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Pac-10 men's basketball update: It's not pretty
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Craig Robinson's Beavers are struggling/AP Photo Reed Saxon
Although Stanford has not been particularly impressive in its four games heading into Tuesday’s game against Virginia, there is hope for the Cardinal because the rest of the Pac-10 has not been doing well either. Washington, Washington State and Arizona State are the only remaining unbeaten teams, and none of them has beaten a quality team. UCLA and Oregon State are having problems.
Arizona State (4-0) – The Sun Devils have been burning from the three-point line, hitting 49.4 percent of their shots from beyond the arc. We will see if the Sun Devils are really any good when they take on Duke on Wednesday, but so far the big news has been freshman Tate Lockett, who is averaging 11.3 points and 7.3 rebounds. ASU beat San Francisco by 39 points in its only game over the weekend.
Washington (4-0) – The Huskies have been anointed the new Pac-10 favorite after Cal’s disappointing showing in New York, but Washington has not proved anything yet, beating four so-so opponents, all in Seattle. Their first test comes Dec. 12 against Georgetown. Quincy Pondexter (24.0 points, 12.0 rebounds) and Isaiah Thomas (22.0 points) have been scoring like crazy, but freshman point guard Abdul Gaddy is struggling with his shot, hitting only 1 of 8 three-pointers this season. He was 1-for-6 from the field but did have seven assists in the 10-point win over San Jose State.
Washington State (3-0) – Klay Thompson was named Pac-10 player of the week after scoring 37 points against Indiana-Purdue-Fort Wayne (IPFW). He’s averaging 27.0 points, and freshman Reggie Moore is averaging 11.3 points, but the Cougars have not played anyone yet.
Arizona (2-1) – The Wildcats lost on Monday by four points to Wisconsin in Alaska, and that is nothing to be ashamed of. More significant is that Arizona freshman Derrick Williams had 25 points in the game, and did it by getting to the foul line and attempting 21 free throws. Another freshman, Solomon Hill, is averaging 12.0 points. Nic Wise was 3-for-12 against Wisconsin, but he will rebound from that.
UCLA (2-1) – Drew Gordon had 18 points and eight rebounds in the easy win over Pepperdine and leads the Bruins in both categories at the moment. But the bigger news surrounds starting forward Nikola Dragovic, who has been suspended indefinitely after being arrested on an assault charge for allegedly knocking a man through a glass window. The 6-9 Dragovic was the only returning starter from last season’s team.
Oregon (3-2) – Losing to a pretty good Portland team on the road is OK, but a 13-point home loss to Montana, which had lost to Denver three days earlier, does not bode well. Sophomore Michael Dunigan missed his second straight game with a hip injury, and Joevan Catron was held out with back problems. Neither of the Ducks’ two freshmen, Jamil Wilson and E.J. Singler, scored against Montana. Sophomore Teondre Williams has been the Ducks’ most consistent performer and is averaging 14.0 points.
Cal (2-2) – The Bears were scheduled to play Jacksonville State Tuesday night, hoping to regain their rhythm after losing to Syracuse and Ohio State in New York. The Bears hope to have Theo Robertson, who missed both games in New York with a foot injury. Point guard Jerome Randle has played well, but Patrick Christopher is struggling to find his groove.
USC (1-1) – The Trojans blew a 12-point lead in an eight-point loss to Loyola Marymount, and there is no way to put a happy face on a home loss to a team expected to finish in the bottom half of the West Coast Conference. USC’s best player, Dwight Lewis, was 3-for-12 from the field, and Kasey Cunningham, who started the first two games, is probably out for the season with a knee injury. The Trojans had only eight players available for the Loyola Marymount game, but Alex Stepheson (knee) might be ready to play in the next game, and Marcus Johnson is now eligible to play.
Oregon State (1-3) – The Beavers are the most disappointing team in the conference so far. Some thought they might contend for the Pac-10 title, but first they lost to Texas A&M Corpus Christi, and then on Saturday, they lost at home to Sacramento State. “Everyone thinks we’re a lot better than we are,” coach Craig Robinson told the Oregonian. Freshmen Angus Brandt, Joe Burton and Jared Cunningham helped the Beavers make a second-half comeback that fell short against Sac State.
For more Bay Area college basketball and football, go to jakestakeonsports.com.
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