Pac-12 Conference play officially began last weekend and the usual stars of the Pac-12 were alive and well, helping their respective teams out to big-time starts.
Arizona’s Rondae Hollis-Jefferson might be the best player on the No. 7 Wildcats squad, but is coming off the bench for the better of the team. Oregon’s Joseph Young is making a case to be one of the top scorers in the country and Utah’s Delon Wright is becoming a powerhouse in the conference.
Here are the Emerald’s Pac-12 accolades so far:
Most Valuable Player: Tyrone Wallace, Junior, Cal
Relatively unknown coming into the season, Wallace has been a superstar this season by helping to transform a particularly weak California Golden Bears squad into a team that could hope to play for a conference title. Not only are Wallace’s stats off the charts (18.9 ppg, 8.6 rpg, 4.2 apg and 1.5 spg), he’s doing so even with opposing defenses knowing he’s the Golden Bears’ first option on offense. If Wallace can keep this pace up through conference play, look for him to contend for conference MVP.
Offensive Player of the Year: Joseph Young, Senior, Oregon
There aren’t many basketball players in the country as dynamic as Young. From his deep range to his effective ways of getting to the basket and his silly-smooth pull-up jumper, there’s nothing that he can’t do. Young currently leads the conference in scoring at 20.1 points per game and is dishing out a career-high 4.1 assists per game. Young has scored 15 points or more in 12 of Oregon’s 14 games while eclipsing the 20-point mark eight times.
Defensive Player of the Year: Jakob Poeltl, Freshman, Utah
This award was a toss up between Poeltl and Arizona’s TJ McConnel (who might be the best defensive guard in the country), but Poeltl gets the nod because of how many times he affects the game. The 7-footer from Austria averages 8.3 rebounds per game and an astounding 2.1 blocks per game. Poeltl does a great job of avoiding fouls while also altering many shots of would-be drivers, thus allowing the Utes to take gambles on defense for steals.
Freshman of the Year: Stanley Johnson, Freshman, Arizona
After struggling earlier in the year, Johnson has come on as of late and has really developed into a strong all-around player. He leads all freshmen in scoring at 14.4 ppg and 6.9 rpg, including double-digit scoring in 13 straight games and his defensive intensity is finally matching his offensive intensity, thus making him a key-piece in Arizona’s projected national championship run.
Also making names for themselves are Washington’s Nigel Willams-Goss, UCLA’s Bryce Alford and Washington State’s Josh Hawkinson.
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GameDay: Wallace leading Cal above expectations; Young’s dynamic scoring aids Ducks
Ryan Kostecka
January 7, 2015
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