WSU Track and Field Star Jeshua Anderson Feature

Washington State University track and field star Jeshua Anderson talks about his past, present and future.

Students Reflect on Pac-12 Restructure

Five Pac-12 Schools Finish in the Top 25

With the conclusion of National Signing Day, the Pac 12 had some of the best recruiting classes in the nation and landed some key recruits.  Five teams finished in the top 25 among all colleges in the nation according to ESPN, including: #4 USC, #14 Oregon, #18 Cal, #21 Stanford and #24 University of Washington. 

Here is a look at the five teams and some of the recruits for each team to expect to make an impact.

USC finished with 10 signees from the ESPN150

National runner-up and Pac – 10 champion Oregon finished with 5 signees from the ESPNU150

Cal finished with 5 signees from the ESPNU150

 Stanford finished with 2 signees form the ESPNU150

University of Washington also finished with 2 signees from the ESPNU150

Key Recruits:

USC :   

George Farmer - WR - #3 overall  

Oregon:          

De'Anthony Thomas - ATH - # 5 overall

Devon Blackmon – ATH

Tacoi Sumler - WR

Cal:

            Todd Barr – DT

            Avery Walls – S

            Maurice Harris – WR

Stanford:

            James Vaughters – ILB

            Wayne Lyons – S

            Jordan Richards – ATH

UW:

            Kasen Williams – WR

            Austin Seferian-Jenkins - OT

For a complete List of the ESPN recruiting rankings for the class of 2011, visit: http://espn.go.com/college-football/recruiting/

Game of the Week- Thursday

It is a big weekend in Tucson, Ariz. with the top of the Pac-10 conference standings at stake. The weekend starts Thursday as the Pac-10’s fourth ranked team, Washington State, takes on first place Arizona at the McKale Center.

For Washington State, the game provides a big opportunity to boost their résumé in hopes of an at-large bid in the NCAA Tournament. A win over the 12^th ranked Wildcats on the road would give the Cougars a signature victory come Selection Sunday. The Cougars will likely rely heavily on their stars Klay Thompson and DeAngelo Casto in this game. Thompson has found himself in a bit of a scoring slump in recent weeks, but the sharpshooting guard has the potential to score in bunches in given game. Inside, Casto has been perhaps WSU’s best player in the past few games. A seemingly renewed offensive star, Casto gives the Cougars the ability to work the ball inside and take some pressure off of guards Thompson, Reggie Moore, and Faisal Aden.

Arizona will hope to continue a winning streak that has stretched since the last time these two teams met in January. The Wildcats put their six-game winning streak on the line behind superstar forward Derrick Williams. At 19.2 points and 8.0 rebounds per game, Williams is one of the most dominant post players in the country. However, he has had plenty of help from his teammates. Kyle Fogg broke out of a slump in a big way Sunday against Arizona State, scoring 26 points, including 6-9 on thee pointers. Lamont “MoMo” Jones also helps pick up the scoring load, averaging 9.4 points per game.

WHAT TO WATCH FOR

Arizona got the best of Washington State by just two points in their first matchup in Pullman. A last-second shot to tie from the elbow by Thompson bounced right off the rim, and Aden could not get a put back attempt up in time as the Wildcats snuck out of the Palouse with an important win in hand. Will the roles be reversed this time? Or will the Wildcats once again prove to be the superior team? The Cougars did a decent job slowing down Williams in the scoring department last game- he scored just 17 points, several late in the game- but they got abused by him on the offensive and defensive boards- Williams pulled down an incredible 19 rebounds. Similarly, Arizona held Thompson to just nine points on 4-16 shooting. Thompson did come fairly close to a triple-double however, also pulling in eight rebounds and dishing off seven assists.

KEY PLAYERS

For the sake of not stating the obvious, we will leave Thompson and Williams out of the key player section.

Faisal Aden- The one-time hot shooting guard for the Cougars has fallen on tough times recently. Aden is shooting a combined 10-39 from the field in the past four games. If the Somalia-native can rediscover his stroke, it could go a long ways towards helping the Cougars grasp a signature victory.

Josh Fogg- Speaking of rediscovering one’s stroke, Fogg certainly did that against Arizona State. Now the Wildcats hope he can keep it going. When Fogg and Jones are knocking down threes, it gives Arizona a dynamic inside-outside game that is tough for even the best defensive teams to guard. 

Cal will not reinstate baseball program

The University of California- Berkeley’s decision Friday not to reinstate their baseball program marks a sad day for the entire Pac-10 Conference.

