Departures from the PAC-10
STANFORD, Apr. 18 - To be expected has become reality with the superstars of the PAC-10 departing for the NBA draft. Aside from Stanford’s Brook and Robin Lopez, UCLA, USC, and Arizona will all lose underclassmen. Such a mass departure by the conference’s best will drastically shake up the landscape for next year. However, when the dust settles Stanford will have the advantage.
UCLA
Kevin Love - This really wasn’t a surprise. He is the quintessential UCLA big man. He hustles, get his points and makes everyone around him better. There were times during the season when a his lack of maturity showed but he is definitely ready to take the next step.
Darren Collison and Russell Westbrook - These two were a little more surprising. It makes sense though. If you are on the fence about going pro and then the team’s foundation leaves why not leave as well. Collison and Westbrook made a living off of opponents double-teaming Love. They are excellent ball handlers, can hit the big shots but both could have used another year considering some lackluster performances in the NCAA Tournament.
UCLA’s head coach Ben Howland will have his hands full this offseason as he tries to find 44.7 points a game from somewhere else (Love 17.5, Collison 14.5, and Westbrook 12.7). Making up those kind of numbers will not be an easy task but Howland has established himself as an excellent recruiter. They should not win the PAC-10 but they will definitely contend.
USC
O.J. Mayo - The best O.J. to come out of USC in a long time. This move was absolutely expected. Since Mayo walked onto campus everyone knew it was only a one year gig. He averaged over 20 points a game and was often times the sole reason USC basketball games received national television exposure.
Arizona
Jerryd Bayless - He averaged close to 20 points a game while shooting over 40% from beyond the arc. He was instrumental in Arizona’s successes this season and had the ability to take over games. He lit up the Cardinal a couple of times in losing efforts. It will be great to see him go.
Chase Budinger - Chase who? Exactly. Well, he averaged 17 points per game and did pretty well this season considering Arizona’s lack of offensive weapons. However, he did leave options open by not signing with an agent so technically he can still return to school.
So, now that the best of the PAC-10 have followed, the loss of Brook and Robin does seem quite so bad. Next up, we’ll be looking at the arrivals. Will UCLA get another K. Love? Can USC land another blue chip? Tune in and find out!
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