Every team needs a star and perhaps just as important is the X-factor player. The guy who doesn't always produce the most impressive stats in every column, but does the type of work that turns a potential loss into a win. Many times the X-factor is the first man off the bench who supplies tough defense, a steady hand, and killer instinct.
Last season, C.J. Wilcox and Desmond Simmons often appeared to be the X-factor as both supplied their own unique brand of basketball support. Wilcox was an efficient scorer and solid defense player as well as shot blocker, while Simmons was more known for his rebounding and sheer tenacity in getting down and dirty after loose balls.
This season presents a more interesting challenge in identifying who will step his game up in a special way to supply the team with that extra oomph that is needed to keep the scoring margin in our favor. With our best talent now in the NBA there is plenty of room for players to step up and become the stars of the hardwood. In turn, this leaves room for players to become the new X-factor, but exactly who is tough to nail down after experiencing such a shallow bench this past year.
Desmond Simmons is an easy early pick as next season's X-Factor. While Simmons' production on the glass slowed during conference play, the potential and talent was clearly displayed in the non-conference games and will most certainly be improved upon by the start of 2012's non-conference schedule. Simmons reminds me a lot of Jon Brockman, an undersized power forward with great strength and hustle. Simmons knows how to use his body to gain position and snatch rebounds up left and right and is more than willing to sacrifice his body diving on the floor and fighting for every ball out there. Simmons showed signs of an excellent mid range to long range shot in early season games, but strayed away from shooting the ball as the year went on. With the departure of Darnell Gant, the team could really use a consistent touch between 10 and 15 feet and Simmons may be just the guy to do it. What makes me believe in Simmons as the X-factor next season is his motor and drive. Not many players work as hard as he does day in and day out. Add in his extra experience due to his redshirt season and Simmons has all the makings of a game changer.
Aziz N'Diaye should also be considered in this discussion due to the offensive upside that remains on his side. N'Diaye will (more than likely) be a three year starter for the Dawgs, all without having much of a developed offensive game. Everyone knows the type of contribution N'Diaye makes on the defensive end with his massive body sucking up the paint and his rebounding efforts make him a very valuable force in the middle. N'Diaye can become an X-factor by turning his inability to shoot free throws into a passable aspect of his game. With N'Diaye standing taller and stronger than a majority of his opposition, playing above and through contact should not and has not been too much of a problem. What has been a problem is his production at the foul line following the contact. With a career average just over 40%, N'Diaye has missed, quite literally, over 100 free opportunities at easy points. I expect no player to be perfect at the line, but as Gilles Dierickx has shown, big men can shoot the ball well from the foul line if they are willing to work at it. Averaging 4 foul attempts per game this past year, N'Diaye is missing 2 to 3 points per game. Perfecting his shot suddenly jumps N'Diaye's 8 point average right into the double digit range and gives him a chance to put up a double-double in every game. A summer's worth of work should be enough to get him near the 75% any player should consider the minimum, it only comes down to whether N'Diaye is willing to put in the work necessary to fix his shot. UW has been well known for its string of proficient outside shooters and wings. If N'Diaye can become an offensive force in the paint, his presence can be a deterrent to defenses wishing to cheat outside. However, this will only work well if N'Diaye proves he can hit the free ones. Should N'Diaye continue to miss his foul shots, the opposition should have no problem instituting a "Hack-a-Shaq" policy and the defense will be freer to spread the floor and prevent the deep shots.
Mark McLaughlin is another intriguing choice, though for different reasons than the two mentioned above. McLaughlin was a dominating scorer at the junior college level averaging nearly 30 points per game. The biggest question surrounding McLaughlin is "Can he produce at such high levels against Division 1 defense?" The likely answer is that McLaughlin will continue to score in droves, though his possession numbers will not be high enough to rack up 30 points a night. Personally, McLaughlin strikes me as a guy who will produce much like Wilcox has these past two years. McLaughlin sizes up well next to Scott Suggs and Wilcox and could very well be the 6th man of this team and the first sub off the bench. What made the 2010-2011 Huskies so dangerous was the bench depth and scoring potential of so many players. That season featured a rotation of nearly 10 guys, all of whom could have started for any team in the Pac-10. They all could score and as such, substitutions did not mean a dip in scoring. McLaughlin should be a big help in that same vein. When Suggs or Wilcox need a breather, McLaughlin could offer up a third deadly hand to maintain a high team scoring average. McLaughlin needs to establish himself early in the preseason games in Europe and Africa to gain the confidence of his coaches and teammates.
A fourth choice is Jernard Jarreau, the 6-10 forward with point guard skill. Featuring a 7-7 wingspan, Jarreau is a lanky guy with huge potential to disrupt on the defensive end and play above the rim on both sides of the court. A comparison to Anthony Davis is likely farfetched, but Jarreau strikes me as a similar player due to their build and back stories. With N'Diaye beside Jarreau with a 7-6 wing span, the duo more than covers the 12 foot paint and take up 30% of the court's width. That type of length is tough to beat and will certainly help ail some of the defensive issues that plagued the Dawgs off and on last season. Jarreau must do more than play tough, preventative defense. Jarreau must also supply some sort of scoring potential, preferably from the high post where he can see above the defense to create plays through himself or with a pass to an open teammate. Jarreau could be the first man off the bench for the Husky frontcourt to provide Simmons with a breather. Jarreau's thin frame prevents him from subbing for N'Diaye, but that is where Shawn Kemp Jr. comes into play.
Go Dawgs!
Saturday, June 30, 2012
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Who will take over in 2012-2013?
The title of best player is always up for debate in the world of sports. Sure, some NBA teams possess super stars that leave little doubt like the Heat and LeBron James, the Magic and Dwight Howard, or the Zombie Sonics and Kevin Durant, but at the college level things change drastically. Several players contribute in a variety of ways to allow great debates about which player has the greatest and most positive impact on his team.
This past off-season saw the departure of our two best players in Terrence Ross and Tony Wroten. While some may not agree with declaring Wroten as one of our top players, it is hard to ignore everything he did for the Husky squad. What this means for the 2012-2013 season is a wide opening for several individuals to elevate their games to the next level and take over the reigns as the squad's "Best Player."
Being the best player is about more than points per games or how many rebounds a player can snatch up in 40 minutes. The best player needs to have intangibles that don't show up in the post-game box score. The best player needs to dominate all aspects of the game and thrive because of it.
Arguably the best player in recent, if not all, UW history is Isaiah Thomas and he is exactly the sort of player I refer to when I talk about a guy doing more than just hitting baskets and making plays. I.T. ruled the court with both his skills and his attitude. The guy refused to lose. He did everything and more to motivate and carry his team through adversity as well as success. If you have any doubt about how good I.T. was and is, just watch this.
My initial reaction was to peg Scott Suggs as the best player next season. Suggs has everything a team could want in terms of size, athleticism, and experience. After facing a tough foot injury right before the 2011-2012 season began, Suggs opted to take a medical redshirt and return in full force for a complete and dominating senior season. Built just like Ross, Suggs stands at 6-6 and nearly 200lbs. Suggs' long athletic frame allows him to elevate above the competition at the hoop and outside the arc. During his junior season campaign, Suggs showed a huge improvement concerning his inside game. Suggs was able to attack the rim and finish inside. We are all well aware of Suggs' ability to nail the outside shot. Suggs was arguably the best sharpshooter on the team in 2010-2011 due to his consistency and accuracy. Watching Suggs during warm-ups this past season has only increased my confidence in his ability to drain the long ball. As a fifth year senior, Suggs has more experience than most. Suggs has participated in 3 NCAA tournament appearances as well as having won a regular season title and two tournament titles (I won't include his redshirt season as he did not play in any games). I believe Suggs will step in to fill Ross' shoes immediately and will make a strong case for Pac-12 Player of the Year honors. The one aspect on his game that Suggs can improve on to solidify his position as the Best Player is rebounding. Suggs has never been a great rebounder, but the increased presence of his inside game will allow Suggs more opportunities near the hoop to snag a few extra boards. I can easily envision Suggs averaging 16 points and 5 rebounds per game. That type of production combined with excellent senior leadership and tenacity would make for an amazing player and could certainly be a game changer in tight situations.
C.J. Wilcox should be involved in any type of "Best Player" argument, whether simply the Husky Basketball team or the Pac-12 conference. Wilcox averaged a quiet 14 points per game last season despite battle nagging injuries that prevented him from seeing action in several games and limiting his play time in others. With a full summer to heal the stress fracture in his hip/leg, Wilcox is primed to light up the court for what could be his final season. Wilcox is attending the Kevin Durant skill camp this summer along with playing the the Seattle Summer league games, giving him plenty of opportunities to work on his abilities before the preseason games across the Atlantic. As with Suggs, Wilcox can strengthen his argument for the team's best player by improving his rebounding from 3 boards per game to 5 or 6. A greater aspect to improve upon, perhaps more important than a few more rebounds per game, would be Wilcox's ability to play into and through contact near the paint to draw fouls and free throws. Wilcox averaged 84% from the line last season and at one point had hit over 30 free throws in a row. Romar's teams have always been known to be unsuccessful at the foul line, yet individual players have made great strides in improving their shot from the charity stripe and in doing so become game changers. These individuals include I.T. and Jon Brockman. Last season, Wroten averaged nearly 8 free throws attempts per game, making under 60% on the season. With Wilcox's 84% average those 4 points from 8 free throws becomes nearly 7 points per game. 3 points extra per night is a huge number from the foul line where close games are won and lost. What could ultimately hold Wilcox back from being the best player on the 2012-2013 squad is his quiet nature. In terms of sheer athletic ability, no one can match-up with Wilcox. Wilcox has been the fastest at the mile, is one of the quickest sprinters on the team, and has the highest vertical jump of anyone. Wilcox out jumped Ross last season and we have all seen what type of plays can occur when a player has huge hops. If Wilcox can become not only a leader in terms of production, but also as a vocal and emotional leader, he could be a favorite for Player of the Year awards.
Aziz N'Diaye would be my third pick for top player on the team. N'Diaye's size and defensive presence alone put him near the top of the list. N'Diaye showed great improvement to his footwork, post moves, and in softening his hands. The big man is no longer a black hole in the middle where the ball will never return from. N'Diaye showed better court vision knowing when to take his man to the hoop and when to kick the ball back out to the perimeter. N'Diaye is already a supreme rebounder, picking up nearly 8 per night, but could take another step forward by boxing out better on the offensive end and allowing his length to take charge. Where N'Diaye can really improve is his offensive game. This has always been the weakest part of N'Diaye's game, but his jump hook is improving steadily. I would also like to see N'Diaye throw down a few more dunks. Too often, N'Diaye is right next to the hoop and opts for a dainty little lay-in. Throw down, big man, throw down. Dunks are the highest percentage shots there are. At 7-0, it is hard to have a dunk blocked inside 4 feet. Take a page out of this kid's book, N'Diaye, it'll help you immensely. If N'Diaye can continue improving his ability to catch the ball and finish at the rim, he could quite possibly average 14 points per game on top of 8 rebounds and a block or two a night. All that production does not even begin to tell the whole tale, something I argued earlier would be critical in determining the team's best player. How many times has an opposing player driven towards the lane only to see N'Diaye towering in the paint? How many times has that player then changed his mind and opted for either a terrible jumper or been forced to kick the ball back outside the paint? That is the type of impact that doesn't show up in the box score. It's the type of impact that every player should strive for.
A fourth, perhaps outside pick, would be Abdul Gaddy. Gaddy has struggled to live up to the All-American hype that surrounded him coming into his freshman season. Gaddy came to the UW as a quite young 17 year old, trying to compete against 22 year old players who were much stronger, faster, and experienced. Gaddy's sophomore campaign started phenomenally, but sadly he blew his ACL right as Pac-10 play began. Gaddy spent the summer recuperating his knee and appeared to be on track for a solid 2011-2012 year. Gaddy spent much of this past season looking slower and more cautious, something that was not all that surprising given his newly injured knee. At the end of the year, Gaddy finally realized how deadly he can be when driving the lane. Not only does it open the opportunity to kick out for an assisted 3-pointer, but it also allows Gaddy to get a good look at the hoop down low in the paint where his teardrop shot can be put to good use. What Gaddy needs to do in order to become our best player is to take this team over and make it his. This will be Gaddy's senior season. His last hurrah. Gaddy must develop that seasoned, vocal leadership this team so dearly lacked last season. Gaddy could average double digit points if he attacked the rim consistently and improved his 3-point accuracy. And, while it may seem greedy, I would really like to see Gaddy average 7 assists per game. Gaddy has amazing court vision and has a great knack for making solid passes to open players. I believe Romar's play calling is what is holding Gaddy back from averaging those types of numbers. If Romar can develop a few more motion offensive plays, Gaddy will have more opportunities to deliver the rock to open guys on the perimeter and in the post. With the addition of Suggs as a steady hand inside and out, Gaddy has one more tool at his disposal to spread the floor and make things happen. Another important point to note is the absence of Wroten allows Gaddy to resume taking a majority of the point guard play time, meaning more play-making opportunities to boost his stats.
So who do you think will take over in 2012-2013? One of these four? Someone else? Let us know in the comments below.
Go Dawgs!
This past off-season saw the departure of our two best players in Terrence Ross and Tony Wroten. While some may not agree with declaring Wroten as one of our top players, it is hard to ignore everything he did for the Husky squad. What this means for the 2012-2013 season is a wide opening for several individuals to elevate their games to the next level and take over the reigns as the squad's "Best Player."
Being the best player is about more than points per games or how many rebounds a player can snatch up in 40 minutes. The best player needs to have intangibles that don't show up in the post-game box score. The best player needs to dominate all aspects of the game and thrive because of it.
Arguably the best player in recent, if not all, UW history is Isaiah Thomas and he is exactly the sort of player I refer to when I talk about a guy doing more than just hitting baskets and making plays. I.T. ruled the court with both his skills and his attitude. The guy refused to lose. He did everything and more to motivate and carry his team through adversity as well as success. If you have any doubt about how good I.T. was and is, just watch this.
My initial reaction was to peg Scott Suggs as the best player next season. Suggs has everything a team could want in terms of size, athleticism, and experience. After facing a tough foot injury right before the 2011-2012 season began, Suggs opted to take a medical redshirt and return in full force for a complete and dominating senior season. Built just like Ross, Suggs stands at 6-6 and nearly 200lbs. Suggs' long athletic frame allows him to elevate above the competition at the hoop and outside the arc. During his junior season campaign, Suggs showed a huge improvement concerning his inside game. Suggs was able to attack the rim and finish inside. We are all well aware of Suggs' ability to nail the outside shot. Suggs was arguably the best sharpshooter on the team in 2010-2011 due to his consistency and accuracy. Watching Suggs during warm-ups this past season has only increased my confidence in his ability to drain the long ball. As a fifth year senior, Suggs has more experience than most. Suggs has participated in 3 NCAA tournament appearances as well as having won a regular season title and two tournament titles (I won't include his redshirt season as he did not play in any games). I believe Suggs will step in to fill Ross' shoes immediately and will make a strong case for Pac-12 Player of the Year honors. The one aspect on his game that Suggs can improve on to solidify his position as the Best Player is rebounding. Suggs has never been a great rebounder, but the increased presence of his inside game will allow Suggs more opportunities near the hoop to snag a few extra boards. I can easily envision Suggs averaging 16 points and 5 rebounds per game. That type of production combined with excellent senior leadership and tenacity would make for an amazing player and could certainly be a game changer in tight situations.
C.J. Wilcox should be involved in any type of "Best Player" argument, whether simply the Husky Basketball team or the Pac-12 conference. Wilcox averaged a quiet 14 points per game last season despite battle nagging injuries that prevented him from seeing action in several games and limiting his play time in others. With a full summer to heal the stress fracture in his hip/leg, Wilcox is primed to light up the court for what could be his final season. Wilcox is attending the Kevin Durant skill camp this summer along with playing the the Seattle Summer league games, giving him plenty of opportunities to work on his abilities before the preseason games across the Atlantic. As with Suggs, Wilcox can strengthen his argument for the team's best player by improving his rebounding from 3 boards per game to 5 or 6. A greater aspect to improve upon, perhaps more important than a few more rebounds per game, would be Wilcox's ability to play into and through contact near the paint to draw fouls and free throws. Wilcox averaged 84% from the line last season and at one point had hit over 30 free throws in a row. Romar's teams have always been known to be unsuccessful at the foul line, yet individual players have made great strides in improving their shot from the charity stripe and in doing so become game changers. These individuals include I.T. and Jon Brockman. Last season, Wroten averaged nearly 8 free throws attempts per game, making under 60% on the season. With Wilcox's 84% average those 4 points from 8 free throws becomes nearly 7 points per game. 3 points extra per night is a huge number from the foul line where close games are won and lost. What could ultimately hold Wilcox back from being the best player on the 2012-2013 squad is his quiet nature. In terms of sheer athletic ability, no one can match-up with Wilcox. Wilcox has been the fastest at the mile, is one of the quickest sprinters on the team, and has the highest vertical jump of anyone. Wilcox out jumped Ross last season and we have all seen what type of plays can occur when a player has huge hops. If Wilcox can become not only a leader in terms of production, but also as a vocal and emotional leader, he could be a favorite for Player of the Year awards.
Aziz N'Diaye would be my third pick for top player on the team. N'Diaye's size and defensive presence alone put him near the top of the list. N'Diaye showed great improvement to his footwork, post moves, and in softening his hands. The big man is no longer a black hole in the middle where the ball will never return from. N'Diaye showed better court vision knowing when to take his man to the hoop and when to kick the ball back out to the perimeter. N'Diaye is already a supreme rebounder, picking up nearly 8 per night, but could take another step forward by boxing out better on the offensive end and allowing his length to take charge. Where N'Diaye can really improve is his offensive game. This has always been the weakest part of N'Diaye's game, but his jump hook is improving steadily. I would also like to see N'Diaye throw down a few more dunks. Too often, N'Diaye is right next to the hoop and opts for a dainty little lay-in. Throw down, big man, throw down. Dunks are the highest percentage shots there are. At 7-0, it is hard to have a dunk blocked inside 4 feet. Take a page out of this kid's book, N'Diaye, it'll help you immensely. If N'Diaye can continue improving his ability to catch the ball and finish at the rim, he could quite possibly average 14 points per game on top of 8 rebounds and a block or two a night. All that production does not even begin to tell the whole tale, something I argued earlier would be critical in determining the team's best player. How many times has an opposing player driven towards the lane only to see N'Diaye towering in the paint? How many times has that player then changed his mind and opted for either a terrible jumper or been forced to kick the ball back outside the paint? That is the type of impact that doesn't show up in the box score. It's the type of impact that every player should strive for.
