Final Score: UW-69 UA-67
The game came down to a game saving block yet again, but this time it went to the Huskies and it was without a doubt a solid block. Nick Johnson flew in after the block and flushed a dunk and it appeared that Arizona may have tied it up, but the replay clearly showed time had expired and UW won it after Tony Wroten swatted away the potential game tying shot.
The Huskies could have put this game out of reach sooner, but several big missed free throws allowed UA to tie the game at 67 with just a few seconds left on the clock. At one point, the Huskies held an 11 point lead, but let it bleed away with critical turnovers and a silly 5 second call on an inbounds play. Despite their struggles, the crowd, and the foul differential (22 to 13 with four UW players sitting at 4 fouls, while no UA player had more than 3), the Huskies were able to get the win in front of a national audience. This is quickly becoming one of the most exciting rivalries in the league, and nation if you ask me, as the past 4 games have all been thrilling in their own ways.
This win was huge as the Huskies jumped into first place in the conference with a 7-2 record. Both Cal and Oregon play their instate rivals tomorrow and can retie for first place with wins. Out of those two, Oregon has a better chance of winning due to the sub-stellar play of OSU as of late. Stanford has been solid thus far and could give Cal problems on Sunday. The sweep over the Arizona schools, on the road, is going to have big implications for conference standings as UA is a strong home team that will be tough to beat.
Solomon Hill single-handedly kept Arizona in the game with a massive 28 point 11 rebound night, shooting 9 free throws and sinking 8 as well as draining both of his 3-point jumpers. Hill only missed one shot all night and finished 9 of 10 from the field. Jesse Perry did his part as well making 13 points and grabbing a game high 12 rebounds. Hill and Perry were the only Wildcats in double digit scoring.
Four Huskies hit double digit points and all made strong arguments for MVP of the game. Wroten scored a team high 17 points, right around his average, Aziz N'Diaye played a huge game scoring 12 points and grabbing a team high 8 rebounds, 5 offensive, C.J. Wilcox came off the bench and drained 15 points with some nice drives in the lane, and Terrence Ross put up 16 points and 7 boards.
The other four Huskies combined for a less than acceptable 9 points. All four went 1-3 from the field. They did manage to combine for an important 11 rebounds.
Aziz N'Diaye used his size advantage to take it to the hole early on and found immediate success against the much smaller Wildcat frontcourt. N'Diaye was able to extend over the defenders for some nice looking post moves and hook shots. The Dawgs recognized the advantage and fed him the ball more often than in the past. While N'Diaye's offensive talents are still improving, the difference between this year and last is very noticeable and much needed. Aziz finished 6-11 from the field, but missed all 3 free throw attempts.
C.J. Wilcox looked solid on the court, finished inside the paint when his outside shot wasn't falling. Wilcox hit 6 of 10 from the field and was only 1 of 3 from outside the arc. Wilcox nearly cost the Dawgs the game with a missed front end of a 1-and-1 with the Dawgs only up 3 points. The Wildcats came down and sank a game tying 3-pointer. Wilcox took care of business in the last 15 seconds, hitting a pair of free throws following the expected foul. Wilcox had 5 boards and a pair of assists as well as turnovers. Not his greatest night, but following over two weeks of missed practices and games, Wilcox knocked some of his rust off and played big when we needed him.
Terrence Ross had another amazing second half, hitting some big 3-pointers down the stretch to extend the Husky lead. Like Wilcox, Ross missed the front end of a critical 1-and-1 situation that nearly cost the Dawgs the win. Still, Ross had an impressive stat stuffing night with 7 boards, 2 assists, 3 steals, 3 blocks, and 3 turnovers. Ross put together a much better game and did some work in both halves rather than just in the second. That being said, Ross was still much better in the last 20 than the first 20 minutes. Ross let his impact be felt defensively more than offensively as his blocks were humongous and provided the Dawgs with some nice transition opportunities.
Tony Wroten gets my MVP vote tonight. Not only did he swat the game winning block, but Wroten drilled an insane 3-pointer after Ross bobbled the ball. With only 3 seconds on the clock, Wroten grabbed up the loose ball, turned and dribble around his man and pulled up for a 30 footer that crashed through the net. Unbelievable. The shot was almost a bad thing for Wroten and the Dawgs as Wroten got a little too cocky and started to play overexcited, shooting a poor 3-pointer and turning the ball over in the paint. Wroten quickly gained his composure back after the turnover and returned to playing more mature basketball. Wroten went 5-7 from the foul line, but finished a rather poor 5-18 from the field. Many of his shots were inside where he tried to muscle through a lot of contact that wasn't being called (see the foul differential). My bet is Wroten gets Player of the Week once more and gives one more reason why he should get Freshman of the Year and possibly Player of the Year. Wroten averaged just under 20 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 4 assists per game this week and helped seal a much needed road sweep.
The rest of the Dawgs played somewhat underwhelming. Gaddy had the biggest impact, picking up 3 assists early in the first half and finishing with 5 on the night with only 1 turnover. Gaddy managed only 2 points and was not aggressive offensively. His 4 fouls certainly limited how hard he could go to the hoop and defend, but I thought Gaddy had a favorable match-up that could have been exploited more often. Darnell Gant and Desmond Simmons provided some defensive sparks and grabbed 4 boards a piece. Simmons drilled a wide open 3-pointer in the starting minutes to help the Huskies jump out to a 7 point lead. Austin Sefarian-Jenkins played only 6 minutes, but gave N'Diaye a breather and gave out some heavy fouls. Kevin Parrom tried to shove ASJ after a foul, but the big man didn't move an inch and Parrom seemed to realize his mistake shortly after.
What Needed Improvement:
Free Throws:
When the fouls aren't going your way, you have to hit the few you are given. The Huskies were miserable form the line, hitting only 7 of their 16 attempts. In tight games, especially on the road, foul shots are critical. As I said in the pregame, we were not going to get many calls and I was proven right. The Dawgs did not capitalize on their opportunities and it nearly cost them the game. The Huskies MUST improve their foul shooting or risk another close game slipping away.
Ball Control:
Down the stretch, the Huskies got sloppy with the ball and play calls leading to unnecessary and unforced turnovers that allowed UA to fight their way back into the game. 13 turnovers were committed, 5 by Wroten (though I believe the officials should have called a foul instead of traveling on at least one of those plays). The Dawgs need to take better care of the ball and limit themselves to 10 or less per game. The 13 turnovers led to 17 points by the Wildcats.
What Was Good:
Inside Presence:
The Huskies posted a 34 to 28 point advantage inside, led by N'Diaye and Wroten who crashed the glass and the lane. Wilcox provided the spark inside during the second half and Ross showed himself to be an extreme athlete once more with some impressive moves on the block.
Rebounding:
One of the biggest keys to UW's win was offensive rebounding. The Huskies posted 16 offensive boards (36 total) that led to 17 second chance points, crushing UA's 8 second chance points. When our shots weren't dropping, we got up high and gathered the ball for the easy put back. UA did manage 35 boards behind the strong efforts of Hill and Perry, but it just wasn't enough. Six Huskies posted 4 or more rebounds, while Hill and Perry were the only Wildcats with more than 3 rebounds.
Final Thoughts:
Finally, we played in a big road game and came out the victors. Solid defense forced 15 turnovers and held the 'Cats to 42% shooting from the field (not great, but solid enough) and 30% from deep (again, not great, but good enough). The Huskies put together some big stops early in both halves to put the Wildcats in some deep holes that proved too difficult to climb out of. The Wildcats went into half with a 3 point lead following a controversial dunk that appeared to be offensive goaltending. The Huskies overcame sloppy play and put together a strong enough effort to pull out the win. I would say the Dawgs played about 30 minutes of tough basketball, the other 10 minutes led to the Wildcats coming back from 7 and 11 point deficits. Big, big win and while I understand the Pac-12 is "weak" this year, anyone watching the game has to admit it was exciting. These two teams have provided some of the best basketball in the nation these past two seasons and I suspect this will continue for several more years as the programs have really begun to make this game into a huge event with everyone giving all they have to offer. This will be huge when it comes to building our players' mental attitude about big games and road games and should really give these guys a taste of how sweet a big time win is. Hopefully this is the turning point that allows us to start crushing teams with our superior athleticism and talent. Romar, now is your time to get us rolling. The momentum is here, the talent is here, now it comes down to execution and chemistry. Get it done, boys.
Go Dawgs!
Saturday, January 28, 2012
Friday, January 27, 2012
University of Arizona Game Preview
In, what I would call, a poor showing against ASU, the Huskies showed they could grind out low scoring games with strong defense, rebounding, and physical play. Tony Wroten took the game into his hands when no one else could score and was very effective, going 9-12 from the field, which included a Number 1 ESPN Top 10 Play dunk seen here. Vicious, just vicious. ASJ scored his first points on the hardwood and finished with 4 pts and 5 boards, once again fouling out after 16 minutes.
Now the Dawgs must look forward to Arizona, where another whiteout and ESPN GameDay await. Last season started a new rivalry and provided both Husky and Cats fans with three very memorable games. While the last game in Tuscon did not end well for the Dawgs following a very questionable "block" call, Husky fans hardly need to be reminded of the last match-up versus the Wildcats. Gus Johnson gave one of the best play calls in recent history. Can you say COOOOOOOLLLLLDDDDDD BLOODED?! I did have a link to the last 5 minutes of regulation and all of overtime from that game, but someone got all copyright butthurt and took the video down.
The stakes of this game are huge. UW is in a 4 way tie for first with Colorado, Oregon, and California. Arizona is a game back with a 5-3 conference record after handily beating WSU last night. Win and UW can maintain its first place record, lose and UW drops back a few slots.
The Huskies tend to show up big in marquee match-ups. This season they have played just a tad below where they needed to be for a win. Hopefully those loses taught our players something about winning close games and can seal the deal this weekend. The UA crowd will be into the game big time with the whiteout and GameDay crew in attendance. It will be important for the Dawgs to get off to a strong start to quiet the crowd and swing the momentum in their direction.
Much like UW, Arizona lost a lot of their star talent from last season and have been struggling to find an identity and leader on the court. Last night, Kyle Fogg went off big in the first half, scoring 18 points. Other nights, guys like Kevin Parrom have been the star.
Arizona sees solid production from 4 players and are led in scoring by the aforementioned Kyle Fogg who is picking up 12.2 per game. Fogg is deadly from just about anywhere on the court. He is averaging over 80% from the foul line and 44% from deep. While Fogg is not a big guard at 6-3 188lb, he is strong enough and quick enough to get in the lane and do damage inside the paint. I suspect Wroten will be giving the defensive assignment to shut him down.
Solomon Hill is the most important player for the Wildcats with nearly 12 points per game on top of a team high 8 rebounds per outing. Hill also averages a team high in assists with just under 3 a game. Hill commits a team high 2.4 turnovers per game, which isn't surprising considering how often the ball is in his hands. Hill can be a hard to defend. At 6-6, many of our guards can keep a hand in his face. It is his 226lbs that are tough for defenders to stay even with. Hill has the strength to take his man to the bucket without too much duress and can finish through contact. I expect Desmond Simmons and Austin Sefarian-Jenkins to body up on Hill and front him to prevent inbound passes. Hill has a pretty solid outside shot and is making 35% on the season. His free throw percentage is respectable as well with 75% on the year.
Jesse Perry is the only other scorer in double digits for the Cats. Like Hill, Perry is a strong forward who is averaging nearly 12 points and over 7 rebounds per game. Perry is slightly taller and skinnier thank Hill at 6-7 216lb, but is just as effective from the field. He is not as great of a shooter, averaging only 31% outside. The key to containing both Perry and Hill is staying in front of them and preventing the dribble drives to the middle.
Kevin Parrom could show up big at times, but after a very devastating summer that included the deaths of both his mother and grandmother as well as getting shot in the hand and leg, it is not surprising that Parrom has not had the type of impact many suspected he would have this year. Parrom has been very up and down this season with 3 games of double digit scoring and 4 games without a single point to his name.
Predicted Starting Line-Ups:
Arizona:
Nick Johnson 6-2 198lb
Kyle Fogg 6-3 188lb
Josiah Turner 6-3 192lb
Solomon Hill 6-6 226lb
Jesse Perry 6-7 216lb
Washington:
Abdul Gaddy 6-3 185lb
Tony Wroten 6-5 205lb
Terrence Ross 6-6 195lb
Desmond Simmons 6-7 225lb
Aziz N'Diaye 7-0 260lb
Keys to the Game:
Get Hot Early:
The Huskies have been far too prone to slow starts this season and I guarantee, now more than ever, a hot start is needed. The crowd will be very loud and very biased towards their home team. It is important to shut them up before their impact on the game becomes too much to handle. With C.J. Wilcox back in the rotation, the Dawgs have a better shot at getting some range in their game, which should help immensely.
Rebounding:
If the shots aren't falling, the least the Dawgs can do is get dirty on the glass and pick up some nice putbacks. Our team is 9th in the nation with over 40 boards per game, though our rebounding percentage could be higher. N'Diaye, Ross, Simmons, Gant, and now ASJ are all averaging over 5 rebounds per game. That is an extreme amount of production from a large amount of players, which gives our team a lot of options when it comes to cleaning house.
Free Throws:
The Huskies were a miserable 61% from the line against ASU, due mostly to very poor shooting performances by Wroten and N'Diaye who combined for 5-14. We cannot afford to miss the freebies, especially on the road where foul shots can be hard to come by. I'm not expecting a 90% shooting performance, but 75% is very reasonable to expect and desire.
Final Thoughts:
The Huskies can win this game if their mentality is in the right place. That being said, this is going to be tough and could end in a blowout if the Dawgs don't take care of business defensively. What is going to win this game is nose to the grind defense and a tough, go-getter attitude. The Dawgs cannot let the game get away from them or they risk the crowd taking over. Someone needs to go I.T. tomorrow and take over the game. I'd like it to be Ross rather than Wroten, but I have no doubt Wroten will make his impact felt. He loves the big stage and thrives on emotion.
Final Score Prediction: UW-75 UA-74
Now the Dawgs must look forward to Arizona, where another whiteout and ESPN GameDay await. Last season started a new rivalry and provided both Husky and Cats fans with three very memorable games. While the last game in Tuscon did not end well for the Dawgs following a very questionable "block" call, Husky fans hardly need to be reminded of the last match-up versus the Wildcats. Gus Johnson gave one of the best play calls in recent history. Can you say COOOOOOOLLLLLDDDDDD BLOODED?! I did have a link to the last 5 minutes of regulation and all of overtime from that game, but someone got all copyright butthurt and took the video down.
The stakes of this game are huge. UW is in a 4 way tie for first with Colorado, Oregon, and California. Arizona is a game back with a 5-3 conference record after handily beating WSU last night. Win and UW can maintain its first place record, lose and UW drops back a few slots.
The Huskies tend to show up big in marquee match-ups. This season they have played just a tad below where they needed to be for a win. Hopefully those loses taught our players something about winning close games and can seal the deal this weekend. The UA crowd will be into the game big time with the whiteout and GameDay crew in attendance. It will be important for the Dawgs to get off to a strong start to quiet the crowd and swing the momentum in their direction.
Much like UW, Arizona lost a lot of their star talent from last season and have been struggling to find an identity and leader on the court. Last night, Kyle Fogg went off big in the first half, scoring 18 points. Other nights, guys like Kevin Parrom have been the star.
Arizona sees solid production from 4 players and are led in scoring by the aforementioned Kyle Fogg who is picking up 12.2 per game. Fogg is deadly from just about anywhere on the court. He is averaging over 80% from the foul line and 44% from deep. While Fogg is not a big guard at 6-3 188lb, he is strong enough and quick enough to get in the lane and do damage inside the paint. I suspect Wroten will be giving the defensive assignment to shut him down.
