Pac-12 Player of the Week
Tyler Bey, Colorado
This 6’7 sophomore has recorded double-doubles in the Buffaloes last two games which were both conference wins. February 2nd Colorado faced the Oregon Ducks and Bey went off for 27 points on a perfect 9-9 shooting. Bey was also able to pull down 10 boards for his team as well as record a steal. He kept it going against UCLA on the road Wednesday when he scored 16 points, grabbed 10 boards, recorded two each of assists and blocks and a steal if that wasn’t enough.
Fortunately for the Buffaloes, Tyler Bey’s all-around consistency was a major reason this Colorado team was able to bounce back after back-to-back losses and capture two wins in a row. The Colorado guard has potential to become a draft commodity as his size at 6’7 and nearly 220 lbs has allowed him to make an impact on both ends of the floor for his team. If Bey can keep his high level of play, and with help of McKinley Wright IV, Colorado can continue to be a tough out in the Pac-12 conference
Who’s Hot
Robert Franks, Washington State
The forward for the Cougars has had an excellent senior season averaging 22 points per game and nearly eight rebounds per game. Although the Cougars fell to USC 93-84 on February 2nd, Franks still scored 25 points sinking three 3- pointers as well as grabbing six boards and assisting four times. Franks had an extremely impressive performance on the road against Arizona State in a huge bounce-back win for Washington State Thursday. The 6’9 senior dropped 34 points on 11-17 shooting to go with 13 boards, four steals and four blocks in the 21-point blowout of the Sun Devils. It is also worth noting as well that he sunk all seven of his free throws. Anyone who can impact a game on both ends of the court the way Franks has this season warrants major attention and it is huge for this team’s success.
Who’s Not
Arizona
The Wildcats are currently on a four-game losing streak and it is tough to say exactly when or even if things will turn around for this team. This team had a great opportunity to take down a Washington Husky team that has won a staggering 12 games in a row but ultimately came up short in the second half. One statistic that particularly hurt the Wildcats against the Huskies was percentage from beyond the arc. Arizona was held to just 22.2 percent from deep and it seems to be what made the difference. Arizona also allowed five of Washington’s players to score in double figures, two of them being off the bench. Washington senior Matisse Thybulle had his way defending the Wildcats as he was able to come away with an incredible five steals and five shots blocked.
Top 5 Sophomores of the Week in the Pac-12 not named Tyler Bey
1. Oscar da Silva, Stanford
The 6’9 forward who’s hometown is Munich, Germany has contributed to Oregon’s three-game win streak. On January 26th against Colorado , the first of those games, da Silva scored 21 points on 8-13 shooting to go with his seven rebounds and a steal. In the next game he only scored seven points in 24 minutes but he shot 3-4 and grabbed four boards and blocked a shot. Oscar Da Silva showed again in Stanford’s most recent game that he can play at a very high level, just not consistently yet. On the road against Oregon State, he helped the Cardinals to a 23 point blowout with his 23 points on an efficient 9-12 shooting and 2-4 from deep. He also grabbed nine rebounds dropped seven dimes and blocked two shots.
2. Jaylen Nowell, Washington
The 6’4 sophomore has been a large part of Washington’s 12-game win streak and can help propel the team to an even larger one heading later into February. Nowell had 15 against UCLA in a 69-55 win on February 22nd on 5-11 shooting to go with his eight rebounds, four assists and two steals. Nowell had 12 Thursday on 6-10 shooting with six rebounds, four assists and a blocked shot. Nowell remains an important piece in the Husky rotation as this team gets ready to prepare for March Madness.
3. Kenny Wooten, Oregon
This lengthy 6’9 sophomore on Oregon has received a bit more of an opportunity with the injury of teammate Bol Bol. Wooten had a strong all-around performance against Cal in a 73-62 home victory scoring 11 points on a perfect 4-4 shooting to go with his five boards, four blocked shots, and two steals. Such a defensive effort from the forward deserves some recognition and the Ducks should look to this young man for more production on offense since he has shown he can score efficiently.
4. Justice Sueing, Cal
Whenever things are looking really bad it is important to look for the silver lining in the situation. The Cal Golden Bears have had a season thus far that has gone about every way except theirs but Justice Sueing has been the silver lining in all of that. In the February 3rd loss to Stanford, Sueing scored 23 on 8-14 shooting with seven rebounds, four assists, and two steals. The 6’7 forward from Hawaii scored 17 points on 4-9 shooting in the 73-62 loss to the Oregon Ducks. He also recorded five boards and three steals. Expect Justice Sueing to continue to standout on this struggling Golden Bear team.
5. Daejon Davis, Stanford
This Stanford guard averages just over 12 points per game and has been consistent in the scoring department as of late. In a 84-81 win over Cal, Davis scored 14 points on 4-10 shooting and 2-4 from deep to go with his three boards, two assists, and a steal. In only 13 minutes against Oregon State in a road win, Daejon Davis scored 11 points on 4-5 shooting and a perfect 3-3 from downtown. He also recorded three assists and a steal. Look for this 6’3 sophomore to show even more promise with this Stanford team heading later into the month of February.