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Underappreciated: Pac-12 Glue Guys

By Andrew Kahn

Ernie Kent says every successful team has one. Looking back on his 20 years as a college head coach, he can still remember who they are. When he took St. Mary’s to the NCAA Tournament in 1997, it was Ivan Dodic. In his early days at Oregon, it was A.D. Smith and then Robert Johnson, now a member of Kent’s staff at Washington State. While the Cougars are struggling in Kent’s first year in Pullman, he hopes Josh Hawkinson can be that player—a “glue guy” who doesn’t necessarily jump off the box score but does the little things to help the team win.

The Pac-12 has no shortage of superstars: Delon Wright, Stanley Johnson, and Joseph Young, to name three. But for every player who leads his team in scoring and garners the bulk of the headlines, there’s another who is quietly contributing. Oregon’s Jordan Bell fits the role. He has started just 11 of 25 games and averages only 5.6 points, but leads the Ducks in rebounding. He’s also the best shot blocker in the conference. On Colorado, it’s redshirt sophomore Wesley Gordon, a strong rebounder who emphasizes defense and passing above scoring (check back on Friday for a feature on Gordon).

Andy Enfield at USC nominated first-year Trojan Darion Clark as his glue guy. He sat out last season after transferring from Charlotte and is making the most of the opportunity to play in the Pac-12. “He rebounds at a high level and plays hard all the time,” Enfield says. Colorado coach Tad Boyle was impressed with Arizona State’s Jonathan Gilling, who comes off the bench but hits big shots. Marcus Allen is an important player for Stanford despite not being among the top four in points, rebounds, or assists.

Going back to Kent’s point about successful teams and glue guys, it’s no surprise that several coaches mentioned Utah players. Starters Chris Reyes and Brandon Taylor were both mentioned, as was Dakari Tucker, a reserve who plays critical minutes in close games. These players complement more familiar players like Wright, Jakob Poeltl, and Jordan Loveridge and have the Utes tied atop the conference with an Arizona team that has the ultimate glue guy.

Coaches weren’t sure whether T.J. McConnell should “count” in this informal poll. After all, he was a second-team All-Pac-12 player last year and is a Player of the Year candidate this season. Still, his pass-first nature (he’s fourth on Arizona in scoring at 9.8 per game) and star-studded teammates (Stanley Johnson, Brandon Ashley, and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson; Aaron Gordon and Nick Johnson last year) can overshadow his value. One Pac-12 assistant says McConnell epitomizes the “glue” trait better than anyone by far, but noted he might be “too good” for consideration. Another said McConnell is the best defender in the league and tough as nails.

Like several of the aforementioned glue guys, past and present, McConnell is a transfer from a less-talented conference. Perhaps there’s something to that—guys who were overlooked coming out of high school who get a chance to play at a higher level and want to prove they belong. One of Kent’s earlier glue guys, Dodic, started his career at St. Mary’s as a walk-on. His leadership and smart play helped turn the Gaels into a championship team. Kent says it’s crucial to have “that guy who brings it all together. He’s like the missing ingredient if you’re making a stew.” Even in this era where stats help illuminate players’ all-around contributions, college basketball glue guys can still be underappreciated. They shouldn’t be.

Andrew Kahn is a regular contributor to CBS Local who also writes for Newsday and The Wall Street Journal. He writes about college basketball and other sports at AndrewJKahn.com. Email him at andrewjkahn@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter at @AndrewKahn.

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