Although it had been announced in September the program would be cut, the university gave supporters the opportunity to raise the money necessary to keep and sustain the program. However, Chancellor Robert Birgeneau announced he only partially reversed the initial decision, with men’s rugby and women’s gymnastics and lacrosse being the only sports that would be reinstated.

The decision comes as sad news for a storied Cal baseball program that won College World Series titles in 1947 and 1957 and is currently ranked 17^th in the Baseball America preseason poll.

The Golden Bears open their final season next week against Utah at Evans Field. The school will honor all scholarships for the lame duck sports, but players transferring after the season will not have to sit out a season like normal NCAA transfer cases. 

Game of the Week- Saturday

Coming off blowout defeats at the hands of Washington and Stanford, respectively, Cal and Washington State may seem like a surprise choice for “Game of the Week.” However, it is because of those losses- and the desperation each team now faces- that makes this such a big game for both teams.

Cal heads to the Palouse losers of their past two games. A heartbreaking loss in triple overtime to Arizona put a damper on their previous four game winning streak. And then Thursday in Seattle Cal simply laid an egg, allowing Washington to jump out to a massive early lead. That said, Cal has been a surprise team in the Pac-10 this year. Legendary head coach Mike Montgomery has once again worked his magic with a youthful set of talented players. Yet, it is the veterans who are providing a calming presence for Cal. Juniors Harper Kamp and Jorge Gutierrez lead the charge for the Golden Bears offensively, averaging 14.8 and 13.6 points per game, respectively.

Washington State will look to bounce back from a debilitating loss to Stanford. The Cougars once again came out flat in the energy department, allowing the Cardinal to jump out to an 8-0 lead and eventually reached 19 points before the first half ended. But the Cougars did fight back to pull within just one point in the second half before a late game slump allowed Stanford to pull away. If the Cougars want to keep their at-large bids for the NCAA Tournament alive, they’ll need to start winning games in a hurry, starting with Cal.

WHAT TO WATCH FOR

One factor to watch in this game is the health of freshman guard Allen Crabbe. Crabbe reportedly sustained a mild concussion in the Bears’ game against Washington and his status for Saturday is not yet known. If Crabbe is unable to go it would be a huge boon for a Washington State squad that witnessed him drop 30 points on them in their last meeting. Furthermore, should Crabbe not be able to go, the Bears will need someone else to step up. The two most likely options for that are freshmen Richard Solomon and Emerson Murray. However, neither players has provided much offense for Cal yet this season.

KEY PLAYERS

Klay Thompson- The Cougars are at their best when Thompson and fellow junior Faisal Aden are knocking down shots. The two explosive offensive options are a deadly combination when on, but the Cougars have struggled when both are not. Strong shooting performances by at least one of the two would greatly aid the Cougars chances at beating Cal.

Harper Kamp- Kamp provides a strong offensive presence for the Bears against an undersized Cougars' frontline. If Washington State is forced to double Kamp, it could leave Markhuri Sanders-Frison open for easy dunks. 

Game of the Week- Thursday

Raise your hand if at the beginning of conference play you had Oregon at UCLA as a second-half “Game of the Week.” Well, that is exactly the case as the red hot Ducks travel to Pauley Pavilion to take on the second place Bruins.

After a somewhat shocking sweep of the Washington schools last weekend, the Ducks are flying high coming into the contest. And perhaps nobody in the conference is playing as well as Oregon’s senior forward Joevan Catron. En route to being named Pac-10 player of the week, Catron dropped a combined 37 points and grabbed 18 rebounds against his northern neighbors. He was not alone, however, as Jay-R Strowbridge chipped in 27 points and E.J. Singler added 26. The Ducks recent offensive prowess and defensive intensity have catapulted them past .500 on the season and just a game under .500 in the conference.

Conversely, UCLA has been rather steady throughout conference play. Winners of seven of their past eight games, the Bruins appear to be regaining their rightful place at the top of the Pac-10 standings. UCLA is coming off an impressive seven-point nonconference victory over former Bruins head coach Steve Lavin’s St. John’s squad. That win helps lend some credibility to the Bruins’ NCAA Tournament résumé. The powder blue and gold will try to keep the momentum rolling behind the massive body of freshman Joshua Smith who scored 34 points last week.

WHAT TO WATCH FOR

Despite Oregon’s new-found success, the Ducks still face an uphill challenge in this game on the road against a very good UCLA team. However, the Ducks found tremendous success in the transition game against both the Cougars and Huskies. If they can continue to exploit turnovers and missed baskets and turn them into easy points, this game could begin to turn in the Ducks’ favor. Where UCLA could really make life difficult on the Ducks is on the low post. Smith, Reeves Nelson and Brendan Lane all have a significant size advantage on the undersized Ducks. Because of that, if they Bruins pound the ball inside repetitively, it could make pose quite the challenge for Catron and the Ducks.