A fourth, perhaps outside pick, would be Abdul Gaddy. Gaddy has struggled to live up to the All-American hype that surrounded him coming into his freshman season. Gaddy came to the UW as a quite young 17 year old, trying to compete against 22 year old players who were much stronger, faster, and experienced. Gaddy's sophomore campaign started phenomenally, but sadly he blew his ACL right as Pac-10 play began. Gaddy spent the summer recuperating his knee and appeared to be on track for a solid 2011-2012 year. Gaddy spent much of this past season looking slower and more cautious, something that was not all that surprising given his newly injured knee. At the end of the year, Gaddy finally realized how deadly he can be when driving the lane. Not only does it open the opportunity to kick out for an assisted 3-pointer, but it also allows Gaddy to get a good look at the hoop down low in the paint where his teardrop shot can be put to good use. What Gaddy needs to do in order to become our best player is to take this team over and make it his. This will be Gaddy's senior season. His last hurrah. Gaddy must develop that seasoned, vocal leadership this team so dearly lacked last season. Gaddy could average double digit points if he attacked the rim consistently and improved his 3-point accuracy. And, while it may seem greedy, I would really like to see Gaddy average 7 assists per game. Gaddy has amazing court vision and has a great knack for making solid passes to open players. I believe Romar's play calling is what is holding Gaddy back from averaging those types of numbers. If Romar can develop a few more motion offensive plays, Gaddy will have more opportunities to deliver the rock to open guys on the perimeter and in the post. With the addition of Suggs as a steady hand inside and out, Gaddy has one more tool at his disposal to spread the floor and make things happen. Another important point to note is the absence of Wroten allows Gaddy to resume taking a majority of the point guard play time, meaning more play-making opportunities to boost his stats.
So who do you think will take over in 2012-2013? One of these four? Someone else? Let us know in the comments below.
Go Dawgs!
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
2012-2013: Who can take over in the frontcourt?
Quick recruiting update: Nigel Williams-Goss, a 6-3 point guard out of Oregon, has verbally committed to the Huskies for the 2013 recruiting class. NWG is a stereotypical Romar player: smart (4.0 GPA in high school), focused on the defensive end, and the completely opposite of a drama-hog. Instead of the "traditional" method of declaring a commitment via selecting a hat off a table, NWG opted to write a blog post about his decision. NWG is a great pick-up would should help replace Abdul Gaddy following his senior season.
Now back to your regularly scheduled programming.
I mentioned briefly in my early season preview that one of the Huskies biggest issues moving into the '12-'13 season is filling the power forward position Darnell Gant had been the center of the past two years. Desmond Simmons provided solid relief in the non-conference season, but struggled to have a strong impact in conference play. Outside of Simmons, the Huskies had little bench support to speak of at the 4 (and 5 slot for that matter).
If the Huskies want to compete for a 5th straight Pac-10/12 title, the Dawgs will need to find an answer to the question "Who can take over in the frontcourt?" While a definitive answer is far from complete at this point in the year, the Dawgs do possess a number of candidates who could make enough of an impact to take scoring and defensive pressure off the backcourt.
The only certainty in the frontcourt is Aziz N'Diaye who will undoubtedly remain in the starting line-up as our go-to center for the third straight season. N'Diaye improved his offensive game greatly this past year as well as his ability to play suffocating defensive without drawing a foul every few plays. This has allowed N'Diaye the opportunity to play more minutes, leading to more scoring and game play experience. N'Diaye's hands softened up and the big man was able to add some nice drop step maneuvers to his post game skill set. N'Diaye continued to struggle mightily at the foul line, but another summer could prove to be invaluable for his work at the charity stripe. Oftentimes N'Diaye's shots would fall short or long of their mark, but remain dead on target in terms of hitting the center of the rim. If the 7 footer can bring his foul shot percentage up to 75% from his career average of 40.4%, N'Diaye will see his scoring average raise at least 1 points per game (a number more significant than it may seem). This number increases even more if N'Diaye can play more into contact to draw a greater number of fouls. During the 2011-2012 season, N'Diaye averaged just under 4 foul shot attempts per game. With the Pac-12 featuring some powerful frontcourts next year in UCLA and USC, the Dawgs desperately need players to step up inside the paint and draw fouls on the opposition. While I do not expect N'Diaye to pull a Derrick Williams and average over 8 foul attempts per game, seeing N'Diaye raise his average from 4 to 6 would be fantastic for the Huskies.
I wish N'Diaye could play the full 40 minutes, but N'Diaye is not I.T. and those type of minutes will wear on any players as the season progresses. With that in mind it is critical that the Dawgs find a strong relief player who can fill the paint and provide solid play on both sides of the court. The loss of Darnell Gant is felt even more when considering this problem. While Gant may not have been the strongest player at the 5, his length and speed made him dangerous as a defender and his mid-range game made Gant a tough cover for bigger centers like Josh Smith.
Maybe the most obvious man for the job is Shawn Kemp Jr. Kemp comes in at 6-9 and a very solid 265lbs. Kemp may have averaged only 7 minutes and 2 points per game last season, but Kemp did something our other frontcourt players seemed scared to do: go hard to the rim and dunk the ball. Too often for my taste, N'Diaye would lay the ball in rather than going up for the jam. I know N'Diaye can dunk, I just don't know why he seems so scared to do just that. N'Diaye's length is unbelievable and very few players can get their hands up near his on the block. Kemp understands that a dunk is more than just two points. A dunk can change the momentum of a game by charging up the home crowd or silencing a hostile environment. Players rally around guys playing a tough, physical game and a center that can throw down next to the rim is an immense tool. I believe Kemp can be that tough player. I believe Kemp can be that guy to come in and bang in the paint, drawing a few fouls while delivering a few of his own. Kemp certainly has the genetics for highlight plays and showed flashes of his abilities during his limited play time. When considering Kemp as N'Diaye's backup you have to remember that Kemp had spent two season away from competitive basketball while improving his academic standing and his conditioning and skills suffered as a result. Now that Kemp is able to refocus his efforts in basketball, expect an immediate rise in his abilities.
We now arrive at the biggest unknown of next season: the 4. If I had to place a bet now, I would lay my money on Desmond Simmons starting at the 4 slot. Simmons proved he is the rough and tumble energy guy Romar professed him to be. Simmons was aggressive on both ends of the glass and supplied reasonably solid defense through the game. Some may argue that Simmons is a tad undersized for the 4 at only 6-7, but at 220lbs Simmons has the strength to battle with players bigger than himself. It is truly his motor that carries him forward and allows him to find success. Where Simmons needs to improve is his mid-range shot. The Dawgs need Simmons to nail down that 12 to 15 footer that Gant was known for. It is an especially dangerous shot when used on the high post screen/pick-and-roll, a play Romar neglects to use way too often. I believe this is a simple fix for Simmons due to the fact that he started the year hitting exactly that type of shot. I'm not sure what changed between November and January, but the Freshman Wall almost always rears its head and Simmons encountered his late in the year. I doubt any Husky fan is expecting our 4 to average double digit points, but I think it is more than fair to want our starting forward to bring 7 to 8 points a game with him.
After Simmons, the experience level drops off pretty significantly. The Huskies have 2 players off the bench to provide some length and minutes.
I expect Martin Breunig to be a big part of the bench next season. I love this kid's attitude and the way he plays. Defensively, Breunig had troubles picking up Romar's style of play, which ultimately led to his limited minutes during conference play. That being said, Breunig is aggressive on offense and seems to possess solid court vision. After the Huskies ended their post season, Romar talked about how the defensive issues would be cleared up immediately and that the Husky fan base should expect a return to the hustle and grind that teams in the Romar era have been known for. Breunig has great athleticism and the will to do whatever is necessary to get the W. After a year of the learning a brand new system in a brand new country, Breunig is primed for an off season of training that is made even more valuable when considering the multi-week trip to Europe and Africa that will give The Dawgs an additional 10 practices before non-conference play. With a defensively improved Breunig, the forward slot issues could be much more easily and readily addressed.
A potential X-Factor for the '12-'13 season is 6-10 forward Jernard Jerreau. When Jerreau first arrived at campus he had to run circles in the shower to get wet. A full year of weight lifting during his redshirt season has led to at least 15lbs of muscle being added to his lengthy frame since high school. That additional muscle puts Jerreau at a much better 205lbs with another four and a half months to go before the games begin. Jerreau has skills that many others his size do not after growing 7 inches between his freshman year of high school and his senior year. Jerreau can handle the ball with somewhat surprising grace that combined with his 91 inch wingspan allows the New Orleans native to make plays above and around others with much greater ease. The key to Jerreau's career moving forward is continuing his weight lifting regiment to gain the strength necessary to play through contact and battle more stout players. Jerreau will not be able to compete in the center against guys like Josh Smith or the Wear twins due to his thin frame, but he could do a lot of good against the many 6-8 and 6-9 players at the forward position where his speed and length will be much tougher to stop. I, for one, am very excited to see Jerreau step on the court and see what all he has to offer. With a great shot and decent rebounding, Jerreau could make his way into the starting 5 due to his size (Imagine a starting 5 of 6-3, 6-6, 6-6, 6-10, 7-0, I'm drooling already).
Two other players have uncertain futures with the Huskies: Austin Sefarian-Jenkins and Perris Blackwell.
Perris Blackwell is a transfer player from USF who stands at 6-9 240lbs. What is holding Blackwell back are the NCAA transfer rules and his current standing as a student. If Blackwell could somehow complete 2 quarters worth of schooling over the summer, Blackwell could apply to the UW as a graduate student allowing him to immediately join and play for the Huskies. This scenario is highly unlikely and as a result, Blackwell will need to sit out the 2012-2013 season as a redshirt per NCAA regulations meaning Dawg fans will have to wait to see Blackwell donning the purple and gold.
Austin Sefarian-Jenkins is a potential All-American football player who may wish to sit out the basketball season to avoid injuries that could end his football playing career. Though ASJ loved and grew from his time on the hardwood, his future lies on the gridiron and risking injury as a walk-on to a sport that will not pay his bills is not a wise course of action. At 6-6 and 260lbs, ASJ was great for about 5 minutes of play and 5 hard fouls, which is exactly what I would expect him to bring to the floor should he put on a basketball uniform for another season. What Husky fans need to keep in mind is that even if ASJ decides to play basketball once more, we will not be able to count on him until conference play as the football season extends into late December and, hopefully, very early January.
What next year's frontcourt comes down to is 5 guys playing a total of 80 minutes, of whom only two have any reasonable amount of experience on the court in a college atmosphere. N'Diaye should continue to pick up his 25 minutes a game and Simmons will likely add a few more to his responsibility in order to fill in the gap left by Gant's departure. This leaves 30-35 minutes amongst 3 players, all of whom could easily contribute the 10-12 minute average that would be asked of them. The most likely scenario is that Kemp Jr. picks up 15 minutes to fill in for N'Diaye, while Breunig and Jerreau split the remaining 15-20 minutes at the 4. With a stellar backcourt once again, this Husky frontcourt should not have too much scoring pressure on their shoulders and much of the frontcourt's responsibilities will come on the defensive end and both sides of the glass. Last season, the frontcourt accounted for 30% of the team scoring and I would imagine next season's team to average the same.
So who can take over in the frontcourt? The answer is pretty much anyone. N'Diaye and Simmons have shown they can play, but there is a lot of room for improvement and opportunity that several players could seize. Romar has always been big on players earning their starting position, stating that no one is ever guaranteed a starting spot when practice begins. While I think most fans would agree that N'Diaye will be in the starting 5, an argument can clearly be made for a number of players to start at the forward position, depending on the off-season progress made by each individual.
The conclusion is that Husky fans should not be terribly worried about our frontcourt. Our team will be much more experienced next season and the tools exist for our frontcourt to have a successful year. I've always been a firm believer that basketball is an inside-out game, meaning that a strong (or at least reliable) frontcourt will open the floor for a talented backcourt to take over. This group of guys can get that job done. Now we just have to wait to see if they can execute and utilize the talent on their team effectively.
Go Dawgs!
Now back to your regularly scheduled programming.
I mentioned briefly in my early season preview that one of the Huskies biggest issues moving into the '12-'13 season is filling the power forward position Darnell Gant had been the center of the past two years. Desmond Simmons provided solid relief in the non-conference season, but struggled to have a strong impact in conference play. Outside of Simmons, the Huskies had little bench support to speak of at the 4 (and 5 slot for that matter).
If the Huskies want to compete for a 5th straight Pac-10/12 title, the Dawgs will need to find an answer to the question "Who can take over in the frontcourt?" While a definitive answer is far from complete at this point in the year, the Dawgs do possess a number of candidates who could make enough of an impact to take scoring and defensive pressure off the backcourt.
The only certainty in the frontcourt is Aziz N'Diaye who will undoubtedly remain in the starting line-up as our go-to center for the third straight season. N'Diaye improved his offensive game greatly this past year as well as his ability to play suffocating defensive without drawing a foul every few plays. This has allowed N'Diaye the opportunity to play more minutes, leading to more scoring and game play experience. N'Diaye's hands softened up and the big man was able to add some nice drop step maneuvers to his post game skill set. N'Diaye continued to struggle mightily at the foul line, but another summer could prove to be invaluable for his work at the charity stripe. Oftentimes N'Diaye's shots would fall short or long of their mark, but remain dead on target in terms of hitting the center of the rim. If the 7 footer can bring his foul shot percentage up to 75% from his career average of 40.4%, N'Diaye will see his scoring average raise at least 1 points per game (a number more significant than it may seem). This number increases even more if N'Diaye can play more into contact to draw a greater number of fouls. During the 2011-2012 season, N'Diaye averaged just under 4 foul shot attempts per game. With the Pac-12 featuring some powerful frontcourts next year in UCLA and USC, the Dawgs desperately need players to step up inside the paint and draw fouls on the opposition. While I do not expect N'Diaye to pull a Derrick Williams and average over 8 foul attempts per game, seeing N'Diaye raise his average from 4 to 6 would be fantastic for the Huskies.
I wish N'Diaye could play the full 40 minutes, but N'Diaye is not I.T. and those type of minutes will wear on any players as the season progresses. With that in mind it is critical that the Dawgs find a strong relief player who can fill the paint and provide solid play on both sides of the court. The loss of Darnell Gant is felt even more when considering this problem. While Gant may not have been the strongest player at the 5, his length and speed made him dangerous as a defender and his mid-range game made Gant a tough cover for bigger centers like Josh Smith.
Maybe the most obvious man for the job is Shawn Kemp Jr. Kemp comes in at 6-9 and a very solid 265lbs. Kemp may have averaged only 7 minutes and 2 points per game last season, but Kemp did something our other frontcourt players seemed scared to do: go hard to the rim and dunk the ball. Too often for my taste, N'Diaye would lay the ball in rather than going up for the jam. I know N'Diaye can dunk, I just don't know why he seems so scared to do just that. N'Diaye's length is unbelievable and very few players can get their hands up near his on the block. Kemp understands that a dunk is more than just two points. A dunk can change the momentum of a game by charging up the home crowd or silencing a hostile environment. Players rally around guys playing a tough, physical game and a center that can throw down next to the rim is an immense tool. I believe Kemp can be that tough player. I believe Kemp can be that guy to come in and bang in the paint, drawing a few fouls while delivering a few of his own. Kemp certainly has the genetics for highlight plays and showed flashes of his abilities during his limited play time. When considering Kemp as N'Diaye's backup you have to remember that Kemp had spent two season away from competitive basketball while improving his academic standing and his conditioning and skills suffered as a result. Now that Kemp is able to refocus his efforts in basketball, expect an immediate rise in his abilities.
We now arrive at the biggest unknown of next season: the 4. If I had to place a bet now, I would lay my money on Desmond Simmons starting at the 4 slot. Simmons proved he is the rough and tumble energy guy Romar professed him to be. Simmons was aggressive on both ends of the glass and supplied reasonably solid defense through the game. Some may argue that Simmons is a tad undersized for the 4 at only 6-7, but at 220lbs Simmons has the strength to battle with players bigger than himself. It is truly his motor that carries him forward and allows him to find success. Where Simmons needs to improve is his mid-range shot. The Dawgs need Simmons to nail down that 12 to 15 footer that Gant was known for. It is an especially dangerous shot when used on the high post screen/pick-and-roll, a play Romar neglects to use way too often. I believe this is a simple fix for Simmons due to the fact that he started the year hitting exactly that type of shot. I'm not sure what changed between November and January, but the Freshman Wall almost always rears its head and Simmons encountered his late in the year. I doubt any Husky fan is expecting our 4 to average double digit points, but I think it is more than fair to want our starting forward to bring 7 to 8 points a game with him.
After Simmons, the experience level drops off pretty significantly. The Huskies have 2 players off the bench to provide some length and minutes.
I expect Martin Breunig to be a big part of the bench next season. I love this kid's attitude and the way he plays. Defensively, Breunig had troubles picking up Romar's style of play, which ultimately led to his limited minutes during conference play. That being said, Breunig is aggressive on offense and seems to possess solid court vision. After the Huskies ended their post season, Romar talked about how the defensive issues would be cleared up immediately and that the Husky fan base should expect a return to the hustle and grind that teams in the Romar era have been known for. Breunig has great athleticism and the will to do whatever is necessary to get the W. After a year of the learning a brand new system in a brand new country, Breunig is primed for an off season of training that is made even more valuable when considering the multi-week trip to Europe and Africa that will give The Dawgs an additional 10 practices before non-conference play. With a defensively improved Breunig, the forward slot issues could be much more easily and readily addressed.
