Young Duck

Player of the Week

[player: Joseph Young] – Oregon

I wrote a couple of weeks ago that Young shoots too much and I stand by that, but when those shots go in my goodness it’s fun to watch. The Ducks are playing well right now and Young was on fire from the field this week. Fifty-five total points shooting around 57 percent. The senior guard almost had a triple double in the Washinton St. game with 10 boards and eight assists with 29 points. Young wasn’t as impressive against USC, he had six turnovers, but 26 points and 5 boards were enough to get the win. Young is usually referred to as a volume scorer, meaning if he will always hit a point total when he gets his shots. The senior shows how good he can be when he shoots a high percentage, but I still want more. I am almost never satisfied when watching basketball, especially watching good players. Young can still raise his stock by passing better! Showing NBA teams that he can read a pick and roll and pass out of a double team will go a long way in improving his stock.

Who’s Hot

California Golden Bears

I understand that their schedule lightened up, but Cal is still playing well, winning five straight! The Bears offense has definitely picked up with the combined efforts of [player:Jordan Mathews], [player: Tyrone Wallace] and the return of [player:Jabari Bird]! Now I was not a huge fan of Bird and he finally seems like he is slowly rounding into form. It simply isn’t about the stats with the sophomore. Bird is a good defensive player and definitely rangy but he is another offensive threat, forcing teams to guard him and giving Wallace and Mathews more room to work. With Wallace remaining aggressive (and I commend him on this during his slump) and Mathews remaining consistent maybe the Golden Bears can make a push in the last stretch of the season.

[player: Bo Barnes] – Arizona State

Okay I definitely messed up, calling that Arizona wouldn’t lose a game the rest of the year, but it was an awesome game! In a rivalry game on the road I give the Wildcats a pass. [player:Savon Goodman] was out of his mind and Barnes hit probably the biggest shot of his career. The senior was eight for eight from the free throw line and scored 18 points on seven shots! The dagger three he made was just an awesome moment. Hand in his face, fadeaway from 30 feet, game. The game was really fun to watch and the shot was enough to put Barnes on the hot list.

Who’s Cold

[player: Chasson Randle] – Stanford

Randle is a great talent, really quick with the ball and a sniper from outside, but Stanford cannot afford him shooting less than 40 percent. Randle was terrible from three this week only making one while taking 11. Now Utah is a great defensive team and [player:Delon Wright} is a force on the defensive side of the ball, but your star has to step up in big games. Two for eleven with only three assists just isn’t good enough. The more I watch Stanford, the less I know about them, they are just too inconsistent of a team for me to take seriously. Randle must start shooting better or even just find his teammates more, something I have been harping on since the beginning of the year.

I haven’t really gone over who my Top 5 NBA prospects are in the Pac-12, so here is my current list.

Top 5 Pac-12 NBA prospects

1. [player: Stanley Johnson] – Arizona

I know I know, boring. I actually had [player:Kevon Looney] first in the beginning of the year, but Johnson has been awesome for the Wildcats. Johnson is a freshman lead scorer on a top 10 team in the nation. Johnson is a bull when driving and can finish in traffic. He definitely doesn’t have high end athleticism and can definitely work on defense but all of the tools are there. When Johnson goes to the NBA he’ll have to develop a three point shot, but I can definitely see that happening. Johnson is going to make whoever drafts him extremely happy.

2. [player:Kevon Looney] – UCLA

Looney is the player that every NBA scout looks at and just drools. Six foot ten with some dribbling skills is something every NBA team would love to have on their team. Looney has also been great on defense, he is a great rebounder and seems to be blocking enough shots. Looney really needs to work on his offensive game, he is a streaky shooter and can make some post up shots but once he hits the NBA it’ll be tough to make these shots against bigger players. I would love for Looney to demonstrate more touch around the rim but that will come in time. The more I watch Looney the more I think he is a four, he just isn’t quick enough to keep up with other threes in the league. All in all Looney has to potential to be an absolute beast in the league.

3. [player: Delon Wright] – Utah

Wright is an awesome defender, athletic, rangy and a cat with on the ball. The senior plays great help defense as well jumping passing lanes. Wright could use work on his offensive game, namely the three pointer. Wright is a good driver and a pretty good passer, but he still needs a three point shot. Once Wright finds a three point shot in the NBA he should be a great backup guard.

4. [player: Jakob Poeltl] – Utah

Nineteen year old, seven foot center with great quickness and a ton of room to grow. This is a NBA team’s dream. Poeltl has demonstrated good footwork and a great understanding of where to go on defense, which is really half the battle when you are seven foot. I am really looking forward to what Poeltl can learn on the offensive side of the ball. The Austrian can develop an up and under and I think he can even get a better mid-range shot. The size and athleticism alone are enough to make Poeltl fourth from the Pac-12.

5. Brandon Ashley – Arizona

This was definitely the toughest selection for me, with many other deserving names, I just think NBA teams would like a player like Ashley the most. Now, I have not been very nice about Ashley all year and still do not think he can rebound, but what Ashley does best, he does really well. The junior forward is a great pick and pop player who is trying to increase his range to the three-point line. Ashley is athletic and can be a good defender. The real question for him what position he can play, he is too small to play the four, especially against bigger teams. Ashley will really have to work on his dribbling and passing, enough to play as a three in the league. Even though Ashley is one of the best prospects from the Pac-12 he should go back to school. NBA teams will definitely be interested in Ashley’s decision and he will be a player to watch in the combine if he decides to come out.