Rush The Court

The NBA tips off its regular season tonight, which for most college basketball fans means little more than just another sign that the college hoops season is imminent. But it is always nice to keep an eye on former college players that we grew to know and love way back when. With that in mind, we’ll take a quick spin around the Pac-12 today and briefly touch on what can be expected of each of their 62 former players currently on NBA rosters, as well as a handful who you won’t find. We’ll group these guys by their former schools, starting with UCLA — which has 15 alums playing in the league — down to the five teams in the conference with just two pros. One big question going forward: When will Arizona catch UCLA on this list. The Wildcats seem to be in the habit of transitioning several players on their roster right into the NBA, but with veterans like Jason Terry and Richard Jefferson playing on their last legs, it looks like UCLA can hold them off for a few more years considering that the Bruins have their own future NBA prospects to be excited about.

UCLA (15)

• Jordan Adams (Memphis) – After a last-minute decision to leave UCLA, Adams’ decision proved to be a good one as he was taken with the 22nd pick in the NBA Draft. He’s looking up the depth chart at vets like Courtney Lee and Tony Allen, but he’s been impressive enough that he could wind up stealing some minutes early.
• Arron Afflalo (Denver) – Last year, Afflalo knocked in 42.7 percent of his threes on the way to a career-high 18.2 PPG in talent-starved Orlando. This year he won’t score that much, but he has a chance to maybe help the Nuggets compete for a playoff spot.
• Kyle Anderson (San Antonio) – His role will fluctuate over the season on a roster filled with smart veterans, but expect Gregg Popovich to get this most out of this unique talent.
• Trevor Ariza (Houston) – He’s changed teams eight times in his now 11-year career, following the money around the league. But after winning a title with the Lakers, he’s finally back on a team with title aspirations again.
• Matt Barnes (LA Clippers) – Now starting his 12th season in the league, Barnes has made a name for himself as a tough, scrappy trouble-maker, the kind of guy you like if he’s on your team and hate if he’s on your rival.
• Darren Collison (Sacramento) – It seems like he’s been around the NBA for a lot longer than five seasons, and it seems like he’s played on more than just four teams. But, now on his fifth team in six years and fighting with Ramon Sessions for a starting spot: “Oh lord, stuck in Lodi again.”
• Jordan Farmar (LA Clippers) – A career backup, expect to see Farmar’s minutes dwindle even further this year as he sits behind MVP candidate Chris Paul.
• Jrue Holiday (New Orleans) – His first five seasons have been solid (14.3 PPG and 7.9 APG last year was considered a disappointment), but he hasn’t been to the postseason since 2012. Looking up the West standings at all those loaded teams makes it likely that he’ll miss out again. Who ever said New Orleans was in the West anyway?

• Ryan Hollins (Sacramento) – Now starting his ninth NBA season, the seven-footer has made a nice career for himself as a spot-player off the bench.
• Zach LaVine (Minnesota) – The Wolves envision LaVine as a future point guard, but man, he’s got a lot of work to do. The good news is that Minnesota will be patient because the Wolves have no big plans to be competitive this season.
• Kevin Love (Cleveland) – After six years of excellence in obscurity in Minnesota, Love is now on the big stage playing alongside LeBron James with what looks to be a clear path to the NBA Finals. I can’t wait to watch Kevin Love make outlet passes in meaningful games again.
• Luc Richard Mbah a Moute (Philadelphia) – Entering his seventh NBA season, he seems to be on the downside of his career with injuries becoming more and more a part of his story over the last three years.
• Shabazz Muhammad (Minnesota) – Muhammad averaged 7.8 minutes per game in the 37 games in which he appeared last season (eight steals and six assists in a grand total of 289 minutes). The good news is that he’s on a team with little more to accomplish this season than to see if it has any players worth keeping, so Muhammad should see plenty of opportunities.
• Travis Wear (New York) – I looked up and down 30 NBA rosters and no name surprised me more than this one, but good on Travis. He’s 6’10”, can shoot the ball a little bit, and is a good fundamental player. Clearly Phil Jackson and Derek Fisher see something worth investigating here.
• Russell Westbrook (Oklahoma City) – With Kevin Durant on the shelf for a month or two, the Thunder are Westbrook’s team for the time being. If he can stay healthy while carrying the load, his career-high scoring average of 23.6 PPG could be in jeopardy.

Arizona (12)