A potential X-Factor for the '12-'13 season is 6-10 forward Jernard Jerreau. When Jerreau first arrived at campus he had to run circles in the shower to get wet. A full year of weight lifting during his redshirt season has led to at least 15lbs of muscle being added to his lengthy frame since high school. That additional muscle puts Jerreau at a much better 205lbs with another four and a half months to go before the games begin. Jerreau has skills that many others his size do not after growing 7 inches between his freshman year of high school and his senior year. Jerreau can handle the ball with somewhat surprising grace that combined with his 91 inch wingspan allows the New Orleans native to make plays above and around others with much greater ease. The key to Jerreau's career moving forward is continuing his weight lifting regiment to gain the strength necessary to play through contact and battle more stout players. Jerreau will not be able to compete in the center against guys like Josh Smith or the Wear twins due to his thin frame, but he could do a lot of good against the many 6-8 and 6-9 players at the forward position where his speed and length will be much tougher to stop. I, for one, am very excited to see Jerreau step on the court and see what all he has to offer. With a great shot and decent rebounding, Jerreau could make his way into the starting 5 due to his size (Imagine a starting 5 of 6-3, 6-6, 6-6, 6-10, 7-0, I'm drooling already).
Two other players have uncertain futures with the Huskies: Austin Sefarian-Jenkins and Perris Blackwell.
Perris Blackwell is a transfer player from USF who stands at 6-9 240lbs. What is holding Blackwell back are the NCAA transfer rules and his current standing as a student. If Blackwell could somehow complete 2 quarters worth of schooling over the summer, Blackwell could apply to the UW as a graduate student allowing him to immediately join and play for the Huskies. This scenario is highly unlikely and as a result, Blackwell will need to sit out the 2012-2013 season as a redshirt per NCAA regulations meaning Dawg fans will have to wait to see Blackwell donning the purple and gold.
Austin Sefarian-Jenkins is a potential All-American football player who may wish to sit out the basketball season to avoid injuries that could end his football playing career. Though ASJ loved and grew from his time on the hardwood, his future lies on the gridiron and risking injury as a walk-on to a sport that will not pay his bills is not a wise course of action. At 6-6 and 260lbs, ASJ was great for about 5 minutes of play and 5 hard fouls, which is exactly what I would expect him to bring to the floor should he put on a basketball uniform for another season. What Husky fans need to keep in mind is that even if ASJ decides to play basketball once more, we will not be able to count on him until conference play as the football season extends into late December and, hopefully, very early January.
What next year's frontcourt comes down to is 5 guys playing a total of 80 minutes, of whom only two have any reasonable amount of experience on the court in a college atmosphere. N'Diaye should continue to pick up his 25 minutes a game and Simmons will likely add a few more to his responsibility in order to fill in the gap left by Gant's departure. This leaves 30-35 minutes amongst 3 players, all of whom could easily contribute the 10-12 minute average that would be asked of them. The most likely scenario is that Kemp Jr. picks up 15 minutes to fill in for N'Diaye, while Breunig and Jerreau split the remaining 15-20 minutes at the 4. With a stellar backcourt once again, this Husky frontcourt should not have too much scoring pressure on their shoulders and much of the frontcourt's responsibilities will come on the defensive end and both sides of the glass. Last season, the frontcourt accounted for 30% of the team scoring and I would imagine next season's team to average the same.
So who can take over in the frontcourt? The answer is pretty much anyone. N'Diaye and Simmons have shown they can play, but there is a lot of room for improvement and opportunity that several players could seize. Romar has always been big on players earning their starting position, stating that no one is ever guaranteed a starting spot when practice begins. While I think most fans would agree that N'Diaye will be in the starting 5, an argument can clearly be made for a number of players to start at the forward position, depending on the off-season progress made by each individual.
The conclusion is that Husky fans should not be terribly worried about our frontcourt. Our team will be much more experienced next season and the tools exist for our frontcourt to have a successful year. I've always been a firm believer that basketball is an inside-out game, meaning that a strong (or at least reliable) frontcourt will open the floor for a talented backcourt to take over. This group of guys can get that job done. Now we just have to wait to see if they can execute and utilize the talent on their team effectively.
Go Dawgs!
Thursday, May 10, 2012
An Early Look at the 2012-2013 Husky Basketball Team
The 2011-2012 season has been over for some time now. Our two stars have declared early for the NBA draft and Lorenzo Romar seems to be done recruiting for next season. The Dawgs have added two new names to the roster, though one will likely redshirt this season as per NCAA regulations regarding transfers.
So what can Husky fans expect out of next year's team? It's a bit hard to tell at the moment, especially in light of last season's less than stellar outcome. While the 2011-2012 team was young, but talented, the lack of depth may have ultimately led to the early season losses and the late season collapses. 2012-2013 looks to be loaded with much more experience and, hopefully, a much deeper bench that will allow Romar and staff to execute the type of high octane defense that has been such a staple of this program.
With 7 freshman on last season's roster it is easy to see why the team may have struggled early on. Next season the roster will feature 2 redshirt freshmen, 5 sophomores (4 if Austin Sefarian-Jenkins does not return), 1 redshirt sophomore, 2 juniors, and 4 seniors (though Perry Blackwell will be redshirting). Now I must state that experience does not always equal talent, but it certainly is not a deterrent. Only two incoming players will have had zero experience with Romar's program and both players are experienced college ball athletes. Along with the preseason trip to Europe and Africa, this team should be a much more prepared unit than the 15 guys that took the court against Seattle Pacific University in early November, 2011.
The biggest question is most certainly "Who will replace Terrence Ross and Tony Wroten?" With Scott Suggs returning from his medical redshirt season, it is easy to imagine Suggs slipping right into Ross' starting possession and immediately make a positive impact. Suggs was our most consistent 3-point threat in the 2010-2011 season and he appeared confident in his shot throughout the exercises in the pregame warm-ups. Suggs has a chance to be one of the leagues leading scorers if he can not only knock down his jumper, but also drive the line with regularity to keep the defenses from cheating out to cover him. C.J. Wilcox also has the potential to jump into the starting 5 with his excellent outside shooting. At times, Wilcox was a streaking shooter hitting either all of his shots or none at all. There is no stopping Wilcox once he gets hot, just take a look at the 2009-2010 game against UCLA for proof.
I should also throw the new Husky's name in here, Mark McLaughlin. While I have seen very little of his game outside the occasional highlight video, McLaughlin is another tall wing with excellent scoring abilities. McLaughlin could provide excellent 6th man support, much like Wilcox this past year. Who knows, McLaughlin may turn out to be a better scoring threat than either Suggs or Wilcox, though my money is on the later players.
As for point guard production, the majority of the burden will fall upon Abdul Gaddy who is still struggling to live up to the hype set before his freshman year. Gaddy showed much more aggressiveness in the final stretch, but it proved to be too little too late. Gaddy is a well controlled guard with great court vision who, unlike Wroten, can see his teammates on the perimeter while attacking the lanes and is very comfortable kicking it out for an open J. Gaddy needs to be willing to move inside the paint and drop in the teardrop over the opposition frontcourt or simply bank his shot off the glass into the rim. When Gaddy executes inside, it looks all too easy and often leaves me wondering why in the world he doesn't attempt such things more often.
With next year's starting 5 likely featuring 2 outside threats versus 2 point guards, we may see more driving shots from whoever is at the 1 position as the defense spreads to covers the 3-point threat. I also believe that Andrew Andrews is in a position to provide stellar relief for Abdul Gaddy. Andrews has shown to be a fairly solid outside shot and is also known for having great speed and passing abilities. I've been told that Andrews has come out of practices looking like the best point guard on the court. We can only hope that these rumors are true. Hikeem Stewart can also improve his impact on the game by spending the summer with a shooting coach. As it stands Stewart is a 1-dimensional player without much of a shooting game, making it far too easy for opponents to simply sit back and let Stewart jack up shots that will never fall.
The second question the Huskies will have to address is "How will the frontcourt perform?" In many ways, this is a more important question than replacing Ross and Wroten. Players almost always step up their offensive production when called upon to do so and considering the holes our team needs to fill is in our deepest position, well we as fans shouldn't stress ourselves too much in that regard. The Huskies lose Darnell Gant to graduation, leaving Aziz N'Diaye as the only major minute grabbing big man. Desmond Simmons will pick up most of Gant's minutes as Simmons proved himself to be an amazing rebounder and hustler whenever he got into the game. Simmons did hit the proverbial freshman wall late in the season, but the fact that it took so long to occur is a testament to the work ethic Simmons possesses. I believe that Simmons and N'Diaye will be responsible for most of the dirty work off the glass, but expect some support for our outside guards.
The Husky frontcourt will also add in 6'10 redshirt freshman, Jernard Jerreau. While Jerreau is still built like a beanpole, he has put on weight since arriving to the UW campus. Another summer of working out will hopefully see an additional 10 or 15lbs of muscles added to his physique. The frontcourt should also see reasonable production from Shawn Kemp Jr. and Martin Breunig, both of whom showed potential on the offensive side of the ball. Their defensive lapses is what likely kept both players from receiving more minutes throughout the year. I am a big fan of Breunig. During his limited playtime, he really impressed me on the offensive end and I like the way he executes. I also enjoy Kemp Jr. dunking the ball next to the rim, rather than trying to lay it in as N'Diaye so often does.
So can the frontcourt establish itself as a respectable threat such that our backcourt benefits? I would say...yes. The Husky frontcourt will not be one of the top in the nation, heck it likely won't be one of the top in the conference (see UCLA for frontcourt depth). What the Husky frontcourt will be is a reminder for teams that the pick-and-roll still exists, that cheating out to the perimeter leads to easy dunks and lay-ins, and that dropping the ball inside to our big men is not any less effective than hitting a 15 foot jumper. Last season our frontcourt averaged only 28% of our points, I'd like to see that number jump to 35%. Our team relied far too much on backcourt production last season and that wears down players quicker than one might imagine. Sure, we managed to score nearly 80 points per game, but our defense suffered from the effort required on the offensive end. If the post can establish themselves as a scoring threat, the perimeter players will not be asked to run off of so many screens or cut across the baseline as often. I'm not saying those things should stop by any means, but if we can get a nice pass to the block for a 1-on-1 situation, our frontcourt should be talented enough to score a majority of the time. N'Diaye has really begun to put together some solid post moves that are near impossible to stop at 7 feet tall.
Overall, I would say this team may be slightly more consistent than 2011-2012, but I fear a similar post season outcome. UCLA and Arizona look very dangerous with some very talented freshmen joining their respective teams. Stanford also looks to be a threat, losing very little from last year's NIT championship team. What this means for the Huskies, is with a successful non-conference reason of their own, the Pac-12 could finally start making a return to dominance in the NCAA tournament. At this point, I would predict the Huskies to finish in 3rd, maybe 4th place, with a 12-6 or 11-7 record. As the season draws nearer and more information begins to come out from the various camps and practices, I'll speculate more on how each individual Pac-12 team should fair in the coming season.
Go Dawgs!
So what can Husky fans expect out of next year's team? It's a bit hard to tell at the moment, especially in light of last season's less than stellar outcome. While the 2011-2012 team was young, but talented, the lack of depth may have ultimately led to the early season losses and the late season collapses. 2012-2013 looks to be loaded with much more experience and, hopefully, a much deeper bench that will allow Romar and staff to execute the type of high octane defense that has been such a staple of this program.
With 7 freshman on last season's roster it is easy to see why the team may have struggled early on. Next season the roster will feature 2 redshirt freshmen, 5 sophomores (4 if Austin Sefarian-Jenkins does not return), 1 redshirt sophomore, 2 juniors, and 4 seniors (though Perry Blackwell will be redshirting). Now I must state that experience does not always equal talent, but it certainly is not a deterrent. Only two incoming players will have had zero experience with Romar's program and both players are experienced college ball athletes. Along with the preseason trip to Europe and Africa, this team should be a much more prepared unit than the 15 guys that took the court against Seattle Pacific University in early November, 2011.
The biggest question is most certainly "Who will replace Terrence Ross and Tony Wroten?" With Scott Suggs returning from his medical redshirt season, it is easy to imagine Suggs slipping right into Ross' starting possession and immediately make a positive impact. Suggs was our most consistent 3-point threat in the 2010-2011 season and he appeared confident in his shot throughout the exercises in the pregame warm-ups. Suggs has a chance to be one of the leagues leading scorers if he can not only knock down his jumper, but also drive the line with regularity to keep the defenses from cheating out to cover him. C.J. Wilcox also has the potential to jump into the starting 5 with his excellent outside shooting. At times, Wilcox was a streaking shooter hitting either all of his shots or none at all. There is no stopping Wilcox once he gets hot, just take a look at the 2009-2010 game against UCLA for proof.
I should also throw the new Husky's name in here, Mark McLaughlin. While I have seen very little of his game outside the occasional highlight video, McLaughlin is another tall wing with excellent scoring abilities. McLaughlin could provide excellent 6th man support, much like Wilcox this past year. Who knows, McLaughlin may turn out to be a better scoring threat than either Suggs or Wilcox, though my money is on the later players.
As for point guard production, the majority of the burden will fall upon Abdul Gaddy who is still struggling to live up to the hype set before his freshman year. Gaddy showed much more aggressiveness in the final stretch, but it proved to be too little too late. Gaddy is a well controlled guard with great court vision who, unlike Wroten, can see his teammates on the perimeter while attacking the lanes and is very comfortable kicking it out for an open J. Gaddy needs to be willing to move inside the paint and drop in the teardrop over the opposition frontcourt or simply bank his shot off the glass into the rim. When Gaddy executes inside, it looks all too easy and often leaves me wondering why in the world he doesn't attempt such things more often.
With next year's starting 5 likely featuring 2 outside threats versus 2 point guards, we may see more driving shots from whoever is at the 1 position as the defense spreads to covers the 3-point threat. I also believe that Andrew Andrews is in a position to provide stellar relief for Abdul Gaddy. Andrews has shown to be a fairly solid outside shot and is also known for having great speed and passing abilities. I've been told that Andrews has come out of practices looking like the best point guard on the court. We can only hope that these rumors are true. Hikeem Stewart can also improve his impact on the game by spending the summer with a shooting coach. As it stands Stewart is a 1-dimensional player without much of a shooting game, making it far too easy for opponents to simply sit back and let Stewart jack up shots that will never fall.
The second question the Huskies will have to address is "How will the frontcourt perform?" In many ways, this is a more important question than replacing Ross and Wroten. Players almost always step up their offensive production when called upon to do so and considering the holes our team needs to fill is in our deepest position, well we as fans shouldn't stress ourselves too much in that regard. The Huskies lose Darnell Gant to graduation, leaving Aziz N'Diaye as the only major minute grabbing big man. Desmond Simmons will pick up most of Gant's minutes as Simmons proved himself to be an amazing rebounder and hustler whenever he got into the game. Simmons did hit the proverbial freshman wall late in the season, but the fact that it took so long to occur is a testament to the work ethic Simmons possesses. I believe that Simmons and N'Diaye will be responsible for most of the dirty work off the glass, but expect some support for our outside guards.
The Husky frontcourt will also add in 6'10 redshirt freshman, Jernard Jerreau. While Jerreau is still built like a beanpole, he has put on weight since arriving to the UW campus. Another summer of working out will hopefully see an additional 10 or 15lbs of muscles added to his physique. The frontcourt should also see reasonable production from Shawn Kemp Jr. and Martin Breunig, both of whom showed potential on the offensive side of the ball. Their defensive lapses is what likely kept both players from receiving more minutes throughout the year. I am a big fan of Breunig. During his limited playtime, he really impressed me on the offensive end and I like the way he executes. I also enjoy Kemp Jr. dunking the ball next to the rim, rather than trying to lay it in as N'Diaye so often does.
So can the frontcourt establish itself as a respectable threat such that our backcourt benefits? I would say...yes. The Husky frontcourt will not be one of the top in the nation, heck it likely won't be one of the top in the conference (see UCLA for frontcourt depth). What the Husky frontcourt will be is a reminder for teams that the pick-and-roll still exists, that cheating out to the perimeter leads to easy dunks and lay-ins, and that dropping the ball inside to our big men is not any less effective than hitting a 15 foot jumper. Last season our frontcourt averaged only 28% of our points, I'd like to see that number jump to 35%. Our team relied far too much on backcourt production last season and that wears down players quicker than one might imagine. Sure, we managed to score nearly 80 points per game, but our defense suffered from the effort required on the offensive end. If the post can establish themselves as a scoring threat, the perimeter players will not be asked to run off of so many screens or cut across the baseline as often. I'm not saying those things should stop by any means, but if we can get a nice pass to the block for a 1-on-1 situation, our frontcourt should be talented enough to score a majority of the time. N'Diaye has really begun to put together some solid post moves that are near impossible to stop at 7 feet tall.
Overall, I would say this team may be slightly more consistent than 2011-2012, but I fear a similar post season outcome. UCLA and Arizona look very dangerous with some very talented freshmen joining their respective teams. Stanford also looks to be a threat, losing very little from last year's NIT championship team. What this means for the Huskies, is with a successful non-conference reason of their own, the Pac-12 could finally start making a return to dominance in the NCAA tournament. At this point, I would predict the Huskies to finish in 3rd, maybe 4th place, with a 12-6 or 11-7 record. As the season draws nearer and more information begins to come out from the various camps and practices, I'll speculate more on how each individual Pac-12 team should fair in the coming season.
Go Dawgs!
Friday, May 4, 2012
UW to Take On Europe and Africa
The UW Huskies scrapped plans earlier this year to travel to China for several exhibition games against Chinese professionals. We were promised something equally exciting, if not more so, and the UW did not disappoint. The Huskies have scheduled 7 games across 15 days throughout Europe and Africa. UW is allowed 10 practices before hopping on their plane out, which will no doubt be tremendously helpful in preparing for the regular season.
The Huskies begin their trip on August 25th in Barcelona, Spain for a 5 day/2 game stint before departing to Nice (pronounced Niece), France (having been to Nice, I must say I am quite jealous of the weather they should experience). The Dawgs will stay in Nice for 3 days for two games at which point the Huskies will head over to Paris, France for a 4 day/2 game stay. Following Paris, the Huskies will fly down to Senegal, Africa for a 4 day/1 game stay. This should be immensely exciting for Aziz N'Diaye as it will give him the opportunity to play in front of friends and family.
Go Dawgs!