KEY PLAYERS

Malcolm Lee- Lee had himself a solid past weekend, scoring 28 points. Not known as an outstanding offensive threat, Lee has quietly put up a strong 13 point per game average, while being a top-notch defender.

Joshua Smith- As mentioned above, Smith presents a very difficult challenge for Oregon. His combination of size and skill gives the Bruins a distinct advantage inside.

Jay-R Strowbridge- Strowbridge has scored in double figures in four of the past five games, clearly becoming an increasing offensive force for the Ducks. His ability to provide points off the bench could go a long way in determining how successful Oregon is again this weekend. 

Game of the Week- Saturday

The Pac-10 leading Arizona Wildcats square off against the upstart California Golden Bears in the “Game of the Week” for Saturday. UA is no stranger to this portion of RePACkaged, but for Cal this marks just its second appearance in a “Game of the Week.” And for good reason. Head coach Mike Montgomery has his young and talented Bears squad on a roll, winners of four straight games. On the other side, Arizona also comes into the game on a four game winning streak, so something has got to give in this game.

For Arizona the story is the same. Sophomore forward phenom Derrick Williams continues to light up Pac-10 opponents in his quest for conference player of the year. He certainly bolstered that candidacy again on Thursday, scoring 21 points and pulling in eight rebounds. However, Arizona seems to have found a bit of an alternate scoring threat with defending Pac-10 Player of the Week Lamont “MoMo” Jones. The increased offensive production by Jones has been a big boon for an offense that at times earlier in the season appeared occasionally one-dimensional.

Cal, on the other hand, continues its rather surprising assent to the top of the conference standings. With Washington’s loss Thursday at Oregon State, the Golden Bears now sit just a game behind the Huskies for third place in the Pac-10. Part of the reason for Cal’s turnaround from a lackluster nonconference performance is the Bears’ ability to share the scoring load. Cal has had four or more players in double figures five straight games, with junior Jorge Gutierrez leading the way Thursday against Arizona State with 18 points, seven rebounds and six assists.

WHAT TO WATCH FOR

While Cal does not seem to do any one thing particularly spectacularly, it does all the little things well. Share the ball, box out, rebound, make smart decisions: all trademarks of a Montgomery-coached team.

Similarly, Arizona rarely beats itself. A high scoring offense with a solid defense makes the Wildcats a formidable challenge for Cal. That means this game may come down to fouls. The ability of either team to draw fouls, get the other team in foul trouble and knock down its free throws could be the difference in the game. Both teams do an excellent job getting to the line- Cal has shot 570 free throws on the year, while Arizona has shot 569- so it is important for both teams to provide good help on defense to try and stop penetration and draw charges.

KEY PLAYERS

Jorge Gutierrez- Gutierrez provides a double-challenge for Arizona. His increased scoring prowess has transformed him into a legitimate scoring threat on any possession. Yet defense is where Gutierrez most excels. Known as one of the best defenders in the Pac-10, Gutierrez must be able to slow down MoMo Jones. He also draws the most free throws on the team.

Derrick Williams- Williams’ presence on the “Key Players” list should be expected in every game featuring Arizona because of his ability to dominate a game. But more specifically, where Williams could really change this game is at the free throw stripe. He shoots an astounding 38.7 percent of Arizona’s free throws. If Williams can get Cal’s starting bigs- Harper Kamp and Markhuri Sanders-Frison- in foul trouble, it could be a long day for the Bears, who lack adequate frontcourt talent off the bench. 

Game of the Week- Thursday

Following their upset win over nationally ranked Washington, the Washington State Cougars earn a spot in our Thursday “Game of the Week” segment in their matchup against the University of Oregon.

The game features the fourth and eighth place teams in the conference, but do not let those rankings shape your perception of the game. Both teams have undergone a bit of a resurgence after a sluggish start to league play. The Ducks have won three of their past five games, while the Cougars have won five of their past seven.

The Thursday matchup also marks WSU’s first trip into the brand new Matthew Knight Arena. The world-class facility with a funky, forest-like painted court marks the latest obstacle for a Cougar team that seemed to face its fair share of them last year against the Ducks. An almost unheard of technical foul call helped Oregon slip past Washington State in Pullman and a deep tip-in by E.J. Singler sent WSU home from the Pac-10 Tournament in sole possession of last place in the conference.

However, the Cougars were able to exorcise those demons last month in Beasley Coliseum in Pullman. A fast start helped Oregon jump out to an early lead, but WSU quickly closed the gap and fairly easily handled the injury-depleted underdog.

