Pac-10 Preview: #3 Washington Huskies

#3 Washington Huskies– Coach: Lorenzo Romar (7th year)

PG- Justin Dentmon: Dentmon is an experienced senior that has been getting major time at point guard ever since his freshman year. He has the ability to score in large amounts, but saw a major decline in his stats last season. His free throw percentage fell almost 10 percent, and he averaged one less assist per game than in his first two seasons as a Huskie. However, he did cut down on his turnovers which, if he continues to play smart basketball, will help tremendously. Dentmon is also a solid defender and has advanced court vision. His primary job will be finding an open Jon Brockman and getting him the basketball.

PG- Venoy Overton: Overton is just a sophomore, but he got plenty of game experience last season even as a freshman. This year, he could receive just as much time running the point, especially if Dentmon is struggling. The problem with Overton is his tendency for turnovers and his outside shot is nothing more than mediocre, but if he knows his role on the team and can play good defense then he should make a solid contribution to the Huskies.

SG-Elston Turner: Turner is one of three incoming freshman that look to make a major impact for Washington this season. He has a big frame at 6’4” and 190 lbs, and has great scoring ability when given the chance. The only problem is that he is an easy player for a good defender to shut down, and he will be seeing a lot of quality defenders in this conference.

SG-Scott Suggs: In my opinion, Suggs is the best of the three incoming freshman guards. He has the ability to take the ball to the basket, and he has a great outside shot. Suggs is also a very athletic player that loves to get the ball in transition, and can kill other teams when he’s on the fast break. Defending isn’t his strong suit but he is still an adequate defender that can shut down some average players. I’d look for Scott Suggs to make a major impact at Washington this season.

SF-Quincy Pondexter: Washington’s frontcourt is anchored by two players: Pondexter and Jon Brockman. While Pondexter is no Brockman, he is still a very solid basketball player that can score points in the paint and grab rebounds down low. His free throw shooting was average last season, but if he improves on that he will be a very tough player to stop in the Pac-10. Pondexter often feeds off of Brockman’s success, so if Brockman is having a great game look for Pondexter to do the same.

PF-Jon Brockman: Brockman could play on any team in the nation in any conference, and still be a first team all-conference caliber player. He is a lot like Luke Harangody of Notre Dame: tremendously strong, athletic, and loves to score. Brockman is also a great defender that pulls down lots of rebounds; he will be the lifeblood of this Huskie team and could lead them to a possible Sweet 16 appearance in March.

Bench: Depending on which point guard is coming off the bench, they will play a major impact for this team. Also big men like senior Artem Wallace and freshman Tyreese Breshers will play big roles in the frontcourt. Washington has a great starting five, but they lose a lot in terms of depth; however, if Romar can find a solid eight man rotation (barring foul trouble with Brockman) they should have no trouble living up to their expectations in the Pac-10 this season.

Backcourt: B

Frontcourt: A

Bench: B-

Coach: B+

Bottom Line: As I said before this team will revolve around Brockman, but this doesn’t mean that they don’t need other players to step up. If Dentmon and Pondexter can do more than will be asked of them it will not only make Brockman’s job easier but it will also help the freshmen settle into their roles on the team. Like many Pac-10 teams, Washington is young and they will have their growing pains. However, having a player as good as Brockman will help come tourney time and in those close conference matchups. I expect nothing less than a tournament appearance and a first round victory.

Key Non-Conference Games: CBE Classic (11/20-11/25), Oklahoma State (12/4)

Key Conference Games: USC (1/22), UCLA (1/24), at Arizona State (1/31), at USC (2/21), Arizona State (2/26)

Projected Postseason Finish: NCAA (Second Round)

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NCAA Position Rankings: Top 10 PF

Power forwards are the tough guys on the court. They bang bodies down low, battle for rebounds and jump on loose balls. This year’s class of power forwards is very top-heavy with three potential Naismith candidates and other players that will see increased offensive roles. The players on this list not only do the little things for their respective teams, they can fill the stat columns as well.

1. Tyler Hansbrough: No surprises here. The reigning Naismith Award winner returns to the Tar Heels for his senior season and looks to lead them to a National Title. He not only fills the stat sheet with 22.6 PPG and 10.2 RPG last season, but he brings hustle and intensity to the floor and believes that every loose ball belongs to him. Barring injury, Hansbrough should put up similar numbers this year and is the front-runner for the Naismith again this year. What he really wants is a national championship.