The Huskies begin their trip on August 25th in Barcelona, Spain for a 5 day/2 game stint before departing to Nice (pronounced Niece), France (having been to Nice, I must say I am quite jealous of the weather they should experience). The Dawgs will stay in Nice for 3 days for two games at which point the Huskies will head over to Paris, France for a 4 day/2 game stay. Following Paris, the Huskies will fly down to Senegal, Africa for a 4 day/1 game stay. This should be immensely exciting for Aziz N'Diaye as it will give him the opportunity to play in front of friends and family.
Go Dawgs!
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
What Sports Mean to Me
Sports are more than just two teams or a group of individuals competing against one another. Sports are more than the score at the final buzzer. Sports are more than just a show to turn on in passing while flipping channels. Sports are a way of life, a way to define oneself, a way to learn valuable life lessons that can only be found on the hardwood and gridiron, and an escape from the monotony of everyday life.
Just about every kid dreamed of being a sports star at some point in their life. Whether it was draining a buzzer beating 3-pointer to win the championship or hitting a walk-off grand-slam in the bottom of the 9th, every child wanted to be a super star. The fact of the matter is that very few will ever get to experience that pure jubilation of nailing the game-winner and the rest must be content to watch it happen.
I was no exception. I grew up playing sports from the moment I could swing a bat or shoot a ball. I was 3 years old when my dad first handed me a rolled up newspaper to hit a wiffle ball. A year later I was on my first peewee tee-ball team alongside my cousin. Not long after that I picked up basketball, which was soon followed by soccer.
My parents are both Physical Education teachers, one of my grandfathers was also P.E. teacher. Like my grandfather, my dad was a coach and player throughout his life and their passion for all things sports was instilled in me from a young age and I have loved every minute of it. My dad introduced me to his two sports: basketball and baseball. My mother gave me her love for soccer. My dad coached my basketball and baseball teams through my 8th grade season, at which point I then transferred to a new school district where I played my last season for any organized team in basketball and baseball. Since then I've been content to play both sports in pick-up games where ever I can find the time. Just having graduated from the University of Washington, I spend most of my day job hunting and playing pick-up basketball for 3 or 4 hours a day down at the IMA. I played organized soccer in a rec league until I turned 19 as well as indoor soccer alongside my mom for well over a year straight. Every weekend my mom and I would head to the Bremerton Indoor Center where we would take play alongside several other parent/child combos.
Sports have given me so many tools that I have used in both the academic and "professional" setting. Skills like team management, time management, teamwork, communication, and persistence are the first few that jump to mind. There comes a killer instinct from playing sports, a drive to excel in all scenarios, that is hard to achieve without some sort of sporting background.
I was never an amazing athlete. Not a slouch, but I was hardly ever the star. It was never my true dream to pursue a career as a sports athlete. My cards lay in academia and that's what I have successfully achieved. I just graduated with a 3.4 GPA and a Bachelor of Science in Physics. Every year myself and my friends would sign up for a variety of intramural sports that included Flag Football, Co-Ed and Men's Basketball, Men's Softball, and Co-Ed Ultimate Frisbee. Like myself, my friends have grown up with sports playing a big role in their lives. Just because I couldn't compete at the highest level didn't mean I had to halt my "career" as an athlete. I still strive to be the best I can be, to play the hardest I can every game, and to leave everything on the court.
Despite my relatively short endeavor in organized play, I still live vicariously through my Alma-mater's various sports teams, namely the Men's Basketball team. I don't regret this for a moment, even when we suffer a tough or humiliating loss. There are times I wonder if it would be easier not to care so much about a group of guys I don't even know. Sometimes I wonder if all the emotional strain, the countless hours, and words typed out before me is worth anything at all. That's when I remember how amazing it feels to cheer a team on through insurmountable odds to a crazy win. I don't think any sports fan can deny just how ridiculous a huge win can feel; it always makes my day/week/month/year/life that much better.
I can remember nearly every detail leading up to I.T.'s game winning, buzzer beater against Arizona in overtime for the Pac-10 championship. I can remember feeling on top of the world when we got up early. I can remember feeling depressed as we went down 4 with under 40 seconds to go. I also remember feeling pure ecstasy as I.T., Terrence Ross, and C.J. Wilcox all nailed consecutive 3-pointers to tie the game in regulation. The tension during the final seconds was indescribable. It was myself and about 10 other friends in my little "apartment style" dorm living room surrounding a 40 inch T.V., sitting/kneeling/pacing as Thomas dribbled up the court. As he sized up Jones, everyone went tense. One of my friends said "Nope..." as I.T. let loose his shot. It seemed as though the game went into slo-mo and as the ball fell through the net and the backboard lit up. Then...chaos erupted in my apartment. Everyone began to jump and yell, hugging everyone in sight, falling off their chairs, and collapsing to the floor. It was so loud we were heard in another building across the road from us and I'm sure the people above us could make out every word we said without a problem. I wouldn't trade that feeling for anything. I still get goosebumps to this day when I think of that moment.
Sports are a way of life. I can think of very few people who do not refer to their teams as "We" or "Us." Whenever a game is completed I always talk about how "we" won and what "we" did well or terrible. never "they." Following a sports team means being a part of the team and I firmly believe that not a single coach or player would fail to acknowledge that their fan base is an integral part of their team. Without the fans there are no paychecks.
Sports are who I am, who I was, and who I will be until the day I die.
Go Dawgs!
Just about every kid dreamed of being a sports star at some point in their life. Whether it was draining a buzzer beating 3-pointer to win the championship or hitting a walk-off grand-slam in the bottom of the 9th, every child wanted to be a super star. The fact of the matter is that very few will ever get to experience that pure jubilation of nailing the game-winner and the rest must be content to watch it happen.
I was no exception. I grew up playing sports from the moment I could swing a bat or shoot a ball. I was 3 years old when my dad first handed me a rolled up newspaper to hit a wiffle ball. A year later I was on my first peewee tee-ball team alongside my cousin. Not long after that I picked up basketball, which was soon followed by soccer.
My parents are both Physical Education teachers, one of my grandfathers was also P.E. teacher. Like my grandfather, my dad was a coach and player throughout his life and their passion for all things sports was instilled in me from a young age and I have loved every minute of it. My dad introduced me to his two sports: basketball and baseball. My mother gave me her love for soccer. My dad coached my basketball and baseball teams through my 8th grade season, at which point I then transferred to a new school district where I played my last season for any organized team in basketball and baseball. Since then I've been content to play both sports in pick-up games where ever I can find the time. Just having graduated from the University of Washington, I spend most of my day job hunting and playing pick-up basketball for 3 or 4 hours a day down at the IMA. I played organized soccer in a rec league until I turned 19 as well as indoor soccer alongside my mom for well over a year straight. Every weekend my mom and I would head to the Bremerton Indoor Center where we would take play alongside several other parent/child combos.
Sports have given me so many tools that I have used in both the academic and "professional" setting. Skills like team management, time management, teamwork, communication, and persistence are the first few that jump to mind. There comes a killer instinct from playing sports, a drive to excel in all scenarios, that is hard to achieve without some sort of sporting background.
I was never an amazing athlete. Not a slouch, but I was hardly ever the star. It was never my true dream to pursue a career as a sports athlete. My cards lay in academia and that's what I have successfully achieved. I just graduated with a 3.4 GPA and a Bachelor of Science in Physics. Every year myself and my friends would sign up for a variety of intramural sports that included Flag Football, Co-Ed and Men's Basketball, Men's Softball, and Co-Ed Ultimate Frisbee. Like myself, my friends have grown up with sports playing a big role in their lives. Just because I couldn't compete at the highest level didn't mean I had to halt my "career" as an athlete. I still strive to be the best I can be, to play the hardest I can every game, and to leave everything on the court.
Despite my relatively short endeavor in organized play, I still live vicariously through my Alma-mater's various sports teams, namely the Men's Basketball team. I don't regret this for a moment, even when we suffer a tough or humiliating loss. There are times I wonder if it would be easier not to care so much about a group of guys I don't even know. Sometimes I wonder if all the emotional strain, the countless hours, and words typed out before me is worth anything at all. That's when I remember how amazing it feels to cheer a team on through insurmountable odds to a crazy win. I don't think any sports fan can deny just how ridiculous a huge win can feel; it always makes my day/week/month/year/life that much better.
I can remember nearly every detail leading up to I.T.'s game winning, buzzer beater against Arizona in overtime for the Pac-10 championship. I can remember feeling on top of the world when we got up early. I can remember feeling depressed as we went down 4 with under 40 seconds to go. I also remember feeling pure ecstasy as I.T., Terrence Ross, and C.J. Wilcox all nailed consecutive 3-pointers to tie the game in regulation. The tension during the final seconds was indescribable. It was myself and about 10 other friends in my little "apartment style" dorm living room surrounding a 40 inch T.V., sitting/kneeling/pacing as Thomas dribbled up the court. As he sized up Jones, everyone went tense. One of my friends said "Nope..." as I.T. let loose his shot. It seemed as though the game went into slo-mo and as the ball fell through the net and the backboard lit up. Then...chaos erupted in my apartment. Everyone began to jump and yell, hugging everyone in sight, falling off their chairs, and collapsing to the floor. It was so loud we were heard in another building across the road from us and I'm sure the people above us could make out every word we said without a problem. I wouldn't trade that feeling for anything. I still get goosebumps to this day when I think of that moment.
Sports are a way of life. I can think of very few people who do not refer to their teams as "We" or "Us." Whenever a game is completed I always talk about how "we" won and what "we" did well or terrible. never "they." Following a sports team means being a part of the team and I firmly believe that not a single coach or player would fail to acknowledge that their fan base is an integral part of their team. Without the fans there are no paychecks.
Sports are who I am, who I was, and who I will be until the day I die.
Go Dawgs!
Monday, April 16, 2012
Perris Blackwell Transfers to UW
The former USF forward has opted to transfer to the University of Washington where he will have one year of eligibility remaining. Blackwell is currently a junior and will likely have to sit out the 2012-2013 season, unless he can complete the coursework necessary to graduate from USF. Doing so would allow Blackwell to apply to the UW as a graduate student and therefore grant him immediate eligibility to play during the 2012-2013 season.
Blackwell is a 6-9 240lb forward with sizable experience. Last season Blackwell averaged over 12 points and 6 rebounds per game and has started in over two-thirds of his college appearances. While it would be certainly helpful for Blackwell to be available for next season, Husky fans should not hold their breath and would be better off expecting Blackwell to contribute in the 2013-2014 season. Either way, Blackwell should help fill some of the void in the frontcourt that has so often troubled the Huskies.
Go Dawgs!
Blackwell is a 6-9 240lb forward with sizable experience. Last season Blackwell averaged over 12 points and 6 rebounds per game and has started in over two-thirds of his college appearances. While it would be certainly helpful for Blackwell to be available for next season, Husky fans should not hold their breath and would be better off expecting Blackwell to contribute in the 2013-2014 season. Either way, Blackwell should help fill some of the void in the frontcourt that has so often troubled the Huskies.
Go Dawgs!
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
Mark McLaughlin Signs With UW
Mark McLaughlin, a junior college transfer from Tacoma Community College, has official signed with the Huskies today after several tumultuous years signing with 8 teams in 5 years due to various issues, including academics.
McLaughlin spent 2 seasons at Seattle U after transferring from Baylor University, one season was the mandated "redshirt" season that requires a transfer student to sit out for one season.
McLaughlin is a 6-6 shooting guard weighing in at 200lb. McLaughlin averaged nearly 28 points and 9 rebounds on top of 3 assists across 31 games last season. McLaughlin can be a prolific outside shooter with a 38% outside shooting average. My favorite stat? 84% free throw shooting on nearly 250 attempts. That is an average of 8 attempts per game, something that only Tony Wroten managed this year. Another promising stat from McLaughlin is his 1.4 steals per game.
All around, McLaughlin could be another diamond in the rough discovered by Romar. If McLaughlin can stay on track and remain a mature and contributing player, the loss of Ross and Wroten could be offset by this acquisition.
The Huskies have two scholarships remaining for next season and the Dawgs remain on the prowl for at least one big man, hopefully two.
Go Dawg!
McLaughlin spent 2 seasons at Seattle U after transferring from Baylor University, one season was the mandated "redshirt" season that requires a transfer student to sit out for one season.
McLaughlin is a 6-6 shooting guard weighing in at 200lb. McLaughlin averaged nearly 28 points and 9 rebounds on top of 3 assists across 31 games last season. McLaughlin can be a prolific outside shooter with a 38% outside shooting average. My favorite stat? 84% free throw shooting on nearly 250 attempts. That is an average of 8 attempts per game, something that only Tony Wroten managed this year. Another promising stat from McLaughlin is his 1.4 steals per game.
All around, McLaughlin could be another diamond in the rough discovered by Romar. If McLaughlin can stay on track and remain a mature and contributing player, the loss of Ross and Wroten could be offset by this acquisition.
The Huskies have two scholarships remaining for next season and the Dawgs remain on the prowl for at least one big man, hopefully two.
Go Dawg!
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
Tony Wroten Jr. Declares for NBA Draft
And there we have it. Tony Wroten has opted to leave Washington after a single season to put his name in the NBA Draft. Unlike Terrence Ross, I do not believe Wroten is ready for the NBA. While his size and pure athleticism allow him to compete at the top, he inability to use his right hand as well as a lack of a shot outside 4 feet are quite concerning. Even Wroten's shot inside the lane is suspect and a majority of his scoring comes from his ability to dink a lay-in only to get the offensive put-back. Another hole in Wroten's game is his defense. At times, Wroten can be the best defender on the court grabbing steals left and right. Other times, Wroten over commits and lets his man take the lane or fouls resulting in free throws. Wroten has improved his turnovers throughout the season, but the fact remains that Wroten often takes too big of a risk on passes, giving the ball to the opposition. NBA players may be more capable recipients of Wroten's more wild passes, but they aren't miracle workers.
Despite these flaws, Wroten is still predicted as a mid to late first round pick. Can't really blame him for wanting to start earning the big bucks, but I can't help but question his timing. Another year in college could place him in the top 10 of the draft by adding just one additional tool to his skill set.
I wish Wroten the best and hope this does not come back to bite him. It was fun (and frustrating) watching Wroten do his work on the court.
Go Dawgs!
Despite these flaws, Wroten is still predicted as a mid to late first round pick. Can't really blame him for wanting to start earning the big bucks, but I can't help but question his timing. Another year in college could place him in the top 10 of the draft by adding just one additional tool to his skill set.
I wish Wroten the best and hope this does not come back to bite him. It was fun (and frustrating) watching Wroten do his work on the court.
Go Dawgs!
Sunday, April 1, 2012
Terrence Ross Declares for NBA Draft
This is not unexpected news, nor is the timing unexpected. Ross ended the season on a tear and proved himself to be a top 20 pick in the draft. Most sites have Ross anywhere between 18 and 20 on the board, making him a solid first round pick. Ross had a stellar career at UW, though he often left fans wanting more due to somewhat sub-par first halves followed by explosive second halves. Much like I.T.'s departure I am left saddened by the fact I won't get to see Ross in a Husky uniform again, but I wish him the best of luck in the league. If Ross has any type of rookie season like I.T., I think we can all be certain he made the right choice. Now we await to hear what Tony Wroten decides.
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
University of Oregon Game Review 3
Final Score: UW-90 UO-86
Oregon made it a 4 point defeat with a last second tip-in following a series of made free throws by C.J. Wilcox. The Dawgs and Ducks battled back and forth all night with 10 points being the greatest differential achieved during the match.
The night started out rough for the Huskies who saw Oregon take another early lead. Slowly, but surely the Dawgs started connecting on their shots and played a little tougher defense, allowing the Huskies to go into half down only 4 points. The second half brought more energy and the crowd, who was already the loudest I have heard all season outside of the WSU and Cal games, got louder and more excited. The players fed off this and highlights plays started accruing. Terrence Ross and Tony Wroten were aggressive all night leading to a combined 46 points from the duo, while Wilcox came off the bench to provide 17 critical points including a stellar 6 of 6 performance from the free throw line, all of which came in the final 30 seconds of the game.
The two teams provided one of the most even match-ups of the season with neither team dominating any one particular category. The Dawgs out rebounded the Ducks 37-34 with a 14-12 advantage on the offensive glass. Both teams made 7 3-pointers, though it took the Ducks an additional 6 attempts to achieve the same results. The Ducks made 3 more field goals than the Dawgs, but the Huskies attempted 13 more free throws than the Ducks and made 10 more overall. Both teams dished out 17 assists and had their steals and blocks combine for 6 each. The Ducks had 7 turnovers and the Dawgs had 8. As I said, an even game.
What makes games like this so exciting and fun to be at is not only the rivalry, but the pace at which the game is played. Teams like Utah, USC, and ASU drive me nuts due to their slow down, mind numbingly boring type of basketball. The Ducks play at a high rate, they love the transition, and can really push this Husky squad to be their best.
This Husky squad played one of their best games of the season and no surprise, a large part of this had to do with the aggressiveness of our guards. Abdul Gaddy had one of his best nights as a Dawg, tallying a double-double with 11 points, 10 assists, and an impressive 7 rebounds. Gaddy helped the Dawgs execute their half-court offense with supreme efficiency. The team as a whole used the shot clock well, but Gaddy excelled in finding the open man after driving into the lane late in the clock. Gaddy also converted 4 shots at the line during 6 attempts. What changed in Gaddy's mind during the last 2 weeks is beyond me, but this aggressiveness and desire to not only play, but to win, has been missing most of the year and, in my mind, is a big reason this team is now winning games they would have struggled through early this season.
Aziz N'Diaye had a quiet night due to foul trouble. He attempted only 2 shots and made 1. N'Diaye was a solid 3 of 4 from the line and collected 7 rebounds during his limited 20 minutes. Tony Woods was next to impossible for N'Diaye to shut down, especially once the fouls started racking up. Thankfully, Austin Sefarian-Jenkins was able to play 15 minutes of relief during which ASJ picked up 4 hard fouls of his own. The man loves to foul and I'm OK with this. ASJ is a back-up player whose fate ultimately lies on the gridiron. Any foul he picks up is one less for N'Diaye. Desmond Simmons played only 5 minutes in the first half and that was all the game time he saw.
