Player of the Week
[player: Jordan Loveridge] – Utah
In a slow week for the Pac-12, Loveridge deserves player of the week honors. The junior forward returned from a seven game layoff due to a knee injury and helped Utah route Carroll College. Loveridge came off the bench and only played 16 minutes, but managed to score 14 points on five of six shooting with three boards. Loveridge was three of four from three point land and showed how big of a player he is for Utah. With [player: Delon Wright] and Loveridge on the perimeter, Utah is a force to be reckoned with in the Pac-12.
Who’s Hot
[player: Anthony Brown] – Stanford
The senior forward remained hot after a great game against Texas and led the Cardinals in points against Arkansas Pine-Bluff. Brown scored 16 points on nine shots and had four threes in the game. Brown also contributed four rebounds and five assists. The senior Cardinal is extremely important for Stanford, especially when [player: Chasson Randle] doesn’t have it going. Brown can stretch the floor and find the open man. Stanford has finally started to play up to their potential, just in time for Pac-12 play.
Who’s Cold
The Entire UCLA team
The Bruins have now lost three straight after their loss to Alabama on Sunday. Nobody played well. [player: Kevon Looney] only had four points and six rebounds while shooting two for seven from the field and also struggling with foul trouble all game. Senior [player: Norman Powell] only scored three points and was a horrific one for eight from the field. [player:Bryce Alford] may have scored 16 points, but he only had four assists. [player: Isaac Hamilton] had 15 points but seven turnovers, never protecting the ball. This is just a murders row of stat lines for the Bruin’s main contributors. UCLA’s play has been incredibly disappointing. Their defense might be a tiny bit more improved, but their offense is stuck in mud. Head coach Steve Alford has some work to do going into Pac-12 play.
Shawn Kemp Jr. – Washington
The senior forward was terrible in Washington’s first loss of the season against Stony Brook. Kemp Jr. was a nonentity on the court. Kemp Jr. had six points and only three rebounds. Stony Brook may be ranked 21st in the nation in total rebounds per game, but Washington needs a better effort out of their senior forward. Kemp Jr. has NBA aspirations, but games like this will simply not cut it. As an energy player, Kemp Jr. impacts the game by getting easy buckets and offensive rebounds. The senior did neither against Stony Brook.
Top 5 Players who can raise their stock in Pac-12 play
Non conference play is always interesting in college basketball. Some teams choose to play a tougher schedule than others and this can help to prepare them for conference play. Here are the top five players that can greatly increase their stock during conference play.
1. [player: Norman Powell] – UCLA
I have been extremely tough on Powell all year, but I honestly think it is warranted. For an undersized guard with NBA aspirations, Powell has to be the leader UCLA needs in tough games. Simply put, he has not been and has been a minus for the team. Powell is shooting well from three point land this year, a great thing for his NBA prospects, but he hasn’t shown much improvement in other aspects of his game. The senior guard has to show some vision with the ball, ability to create shots and better touch around the rim. If Powell’s play stays the same or possibly decreases during Pac-12 play, he can kiss leaving for the NBA early goodbye.
2. [player: Kevon Looney] – UCLA
I am a huge fan of Looney and he has had some great games in his short career so far, yet it does not seem like he is playing like a top five pick just yet. Looney has not developed an outside shot yet, especially from three. NBA teams will definitely look to improve this aspect of his game, but he should at least show some more touch from mid range in college. The freshman forward also seems to be passive during games, not even averaging 10 shots a game. Looney should really look to dominate even more in the paint, by demanding the ball in the the post and hitting the offensive glass. As I mentioned before, UCLA is just not playing well right now, lets see if Looney can help their play if he gets the ball more.
3. [player: Jordan McLaughlin] – USC
The highly touted recruit from California has not been good in non-conference play. McLaughlin has only shot 38 percent from the field and 30 percent from three, two terrible percentages from an undersized guard. McLaughlin has at least averaged five assists a game, but he needs to demonstrate more touch around the rim and from three for any team to take a shot on him. The good news is simple, a freshman starting point guard is expected to go through growing pains in his first couple of games in college. Look to McLaughlin to improve on his shooting percentages and maybe even increase his assist numbers in Pac-12 play.
4. [player: Jakob Poeltl] – Utah
The freshman from Austria’s stock may have been overstated by some earlier in the year, but he has shown potential to be a possible future NBA player. Poeltl has shown good mobility and quick feet and an understanding of where to be on defense. The freshman has to try to improve his offensive game and rebounding during Pac-12 play. Poeltl may not get many opportunities on offense, but he can remedy this by getting more offensive rebounds for put-back opportunities. Poeltl should also look to improve on his free throw shooting. The freshman center actually had his best game of the year against Kansas, he was all over the court on both sides of the ball. He’s seen by scouts as a likely 3-4 year player at this point. Lets see if Poeltl can be more aggressive in the second half for a really good Utah squad, especially against good teams.
5. [player: Brandon Ashley] – Arizona
The athletic Wildcat junior forward has just not impressed me in non-conference play. Everyone knew he was a good face up shooter freshman year, but it just doesn’t seem like he expanded his game beyond this in two years of college play. Ashley still doesn’t know what to do with the ball when he drives to the rim and his post play has been inconsistent. The Wildcat would be an undersized power forward in the league and his rebounding must improve over the course of the season. For a team with final four aspirations it might seem selfish for a player to focus on his own play, yet if Ashley improves on the glass and defensive side of the ball, Arizona will play better. Ashley really needs to show NBA scouts something other than a mid range jump shot during Pac-12 play or he will continue to slip on mock draft boards.