Pac-10 men’s basketball this season has been a quagmire of inconsistent teams, wild upsets and streaky scorers. With the second half of the conference schedule now upon us, Daily Bruin Sports senior staffers Ryan Eshoff and Brantley Watson return to the battlefield to discuss how Pac-10 basketball will shake out … both in the immediate future and beyond!
With the Pac-10 schedule just over halfway complete, who emerges as regular season champion?
Eshoff: I’m going to go with Washington here. The Huskies have underachieved all year long and had a terrible start to the conference season, but just swept the Arizona schools to move to within a game (!) of first place in the Pac-10. Huge matchup with Cal looms.
Waston: Easy … Cal. Although Washington and Arizona State, both solid teams, are only one game back of Cal, they both have to travel to Berkeley for their second matchup with the Bears, and Cal already beat Washington in Pullman and the Sun Devils in Tempe.
Which player brings home the conference’s Most Valuable Player Award?
Eshoff: Seeing as how Washington will win the regular season, the MVP will unquestionably be Husky senior Quincy Pondexter. The guy has scored in bunches this year despite being the focal point of defenses. Matter of fact, Q-Pon will win even if UW doesn’t.
Watson: He’s second in the Pac-10 in scoring, first in assists, first in free-throw percentage and his team is in first place in the conference. If those stats are any indication, looks like Cal’s Jerome Randle will win the award, not Coupon … I mean Q-Pon.
Which player in the Pac-10 this year is the best NBA prospect?
Eshoff: It’s got to be Washington State sophomore Klay Thompson. The key word here is sophomore: Thompson is already one of the league’s top offensive threats in just his second year. He can pour it in when not being triple-teamed. A Kevin Martin clone.
Watson: My older brother and I disagree here. Stanford’s Landry Fields. He’s big, deceptively athletic and can knock down the open jumper consistently. Will he be a superstar? Doubt it. But can he be Josh Howard? Martell Webster? I think so.
Which program do you think is on the rise? On the decline?
Eshoff: Arizona is most definitely on the rise, despite recent sanctions being self-levied by the program. But Sean Miller is a terrific coach and top recruits are already buying in to Tucson. Oregon is heading the other direction, they’re inconsistent, and coach Ernie Kent is a sitting duck (pun absolutely intended).
Watson: At this point, the only way to go is up for the Bruins, so I’m going to say UCLA is on the rise. Next year just means new recruits and more experience for the young Bruins. Decline … both Oregon schools just look horrendous. Kent is a lame duck (pun intended and absolutely better than Eshoff’s).
Will the conference be able to return to national prominence as soon as next season?
Eshoff: The gut feeling here is not quite yet. Washington, Arizona and UCLA will all return a LOT, and each will haul in solid batches of recruits. They will be the cream of the crop next year, but they won’t be elite teams like UNC, Memphis and Florida will be.
Watson: No, I think the Pac-10 is going to have to suffer for a year or two. Only four of Scout’s top 50 recruits in the nation are attending a Pac-10 school, and last year, only three of the top 50 came to the Pac-10. It’s not looking good for the Westside.