winless.  The tournament means little to UCLA and Stanford, as they will have a high seed in the NCAA Tournament regardless, but while USC and Washington State look to bolster their seeds, Oregon, Arizona State and Arizona will do all they can to impress the selection committee to try and get a low seed.  So with no further adieu:

California v. Washington:

California sure does have a fire under them after controversially losing to UCLA on Saturday, and would love nothing more than another shot at them on Friday.  The problem is that the pesky Huskies stand in the way of this rematch, but probably without star Jon Brockman, who badly sprained his ankle in the waning moments of his team’s 76-73 loss to Washington State on Saturday.  The Bears will have the services of center DeVon Hardin, who has been out the past two games with a strained hip flexor, which should help the newly undersized Huskies.  Cal wins a close one and gets a second shot at UCLA.

PICK: Cal  

Arizona v. Oregon State 

Come on, seriously?

PICK: Arizona

FRIDAY

USC vs. Arizona State:

This might be the most fun game of the tournament, and almost nobody will see it because of its 12 PM start time.  ASU won the last meeting between the teams in a hotly contested, foul filled game in Tempe.  The most intriguing matchup is certainly between super-Freshmen O.J. Mayo and James Harden, and a great deal of ASU’s success depends on Harden’s ability to overcome Mayo’s shut-down D.  I’d love to see ASU win this one and continue their trek from last year’s laughing stock to tournament bound, but USC is playing too good of basketball right now.

Pick: USC 

UCLA vs. CAL: 

Josh Shipp’s miraculous(ly questionable) shot instantly lit up YouTube and ESPN Classic and sent Bruin Nation into a frenzy while Cal fans sat fuming over questionable calls and another missed opportunity.  The matchup is certainly reminiscent of last year, a UCLA team with nothing to play for and a Cal team with nothing to lose.  Cal fans still remember the heroics of Ayinde Ubaka en route to a 76-69 upset in the quarterfinal game last year, a loss this year may cost UCLA a #1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.  UCLA will come out lazy, and Cal will capitalize.  UCLA fans need to pray that Dan Guerrero saves their #1 seed.

Pick: Cal

Washington State v. Oregon:

This game all comes down to post presence.  Nobody is better at Washington State than establishing the big Australian Aron Baynes as an offensive threat, making teams over-correct, and in turn opening up perimeter guns Derrick Low and Taylor Rochestie.  Oregon must find a way to gain their perimeter touch that Washington State shut down very effectively in both games this season, and I do not see that happening especially without Oregon’s home crowd.Pick: WSU

Stanford v. Arizona:

While Cal has no shot of making the tournament unless they win the whole tournament, this could be the make or break game for Arizona’s season, as a win over Stanford would most likely secure their NCAA Tournament bid.  Arizona has struggled with Stanford’s size both times this year, but Stanford does not have the defensive answer for sharpshooting “point guard” Jerryd Bayless.  I think the Lopezes are too much for Jordan Hill and the rest of Arizona’s mediocre post.

Pick: Stanford (in a close one)

Assuming I’ll be wrong at least once, I’ll pick the semifinals when appropriate.  Until then, let the games begin! 

Dear Pac-10 Officials,

      As we at UCLA celebrate our latest Pac-10 Basketball Championship, I am writing to thank you in your assistance to the acquisition of this title as well as an almost guaranteed #1 seed in the upcoming NCAA Tournament.  If there was any weekend to come through for us (not like you have not done so in the past!) It was definitely this past weekend against those pesky Bay Area schools.  I cannot describe how happy it made all of UCLA nation to see Brook and Robin Lopez mercilessly hacked on virtually every possession, but only get to three free throw line twice in 45 minutes of play.  In fact, I think that it is only fair that we got to the line three times more than Stanford did, as our guards (Josh Shipp and Russell Westbrook) clearly drew more fouls than the Lopez twins combined (Did I mention that we hit ten more free throws than Stanford? Good thing we won the game by ten points.)  I have been so busy thanking you about the first 39 minutes of the game that I almost forgot to mention Lawrence Hill’s foul on Darren Collison, what a great call at such a crucial time in the game.  It was ever so clear that Hill hit Darren with the body, clearly similar contact to the abuse that the Lopezes received over the course of the game.  Not only does this call encourage careful defense in the waning seconds of a game, but it essentially tells defenders not to go for blocked shots when the offensive player has a clear path to the basket; brilliant!

