Player of the Week
Timmy Allen, Utah
The Utah sophomore had himself two very convincing performances against the Utes’ previous two opponents. On December 4th against BYU, Allen poured in 27 points on 60 percent shooting to go with five boards and five assists. This performance by the 6’6 forward propelled Utah to the win in overtime. Utah won their next game was well against UCA where Allen had another strong all-around game. This time it was a blowout but nonetheless, Allen scored 24 points on 56 percent shooting and also added eight rebounds, five assists, and two steals. With consistent performances like these, Timmy Allen is helping his team win as well as really making a name for himself. He is averaging just over 20 points per game and more than seven rebounds per game as well.
Who’s Hot
Romello White, Arizona State
It is clear that Arizona State has some talent on its squad and White is a big reason for people saying that. The 6’8 junior has had back to back double double performances, which both lead to wins for the Wildcats. On December 3rd against SF, White put in 14 points on 85 percent shooting to go with all boards. The following game, White one upped himself from the previous game and contributed 19 points on 77 percent shooting along with 14 rebounds and a blocked shot.
Who’s Not
Cal Golden Bears
With a 5-4 overall record so far this season, the Golden Bears certainly have their work cut out for them. Coming off a loss to SF, Cal had the opportunity to redeem itself but again fell short of getting a victory over Santa Clara. Only one player scored in double figures for the Golden Bears, which was Matt Bradley who had 14 in the contest. Outside of that, there were really no standout performances. Cal shot just 28 percent from the field and 23 percent from 3-point range in the game and was clearly flustered by the Santa Clara defense. Cal was also outrebounded and out-assisted by their opponent. If this team wants to turn things around, it will need more than just 14 points from Matt Bradley, everyone needs to step up collectively as a unit and play better.
Top 5 Guards in the Pac-12
1. Payton Pritchard, Oregon
Anyone who watches Pac-12 Basketball knows that Payton Pritchard is the spark of the Oregon team. Averaging nearly 6 more points per game than last year, this senior has clearly put in the work. Against a talented UNC team, Pritchard scored 19 points to go along with six assists and three steals in which the Ducks barely lost by four points. The 6’2 senior had an even more impressive performance against Hawaii the following game on December 7th. He was able to score 20 points on 72 percent shooting to go with 11 assists and the 25 point margin of victory. Expect Pritchard and this Oregon team to make some noise again later in the season.
2. Nico Mannion, Arizona
This 6’3 freshman is known for being able to get his shot from basically anywhere on the court. In his last game, Mannion scored 15 points to go along with five assists and a steal. In his freshman season, he is putting up some impressive numbers averaging over 15 points per game and nearly six assists per game on 48 percent shooting from the floor. As this young man gets more comfortable in Arizona’s system, look for his numbers to increase even more.
3. Tyrell Terry, Stanford
This 6’1 freshman is having himself a very strong start to his college career averaging 15.7 points on 48 percent shooting through the first nine games. Terry is also contributing just under five rebounds per contest as well as 3.2 assists. Terry can really rebound the basketball for his size, recording two double doubles with rebounds on 11/25 and 11/21. He has also shown he is perfectly capable of scoring into the 20’s, all while shooting 40 percent or better from the 3-point line, which is crucial if Stanford wants to be near the top of the Pac-12.
4. McKinley Wright IV, Colorado
Wright is a respected point guard in the Pac-12 conference despite his numbers being slightly down from last season. Right now, the 6’0 tall junior is averaging just under 12 points per game as well as 4.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists through Colorado’s first eight games. Soon we should see that McKinley Wright and Tyler Bey duo shine more enough for Colorado to start making some noise in conference play.
5. Quade Green, Washington
The 6’0 tall sophomore has shown he can do whatever it is that his team needs on that given night. The Huskies have won their last five games in a row in large part because this young man contributes in a big way just about every night. He may have only had six points against USD but he contributed 10 assists in just 18 minutes, setting up his teammates to get them involved. In his last game where Washington faced EWU, Green poured in 20 points on 50 percent shooting as well as eight assists and two steals. With performances like this, and with the way Quade Green is playing, there is no reason why Washington shouldn’t continue rolling.