Darnell Gant was excellent on the offensive glass tonight picking up 7 total boards and 5 on the offensive side. Gant shot reasonably well hitting 3 of his 5 attempts and finishing with 6 points on the night. After picking up 15 points in the first half, E.J. Singler was held to just 4 points in the second and fouled out, due in large part to the handcuffs put on him by Gant and the Huskies.
C.J. Wilcox saved the game with his clutch free throw shooting, but he should also be recognized for his aggressiveness in the paint and his sharp shooting performance. Wilcox was only 4 of 10 from the field, but was 3 of 6 from deep. Wilcox's shooting allowed his teammates to get open looks by spreading the floor and threatening to shoot. Terrence Ross and Tony Wroten saw many great looks inside the paint due to Wilcox sitting on the perimeter, forcing the Duck defense to stay honest and defend the outside shot.
Terrence Ross had another career night finishing with 24 points on 9 of 18 shooting. Ross' outside shot was a tad below average with only 3 makes on 8 attempts, but his inside drive was as dangerous as ever. It seemed as though any set where the clock was running out, Ross or Wroten had the ball in their hand, looking to drive inside for the basket. Ross finished 3 of 3 from the foul line and also picked up 3 rebounds. With 4 other Huskies grabbing 7 boards, Ross did not need to be as aggressive on the glass. Thus far in the tournament, Ross had averaged just under 27 points per game, 11 points above his season average. This shows just how talented Ross can be when he plays hard during both halves. If Ross stays another season, he may very well be one of the nation's leading scorers.
Tony Wroten now hold the freshman scoring record for UW, surpassing Isaiah Thomas. Wroten now holds a 9 point advantage and will certainly add more as the NIT continues. After a 5 shot game against Northwestern, it was almost a certainty that Wroten would be aggressive once more. Sure enough, Wroten attacked the Ducks early and often leading to 22 points on 6 of 15 shooting. The best part of Wroten's night? 10 of 14 at the foul line, an impressive stat for a player who has struggled throughout the season. If Wroten can come back next season and be a 75% free throw shooter, he will battle Ross for the leading scorer title. Wroten's speed and agility causes supreme difficulty for his opponents and often leads to foul calls. Being able to convert his foul shots is just one more step in becoming a true superstar.
What Needed Improvement:
First Half Defense:
It is really hard for my to criticize much from the game. I thought the Dawgs performed pretty well throughout the night. My only complaint going into half time was about a few lapses in defensive rotation that led to wide open shots by the Ducks. Overall I felt the execution by the Dawgs went well through the nights. The Ducks were often forced to take contested shots and ultimately that is the best you can ask of a team. Good shooters will make shots over their defenders.
What was Good:
Offensive Execution:
The Dawgs were unusually patient in the half-court and found success. The team moved the ball well and Gaddy led the way by finding the open shooter time and time again. The Huskies limited their turnovers, they made smart plays, and took smart shots. There were very few times I found myself asking why a particular shot was attempted. This patience is something the team has lacked all most of the year and again, a big reason why the Dawgs are now winning games that would have been chalked up as losses earlier this year.
Attitude and Aggressiveness:
This team wanted to win. They wanted to play. The first game of the NIT was tough for both fans and players, but after the win I think everybody decided to let bygones be bygones and celebrate the fact that we get to see our team play a few more games, at home none the less. The players came out with smiles on their faces, they pumped their fists, and raised the roof. Just about everyone aggressively attacked the rim and found ways to make their mark on the game. The Huskies need to carry this momentum and attitude to New York.
Final Thoughts:
I know this may be looking a bit too far ahead, but I can't help but get excited for a potentially exhilarating match-up between UW and the University of Massachusetts in the NIT finals. For those who don't know, UW and UMass play one another in the NCAA championship during the movie "The Sixth Man." This movie is about the Husky basketball team winning a national title. If you haven't seen it, check it out. It's awesome and a Husky fan must. The Dawgs have been playing the type of basketball fans have been expecting to see all season and now look to win a championship, though not of the caliber they initially set eyes upon. Regardless, this team now gets another week to play and practice together, a huge asset for a team so filled with youth and inexperience. I am excited to see how this team does in New York and am hopeful that they will bring home the banner.
Go Dawgs!
Oregon made it a 4 point defeat with a last second tip-in following a series of made free throws by C.J. Wilcox. The Dawgs and Ducks battled back and forth all night with 10 points being the greatest differential achieved during the match.
The night started out rough for the Huskies who saw Oregon take another early lead. Slowly, but surely the Dawgs started connecting on their shots and played a little tougher defense, allowing the Huskies to go into half down only 4 points. The second half brought more energy and the crowd, who was already the loudest I have heard all season outside of the WSU and Cal games, got louder and more excited. The players fed off this and highlights plays started accruing. Terrence Ross and Tony Wroten were aggressive all night leading to a combined 46 points from the duo, while Wilcox came off the bench to provide 17 critical points including a stellar 6 of 6 performance from the free throw line, all of which came in the final 30 seconds of the game.
The two teams provided one of the most even match-ups of the season with neither team dominating any one particular category. The Dawgs out rebounded the Ducks 37-34 with a 14-12 advantage on the offensive glass. Both teams made 7 3-pointers, though it took the Ducks an additional 6 attempts to achieve the same results. The Ducks made 3 more field goals than the Dawgs, but the Huskies attempted 13 more free throws than the Ducks and made 10 more overall. Both teams dished out 17 assists and had their steals and blocks combine for 6 each. The Ducks had 7 turnovers and the Dawgs had 8. As I said, an even game.
What makes games like this so exciting and fun to be at is not only the rivalry, but the pace at which the game is played. Teams like Utah, USC, and ASU drive me nuts due to their slow down, mind numbingly boring type of basketball. The Ducks play at a high rate, they love the transition, and can really push this Husky squad to be their best.
This Husky squad played one of their best games of the season and no surprise, a large part of this had to do with the aggressiveness of our guards. Abdul Gaddy had one of his best nights as a Dawg, tallying a double-double with 11 points, 10 assists, and an impressive 7 rebounds. Gaddy helped the Dawgs execute their half-court offense with supreme efficiency. The team as a whole used the shot clock well, but Gaddy excelled in finding the open man after driving into the lane late in the clock. Gaddy also converted 4 shots at the line during 6 attempts. What changed in Gaddy's mind during the last 2 weeks is beyond me, but this aggressiveness and desire to not only play, but to win, has been missing most of the year and, in my mind, is a big reason this team is now winning games they would have struggled through early this season.
Aziz N'Diaye had a quiet night due to foul trouble. He attempted only 2 shots and made 1. N'Diaye was a solid 3 of 4 from the line and collected 7 rebounds during his limited 20 minutes. Tony Woods was next to impossible for N'Diaye to shut down, especially once the fouls started racking up. Thankfully, Austin Sefarian-Jenkins was able to play 15 minutes of relief during which ASJ picked up 4 hard fouls of his own. The man loves to foul and I'm OK with this. ASJ is a back-up player whose fate ultimately lies on the gridiron. Any foul he picks up is one less for N'Diaye. Desmond Simmons played only 5 minutes in the first half and that was all the game time he saw.
Darnell Gant was excellent on the offensive glass tonight picking up 7 total boards and 5 on the offensive side. Gant shot reasonably well hitting 3 of his 5 attempts and finishing with 6 points on the night. After picking up 15 points in the first half, E.J. Singler was held to just 4 points in the second and fouled out, due in large part to the handcuffs put on him by Gant and the Huskies.
C.J. Wilcox saved the game with his clutch free throw shooting, but he should also be recognized for his aggressiveness in the paint and his sharp shooting performance. Wilcox was only 4 of 10 from the field, but was 3 of 6 from deep. Wilcox's shooting allowed his teammates to get open looks by spreading the floor and threatening to shoot. Terrence Ross and Tony Wroten saw many great looks inside the paint due to Wilcox sitting on the perimeter, forcing the Duck defense to stay honest and defend the outside shot.
Terrence Ross had another career night finishing with 24 points on 9 of 18 shooting. Ross' outside shot was a tad below average with only 3 makes on 8 attempts, but his inside drive was as dangerous as ever. It seemed as though any set where the clock was running out, Ross or Wroten had the ball in their hand, looking to drive inside for the basket. Ross finished 3 of 3 from the foul line and also picked up 3 rebounds. With 4 other Huskies grabbing 7 boards, Ross did not need to be as aggressive on the glass. Thus far in the tournament, Ross had averaged just under 27 points per game, 11 points above his season average. This shows just how talented Ross can be when he plays hard during both halves. If Ross stays another season, he may very well be one of the nation's leading scorers.
Tony Wroten now hold the freshman scoring record for UW, surpassing Isaiah Thomas. Wroten now holds a 9 point advantage and will certainly add more as the NIT continues. After a 5 shot game against Northwestern, it was almost a certainty that Wroten would be aggressive once more. Sure enough, Wroten attacked the Ducks early and often leading to 22 points on 6 of 15 shooting. The best part of Wroten's night? 10 of 14 at the foul line, an impressive stat for a player who has struggled throughout the season. If Wroten can come back next season and be a 75% free throw shooter, he will battle Ross for the leading scorer title. Wroten's speed and agility causes supreme difficulty for his opponents and often leads to foul calls. Being able to convert his foul shots is just one more step in becoming a true superstar.
What Needed Improvement:
First Half Defense:
It is really hard for my to criticize much from the game. I thought the Dawgs performed pretty well throughout the night. My only complaint going into half time was about a few lapses in defensive rotation that led to wide open shots by the Ducks. Overall I felt the execution by the Dawgs went well through the nights. The Ducks were often forced to take contested shots and ultimately that is the best you can ask of a team. Good shooters will make shots over their defenders.
What was Good:
Offensive Execution:
The Dawgs were unusually patient in the half-court and found success. The team moved the ball well and Gaddy led the way by finding the open shooter time and time again. The Huskies limited their turnovers, they made smart plays, and took smart shots. There were very few times I found myself asking why a particular shot was attempted. This patience is something the team has lacked all most of the year and again, a big reason why the Dawgs are now winning games that would have been chalked up as losses earlier this year.
Attitude and Aggressiveness:
This team wanted to win. They wanted to play. The first game of the NIT was tough for both fans and players, but after the win I think everybody decided to let bygones be bygones and celebrate the fact that we get to see our team play a few more games, at home none the less. The players came out with smiles on their faces, they pumped their fists, and raised the roof. Just about everyone aggressively attacked the rim and found ways to make their mark on the game. The Huskies need to carry this momentum and attitude to New York.
Final Thoughts:
I know this may be looking a bit too far ahead, but I can't help but get excited for a potentially exhilarating match-up between UW and the University of Massachusetts in the NIT finals. For those who don't know, UW and UMass play one another in the NCAA championship during the movie "The Sixth Man." This movie is about the Husky basketball team winning a national title. If you haven't seen it, check it out. It's awesome and a Husky fan must. The Dawgs have been playing the type of basketball fans have been expecting to see all season and now look to win a championship, though not of the caliber they initially set eyes upon. Regardless, this team now gets another week to play and practice together, a huge asset for a team so filled with youth and inexperience. I am excited to see how this team does in New York and am hopeful that they will bring home the banner.
Go Dawgs!
Monday, March 19, 2012
University of Oregon Game Preview 3
The Huskies get one more shot at Oregon this season in an attempt to avenge the humiliating defeat suffered in Eugene earlier this year. Oregon is coming off the highest scoring D1 game this season, beating Iowa 108-97 in a defense optional game. The Ducks have been playing some of their best basketball as of late and look to be an extremely dangerous opponent for the Dawgs as they can compete both in the half court and in transition.
Thankfully for the Huskies, Terrence Ross and C.J. Wilcox seems to be getting into shooting rhythm at last and may certainly be the deciding factor in tomorrow's match-up. Tony Wroten will be called upon to attack the middle and open up the perimeter for Ross and Wilcox.
In their game against Iowa, Oregon had 5 players with 15 points or more, 3 with 19 or more. E.J. Singler was an incredible 9 of 10 form the field, missing only a single deep shot. Singler was also a perfect 4 of 4 from the foul stripe. Singler finished with a team high 25 points and 6 rebounds as well as 4 assists and only 1 turnover in 35 minutes.
Devoe Joseph created offense across the board dishing out a game high 8 assists on top of his 15 points on 5 of 10 shooting. While Singler may be the most explosive threat on the Duck's roster, Joseph has been the most consistent averaging team highs in both points (16.9) and assists (3.2) this year. Joseph's seniority has given him the experience necessary to compete and succeed in all sorts of situations this year and to me is the X-factor tomorrow night.
As a team, the Ducks shot out of their minds on Sunday, hitting 59% of their shots from the field (43% outside the arc) as well as making a tremendous 88% from the free throw line. The Ducks accomplished this by moving the ball with skill and precision, connecting with 26 assists on 35 made field goals. The only category in which the Ducks "struggled" was offensive rebounding where they managed only 8 rebounds out of 32 total.
Olu Ashaolu has really stepped it up for the Ducks during the past few weeks. Despite his season scoring averaging sitting at 9 points per game, Ashaolu has show without a doubt that he is a force to be reckoned with in the paint. Against Iowa, Ashaolu put up 22 points on 7 of 10 shooting and made 8 of his 11 free throw attempts. Ashaolu is not necessarily a big guy at 6-7 220lb, but he is exceedingly strong and has great footwork that allows Ashaolu to push his man back or maneuver around the defender.
Where the Ducks find their greatest success is their depth of frontcourt. The Ducks feature 7 forwards and centers, all of whom are strong and capable players in their own rights. This is difficult for the Dawgs where the frontcourt is clearly our weakest section due to our lack of depth. Our bigs will have their work cut out once more trying to avoid foul trouble, while also contributing on both ends of the court. The one plus is that the Ducks' best players are on their wings, much like our own team, our advantage comes in taller, stronger, and more skilled guards.
Overall, these two teams balance out quite well. The battle tomorrow will come down to who can execute better over the entire 40 minutes and exploit their opponent's weaknesses, while capitalizing on their own strengths.
Predicted Starting Line-Ups:
Oregon:
Garrett Sim 6-2 185lb
Devoe Joseph 6-4 180lb
E.J. Singler 6-6 215lb
Jeremy Jacobs 6-8 230lb
Tony Woods 6-11 250lb
Washington:
Abdul Gaddy 6-3 185lb
Tony Wroten 6-5 205lb
Terrence Ross 6-6 195lb
Darnell Gant 6-8 230lb
Aziz N'Diaye 7-0 260lb
Keys to the Game:
Rebounding:
Cleaning the glass is always a big step in shutting down the opposition's offense. Rebounds prevent second chance opportunities and open 3's, while also limiting transition plays and fast breaks that lead to open, easy points. The Dawgs find themselves matched up against a similarly sized team in the Ducks, but overall the Dawgs have shown themselves to be much more capable on the glass than the majority of teams across the nation.
Free Throws:
Put simply, the Ducks tend to make their freebies and the Dawgs do not. Against Northwestern, the Dawgs finally showed some competency. The Ducks, on the other hand, have shown consistency throughout the season, which is a much more dangerous formula for success. The Huskies must capitalize on whatever few opportunities they may get.
Defense:
The Huskies couldn't lock down the Ducks in the last match-up, leading to a complete blow out. The Dawgs have been playing much better defense this week in the NIT and this is promising for tomorrow evening. The Huskies must play tight defense from the baseline to the half-court line as the Ducks have an array of capable 3-point shooters. Our guys need to lock it down from tip off to the final buzzer if they want to get through to the next round.
Final Thoughts:
This will be a huge match-up. A tough match-up. One that our guys will need to be prepared for. While waiting for the last game, I saw several players show up just a few hours before the game. The majority of the players arriving late were freshmen and bench players, but it was somewhat concerning that our team wasn't preparing the way I expected them to. Tomorrow I expect the players to be at the game before myself taking shots, getting warmed up, watching tape, etc. If the Dawgs truly want to scrape something out of this season, they will need to get past Oregon on their way to Madison Square Garden. Unlike the two games thus far, I suspect this will be a close one throughout with both sides throwing punches and going on little runs here and there. I see a potential buzzer beater type scenario heading our way and hopefully the Dawgs are on the right side of it.
Final Score Prediction: UW-80 UO-77
Thankfully for the Huskies, Terrence Ross and C.J. Wilcox seems to be getting into shooting rhythm at last and may certainly be the deciding factor in tomorrow's match-up. Tony Wroten will be called upon to attack the middle and open up the perimeter for Ross and Wilcox.
In their game against Iowa, Oregon had 5 players with 15 points or more, 3 with 19 or more. E.J. Singler was an incredible 9 of 10 form the field, missing only a single deep shot. Singler was also a perfect 4 of 4 from the foul stripe. Singler finished with a team high 25 points and 6 rebounds as well as 4 assists and only 1 turnover in 35 minutes.
Devoe Joseph created offense across the board dishing out a game high 8 assists on top of his 15 points on 5 of 10 shooting. While Singler may be the most explosive threat on the Duck's roster, Joseph has been the most consistent averaging team highs in both points (16.9) and assists (3.2) this year. Joseph's seniority has given him the experience necessary to compete and succeed in all sorts of situations this year and to me is the X-factor tomorrow night.
As a team, the Ducks shot out of their minds on Sunday, hitting 59% of their shots from the field (43% outside the arc) as well as making a tremendous 88% from the free throw line. The Ducks accomplished this by moving the ball with skill and precision, connecting with 26 assists on 35 made field goals. The only category in which the Ducks "struggled" was offensive rebounding where they managed only 8 rebounds out of 32 total.
Olu Ashaolu has really stepped it up for the Ducks during the past few weeks. Despite his season scoring averaging sitting at 9 points per game, Ashaolu has show without a doubt that he is a force to be reckoned with in the paint. Against Iowa, Ashaolu put up 22 points on 7 of 10 shooting and made 8 of his 11 free throw attempts. Ashaolu is not necessarily a big guy at 6-7 220lb, but he is exceedingly strong and has great footwork that allows Ashaolu to push his man back or maneuver around the defender.
Where the Ducks find their greatest success is their depth of frontcourt. The Ducks feature 7 forwards and centers, all of whom are strong and capable players in their own rights. This is difficult for the Dawgs where the frontcourt is clearly our weakest section due to our lack of depth. Our bigs will have their work cut out once more trying to avoid foul trouble, while also contributing on both ends of the court. The one plus is that the Ducks' best players are on their wings, much like our own team, our advantage comes in taller, stronger, and more skilled guards.
