Top 5 power forwards in the WCC this past season

No. 2 Cole Dickerson (San Francisco)

Preseason Rank: 1 (Small Forwards)

As the Dons lone senior, Cole Dickerson was sent off with a berth in the NIT, something the Dons hadn’t done since 2005.

Although his numbers were slightly down from his breakout junior season, Dickerson provided the Dons with leadership and toughness. When Cody Doolin unexpected left the team in November, the Federal Way, Wash. native was instantly looked up on to fill the void Doolin left behind as a leader.

With Dickerson producing like usual, the Dons were able to become accustomed to playing without their longtime point guard and finish third in the West Coast Conference, something USF has not done since the 2010-2011 season.

Dickerson ended up finishing first on the team in both scoring and rebounding with 15.1 points per game and 7.7 rebounds per game. Neither of those were career high’s, but with Kruize Pinkins in the fray and Mark Tollefsen taking on a bigger role, Dickerson was not required to produce as much as he has in the past. In other words, Dickerson allowed the game to come to him rather than forcing the issue. The senior shot an efficient 51.7 percent from the field and only averaged 2.0 turnovers as a result.

As Dickerson departs from the realm of college basketball, his legacy will be nothing but positive. From the accounts of the fans and the media, Dickerson came off as a consistent player who bought into the team aspect of the game. Without Dickerson, the Dons would have struggled to experience the season they did this season.