Solomon Hill is the most important player for the Wildcats with nearly 12 points per game on top of a team high 8 rebounds per outing. Hill also averages a team high in assists with just under 3 a game. Hill commits a team high 2.4 turnovers per game, which isn't surprising considering how often the ball is in his hands. Hill can be a hard to defend. At 6-6, many of our guards can keep a hand in his face. It is his 226lbs that are tough for defenders to stay even with. Hill has the strength to take his man to the bucket without too much duress and can finish through contact. I expect Desmond Simmons and Austin Sefarian-Jenkins to body up on Hill and front him to prevent inbound passes. Hill has a pretty solid outside shot and is making 35% on the season. His free throw percentage is respectable as well with 75% on the year.
Jesse Perry is the only other scorer in double digits for the Cats. Like Hill, Perry is a strong forward who is averaging nearly 12 points and over 7 rebounds per game. Perry is slightly taller and skinnier thank Hill at 6-7 216lb, but is just as effective from the field. He is not as great of a shooter, averaging only 31% outside. The key to containing both Perry and Hill is staying in front of them and preventing the dribble drives to the middle.
Kevin Parrom could show up big at times, but after a very devastating summer that included the deaths of both his mother and grandmother as well as getting shot in the hand and leg, it is not surprising that Parrom has not had the type of impact many suspected he would have this year. Parrom has been very up and down this season with 3 games of double digit scoring and 4 games without a single point to his name.
Predicted Starting Line-Ups:
Arizona:
Nick Johnson 6-2 198lb
Kyle Fogg 6-3 188lb
Josiah Turner 6-3 192lb
Solomon Hill 6-6 226lb
Jesse Perry 6-7 216lb
Washington:
Abdul Gaddy 6-3 185lb
Tony Wroten 6-5 205lb
Terrence Ross 6-6 195lb
Desmond Simmons 6-7 225lb
Aziz N'Diaye 7-0 260lb
Keys to the Game:
Get Hot Early:
The Huskies have been far too prone to slow starts this season and I guarantee, now more than ever, a hot start is needed. The crowd will be very loud and very biased towards their home team. It is important to shut them up before their impact on the game becomes too much to handle. With C.J. Wilcox back in the rotation, the Dawgs have a better shot at getting some range in their game, which should help immensely.
Rebounding:
If the shots aren't falling, the least the Dawgs can do is get dirty on the glass and pick up some nice putbacks. Our team is 9th in the nation with over 40 boards per game, though our rebounding percentage could be higher. N'Diaye, Ross, Simmons, Gant, and now ASJ are all averaging over 5 rebounds per game. That is an extreme amount of production from a large amount of players, which gives our team a lot of options when it comes to cleaning house.
Free Throws:
The Huskies were a miserable 61% from the line against ASU, due mostly to very poor shooting performances by Wroten and N'Diaye who combined for 5-14. We cannot afford to miss the freebies, especially on the road where foul shots can be hard to come by. I'm not expecting a 90% shooting performance, but 75% is very reasonable to expect and desire.
Final Thoughts:
The Huskies can win this game if their mentality is in the right place. That being said, this is going to be tough and could end in a blowout if the Dawgs don't take care of business defensively. What is going to win this game is nose to the grind defense and a tough, go-getter attitude. The Dawgs cannot let the game get away from them or they risk the crowd taking over. Someone needs to go I.T. tomorrow and take over the game. I'd like it to be Ross rather than Wroten, but I have no doubt Wroten will make his impact felt. He loves the big stage and thrives on emotion.
Final Score Prediction: UW-75 UA-74
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Arizona State Game Preview
Griffin Bennett and myself have been splitting duties at Montlake Madness to cover the Husky games. This has been great for me as I am graduating in a few weeks (god, its scary...) so I have been quite busy working on my resume, attending career fairs and workshops, and so forth. I'll be posting the pregame and post game for the UA game, but Griffin is covering the ASU game. Here is the link to his preview.
I'll put up a link to his post game when it's up as well.
Thanks for your patience and understanding. Hopefully I can find myself employed soon and can rededicate more time to this blog.
I'll put up a link to his post game when it's up as well.
Thanks for your patience and understanding. Hopefully I can find myself employed soon and can rededicate more time to this blog.
Friday, January 20, 2012
University of California: Berkeley Game Review
Final Score: UW-66 Cal-69
Heartbreak city was also seat-break city. The Dawgs, yet again, came out slow in the first half and managed a mere 25 points for the second straight game. This time, no amount of raucous and support from the fans could rally the Huskies for more late-game heroics. Trust me, the crowd was in the game, myself very much included as evidence by the seats my friend and I shattered from jumping around so much. Darnell Gant had an opportunity to tie the game and send it to overtime in the final seconds, but like the other 8 shots he took that night, it rimmed out and the Huskies were sent to the locker room with their tails between their legs. I completely agree with the play call Romar drew up. Ross was going to be over defended and as a senior, Gant should be given the chance for the big play. Abdul Gaddy bobbled the ball before delivering a poor pass to Gant, which appeared to rush his shot and cause the miss. After such a great game against WSU, it was surprising to see Gant go right back to the atrocious shooting he has had on display for over half the season now.
I think the most disappointing part of the game was the Huskies unwillingness to feed Aziz N'Diaye the ball in the second half. After going into half with a team high 8 points, N'Diaye looked poised for a 20 point-15 rebound game. His shot was on, he was rebounding left and right. His defender was a pencil thin "post" who could do nothing to stop him, yet the Huskies refused to feed him in the paint. N'Diaye finished the night 7-11 from the field with 12 rebounds (6 offensive). N'Diaye was easily the most influential and successful player, in my opinion, on the court. I understood earlier in the season why the Dawgs did not get him the ball. N'Diaye was still developing his hands and offensive game, but as of late N'Diaye has looked very solid down low and has legitimate post moves and a nice hook shot. At 7-0 he is tough to stop, so why don't we abuse that until the other team is forced to defend against it?
Terrence Ross. Can we get a full game out of you? For the second straight game, Ross went into half without a lot of points next to his name. Ross only managed one made shot in the first half, but finished with 15 after playing a much more aggressive second half. What is it going to take to get it in his head that he needs to be the leader of this team, demand the ball, and do something with it? It is amazing how easy he makes lay-ins look when driving the lanes. It is simply stunning that he doesn't hunger for the type of production he has shown in the second half of games for the entire game. I blame this on both Ross and Romar. Romar is not instilling the type of drive Ross needs to have and Ross is not developing that sort of attitude himself. Ross finished 6-15 from the field and grabbed 5 boards.
Tony Wroten played another sub-par game highlighted by 5 turnovers and only 2 assists. Unlike in previous games, the majority of the 5 turnovers were entirely his fault. This was highlighted by two terrible alley-oop pass to Ross that banged off the rim rather than into Ross' hands. It was rather uncharacteristic. He played a sloppy, disjointed game. Wroten did manage 14 points on just 4 of 11 shooting thanks to his beautiful 5 of 5 performance at the free throw line. Maybe Wroten is starting to develop the work ethic necessary to be a super star in college. If he can develop his ball control the way his free throw shot has been developing, he may very well make a late run for not just the Pac-12 Freshman of the Year, but Player of the Year as well. Until that time, Wroten will continue to frustrate and amazing in equal amounts.
Desmond Simmons played a fairly solid game and I thought he deserved more play time, especially with the poor offensive night Gant was having. Simmons finished with 8 points on 3 of 5 shooting and nabbed 3 rebounds. It's hard to criticize his rebounding as Ross and N'Diaye were the only ones to tally 5 or more boards for the Dawgs. I thought Simmons looked good on the defensive end, which contributed to his low rebounding total as he often had to leave the post to cover his man.
Abdul Gaddy looked better offensively tonight, but did not show the play-making ability he is known for. Gaddy tallied only 2 assists in the game, while committing 3 turnovers. The Huskies went into half time with only 1 assist. It is easy to understand why we can't score more than 30 points in a half. Instead of playing with a 5 person team, we try to play as 5 individuals making plays. "Miraculously," in the second half when we scored 41 points, we had 6 assists. Funny how that works...Gaddy went 5 of 9 from the field, 1 of 2 from deep, and actually attacked the rim. Much like Ross, Gaddy can make the short shots look easy as pie. I do have one big bone to pick with Gaddy from this game. Down 5 with something like 5 minutes left, Gaddy had an easy, open lane to the basket wide open. He drove to the hoop without resistance and then...he lazily put the ball up and missed the shot. DUNK THE BALL!!!!! I know you can dunk Gaddy, I've seen it happen. If you aren't going to dunk, at least put the ball in the rim. It is the easiest shot in the game. Just lay it in. It was a huge momentum killer as the crowd's enthusiasm significantly dropped off after the miss. The loss cannot be placed on any one player, but this was certainly a big time miss.
Hikeem Stewart came in after Wroten picked up a pair of early fouls. Unlike in previous games, Stewart jacked up a few shots and boy were they ugly. I appreciate that he wants to get involved offensively, but considering even Stewart himself admitted before the game that his shot if off, I would really prefer is his shots came inside of 10 feet. Stewart will develop into a solid role player in the coming years, but for the time being he is not developed enough to be a solid contributor. Stewart did grab 2 rebounds, something I'm not sure he has done yet this season.
We really missed C.J. Wilcox and unfortunately will continue to miss him this week as his stress fracture remains an issue.
What Needed Improvement:
Rebounding:
Outside of N'Diaye, the Huskies did not do a good job on the glass. The team managed only 31 rebounds and were out rebounded 36-31 by Cal. When the shots aren't falling, the importance of rebounding shoots up significantly. It's all about attitude. Jon Brockman was never the biggest guy on the court, but he was strong and fought for every last board. He fought so hard, he fell and broke his hip in the NCAA tournament, BUT HE KEPT PLAYING! What a beast. Our teams needs that type of killer instinct.
Ball Control:
7 assist, 12 turnovers. Not going to cut it, guys. How many games last season did we have less than 10 assists? Not many, I guarantee that. We were one of the top teams in the nation in terms of assists per game and not surprisingly, we scored a butt-ton of points each and every game. Correspondingly again, we won a lot of games. We have a set of great guards who are very good at finding the open players, the problems arise when those play makers sit at the top of the key and wait for the rest of the team to move. Easiest way to get an assist is to drive to the hoop, and kick it out. Watch the end of the Pac-10 championship game one more time. Both 3-pointers from Ross and Wilcox in the final seconds came because I.T. drove the lane and kicked it out.
What Was Good:
Aziz N'Diaye:
Fantastic game. Absolutely brilliant. As a coach, Romar needs to be able to see the advantage N'Diaye had down low and force the team to get him the ball. Even if he doesn't take the shot, the defense will be forced to collapse on him, which opens the court up for our shooters. Feed the man. Feed him often.
Final Thoughts:
The title run is now in Cal's hands with Stanford losing to WSU over the weekend. The Huskies are at a big disadvantage because we only get to play Cal and Stanford once. Can we still pull it off? Sure. Will we? I'm highly doubtful. I'm still frustrated about this game so I don't have much to say that will be constructive or useful. Hopefully the team learned something and can beat Stanford.
Go Dawgs!
Heartbreak city was also seat-break city. The Dawgs, yet again, came out slow in the first half and managed a mere 25 points for the second straight game. This time, no amount of raucous and support from the fans could rally the Huskies for more late-game heroics. Trust me, the crowd was in the game, myself very much included as evidence by the seats my friend and I shattered from jumping around so much. Darnell Gant had an opportunity to tie the game and send it to overtime in the final seconds, but like the other 8 shots he took that night, it rimmed out and the Huskies were sent to the locker room with their tails between their legs. I completely agree with the play call Romar drew up. Ross was going to be over defended and as a senior, Gant should be given the chance for the big play. Abdul Gaddy bobbled the ball before delivering a poor pass to Gant, which appeared to rush his shot and cause the miss. After such a great game against WSU, it was surprising to see Gant go right back to the atrocious shooting he has had on display for over half the season now.
I think the most disappointing part of the game was the Huskies unwillingness to feed Aziz N'Diaye the ball in the second half. After going into half with a team high 8 points, N'Diaye looked poised for a 20 point-15 rebound game. His shot was on, he was rebounding left and right. His defender was a pencil thin "post" who could do nothing to stop him, yet the Huskies refused to feed him in the paint. N'Diaye finished the night 7-11 from the field with 12 rebounds (6 offensive). N'Diaye was easily the most influential and successful player, in my opinion, on the court. I understood earlier in the season why the Dawgs did not get him the ball. N'Diaye was still developing his hands and offensive game, but as of late N'Diaye has looked very solid down low and has legitimate post moves and a nice hook shot. At 7-0 he is tough to stop, so why don't we abuse that until the other team is forced to defend against it?
Terrence Ross. Can we get a full game out of you? For the second straight game, Ross went into half without a lot of points next to his name. Ross only managed one made shot in the first half, but finished with 15 after playing a much more aggressive second half. What is it going to take to get it in his head that he needs to be the leader of this team, demand the ball, and do something with it? It is amazing how easy he makes lay-ins look when driving the lanes. It is simply stunning that he doesn't hunger for the type of production he has shown in the second half of games for the entire game. I blame this on both Ross and Romar. Romar is not instilling the type of drive Ross needs to have and Ross is not developing that sort of attitude himself. Ross finished 6-15 from the field and grabbed 5 boards.
Tony Wroten played another sub-par game highlighted by 5 turnovers and only 2 assists. Unlike in previous games, the majority of the 5 turnovers were entirely his fault. This was highlighted by two terrible alley-oop pass to Ross that banged off the rim rather than into Ross' hands. It was rather uncharacteristic. He played a sloppy, disjointed game. Wroten did manage 14 points on just 4 of 11 shooting thanks to his beautiful 5 of 5 performance at the free throw line. Maybe Wroten is starting to develop the work ethic necessary to be a super star in college. If he can develop his ball control the way his free throw shot has been developing, he may very well make a late run for not just the Pac-12 Freshman of the Year, but Player of the Year as well. Until that time, Wroten will continue to frustrate and amazing in equal amounts.
Desmond Simmons played a fairly solid game and I thought he deserved more play time, especially with the poor offensive night Gant was having. Simmons finished with 8 points on 3 of 5 shooting and nabbed 3 rebounds. It's hard to criticize his rebounding as Ross and N'Diaye were the only ones to tally 5 or more boards for the Dawgs. I thought Simmons looked good on the defensive end, which contributed to his low rebounding total as he often had to leave the post to cover his man.
Abdul Gaddy looked better offensively tonight, but did not show the play-making ability he is known for. Gaddy tallied only 2 assists in the game, while committing 3 turnovers. The Huskies went into half time with only 1 assist. It is easy to understand why we can't score more than 30 points in a half. Instead of playing with a 5 person team, we try to play as 5 individuals making plays. "Miraculously," in the second half when we scored 41 points, we had 6 assists. Funny how that works...Gaddy went 5 of 9 from the field, 1 of 2 from deep, and actually attacked the rim. Much like Ross, Gaddy can make the short shots look easy as pie. I do have one big bone to pick with Gaddy from this game. Down 5 with something like 5 minutes left, Gaddy had an easy, open lane to the basket wide open. He drove to the hoop without resistance and then...he lazily put the ball up and missed the shot. DUNK THE BALL!!!!! I know you can dunk Gaddy, I've seen it happen. If you aren't going to dunk, at least put the ball in the rim. It is the easiest shot in the game. Just lay it in. It was a huge momentum killer as the crowd's enthusiasm significantly dropped off after the miss. The loss cannot be placed on any one player, but this was certainly a big time miss.