Overall, these two teams balance out quite well. The battle tomorrow will come down to who can execute better over the entire 40 minutes and exploit their opponent's weaknesses, while capitalizing on their own strengths.
Predicted Starting Line-Ups:
Oregon:
Garrett Sim 6-2 185lb
Devoe Joseph 6-4 180lb
E.J. Singler 6-6 215lb
Jeremy Jacobs 6-8 230lb
Tony Woods 6-11 250lb
Washington:
Abdul Gaddy 6-3 185lb
Tony Wroten 6-5 205lb
Terrence Ross 6-6 195lb
Darnell Gant 6-8 230lb
Aziz N'Diaye 7-0 260lb
Keys to the Game:
Rebounding:
Cleaning the glass is always a big step in shutting down the opposition's offense. Rebounds prevent second chance opportunities and open 3's, while also limiting transition plays and fast breaks that lead to open, easy points. The Dawgs find themselves matched up against a similarly sized team in the Ducks, but overall the Dawgs have shown themselves to be much more capable on the glass than the majority of teams across the nation.
Free Throws:
Put simply, the Ducks tend to make their freebies and the Dawgs do not. Against Northwestern, the Dawgs finally showed some competency. The Ducks, on the other hand, have shown consistency throughout the season, which is a much more dangerous formula for success. The Huskies must capitalize on whatever few opportunities they may get.
Defense:
The Huskies couldn't lock down the Ducks in the last match-up, leading to a complete blow out. The Dawgs have been playing much better defense this week in the NIT and this is promising for tomorrow evening. The Huskies must play tight defense from the baseline to the half-court line as the Ducks have an array of capable 3-point shooters. Our guys need to lock it down from tip off to the final buzzer if they want to get through to the next round.
Final Thoughts:
This will be a huge match-up. A tough match-up. One that our guys will need to be prepared for. While waiting for the last game, I saw several players show up just a few hours before the game. The majority of the players arriving late were freshmen and bench players, but it was somewhat concerning that our team wasn't preparing the way I expected them to. Tomorrow I expect the players to be at the game before myself taking shots, getting warmed up, watching tape, etc. If the Dawgs truly want to scrape something out of this season, they will need to get past Oregon on their way to Madison Square Garden. Unlike the two games thus far, I suspect this will be a close one throughout with both sides throwing punches and going on little runs here and there. I see a potential buzzer beater type scenario heading our way and hopefully the Dawgs are on the right side of it.
Final Score Prediction: UW-80 UO-77
Saturday, March 17, 2012
Northwestern Game Review
Final Score: UW-76 Northwestern-55
This was the type of game we have been looking for from the Huskies all season. Our scorers got hot, our defense played tough, and our team showed how 40 minutes of solid basketball leads to a solid, decisive victory over an inferior opponent.
Sure, John Shurna racked up 24 points (by the way, he has the ugliest shooting form I have ever seen. I have no clue how he scores), but our defense contested nearly every shot he took. Shurna is simply a great scorer and guys like that will make shots with a hand in the face or not. Look at Terrence Ross for proof of that.
The Dawgs dominated just about every category you can think of. The only disappointing stat was the turnover category. After holding an 11 to 4 advantage in forced turnovers in the first half, the Dawgs finished with 17 turnovers, while forcing Northwestern in only 15 total. Whether the Dawgs got sloppy or Northwestern adjusted properly is somewhat up for debate. In my opinion, the fact that the Dawgs scored only 2 less points in the second half compared to the first indicates that Northwestern didn't really adjust well, the Huskies simply tried to showboat too often leading to silly turnovers.
The Huskies rebounded in force tonight, holding a 42 to 26 advantage at games end. The Huskies pulled in 20 offensive boards and 3 players, Aziz N'Diaye, Terrence Ross, and Tony Wroten, pulled in 7 or 8 rebounds a piece using their superior size and athleticism to extend above the opposition to pull in the board. After the poor rebounding performance against UT-A it was quite refreshing to see our rebounding prowess return.
The 3-point shooting by the Dawgs was a tale of 2 halves. The Huskies started a very poor 5 of 21 outside the arc, but C.J. Wilcox and Terrence Ross turned it on in the second half to light up the court. The Huskies were a much better 6 of 11 in the second half as Ross and Wilcox found open looks and took advantage of it. Wilcox was 1 of 6 in the first half, while Ross was 1 of 7 (I believe, not 100%). Wilcox finished 4 of 9 and Ross went 6 of 14 on his way to a career high 32 points.
Here is a stat I thought I would never seen this season, 8-8. That was the Huskies stat for free throw shooting in the first half. No big surprise, the guys shooting those free throws were the ones who have shied away from the line all year: Wilcox and Ross. The Dawgs finished the night 11 of 14 from the line. Abdul Gaddy and Tony Wroten each missed their lone opportunity at the stripe and N'Diaye split a pair. Outside of those players, the Dawgs were perfect. Man, it was nice to see that.
My favorite stat of the night? 18 assists. That has been the missing ingredient all season long. Both Gaddy and Wroten racked up 7 assists as the Huskies moved the ball well around the court, battling and demolishing the ineffective Wildcat zone defense. Our point guards did exactly what we have needed them to do, distribute the ball. Our top two shooters took the majority of our shots and look how that turned out, amazing.
Aziz N'Diaye could have had a career night, but he struggled to finish at the rim at times. N'Diaye was only 5 of 11 on the night, a lower percentage than his usual. N'Diaye was surprisingly good at defending the small Northwestern guards and did not pick up a single foul. You read that right, not one single foul. Impressive. N'Diaye had 2 steals offsetting 1 turnover and was a solid force down in the block, preventing the dribble drive. N'Diaye played 30 minutes tonight, something that really surprised me as I thought Romar would put a 4-guard line-up on for most of the night with Darnell Gant providing mobile post support.
Tony Wroten and Abdul Gaddy did not have great shooting night, but they had great point guard nights. They moved the ball, the drove and dished, and generally did everything you could ask of a point guard. Both had 5 turnovers, which marred otherwise great nights, but that happens when you try to be too fancy with the ball. Our guards realized our shooters were hot and got them the ball.
Desmond Simmons was quietly effective after getting pulled early in the first half following poor defensive rotations. He finished with 4 points and 2 boards. Austin Sefarian-Jenkins, Shawn Kemp, and Hikeem Stewart provided great relief efforts for the Dawgs with Stewart picking up a high of 5 minutes. Martin Breunig came in and flushed a monster dunk in the lane over a Wildcat defender.
C.J. Wilcox had a stellar performance and finished with 20 points and 6 rebounds. He also had 1 assists to offset his lone turnover. Alongside Ross, Wilcox helped stretch the Wildcat defense thin leading to wide open shots. In the first half, our shooters struggled to finish these open opportunities, but capitalized in the second. Wilcox found his shot and drilled home several great deep balls, while also finding success inside the lane with some nice pull-up jumpers. Loved his play tonight and his continuing improvement as his health improved. Wilcox should be a very dangerous player again next season with his body healed up.
Terrence Ross exploded last night. He found his stroke and kept backing up further and further until the Wildcat defenders were guarding him at half-court at which point Ross would dribble past his man, finishing in the paint. Ross was 10 for 21 from the field and a perfect 6 of 6 from the free throw line. His 8 rebounds were excellent and Ross finished stuffing the stat sheet with an assist, 2 steals, a block, and just 1 turnover. It was a career performance, the type of which exemplifies why he is considered a potential lottery pick in the coming draft. This is how we expected Ross to play all season, but it has taken the last 2 or 3 weeks for Ross to have success in both halves of the game. Hopefully Ross can continue this trend of playing the full 40 through the NIT championship game and throughout next season. I love that Romar kept Ross in late in the game so he could break his career high of 30 points. As soon as Ross got to the line for the final time and sunk 2 free throws to give him a career best 32, Romar subbed Ross out to a standing ovation and chants of "One more year!"
What Needed Improvement:
Turnovers:
I thought the Dawgs were going to finish with under 10 turnovers on the night, but things out sloppy and out of hand at times in the second. A better team would have capitalized on our mistakes, but Northwestern was unable to do so, thankfully. 17 turnovers is way too high and needs to be minimized, especially with a potential quarterfinal match-up against Oregon on the horizon.
What was Good:
Rebounding:
As I talked about before, the Dawgs dominated a clearly inferior rebounding team. Three players racking up at least 7 rebounds a piece is a recipe for success. The guarded well on defense and snatched up their own missed shots to garner 16 second chance points. Great effort on the glass.
Team Effort:
Our point guards passed, our shooting guards shot, and our bigs kept Northwestern out of the paint. There was hustle and effort across the board. Even Romar got involved with a spontaneous post game speech to the crowd, thanking everyone for coming out and supporting them despite the "inconsistent" efforts they displayed this season. It was an emotional game followed with an emotional speech. While it is a little late, this emotion is refreshing to see and hopefully the Huskies can continue to dominate their opposition to send a message to the NCAA that they should have been one of the 68 teams sent to the big dance.
Ross and Wilcox:
The duo combined for 52 of the Huskies 76 points. Damn. That is huge.
Final Thoughts:
The Dawgs will likely face Oregon on Tuesday for the final home game of the season. There is a small chance of an upset, but count on Oregon coming to Hec-Ed one more time. The Dawgs owe Oregon an embarrassment following the dismantling they faced earlier this season in Eugene. The Dawgs can turn a "snub" into at least something by taking home the NIT title, but there are still 3 games left and they cannot ease up on the gas. Hopefully this team saw how well things go when they apply themselves hard on both ends of the court and continue to do so.
Go Dawgs!
This was the type of game we have been looking for from the Huskies all season. Our scorers got hot, our defense played tough, and our team showed how 40 minutes of solid basketball leads to a solid, decisive victory over an inferior opponent.
Sure, John Shurna racked up 24 points (by the way, he has the ugliest shooting form I have ever seen. I have no clue how he scores), but our defense contested nearly every shot he took. Shurna is simply a great scorer and guys like that will make shots with a hand in the face or not. Look at Terrence Ross for proof of that.
The Dawgs dominated just about every category you can think of. The only disappointing stat was the turnover category. After holding an 11 to 4 advantage in forced turnovers in the first half, the Dawgs finished with 17 turnovers, while forcing Northwestern in only 15 total. Whether the Dawgs got sloppy or Northwestern adjusted properly is somewhat up for debate. In my opinion, the fact that the Dawgs scored only 2 less points in the second half compared to the first indicates that Northwestern didn't really adjust well, the Huskies simply tried to showboat too often leading to silly turnovers.
The Huskies rebounded in force tonight, holding a 42 to 26 advantage at games end. The Huskies pulled in 20 offensive boards and 3 players, Aziz N'Diaye, Terrence Ross, and Tony Wroten, pulled in 7 or 8 rebounds a piece using their superior size and athleticism to extend above the opposition to pull in the board. After the poor rebounding performance against UT-A it was quite refreshing to see our rebounding prowess return.
The 3-point shooting by the Dawgs was a tale of 2 halves. The Huskies started a very poor 5 of 21 outside the arc, but C.J. Wilcox and Terrence Ross turned it on in the second half to light up the court. The Huskies were a much better 6 of 11 in the second half as Ross and Wilcox found open looks and took advantage of it. Wilcox was 1 of 6 in the first half, while Ross was 1 of 7 (I believe, not 100%). Wilcox finished 4 of 9 and Ross went 6 of 14 on his way to a career high 32 points.
Here is a stat I thought I would never seen this season, 8-8. That was the Huskies stat for free throw shooting in the first half. No big surprise, the guys shooting those free throws were the ones who have shied away from the line all year: Wilcox and Ross. The Dawgs finished the night 11 of 14 from the line. Abdul Gaddy and Tony Wroten each missed their lone opportunity at the stripe and N'Diaye split a pair. Outside of those players, the Dawgs were perfect. Man, it was nice to see that.
My favorite stat of the night? 18 assists. That has been the missing ingredient all season long. Both Gaddy and Wroten racked up 7 assists as the Huskies moved the ball well around the court, battling and demolishing the ineffective Wildcat zone defense. Our point guards did exactly what we have needed them to do, distribute the ball. Our top two shooters took the majority of our shots and look how that turned out, amazing.
Aziz N'Diaye could have had a career night, but he struggled to finish at the rim at times. N'Diaye was only 5 of 11 on the night, a lower percentage than his usual. N'Diaye was surprisingly good at defending the small Northwestern guards and did not pick up a single foul. You read that right, not one single foul. Impressive. N'Diaye had 2 steals offsetting 1 turnover and was a solid force down in the block, preventing the dribble drive. N'Diaye played 30 minutes tonight, something that really surprised me as I thought Romar would put a 4-guard line-up on for most of the night with Darnell Gant providing mobile post support.
Tony Wroten and Abdul Gaddy did not have great shooting night, but they had great point guard nights. They moved the ball, the drove and dished, and generally did everything you could ask of a point guard. Both had 5 turnovers, which marred otherwise great nights, but that happens when you try to be too fancy with the ball. Our guards realized our shooters were hot and got them the ball.
Desmond Simmons was quietly effective after getting pulled early in the first half following poor defensive rotations. He finished with 4 points and 2 boards. Austin Sefarian-Jenkins, Shawn Kemp, and Hikeem Stewart provided great relief efforts for the Dawgs with Stewart picking up a high of 5 minutes. Martin Breunig came in and flushed a monster dunk in the lane over a Wildcat defender.
C.J. Wilcox had a stellar performance and finished with 20 points and 6 rebounds. He also had 1 assists to offset his lone turnover. Alongside Ross, Wilcox helped stretch the Wildcat defense thin leading to wide open shots. In the first half, our shooters struggled to finish these open opportunities, but capitalized in the second. Wilcox found his shot and drilled home several great deep balls, while also finding success inside the lane with some nice pull-up jumpers. Loved his play tonight and his continuing improvement as his health improved. Wilcox should be a very dangerous player again next season with his body healed up.
Terrence Ross exploded last night. He found his stroke and kept backing up further and further until the Wildcat defenders were guarding him at half-court at which point Ross would dribble past his man, finishing in the paint. Ross was 10 for 21 from the field and a perfect 6 of 6 from the free throw line. His 8 rebounds were excellent and Ross finished stuffing the stat sheet with an assist, 2 steals, a block, and just 1 turnover. It was a career performance, the type of which exemplifies why he is considered a potential lottery pick in the coming draft. This is how we expected Ross to play all season, but it has taken the last 2 or 3 weeks for Ross to have success in both halves of the game. Hopefully Ross can continue this trend of playing the full 40 through the NIT championship game and throughout next season. I love that Romar kept Ross in late in the game so he could break his career high of 30 points. As soon as Ross got to the line for the final time and sunk 2 free throws to give him a career best 32, Romar subbed Ross out to a standing ovation and chants of "One more year!"
What Needed Improvement:
Turnovers:
I thought the Dawgs were going to finish with under 10 turnovers on the night, but things out sloppy and out of hand at times in the second. A better team would have capitalized on our mistakes, but Northwestern was unable to do so, thankfully. 17 turnovers is way too high and needs to be minimized, especially with a potential quarterfinal match-up against Oregon on the horizon.
What was Good:
Rebounding:
As I talked about before, the Dawgs dominated a clearly inferior rebounding team. Three players racking up at least 7 rebounds a piece is a recipe for success. The guarded well on defense and snatched up their own missed shots to garner 16 second chance points. Great effort on the glass.
Team Effort:
Our point guards passed, our shooting guards shot, and our bigs kept Northwestern out of the paint. There was hustle and effort across the board. Even Romar got involved with a spontaneous post game speech to the crowd, thanking everyone for coming out and supporting them despite the "inconsistent" efforts they displayed this season. It was an emotional game followed with an emotional speech. While it is a little late, this emotion is refreshing to see and hopefully the Huskies can continue to dominate their opposition to send a message to the NCAA that they should have been one of the 68 teams sent to the big dance.
Ross and Wilcox:
The duo combined for 52 of the Huskies 76 points. Damn. That is huge.
Final Thoughts:
The Dawgs will likely face Oregon on Tuesday for the final home game of the season. There is a small chance of an upset, but count on Oregon coming to Hec-Ed one more time. The Dawgs owe Oregon an embarrassment following the dismantling they faced earlier this season in Eugene. The Dawgs can turn a "snub" into at least something by taking home the NIT title, but there are still 3 games left and they cannot ease up on the gas. Hopefully this team saw how well things go when they apply themselves hard on both ends of the court and continue to do so.
Go Dawgs!
Thursday, March 15, 2012
Northwestern Game Preview
The Huskies face 4th seeded Northwestern tomorrow evening in the second round of the NIT. The Wildcats avoided a potential upset when the last second Akron 3-pointer fell short of the mark. The Wildcats are 19-13 on the season and went 8-10 in the Big 10 conference.
Last time out against Akron, the Wildcats got major production from a trio of players; all of whom scored at least 19 points. Drew Crawford, a 6-5 205lb G-F, led all scorers with 27 points on 10 of 15 shooting. He was a respectable 3 of 7 from deep and made 4 of his 5 foul shots.Crawford also logged 7 boards, 4 assists, just 2 turnovers. Josh Shurna is a 6-9 220lb forward with some great quickness and a great 3-point shot. He finished with 23 points and 11 boards. Shurna was 8 of 22 from the field and 5 of 11 from deep. JerShon Cobb finished with 19 points on 8 of 10 shooting and at 6-5 provides a potentially interesting match-up tomorrow night.
Josh Shurna is the deadliest weapon on the Northwestern team without a question. At 6-9 he has the size to battle down low for rebounds and easy lay-ins, but it is his 43% 3-point shooting that really scares me. Shurna is quite mobile at only 220lb and has 90 makes on 209 attempts, both are team highs. Shurna is the leading scorer with 19.9 points and is also the leading rebounder with 5.4 per game. Shurna scares me. I'm not sure Darnell Gant will be able to stay with him the whole game as he struggled late against UT-A, allowing back-to-back 3-pointers, and Aziz N'Diaye certainly can't be expecting to defend the block and the perimeter. N'Diaye just doesn't have that type of quickness.
