Preseason All-WCC Thrid-Team

March 6, 2013; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Portland Pilots center Thomas van der Mars (12) during player introductions against the Loyola Marymount Lions before the game of the WCC Basketball Championships at Orleans Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

F – Thomas van der Mars

By David Thompson

The potential is there for this 6-11 Junior. He has shown flashes of being a creative and effective face up player, but those flashes are here today and gone tomorrow. The next big step for this Dutchman is consistency. If he can push his averages closer to a double-double range he can pair with Ryan Nicolas to form one of the most solid frontcourts in the WCC. Add reserves Riley Barker, and Voldy Gerun, and the depth is there for Portland’s big men to match up with anyone for all 40 minutes. But at this point, the pressure is really on van der Mars to step up to the plate and become a real leader for this team.