Montlake Madness » Sean Miller

Five Impact Bigs Coming to the Pac-10 This Year

Themod — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 12:00:19 +0000

We’ve written before that we think calling the Huskies’ frontcourt a “weakness” is an overstatement. But it’s hard to argue that, since our guard play is likely to be our biggest strength, there are some questions about the ability of our frontcourt to score, rebound and defend as well as we have in years past.

We’re still more than a month away, but we’ll start previewing different elements of the upcoming season in the coming weeks. Our goal is to prepare you to watch both the Huskies and our Pac-10 opponents with as much insight and background as possible.

So, with that in mind, here are five big men new to the conference this season who will do their best to give fits to Quincy Pondexter, Matthew Bryan-Amaning, Darnell Gant, and the rest of the Husky frontcourt:

Alex Stepheson – USC
6’9″, 235, Jr. (transferred from North Carolina)

Stepheson was a role player on UNC’s 2008 Final Four team, averaging 4.3 points and 4.5 rebounds, before sitting out last season as part of the transfer process. The only player in the conference not wearing a Bruins uniform with Final Four experience, Stepheson could step in and immediately be the Trojans’ most productive player after Dwight Lewis.

With Leonard Washington ineligible for the first half of the season, Stepheson should start from day one for the Trojans and projects as a double-double threat. If Stepheson does indeed live up to the high expectations of him coming out of high school (he was Scout.com’s #55 player in the 2006 class, ahead of Wayne Chism, Russell Westbrook, and Luke Harangody), the Trojans can be a little better than many are projecting them to be. Maybe not good, but a little better.

Reeves Nelson – UCLA
6’8″, 225, Fr. (Modesto, CA)

Nelson could eventually be the heir apparent to Jon Brockman as the conference’s best rebounder. He’ll have to prove he can do it at this level, of course, and also prove that a torn meniscus suffered playing football in late 2008 has healed completely. The word on Nelson is that he’s big enough and tough enough to contribute immediately at Westwood.

Even if not this season, Nelson should prove a force to be reckoned with on the boards for the Bruins and develop into a consistent scorer in the post as well.

Kreal (Kyryl) Natyazhko – Arizona
6’9″, 250, Fr. (Ukraine)

It will be a surprise if Natyazhko doesn’t start for the Wildcats right away, since he’ll be the most talented center on the roster almost by default. Effective scoring from the outside and the post, Kreal won’t be expected to produce too much on the offensive end early on. Coach Sean Miller will instead look for his new center for rebounding and shot-blocking, and to improve on defense, thought to be his biggest weakness.

If he can put together a nice freshman year, expect whispers of Natyazhko leaving early for the NBA, possibly after the 2010/11 season, given the fact that he’s already got a nearly NBA-ready body.

Markhuri Sanders-Frison – Cal
6’8″, 265, Jr. (South Plains JC)

With Jordan Wilkes departing, Sanders-Frison likely slots in as the Bear’s man in the middle. This gives Cal the enforcer it mostly lacked last year, when Harper Kamp tried to play that role, but is just too unathletic to be counted on as a starter on a team with championship aspirations.

Sanders-Frison is expected to clog the middle, work on the boards, and even occasionally pop out for a fifteen-footer. Most of his offense, though, will come right around the basket where he’ll get opportunities on put-backs and dishes from Cal’s talented backcourt.

Brock Motum – Washington State
6’9″, 215, Fr. (Australia)

With only two returning players on the roster taller than 6’7″, the 6’9″ Motum will find himself teaming with DeAngelo Casto in the frontcourt early in his tenure at Wazzu. The most productive player on Australia’s U19 team, Motum projects as more of a finesse big man than departing Aron Baynes.

If Motum can translate his scoring ability (13.6 ppg for the Australian U19 team) to the Pac-10, he could team with Klay Thompson and DeAngelo Casto to give Ken Bone the offensive talent he needs to install a slightly less deliberate style in Pullman.

Hey, thanks for coming!

