There’s no doubting the depth and overall team talent of the Pac-12, with 11 teams ranked in the top-70 of the RPI. But the individual talent in the conference isn’t quite receiving the national acknowledgment it deserves.
Even without the national acknowledgement, the Pac-12 Player of the Year (POTY) award is coming down to a fierce battle between the top two candidates and the others chasing them.
Frontrunners:
1) Andrew Andrews, G, Washington: The senior is averaging a conference-high 21.1 points per game to go along with 6.1 rebounds, 4.9 assists and 1.6 steals per game. Andrews is the only player to place among the top-five in the conference in points, steals and assists per game, and he’s the main reason for the revitalization of the Huskies. Although Andrews has scored more than 20 points in 11 games and more than 30 points in five, he is averaging 15 points over his last three games. In order to take home the award, Andrews and Washington are going to have to finish near the top of the conference, and he’ll have to continue to lead the conference in scoring.
2) Dillon Brooks, G/F, Oregon: It’s no coincidence that the better Brooks plays, the better the Ducks play and the more they win. Brooks has emerged from the shadows of reigning Pac-12 POTY Joseph Young to lead his own charge as a frontrunner for the first-place Ducks. Brooks leads No. 16 Oregon in scoring with 16.6 points per game and also averages 6.1 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.2 steals per game. What makes Brooks so special is he’s doing just about everything for the Ducks, yet staying within the flow of the offense and allowing his teammates to benefit off his high level of play. If Oregon continues to win and Brooks continues to lead the way, nobody will take the award from him.
Possible Candidates:
1) Ryan Anderson, F, Arizona: The double-double machine for second-place Arizona has had a massive year for the Wildcats after transferring from Boston College. Anderson is second in the Pac-12 with 10.1 rebounds per game and fourth with a 58.9-percent field goal percentage, to go along with 15.1 points per game. The No. 23 Wildcats have endured injuries to three of their top four players, yet Anderson has been the rock that won’t break, continuously leading the Wildcats to win after win. If Arizona can somehow dethrone the Ducks, Anderson will have a great chance at taking home the hardware.
2) Jakob Poeltl, C, Utah: Poeltl is viewed as a top-10 pick in the upcoming NBA Draft because of his high ceiling. He has played his best basketball of the year over the last three games, which is why the Utes are back in the running for the Pac-12 championship. The seven-footer averages 17.3 points and 8.9 rebounds per game, but has upped his scoring to 24.3 points over his previous three games—all wins. Utah will go as far as Poeltl will take them, and at his current rate, it could end up with the championship trophy and POTY award in tow.
3) Gary Payton II, G, Oregon State: Payton is the picture-definition of a great player stuck on a bad team. He’s the only player in the conference who ranks in the top eight in scoring (16.3), rebounding (8.1), assists (5.5) and steals (2.3) per game, yet his team sits in 10th place and just outside the NCAA Tournament. It’s hard to imagine a player meaning more to his team anywhere in the country than what Payton means to the Beavers. If Oregon State can make a miracle run in the Pac-12 (already victories over Oregon and USC), Payton might be able to walk away with the POY award.