The RTC Pac-12 All-Freshman and All-Transfer Teams
Posted by AMurawa on November 11th, 2014With the season imminent, it is time to start rolling out our preseason picks. Later in the week we’ll release the results of our preseason poll from our writers and friends of the microsite for things like standings, All-Conference Team, Player of the Year, and a host of other specialty awards. In getting this week’s events underway, though, we start by naming our Freshmen of the Year, Transfer of the Year and our All-Freshmen and All-Transfer teams, a group of new faces that we’ll get to know better as the season takes shape. Let’s jump right in.
Preseason Freshman of the Year: Stanley Johnson, Arizona
Stanley Johnson May Not Be An Immediate Starter At Arizona, But He Is Our Unanimous Pick For Freshman of the Year
The unanimous choice among our five voters, Johnson is the latest in Sean Miller’s increasingly long line of elite recruits. Expected to be on the short list of potential leading scorers for the Wildcats, Johnson checked off all the boxes during his prep career: playing on international tournament-winning teams; McDonald’s All-American and Jordan Brand Classic participant; two-time California High School Player of the Year; Parade All-American; MaxPreps National Player of the Year. Oh, and four CIF Division I state titles in four years of high school. So, smooth sailing at Arizona, right? Well, not so fast. In Arizona’s lone exhibition game, Johnson was conspicuously absent from the starting lineup, coming off the bench while junior Gabe York started in his place. Still, Johnson proved his bona fides by overpowering lesser competition on the way to 12 points in 24 minutes of action. Miller describes him as a “physical freak,” and while you can make the argument that the Wildcats are actually better off with him bringing energy off the bench, you can count on the fact that he is going to be one of the best players on a team already loaded with All-Conference players who you will see later in the week. There might well be other freshmen in the conference that wind up with better overall numbers by season’s end, but none of those first-year guys will be the same difference-maker that Johnson can be.
Joining Johnson on the All-Freshman Team are:
- Kevon Looney, UCLA
- Reid Travis, Stanford
- Jordan McLaughlin, USC
- Isaac Hamilton, UCLA
Preseason Transfer of the Year: Katin Reinhardt, USC
After Sitting Out A Year, Katin Reinhardt Is Ready To Take On A Big Role For The Trojans
Reinhardt was the top pick on only one of the five ballots, but he appeared on every one of our voters’ All-Transfer teams. The Trojans sophomore played one season at UNLV two seasons ago where he earned a perhaps-undeserved reputation as a shameless gunner. On a talented Rebels team, Reinhardt was often relegated to the role of hanging around the three-point line and stretching the defense with his long-distance ability. Of the 324 field goal attempts he took that season, 185 of those came from behind the three-point line — he knocked in 65 (35.1%). Unsatisfied with that role, Reinhardt transferred back to his Southern California home where he’ll likely become the Trojans’ primary scorer, paired with Jordan McLaughlin – a member of our All-Freshman team above – in a talented backcourt. With a chance at a more diverse role than the one proscribed for him in Vegas, Reinhardt has a chance to prove the doubters wrong and lead the Trojans to a surprising season.
Joining Reinhardt on the All-Transfer Team are:
- Isaac Hamilton, UCLA
- Robert Upshaw, Washington
- Gary Payton II, Oregon State
- Willie Atwood, Arizona State
Andrew Murawa Likes Basketball.