Reconnaissance Mission: Arizona Freshman Forward, Derrick Williams

Themod — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 15:00:10 +0000

Here’s the first installment of our new feature: Reconnaissance Mission. You can read the intro to the feature here.

This year’s freshman class at Arizona is kind of like the cast of “Bring it On 3” — they (Hayden Panettiere, Solange Knowles) don’t remotely resemble the original (Gabrielle Union, Kirsten Dunst), and maybe they’re not quite as hot, but still, they’re not half bad.

Once he left Xavier and took over for the Lute Olson/Kevin O’Neill combo, Coach Sean Miller put the whole recruiting class together in, like, 11 minutes after several crushing decommitments (including Abdul Gaddy, thank you) left him scrambling. Despite the group being thrown together as quickly as the Michael Jackson commemorative sparkling glove set, all five recruits were ranked in the top 25 at their position, and suddenly the ‘Cats look like a team that will be able to scratch their way up the Pac-10 standings within a couple of years.

Derrick Williams is one of the members of Miller’s Easy-Bake Oven recruiting class, having decommitted from the only school that went through more flux this off-season than Arizona: USC. I caught up with the 6’8″ forward from La Mirada, California, this week and we discussed his change of heart and a lot more.

Montlake Madness: So, tell us a little bit about Derrick Williams. Who’s the player your game most resembles?

Derrick Williams: I would say I play like Sam Young from Pitt last year. I can shoot it, dribble, post up — a little bit of everything.

MM: So, Arizona brings in one of the youngest teams in the Pac-10, but every freshman is ranked pretty high for their position. What do you think would qualify as a “good season” for the Wildcats this year?

DW: Yeah, we are real young this year, but I think that making the tournament for the 26th year in a row would be great for this year’s team.

MM: What made you choose Arizona?

DW: The opportunity to play as a freshman, and just the class that we brought in this year. I know in the next couple years we will be doing damage.

MM: Tell me about Coach Miller. What do you expect he’ll do differently from Coach O’Neill and before him, Coach Olson?

DW: I think he will bring a faster pace offensively, and just more intensity on both defense and offense – a more open style of play.

MM: So, you decommitted from USC. Tell me what led to that decision.

DW: I just didn’t feel comfortable being there anymore. Even though it was my dream school to go to since i was little, the situation just didn’t feel right.

MM: Was it Coach Floyd leaving that clinched it? Or the suspicion of potential recruiting violations at USC?

DW: I would say a little of everything. The potential violations was what capped it off.

MM: So, are you on campus now, or still at home?

DW: Yeah, I’m at campus now. We started school already.

MM: Have you been working out with teammates? As a Husky fan, Nic Wise scares me. He can really fill it up.

DW: Yeah, we’ve been working out. Nic, yeah he is real good. Seeing him on TV, and then in real life, is a lot different. He is way faster in real life.

MM: Which guy has impressed you the most in practice?

DW: i would have to say (Wildcat shooting guard) Kyle Fogg.

MM: How so?

DW: I saw him play in high school, and seeing him now, he got a lot better. Overall, he just improved a lot.

MM: What’s something a fan wouldn’t know about life as a highly sought-after recruit? I mean, that can’t be the same life as an average HS senior.

DW: Yeah, it’s real hard just finding out who is telling the truth. Because, really you’re constantly getting lied to and just have to find out who is trustworthy.

MM: Can you give me an example of being lied to? You can leave out names if you prefer.

DW: Just like promising you starting positions. Just stuff that you shouldn’t guarantee players.

MM: Is that fairly common, coaches guaranteeing starting spots to recruits?

DW: Yeah, well most of them.

MM: That’s crazy. Not cool to do that. Last question for you: I’m not sure how well you know the team, but give me a short scouting report on the Washington Huskies from your perspective.

DW: Umm… Really talented and really good 3′s and 4′s along with a couple of good point guards.

MM: Anything else you want to say?

DW: That the Wildcats are taking the Pac-10 title.

MM: Alright. Best of luck with that…

And, hey, thanks for coming!