      The win against Stanford was absolutely what we needed to solidify a #1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, thus I did not expect any help against the ninth place Cal Bears, a team that we should easily defeat at home.  Suffice it to say I was shocked at the Bears tremendous offensive efficiency and their exposure of coach Ben Howland’s supposedly impenetrable defense (on that note, Mr. Howland kindly asks for some assistance if facing USC in the Pac-10 Tournament, Tim Floyd has been too much trouble for him lately.)  We were being outshot, outdefended and outplayed, but praise Wooden, you showed up to save us a second time.  It must be true that all good things come in threes, because your UCLA goggles helped ignore three blatant violations.  Josh Shipp’s downward swipe and Russell Westbrook’s yank of Ryan Anderson’s left arm were not clear at all, neither was the ball hitting off of Shipp’s fingertips out of bounds.  I will tell you that it is certainly reassuring that you were properly positioned to make the correct call, that being UCLA ball.  This call was so good that we’ve even got ex-UCLA coach Steve Lavin accusing you of some home officiating, he’s probably just bitter or something.  I don’t have to write to remind you what happened next, Josh Shipp’s amazing “maybe over the backboard” shot, the fact that we got away with rushing the court with time still on the clock (a technical foul in almost all situations), or Josh Shipp’s punching of the ball into the stands (another technical foul), you just need to remember that we won 81-80 and will be remembered for our comeback ability.  Our tenacity and ability to comeback needs a little help sometimes, right?           

      In conclusion, do not listen to the Pac-10 Head Official Bill McCabe, he does not know how you mean so much to us.  I also would like to thank you personally, as if not for these victories, my job may be in question as well.  These losses cover up my complete inability to hire a head football coach (who knew that even the search firms would fail me?), the fact that our basketball team was .500 in its major non-conference games, or the fact that we have not won the NCAA Tournament since Jim Harrick committed all forms of violations to put together a winning squad.  Who knows, if you can work some games for us in the tournament (which I will choose carefully as a member of the selection committee) maybe our new football coach can make himself a couple extra bucks by betting on us to go all the way! Not like he’s had run into any trouble before.  

See you at the Pac-10 Tournament! 

Sincerely,

Daniel G. Guerrero

Director of Athletics

University of California-Los Angeles 

By Gabriel Baumgaertner

Whatever sweetness remained from USC’s thrashing of Illinois on New Year’s Day quickly soured this afternoon when sources announced that head coach Pete Carroll has arranged a meeting with Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank concerning the Falcons vacant head coaching position. Carroll has rebuffed several NFL offers during his tenure at USC, but is reportedly showing active interest in the Falcons, a job recently vacated by now Arkansas head coach Bobby Petrino, who abruptly abandoned the team with three games left in the season. The Washington Redskins are another team rumored to be after Carroll, who recently lost coach Joe Gibbs to retirement (again). Carroll has repeatedly stated that he will not leave USC for the pros, but another BCS victory this year and two national championships during his stint in the Land of Troy make one wonder if he wants another shot at the NFL.

Carroll was a head coach for three seasons in the NFL, one with the New York Jets and two with the New England Patriots, compiling a 23-28 record. College coaches thrust directly into NFL head coaching positions has an alarming failure rate, as the likes of Dennis Erickson, Steve Spurrier, Nick Saban and Petrino have had tremendous success at the collegiate level, but were rumored to be overwhelmed when given the responsibilities of an NFL team. Many wonder why Blank is looking to another college head coach to fill his coaching vacancy after being completely burned by Petrino, who had had no NFL experience whatsoever, but there appears to be less of a risk with Carroll, who was a not only a head coach for three seasons, but also an assistant for twelve. Stanford coach Jim Harbaugh was criticized early in the year for inferring that Carroll would make the jump after this season, but it appears that the provocative Harbaugh may have seen what others did not.

