USC’s Evan Mobley tops list of players to watch in Pac-12 tourney

The coronavirus pandemic forced the cancellation of the Pac-12 tournament in 2020, but the event is back at T-Mobile Arena this week.

The conference features a top NBA prospect, productive seniors who have been around the block and two familiar faces who are returning to Las Vegas.

The tournament begins Wednesday.

Here are five players to follow:

1. Evan Mobley, Southern California

The freshman phenom is one of the country’s best players and a top NBA prospect. On Tuesday, he came the first player in Pac-12 history to win all three of the conference’s major awards in the same season: player of the year, defensive player of the year and freshman of the year.

At 7 feet, Mobley possesses one of the most unique skill sets in college basketball — and in recent memory. He’s long and limber, with a nifty handle and smooth shooting stroke often associated with traditional perimeter players. He’s also skilled and smooth on the interior, with polished footwork and a soft touch in the paint and around the rim.

He averages 16.1 points, 8.6 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 2.9 blocks for 24th-ranked USC, the tournament’s No. 2 seed.

2. McKinley Wright, Colorado

Wright was named to the All-Pac 12 first team for the fourth time. The senior is the quintessential floor general and one of the most productive players in conference history.

The 6-foot Wright is the first player in conference history to exceed 1,600 career points, 600 rebounds and 600 assists.

He averages 15.3 points, 4.3 rebounds and 5.7 assists for the No. 23 Buffaloes, who are seeded third.

3. Amauri Hardy, Oregon

Formerly of UNLV, the senior guard has been a fixture in Oregon’s rotation, averaging 4.0 points and 2.5 assists in helping the Ducks win the regular-season title and top seed in the tournament.

Hardy plays behind two talented guards, including fellow senior Chris Duarte, who averages 17.3 points and was named to the all-conference first team. But Hardy is capable of using his dribble to get into the paint and create shots for himself and others, skills the Rebels sorely miss.

4. Jamal Bey, Washington

The Bishop Gorman High graduate has assumed a bigger role as a junior and is one of the Huskies’ best players. He played 6.2 minutes as a freshman and 24.3 as a sophomore, but has started 24 of 25 games this season, averaging 10 points on 45.2 percent shooting.

At 6 feet 6 inches, Bey can slash and score from the perimeter. He’s scored in double figures in four consecutive games for the Huskies, who are seeded 10th.

5. Oscar da Silva, Stanford

Da Silva, a senior forward, is one of the conference’s most efficient players, averaging 18.8 points on 58 percent shooting to go with 6.8 rebounds. He’s led the Cardinal in scoring for two straight seasons and was named to the all-conference first team Tuesday.

Stanford is seeded No. 6.

Contact reporter Sam Gordon at sgordon@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BySamGordon on Twitter.