Hikeem Stewart came in after Wroten picked up a pair of early fouls. Unlike in previous games, Stewart jacked up a few shots and boy were they ugly. I appreciate that he wants to get involved offensively, but considering even Stewart himself admitted before the game that his shot if off, I would really prefer is his shots came inside of 10 feet. Stewart will develop into a solid role player in the coming years, but for the time being he is not developed enough to be a solid contributor. Stewart did grab 2 rebounds, something I'm not sure he has done yet this season.
We really missed C.J. Wilcox and unfortunately will continue to miss him this week as his stress fracture remains an issue.
What Needed Improvement:
Rebounding:
Outside of N'Diaye, the Huskies did not do a good job on the glass. The team managed only 31 rebounds and were out rebounded 36-31 by Cal. When the shots aren't falling, the importance of rebounding shoots up significantly. It's all about attitude. Jon Brockman was never the biggest guy on the court, but he was strong and fought for every last board. He fought so hard, he fell and broke his hip in the NCAA tournament, BUT HE KEPT PLAYING! What a beast. Our teams needs that type of killer instinct.
Ball Control:
7 assist, 12 turnovers. Not going to cut it, guys. How many games last season did we have less than 10 assists? Not many, I guarantee that. We were one of the top teams in the nation in terms of assists per game and not surprisingly, we scored a butt-ton of points each and every game. Correspondingly again, we won a lot of games. We have a set of great guards who are very good at finding the open players, the problems arise when those play makers sit at the top of the key and wait for the rest of the team to move. Easiest way to get an assist is to drive to the hoop, and kick it out. Watch the end of the Pac-10 championship game one more time. Both 3-pointers from Ross and Wilcox in the final seconds came because I.T. drove the lane and kicked it out.
What Was Good:
Aziz N'Diaye:
Fantastic game. Absolutely brilliant. As a coach, Romar needs to be able to see the advantage N'Diaye had down low and force the team to get him the ball. Even if he doesn't take the shot, the defense will be forced to collapse on him, which opens the court up for our shooters. Feed the man. Feed him often.
Final Thoughts:
The title run is now in Cal's hands with Stanford losing to WSU over the weekend. The Huskies are at a big disadvantage because we only get to play Cal and Stanford once. Can we still pull it off? Sure. Will we? I'm highly doubtful. I'm still frustrated about this game so I don't have much to say that will be constructive or useful. Hopefully the team learned something and can beat Stanford.
Go Dawgs!
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
University of California: Berkeley Game Preview
Huge set of games this week against Cal and Stanford. The Huskies only get one shot at each this season and next, thankfully we get to play both at the comfy confines of Hec-Ed. Cal and Stanford currently sit a half game up on UW tied for first, while UW has sole possession of third. To say these games are critical is an understatement. Losing either makes the chase for the Pac-12 title tough and places it more in the hands of whoever wins said games. If the Huskies can win both and jump at least a half game up on both schools, they will take not only the lead, but also control the tie breaker for seeding in the Pac-12 tournament. Neither of these games will be easy, especially with C.J. Wilcox out for the week. While, Terrence Ross' performance on Sunday was spectacular, it is going to take a major team effort to pull off these wins. The Dawgs are working with what is essentially a 6-man rotation supplemented by 3 or 4 small minute players. The Huskies need everyone on the court to find productivity offensively, no matter what defense is thrown at them. Fully expect Stanford to run a zone for a majority of the game and Cal to likely start in a man-to-man with zone coming at different times to rattle our guys.
Cal comes into the game 15-4 on the season, 5-1 in conference. Picked as a preseason favorite to win the conference title, Cal has been playing fairly solid basketball. Like the rest of the Pac-12, Cal failed to capitalize on its games against top tier opponents. In their last game, Cal crushed Utah by nearly 40 points. Speaking of Utah, Josh Watkins has been kicked off the Utes squad, adding to the list of Pac-12 players no longer with their respective programs.
Cal is led by a trio of guards standing between 6-2 and 6-6. Allen Crabbe leads the Golden Bears in both scoring and is second in rebounding with nearly 16 points and 6 rebounds per game. After nabbing the Pac-10 Freshman of the Year award, Crabbe continues to impress with his stellar game and impressive shooting. Crabbe is currently hitting over 45% from the field and from deep on top of an impressive 81% from the free throw line. Not only is Crabbe shooting with deadly accuracy from dead, he is doing it in huge numbers with 51 3-pointers made on the year. Crabbe stands at 6-6 and 205lb and will require our best efforts to contain. While I think Wroten can play excellent defense at times, I would be more comfortable seeing Ross draw the assignment. I think Ross understands Crabbe's style of play a little better and will be able to shut him down more effectively.
Jorge Gutierrez is second in scoring with 15 points and 5 rebounds per game. He is also averaging over 4 assists per game, good for second on the team. Gutierrez is a preseason pick for the Pac-12 Player of the Year award and has been playing like one through most of the year. While Gutierrez does not have the outside shot of Crabbe, Gutierrez can certainly do damage of his own outside, but does the majority of his scoring inside the paint by attacking the lanes with authority. I believe Tony Wroten will be asked to shut down the senior guard as Wroten plays the same style of aggressive basketball and will be able to anticipate the drives, while also picking his sleeves once or twice. Gutierrez is a solid FT shooter with an 80% average on the year, so Wroten can ill afford to give Gutierrez the easy ones, nevermind how much his foul trouble would hurt our team.
Justin Cobbs is third in scoring with a 13 point average. He also leads the team in assists with nearly 5 per game, while committing only 2 turnovers a night. Cobbs is perhaps a better shooter than Crabbe, but doesn't take nearly the volume of shots that Crabbe does as Cobbs is more of a play-maker. Cobbs is hitting nearly 60% of his 3-pointers (19 of 33) and a 52% field goal percentage. Cobbs is also hitting 81% from the foul line and, like most of the Cal squad, is not someone you want to be giving freebies to.
Harper Kamp is the leading big man for the Bears. With 9.4 points and 5 rebounds a game, Kamp is a productive player with a solid inside shot. He has yet to attempt a 3-pointer yet this season and will likely stay in the paint against the Huskies, but the 6-8 245lb forward is an athletic big man who can be semi-productive from mid-range. Kamp has struggled with injuries the past two seasons, but is dominate when healthy and must be taken care of.
Richard Solomon is another productive big man for the Golden Bears who is averaging around 7 points per game and a team best 6 rebounds per game. At 6-10 and 220lbs, Solomon is a thin forward who gets his points by moving quickly outside his defender's range for the quick 2 ball. Solomon often struggles at the line, hitting less than 65% on the year.
Predicted Starting Line-Ups:
California:
Justin Cobbs 6-2 195lb
Jorge Gutierrez 6-3 195lb
Allen Crabbe 6-6 205lb
Harper Kamp 6-8 245lb
David Kravish 6-9 210lb
Washington:
Abdul Gaddy 6-3 185lb
Tony Wroten Jr. 6-5 205lb
Terrence Ross 6-6 195lb
Desmond Simmons 6-7 220lb
Aziz N'Diaye 7-0 260lb
Keys to the Game:
Rebounding:
Cal averages around 35 per game and Washington dominated their latest outing against WSU. Washington will need to crash the glass hard to beat Cal without Wilcox providing a solid scoring option. Cal is super athletic and their guards provide as much rebounding talent as their big men. Our defenders need to prevent the offensive boards to minimize the second chance points that Cal can capitalize on.
Free Throws:
This should be a close game without a doubt. Free throws tend to be one of Cal's strong points, while it is a weakness for the Huskies. If the Dawgs want to prevent the upset, they will need to make the easy ones. If Ross and Wroten can get to the line and make their freebies, the game will be much easier. This was seen against SU when the Dawgs missed 22 and only won by 8. Free throws win ball games, plain and simple.
Solid Shooting:
After miserable percentages against SU and WSU, the Dawgs need to find someone who can drill the whole game. They also need to find several people willing to bang inside and drive the lanes. Wroten is a consistent force in the paint, but Ross and Gaddy need to force the inside as well. The Huskies should be averaging around 45% from the field and, hopefully, 40% from range. We have the talent. It is mainly a matter of mindset.
Final Thoughts:
This is a very winnable game. The Dawgs are (tend to be) great at home and often have their best shooting stroke on the Hec-Ed court. If the Huskies can get some defensive stops and control the outside shooting of Cal, I think the Dawgs should come out on top.
I'll call it
UW-80 Cal-77
Cal comes into the game 15-4 on the season, 5-1 in conference. Picked as a preseason favorite to win the conference title, Cal has been playing fairly solid basketball. Like the rest of the Pac-12, Cal failed to capitalize on its games against top tier opponents. In their last game, Cal crushed Utah by nearly 40 points. Speaking of Utah, Josh Watkins has been kicked off the Utes squad, adding to the list of Pac-12 players no longer with their respective programs.
Cal is led by a trio of guards standing between 6-2 and 6-6. Allen Crabbe leads the Golden Bears in both scoring and is second in rebounding with nearly 16 points and 6 rebounds per game. After nabbing the Pac-10 Freshman of the Year award, Crabbe continues to impress with his stellar game and impressive shooting. Crabbe is currently hitting over 45% from the field and from deep on top of an impressive 81% from the free throw line. Not only is Crabbe shooting with deadly accuracy from dead, he is doing it in huge numbers with 51 3-pointers made on the year. Crabbe stands at 6-6 and 205lb and will require our best efforts to contain. While I think Wroten can play excellent defense at times, I would be more comfortable seeing Ross draw the assignment. I think Ross understands Crabbe's style of play a little better and will be able to shut him down more effectively.
Jorge Gutierrez is second in scoring with 15 points and 5 rebounds per game. He is also averaging over 4 assists per game, good for second on the team. Gutierrez is a preseason pick for the Pac-12 Player of the Year award and has been playing like one through most of the year. While Gutierrez does not have the outside shot of Crabbe, Gutierrez can certainly do damage of his own outside, but does the majority of his scoring inside the paint by attacking the lanes with authority. I believe Tony Wroten will be asked to shut down the senior guard as Wroten plays the same style of aggressive basketball and will be able to anticipate the drives, while also picking his sleeves once or twice. Gutierrez is a solid FT shooter with an 80% average on the year, so Wroten can ill afford to give Gutierrez the easy ones, nevermind how much his foul trouble would hurt our team.
Justin Cobbs is third in scoring with a 13 point average. He also leads the team in assists with nearly 5 per game, while committing only 2 turnovers a night. Cobbs is perhaps a better shooter than Crabbe, but doesn't take nearly the volume of shots that Crabbe does as Cobbs is more of a play-maker. Cobbs is hitting nearly 60% of his 3-pointers (19 of 33) and a 52% field goal percentage. Cobbs is also hitting 81% from the foul line and, like most of the Cal squad, is not someone you want to be giving freebies to.
Harper Kamp is the leading big man for the Bears. With 9.4 points and 5 rebounds a game, Kamp is a productive player with a solid inside shot. He has yet to attempt a 3-pointer yet this season and will likely stay in the paint against the Huskies, but the 6-8 245lb forward is an athletic big man who can be semi-productive from mid-range. Kamp has struggled with injuries the past two seasons, but is dominate when healthy and must be taken care of.
Richard Solomon is another productive big man for the Golden Bears who is averaging around 7 points per game and a team best 6 rebounds per game. At 6-10 and 220lbs, Solomon is a thin forward who gets his points by moving quickly outside his defender's range for the quick 2 ball. Solomon often struggles at the line, hitting less than 65% on the year.
Predicted Starting Line-Ups:
California:
Justin Cobbs 6-2 195lb
Jorge Gutierrez 6-3 195lb
Allen Crabbe 6-6 205lb
Harper Kamp 6-8 245lb
David Kravish 6-9 210lb
Washington:
Abdul Gaddy 6-3 185lb
Tony Wroten Jr. 6-5 205lb
Terrence Ross 6-6 195lb
Desmond Simmons 6-7 220lb
Aziz N'Diaye 7-0 260lb
Keys to the Game:
Rebounding:
Cal averages around 35 per game and Washington dominated their latest outing against WSU. Washington will need to crash the glass hard to beat Cal without Wilcox providing a solid scoring option. Cal is super athletic and their guards provide as much rebounding talent as their big men. Our defenders need to prevent the offensive boards to minimize the second chance points that Cal can capitalize on.
Free Throws:
This should be a close game without a doubt. Free throws tend to be one of Cal's strong points, while it is a weakness for the Huskies. If the Dawgs want to prevent the upset, they will need to make the easy ones. If Ross and Wroten can get to the line and make their freebies, the game will be much easier. This was seen against SU when the Dawgs missed 22 and only won by 8. Free throws win ball games, plain and simple.
Solid Shooting:
After miserable percentages against SU and WSU, the Dawgs need to find someone who can drill the whole game. They also need to find several people willing to bang inside and drive the lanes. Wroten is a consistent force in the paint, but Ross and Gaddy need to force the inside as well. The Huskies should be averaging around 45% from the field and, hopefully, 40% from range. We have the talent. It is mainly a matter of mindset.
Final Thoughts:
This is a very winnable game. The Dawgs are (tend to be) great at home and often have their best shooting stroke on the Hec-Ed court. If the Huskies can get some defensive stops and control the outside shooting of Cal, I think the Dawgs should come out on top.
I'll call it
UW-80 Cal-77
Monday, January 16, 2012
Washington State University Game Review
Final Score: UW-75 WSU-65
This was a tale of two halves and one fueled by emotion and excitement that has been long absent this season, both on the road and at home. After an extremely sluggish first half, the Huskies rallied following a technical foul assessed to Lorenzo Romar who was livid after a very questionable charge call against Terrence Ross. The crowd was upset and the emotion showed. The House started rocking and the Huskies ate it up like a Thanksgiving dinner. The Huskies went on a 28-5 run after the technical and never looked back, turning a 10 point deficit into a 10 point lead. Darnell Gant and Terrence Ross went ballistic and were the driving force on the court in this huge turnaround.
Ross played a career night and woke up on fire after another icy start. Shooting just 1 of 9 in the first half, it looked as though Terrence Ross was bound for another mediocre, disappointing night. The second half showed that thought to be foolishness as Ross went on to tally an absurd 26 points in the second half to set a career high with 30 points as well as a career high 14 rebounds. Talk about second half productivity, Ross would not be denied and after back-to-back 3-pointers it was clear that Ross was on a mission and no one was going to get in his way. Ross was 8-12 in the second half and 5-7 from deep, one of his 3-pointers came in the last 5 seconds of the shot clock after driving out from the low post and turning around for a fade-away that exemplified what sort of player Ross can be.
Darnell Gant finally showed a little leadership and pizazz, rallying the team after Romar's technical and finally taking (and making) shots. Gant scored 10 of his 13 points in the second half, which included a pair of monster jams to take the lead and add on to the total in back-to-back possessions. Gant followed with a set of 3-pointers putting him at 5-7 on the night, 3-5 outside. The outside shooting from Ross and Gant was of the utmost importance as C.J. Wilcox was absent from tonight's game and will likely miss all of next week against Stanford and California as he is currently suffering from a stress fracture high on his femur that needs rest and relaxation or risk further damage. Gant showed the rebounding skills we have been begging him to put in play all season, picking up 8 on the night, 5 of which were offensive. During a time when the Huskies are forced to rely on what is essentially a 6 man rotation, not one player can afford to be lazy or slow. Could this be a bit of a turn around game for Gant? Possibly. I am not sold on it yet, but solid performances against Stanford and Cal would certainly convince me that Gant is heading in the right direction once more.
With everything Ross and Gant were doing on the court it was easy to miss out on the excellent performance Aziz N'Diaye had against the Cougars and their zone defense. N'Diaye was 4-5 from the field, with a couple of nice put backs. He was a perfect 4-4 from the free throw line, including a pair with 20 seconds to go, which allowed the Huskies to maintain their 10 point lead and really lock-up the win without fear of a major meltdown. N'Diaye put on some nice post moves and provided a solid core in the paint that helped slow down Brock Motum in the second half.
