Scout.com: Pac-10 full of questions

Pac-10 full of questions

This story originally published on WildcatScoop.com

By Thomas Preston

Posted Dec 30, 2008

The Pac-10 season is sure to be filled with excitement and here are the top five things we believe you should look out for

The Pac-10 season is sure to be filled with excitement and here are the top five things we believe you should look out for

1. The race for player of the year: It looks to be between James Harden and Jordan Hill. Our gut tells us that eventually Harden will distance himself from the pack because the Sun Devils rely on him much more than Arizona relies on Hill. Hill is going to have some big games and is obviously important, but Harden is going to have to put up over 20 points every night for ASU to have a chance every game. With that being said, you probably could not choose a wrong winner at the end of the season figuring everybody stays healthy.

2. UCLA dominance: This could be the year that it ends, or is at least put on hold. USC has been playing good basketball and seems to be getting better while Stanford and Cal have also been surprising. The Bruins needs some inside help, but the guard play should be steady. UCLA is definitely going to be difficult to beat out for first, but the competition in the conference is closer than it has been in the past couple of years.

3. Plight of Oregon State: So it may not be the most exciting story line, but you have to have an eye on the Beavers as they try to win a few basketball games. The team has had its ups and downs before conference season starts and OSU could upset a team or two during conference season.

4. Coach of the Year: There are going to be many choices this year. Russ Pennell is probably the early leader and if the UA remains consistent, he will probably win it. Mike Montgomery or Johnny Dawkins are the other two logical choices and if the award was chosen today, it would be difficult to pick. On the other end of the spectrum, we get the feeling the Pac-10 is going to lose a coach this season (cough, Ernie Kent, cough)

5. Freshmen: Demar DeRozan, Jrue Holiday, Michael Dunigan, and more. The Pac-10 is going to have some of the better freshmen in the country and it should be exciting to watch. The future of the conference is bright and it will be exciting to see these players in action and who the award goes to for freshman of the year.

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