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Pac-12 Conference Awards: Why Joseph Young Won Player of the Year

By Daniel Tran

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While many expected NCAA Player of the Year candidate Delon Wright to win the Pac-12 Conference Player of Year, Joseph Young was the surprising choice to receive the award.

Upsets are an integral part of the culture of college basketball. Not only do powerhouse teams fall to lowly mid-majors frequently, but also relatively unknown players come out of nowhere to steal the spotlight from their nationally recognized peers.

Utah Utes guard Delon Wright has led his squad to the levels of the national elite, bringing them to as high as No. 8 in the AP Poll. His leadership and play on both ends of court have experts considering him for the National Player of the Year award.

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However, despite his national Q rating, Wright’s performance in the Pac-12 conference was considered inferior to that of a star hidden in the lush green forestry of Eugene, Oregon.

Joseph Young may not be well known even to Pac-12 opposing fans, but he is rightly a star at the University of Oregon. To be frank, it is about time everybody knew about his on-court exploits outside of the university.

At the beginning of the season, the Oregon Ducks were selected by our Busting Brackets expert (me) to finish 10th in the Pac-12. To be fair, a team that lost a starting forward and starting guard, three players to a rape allegation, and had a four-star recruit removed from the team roster should not be playing at conference title contending levels.

Despite all of the adversity they faced, Young just put his head down and came up with the best season of his career. He became more active on the boards, grabbing 4.5 rebounds per game – the highest of his four-year career.

Don’t think that Young took his foot off the gas pedal scoring the ball. Young led the Pac-12 in scoring, pouring in a scorching 19.8 points per game. He is also led the Pac-12 in three-point field goals made and total field goals converted.

Because he is known to be an explosive scorer, teams key in on his every move, opening things up for his team through back cuts and spotting up once the defense collapses on him after dribble penetration. Young expanded his game to become a Charlie Conway-esque playmaker, averaging a career-high 3.7 assists.

More importantly, the Oregon Ducks shattered any preconceived notion of their lost season flew together, finishing the regular season as the second-best Pac-12 Conference team – only behind the Arizona Wildcats in terms of record. While they remain unranked the AP Poll, they have a firm grip on an NCAA Tournament bid – one of the only three bids that the Pac-12 may be receiving.

The first transfer to win since the Cal Bears’ Ed Grey in 1997, the former Houston Cougar has literally lifted Oregon near the top of the Pac-12 Conference nearly single-handedly. Though Delon Wright is a first-team All-American candidate, a stronger supporting cast like junior players Jordan Loveridge and Brandon Taylor, and a freshman sensation in Jakob Poeltl are at his disposal, making his need for a star performance less necessary for success.

Despite having a less talented ensemble around him, Young was able to make his team better, while improving all aspects of his game. He may not be well known to outside of Eugene, but he will be. Being named Pac-12 Conference Player of the Year tends to make you a little more popular.

Next: Pac-12 Tournament Predictions: Arizona King of the Hill

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