Desmond Simmons certainly gave his all last night. Assigned to the best Cougar on the court, Motum, Simmons had his work cut out for him. Shooting only 1-6 from the field, Simmons struggled to find himself offensively. His 7 rebounds, 4 offensive, were critical on a night where the Dawgs outscored the Cougars 16-9 on second chance points. Fouls and Gant's reemergence seemed to limit Simmons' minutes, who only played 19 tonight despite starting.
Abdul Gaddy looked rigid on the court tonight, but found success play making for others including a pair of alley-oop lobs to Gant and Ross. Gassy went 2-10 from the field, 1-6 from deep, but picked up 6 assists and committing 3 turnovers. Gaddy played 35 minutes on the night. What confounded me the most was how the one time Gaddy drove the lane, he made his shot and made it look easy. Why does he do that more often? It is obvious that it works for him and it is not as if he is continually rejected. Gaddy will need to be aggressive this next week as the loss of Wilcox for the next two games will certainly affect our offensive production.
Tony Wroten also struggled with his shot tonight. Wroten was a miserable 3-14 from the field, but did manage to get to the line for 13 shots. He only made 7, but drilled 4 in a row during a critical stretch of game play. Wroten had 4 assists, but also committed 4 turnovers that proved costly in the first half. Wroten only collected 3 rebounds, but they were all offensive and helped the Dawgs maintain some semblance of an offense during the first half. What Wroten did best was keep pushing the tempo in the Dawgs favor and disrupting the Cougar offense.
What Needed Improvement:
Free Throws:
The Dawgs were a terrible 17 of 28 from the strip tonight, 4-10 in the first half. The Huskies could have controlled this game a lot sooner with respectable free throw shooting, but as per tradition, the Dawgs stunk up the line until crunch time.
Shooting:
I don't understand why Dawgs struggle so much against the zone defense, but without Wilcox on the court the Huskies found it difficult to score until the second half. The Huskies need to utilize a high post option against the zone to collapse the defense and open lanes for our shooters to drive and score or drive and dish. Romar finally started posting Ross and Wroten up high, allowing the play-makers to get off decent opportunities that ended being game changers.
What Was Good:
The Second Half:
The Huskies finally showed some life and played like the energized and exciting team they should have been all year. It should not take the home crowd going crazy to feel that kind of drive, but this is definitely a team that thrives on the emotion of the crowd. Blame on the coaching, blame it on the youth. Whatever it is, it is both a blessing and a curse. At home, this team can relish in the emotion of the game and perform as such. On the road, they often look demoralized and collapse without a fight.
Rebounding:
The Huskies out rebounded the Cougars 46-24. That is ridiculous. In fact it is so ridiculous that the Huskies had 22 offensive boards, nearly totaling that of the entire Cougar production. Rebounds most certainly won the game for the Dawgs and kept the score manageable despite the atrocious shooting of the first half.
Romar:
He may not get a gold star for play making still, but Romar still made two great coaching decisions during the game that allowed the Huskies to pull out a much needed won over rival WSU. The first was picking up the technical foul defending his team and his court. The second was leaving the same 5 on the court the final 13 minutes as their chemistry and fire were not to be trifled with. Often times, Romar is seen pulling players out after going on a run to rest their legs and whatnot only to have the game get out of hand once more. By leaving the same 5 on the court, the players were able to build bonds, predict movements, and operate as an offense truly should. Their confidence rose and as such so did the team's offensive output.
Final Thoughts:
This was a huge win for the Dawgs who looked sleepy in the first half. With what is arguably the toughest week coming up against conference favorites Cal and Stanford, the Dawgs lie half a game back from each and can take the lead with a pair of wins. The emotion and momentum garnered from this game will certainly aid the Dawgs in the efforts next week and hopefully the team has learned how to score without one of their best sharpshooters on the court. Ross and Wroten need to maintain their aggressiveness and Gant will need to keep that fire going himself.
Go Dawgs!
This was a tale of two halves and one fueled by emotion and excitement that has been long absent this season, both on the road and at home. After an extremely sluggish first half, the Huskies rallied following a technical foul assessed to Lorenzo Romar who was livid after a very questionable charge call against Terrence Ross. The crowd was upset and the emotion showed. The House started rocking and the Huskies ate it up like a Thanksgiving dinner. The Huskies went on a 28-5 run after the technical and never looked back, turning a 10 point deficit into a 10 point lead. Darnell Gant and Terrence Ross went ballistic and were the driving force on the court in this huge turnaround.
Ross played a career night and woke up on fire after another icy start. Shooting just 1 of 9 in the first half, it looked as though Terrence Ross was bound for another mediocre, disappointing night. The second half showed that thought to be foolishness as Ross went on to tally an absurd 26 points in the second half to set a career high with 30 points as well as a career high 14 rebounds. Talk about second half productivity, Ross would not be denied and after back-to-back 3-pointers it was clear that Ross was on a mission and no one was going to get in his way. Ross was 8-12 in the second half and 5-7 from deep, one of his 3-pointers came in the last 5 seconds of the shot clock after driving out from the low post and turning around for a fade-away that exemplified what sort of player Ross can be.
Darnell Gant finally showed a little leadership and pizazz, rallying the team after Romar's technical and finally taking (and making) shots. Gant scored 10 of his 13 points in the second half, which included a pair of monster jams to take the lead and add on to the total in back-to-back possessions. Gant followed with a set of 3-pointers putting him at 5-7 on the night, 3-5 outside. The outside shooting from Ross and Gant was of the utmost importance as C.J. Wilcox was absent from tonight's game and will likely miss all of next week against Stanford and California as he is currently suffering from a stress fracture high on his femur that needs rest and relaxation or risk further damage. Gant showed the rebounding skills we have been begging him to put in play all season, picking up 8 on the night, 5 of which were offensive. During a time when the Huskies are forced to rely on what is essentially a 6 man rotation, not one player can afford to be lazy or slow. Could this be a bit of a turn around game for Gant? Possibly. I am not sold on it yet, but solid performances against Stanford and Cal would certainly convince me that Gant is heading in the right direction once more.
With everything Ross and Gant were doing on the court it was easy to miss out on the excellent performance Aziz N'Diaye had against the Cougars and their zone defense. N'Diaye was 4-5 from the field, with a couple of nice put backs. He was a perfect 4-4 from the free throw line, including a pair with 20 seconds to go, which allowed the Huskies to maintain their 10 point lead and really lock-up the win without fear of a major meltdown. N'Diaye put on some nice post moves and provided a solid core in the paint that helped slow down Brock Motum in the second half.
Desmond Simmons certainly gave his all last night. Assigned to the best Cougar on the court, Motum, Simmons had his work cut out for him. Shooting only 1-6 from the field, Simmons struggled to find himself offensively. His 7 rebounds, 4 offensive, were critical on a night where the Dawgs outscored the Cougars 16-9 on second chance points. Fouls and Gant's reemergence seemed to limit Simmons' minutes, who only played 19 tonight despite starting.
Abdul Gaddy looked rigid on the court tonight, but found success play making for others including a pair of alley-oop lobs to Gant and Ross. Gassy went 2-10 from the field, 1-6 from deep, but picked up 6 assists and committing 3 turnovers. Gaddy played 35 minutes on the night. What confounded me the most was how the one time Gaddy drove the lane, he made his shot and made it look easy. Why does he do that more often? It is obvious that it works for him and it is not as if he is continually rejected. Gaddy will need to be aggressive this next week as the loss of Wilcox for the next two games will certainly affect our offensive production.
Tony Wroten also struggled with his shot tonight. Wroten was a miserable 3-14 from the field, but did manage to get to the line for 13 shots. He only made 7, but drilled 4 in a row during a critical stretch of game play. Wroten had 4 assists, but also committed 4 turnovers that proved costly in the first half. Wroten only collected 3 rebounds, but they were all offensive and helped the Dawgs maintain some semblance of an offense during the first half. What Wroten did best was keep pushing the tempo in the Dawgs favor and disrupting the Cougar offense.
What Needed Improvement:
Free Throws:
The Dawgs were a terrible 17 of 28 from the strip tonight, 4-10 in the first half. The Huskies could have controlled this game a lot sooner with respectable free throw shooting, but as per tradition, the Dawgs stunk up the line until crunch time.
Shooting:
I don't understand why Dawgs struggle so much against the zone defense, but without Wilcox on the court the Huskies found it difficult to score until the second half. The Huskies need to utilize a high post option against the zone to collapse the defense and open lanes for our shooters to drive and score or drive and dish. Romar finally started posting Ross and Wroten up high, allowing the play-makers to get off decent opportunities that ended being game changers.
What Was Good:
The Second Half:
The Huskies finally showed some life and played like the energized and exciting team they should have been all year. It should not take the home crowd going crazy to feel that kind of drive, but this is definitely a team that thrives on the emotion of the crowd. Blame on the coaching, blame it on the youth. Whatever it is, it is both a blessing and a curse. At home, this team can relish in the emotion of the game and perform as such. On the road, they often look demoralized and collapse without a fight.
Rebounding:
The Huskies out rebounded the Cougars 46-24. That is ridiculous. In fact it is so ridiculous that the Huskies had 22 offensive boards, nearly totaling that of the entire Cougar production. Rebounds most certainly won the game for the Dawgs and kept the score manageable despite the atrocious shooting of the first half.
Romar:
He may not get a gold star for play making still, but Romar still made two great coaching decisions during the game that allowed the Huskies to pull out a much needed won over rival WSU. The first was picking up the technical foul defending his team and his court. The second was leaving the same 5 on the court the final 13 minutes as their chemistry and fire were not to be trifled with. Often times, Romar is seen pulling players out after going on a run to rest their legs and whatnot only to have the game get out of hand once more. By leaving the same 5 on the court, the players were able to build bonds, predict movements, and operate as an offense truly should. Their confidence rose and as such so did the team's offensive output.
Final Thoughts:
This was a huge win for the Dawgs who looked sleepy in the first half. With what is arguably the toughest week coming up against conference favorites Cal and Stanford, the Dawgs lie half a game back from each and can take the lead with a pair of wins. The emotion and momentum garnered from this game will certainly aid the Dawgs in the efforts next week and hopefully the team has learned how to score without one of their best sharpshooters on the court. Ross and Wroten need to maintain their aggressiveness and Gant will need to keep that fire going himself.
Go Dawgs!
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Seattle University Game Review
Final Score: UW-91 SU-83
Many of you might be wondering how this game was so close after going into half with a 13 point lead. One would imagine UW would build on that and crush SU into the dirt. We certainly had the opportunity to do so, but decided we didn't like free points and missed 22 free throws. Let me reiterate. Twenty-Two. All of a sudden this 8 point win turns into a 20 or 30 point win if we put up a respectable percentage. C.J. Wilcox took his streak of free throws made to 30 and then proceeded to miss 2 more over the course of the night. Tony Wroten went 12 of 18 from the line, better than his season average, but still 3 few than I consider acceptable. Aziz N'Diaye was a miserable 4 of 9 from the line. Our team pretty much takes this attitude about free throws. Where ever you hear cash or money, replace it with points or free throws.
Seattle U also applied a press the entire game (take note on how it's done Romar) that frustrated our team to the point of ridiculousness. The half court press is exceedingly easy to beat if you just run a freaking screen for one player then back to the inbounder who dribbles up the court and passes across to their center court option. I commend Cameron Dollar for his effort, but this was another foul fest featuring 5 SU players fouling out of the game. I thought for sure we would see only 4 players on the court once more.
C.J. Wilcox looked slightly improved with a 4-7 night from deep, but it was his inside game that suffered and led to a 6-15 night shooting. He set a career high in points by getting to the line 11 times and making 9. I credit his number of attempts to SU fouling, rather than Wilcox being aggressive as he should be. Wilcox still needs to find that will to attack the hoop and power through contact. A few extra hours in the weight room would certainly help.
Terrence Ross was fairly effective tonight despite early foul issues that held him back. He was 4-6 from the field, 2-2 behind the arc, but missed 2 crucial free throws in crunch time that nearly cost us. Ross, like Wilcox, remains passive about attacking the rim and the Huskies suffer because of it. If Ross wants to be an impact player at the next level, or even in this league for that matter, he needs to get tough and bang in the paint.
Speaking of banging in the paint, Aziz N'Diaye had another nice performance against SU finishing with 14 points and 13 boards (6 offensive). His shot from the field is improving, despite missing a pair of easy lay-ins, one of which was a dunk where it looks as though he didn't rotate his wrists at all. Hard to dunk when the ball smacks against the rim. Still there were several wide open opportunities following the press break where UW simply refused to pass into the block for an easy basket. I understand wanting to burn time and doing so when there is defensive pressure, but if you have a wide open, easy shot, you put the points on the board. Kicking it out and waiting only gives the opposition a greater chance to force a terrible shot and get back in the game.
Desmond Simmons got his first start since the exhibition game. Simmons has certainly deserved it and played pretty solid. Simmons only knocked up 5 points on the night with 2 of 6 shooting, but grabbed a very nice 7 rebounds (4 offensive) and provided some good defensive pressure. Simmons split his free throws and grabbed 2 steals through the night.
Abdul Gaddy had the most boring 38 minutes of basketball I may have ever seen. 0-4 from the field, 3 assists, and 3 turnovers. His impact of the game was minimal and the only reason he managed 10 trips to the line was Cameron Dollars' plan of fouling until SU took the lead, which never happened outside the starting minutes. If Gaddy is going to play essentially the whole game, he needs to do a lot more with his time. While I have always been a firm supporter of Gaddy, I starting to follow more of my father's belief that Gaddy is not the point guard the Huskies need. Gaddy is far too timid and much like Ross and Wilcox, will not attack the hoop with any consistency.
Tony Wroten. Wroten had another hot/cold night where he does a lot of good things, but also some bad. 24 points is terrific. Making 12 of 18 free throws...I'll take it hesitantly only because I know how much worse he could have done. 4 rebounds isn't bad when one considers how well N'Diaye and Simmons were able to clean house. 6 assists is fantastic, but committing 6 turnovers pretty much negates whatever good those assists did. At least Wroten gets to the rim and forces teams to defend him in the lane. He had a few turnovers credited to him that I really place on the other players not looking for the tricky pass as the situation certainly called for one.
Darnell Gant and Shawn Kemp combined for 22 minutes, 4 points, and 6 rebounds (5 by Gant). Gant is slowly taking the back seat to Simmons who played 24 minutes. With ASJ officially on the squad, Gant's minutes could be in even more danger if ASJ proves to be a competent basketball players.
What Needed Improvement:
Free Throws:
UW went to the line 59 times and missed 22 attempts. That is at least 10 too many. If I had my way it would be 22 times too many. I'm understanding enough to realize players will eventually miss. It's inevitable, but we have to be shooting at least 75% from the line. 62% is unacceptable. We nearly blew this game because we could hit the free ones down the stretch. Every time the Dawgs would start to pull away, SU would foul, we would miss, and then suddenly the Redhawks were back in it again.
Turnovers:
UW had only 5 turnovers in the first half. They finished with 16. 11 turnovers in a half is unacceptable. 11 for the game is still high. Staying under 10 turnovers every night should be this teams goal and, in my mind, this is very attainable, especially against less talented teams like SU. The Redhawks played great defense, but instead of playing above their opponents, the Huskies allowed the trap to frustrate and collapse them.
What Was Good:
Rebounding:
Terrific night on the boards. Every player had at least 4 rebounds, except Shawn Kemp who only grabbed one. Considering he only played 6 minutes, I am perfectly OK with that. The team pulled in 20 offensive boards, excellent. They did allow SU to grab 12, about 2 or 3 higher than I'd like to see, but all things considered, I'll take it.
