After leading Washington to back-to-back conference titles in the Pac-10 Tournament over the last two seasons, junior Isaiah Thomas (who also claimed back-to-back conference MOP honors in those same title runs) decided the time was right to test his talents on another level: the NBA. During his time in Seattle, the 5-9 guard was nothing short of an offensive force. After averaging 16.9 points and 3.9 assists a game as a sophomore, he returned this season to drop 16.8 and 6.1 per and navigate UW to a Sweet Sixteen appearance in the NCAA Tournament. And as the kid embarks on his journey away from college and into the pros, we wanted to give him his own space, and voice, to roam. So, follow along with Isaiah on his Dime NBA Draft Diary and the start to his journey as a member of the Sacramento Kings…Read More »
This will be the last year of the Pac-10 as you know it. The tradition-rich (albeit often overlooked) West Coast staple is expanding, adding Colorado and Utah to the mix. The Utes will join in the 2011-12 academic year, while the Buffaloes will complete the “Pac-12″ the following year.
In the meantime, the Pac-10 is looking to rebound from what was at best a down year in basketball, and at worst an all-out disaster. Read More »
With multiple Cindarellas and plenty of drama at this year’s Big Dance, many fans are wondering who will be crowned the king. While it’s too late to adjust your bracket, the answer is most likely found on each team’s roster. Since 1979, every National Champion (except Maryland in 2002) has had at least one McDonald’s All American on its roster. That’s a 97 percent proof-point. So even though Syracuse and West Virginia are playing well, and Northern Iowa, St. Mary’s and Cornell are hoping to win again before the clock strikes midnight, history is not on their side. Read More »
It’s Championship Week in college basketball, otherwise known as the week of tournaments before THE Tournament. And honestly, it seems this year people only really care about two conference tourneys: the Big East and the Big 12 … and maybe the ACC based on history and hype.
This week we’ll be previewing those anticipated conference tournaments. But for now I’m doing the Pac-10, because that’s the one I know best, because I don’t want the Left Coast to get overlooked again, and, well, because I can. Read More »
With a 74-72 double overtime loss to UNLV last night – setting its record at 3-3 – it’s an understatement to say that Arizona is not run by flash and big names this year. With Lute Olson thrice removed and the Encinitas Enigma, (coined by yours truly; shirt orders to my Twitter…) Chase Budinger, and Jordan “Coach’s Decision” Hill both gone to the pros, the ‘Cats aren’t the national draw they once were. Add into the mix a Pac-10 conference that is seeing its lowest production in years and an influx of untested youth, and you have a recipe for bland, mistake-riddled basketball. In a region dominated largely by guard play, most of the attention has surrounded Cal’s Jerome Randle and Washington’s Isaiah Thomas – and deservedly so.
Someone forgot to relay the message to ‘Zona’s Nic Wise. Read More »
If you haven’t heard, this is supposed to be a down year for the Pac-10.
Over the summer the conference lost James Harden, Jordan Hill, DeMar DeRozan, Jrue Holiday, Darren Collison, Taj Gibson, Jeff Pendergraph, Jon Brockman and Chase Budinger to the NBA Draft. Going back to 2008, the Pac-10 also lost O.J. Mayo, Kevin Love, Russell Westbrook, the Lopez twins, Jerryd Bayless and Ryan Anderson, all of whom would still been in school today had they not gone pro early. Read More »
After saying goodbye to seniors Justin Dentmon, the 2009 Pac-10’s most improved player, and Jon Brockman, UW’s all-time leading rebounder, Washington is still predicted to roll through its west coast rivals thanks to freshman phenom Abdul Gaddy. Read More »
That’s right, the start of the college hoops season is just one week away and you know what that means: it’s time to unleash the mother effing fury! For the past seven months, I’ve been bottling up a vicious mixture of excitement and rage, just waiting for the moment to release my emotions onto the rest of the world. Well that time has come. Your boy Matty D is back to give you a look at the top teams in the country and to separate the champs from the chumps. Read More »
You might have heard that John Wall will be the next Derrick Rose before. He’s a 6-4 point guard with incredible athleticism, great handle, and the ability to hang forever before finishing or finding a teammate around the basket. But this is the first time that we’ve seen him in a truly competitive all-star type event. At the Nike Hoops Summit, Wall put the complete highlight package together against the World team even though Team USA lost 97-89.
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