2. Luke Harangody: Harangody exploded onto the scene last season and won a much-deserved Big East Player of the Year as a sophomore. The big man used his great combination of power and touch around the rim and averaged 20.4 PPG and 10.6 RPG in only 29 min./game. The Irish have a lot of the same faces around for the upcoming season, so defenses can’t give Harangody too much attention. I think Harangody can improve on last year’s numbers and perhaps even make a push with Hansbrough for National Player of the Year.

3. Blake Griffin: Like Harangody, Griffin has the potential to throw himself into Naismith Award conversation. He had a good freshman season with 14.7 PPG and 9.1 RPG and showed us he has the potential to become a superstar. He shot a 56.8% from the field last season, showing that he is very tough to stop down low. One chink in Griffin’s armor is his free throw shooting. He shot 58.9% from the line last season, which is one reason he doesn’t have a higher PPG average. If he improves his free throw shooting ability and takes more shots from the floor, Griffin’s point numbers will sky-rocket during his sophomore season and will probably end up being next year’s number one pick in the NBA Draft.

4. Jon Brockman: After testing the NBA waters, Brockman returns to Washington to improve his draft stock. His numbers were very impressive last year with 17.8 PPG and 11.6 RPG while shooting 53.6% from the field. He plays tough down low and has a very good variety of post moves. With the departure of the Lopez twins and Kevin Love, the Pac-10 is pretty small this year, so look for Brockman to really beat up on his opponents and put up big numbers throughout the season.

5. Jeff Adrien: UConn’s leading scorer is back for his senior season and looks to improve on last year’s 14.8 PPG and 9.1 RPG. What I like most about Adrien is his toughness and strength; finesse is not a word in his vocabulary. He brings energy to the game every second he’s on the court and doesn’t mind doing the dirty work down low. Since he plays in a conference with the a lot of the best frontcourts in the nation, it’s tough for Adrien to put up huge numbers, but he plays his role well and knows what he’s capable of.

6. Raymar Morgan: Morgan hasn’t really seen a big scoring role for Tom Izzo in his first two years as a Spartan. With the departure of their main offensive threat Drew Neitzel, Morgan is going to play a much bigger offensive role this season. He averaged 14 PPG and 6.1 RPG last season which isn’t too impressive, but he shot 55.8% from the field. If Morgan polishes his jumper and improves on his scoring ability down low a little bit, Morgan could average around 20 PPG in a conference that isn’t exactly known for it’s scoring.

7. Jeff Pendergraph: Much like Brockman, Pendergraph will benefit from the lack of size in the Pac-10. He shot nearly 60% from the field last season but only averaged 12.4 PPG. There were plenty of games in which Pendergraph only took 3 to 5 shots. Another interesting thing is that his rebounding dropped 3 RPG from his sophomore season. He has shown he has the ability to take over a game, but he just needs to be involved in the offense every time he steps onto the court. If he scores and rebounds like he is capable of doing, he is a First Team Pac-10 player.

8. Dior Lowhorn: Lowhorn saw his scoring increase from 7.2 PPG for Texas Tech during the 05-06 season to 20.5 PPG last year after he transferred to San Francisco. Lowhorn’s consistency is remarkable, scoring no less than 10 points in every game and he can score against anybody. Last year, he had a 26 point performance against Blake Griffin and Oklahoma, scored 20 points against Luke Harangody and Notre Dame and dropped 29 against Oregon. Lowhorn is a force to be reckoned with in the WCC and can put up big numbers versus larger non-conference opponents as well.

9. Greg Monroe: As a lengthy 6’10” freshman, Monroe is going to be a great talent for the Hoyas. He’s a great rebounder and shot blocker and has a good mid-range game for a player his size. If he develops his scoring ability from the block and gets tougher down low, Monroe can be an instant contributor for John Thompson III. If he decides to stay at Georgetown for a couple of years in order to improve his game, he could be a top 3 NBA draft pick.

10. Ahmad Nivins: Nivins shot an incredible 64.7% from the field last season, and has never shot worse than 60% as a Hawk. Despite Nivins’ shooting percentage, his numbers dropped from 16.2 PPG and 7.4 RPG his sophomore season to 14.4 PPG and 5.8 RPG last year, and he saw one less min./game. Why this is I don’t know, but I do know that his numbers will be higher than they ever were for his senior season. St. Joe’s lost their leading scorer in Pat Calathes, so more of the scoring load will fall on Nivins’ shoulders. I think Nivins has the ability to fill the shoes of Calathes and could very well be the A-10 Player of the Year.

Also Considered: Kyle Singler, Damion James, Samardo Samuels, Mike Cook, Marcus Landry, Arinze Onuaku.