Ball Pressure:
UW forced 17 turnovers and picked up 8 steals as well as 6 blocks. While SU certainly got their points, it should have been a higher scoring game for the Huskies and that, in my opinion, is OK with me. If it is a high possession game, the opposition is bound to score points of their own, it's a matter of statistics. UW was able to apply their own half-court pressure that led to some nice transition plays, a few also went awry for one reason or another.
Final Thoughts:
If this team could just find some damn consistency, we would be golden. Instead, the team seems to enjoy riding a roller coaster of scoring and then shutting down. Free throws nearly cost us this game and as I have said just about every time I write an article, free throws win ball games. SU made 3 more shots, but we attempted twice as many free throws and made twice as many free throws. This team still has a lot of work to do and I hope to god, nobody takes notes on applying a press to us because a much better team will annihilate us with one. I'm waiting for the game against WSU to see if this squad has learned anything from its tribulations. My guess, WSU will be a handful.
Go Dawgs!
Many of you might be wondering how this game was so close after going into half with a 13 point lead. One would imagine UW would build on that and crush SU into the dirt. We certainly had the opportunity to do so, but decided we didn't like free points and missed 22 free throws. Let me reiterate. Twenty-Two. All of a sudden this 8 point win turns into a 20 or 30 point win if we put up a respectable percentage. C.J. Wilcox took his streak of free throws made to 30 and then proceeded to miss 2 more over the course of the night. Tony Wroten went 12 of 18 from the line, better than his season average, but still 3 few than I consider acceptable. Aziz N'Diaye was a miserable 4 of 9 from the line. Our team pretty much takes this attitude about free throws. Where ever you hear cash or money, replace it with points or free throws.
Seattle U also applied a press the entire game (take note on how it's done Romar) that frustrated our team to the point of ridiculousness. The half court press is exceedingly easy to beat if you just run a freaking screen for one player then back to the inbounder who dribbles up the court and passes across to their center court option. I commend Cameron Dollar for his effort, but this was another foul fest featuring 5 SU players fouling out of the game. I thought for sure we would see only 4 players on the court once more.
C.J. Wilcox looked slightly improved with a 4-7 night from deep, but it was his inside game that suffered and led to a 6-15 night shooting. He set a career high in points by getting to the line 11 times and making 9. I credit his number of attempts to SU fouling, rather than Wilcox being aggressive as he should be. Wilcox still needs to find that will to attack the hoop and power through contact. A few extra hours in the weight room would certainly help.
Terrence Ross was fairly effective tonight despite early foul issues that held him back. He was 4-6 from the field, 2-2 behind the arc, but missed 2 crucial free throws in crunch time that nearly cost us. Ross, like Wilcox, remains passive about attacking the rim and the Huskies suffer because of it. If Ross wants to be an impact player at the next level, or even in this league for that matter, he needs to get tough and bang in the paint.
Speaking of banging in the paint, Aziz N'Diaye had another nice performance against SU finishing with 14 points and 13 boards (6 offensive). His shot from the field is improving, despite missing a pair of easy lay-ins, one of which was a dunk where it looks as though he didn't rotate his wrists at all. Hard to dunk when the ball smacks against the rim. Still there were several wide open opportunities following the press break where UW simply refused to pass into the block for an easy basket. I understand wanting to burn time and doing so when there is defensive pressure, but if you have a wide open, easy shot, you put the points on the board. Kicking it out and waiting only gives the opposition a greater chance to force a terrible shot and get back in the game.
Desmond Simmons got his first start since the exhibition game. Simmons has certainly deserved it and played pretty solid. Simmons only knocked up 5 points on the night with 2 of 6 shooting, but grabbed a very nice 7 rebounds (4 offensive) and provided some good defensive pressure. Simmons split his free throws and grabbed 2 steals through the night.
Abdul Gaddy had the most boring 38 minutes of basketball I may have ever seen. 0-4 from the field, 3 assists, and 3 turnovers. His impact of the game was minimal and the only reason he managed 10 trips to the line was Cameron Dollars' plan of fouling until SU took the lead, which never happened outside the starting minutes. If Gaddy is going to play essentially the whole game, he needs to do a lot more with his time. While I have always been a firm supporter of Gaddy, I starting to follow more of my father's belief that Gaddy is not the point guard the Huskies need. Gaddy is far too timid and much like Ross and Wilcox, will not attack the hoop with any consistency.
Tony Wroten. Wroten had another hot/cold night where he does a lot of good things, but also some bad. 24 points is terrific. Making 12 of 18 free throws...I'll take it hesitantly only because I know how much worse he could have done. 4 rebounds isn't bad when one considers how well N'Diaye and Simmons were able to clean house. 6 assists is fantastic, but committing 6 turnovers pretty much negates whatever good those assists did. At least Wroten gets to the rim and forces teams to defend him in the lane. He had a few turnovers credited to him that I really place on the other players not looking for the tricky pass as the situation certainly called for one.
Darnell Gant and Shawn Kemp combined for 22 minutes, 4 points, and 6 rebounds (5 by Gant). Gant is slowly taking the back seat to Simmons who played 24 minutes. With ASJ officially on the squad, Gant's minutes could be in even more danger if ASJ proves to be a competent basketball players.
What Needed Improvement:
Free Throws:
UW went to the line 59 times and missed 22 attempts. That is at least 10 too many. If I had my way it would be 22 times too many. I'm understanding enough to realize players will eventually miss. It's inevitable, but we have to be shooting at least 75% from the line. 62% is unacceptable. We nearly blew this game because we could hit the free ones down the stretch. Every time the Dawgs would start to pull away, SU would foul, we would miss, and then suddenly the Redhawks were back in it again.
Turnovers:
UW had only 5 turnovers in the first half. They finished with 16. 11 turnovers in a half is unacceptable. 11 for the game is still high. Staying under 10 turnovers every night should be this teams goal and, in my mind, this is very attainable, especially against less talented teams like SU. The Redhawks played great defense, but instead of playing above their opponents, the Huskies allowed the trap to frustrate and collapse them.
What Was Good:
Rebounding:
Terrific night on the boards. Every player had at least 4 rebounds, except Shawn Kemp who only grabbed one. Considering he only played 6 minutes, I am perfectly OK with that. The team pulled in 20 offensive boards, excellent. They did allow SU to grab 12, about 2 or 3 higher than I'd like to see, but all things considered, I'll take it.
Ball Pressure:
UW forced 17 turnovers and picked up 8 steals as well as 6 blocks. While SU certainly got their points, it should have been a higher scoring game for the Huskies and that, in my opinion, is OK with me. If it is a high possession game, the opposition is bound to score points of their own, it's a matter of statistics. UW was able to apply their own half-court pressure that led to some nice transition plays, a few also went awry for one reason or another.
Final Thoughts:
If this team could just find some damn consistency, we would be golden. Instead, the team seems to enjoy riding a roller coaster of scoring and then shutting down. Free throws nearly cost us this game and as I have said just about every time I write an article, free throws win ball games. SU made 3 more shots, but we attempted twice as many free throws and made twice as many free throws. This team still has a lot of work to do and I hope to god, nobody takes notes on applying a press to us because a much better team will annihilate us with one. I'm waiting for the game against WSU to see if this squad has learned anything from its tribulations. My guess, WSU will be a handful.
Go Dawgs!
Monday, January 9, 2012
Seattle University Game Preview
First things first. Two "big" pieces of news in the Pac-12. ASU's leading scorer, Keala King, was dismissed this week following a suspension before the LA trip (leaving the Sun Devils with 6 scholarship players for the trip as two other players were suspended as well) due to team conduct violations. Big loss for the Sun Devils as King averaged nearly 14 points per game. The second big piece of news is standout freshman tight end, Austin Seferian-Jenkins, will official join the basketball squad today, but will likely not see play time for a few weeks at minimum. At 6-6, ASJ is not a tall player, but he weighs in at a very muscular 260lb that makes him a beast to deal with inside. ASJ averaged over 20 points and 8 rebounds per game for Gig Harbor High School last year. ASJ is the fourth player in recent history to play both basketball and football for the Dawgs.
UW arrives back home after another dismal road trip. Getting beat by 20 by Colorado is just plain ugly and atrocious. The players showed zero heart and drive. Beating Utah by 4 is pathetic. The Huskies should have won by 30 or 40. Utah is a terrible team, but like I said in my preview it wouldn't matter and it didn't. The Huskies have the most talent in the Pac-12, yet they lack the mentality and attitude to put it into action. C.J. Wilcox started off 0-8 against Utah. Zero. For. Eight. I don't care how many shots are made after that, the momentum is not on a team's side when one of our premier shooters is that cold. As I've said before, Wilcox is a streaky shooter. He'll have 3 or 4 games where he can't miss followed by 3 or 4 games where everything misses. That is mental, pure and simple. I put that on not only Wilcox, but the coaches as well for not helping their player combat whatever mental issues are holding him back from being one of the nation's top scorers. I don't know what is missing from this team that makes them such a terrible shooting team on the road, yet still finding so much success at home. I wish I could spend time with the team before games and see what kind of preparations they are going through and what exactly it is that the coaches are doing differently in each setting. Whatever it is, it needs to change. On to Seattle U.
Seattle U is bad. 3 and 10 bad. Right on par with the Utah team the Huskies narrowly escaped. The big difference? The Redhawks average 10 more points per game than Utah. What that means for the Huskies is a more developed and therefore dangerous offense that spells bad news, especially when one considers the type of wins the Huskies have had recently over SU and the vengeance the SU players will want to achieve. Seattle U is on a two game losing streak after suffering defeats at the hands of San Jose State and Utah Valley. Luck for the Dawgs, the Redhawks give up an average of 75 points per game. What this means for the Huskies is a chance to get some scoring down and perhaps continue to develop an offensive rhythm that might, just might, carry on through the next road trip.
What Seattle U does best is rebound. The Redhawks grab nearly 40 boards per game and do it behind a number of solid player. Eric Wallace, Aaron Broussard, and Clarence Trent (formally of UW) combine for 19 of SU's 40 rebounds per outing. What is somewhat crazy about these three guys is that not one of them is listed taller than 6-6. In fact, the entire SU line-up is short, with their tallest player listed at 6-9 and their tallest contributor is one of the three above at 6-6. To say UW will have a size advantage is an understatement. Regardless of height, the Huskies will have to work hard to prevent SU from cleaning house on the glass. What the Redhawks lack in height, they make up for in tenacity and go-getter attitude, something the Huskies could learn from.
Aaron Broussard is built like Tony Wroten, but has a better 3-point shot and a much better free throw shot. Broussard is averaging 17.2 points to lead the Redhawks and is second in rebounds with 6.1 per game. Broussard is most certainly a shooting guard and is all about creating plays for himself rather than passing it off. Broussard averages less than 1 assist per game, while also averaging 2 turnovers per game. Broussard helps make up for his turnovers with his defensive efforts, picking up nearly 2 steals per game. Looks for Broussard to start the game with a pair of 3-point attempts to open up drives in the paint. Aziz N'Diaye will need to clog the lanes and put the fear of god into Broussard.
After Broussard, the scoring drops off a small bit. Clarence Trent is second in scoring with 11 per game and is third in rebounding with 5 per game. As when he played for UW, Trent is most comfortable in the short to mid-range and thrives on flashy plays. Trent was a very athletic player when he played for the Huskies, but his overall game was still developing. The year off seems to have done him some good and helped him develop a better shot. While Trent is still shooting only 25% behind the arc, its an improvement that he is even taking those types of shots and finding decent success. I suspect Terrence Ross will be matched up against Trent. That is a ton of athleticism going at it right there. I hope Ross takes this game as a challenge to show up and play like a man against someone who plays a fairly similar game. Ross has a small disadvantage in terms of strength as Trent weighs in around 30lbs heavier. Depending on the line-up that the Redhawks throw on the court, this defensive assignment could very well go to Desmond Simmons (who I suspect will start over Darnell Gant and Wilcox).
Eric Wallace is the only other Redhawk in double digits with just over 10 points per game. Wallace also averages a team best 8 boards per game. Wallace is not a long range shooter in the slightest, having attempted only 11 3-pointers on the year, making 3. He is also an horrendous 52% from the FT line. If Wallace gets hot for some reason, a "Hack the Shaq" type scenario is certainly worth while. I hope it doesn't come down to free throws, but if UW needs to foul someone, this is their guy. Wallace finds success using his larger frame to bully defenders out of his way down low (6-6 233lb).
Sterling Carter is the top 3-point threat for the Redhawks with 23 makes on the season, though his 84 attempts are twice as many as any other player on the team. Carter is not a great shooter from anywhere on the court, hitting only 29% of his shots. Carter is currently averaging 80% from the FT, which is only slightly redeeming as he is only 8-10 on the season. Despite his poor shooting, Carter is averaging 7 points per game, which I find fairly impressive. I suppose when one considers the sheer volume of shots Carter attempts, it is not surprise that he is able to average that high of scoring.
The two assist leaders for the Redhawks are 5-10 170lb Cervante Burrell with 2.8 per game and 6-2 205lb Prince Obasi with 2.6 per game.
Predicted Starting Line-Ups:
Seattle University:
Cervante Burrell 5-10 170lb
Sterling Carter 6-0 200lb
Aaron Broussard 6-5 205lb
Clarence Trent 6-6 225lb
Eric Wallace 6-6 233lb
Washington:
Abdul Gaddy 6-3 185lb
Tony Wroten 6-5 205lb
Terrence Ross 6-6 195lb
Desmond Simmons 6-7 220lb
Aziz N'Diaye 7-0 260lb
Keys to the Game:
Rebounding:
This is the one area that the Redhawks can statistically compete in and cause problems for the Huskies. For some reasons, smaller teams seem to do more damage on the board than taller teams. To m, this screams mental once more and judging by how this team has been playing, I'm 99% confident that I am right. Second chance points kill us and we allow far too many offensive boards. The Huskies need to use their vast height advantage and grab every bounce and rouge shot in sight. I think starting Simmons could really set the tone and tempo for what type of rebounding effort is expected of the team.
Shooting:
If I have to watch another ice-cold shooting night from these guys, I'll turn out for the team. I can take bad shots and miss all night too. For Wilcox to go 8 of 11 one night to a combined 8 for 29 the next TWO games is beyond me. Here is another stat for you. Wilcox has made 23 straight free throws, but during that same time he is failed to attempt a free throw in SEVEN GAMES! The only game Wilcox missed a free throw in was against Florida Atlantic in November when he went 6-8 from the line. Our shooters need to get going. No altitude excuses, no tired legs, no hangovers, no NOTHING!
Offensive Movement:
The Huskies thrive when they pass the ball well and often. On the next road game I plan on tallying how many passes are made every play and the result of each offensive possession. I have a very strong feeling that plays with 5 or more passes will have a success rate at least twice that of under 5 passes. Shooters get open looks when defenders get lost on screens and quick movement. That only happens when the Dawgs can get the ball swinging fast around the perimeter or kick out on drives by our guards. Speaking of driving, Gaddy needs to get in the lane. In the first half of the game against Utah, Gaddy refused to penetrate the middle and struggled to find offensive consistency. In the second half, Gaddy began to drive and score. Simple as that. Drive and score or sit on the perimeter and waste away. It is easy to defend a team when all they do is sit outside the 3-point arc and let loose terrible shots.
Final Thoughts:
Hec-Ed has always been good to the Dawgs and it should continue to be that way. While I expect SU to give the Huskies a bit more of a run than in previous years, their lack of big men will hurt. While I don't expect N'Diaye to have a huge game, he certainly has a chance to put up some big points and boards if he can use his size against SU effectively. Last year, N'Diaye struggled against small posts, while this year has been a step forward in the right direction. I'd really like to see a double-double from two players tomorrow, N'Diaye and either Ross, Wroten, or Simmons. Hopefully ASJ really challenges the other Husky bigs and that his skills in high school are able to translate to the D1 level the same way his football talents did. I don't expect to see ASJ unless we are in blowout mode, but who knows, he could be a great surprise.
