College Basketball's Major All-Conference Teams Midway Through League Play | News, Scores, Highlights, Stats, and Rumors
David Craig Point guard: Kyle Anderson, UCLA (15.1 PPG, 8.7 RPG, 6.6 APG, 1.7 SPG)
Shooting guard: Nick Johnson, Arizona (16.1 PPG, 3.7 RPG, 2.5 APG, 1.1 SPG)
Small forward: Delon Wright, Utah (16.1 PPG, 7.0 RPG, 5.3 APG, 2.8 SPG)
Power forward: Josh Scott, Colorado (14.4 PPG, 9.1 RPG, 1.2 BPG)
Center: Jordan Bachynski, Arizona State (11.4 PPG, 8.9 RPG, 4.1 BPG)
Sixth man: Roberto Nelson, Oregon State (21.8 PPG, 3.6 APG, 3.4 RPG)
Coach: Craig Robinson, Oregon State
Also considered: Joseph Young (Oregon), Jahii Carson (Arizona State), Dwight Powell (Stanford)
UCLA's point forward affectionately nicknamed "Slow Mo" already has one triple-double this season and is incessantly flirting with another one. Against Duke, Anderson had 15 points, 10 rebounds, seven assists and five steals. Against Arizona, he went for 16 points, 11 rebounds, six assists and three steals. It doesn't matter who he's playing against; Anderson is one of the best in the game.
Then there's Johnson, who won't statistically blow you out of the water, but always seems to come through in the clutch—aside from that 1-of-14 effort against California on Saturday. Much of his increasing allure over the past several weeks has been due the perception of him being the best player on the best team in the country. Frankly, it was tempting to put Young on the roster in place of Johnson, but it certainly wouldn't have been right to keep Arizona from having anyone on the team.
Wright's overall numbers are right up there with the best in the country. He probably doesn't get a fair shake from most, due to Utah's atrocious nonconference schedule. But like Anderson, Wright has thrived against enemies big and small. Heck, he has been even better in Pac-12 play, averaging 17.8 points, 6.6 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 3.1 steals per game in nine contests against conference opponents.
Colorado's season has gone into the toilet since losing Spencer Dinwiddie, but it's certainly not due to lack of effort from Scott. In the Buffaloes' last five games, he averaged 17.0 points, 8.8 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per game, including a double-double on the road against the best frontcourt in the country in Arizona.
Bachynski never developed into the offensive force we kept hoping he would become, but he is leading the nation in blocks per game while checking in at third place in the Pac-12 in rebounds per game. When he does decide to shoot, it's usually a good thing. Bachynski has consistently been a 58 percent shooter over the past three seasons.
Who could have guessed three months ago that Oregon State would have a player and coach on the Pac-12's all-conference team in early February?
Nelson is leading the conference in scoring, and scored 21 or more points in seven of his nine conference games. He has excelled since day one of the 2013-14 season, scoring 91 points in Oregon State's first three games.
Thanks in large part to Nelson's production, the Beavers are actually relevant in the Pac-12 standings for the first time in a long time. Oregon State has not finished above .500 in conference play since the 1989-90 season, which is not-so-coincidentally the last time it made the NCAA tournament.
Until now, Robinson's primary claim to fame has been having Michelle Obama as a sibling, but with four wins in the last five games, he might finally become known for his coaching prowess, too. If he can get the Beavers to a 10-8 or better record against their remaining schedule (most notably including two vs. Arizona, two vs. Arizona State, at UCLA and at Oregon), it would be most impressive.
Honorable mention to Arizona's Sean Miller for a 21-0 start to the season, but how the Wildcats fare in life without Brandon Ashley will be the deciding factor in the narrative of his season as a coach.