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Jon Wilner wrote:

Best of the 2008-09 Bay Area basketball season

Posted by Jon Wilner on March 10th, 2009 at 11:39 am

Instead of ranking the locals, I wanted to post my end-of-season awards and all-area teams for the Bay's six.

But if I were doing one last ranking …

Cal would be on top with second place vacant - St. Mary's doesn't deserve it after what happened last night, and there's nobody else to consider this week, frankly.

(If Stanford had swept the desert, the Cardinal would have been worthy.)

So the ranking would go something like:

1. Cal
2. vacant
3. (tie) St. Mary's and Stanford
5. Santa Clara
6. SJSU
7. USF

*** Coach of the Year

Kudos to SCU's Kerry Keating for finishing fourth while relying on so many freshman, to SMC's Randy Bennett for getting his team stabilized without Patty Mills and to USF's Rex Walters for surviving the Hilltop chaos.

But Cal's Mike Montgomery made Jerome Randle into a top-tier player and maximized his personnel better than any coach in the area - better than all but a handful of coaches in the region, in fact.

*** Player of the Year

I should mention at the top that I consider Mills to be the best player in the area, and his value was never more evident than when he was hurt. I also thought long and hard about Jerome Randle, who has been the best player on the best team.

But neither Mills nor Randle can match Santa Clara's John Bryant for the combo of production, value and floor time.

*** Freshman of the Year

Santa Clara's Kevin Foster broke Kurt Rambis' freshman scoring record and played big in numerous big games. Yes, he had Bryant occupying defenses underneath, but 31 vs. Mills in Moraga is 31 vs. Mills in Moraga, I don't care if you have Bill Russell in the post.

*** All-area teams

First team
C John Bryant, Santa Clara: If he had done nothing else, Bryant would warrant first-team inclusion for all his 20-20 games.

Second team
G Kevin Foster, SCU: Could be a three-time all-WCC selection starting in '10.

*** All-freshman team

G Kevin Foster, SCU: See above comment.
F Marc Trasolini, SCU: Promising young big man who moves well and has a nice touch for this stage.
G James Rahon, SCU: With Rahon, Foster and Trasolini, count Broncos as a WCC title contender in '11.

( more . . . )


emphasis added ...

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