Pac-10 Conference 2004 Off-Season News Recap
by Scott Allen
Arizona State
Junior Ike Diogu, the Pac-10’s leading scorer last season, has been named a Top 50 Wooden Award candidate. The Garland, Texas native could be in the running for the award given to the “Most Outstanding Collegiate Basketball Player of the Year” after the list is whittled down to 30, then 10 and finally one on April 9, 2005. Diogu averaged 22.9 points per game last season and has scored in double digits in all 59 games of his college career. The two-time Honorable Mention All-America was also named to Playboy’s 10-man Preseason All-American team for the second consecutive year.
Arizona State hired former first-round NBA draft choice Brooks Thompson as an assistant coach. Thompson guided Yavapai College to a 55-14 record over the past two seasons, earning the former Oklahoma State star and NBA journeyman back-to-back NJCAA Region 1 Coach of the Year honors. Sun Devils head coach Rob Evans also promoted Tony Benford to Associate Head Coach.
Arizona
The Wildcats learned they might have to wait a little longer than expected for the arrival of Nigerian signee Charles Okwandu. The 7-foot-2 center was still taking high school classes in Lagos and was not expected to meet the Arizona August 23rd enrollment date for the start of classes. Wildcat officials are not worried about Okwandu’s academics, just the timing, as Nigerian school years run into the fall, delaying Okwandu’s expected arrival in Tucson. Once high school is completed, then Okwandu can be enrolled at Arizona. However, Okwandu must then go through the NCAA clearinghouse, and get a student visa from the U.S. State Department, plus obtain the exit visa from Nigeria. The best-case scenario is that Okwandu can start playing in time for the Winter semester in late December, but he may have to redshirt the season. Sophomore Kirk Walters might also redshirt the season.
Channing Frye was has been named a Top 50 Wooden Award candidate.
California
Reigning Pac-10 Freshman of the Year Leon Powe was named a Top 50 Wooden Award candidate. Powe averaged 15.1 points per game last season and his 9.5 rebounds per game led the conference. It will be awhile before Powe can back up his inclusion on the list on the court, as he underwent reconstructive knee surgery on September 8. Powe had an initial bone graft performed on April 21 and waited for the graft to heal before undergoing his most recent surgery.
Cal graduate George Nessman was named an assistant coach on Ben Braun’s staff after spending the past two season’s as head coach at Bakersfield College. Prior to his stint in Bakersfield, Nessman coached at Porterville College, where he was named California Community College Coach of the Year in 2000.
Los Angeles native Omar Wilkes transferred to Cal after playing last season at Kansas. Under NCAA rules, Wilkes will sit out the 2004-05 season but will have three years of eligibility remaining when he can begin suiting up in the 2005-06 season. Wilkes averaged 1.4 points and .9 rebounds per game last season and averaged only 3.5 minutes off the bench.
Former Cal standout Amit Tamir, who averaged 12.6 points and 5.3 rebounds per game as a senior last season, signed a two-year contract to play with PAOK Thessaliniki in Greece. Undrafted, Tamir played in three games for the Orlando Magic summer league team.
Oregon
The Ducks signed 6-foot-6 shooting guard Malik Hairston, a McDonald’s High School All American. Hairston was also considering Kansas or jumping straight to the NBA after averaging 22 points per game as a senior at Renaissance High School in Detroit. Hairston is the prized jewel of head coach Ernie Kent’s sparkling incoming class that includes Marty Leunen, Chamberlain Oguchi, Bryce Taylor and JuCo transfer Kenny Love.
Consensus All-American Luke Jackson was taken with the 10th overall pick in the 2004 NBA draft by the Cleveland Cavaliers, becoming the highest drafted Duck since Greg Ballard went No. 4 to Washington in 1977. Jackson, who led the team in points (21.6), rebounding (7.3) and assists (4.5) last season, signed a three-year deal worth $6.37 million.
Former Louisville standout and first-round NBA draft choice Kenny Payne was named an assistant coach.
Oregon State
Aleksandar “Sas?” Cuic (chew-itch), a 6-foot-10 forward out of Rijeka, Croatia, is the newest member of the Beavers basketball team. Cuic averaged 14 points and 6.4 rebounds in 35 games for Rotterdam of the Eredivisie League during the 2003-2004 season. A scholarship opened up after senior forward Jim Hanchett joined the football team this fall. Hanchett will be considered a walkon when he rejoins the basketball team.
Stanford
Stanford’s interesting offseason began when Mike Montgomery announced his resignation as the men’s basketball head coach at Stanford after 18 seasons to become the new head coach of the NBA’s Golden State Warriors. Montgomery is the winningest coach in Stanford history and his success with the Cardinal included 16 postseason appearances (12 NCAA, 4 NIT), four regular season Pac-10 titles, a 2004 Pac-10 Tournament crown and a record of 393-167 (.702).
Enter Trent Johnson. The 47-year-old Johnson, a Stanford assistant coach for three seasons from 1996-99, and head coach at Nevada for the past five campaigns (1999-2004), was named the 16th men’s basketball head coach in Stanford history.
Josh Childress was picked sixth overall by the Atlanta Hawks in the 2004 NBA draft and signed a three-year deal worth about $6.7 million.
Chris Hernandez was named a Top 50 Wooden Award candidate. Hernandez, a finalist for the Bob Cousy Award, averaged 10 points per game while leading the Pac-10 in free throw percentage (.914) and three-point field goal percentage (.460) last season.
The renovation of storied Maples Pavilion that began at the conclusion of last season is moving ahead of schedule and will host its first game when the Pepperdine women’s team comes to Stanford on Dec. 10. The renovations include a four-sided scoreboard hung over center court, a 360-degree concourse and new seats.
UCLA
Junior center Ryan Hollins underwent arthroscopic right knee surgery in July to remove loose cartilage and anticipated a full recovery by the time practice begins on October 16. Hollins has started at center for the Bruins for the last two seasons.
Senior guard Ryan Walcott is transferring to Grand Canyon University in Phoenix. Walcott averaged 3.5 points and 1.8 assists per game in 80 career games with the Bruins. The 6-foot-1 guard and Phoenix native is eligible to play for the D-II Antelopes this season but said he will be a part-time student this year and play as a senior during the 2005-06 season. Walcott indicated that being close to home was the reason for his decision to transfer.
USC
Dwayne Shackleford, a JuCo All-American first teamer from Washington D.C., signed a letter of intent to play for USC. The 5-foot-10, 185-pound guard averaged 21.4 points for Allegany College in Cumberland, Md., as a sophomore in 2004, earning NJCAA Division I All-American and All-Maryland JUCO first team honors.
Highly touted recruit Nick Young, a 6-foot-6, 195-pound swingman, is headed to USC. Young averaged 27.2 points and 10.8 rebounds as a 2004 senior at Cleveland High in Reseda, Calif., earning 2004 CIF L.A. City Section, Los Angeles Times All-City and San Fernando Valley first team honors.
Washington
University of Washington junior Nate Robinson was named a Top 50 Wooden Award candidate.
Junior Anthony Washington is leaving the Washington men’s basketball team and will transfer to another school the team announced in September. The 6-foot-9, 245-pound center played 27 games last season, averaging 10 minutes per contest. He averaged 3.3 points and 2.1 rebounds.
Washington State
Tony Bennett was promoted to Associate Head Coach.