Final Score Prediction: UW-81 SU-70
UW arrives back home after another dismal road trip. Getting beat by 20 by Colorado is just plain ugly and atrocious. The players showed zero heart and drive. Beating Utah by 4 is pathetic. The Huskies should have won by 30 or 40. Utah is a terrible team, but like I said in my preview it wouldn't matter and it didn't. The Huskies have the most talent in the Pac-12, yet they lack the mentality and attitude to put it into action. C.J. Wilcox started off 0-8 against Utah. Zero. For. Eight. I don't care how many shots are made after that, the momentum is not on a team's side when one of our premier shooters is that cold. As I've said before, Wilcox is a streaky shooter. He'll have 3 or 4 games where he can't miss followed by 3 or 4 games where everything misses. That is mental, pure and simple. I put that on not only Wilcox, but the coaches as well for not helping their player combat whatever mental issues are holding him back from being one of the nation's top scorers. I don't know what is missing from this team that makes them such a terrible shooting team on the road, yet still finding so much success at home. I wish I could spend time with the team before games and see what kind of preparations they are going through and what exactly it is that the coaches are doing differently in each setting. Whatever it is, it needs to change. On to Seattle U.
Seattle U is bad. 3 and 10 bad. Right on par with the Utah team the Huskies narrowly escaped. The big difference? The Redhawks average 10 more points per game than Utah. What that means for the Huskies is a more developed and therefore dangerous offense that spells bad news, especially when one considers the type of wins the Huskies have had recently over SU and the vengeance the SU players will want to achieve. Seattle U is on a two game losing streak after suffering defeats at the hands of San Jose State and Utah Valley. Luck for the Dawgs, the Redhawks give up an average of 75 points per game. What this means for the Huskies is a chance to get some scoring down and perhaps continue to develop an offensive rhythm that might, just might, carry on through the next road trip.
What Seattle U does best is rebound. The Redhawks grab nearly 40 boards per game and do it behind a number of solid player. Eric Wallace, Aaron Broussard, and Clarence Trent (formally of UW) combine for 19 of SU's 40 rebounds per outing. What is somewhat crazy about these three guys is that not one of them is listed taller than 6-6. In fact, the entire SU line-up is short, with their tallest player listed at 6-9 and their tallest contributor is one of the three above at 6-6. To say UW will have a size advantage is an understatement. Regardless of height, the Huskies will have to work hard to prevent SU from cleaning house on the glass. What the Redhawks lack in height, they make up for in tenacity and go-getter attitude, something the Huskies could learn from.
Aaron Broussard is built like Tony Wroten, but has a better 3-point shot and a much better free throw shot. Broussard is averaging 17.2 points to lead the Redhawks and is second in rebounds with 6.1 per game. Broussard is most certainly a shooting guard and is all about creating plays for himself rather than passing it off. Broussard averages less than 1 assist per game, while also averaging 2 turnovers per game. Broussard helps make up for his turnovers with his defensive efforts, picking up nearly 2 steals per game. Looks for Broussard to start the game with a pair of 3-point attempts to open up drives in the paint. Aziz N'Diaye will need to clog the lanes and put the fear of god into Broussard.
After Broussard, the scoring drops off a small bit. Clarence Trent is second in scoring with 11 per game and is third in rebounding with 5 per game. As when he played for UW, Trent is most comfortable in the short to mid-range and thrives on flashy plays. Trent was a very athletic player when he played for the Huskies, but his overall game was still developing. The year off seems to have done him some good and helped him develop a better shot. While Trent is still shooting only 25% behind the arc, its an improvement that he is even taking those types of shots and finding decent success. I suspect Terrence Ross will be matched up against Trent. That is a ton of athleticism going at it right there. I hope Ross takes this game as a challenge to show up and play like a man against someone who plays a fairly similar game. Ross has a small disadvantage in terms of strength as Trent weighs in around 30lbs heavier. Depending on the line-up that the Redhawks throw on the court, this defensive assignment could very well go to Desmond Simmons (who I suspect will start over Darnell Gant and Wilcox).
Eric Wallace is the only other Redhawk in double digits with just over 10 points per game. Wallace also averages a team best 8 boards per game. Wallace is not a long range shooter in the slightest, having attempted only 11 3-pointers on the year, making 3. He is also an horrendous 52% from the FT line. If Wallace gets hot for some reason, a "Hack the Shaq" type scenario is certainly worth while. I hope it doesn't come down to free throws, but if UW needs to foul someone, this is their guy. Wallace finds success using his larger frame to bully defenders out of his way down low (6-6 233lb).
Sterling Carter is the top 3-point threat for the Redhawks with 23 makes on the season, though his 84 attempts are twice as many as any other player on the team. Carter is not a great shooter from anywhere on the court, hitting only 29% of his shots. Carter is currently averaging 80% from the FT, which is only slightly redeeming as he is only 8-10 on the season. Despite his poor shooting, Carter is averaging 7 points per game, which I find fairly impressive. I suppose when one considers the sheer volume of shots Carter attempts, it is not surprise that he is able to average that high of scoring.
The two assist leaders for the Redhawks are 5-10 170lb Cervante Burrell with 2.8 per game and 6-2 205lb Prince Obasi with 2.6 per game.
Predicted Starting Line-Ups:
Seattle University:
Cervante Burrell 5-10 170lb
Sterling Carter 6-0 200lb
Aaron Broussard 6-5 205lb
Clarence Trent 6-6 225lb
Eric Wallace 6-6 233lb
Washington:
Abdul Gaddy 6-3 185lb
Tony Wroten 6-5 205lb
Terrence Ross 6-6 195lb
Desmond Simmons 6-7 220lb
Aziz N'Diaye 7-0 260lb
Keys to the Game:
Rebounding:
This is the one area that the Redhawks can statistically compete in and cause problems for the Huskies. For some reasons, smaller teams seem to do more damage on the board than taller teams. To m, this screams mental once more and judging by how this team has been playing, I'm 99% confident that I am right. Second chance points kill us and we allow far too many offensive boards. The Huskies need to use their vast height advantage and grab every bounce and rouge shot in sight. I think starting Simmons could really set the tone and tempo for what type of rebounding effort is expected of the team.
Shooting:
If I have to watch another ice-cold shooting night from these guys, I'll turn out for the team. I can take bad shots and miss all night too. For Wilcox to go 8 of 11 one night to a combined 8 for 29 the next TWO games is beyond me. Here is another stat for you. Wilcox has made 23 straight free throws, but during that same time he is failed to attempt a free throw in SEVEN GAMES! The only game Wilcox missed a free throw in was against Florida Atlantic in November when he went 6-8 from the line. Our shooters need to get going. No altitude excuses, no tired legs, no hangovers, no NOTHING!
Offensive Movement:
The Huskies thrive when they pass the ball well and often. On the next road game I plan on tallying how many passes are made every play and the result of each offensive possession. I have a very strong feeling that plays with 5 or more passes will have a success rate at least twice that of under 5 passes. Shooters get open looks when defenders get lost on screens and quick movement. That only happens when the Dawgs can get the ball swinging fast around the perimeter or kick out on drives by our guards. Speaking of driving, Gaddy needs to get in the lane. In the first half of the game against Utah, Gaddy refused to penetrate the middle and struggled to find offensive consistency. In the second half, Gaddy began to drive and score. Simple as that. Drive and score or sit on the perimeter and waste away. It is easy to defend a team when all they do is sit outside the 3-point arc and let loose terrible shots.
Final Thoughts:
Hec-Ed has always been good to the Dawgs and it should continue to be that way. While I expect SU to give the Huskies a bit more of a run than in previous years, their lack of big men will hurt. While I don't expect N'Diaye to have a huge game, he certainly has a chance to put up some big points and boards if he can use his size against SU effectively. Last year, N'Diaye struggled against small posts, while this year has been a step forward in the right direction. I'd really like to see a double-double from two players tomorrow, N'Diaye and either Ross, Wroten, or Simmons. Hopefully ASJ really challenges the other Husky bigs and that his skills in high school are able to translate to the D1 level the same way his football talents did. I don't expect to see ASJ unless we are in blowout mode, but who knows, he could be a great surprise.
Final Score Prediction: UW-81 SU-70
Friday, January 6, 2012
University of Utah Game Preview
Utah is bad. They are 332nd out of 342 teams in points per game at 57. They are 335th in rebounding with just under 30 a game. They are 294th in assists with 11. Finally, they are 262nd in field goal percentage with a 41% average. Does any of this matter? Not when it comes to the Huskies. Two days after getting demolished by what should have been an inferior Colorado team, the Dawgs face off against a Utes team that looked poised to pull off a second straight upset after beating WSU in overtime, 62-60. Should the Huskies win this game? Absolutely. Will they? I have no flipping clue...When this team steps out of Hec-Ed its as if the Monstars from Space Jam step in and suck up their abilities, returning their powers when they come home.
Tony Wroten had a fairly stellar night against Colorado (minus the turnovers and some defensive rotations). 21 points, 7 steals (I'm pretty sure that is one of the top UW numbers in a while), 6 rebounds, and 3 assists. Terrence Ross was decent with 13 points and 10 rebounds, but the Dawgs need more out of him. Wilcox had a terrible shooting night, but I don't buy his altitude story.
The only two players with double digit scoring for Utah are two of the four players who returned to the Utes squad after a tumultuous off-season. The Utes lost the other two due to injuries for a few weeks, though David Foster, the 7-3 255lb senior, remains out after having foot surgery in early November. For only returning 4 players, I am amazed their roster features 17 players. the Utes run a 7 or 8 man rotation, normally.
Josh Watkins leads the team in scoring with 15.5 per game as well as tops in assists (5.2) and turnovers (3.8). Watkins is not a 3-point threat, shooting only 20% on the season (9 of 44). He is not a great free throw shooter either, making less than 70% on the year. What allows him to be such a threat is his size allowing him to get in the lane. Watkins stands at only 6-0, but weighs in at 200lb giving him the weight and muscle needed to power through defenders in the lane. He also has a solid mid-range jumper that is tough to defend. After the poor defense UW showed against Colorado, I'm struggling with deciding who could best attempt at shutting Watkins down. Perhaps Wroten will be the best bet as he tends to be one of the better one-on-one defenders in the league.
Josh Washburn is the only other double-digit scorer with 11.1 per game and leads the Utes in rebounding with 6.9 an outing. At 7-0 and 230lb, Washburn is "smaller" than Foster, but has shown to be more than capable as the go-to big man. Washburn is one of the most accurate shooters in the league hitting 60% of his shots and is a respectable 79% from the free throw line. Washburn will be tough to contain for UW, especially if Aziz N'Diaye gets into foul trouble. Washburn is fairly mobile, but has not attempted a 3-pointer yet this season.
Dijon Farr, Chris Hines, and Cedric Martin all average between 6 and 7 points per game and combine for 8 rebounds as well as 2 assists. Not sure what else to write about this team. I haven't seen much of their play and what they have done has been pretty sub standard. After winning their season opener, Utah went on to lose their next 8 straight. They come in with a 1 game winning "streak"
Predicted Starting Line-Ups:
Utah:
Josh Watkins 6-0 200lb
Anthony Odunsi 6-3 200lb
Cedric Martin 6-4 190lb
Dijon Farr 6-6 193lb
Jason Washburn 7-0 230lb
Washington:
Abdul Gaddy 6-3 185lb
Tony Wroten 6-5 205lb
Terrence Ross 6-6 195lb
Darnell Gant 6-8 230lb (Gant may start, but I can guarantee Simmons will see just as much, if not more, time)
Aziz N'Diaye 7-0 260lb
Keys to the Game:
Remember the Court is the Same Size as Home:
Pretty simple, right? Evidently not. Abdul Gaddy made what I consider to be one of the most honest, yet disturbing statements after last nights "game." He said this is not a team that will score a lot of points on the road. Why? Why is that? Does Hec-Ed have a shorter 3-point line so shots are easier? Is there a magnet in the ball that activates when we have possession? No. The court is the same. The hoops are the same. The jump shot the Huskies take and make at home are going to go the same height and distance at Hec-Ed and on the road, no matter where in the world they are. So what possible reason is there for our team to score less points on the road? It is all mental. The only difference is what locker room the team changes in and the color of the fans in the stadium. That is it. Nothing that should affect their shots, their defensive rotations, or their game plan. Nothing.
Rebounding:
The Utes struggle to score and they struggle to rebound. The Huskies need to force this trend to continue by scrapping hard on the blocks and getting every rebound in sight. If the Huskies can't shoot, the least they can do is prevent Utah from shooting.
Get Some Heart:
How many times did I count the Huskies coming out on the court with no smile, no joy, no heart, no nothing? The answer is WAY TOO MANY TIMES! Wroten seems like the only guy on the court who wants to win and shows it by yelling, chest beating, and smiling. If only the rest of the team could get on his page and show that kind of heart and love of the game. Heart will drive a team to victory more often than not. Rarely do you seen a team who truly gives it their all lose. Look what Isaiah Thomas was able to do against Arizona in the Pac-10 championship game.
Final Thoughts:
I will watch this game. Not because I want to, but because my body needs it to survive. As much as it hurts my head and heart to watch this team collapse on the road, my organs would fail without Husky sports in my life. This team is slowly killing me. Please Romar, save me and this season and grow a pair, win some games, make a run, and play to the talent level you possess.
Final Score Prediction: None. I have no idea. Zero...
Tony Wroten had a fairly stellar night against Colorado (minus the turnovers and some defensive rotations). 21 points, 7 steals (I'm pretty sure that is one of the top UW numbers in a while), 6 rebounds, and 3 assists. Terrence Ross was decent with 13 points and 10 rebounds, but the Dawgs need more out of him. Wilcox had a terrible shooting night, but I don't buy his altitude story.
The only two players with double digit scoring for Utah are two of the four players who returned to the Utes squad after a tumultuous off-season. The Utes lost the other two due to injuries for a few weeks, though David Foster, the 7-3 255lb senior, remains out after having foot surgery in early November. For only returning 4 players, I am amazed their roster features 17 players. the Utes run a 7 or 8 man rotation, normally.
Josh Watkins leads the team in scoring with 15.5 per game as well as tops in assists (5.2) and turnovers (3.8). Watkins is not a 3-point threat, shooting only 20% on the season (9 of 44). He is not a great free throw shooter either, making less than 70% on the year. What allows him to be such a threat is his size allowing him to get in the lane. Watkins stands at only 6-0, but weighs in at 200lb giving him the weight and muscle needed to power through defenders in the lane. He also has a solid mid-range jumper that is tough to defend. After the poor defense UW showed against Colorado, I'm struggling with deciding who could best attempt at shutting Watkins down. Perhaps Wroten will be the best bet as he tends to be one of the better one-on-one defenders in the league.
Josh Washburn is the only other double-digit scorer with 11.1 per game and leads the Utes in rebounding with 6.9 an outing. At 7-0 and 230lb, Washburn is "smaller" than Foster, but has shown to be more than capable as the go-to big man. Washburn is one of the most accurate shooters in the league hitting 60% of his shots and is a respectable 79% from the free throw line. Washburn will be tough to contain for UW, especially if Aziz N'Diaye gets into foul trouble. Washburn is fairly mobile, but has not attempted a 3-pointer yet this season.
