The Pac-10 Conference's individual awards will be announced Monday. In terms of UW, the most attention has been paid to Quincy Pondexter's player-of-the-year chances. And he is a dead-certain lock for the all-conference first team.

However, it also will be interesting to see if Isaiah Thomas hops up to the 10-member first-team after making the five-member second team last season.

I asked Thomas today if he expects the honor.

"Yeah, I better," he said. "Not to sound cocky or anything, but I feel like I’ve played well enough. The team is starting to win a little bit more, so hopefully. I think last year (I deserved) the first team. Hopefully I get it, but it is what it is if I don’t. ... I feel like I’ve grown as a player. My stats are better than last year."

(Last season, Thomas averaged 15.5 points, 3 rebounds and 2.6 assists. This season it's 17.1, 4.3 and 2.9.)

I also asked him in Pondexter deserves player of the year.

"No doubt," Thomas said. "Knowing people, they’ll probably give it to the person (on the team that) won the Pac-10 championship. He should get it. He’s by far the best player in this conference."