Player of the Week
[player: Ivan Rabb] – California
With [player: Tyrone Wallace] going down for at least a month, someone on California would have to step up for the team to have any hope to make the NCAA tournament. Many expected [player: Jaylen Brown] to take some of the scoring burden, and he was definitely good, but no one expected this game out of Rabb. The freshman forward had 20 points, eight rebounds, six assists and three blocks, all while shooting 8-11 from the field. Honestly, the points and rebounds were all in a days work for Rabb, but the assists where completely out of the blue. [player:Sam Singer] took over the distributer role and finished with eight assists but having Rabb be the second playmaker seems out of the ordinary. Obviously, the Golden Bears are going to have a tough ride without Wallace, but games like this from Rabb will make the trip a tiny bit easier.
Who’s Hot
[player: Andrew Andrews] – Washington
Andrews dominated both Arizona St. and Colorado. The Pac-12 leading scorer is having his best season of his career, while also leading the Huskies to a surprise start in the Pac-12. Against Arizona St. the senior guard had 30 points six rebounds and 12 assists. Not only did Andrews pass the ball around but he shot 10-17 as well. While Andrews did have six turnovers, his scoring and passing more than made up for it, Washington won the game 89-85. The Huskies won their second game of the week against Colorado on the back of Andrews again, but the senior scored a different way. Andrews scored 33 points had six boards and four assists while only having one turnover. The senior only had seven field goals but shot 17 free throws, making 16 of them. The Huskies are one of the surprises out of the Pac-12. Washington hasn’t had an incredibly difficult schedule, but you cannot take anything away from their start. The Huskies can really beat any team at home, they have almost become the “NBA” team of Seattle. The fans in Washington legitimately care about the Huskies, and they are giving them a reason to come to the games.
[player: Ryan Anderson] – Arizona
Anderson missed one shot the entire week. That alone is enough for the Wildcat forward to land on the hot list, but Anderson has been good all year. In a Alonzo Trierless world for Arizona, Anderson is that much more important for the Wildcats. My favorite part about the senior forward is his consistency. He doesn’t do anything particularly well, but Anderson churns in 15 and 10 every.single.night. Anderson isn’t a very good defender (to say the least) but his consistent offense alone keeps him in the lineup. This week, the senior forward combined to shoot 13-14 for 33 points while also chipping in 16 rebounds. Arizona looked okay without Trier, [player:Gabe York] is more than capable to carry the offense, but someone on the team will have to still provide consistent scoring. Anderson can be that guy for the Wildcats.
Who’s Cold
[player: Tra Holder] – Arizona St.
3-16, 2-11. No, these aren’t bible verses or dates, they are Holder’s FGM-FGA the last two games. The sophomore guard has never been a efficient scorer, but this is just not going to cut it. Arizona St. has been in a free fall since entering Pac-12 play and Holder’s play is a massive reason why. The Sun Devils win when everyone is unselfish and playing defense. I understand that Holder is their lead guard but he has to shoot more consistently for the Sun Devils to turn this around. Holder is probably just in a slump, it’s just particularly worse because of how little he does outside of scoring. The sophomore is only averaging three assists and rebounds apiece. While this is okay normally for a guard, Holder always has the ball. For the Sun Devils to make any run at the NCAA tournament, Holder has to return to form. With two disappointing injuries I’m going to steal a page out of ESPN writer Zach Lowe’s book, here are the Top 5 things I dislike about this season.
Top 5 Things I Dislike
5. California’s pace
The Golden Bears are built to run. Rabb, Brown, and a bunch of sharpshooters all point to a team that can get to the rim and shoot open threes. California currently ranks in the mid 100s in the NCAA when it comes to points per game. This is not going to cut it. If the Golden Bears can bring their defensive pressure up and pace, they should be able to run teams out of the gym. I understand that coach Cuonzo Martin doesn’t normally run a high pressure system, but he should really consider changing it for this team. California is in danger of missing the NCAA tournament.
4. Arizona St. faltering in Pac-12 play
As I covered above, Arizona St. is only 1-5 in Pac-12 play. Frankly, nobody on the team is playing really well at all. Their entire defense has just broken down. I understand that Pac-12 play is different and has a faster pace, but the Sun Devils have let up more than 70 points in five of their six games. Arizona St. had such a great start to their season because of their selfless play and defensive intensity. I refuse to believe that they are letting up more points just because the pace of the games is quicker. On the offensive side of the ball Holder is obviously not playing well, but everyone else has to step up on the team as well. [player: Gerry Blakes] is shooting 39 percent on the season and [player:Willie Atwood] has had some terrible games. The Sun Devils have to step up their game across the board if they want to avoid being the worst team in the Pac-12.
3. Oregon St. still being a one-man band
Okay, this ones a bit on me, I really thought the Beavers would have a better supporting cast surring [player: Gary Payton II] this year. Watching Oregon St. play is pretty painful, to say the least. Yea, [player: Tres Tinkle] can shoot every now and then, but the Beavers really don’t have a threat in the paint and that is an issue. Payton II is an incredible player and I trull believe that he will play in the NBA, but even he cannot save this team. Not only can this team not really score, (they rank 209th in the league), but they haven’t even played very good defense this year. People love to point out that one person can carry a team, but Oregon St. is a prime example of how there needs to be a good supporting cast, even in college basketball.
2. Utah’s Regression
The Utes have been extremely disappointing this season. Utah sits at 3-3 in the Pac-12 but we have to look beyond its record. The entire team has basically regressed. [player: Jakob Poeltl] hasn’t shot a very good percentage around the rim as teams have begun to key on him and none of their three point shooters have played well. I’ll give some credit to [player: Brandon Taylor] for shooting less, but he has definitely lost his confidence. [player: Jordan Loveridge] has been awful from three in Pac-12 play as well. The team has played okay defensively but so much is on Poeltl’s shoulders, when he gets in foul trouble, the entire team loses their collective minds. I’m sure that I’m being a bit hard on this team, but the Utes made the NCAA tournament last year and started this year ranked. Utah has to raise their play across the court.
1. The Injury Bug
This has to be number one right? So many bad injuries this year and we are barely halfway through the season. [player: Dylan Ennis] got hurt in the offseason and will now miss the rest of this season with a stress fracture. [player: Tyrone wallace], a potential All-American, just went down and will miss significant time. [player: Alonzo Trier] also went down with an injury. I’m positive that I have forgotten some injuries, but these are the ones that stand out to me. Nobody enjoys injuries, and yeah, they are part of the game, but these hurt. The game is just more fun when everyone plays. Heres to playing the rest of the season without another major injury, the Pac-12 is just too much fun right now.