Dijon Farr, Chris Hines, and Cedric Martin all average between 6 and 7 points per game and combine for 8 rebounds as well as 2 assists. Not sure what else to write about this team. I haven't seen much of their play and what they have done has been pretty sub standard. After winning their season opener, Utah went on to lose their next 8 straight. They come in with a 1 game winning "streak"
Predicted Starting Line-Ups:
Utah:
Josh Watkins 6-0 200lb
Anthony Odunsi 6-3 200lb
Cedric Martin 6-4 190lb
Dijon Farr 6-6 193lb
Jason Washburn 7-0 230lb
Washington:
Abdul Gaddy 6-3 185lb
Tony Wroten 6-5 205lb
Terrence Ross 6-6 195lb
Darnell Gant 6-8 230lb (Gant may start, but I can guarantee Simmons will see just as much, if not more, time)
Aziz N'Diaye 7-0 260lb
Keys to the Game:
Remember the Court is the Same Size as Home:
Pretty simple, right? Evidently not. Abdul Gaddy made what I consider to be one of the most honest, yet disturbing statements after last nights "game." He said this is not a team that will score a lot of points on the road. Why? Why is that? Does Hec-Ed have a shorter 3-point line so shots are easier? Is there a magnet in the ball that activates when we have possession? No. The court is the same. The hoops are the same. The jump shot the Huskies take and make at home are going to go the same height and distance at Hec-Ed and on the road, no matter where in the world they are. So what possible reason is there for our team to score less points on the road? It is all mental. The only difference is what locker room the team changes in and the color of the fans in the stadium. That is it. Nothing that should affect their shots, their defensive rotations, or their game plan. Nothing.
Rebounding:
The Utes struggle to score and they struggle to rebound. The Huskies need to force this trend to continue by scrapping hard on the blocks and getting every rebound in sight. If the Huskies can't shoot, the least they can do is prevent Utah from shooting.
Get Some Heart:
How many times did I count the Huskies coming out on the court with no smile, no joy, no heart, no nothing? The answer is WAY TOO MANY TIMES! Wroten seems like the only guy on the court who wants to win and shows it by yelling, chest beating, and smiling. If only the rest of the team could get on his page and show that kind of heart and love of the game. Heart will drive a team to victory more often than not. Rarely do you seen a team who truly gives it their all lose. Look what Isaiah Thomas was able to do against Arizona in the Pac-10 championship game.
Final Thoughts:
I will watch this game. Not because I want to, but because my body needs it to survive. As much as it hurts my head and heart to watch this team collapse on the road, my organs would fail without Husky sports in my life. This team is slowly killing me. Please Romar, save me and this season and grow a pair, win some games, make a run, and play to the talent level you possess.
Final Score Prediction: None. I have no idea. Zero...
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
Colorado University Game Preview
Colorado enters this game 9-4 on the season, 1-0 in Pac-12 play, most recently coming off a win against fellow newcomer Utah, whom the Buffaloes absolutely crushed 73-33. While I understand Utah is not even close to having the talent necessary to compete in Pac-12 yet, Colorado did not exactly come in with the highest hopes either after losing Alex Burk to the draft. That being said, Colorado has looked pretty decent in non-conference play with their biggest win a two pointer over Georgia, the same squad UW played last year in the NCAA tournament.
The Buffalo offense has been stable thus far with a low score of 54 and a high of 92. Most scores have been right around their season average of 71 points per game. Colorado receives its scoring from a variety of players with five putting up 9 or more per game and four of those in double digits. The Buffaloes also posses a very strong rebounder who has allowed them to remain one of the top in conference in terms of boards per outing. Much like the Huskies, Colorado does not do well at the free throw line.
Andre Roberson has been explosive for Colorado this season. Averaging 12 points and 12 rebounds per game, Roberson leads the team in boards and is second in points behind Carlon Brown who is scoring almost 13 per game (more on him later). Roberson is a tough, quick "guard" who has been near impossible to contain. At 6-7, most guards cannot match-up well with him, but at 195lb our forwards can do a little more muscling around. Roberson has been held to single digit rebounding only twice this season, while also having four games of 15 or more rebounds. The most recent was a season (and I believe career) high of 17 against Utah. What makes Roberson so tough to stop is not only his own personal skills, but the rather large line-up Colorado is able to put on the floor. Against Utah, Colorado started players at 6-3, 6-5, 6-5, 6-7, 6-9. With the first four listed as guards. This team actually sizes up quite well with the Huskies who have tended to have a size advantage in the backcourt this season. Expect Darnell Gant and Desmond Simmons to draw shut down duty on Roberson. I suspect Simmons will be more successful in this endeavor as he is an avid rebounder like Roberson.
Carlon Brown is a 6-5 215lb senior guard with solid shot. Averaging just in 13 points per game, Brown is shooting 50% form the field and a decent enough 36% from range (18 of 50). Brown is a shooting guard with a fairly competent eye for the ball. He hands out 2.5 assists per game, second on the team, but also commits a hair over 2 turnovers per game. Brown does well enough at the free throw line, making nearly 76% of his attempts. He is dangerous in the lane, but also finds success breaking off screens on the perimeter for open jump shots.
Spencer Dinwiddie is the most dangerous shooter on the Buffalo team. While he is third in scoring with 11.5 points per game, he leads the team in 3-point percentage hitting nearly 52% of his attempts (19 of 37). Dinwiddie is also dangerous at the foul line with an 84% average on the year. Those types of numbers make him a dangerous match-up for UW as the Huskies can be very foul prone, especially on the road. The Dawgs will need to find a way of shutting him down without getting him to the line. Man-to-man means more foul situations, but also should eliminate 3-point attempts. Dinwiddie has the ability to create for himself and tends to do so, but he has solid catch and shoot motion that is tough to defender.
Nate Tomlinson is the play maker for Colorado. He leads the team with about 3.5 assists per game and commits under 2 turnovers per outing. Tomlinson is only averaging 6 points per game and is not a threat in that aspect. His shot is still a work in progress, hitting only 34% of his field goals (31% form range) and struggles at the foul line with a 66% average. If the Dawgs are going to foul anyone, this is the guy to foul. I think the Huskies will need to focus their defensive efforts on Tomlinson to contain the Buffalo offense as he is the one the plays run through. By forcing him into uncomfortable situations, the Dawgs are likely to force more turnovers and fast break situations.
The starting big for the Buffaloes is 6-9 225lb Austin Dufault. Dufault is fourth in scoring with 10 points per game and second in rebounding with about 5 per game. Dufault reminds me a lot of Darnell Gant in that he is a strong, but mobile forward who can get out on the perimeter and do damage and maintains the ability to post up and take some short to mid-range shots with high accuracy. Dufault has been much more efficient and consistent than Gant.
Predicted Starting Line-Ups:
Colorado:
Nate Tomlinson 6-3 190lb
Spencer Dinwiddie 6-5 190lb
Carlon Brown 6-5 215lb
Andre Roberson 6-7 195lb
Austin Dufault 6-9 225lb
Washington:
Abdul Gaddy 6-3 185lb
Tony Wroten Jr. 6-5 205lb
Terrence Ross 6-6 195lb
Darnell Gant 6-8 230lb
Aziz N'Diaye 7-0 260lb
Keys to the Game:
Rebounding:
After seeing an undersized Oregon take control of the glass against the Dawgs at home, I'm a little worried with this stat against Colorado. Roberson leads the Pac-12 in rebounding and is certainly one of the top in the nation. Coming off a 17 rebound game, one has to imagine that Roberson is feeling confident in his abilities and will present a tough man to control. Regardless, the Huskies need to take care of business, box out, and help on defensive assignments to ensure Colorado does not thrive off second chance shots and points. The Dawgs also need to do themselves a favor and take better care on the offensive glass (they only managed 6 against Oregon, far below the 12 to 15 they should be aiming for). N'Diaye, Simmons, Wroten, and Ross will need to step their games up and do the work necessary to control the board.
Defense, Defense, Defense:
That has been the theme of the week and it paid off against the Oregon schools. When the Ducks and Beavers began to make runs, the Dawg defense stepped up and got stops to slow their momentum and change it in our own direction. Steals, turnovers, blocks, and even deflections will play a big part in this next game. The Dawgs have not had a good year on the road and need to show they can get it done away from Hec-Ed. This all starts with defense. It's been looking better, now can they show up on the road?
Ball Control:
The Buffaloes force between 12 and 14 turnovers per game, while not a ton is certainly disruptive. Wroten and others have done a better job as of late controlling the ball and limiting turnovers. This trend needs to continue as every turnover is a free opportunity for Colorado to score some easy buckets. Look for Wroten to continue his role as shooting guard, playing off the ball, with Gaddy on the court.
Final Thoughts:
This is a big time trap game for the Huskies. Colorado may not have had a strong non-con schedule, but they fared pretty well and beat the teams they should have. After their man-handling of Utah they are looking like a competent team that can do some serious damage. The Dawgs should be able to pull of a win, but it will be a close and stressful game, of that I have no doubt. I think it comes down to how well the Husky offense can get going and if they are able to make the stops that are expected of them. If UW can get rolling early and start the game with a big run, I think their confidence and morale will soar, resulting in a high scoring night. If it comes to a shoot out, the Dawgs are much better equipped for a win.
Final Score Prediction:
UW-80 CU-75
The Buffalo offense has been stable thus far with a low score of 54 and a high of 92. Most scores have been right around their season average of 71 points per game. Colorado receives its scoring from a variety of players with five putting up 9 or more per game and four of those in double digits. The Buffaloes also posses a very strong rebounder who has allowed them to remain one of the top in conference in terms of boards per outing. Much like the Huskies, Colorado does not do well at the free throw line.
Andre Roberson has been explosive for Colorado this season. Averaging 12 points and 12 rebounds per game, Roberson leads the team in boards and is second in points behind Carlon Brown who is scoring almost 13 per game (more on him later). Roberson is a tough, quick "guard" who has been near impossible to contain. At 6-7, most guards cannot match-up well with him, but at 195lb our forwards can do a little more muscling around. Roberson has been held to single digit rebounding only twice this season, while also having four games of 15 or more rebounds. The most recent was a season (and I believe career) high of 17 against Utah. What makes Roberson so tough to stop is not only his own personal skills, but the rather large line-up Colorado is able to put on the floor. Against Utah, Colorado started players at 6-3, 6-5, 6-5, 6-7, 6-9. With the first four listed as guards. This team actually sizes up quite well with the Huskies who have tended to have a size advantage in the backcourt this season. Expect Darnell Gant and Desmond Simmons to draw shut down duty on Roberson. I suspect Simmons will be more successful in this endeavor as he is an avid rebounder like Roberson.
Carlon Brown is a 6-5 215lb senior guard with solid shot. Averaging just in 13 points per game, Brown is shooting 50% form the field and a decent enough 36% from range (18 of 50). Brown is a shooting guard with a fairly competent eye for the ball. He hands out 2.5 assists per game, second on the team, but also commits a hair over 2 turnovers per game. Brown does well enough at the free throw line, making nearly 76% of his attempts. He is dangerous in the lane, but also finds success breaking off screens on the perimeter for open jump shots.
Spencer Dinwiddie is the most dangerous shooter on the Buffalo team. While he is third in scoring with 11.5 points per game, he leads the team in 3-point percentage hitting nearly 52% of his attempts (19 of 37). Dinwiddie is also dangerous at the foul line with an 84% average on the year. Those types of numbers make him a dangerous match-up for UW as the Huskies can be very foul prone, especially on the road. The Dawgs will need to find a way of shutting him down without getting him to the line. Man-to-man means more foul situations, but also should eliminate 3-point attempts. Dinwiddie has the ability to create for himself and tends to do so, but he has solid catch and shoot motion that is tough to defender.
Nate Tomlinson is the play maker for Colorado. He leads the team with about 3.5 assists per game and commits under 2 turnovers per outing. Tomlinson is only averaging 6 points per game and is not a threat in that aspect. His shot is still a work in progress, hitting only 34% of his field goals (31% form range) and struggles at the foul line with a 66% average. If the Dawgs are going to foul anyone, this is the guy to foul. I think the Huskies will need to focus their defensive efforts on Tomlinson to contain the Buffalo offense as he is the one the plays run through. By forcing him into uncomfortable situations, the Dawgs are likely to force more turnovers and fast break situations.
The starting big for the Buffaloes is 6-9 225lb Austin Dufault. Dufault is fourth in scoring with 10 points per game and second in rebounding with about 5 per game. Dufault reminds me a lot of Darnell Gant in that he is a strong, but mobile forward who can get out on the perimeter and do damage and maintains the ability to post up and take some short to mid-range shots with high accuracy. Dufault has been much more efficient and consistent than Gant.
Predicted Starting Line-Ups:
Colorado:
Nate Tomlinson 6-3 190lb
Spencer Dinwiddie 6-5 190lb
Carlon Brown 6-5 215lb
Andre Roberson 6-7 195lb
Austin Dufault 6-9 225lb
Washington:
Abdul Gaddy 6-3 185lb
Tony Wroten Jr. 6-5 205lb
Terrence Ross 6-6 195lb
Darnell Gant 6-8 230lb
Aziz N'Diaye 7-0 260lb
Keys to the Game:
Rebounding:
After seeing an undersized Oregon take control of the glass against the Dawgs at home, I'm a little worried with this stat against Colorado. Roberson leads the Pac-12 in rebounding and is certainly one of the top in the nation. Coming off a 17 rebound game, one has to imagine that Roberson is feeling confident in his abilities and will present a tough man to control. Regardless, the Huskies need to take care of business, box out, and help on defensive assignments to ensure Colorado does not thrive off second chance shots and points. The Dawgs also need to do themselves a favor and take better care on the offensive glass (they only managed 6 against Oregon, far below the 12 to 15 they should be aiming for). N'Diaye, Simmons, Wroten, and Ross will need to step their games up and do the work necessary to control the board.
Defense, Defense, Defense:
That has been the theme of the week and it paid off against the Oregon schools. When the Ducks and Beavers began to make runs, the Dawg defense stepped up and got stops to slow their momentum and change it in our own direction. Steals, turnovers, blocks, and even deflections will play a big part in this next game. The Dawgs have not had a good year on the road and need to show they can get it done away from Hec-Ed. This all starts with defense. It's been looking better, now can they show up on the road?
Ball Control:
The Buffaloes force between 12 and 14 turnovers per game, while not a ton is certainly disruptive. Wroten and others have done a better job as of late controlling the ball and limiting turnovers. This trend needs to continue as every turnover is a free opportunity for Colorado to score some easy buckets. Look for Wroten to continue his role as shooting guard, playing off the ball, with Gaddy on the court.
Final Thoughts:
This is a big time trap game for the Huskies. Colorado may not have had a strong non-con schedule, but they fared pretty well and beat the teams they should have. After their man-handling of Utah they are looking like a competent team that can do some serious damage. The Dawgs should be able to pull of a win, but it will be a close and stressful game, of that I have no doubt. I think it comes down to how well the Husky offense can get going and if they are able to make the stops that are expected of them. If UW can get rolling early and start the game with a big run, I think their confidence and morale will soar, resulting in a high scoring night. If it comes to a shoot out, the Dawgs are much better equipped for a win.
Final Score Prediction:
UW-80 CU-75
Sunday, January 1, 2012
University of Oregon Game Review
Final Score: UW-76 UO-60
The Huskies started off conference play with a nice sweep over the Oregon schools and did so in fairly dominating fashion. The Dawgs won both games by 15+ points and led most of both games. Both OSU and UO made it close at times, but the Huskies were able to gut it out and regain the lead through strong offense and denying defense. Up next are newcomers Colorado and Utah, who faced each other last night where Colorado completed dominated a severely diminished Utah team 73-33. I'll have more on them later, for now let's talk about the game against the Ducks.
