Our picks for All-WAC honors

In the spirit of transparency, here are the All-WAC selections PTW submitted to Jason Erickson, the WAC Director of Media Relations:

Player of the Year: Adrian Oliver

With a pro career beckoning, it's all on the line now. The NBA scouts will be duly examining his defensive play and ballhandling proficiencies so it won't be just prolific scoring he'll need to display. The bird dogs also want to witness greater overall offensive efficiency. There is no one else with his scoring potential, especially because the ball starts in his hands.

Newcomer of the Year: Brockeith Pane

It could be anyone of three or four newbies but Pane, although moving into the toughest position to master, will be running alongside four seniors. He won't need to score -- at least not all that much -- but limiting turnovers and getting the ball to his teammates when and where they can do the most damage are jobs one and two. Reports also indicate Pane will be a defensive upgrade over the previous occupants at the point for Stew Morrill.

All-WAC Team (4 more players in addition to Player of the Year):

* Olu Ashaolu

Ashaolu is The Man this season in Ruston and will average a double-double. He will enjoy greater opportunity than Wendell McKines, who will have a number of Las Cruces teammates shooting as much if not more than him. But Ashaolu needs better ball skills and much greater accuracy from the foul line. The latter is critical because opponents won't mind putting a 53% free throw shooter on the line, especially late in games.

* Troy Gillenwater

In deciding between Lord Gillenwater and teammate McKines, PTW went with G-man's better scoring ability as he can pop from treyland and inside the paint and is a more difrficult opponent to defend. There's simply more potential here plus it may very well be the junior's last go-around in an Aggie uniform and he needs to offer a very solid season in order to attract pro attention.

* Greg Smith

Count on a double-double from him too since he will take the most shots on the Bulldogs. Like Ashaolu, Smith needs to upgrade his foul line percentage. What gives us pause here, if anything,  is the question of whether Steve Cleveland has enough shooters to keep the double teams of Smith to a minimum.

* Tai Wesley

The backbone of the northern  Aggies, Wesley is a bull offensively and defensively, the best passing frontcourter in the conference and the most critical player to Utah State's basketball hopes. He'll more than likely score the least of his fellow All-WAC-ers but he'll top all of them in assists, in some cases tripling the number of a few of those honorees.


Sometimes naming five players to an all-conference team is an exercise in splitting hairs. That and attempting to catch a glimpse of the future while wearing sunglasses on a dark and stormy night with the power out.

This absolutely applies to the WAC in 2010-2001 because, even with the new math and all the creativity we could muster, six or seven just doesn't go into five. It will obviously be for readers to decide which picks, or lack thereof, are the products of stinking thinking.


This wasn't required but we also ventured into choosing a second team:

WAC Second Team

* Wendell McKines 

He will certainly have his moments and definitely games but will also face more focus defensively now that Jahmar Young and Jonathan Gibson have departed.

* Daequon Montreal 

The newcomer shot well and was a beast on the offensive boards last season. With 10 more minutes of playing time a game, look for him to produce excellent numbers.

* Malik Story

Someone is going to have to take the shots and produce the points in the wake of the departures of Luke Babbitt, Armon Johnson and Brandon Fields and Story is the likeliest candidate to be the leading scorer for the Wolf Pack. But he will need to demonstrate he won't have to be a volume shooter in order to total his points.

* Justin Graham 

Finally healthy after a year and a half of wrist woes, his outside-shooting eye should return and he's always been proficient on his dribble-drives into the paint.

* Robert Arnold

Coach Leon Rice needs point producers in his initial season and Arnold is the most likeliest candidate to be Boise's top scorer. But he does need to shoot a better percentage both overall and from three-point land.


Okay, so where are Bill Amis, Hamidu Rahman and certainly a few others? Definitely in contention.

PTW will now put into place its Star Wars shield for protection against incoming ordnance.