Drew Crawford is the second leading scorer and rebounder on the Northwestern squad. Crawford is averaging 16.5 points and 4.7 boards a night. Crawford is another dangerous 3-point threat with 60 makes on 146 attempts this season. Crawford could be the perfect match-up for Tony Wroten, which should hopefully lead to some nice transition plays from the Huskies. The only downside is that Northwestern handles the ball extremely well, averaging only 10 turnovers per game. Not only player on the Wildcat team averages more than 1.6 turnovers a night. I could also see Terrence Ross getting called upon for this assignment as both show star potential. Great players battling 1-on-1 is always exciting.
After Shurna and Crawford, the scoring drops off greatly. Dave Sobolewski is the third leading scorer for the Wildcats picking up 8.6 a night. He also averages a team high 3.7 assists per game. Sobolewski is a decent shooter from anywhere on the court. He averages a little over 40% from the field, 75% at the line, and a very nice 36% from outside the arc. Sobolewski comes in at 6-1 185lb and will likely be guarded by Abdul Gaddy.
Predicted Starting Line-Ups:
Northwestern:
Dave Sobolewski 6-1 185lb
Reggie Hearn 6-4 210lb
JerShon Cobb 6-5 200lb
Drew Crawford 6-5 205lb
John Shurna 6-9 220lb
Washington:
Abdul Gaddy 6-3 185lb
Tony Wroten 6-5 205lb
Terrence Ross 6-6 195lb
Darnell Gant 6-8 230lb
Aziz N'Diaye 7-0 260lb
Keys to the Game:
Pressure Defense:
The Wildcats can shoot the long ball and shoot it well. They average nearly 40% as a team and have 5 players with at least 35 makes on the year. The Huskies need to defend the perimeter well and rotate well off of screens to prevent wide open, dangerous looks. This means good communication by both players and the coaching staff. If we can get in their faces early and keep their shooters from getting in a rhythm, the Huskies can take over this game.
Rebounding:
UT-A stayed in the game for one big reason, they dominated the glass. All of those second chance opportunities killed the Huskies. At the end of the first half, the Mavericks held a 25-12 advantage on rebounds (13 offensive boards). The Huskies will have a decent size advantage over the Wildcats and are certainly a much better rebounding team. The Wildcats average 64 possessions per game (UW averages 71), but only average 29 rebounds per game (UW averages about 40). The Huskies need to grab every board in sight. As I have said before, offensive rebounds often lead to open 3-pointers due to a majority of the defensive team crashing the glass, leaving the opposing guards wide open at the top of the key.
Play with Attitude:
I realize this team thinks they should have been in the NCAA. I'm upset they aren't as well (look at Cal getting stomped around by USF and tell me why they should have been in ahead of us), but the team did this to themselves and need to suck it up and play with some enthusiasm. They get, potentially, another 4 games together, which is essential with such a large number of freshmen gracing the roster. This team does not have the swagger and poise of last year's squad, but that doesn't mean they can't come out with some ambition and emotion. I am tired of slow starts and effortless play that leads to large first half deficits. I'd like to see the Dawgs take a 10 point lead early in the first half. They haven't done that in god knows how long...
Final Thoughts:
This will be a tough match-up. With Shurna likely being guarded by Gant, N'Diaye could be forced to guard a player standing at a mere 6-5 or smaller. What this tells me is we could see a 4 guard line-up for extended periods of time to adjust. I would not be surprised to see C.J. Wilcox in the starting 5 instead of N'Diaye. N'Diaye has struggled with fouls in the past 5 or 6 games and tends to foul smaller players much more often. The big question is how will our team respond without our enforcer in the middle? Throughout this season, the Dawgs have struggled to prevents drives without N'Diaye scaring off opponents so my confidence is not high in regards to this technique. This is a winnable game. The Dawgs play well at home and may be somewhat motivated for a potential "Elite" 8 match-up against Oregon, who thoroughly embarrassed the Dawgs down in Eugene.
Final Score Prediction: UW-76 NW-69
Go Dawgs
Last time out against Akron, the Wildcats got major production from a trio of players; all of whom scored at least 19 points. Drew Crawford, a 6-5 205lb G-F, led all scorers with 27 points on 10 of 15 shooting. He was a respectable 3 of 7 from deep and made 4 of his 5 foul shots.Crawford also logged 7 boards, 4 assists, just 2 turnovers. Josh Shurna is a 6-9 220lb forward with some great quickness and a great 3-point shot. He finished with 23 points and 11 boards. Shurna was 8 of 22 from the field and 5 of 11 from deep. JerShon Cobb finished with 19 points on 8 of 10 shooting and at 6-5 provides a potentially interesting match-up tomorrow night.
Josh Shurna is the deadliest weapon on the Northwestern team without a question. At 6-9 he has the size to battle down low for rebounds and easy lay-ins, but it is his 43% 3-point shooting that really scares me. Shurna is quite mobile at only 220lb and has 90 makes on 209 attempts, both are team highs. Shurna is the leading scorer with 19.9 points and is also the leading rebounder with 5.4 per game. Shurna scares me. I'm not sure Darnell Gant will be able to stay with him the whole game as he struggled late against UT-A, allowing back-to-back 3-pointers, and Aziz N'Diaye certainly can't be expecting to defend the block and the perimeter. N'Diaye just doesn't have that type of quickness.
Drew Crawford is the second leading scorer and rebounder on the Northwestern squad. Crawford is averaging 16.5 points and 4.7 boards a night. Crawford is another dangerous 3-point threat with 60 makes on 146 attempts this season. Crawford could be the perfect match-up for Tony Wroten, which should hopefully lead to some nice transition plays from the Huskies. The only downside is that Northwestern handles the ball extremely well, averaging only 10 turnovers per game. Not only player on the Wildcat team averages more than 1.6 turnovers a night. I could also see Terrence Ross getting called upon for this assignment as both show star potential. Great players battling 1-on-1 is always exciting.
After Shurna and Crawford, the scoring drops off greatly. Dave Sobolewski is the third leading scorer for the Wildcats picking up 8.6 a night. He also averages a team high 3.7 assists per game. Sobolewski is a decent shooter from anywhere on the court. He averages a little over 40% from the field, 75% at the line, and a very nice 36% from outside the arc. Sobolewski comes in at 6-1 185lb and will likely be guarded by Abdul Gaddy.
Predicted Starting Line-Ups:
Northwestern:
Dave Sobolewski 6-1 185lb
Reggie Hearn 6-4 210lb
JerShon Cobb 6-5 200lb
Drew Crawford 6-5 205lb
John Shurna 6-9 220lb
Washington:
Abdul Gaddy 6-3 185lb
Tony Wroten 6-5 205lb
Terrence Ross 6-6 195lb
Darnell Gant 6-8 230lb
Aziz N'Diaye 7-0 260lb
Keys to the Game:
Pressure Defense:
The Wildcats can shoot the long ball and shoot it well. They average nearly 40% as a team and have 5 players with at least 35 makes on the year. The Huskies need to defend the perimeter well and rotate well off of screens to prevent wide open, dangerous looks. This means good communication by both players and the coaching staff. If we can get in their faces early and keep their shooters from getting in a rhythm, the Huskies can take over this game.
Rebounding:
UT-A stayed in the game for one big reason, they dominated the glass. All of those second chance opportunities killed the Huskies. At the end of the first half, the Mavericks held a 25-12 advantage on rebounds (13 offensive boards). The Huskies will have a decent size advantage over the Wildcats and are certainly a much better rebounding team. The Wildcats average 64 possessions per game (UW averages 71), but only average 29 rebounds per game (UW averages about 40). The Huskies need to grab every board in sight. As I have said before, offensive rebounds often lead to open 3-pointers due to a majority of the defensive team crashing the glass, leaving the opposing guards wide open at the top of the key.
Play with Attitude:
I realize this team thinks they should have been in the NCAA. I'm upset they aren't as well (look at Cal getting stomped around by USF and tell me why they should have been in ahead of us), but the team did this to themselves and need to suck it up and play with some enthusiasm. They get, potentially, another 4 games together, which is essential with such a large number of freshmen gracing the roster. This team does not have the swagger and poise of last year's squad, but that doesn't mean they can't come out with some ambition and emotion. I am tired of slow starts and effortless play that leads to large first half deficits. I'd like to see the Dawgs take a 10 point lead early in the first half. They haven't done that in god knows how long...
Final Thoughts:
This will be a tough match-up. With Shurna likely being guarded by Gant, N'Diaye could be forced to guard a player standing at a mere 6-5 or smaller. What this tells me is we could see a 4 guard line-up for extended periods of time to adjust. I would not be surprised to see C.J. Wilcox in the starting 5 instead of N'Diaye. N'Diaye has struggled with fouls in the past 5 or 6 games and tends to foul smaller players much more often. The big question is how will our team respond without our enforcer in the middle? Throughout this season, the Dawgs have struggled to prevents drives without N'Diaye scaring off opponents so my confidence is not high in regards to this technique. This is a winnable game. The Dawgs play well at home and may be somewhat motivated for a potential "Elite" 8 match-up against Oregon, who thoroughly embarrassed the Dawgs down in Eugene.
Final Score Prediction: UW-76 NW-69
Go Dawgs
Thursday, March 8, 2012
Oregon State University Game 3 Review
Final Score: UW-84 OSU-86
Free throws. Free. Throws. Free throws. If Mel Gibson was here, he would shout FREEEEE THROWS!!!! The Huskies went a combined 12 of 26 from the line and not one player outside of Tony Wroten made more than 1. Unfortunately, Wroten will be remembered not for the 6 straight shots he made to help extend a hard fought Huskies lead, nor will he be remembered for his 29 points, rather he will be remembered for missing 4 straight free throws with the Dawgs down 1 with less than 20 seconds on the clock following 3 straight misses by Jared Cunningham.
All of this drama could have been avoided had the Dawgs played two full halves of basketball. As has happened all too often this year, the Dawgs started the night with a slow and sloppy performance. 10 first half turnovers led to a 13 point deficit at halftime. With 10 minutes to go in the second half, the Dawgs still had only 10 turnovers and a +19 scoring differential. Amazing how that works...Not too long after that stat flashed on the screen and the Dawgs up 4, Abdul Gaddy slipped on the center court logo and turned the ball over to Ahmad Starks who took it home for the easy 2. More turnovers followed, more free throws were missed and suddenly the Dawgs were back in the red.
The Husky defense in the first half was atrocious, allowing the Beavers to shoot 49% from the field and Starks to hit 3 of 6 from deep. The second half was much better and Starks didn't make a shot the rest of the game, until a late 3-pointer put the Beavers within 1. Cunningham was hot in the first half and picked it up again when the Huskies started to commit the silly turnovers that inevitably cost them the game.
Foul trouble kept Aziz N'Diaye from having any type of production in the post. He finished a perfect 2 of 2 from the field with 7 rebounds, but fouled out with 4 minutes on the clock. This absence allowed OSU to penetrate the lanes with much greater ease. N'Diaye was sorely missed during those waning minutes.
Darnell Gant played an effective offensive game garnering 10 rebounds, 6 points on 3 of 4 shooting, 4 assists, a steal, and a block. He also picked up four fouls, limiting his aggression on the offensive end and forcing timid play defensively. With both big men in foul trouble, the Dawgs were forced into a zone defense to compensate lost size. This unfortunately led to way too many open 3 pointers.
Wroten was put in the worst situation a freshman could be in. Late game, tight scenario, and free throws (not his specialty). He made 6 straight and fell apart. MIssing the first two shut down his confidence. The third crushed it. The fourth stood no chance. That kid worked so hard getting inside for shots. He tried so hard, yet his efforts fell short. This game does not fall on him. It is a team game and our team lost. I counted at least 4 possessions where the Beavers missed a shot and proceeded to get at least 2 offensive boards before scoring on a put back. The Huskies failed to box out their opponents all too often and it hurt.
I don't have much else to say about the game. I am too disappointed with the team effort and too nervous for this coming Sunday. The ball is no longer in our hands. We gave up that opportunity two games in a row. We now have to hope all the remaining top seeds in all conferences win their respective tournaments. Any upset will burst our bubble. We may have the distinction of being the first Power 6 Conference regular season title winner to be left out of the NCAA since the field expanded to 64 teams. What an honor.
Go Dawgs
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
Oregon State University Game 3 Preview
OSU won its play in game against WSU earlier today with a final score of 69-64. OSU held a huge lead early, hitting several big 3-pointers before Ken Bone coached his team back into a competitive game. Late game free throws sealed the deal for the Beavers, sending the Cougars back to cold and snowy Pullman with their tails between their legs. The biggest surprise of the night? Not that OSU won, but that they won despite Jared Cunningham, the league leading scorer, only managed 4 points on the night with a dismal 1 of 8 shooting performance in 38 minutes.
Devon Collier and Ahmad Starks got the game going early for the Beavers and Joe Burton came off the bench to contribute in a big way. Burton scored 5 of his 15 in the final minutes, 3 coming off of free throws. The Beavers attempted 13 more foul shots and made 8 more than the Cougs. Neither team shot better than 62% from the charity strip, but both did manage 44% field goal shooting.
In the two games against the Beavers this season, the Dawgs have played two very different games. In the first match-up at Hec-Ed, the Huskies dominated from the start and cruised to a 15 point lead. Down in Corvallis the Huskies had to fight and scrap their way to a 3 (would have been 5 if not for a last second, non-consequential shot by Cunningham) point win.
The Huskies will need to keep their eye on Starks tomorrow afternoon as Starks started an amazing 4 of 6 from deep in the first half, but did not score another field goal the rest of the game. UW held Starks to a combined 4 of 12 from behind the arc in the two match-ups, but will need to slightly improve this number to avoid a potential upset or high scoring night from the diminutive guard.
The Huskies were able to hold Cunningham to 7 of 20 shooting in the first meeting of the season, but allowed Cunningham to get to the line for 8 shots, of which he made 7. The second time around, Cunningham was a much better 6 of 9 from the field. The moral of the story is that Cunningham will get his points, especially after the poor performance he had this evening. The Huskies need to aim to control his scoring, rather than try to shut him down completely.
The big men inside have done the most damage to the Huskies. Devon Collier continued to have success against the Dawgs no matter the location and Angus Brandt found himself with a respectable amount of points and boards on both occasions. Joe Burton propped up a huge 18 at home in Oregon, but was held scoreless in Seattle. Expect all three to be working hard inside to get their dues. Aziz N'Diaye and the Husky bigs will be hard pressed to contain all three throughout the game. If Starks is out, don't be too surprised to see the Dawgs drop into a zone to limit the touches inside.
The most comforting part of this match-up is that the Dawgs won both games while their two best shooters, Terrence Ross and C.J. Wilcox, had fairly cold nights. Ross went a combined 11 of 32 from the field (1 of 8 outside), while Wilcox was 8 of 24 (3 of 12 from range). If Wilcox and Ross can get their shots back on track and find the type of success they have had in recent games, the Huskies have a much better shot of getting an early lead and keeping it.
Predicted Starting Line-Ups:
Oregon State:
Ahmad Starks 5-9 165lb
Jared Cunningham 6-4 194lb
Devon Collier 6-7 206lb
Erik Moreland 6-10 201lb
Angus Brandt 6-10 237lb
Washington:
Abdul Gaddy 6-3 185lb
Tony Wroten 6-5 205lb
Terrence Ross 6-6 195lb
Darnell Gant 6-8 230lb
Aziz N'Diaye 7-0 260lb
Keys to the Game:
Get Hot Early:
Too many games this season have been slow starts followed by stellar performances. The Dawgs need to get down and dirty on defense, while also finding success with their shots. The Beavers are a high scoring team that can keep pace with the Huskies run-and-gun tempo. If the Dawgs want to get a shot at the NCAA tournament, they will need to start by proving they are a high octane offense tomorrow afternoon.
Rebounding:
The Beaver bigs are good at throwing their weight around in the post, which results in a fair amount of rebounds. The Dawgs tend to be better than anyone in the league and if poor outside shooting persists, rebounds will be a must. Things have been improving outside for the Huskies as the health of Wilcox improves. That could be huge as the Beavers are known for their 1-3-1 defense, a defense that is prone to 3-pointers near the top of the perimeter.
Free Throws:
The Dawgs need to hit the freebies, plain and simple. OSU can be a solid team at the line and foul shots have won a few games for the Dawgs this season. The Husky guards often get hacked up inside without any fouls headed their way so the team needs to capitalize on the limited attempts they are given. No need to throw away a big lead because we can't hit the easy ones.
Final Thoughts:
It's a good thing the OSU-WSU game stayed tight. This meant more minutes for Cunningham and Starks, two dangerous players, and hopefully more tired legs in the quick turnaround the Beavers face. The Beavers have a mere 24 hours between games whereas the Huskies have been afforded the all important bye that allows more rest and preparation. I fully expect a bounce back from Cunningham regardless of minutes played, but the Dawgs can learn from what the Cougars did well to hopefully limit Cunningham's impact on the game. After losing in somewhat embarrassing fashion to the Bruins, the Dawgs should be looking for blood. The Huskies will likely need to win 1, if not 2, games in this tournament to secure an at-large bid. A slip up here could place the Huskies in the play-in game, if they are in the tournament at all. I think this team is focused and ready for anything. Let's hope they play like it.
Final Score Prediction: UW-84 OSU-79
Devon Collier and Ahmad Starks got the game going early for the Beavers and Joe Burton came off the bench to contribute in a big way. Burton scored 5 of his 15 in the final minutes, 3 coming off of free throws. The Beavers attempted 13 more foul shots and made 8 more than the Cougs. Neither team shot better than 62% from the charity strip, but both did manage 44% field goal shooting.
In the two games against the Beavers this season, the Dawgs have played two very different games. In the first match-up at Hec-Ed, the Huskies dominated from the start and cruised to a 15 point lead. Down in Corvallis the Huskies had to fight and scrap their way to a 3 (would have been 5 if not for a last second, non-consequential shot by Cunningham) point win.
The Huskies will need to keep their eye on Starks tomorrow afternoon as Starks started an amazing 4 of 6 from deep in the first half, but did not score another field goal the rest of the game. UW held Starks to a combined 4 of 12 from behind the arc in the two match-ups, but will need to slightly improve this number to avoid a potential upset or high scoring night from the diminutive guard.