• Jerryd Bayless (Milwaukee) – There may not be a ton of talent in Milwaukee, but there is enough in the mix in the backcourt that Bayless seems destined to earn fewer than the 21 minutes per night he averaged down the stretch with the Grizzlies last year.
• Chase Budinger (Minnesota) – A solid 20-minute per night kind of guy, Budinger is enduring exile in the great white north. But he’s rumored to be on the trading block, good news for a guy who could really help out a playoff-caliber team.
• Channing Frye (Orlando) – Remember Frye as a big skilled post player for the Wildcats? Well, that’s not his game anymore. Frye took 55 percent of his field goal attempts from three-point land last year with Phoenix. And he made 37 percent of those attempts.
• Aaron Gordon (Orlando) – It remains to be seen what Gordon looks like as a pro, but odds are good we’ll get a chance to find out this season. What else does Orlando have to play for other than finding out what to make of their young lottery picks?
• Jordan Hill (LA Lakers) – Expected to start for the Lakers, and get yelled at a lot by Kobe Bryant.
• Solomon Hill (Indiana) – He played in 28 games for the Pacers as a rookie and was unimpressive. This year, with the three open from Paul George’s injury, Hill has been unable to make any progress and sits behind guys like CJ Miles and Chris Copeland on the depth chart. Sorry to say it, but this seems like a guy on his way out of the league.
• Andre Iguodala (Golden State) – A ten-year veteran who is one of the game’s most versatile players, Golden State’s goal is to keep Iguodala healthy enough to be at his best in the playoffs. He has missed at least 15 games in three of the last four seasons.

• Richard Jefferson (Dallas) – Entering his 14th NBA season, Jefferson’s 2014-15 season will be a lot more like his season two years ago when he averaged 10 minutes and three points per game than last year when he averaged 27 minutes and ten points per game for the Jazz. This could be his last hurrah.
• Grant Jerrett (Oklahoma City) – He’s on the roster, but he’s not on the radar for any minutes. He injured an ankle during summer league and will miss the early part of the year and seems due for more D-League time.
• Nick Johnson (Houston) – After a great junior season in the desert, Johnson finds himself in an interesting NBA spot. Sure, he’s behind James Harden on the depth chart, but he could earn minutes at the point or at the two when Harden shifts to the three.
• Jason Terry (Houston) – Now 37 years old and beginning his 16th NBA season, Terry’s career has been a phenomenal success, including 13 straight seasons with double-figure scoring. Those days are behind him now, but he can be a veteran contributor on a playoff team like these Rockets.
• Derrick Williams (Sacramento) – The former second overall pick in the NBA Draft was given up on by Minnesota and dumped to Sacramento. Now he sits here probably behind guys like Carl Landry and Reggie Evans for minutes as he tries to reinvent his game.

Washington (8)

• Spencer Hawes (LA Clippers) – Coming off a career-year with the Cavaliers and Sixers, Hawes finds himself on a much higher-quality roster this season. His numbers will take a step back, but he could have an impact on the Clippers’ title chances.
• Justin Holiday (Golden State) – He played nine games last season with the Sixers as an energy guy off the bench, and now the Warriors apparently love him enough that he’ll be a rotation guy early this year.
• Quincy Pondexter (Memphis) – Pondexter’s 2013-14 season was cut short by a stress fracture, but he’s in the mix to start at the three for the Grizzlies. With a bump in minutes, this could be the year he breaks the double-figure scoring average.
• Nate Robinson (Denver) – Now starting his 10th year in the league, Robinson has averaged at least double-figure scoring seven times. He may never be a full-time starter again, but he’s instant offense.
• Terrence Ross (Toronto) – Ross has found himself a nice gig in the NBA. He’ll start at the three for the Raptors, shoot half of his attempts from behind the arc on dimes from Kyle Lowry, and occasionally take his man off the dribble on his way to 10 to 12 points per night.
• Isaiah Thomas (Phoenix) – Now part of the league’s most exciting backcourt, Thomas will share the spotlight with Goran Dragic and Eric Bledsoe for the Suns. Who knows if they’ll be able to stop anybody, but they’ll be fun to watch.
• CJ Wilcox (LA Clippers) – After a shoulder injury over the summer kept him from getting a fast start in the league, Wilcox was invisible during the Clippers preseason and looks to be far down the depth chart. D-League time is not out of the question.
• Tony Wroten (Philadelphia) – With Michael Carter-Williams injured, Wroten is going to get plenty of run as the Sixers’ starting point guard early in the season. Sure, he still can’t shoot a lick, but he’s awfully fun to watch.

USC (6)

• Dewayne Dedmon (Orlando) – Dedmon got 31 NBA games under his belt from last season, including six late-season starts with the Magic. He’s still a work-in-progress, but, oh, that athleticism.
• Demar Derozan (Toronto) – He’s been good every year in the NBA, but last year he blew up, averaging 23 points per game and leading the Raptors to their first playoff appearance since Chris Bosh.

• Taj Gibson (Chicago) – Rock-solid veteran big man who does serious work for a living: rebounds, defends, scores efficiently. Everybody would love to have a Taj Gibson.
• OJ Mayo (Milwaukee) – Exiled to the Bucks, Mayo was largely disinterested last year, taking a big step back from his strong season in 2012-13 with Dallas. If he wants to make it back to NBA relevance, this is a big season for him.
• Nikola Vucevic (Orlando) – He’s got to prove he can stay healthy (he missed 25 games due to injury last year), but if he does, he’s proven himself capable of being a double-double machine in the NBA.
• Nick Young (LA Lakers) – Swaggy P. If nothing else, it will be fun to see Kobe’s on-court reactions to his shot selection.

