For the second consecutive season, the Pac-10 Freshman of the Year should be awarded to a point guard in Washington.

However, this time it should be heading to Pullman.

Point guard Reggie Moore has outdone the rest of the freshman class this year and looks to follow in the footsteps of UW’s Isaiah Thomas as the top newcomer of the year.

More importantly, he will be the first Cougar to host the trophy since Bryan Rison brought home the honor in 1979, the first year of the award.

Moore has a slight edge over the other contender, Arizona’s Derrick Williams, due to Moore’s consistency. Moore (14.1 points) is right behind Williams (15.3) in scoring for the top two freshmen in the Pac-10, but Moore is the top assist man among freshmen at 4.3 per game. Williams has already fouled out of four contests this season, including a three-point, eight-minute performance against the Huskies on Thursday night.

In the Cougars and Wildcats’ first meeting this year, Williams was limited to 17 minutes. Moore, on the other hand, scored 20 points and found DeAngelo Casto for the game winning lay-up. The Cougars also clinched the season sweep on Saturday in convincing fashion, a 78-60 beatdown in Pullman.

Moore’s numbers have also picked up in conference play.

He’s scored 20 or more points in four games and had a team-best 19 in a 65-60 win against Oregon State with leading-scorer Klay Thompson sitting on the bench in crunch time after he fouled out.

He hit his career-high 25 points against conference leader California with an efficient 7-14 shooting and 9-10 from the free-throw line.

To add to Moore’s case, he is the top shooter from the free-throw line among all freshmen, and he is seventh overall. As good of a shooter as he is, probably his biggest asset is his efficiency with the ball in his hands.

Through 23 games, Moore has had a positive assist-to-turnover ratio 17 times and had an even ratio two more times. He’s hit double-digit assists twice and had a 5-to-1 ratio against California. At the same time, his 31 steals ranks ninth among all players in the conference.

Lastly, Moore’s Cougars are 15-8 on the season, and Williams’ Wildcats are a mere 12-11, with WSU 2-0 against Arizona. Each player has seven more regular season games to make their case, and if one person can lead their team to the top of the conference, they will become the obvious choice.

If things stay about the same, the choice is clear.

Moore has outplayed Williams both head-to-head and throughout the year and has earned the right to be called the Pac-10’s top freshman.