This article is part of our Conference Preview series.
As I was compiling the list of Pac-12 players, I noticed something strange: there were no players from either Arizona or UCLA. It's not that Wildcats and Bruins won't be among the best teams in the conference again, but they were a bit too team-based for my purposes. Arizona has a great deal of turnover, but transfer forward Ryan Anderson from Boston College, or freshmen Allonzo Trier, could be players to watch. UCLA also has a lot of talent with a backcourt of Bryce Alford and Isaac Hamilton, with Tony Parker and freshman Jonah Bolden in the frontcourt. In other words, both teams have many fine players and one or the other will likely win the conference championship, but the fantasy studs will come from other teams.
Top Three Players
Gary Payton II, guard, Oregon State Beavers
With that name at that school, Payton had some expectations foisted onto him that he could do nothing about. While Payton may not be an NBA Hall of Famer, he had an excellent first year as a Beaver. The 6-foot-4 guard led power conference teams with 3.1 steals and added 13.4 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 3.2 assists. He only hit 29.3 percent of his 3-pointers, so there is room for improvement in his game. Oregon State should give Payton some more help with three other players who averaged at least 30 minutes, and a talented recruiting class that includes the coach's son, Tres Tinkle.
Josh Hawkinson, forward, Washington State Cougars
Prior to last
As I was compiling the list of Pac-12 players, I noticed something strange: there were no players from either Arizona or UCLA. It's not that Wildcats and Bruins won't be among the best teams in the conference again, but they were a bit too team-based for my purposes. Arizona has a great deal of turnover, but transfer forward Ryan Anderson from Boston College, or freshmen Allonzo Trier, could be players to watch. UCLA also has a lot of talent with a backcourt of Bryce Alford and Isaac Hamilton, with Tony Parker and freshman Jonah Bolden in the frontcourt. In other words, both teams have many fine players and one or the other will likely win the conference championship, but the fantasy studs will come from other teams.
Top Three Players
Gary Payton II, guard, Oregon State Beavers
With that name at that school, Payton had some expectations foisted onto him that he could do nothing about. While Payton may not be an NBA Hall of Famer, he had an excellent first year as a Beaver. The 6-foot-4 guard led power conference teams with 3.1 steals and added 13.4 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 3.2 assists. He only hit 29.3 percent of his 3-pointers, so there is room for improvement in his game. Oregon State should give Payton some more help with three other players who averaged at least 30 minutes, and a talented recruiting class that includes the coach's son, Tres Tinkle.
Josh Hawkinson, forward, Washington State Cougars
Prior to last season, Hawkinson was barely on the Pac-12 radar. He barely played as a freshman, but left his sophomore season as the conference's best rebounder. The 6-10 forward averaged 14.7 points and 10.8 rebounds and finished with 20 double-doubles. While he had some of his best games in December (including 25 points, 13 rebounds in a win over San Jose State), Hawkinson did not shrink against Pac-12 opponents (26 points, 13 rebounds in an overtime win against Oregon). Expectations will be raised for the junior and he should have some help on the frontline from Houston transfer Valentine Izundu.
Josh Scott, forward/center, Colorado Buffaloes
My penchant for picking centers continues in the Pac-12. Statistically, the 6-10 senior is the best returning pivotman in the nation. He averaged 14.5 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks (which puts him a touch higher than Damian Jones from Vanderbilt). Scott missed eight games in January with back issues, but the team managed to go 4-4 without him, including a surprising win over UCLA. To get back to the NCAA tournament (last year was the first non-dancing season since 2010-11), the Buffaloes will need a healthy and productive Scott.
Top Freshmen
Jaylen Brown, guard/forward, California Golden Bears
The Golden Bears will be one of the most interesting teams in the nation. They have plenty of returning talent in Tyrone Wallace, shooting guard Jordan Matthews, and Jabari Bird. Wallace was unquestionably one of the best three players in the conference last year, but he will have more help this year, which diminishes his fantasy value ever so slightly. Coach Cuonzo Martin was able to add a pair of top-10 recruits to this nucleus, and Brown was the diamond of the class. The 6-7 wing brings versatility: he can score from all over the court and defend nearly any opponent. The question will be: Can Brown stand out from his teammates? My best guess is that he can and will.
Ivan Rabb, forward, California Golden Bears
I generally try to spread the wealth when looking at conference previews. However, California has cornered the market on the best freshmen. Brown is the highest regarded recruit in the conference, but Rabb may be the most productive. The Golden Bears are stocked with guards and scorers, but they didn't have a difference maker on the boards. Rabb, a 6-10 Oakland native, should own the glass and anchor the Bear defense. This could be a big year in Berkeley.
A Pair of Sleepers
Michael Humphrey, forward, Stanford Cardinals
While sophomore Reid Travis may get more of the publicity (and will therefore be drafted earlier), I think Humphrey could be the better value. The 6-9 sophomore played sparingly for the first three months of the season. He proceeded to turn in back-to-back 14-point games in late February wins over California and Oregon State, and then suffered a high ankle sprain in the second to last game of the regular season against Arizona State. While his bump in performance may have just been a blip, Humphrey is going to get more playing time and could be a nice sleeper.
Tra Holder, guard, Arizona State Sun Devils
I often like to profile sophomores who did not live up to expectations in their first year. Holder earned plenty of playing time for former coach Herb Sendek, but his inability to shoot (31.7 percent from the field, 24 percent on 3-pointers) held him to 7.0 points per game. Nonetheless, one positive aspect of his game was the ability to penetrate and get to free throw line. Holder scored in double digits in eight of 10 Pac-12 games at one point. With new coach Bobby Hurley pushing the pace, Holder should get more assists (3.6 last year to lead the team). Even moderate shooting improvement could result in double digit scoring as well.