Colorado (4)

• Alec Burks (Utah) – In his third season with the Jazz, Burks made serious strides, taking over the two-guard spot and averaging 14 points per game. On an exciting young team, Burks sort of qualifies as the grizzled veteran.
• Chris Copeland (Indiana) – He never actually played in the Pac-12 (he was at Colorado when the Big 12 had 12 teams), and no one ever expected this guy to have an NBA future. But after a long road at lower levels of basketball, Copeland could find himself due for serious minutes this season.
• Spencer Dinwiddie (Detroit) – The Mayor made his pro debut on Friday night in a preseason game and looks plenty healthy after last season’s ACL tear. Right now, he’s pretty far down the depth chart, and Detroit will be careful with him. But if they’re convinced he’s healthy, they’ll try to figure out what they’ve got here.
• Andre Roberson (Oklahoma City) – With Kevin Durant out for awhile, Roberson could be in for a big opportunity. He didn’t do much in limited action as a rookie, but he is in the mix to start at the two for the Thunder.

Stanford (4)

• Landry Fields (Toronto) – He’s into his fifth NBA season, but it has been all downhill since his 31 minutes and 10 points per game for the Knicks as a rookie. He’s on his way out of the league.
• Brook Lopez (Brooklyn) – It is a little frustrating to see a seven-foot center average just six boards a game like Lopez did the last couple of seasons, and he’s definitely got the reputation as injury-prone after missing the bulk of last year and 2011-12. But when he plays, he’s one of the better bigs in the league.
• Robin Lopez (Portland) – Unlike his offense-first brother, Sideshow Bob’s game is centered around toughness and defense. He’s played all 82 games the past two seasons and is a force in the middle for a talented Blazers team.
• Dwight Powell (Boston) – Poor Dwight. He was all set up to go along on the LeBron James train to Cleveland, but then he was traded to Boston in late September. If there’s any good news, maybe he’ll have a better chance to earn some playing time with the Celts — although the three and four spots are pretty full there.

Cal (3)

• Ryan Anderson (New Orleans) – He just keeps getting better every year, now up to 19.8 points per game, 6.4 boards per game, and 43.8 percent shooting from deep last season. Who ever saw this coming?
• Allen Crabbe (Portland) – A 6’6” wing with that shooting stroke and solid ball-handling? Seems like a lock for NBA playing time, no? And yet, he’s stuck on the bench, behind guys like CJ McCollum and Will Barton. Still gotta think Crabbe’s time will come.
• Jorge Gutierrez (Brooklyn) – He’s probably not in the mix for actual playing time, but he’s on the final roster.

Arizona State (2)

• Carrick Felix (Utah) – So Felix is in the league and Jahii Carson is playing in Australia.; would not have guessed that one year ago today. While he probably will linger towards the back of the rotation this season and will spend some time D-leaguing it, his defense qualifies him as a worthwhile project.
• James Harden (Houston) – I always figured Harden would be good in the NBA but I’ll admit that I never thought he’d be this good. Like clearly a top-10 player in the league who you can pencil in for 25 points per night (not to mention six assists and five boards) with confidence.

Oregon (2)

• Aaron Brooks (Chicago) – Sitting behind Derrick Rose on the depth chart, every Bulls fan hopes that Brooks doesn’t have to play a ton this season. However, he’ll fight with Kirk Hinrich for whatever minutes Rose cannot use up.
• Luke Ridnour (Orlando) – Hey, can you believe that Oregon has only two guys playing in the NBA? And Ridnour is definitely closer to the end of his career than the start of it. In his 12th season in the league, his most important contribution will be mentoring rookie point guard Elfrid Payton.

Oregon State (2)

• Jared Cunningham (LA Clippers) – After playing just 21 games in his previous two NBA seasons, Cunningham showed some flashes in his first preseason with the Clippers, going for 23 points in one of their exhibition games. Still, he’s looking up at JJ Redick and Jamal Crawford ahead of him on the depth chart.
• Eric Moreland (Sacramento) – Hey, this guy made an NBA roster. Good for him. Tons of length and athleticism, but he’s going to have to pay his dues for some time, likely with plenty of D-League time.

Utah (2)

• Andrew Bogut (Golden State) – Not technically a Pac-12 alum (the Utes were in the Mountain West back when Bogut played), but one of the NBA’s best defensive big men.
• Andre Miller (Washington) – Another guy who doesn’t really qualify as a Pac-12 alumnus, but he’s certainly had quite a career. Now starting his 16th NBA season, he’s no longer at the top of his game but is still a valuable veteran for a team with deep playoff aspirations.

Washington State (2)

• Aron Baynes (San Antonio) – Yup, this is clearly something I expected to be writing in 2014. The defending NBA champion re-signed Aron Baynes after he was a contributing role player during their championship run. He’s behind guys like Tim Duncan and Boris Diaw and Tiago Splitter and Matt Bonner, but Popovich will find some way to get use out of him.
• Klay Thompson (Golden State) – Here’s how much the Warriors love Thompson: They wouldn’t consider trading him in exchange for Kevin Love. Here’s how odd the Golden State front office is: They’re now dragging their feet on extending Thompson’s contract. Still, who ever thought that a guy like Thompson would eventually be in the mix for a max-deal in the NBA?