Player of the Week
CJ Wilcox, Washington
Wilcox is one of the best scorers in the nation this season. His quickness and ability to shoot from behind the arc has made him a tough opponent to guard for defenders. He also has stepped up his play on the defensive end, quietly averaging 1.2 blocks and 1.1 steals per game.
The senior averaged 22.5 points per game over the week to help lead the Huskies to a pair of wins against Utah and #15 Colorado. He shot .583 from the field and .625 from the 3-point line to go with 2.5 blocks and 2 steals per game. In the Huskies win against Utah he scored 14 points on 5-10 shooting (4 3-pointers) to go along with two steals. Wilcox then led the way in the teams upset victory over #15 Colorado, posting 31 points, four blocks and two steals while going 12-18 (.667) from the field and 7-12 (.583) from downtown.
Wilcox is ranked second in the Pac-12, averaging 20.5 points per game and his 35.5 minutes per game are the most by any player in the conference. He has made 56 3-point field-goals, which are most in the conference as he averages 3.3 3-pointers per game. The senior guard has hit 17-34 (.500) from 3-point land in four conference games and has had eight 20-point games this season.
Who’s Hot
Justin Cobbs, California
Cobbs averaged 20.0 points, 10.0 assists and 5.5 rebounds per game in two games over the week. In the Golden Bears upset victory against #17 Oregon he scored 20 points to go along with 11 assists and six rebounds. He followed that up by scoring another 20 points in the teams win against Oregon State the next game and also adding nine assists, five rebounds and two steals to his final stat sheet total.
The senior leader of the squad has great court vision but is also a threat to shoot when he has the ball in his hands, making it tough for opponents to defend him. Cobbs is second in the conference, averaging 6.4 assists per game.
Chasson Randle, Stanford
The junior guard posted an average of 26.5 points, 4.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game over the course of the week. He shot .563 from the field and .500 from the 3-point line. In the teams lose to Oregon State Randle put up 30 points, shooting .556 from the field while adding nine points from the free-throw line, making all of his attempts. The following game he helped the Cardinal to an upset win over #17 Oregon with 23 points, six rebounds and 4 assists. Randle is third in the conference, averaging 19.5 points per game and has seven 20-point games on the season.
Kyle Anderson, UCLA
Anderson might be the most versatile player in the country. He begins the game as the starting point guard, but moves anywhere down to the four when substitutions occur. Over the week, the sophomore averaged 16.5 points, 12.0 rebounds and 6.5 assists per game. He also chipped in defensively, averaging 2.5 steals and 1.5 blocks per game.
The guard/forward has recorded a double-double in three straight games and leads the conference with nine on the season. He looks to take the shot more with the ball in his hands this season, as well as make the big play by giving out a dime to a teammate. Anderson is the only player in the nation that’s averaging at least 15 points, nine rebounds and six assists per game this season.
Who’s Not
Devon Collier, Oregon State
Collier struggled during the Beavers last two games. He averaged 4.0 points per game last week, which is well below his season average of 14.7 points per game. In fact, the senior only had six shot attempts throughout the whole week. He even failed to record a block. Oregon State faced two tough teams in Stanford and California, which were able to limit his contribution. Collier is still averaging a .627 field-goal percentage and can make an impact during conference play for the Beavers with his efficiency if he gets enough touches.
Askia Booker, Colorado
Booker’s hot streak did not last very long. After an impressive performance in the Buffs’ victory over Oregon on January 5, he can’t seem to get the ball in the basket since. In the teams win against Washington State he posted 18 points, but on a horrendous 2-12 (.167) shooting from the field. He salvaged his point total by going 13-14 from the charity stripe. Booker followed that up with an even worse performance by going 0-9 from the field in the team’s loss to Washington, finishing with 0 points. The loss of Spencer Dinwiddie for the season might prove to be crushing for this Buffs’ offense that was off to a hot start in conference play.
Top 5 Free-Throw Shooters
1. Roberto Nelson, Oregon State
Nelson is ranked third in the conference with a .878 free-throw percentage. He is no. 1 on this list because of the number of times he’s been to the free-throw stripe this season. He’s been to the line 131 times, most by any player in the conference. Nelson is a physical player that likes to drive to hole a lot, picking up many fouls along the way. He averages 8.2 free-throw attempts per game.
2. Jason Calliste, Oregon
Calliste is shooting .888 from the charity stripe, which is best in the conference. He usually picks up a good chunk of his points from the line each game with 5.0 free-throw attempts per game. The senior averages as many shots from the field as he does from the free-throw line, which shows how he likes to drive and play the inside game.
3. CJ Wilcox, Washington
Wilcox does not get to line as often as some others in the conference, but he is efficient when he gets there. He’s taken 70 free-throw attempts and nailed 62 of them for a free-throw percentage of .886, second in the conference. Wilcox’s game is more from behind the arc, but when his shot is not falling he can take the ball down low and pick up fouls to get easy points at the line.
4. Josh Scott, Colorado
Scott has a .819 free-throw percentage on the season. He’s gotten to the line 105 times, averaging 6.2 free-throw attempts per game. The sophomore works down low all game long and is a tough opponent to guard for most defenders in the Pac-12. Being a good free-throw shooter is a valuable aspect to his game because of the many fouls he causes defenders to make each night out.
5. Darin Johnson, Washington
The freshman is doing a good job adapting to play in college basketball. Johnson has taken advantage of the stronger enforcement of the rules when players on driving to the basket. He is shooting .870 from the free-throw line, ranking him fourth in the conference. Of his 46 attempts on the season, Johnson has missed only six shots.