Oregon hopes its recent health will lead to a better outcome this time around. Leading scorer Joevan Catron (15.7 points per game), who left the game after only 12 minutes in the first game, returns to bolster the Oregon frontcourt. In the backcourt, junior Malcolm Armstead, who missed the entire first game against WSU, gives the Ducks an experienced and calming presence handling the ball.

For its part, Washington State counters with arguably the conference’s top backcourt. Junior wing Klay Thompson, coming off a 25-point performance against rival Washington, is the Pac-10’s leading scorer, but he also contributes 5.3 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game. Thompson has plenty of help from his backcourt brethren though. Junior Faisal Aden seemed to rediscover his shooting stroke against UW (15 points), while sophomore point guard Reggie Moore at times dominated the game en route to 18 points and five assists.

WHAT TO WATCH FOR

If this game is to end with a different outcome than the first matchup between these two teams this season it will likely be due to Oregon’s increased focus on trapping. Taking a page out of rival Oregon State’s book, the Ducks now trap much, if not most of the game, forcing turnovers that lead to transition baskets. However, with the experience and talent in Washington State’s backcourt, a slow or sloppy press will likely turn into easy points in transition for the Cougars. But, if Oregon comes out with an inspired defensive effort and frustrates Washington State into turnovers, the Cougars may leave Matt Court wondering what went wrong.

KEY PLAYERS

Joevan Catron- The 6-foot-6, 245 pound senior forward presents a difficult challenge for an undersized Cougar frontcourt. While Catron is likely to get his points, his ability to get offensive boards and give the Ducks second chance opportunities could demoralize WSU.

DeAngelo Casto- Casto faces a tough defensive challenge in trying to slow down Catron. However, Catron does not have an easy task, either. Since the beginning of conference play, Casto has become more of a focal point in Washington State’s offense, with a right-handed hook shot being the main source of his success.

Faisal Aden- After experiencing a multi-game shooting slump, Aden finally broke out in a big way against Washington. Although he shot just 6-17 from the field, he was 3-6 from three-point range and gave the Cougars a boost with Thompson on the bench in foul trouble. 

Pac-10's Ambitious Leader: Larry Scott

The Pac-10’s head honcho, Larry Scott, has big plans for the conference as it expands from ten teams to 12 teams.

One of the commissioner’s main goals is to increase the Pac-10’s exposure and marketing around the country. In an era where not only conferences but some individual teams are competing for their own television networks, the bar for gaining exposure is set high.

The dominant conferences that rake in the most money from television deals and merchandise sold are the SEC and the Big Ten Conference. For example, the SEC signed a $2.25 billion contract with ESPN for broadcast rights for football games from 2009 to 2025 while the Big Ten has its own television network that reaches 40 million households.

Scott is no stranger to increasing the profile of organizations. During his last job as CEO for the Women’s Tennis Association, Scott landed the largest contract in the history of the sport. He also brought about an $88 million contract with Sony Erickson which helped increase the revenue for sponsorships by 250 percent.

Perhaps his biggest achievement to the sport was to increase the prize money for women tennis players so that it is equal to that of men tennis players in all Grand Slam events.

Scott hopes to bring changes like these to the Pac-10.

Increased exposure can already be witnessed with the Pac-10’s men’s basketball television schedule this season. Last year the Pac-10 played two Sunday night games. This year they have seven. The reasoning behind this scheduling change is that Sunday rakes in a significantly higher audience than other week nights.

According to Jeremy Langer, a vice president of Fox Sports Networks, Fox’s Sunday basketball games bring in 28 percent more viewers than non-Sunday games.

A larger audience is key to Scott’s promotional strategies for the Pac-10.

As for football, the additions of Utah and Colorado- the first changes in the Pac-10 in 32 years- might be just what Scott’s conference needs to become rivals with the Big 10 and SEC.

Scott’s ambitions don’t just include increasing attention toward the Pac-10 on a national level but on an international also. There are currently marketing efforts being performed in Asia.

To accomplish this increased exposure Scott told Sports Illustrated, “We have to look at ourselves as content owners and brand stewards and promoters. We've got very valuable assets we're responsible for leveraging for the benefit of the schools, and there is a lot at stake."

He echoed the similar sentiment when I had the opportunity to see him speak in front of WSU donors before the WSU, Oregon football game last November. He also presented a new marketing video that promoted the Pac-10 as “the conference of champions.”

A new logo was also branded for the Pac-10 last summer- further evidence of Scott’s quest to increase exposure.

While all these marketing ploys can be beneficial to the Pac-10 as they compete for recognition against other renowned conferences, the key to increased exposure may just be greater success in sports. 

Compiled By: Andrew Talevich