Carroll has become an L.A. icon not merely because of his astonishing winning percentages, but because of popularity with his players and the community. “He’s a really likeable guy, not a typical old coach that just sits back and draw’s up x’s and o’s” says Redshirt Freshman Daniel Harper “At practice he’s out there running around with us and doing drills, personally it’s hard for me to imagine playing for someone else at this point.” Carroll has also gained popularity with the opening of his practices to the public, a rarity among major college football teams like USC. In doing so, he has drawn fans from all over Los Angeles, most notably from the inner city. Carroll’s presence will be missed not only on the football field, but within the local community as well.

If Carroll in fact leaves for an NFL position, he will certainly be remembered for resurrecting a lifeless program and bringing glory back to the program that has turned out more Heisman Trophy Winners than any school in history. However, it will seem forever premature to USC fans and players because of the success, charisma and overall fun that he has brought to USC. With Rick Neuheisel recently being hired at UCLA, it may turn out that the “perfect” Southern California football program may be on a hunt very soon.

By Gabriel Baumgaertner

I never anticipated being sad watching the Oregon Ducks’ national championship hopes go down in flames. However, as Dennis Dixon’s leg turned one way and his knee the other, I felt like I collectively winced with the entire Eugene, Oregon populace. The knees and arms of Dennis Dixon had lifted Oregon to their most successful season since the Joey Harrington days, and the Ducks appeared to have a manageable road to the national championship. Dixon burst onto the national scene in the second week of the season, as he and tailback Jonathan Stewart combined to annihilate what was thought to be a potent Michigan defense en route to a 39-7 victory over the host Wolverines. Dixon then became the most intriguing college QB in the country, reminiscent of Vince Young and Troy Smith, but with a seemingly more effective pocket presence than both. Despite a loss against Cal, Oregon posted big victories over USC and Arizona State and were looking at the Rose Bowl as their backup option. A Thursday night visit against toothless Arizona did not appear to be much of a challenge to a team that defeated top 10 teams in back to back weeks, but an awkward foot plant on an attempted cutback would change so much more than just the fate of the Ducks.

Les Miles infuriated football fans from four states when declaring not only the superiority of the Southeastern Conference, but completely degrading the Pac-10 as a weak conference. Thus, a non-conference affair between Tennessee and California garnered tremendous attention because of Miles’ presumptuous comments. Cal’s sound defeat of the Volunteers helped the Pac-10’s case, but the ultimate goal of qualifying a team to the national championship NOT named USC still loomed. There was Cal, who had their shot at #1, but left it on the 10 yard line against an inferior Oregon State team. And then Arizona State, whose comeback ability and new attitude led to New Orleans aspirations, only to see those wiped away by Dixon and company. Oregon appeared flawless. A rise to number 2 in the BCS rankings and an easy schedule (Arizona, UCLA and Oregon State) had the Ducks primed for New Orleans. This would be much more than simply the Ducks’ first chance at a national championship, but a chance for a non-USC Pac-10 school to win their first BCS title and first outright national title since the 1991 Washington Huskies.

Oregon’s loss means the ascension of the upstart Kansas Jayhawks to the seemingly cursed #2 spot in the BCS; followed by West Virginia, Missouri and Ohio State. Though I’d love to hold out for ASU to make one final push at the #2 spot, I will most likely settle in to watch the hated Les Miles and his LSU Tigers take on a team whose basketball team I’d rather watch and whose state I only hope to visit on a business trip. I will not care to see who hoists the trophy as the 2007 BCS National Champion, rather I will think of the cutback and how the awkward torque of a knee could plummet my beloved Pac-10’s reputation.