We’re ten weeks in, but we’ve still got plenty of surprises, as this week’s winners in all three categories take down their first recognition of the year in this space.
Team of the Week
Oregon – The Ducks went into Arizona this weekend and became the first Pac-12 team to sweep a road trip this season, and in so doing, vaulted themselves right near the top of the conversation in the conference with Stanford and California. It was just the second time in the 33-year history of the Ducks’ visiting the two Arizona schools that they came away from the weekend with two wins, and they did so as the result of true team basketball. No player scored more than 15 points in a game for the Ducks, but four players scored in double figures in each game. The team handed out 32 assists on their 49 field goals over the weekend and were defensively solid, holding their opponents to a combined 0.97 points per possession. While it has been a rocky season in Eugene for Dana Altman and company, they appear to be solidifying into a solid unit right now, and looking back on their record, there are no bad losses here. It’s not inconceivable that if the Ducks can get to 12 wins in the conference (that would put them at 21-9 prior to the conference tourney), they could be in the discussion for an at-large bid.
Player of the Week
Josh Huestis, Soph, Stanford – Terrence Ross went for 30 often spectacular points on Sunday night. Harper Kamp and Justin Cobbs carried California to a couple of wins this week. And Devoe Joseph helped our Team of the Week earn a historic road sweep. But we like to pull for the underdogs here, so we’re recognizing Huestis, who set a career-high of 13 points on Thursday night against Utah, making all six of his field goal attempts and scoring all of his points in the second half. He added 10 rebounds for good measure as the Cardinal withstood an upset-minded Ute squad. Out to prove that performance wasn’t a fluke, he followed it up with another 13-point performance in the win over Colorado on Saturday, this time adding four blocks. The full line for the week? Twenty-six points, on 11-of-15 shooting, three three-pointers (on four attempts), 14 rebounds, five blocks and a couple of assists – not bad for 43 minutes of work.
Newcomer of the Week
Devoe Joseph, Sr, Oregon – Somehow, we haven’t given Joseph this award yet this season. So, with apologies to Cobbs and Chasson Randle, we’ll rectify that situation this week. We’ve already mentioned the great things that Joseph’s team accomplished this weekend, but the man himself had a lot to do with their success. He averaged 14 highly efficient points (11-of-21 from the field and four threes), handed out seven assists, swiped six steals and grabbed five rebounds while playing all but three minutes of the trip to Arizona. Since becoming eligible for the Ducks in early December, the Minnesota transfer has been a ridiculously consistent piece for Oregon, averaging nearly 15 points a game while meshing perfectly with the rest of his new teammates.