The Huskies were able to hold Cunningham to 7 of 20 shooting in the first meeting of the season, but allowed Cunningham to get to the line for 8 shots, of which he made 7. The second time around, Cunningham was a much better 6 of 9 from the field. The moral of the story is that Cunningham will get his points, especially after the poor performance he had this evening. The Huskies need to aim to control his scoring, rather than try to shut him down completely.
The big men inside have done the most damage to the Huskies. Devon Collier continued to have success against the Dawgs no matter the location and Angus Brandt found himself with a respectable amount of points and boards on both occasions. Joe Burton propped up a huge 18 at home in Oregon, but was held scoreless in Seattle. Expect all three to be working hard inside to get their dues. Aziz N'Diaye and the Husky bigs will be hard pressed to contain all three throughout the game. If Starks is out, don't be too surprised to see the Dawgs drop into a zone to limit the touches inside.
The most comforting part of this match-up is that the Dawgs won both games while their two best shooters, Terrence Ross and C.J. Wilcox, had fairly cold nights. Ross went a combined 11 of 32 from the field (1 of 8 outside), while Wilcox was 8 of 24 (3 of 12 from range). If Wilcox and Ross can get their shots back on track and find the type of success they have had in recent games, the Huskies have a much better shot of getting an early lead and keeping it.
Predicted Starting Line-Ups:
Oregon State:
Ahmad Starks 5-9 165lb
Jared Cunningham 6-4 194lb
Devon Collier 6-7 206lb
Erik Moreland 6-10 201lb
Angus Brandt 6-10 237lb
Washington:
Abdul Gaddy 6-3 185lb
Tony Wroten 6-5 205lb
Terrence Ross 6-6 195lb
Darnell Gant 6-8 230lb
Aziz N'Diaye 7-0 260lb
Keys to the Game:
Get Hot Early:
Too many games this season have been slow starts followed by stellar performances. The Dawgs need to get down and dirty on defense, while also finding success with their shots. The Beavers are a high scoring team that can keep pace with the Huskies run-and-gun tempo. If the Dawgs want to get a shot at the NCAA tournament, they will need to start by proving they are a high octane offense tomorrow afternoon.
Rebounding:
The Beaver bigs are good at throwing their weight around in the post, which results in a fair amount of rebounds. The Dawgs tend to be better than anyone in the league and if poor outside shooting persists, rebounds will be a must. Things have been improving outside for the Huskies as the health of Wilcox improves. That could be huge as the Beavers are known for their 1-3-1 defense, a defense that is prone to 3-pointers near the top of the perimeter.
Free Throws:
The Dawgs need to hit the freebies, plain and simple. OSU can be a solid team at the line and foul shots have won a few games for the Dawgs this season. The Husky guards often get hacked up inside without any fouls headed their way so the team needs to capitalize on the limited attempts they are given. No need to throw away a big lead because we can't hit the easy ones.
Final Thoughts:
It's a good thing the OSU-WSU game stayed tight. This meant more minutes for Cunningham and Starks, two dangerous players, and hopefully more tired legs in the quick turnaround the Beavers face. The Beavers have a mere 24 hours between games whereas the Huskies have been afforded the all important bye that allows more rest and preparation. I fully expect a bounce back from Cunningham regardless of minutes played, but the Dawgs can learn from what the Cougars did well to hopefully limit Cunningham's impact on the game. After losing in somewhat embarrassing fashion to the Bruins, the Dawgs should be looking for blood. The Huskies will likely need to win 1, if not 2, games in this tournament to secure an at-large bid. A slip up here could place the Huskies in the play-in game, if they are in the tournament at all. I think this team is focused and ready for anything. Let's hope they play like it.
Final Score Prediction: UW-84 OSU-79
Friday, March 2, 2012
University fo Southern California Game 2 Review
Final Score: UW-80 USC-58
This game went pretty much how it should have. UW came to Galen Center and stomped around a decimated USC team. Just like that, the Dawgs secure at least a share of the conference title for the second time in 4 seasons and some sort of conference title for the fourth straight season.
The Huskies started with a nice run, quickly jumping the lead up to 8 points before going into half with a 17 point lead. The Dawgs were a tad sloppy in the start of the second half, allowing USC to pull within 9 before going on another huge run to put the Trojans away for good.
Production came from different sources today. Tony Wroten had one of his coldest shooting nights of the season, hitting only 2 of his 13 attempts. He did manage to find success elsewhere by playing shut down defense and cleaning up on the glass. Wroten finished with 7 points, 8 rebounds (4 offensive), 6 assists, 2 steals, 1 block, and 4 turnovers. Not his best night, but I would not categorize it as a bad one either. Wroten successfully shut down Maurice Jones and found his teammates for better shots. The only bad part about his night is that it certainly complicated the Pac-12 Player of the Year award a little more. Hopefully the coaches don't split their votes between Wroten and Ross thus allowing an outside candidate to take home an undeserved award.
Darnell Gant had one of his better performances throughout his career. Gant drilled some nice 3-point shots throughout the night and finished just under a double-double with 14 points and 9 rebounds. Gant was 6 of 8 from the field and 2 of 3 from deep. Hopefully his inspiration and motivation continues through the weekend to give us an additional weapon against UCLA. Loved the fire he brought and the intensity he rubbed off onto his teammates.
Abdul Gaddy continued to play aggressive basketball and boy do I wonder what has taken him so long to get this attitude back. He is so effective when driving the lanes. Gaddy either opens himself up for the easy basket or finds an open teammate on the perimeter for a solid jumper. Gaddy was 4 of 6 from the field and hit the only 3-pointer he attempted. Gaddy finished with 12 points, 2 boards, 5 assists, and 2 turnovers. Nice night, great performance, needs to continue this type of play.
C.J. Wilcox cooled off after his fiery performance against WSU. Wilcox was a measly 3 of 10 from the field, 0 of 4 outside the arc. Maybe his hip was acting up again because Wilcox certainly didn't seem to be himself. Wilcox bobbled two easy buckets at the hoop, one of which would have been a highlight worthy alley-oop from Wroten. The good part about the game was the lead allowed Romar to rest Wilcox, giving him only 24 minutes on the night. We certainly need his shooting skills against UCLA a lot more than we did against USC.
Aziz N'Diaye battled in the paint and came out the overall victor, in my opinion. While Blasczyk did finished with 10 points, he received 4 of those at the line and only managed to grab 3 rebounds. N'Diaye, on the other hand, had 8 points and 7 boards on top of one nice dunk. N'Diaye continues to be a force in the middle. He will need his A-game tomorrow against Josh Smith who was very successful against the Dawgs last time out. Speaking of N'Diaye, my friend Ted Copeland just posted this video from the UA game. Check Ted out on Facebook here. He does good work.
Desmond Simmons returned to better form against the smaller USC line-up. His shot selection was smarter and his aggressiveness in the paint was back to its old ways. Simmons finished with 5 points on a couple of nice put-backs and nabbed 7 rebounds. Simmons also had 2 steals to offset his 1 turnover. Love this type of production from Simmons, it is exactly what we need from him.
The bench got some decent play time tonight with everyone but Alex Wegner getting into the game. Not sure why Romar didn't put him in as well, but too late to worry about it. Martin Breunig had 4 points coming off of a last second, fade away 3-point jumper that drained somehow and also finished an alley-oop pass from Wroten to cap the night off in spectacular fashion.
Terrence Ross was the star of the night for the Dawgs. After foul trouble crushed Ross' ability to contribute against WSU, Ross returned in mighty fashion playing a full 40 minutes of basketball once more. Ross had 11 points at half time and finished with 18 after only 27 minutes of play. That puts him on pace for nearly 30 points in 40 minutes with that type of production. Ross was 8 of 13 from the field and hit 2 of his 3 from deep. Ross also put up 7 rebounds and 1 steal against 2 turnovers.Ross' crossover is really turning into a deadly weapon that opponents simply cannot defend against. He looks a lot like BRoy on the court. 17 different NBA teams had scouts at the game and one can only imagine that Ross was the focus of their trip.
What Needed Improvement:
Free Throws:
What saved the Dawgs in Pullman had a chance to bite them against USC. The Huskies were a miserable 12 of 23 from the line and this allows the Trojans to close the lead at times. Tony Wroten looked ugly at the line, consistently shooting wide and rattling the ball around. Wroten went 3-7 from the line. Not one person was perfect from the charity stripe and even infallible Wilcox was only 2 of 4 from the line.
Defense:
This may seem odd at first, but hear me out. The Dawgs didn't really shut down the Trojan offense. The Trojans average 54 points per game and finished with 58 because the Huskies like to push the tempo, allowing more shots for USC. The Trojans shot a very respectable 45% from the field and 30% outside. The Dawgs only forced 8 turnovers of which 5 were steals. The Dawgs didn't pressure USC into uncomfortable situations where the players would throw the ball away. The Huskies were able to score so much more because they had nearly as many offensive rebounds (18) as USC had total rebounds (20). When you attempt 16 more shots than the oppositions, chances are you will win. As I said in the pre-game write up, the Dawgs average somewhere around 1.2 points per possession, so 16 times 1.2 gives just under 20 extra points. That 20 points is almost exactly the amount we won by. This is a concerning stat when one considers how much better UCLA is than USC. We cannot afford to let UCLA shoot 45% from the field because they will rebound unlike USC and will certainly score more. We have to play better defense tomorrow.
What Was Good:
Rebounding:
Domination on the glass once again. The Trojans do not have the size or talent to compete in the paint with the Dawgs and this was reflected mightily in the stat line. The Huskies outrebounded USC 47-20 and allowed only 3 offensive boards for the Trojans. That is killer.
Ball Control:
The Husky guards got it done pretty well and the team as a whole dished out 13 assists on 31 shots. Not bad. The 12 turnovers are respectable, but I'd prefer if we could keep that number at 10 or lower. The ball control and passing led to many open shots outside the arc and the Huskies capitalized with a 6 of 13 performance from deep. If you exclude Wilcox from the stat line, the Huskies were 6 of 9 from outside. Solid.
Final Thoughts:
The Dawgs did what they needed to to win this game. They weren't incredibly spectacular and had few standout plays. They play consistent, solid basketball and got the win they wanted and needed. After the game their heads were in the right place. USC offered to do a post game celebration for the title if they wanted, but the Dawgs declined and instead kept their emotions in check, realizing the game on Saturday is just as important, if not more so. I suspect the defensive issues will be addressed and kept in check tomorrow. The bigger issue, no pun intended, is how to shut down Josh Smith. Smith killed us last game and will certainly try to do one better this time around. The Dawgs need to get a good game plan going, maybe run some zone to prevent entry passes. If the Dawgs win tomorrow, I believe they will have secured an at-large bid to the NCAA. Down year or not, the Pac-12 has always performed well in the NCAA, unlike the Big East, and a 15-3 major conference record is nothing to snuff at. I would much rather the team goes into the Pac-12 tournament and grabs that title as well to guarantee a bid. It will be a tough run, but this team is figuring things out and I am confident they can pull it off.
Go Dawgs!
This game went pretty much how it should have. UW came to Galen Center and stomped around a decimated USC team. Just like that, the Dawgs secure at least a share of the conference title for the second time in 4 seasons and some sort of conference title for the fourth straight season.
The Huskies started with a nice run, quickly jumping the lead up to 8 points before going into half with a 17 point lead. The Dawgs were a tad sloppy in the start of the second half, allowing USC to pull within 9 before going on another huge run to put the Trojans away for good.
Production came from different sources today. Tony Wroten had one of his coldest shooting nights of the season, hitting only 2 of his 13 attempts. He did manage to find success elsewhere by playing shut down defense and cleaning up on the glass. Wroten finished with 7 points, 8 rebounds (4 offensive), 6 assists, 2 steals, 1 block, and 4 turnovers. Not his best night, but I would not categorize it as a bad one either. Wroten successfully shut down Maurice Jones and found his teammates for better shots. The only bad part about his night is that it certainly complicated the Pac-12 Player of the Year award a little more. Hopefully the coaches don't split their votes between Wroten and Ross thus allowing an outside candidate to take home an undeserved award.
Darnell Gant had one of his better performances throughout his career. Gant drilled some nice 3-point shots throughout the night and finished just under a double-double with 14 points and 9 rebounds. Gant was 6 of 8 from the field and 2 of 3 from deep. Hopefully his inspiration and motivation continues through the weekend to give us an additional weapon against UCLA. Loved the fire he brought and the intensity he rubbed off onto his teammates.
Abdul Gaddy continued to play aggressive basketball and boy do I wonder what has taken him so long to get this attitude back. He is so effective when driving the lanes. Gaddy either opens himself up for the easy basket or finds an open teammate on the perimeter for a solid jumper. Gaddy was 4 of 6 from the field and hit the only 3-pointer he attempted. Gaddy finished with 12 points, 2 boards, 5 assists, and 2 turnovers. Nice night, great performance, needs to continue this type of play.
C.J. Wilcox cooled off after his fiery performance against WSU. Wilcox was a measly 3 of 10 from the field, 0 of 4 outside the arc. Maybe his hip was acting up again because Wilcox certainly didn't seem to be himself. Wilcox bobbled two easy buckets at the hoop, one of which would have been a highlight worthy alley-oop from Wroten. The good part about the game was the lead allowed Romar to rest Wilcox, giving him only 24 minutes on the night. We certainly need his shooting skills against UCLA a lot more than we did against USC.
Aziz N'Diaye battled in the paint and came out the overall victor, in my opinion. While Blasczyk did finished with 10 points, he received 4 of those at the line and only managed to grab 3 rebounds. N'Diaye, on the other hand, had 8 points and 7 boards on top of one nice dunk. N'Diaye continues to be a force in the middle. He will need his A-game tomorrow against Josh Smith who was very successful against the Dawgs last time out. Speaking of N'Diaye, my friend Ted Copeland just posted this video from the UA game. Check Ted out on Facebook here. He does good work.
Desmond Simmons returned to better form against the smaller USC line-up. His shot selection was smarter and his aggressiveness in the paint was back to its old ways. Simmons finished with 5 points on a couple of nice put-backs and nabbed 7 rebounds. Simmons also had 2 steals to offset his 1 turnover. Love this type of production from Simmons, it is exactly what we need from him.
The bench got some decent play time tonight with everyone but Alex Wegner getting into the game. Not sure why Romar didn't put him in as well, but too late to worry about it. Martin Breunig had 4 points coming off of a last second, fade away 3-point jumper that drained somehow and also finished an alley-oop pass from Wroten to cap the night off in spectacular fashion.
Terrence Ross was the star of the night for the Dawgs. After foul trouble crushed Ross' ability to contribute against WSU, Ross returned in mighty fashion playing a full 40 minutes of basketball once more. Ross had 11 points at half time and finished with 18 after only 27 minutes of play. That puts him on pace for nearly 30 points in 40 minutes with that type of production. Ross was 8 of 13 from the field and hit 2 of his 3 from deep. Ross also put up 7 rebounds and 1 steal against 2 turnovers.Ross' crossover is really turning into a deadly weapon that opponents simply cannot defend against. He looks a lot like BRoy on the court. 17 different NBA teams had scouts at the game and one can only imagine that Ross was the focus of their trip.
What Needed Improvement:
Free Throws:
What saved the Dawgs in Pullman had a chance to bite them against USC. The Huskies were a miserable 12 of 23 from the line and this allows the Trojans to close the lead at times. Tony Wroten looked ugly at the line, consistently shooting wide and rattling the ball around. Wroten went 3-7 from the line. Not one person was perfect from the charity stripe and even infallible Wilcox was only 2 of 4 from the line.
Defense:
This may seem odd at first, but hear me out. The Dawgs didn't really shut down the Trojan offense. The Trojans average 54 points per game and finished with 58 because the Huskies like to push the tempo, allowing more shots for USC. The Trojans shot a very respectable 45% from the field and 30% outside. The Dawgs only forced 8 turnovers of which 5 were steals. The Dawgs didn't pressure USC into uncomfortable situations where the players would throw the ball away. The Huskies were able to score so much more because they had nearly as many offensive rebounds (18) as USC had total rebounds (20). When you attempt 16 more shots than the oppositions, chances are you will win. As I said in the pre-game write up, the Dawgs average somewhere around 1.2 points per possession, so 16 times 1.2 gives just under 20 extra points. That 20 points is almost exactly the amount we won by. This is a concerning stat when one considers how much better UCLA is than USC. We cannot afford to let UCLA shoot 45% from the field because they will rebound unlike USC and will certainly score more. We have to play better defense tomorrow.
What Was Good:
Rebounding:
Domination on the glass once again. The Trojans do not have the size or talent to compete in the paint with the Dawgs and this was reflected mightily in the stat line. The Huskies outrebounded USC 47-20 and allowed only 3 offensive boards for the Trojans. That is killer.
Ball Control:
The Husky guards got it done pretty well and the team as a whole dished out 13 assists on 31 shots. Not bad. The 12 turnovers are respectable, but I'd prefer if we could keep that number at 10 or lower. The ball control and passing led to many open shots outside the arc and the Huskies capitalized with a 6 of 13 performance from deep. If you exclude Wilcox from the stat line, the Huskies were 6 of 9 from outside. Solid.
Final Thoughts:
The Dawgs did what they needed to to win this game. They weren't incredibly spectacular and had few standout plays. They play consistent, solid basketball and got the win they wanted and needed. After the game their heads were in the right place. USC offered to do a post game celebration for the title if they wanted, but the Dawgs declined and instead kept their emotions in check, realizing the game on Saturday is just as important, if not more so. I suspect the defensive issues will be addressed and kept in check tomorrow. The bigger issue, no pun intended, is how to shut down Josh Smith. Smith killed us last game and will certainly try to do one better this time around. The Dawgs need to get a good game plan going, maybe run some zone to prevent entry passes. If the Dawgs win tomorrow, I believe they will have secured an at-large bid to the NCAA. Down year or not, the Pac-12 has always performed well in the NCAA, unlike the Big East, and a 15-3 major conference record is nothing to snuff at. I would much rather the team goes into the Pac-12 tournament and grabs that title as well to guarantee a bid. It will be a tough run, but this team is figuring things out and I am confident they can pull it off.
Go Dawgs!
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