C.J. Wilcox came off the bench in the first half, allowing Tony Wroten to start. It wasn't so much a "demotion" as a move to get the Huskies off to a fast start behind the legs and tenacity of Wroten. Wroten has been superb this year at attacking the hoop and, more often than not, completes the lay-in. Wilcox started the second half after entering the game and drilling some smooth shots with a consistent hand. Wilcox and Wroten helped the Dawgs keep the lead despite poor rebounding on both ends of the court and sub-par free throw shooting. With 3 minutes to go in the first half, Wilcox and Wroten accounted for half the Husky points. Wilcox finished the night with a game high 24 points tying his career high he set last March against UCLA when he dropped all 24 in the second half. Wilcox went 8-11 from the field last night, 6-8 from outside, and 2-2 from the free throw line.
E.J. Singler and Olu Ashaolu dominated the glass for the Ducks and combined for 21 rebounds, 9 on the offensive end leading to 16 second chance points as opposed to UW's 6 total offensive boards and 2 second chance points. The Huskies often let smaller players sneak underneath them to grab boards they had no right taking. The Dawgs simply weren't aggressive enough on the glass to get the type of numbers they are capable of.
Wroten had another fairly stellar night, but his free throw shooting regressed once more. Wroten finished with 17 points on 7 of 15 shooting, missing all three of his 3-point attempts. Wroten was a miserable 3 of 8 from the FT line and had all four of UW's FT attempts in the first half. Wroten had 4 rebounds, somewhat low for Wroten who has been picking up 7, 8, and 9 boards in the past few games. Regardless, Wroten also dished out 5 assists, a game high, while only committing 2 turnovers. Wroten is beginning to get his passing game under control, but is still lacking a decent free throw shot and lacks a right hand when taking shots inside. Wroten made a nice steal and took his defender off the ball using some nice dribble moves rather than powering through to the hoop and possibly drawing an offensive foul.
Aziz N'Diaye. How we missed you against SDST. While N'Diaye's stats were not the most amazing, it was what can't be shown in the box score where his influence is most felt. Oregon simply refused to attack the paint when N'Diaye was in the game. Players would often drive the lanes only to dribble right back out or kick the ball to the wings. N'Diaye had a play where he blocked two straight shots after the first block tipped badly to another Oregon player. The Dawgs went down and got an easy lay-in on a muddled Duck defense. The Ducks called timeout and N'Diaye yelled and pumped his fist hard, really feeling the emotion and power of the moment. It was fantastic to see him get excited like that. N'Diaye started off with the first 4 points of the game, including a nice dribble-spin move that allowed him to hook in a nice shot off the glass. N'Diaye finished the game with 8 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 blocks. He also had 2 steals and 3 turnovers.
Terrence Ross had a quite night, mainly due to early foul trouble as he picked up his third only 30 seconds into the second half. This made him less aggressive in his attack and certainly held him back a bit on the defensive end. Ross shot 4 of 9 on the night, including 3 of 5 from deep. Ross had a very nice lay-in following tough contact, forcing him to shoot deep from his hip. Ross only managed 3 rebounds, half of his season average. He also finished with 11 points and 2 steals.
Abdul Gaddy was decent tonight with 12 points. He was a perfect 3 for 3 outside the arc and 4 of 5 overall. He missed 2 of his 3 free throw attempts following a foul on a 3-point attempt. Gaddy had 3 assists and an uncharacteristic 3 turnovers. Gaddy picked up 3 fouls in the first half, which limited his contribution inside the paint.
Darnell Gant was quieter than Ross and seems to be losing more of his minutes to Desmond Simmons. Gant did earn himself some credit for coming to aid Tony Wroten after Ashaolu elbowed Wroten in the head. Gant was charged a technical for supposedly mouthing off at Ashaolu. Gant went 0-2 form the field and finished with 0 points. Gant did pick up 4 rebounds and an assist. I love Gant and he can be a huge asset at times, but Simmons is slowly proving himself to be a better rebounder and has just a good of shot, if not better, than Gant. While I suspect Romar will keep Gant in the starting 5, barring some huge collapse by Gant, Simmons certainly deserves the minutes he has been playing and is proving Romar and teammates right when they discussed what kind of hustler and player he is.
Simmons only managed 2 points against the Ducks on 1-4 shooting, but grabbed 6 rebounds, dished out 3 assists, only 1 turnover, and nabbed 1 steal. Simmons played 29 minutes to Gant's 17 and it is starting to become more obvious that he is having a bigger impact on the game. Tonight was not necessarily a highlight of his talents, but Simmons had a decent game and had just about the production we need form him to win games. I'd like to see him take a few more inside shots as his is a strong player who can muscle his man out of his way.
Martin Breunig played an efficient 2 minutes, going 1 for 1 from the field. Hikeem Stewart also saw 2 minutes of game time, but didn't log a stat. Shawn Kemp did not enter the game.
What Needed Improvement:
Rebounding:
The Huskies were dominated on the glass, despite the numbers being close (36-34 in UO's favor). Oregon picked up 15 offensive boards and held UW to only 6. Second chance points kept the game from being a blowout in the Dawg's favor. If you cut the Duck second chance points in half, the Huskies win by 23. The Dawgs cannot afford to give up 15 offensive boards, no matter the opponent. Their goal should be holding their opponent under 10 offensive boards. The Huskies had a big size advantage over the Ducks whose tallest starter was 6-7. The Ducks were simply more aggressive.
Free Throw Shooting:
This mainly falls on Wroten and Gaddy tonight who were a combined 4 of 11 from the line. Wilcox was the only other Husky to attempt free throws and drained both attempts. Free throws win ball games, plain and simple. It is the easiest shot in the game and never changes. At this point I've really nothing new to say about the importance of free throws.
What was Good:
Outside Shooting:
The Huskies dominate the deep ball tonight, hitting a fantastic 12 of 22 attempts on the night. Wilcox and Gaddy were untouchable outside, combining for 9 of 11 shooting. Ross was respectable in his own right with a 3 of 5 shooting night and Wroten gave it his best, but missed all three attempts. The Dawgs also held the Ducks to 5 of 23 shooting outside, showing fantastic outside defense. This also included a great effort by Wroten following a nice lay-in after which he hustled down the court and blocked the trey attempt.
Defense:
The Dawgs really shut down the Oregon offense that has been one of the better in the Pac-12. The Ducks were held to 60 points and 32% shooting following a 95 point and 69% shooting night against WSU two nights earlier. The Dawgs hustled the length of the court, forcing 15 turnovers and picking up 7 steals and 5 blocks. This was great to see after allowing 80 points against OSU.
Final Thoughts:
This is a great confidence booster before the Dawgs hit the road. While Colorado and Utah may not be the most formidable opponents in the Pac-12, they certainly can't be overlooked especially Colorado who has the offensive tools to be an upset team. Thankfully the Dawgs take on the Buffaloes before the Utes and can get the tougher game out of the way while our players are fully rested. The Dawgs are finally showing the type of chemistry that has arguably cost them games earlier this season. They looked much better on defense and are starting to see an inside presence from N'Diaye who is slowly developing some nice post moves. With Wroten maturing as a player and athlete and our wings continuing to supply the Dawgs with consistent offense from one player or another, the Huskies are poised to regain the hype and play that has been expected of them the past few seasons. A rather bold prediction was made by an ESPN announcer during the Oregon game, Tony Wroten will win both Freshman and Player of the year in the Pac-12. This was last done by Kevin Love in 2007-2008. Before Love you have to go back to the 1995-1996 season when Shareef Abdur-Rahim took the honors home. Do I believe this will happen? It certainly could. Wroten leads the Pac-12 in scoring and is easily the most influential freshman in the league. With his rebounding and turnover stats improving, Wroten is starting to become a key component of this Husky squad as shown by his move into the starting 5.
Go Dawgs!
The Huskies started off conference play with a nice sweep over the Oregon schools and did so in fairly dominating fashion. The Dawgs won both games by 15+ points and led most of both games. Both OSU and UO made it close at times, but the Huskies were able to gut it out and regain the lead through strong offense and denying defense. Up next are newcomers Colorado and Utah, who faced each other last night where Colorado completed dominated a severely diminished Utah team 73-33. I'll have more on them later, for now let's talk about the game against the Ducks.
C.J. Wilcox came off the bench in the first half, allowing Tony Wroten to start. It wasn't so much a "demotion" as a move to get the Huskies off to a fast start behind the legs and tenacity of Wroten. Wroten has been superb this year at attacking the hoop and, more often than not, completes the lay-in. Wilcox started the second half after entering the game and drilling some smooth shots with a consistent hand. Wilcox and Wroten helped the Dawgs keep the lead despite poor rebounding on both ends of the court and sub-par free throw shooting. With 3 minutes to go in the first half, Wilcox and Wroten accounted for half the Husky points. Wilcox finished the night with a game high 24 points tying his career high he set last March against UCLA when he dropped all 24 in the second half. Wilcox went 8-11 from the field last night, 6-8 from outside, and 2-2 from the free throw line.
E.J. Singler and Olu Ashaolu dominated the glass for the Ducks and combined for 21 rebounds, 9 on the offensive end leading to 16 second chance points as opposed to UW's 6 total offensive boards and 2 second chance points. The Huskies often let smaller players sneak underneath them to grab boards they had no right taking. The Dawgs simply weren't aggressive enough on the glass to get the type of numbers they are capable of.
Wroten had another fairly stellar night, but his free throw shooting regressed once more. Wroten finished with 17 points on 7 of 15 shooting, missing all three of his 3-point attempts. Wroten was a miserable 3 of 8 from the FT line and had all four of UW's FT attempts in the first half. Wroten had 4 rebounds, somewhat low for Wroten who has been picking up 7, 8, and 9 boards in the past few games. Regardless, Wroten also dished out 5 assists, a game high, while only committing 2 turnovers. Wroten is beginning to get his passing game under control, but is still lacking a decent free throw shot and lacks a right hand when taking shots inside. Wroten made a nice steal and took his defender off the ball using some nice dribble moves rather than powering through to the hoop and possibly drawing an offensive foul.
Aziz N'Diaye. How we missed you against SDST. While N'Diaye's stats were not the most amazing, it was what can't be shown in the box score where his influence is most felt. Oregon simply refused to attack the paint when N'Diaye was in the game. Players would often drive the lanes only to dribble right back out or kick the ball to the wings. N'Diaye had a play where he blocked two straight shots after the first block tipped badly to another Oregon player. The Dawgs went down and got an easy lay-in on a muddled Duck defense. The Ducks called timeout and N'Diaye yelled and pumped his fist hard, really feeling the emotion and power of the moment. It was fantastic to see him get excited like that. N'Diaye started off with the first 4 points of the game, including a nice dribble-spin move that allowed him to hook in a nice shot off the glass. N'Diaye finished the game with 8 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 blocks. He also had 2 steals and 3 turnovers.
Terrence Ross had a quite night, mainly due to early foul trouble as he picked up his third only 30 seconds into the second half. This made him less aggressive in his attack and certainly held him back a bit on the defensive end. Ross shot 4 of 9 on the night, including 3 of 5 from deep. Ross had a very nice lay-in following tough contact, forcing him to shoot deep from his hip. Ross only managed 3 rebounds, half of his season average. He also finished with 11 points and 2 steals.
Abdul Gaddy was decent tonight with 12 points. He was a perfect 3 for 3 outside the arc and 4 of 5 overall. He missed 2 of his 3 free throw attempts following a foul on a 3-point attempt. Gaddy had 3 assists and an uncharacteristic 3 turnovers. Gaddy picked up 3 fouls in the first half, which limited his contribution inside the paint.
Darnell Gant was quieter than Ross and seems to be losing more of his minutes to Desmond Simmons. Gant did earn himself some credit for coming to aid Tony Wroten after Ashaolu elbowed Wroten in the head. Gant was charged a technical for supposedly mouthing off at Ashaolu. Gant went 0-2 form the field and finished with 0 points. Gant did pick up 4 rebounds and an assist. I love Gant and he can be a huge asset at times, but Simmons is slowly proving himself to be a better rebounder and has just a good of shot, if not better, than Gant. While I suspect Romar will keep Gant in the starting 5, barring some huge collapse by Gant, Simmons certainly deserves the minutes he has been playing and is proving Romar and teammates right when they discussed what kind of hustler and player he is.
Simmons only managed 2 points against the Ducks on 1-4 shooting, but grabbed 6 rebounds, dished out 3 assists, only 1 turnover, and nabbed 1 steal. Simmons played 29 minutes to Gant's 17 and it is starting to become more obvious that he is having a bigger impact on the game. Tonight was not necessarily a highlight of his talents, but Simmons had a decent game and had just about the production we need form him to win games. I'd like to see him take a few more inside shots as his is a strong player who can muscle his man out of his way.
Martin Breunig played an efficient 2 minutes, going 1 for 1 from the field. Hikeem Stewart also saw 2 minutes of game time, but didn't log a stat. Shawn Kemp did not enter the game.
What Needed Improvement:
Rebounding:
The Huskies were dominated on the glass, despite the numbers being close (36-34 in UO's favor). Oregon picked up 15 offensive boards and held UW to only 6. Second chance points kept the game from being a blowout in the Dawg's favor. If you cut the Duck second chance points in half, the Huskies win by 23. The Dawgs cannot afford to give up 15 offensive boards, no matter the opponent. Their goal should be holding their opponent under 10 offensive boards. The Huskies had a big size advantage over the Ducks whose tallest starter was 6-7. The Ducks were simply more aggressive.
Free Throw Shooting:
This mainly falls on Wroten and Gaddy tonight who were a combined 4 of 11 from the line. Wilcox was the only other Husky to attempt free throws and drained both attempts. Free throws win ball games, plain and simple. It is the easiest shot in the game and never changes. At this point I've really nothing new to say about the importance of free throws.
What was Good:
Outside Shooting:
The Huskies dominate the deep ball tonight, hitting a fantastic 12 of 22 attempts on the night. Wilcox and Gaddy were untouchable outside, combining for 9 of 11 shooting. Ross was respectable in his own right with a 3 of 5 shooting night and Wroten gave it his best, but missed all three attempts. The Dawgs also held the Ducks to 5 of 23 shooting outside, showing fantastic outside defense. This also included a great effort by Wroten following a nice lay-in after which he hustled down the court and blocked the trey attempt.
Defense:
The Dawgs really shut down the Oregon offense that has been one of the better in the Pac-12. The Ducks were held to 60 points and 32% shooting following a 95 point and 69% shooting night against WSU two nights earlier. The Dawgs hustled the length of the court, forcing 15 turnovers and picking up 7 steals and 5 blocks. This was great to see after allowing 80 points against OSU.
Final Thoughts:
This is a great confidence booster before the Dawgs hit the road. While Colorado and Utah may not be the most formidable opponents in the Pac-12, they certainly can't be overlooked especially Colorado who has the offensive tools to be an upset team. Thankfully the Dawgs take on the Buffaloes before the Utes and can get the tougher game out of the way while our players are fully rested. The Dawgs are finally showing the type of chemistry that has arguably cost them games earlier this season. They looked much better on defense and are starting to see an inside presence from N'Diaye who is slowly developing some nice post moves. With Wroten maturing as a player and athlete and our wings continuing to supply the Dawgs with consistent offense from one player or another, the Huskies are poised to regain the hype and play that has been expected of them the past few seasons. A rather bold prediction was made by an ESPN announcer during the Oregon game, Tony Wroten will win both Freshman and Player of the year in the Pac-12. This was last done by Kevin Love in 2007-2008. Before Love you have to go back to the 1995-1996 season when Shareef Abdur-Rahim took the honors home. Do I believe this will happen? It certainly could. Wroten leads the Pac-12 in scoring and is easily the most influential freshman in the league. With his rebounding and turnover stats improving, Wroten is starting to become a key component of this Husky squad as shown by his move into the starting 5.
Go Dawgs!
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