The title of best player is always up for debate in the world of sports. Sure, some NBA teams possess super stars that leave little doubt like the Heat and LeBron James, the Magic and Dwight Howard, or the Zombie Sonics and Kevin Durant, but at the college level things change drastically. Several players contribute in a variety of ways to allow great debates about which player has the greatest and most positive impact on his team.
This past off-season saw the departure of our two best players in Terrence Ross and Tony Wroten. While some may not agree with declaring Wroten as one of our top players, it is hard to ignore everything he did for the Husky squad. What this means for the 2012-2013 season is a wide opening for several individuals to elevate their games to the next level and take over the reigns as the squad's "Best Player."
Being the best player is about more than points per games or how many rebounds a player can snatch up in 40 minutes. The best player needs to have intangibles that don't show up in the post-game box score. The best player needs to dominate all aspects of the game and thrive because of it.
Arguably the best player in recent, if not all, UW history is Isaiah Thomas and he is exactly the sort of player I refer to when I talk about a guy doing more than just hitting baskets and making plays. I.T. ruled the court with both his skills and his attitude. The guy refused to lose. He did everything and more to motivate and carry his team through adversity as well as success. If you have any doubt about how good I.T. was and is, just watch this.
My initial reaction was to peg Scott Suggs as the best player next season. Suggs has everything a team could want in terms of size, athleticism, and experience. After facing a tough foot injury right before the 2011-2012 season began, Suggs opted to take a medical redshirt and return in full force for a complete and dominating senior season. Built just like Ross, Suggs stands at 6-6 and nearly 200lbs. Suggs' long athletic frame allows him to elevate above the competition at the hoop and outside the arc. During his junior season campaign, Suggs showed a huge improvement concerning his inside game. Suggs was able to attack the rim and finish inside. We are all well aware of Suggs' ability to nail the outside shot. Suggs was arguably the best sharpshooter on the team in 2010-2011 due to his consistency and accuracy. Watching Suggs during warm-ups this past season has only increased my confidence in his ability to drain the long ball. As a fifth year senior, Suggs has more experience than most. Suggs has participated in 3 NCAA tournament appearances as well as having won a regular season title and two tournament titles (I won't include his redshirt season as he did not play in any games). I believe Suggs will step in to fill Ross' shoes immediately and will make a strong case for Pac-12 Player of the Year honors. The one aspect on his game that Suggs can improve on to solidify his position as the Best Player is rebounding. Suggs has never been a great rebounder, but the increased presence of his inside game will allow Suggs more opportunities near the hoop to snag a few extra boards. I can easily envision Suggs averaging 16 points and 5 rebounds per game. That type of production combined with excellent senior leadership and tenacity would make for an amazing player and could certainly be a game changer in tight situations.
C.J. Wilcox should be involved in any type of "Best Player" argument, whether simply the Husky Basketball team or the Pac-12 conference. Wilcox averaged a quiet 14 points per game last season despite battle nagging injuries that prevented him from seeing action in several games and limiting his play time in others. With a full summer to heal the stress fracture in his hip/leg, Wilcox is primed to light up the court for what could be his final season. Wilcox is attending the Kevin Durant skill camp this summer along with playing the the Seattle Summer league games, giving him plenty of opportunities to work on his abilities before the preseason games across the Atlantic. As with Suggs, Wilcox can strengthen his argument for the team's best player by improving his rebounding from 3 boards per game to 5 or 6. A greater aspect to improve upon, perhaps more important than a few more rebounds per game, would be Wilcox's ability to play into and through contact near the paint to draw fouls and free throws. Wilcox averaged 84% from the line last season and at one point had hit over 30 free throws in a row. Romar's teams have always been known to be unsuccessful at the foul line, yet individual players have made great strides in improving their shot from the charity stripe and in doing so become game changers. These individuals include I.T. and Jon Brockman. Last season, Wroten averaged nearly 8 free throws attempts per game, making under 60% on the season. With Wilcox's 84% average those 4 points from 8 free throws becomes nearly 7 points per game. 3 points extra per night is a huge number from the foul line where close games are won and lost. What could ultimately hold Wilcox back from being the best player on the 2012-2013 squad is his quiet nature. In terms of sheer athletic ability, no one can match-up with Wilcox. Wilcox has been the fastest at the mile, is one of the quickest sprinters on the team, and has the highest vertical jump of anyone. Wilcox out jumped Ross last season and we have all seen what type of plays can occur when a player has huge hops. If Wilcox can become not only a leader in terms of production, but also as a vocal and emotional leader, he could be a favorite for Player of the Year awards.
Aziz N'Diaye would be my third pick for top player on the team. N'Diaye's size and defensive presence alone put him near the top of the list. N'Diaye showed great improvement to his footwork, post moves, and in softening his hands. The big man is no longer a black hole in the middle where the ball will never return from. N'Diaye showed better court vision knowing when to take his man to the hoop and when to kick the ball back out to the perimeter. N'Diaye is already a supreme rebounder, picking up nearly 8 per night, but could take another step forward by boxing out better on the offensive end and allowing his length to take charge. Where N'Diaye can really improve is his offensive game. This has always been the weakest part of N'Diaye's game, but his jump hook is improving steadily. I would also like to see N'Diaye throw down a few more dunks. Too often, N'Diaye is right next to the hoop and opts for a dainty little lay-in. Throw down, big man, throw down. Dunks are the highest percentage shots there are. At 7-0, it is hard to have a dunk blocked inside 4 feet. Take a page out of this kid's book, N'Diaye, it'll help you immensely. If N'Diaye can continue improving his ability to catch the ball and finish at the rim, he could quite possibly average 14 points per game on top of 8 rebounds and a block or two a night. All that production does not even begin to tell the whole tale, something I argued earlier would be critical in determining the team's best player. How many times has an opposing player driven towards the lane only to see N'Diaye towering in the paint? How many times has that player then changed his mind and opted for either a terrible jumper or been forced to kick the ball back outside the paint? That is the type of impact that doesn't show up in the box score. It's the type of impact that every player should strive for.
A fourth, perhaps outside pick, would be Abdul Gaddy. Gaddy has struggled to live up to the All-American hype that surrounded him coming into his freshman season. Gaddy came to the UW as a quite young 17 year old, trying to compete against 22 year old players who were much stronger, faster, and experienced. Gaddy's sophomore campaign started phenomenally, but sadly he blew his ACL right as Pac-10 play began. Gaddy spent the summer recuperating his knee and appeared to be on track for a solid 2011-2012 year. Gaddy spent much of this past season looking slower and more cautious, something that was not all that surprising given his newly injured knee. At the end of the year, Gaddy finally realized how deadly he can be when driving the lane. Not only does it open the opportunity to kick out for an assisted 3-pointer, but it also allows Gaddy to get a good look at the hoop down low in the paint where his teardrop shot can be put to good use. What Gaddy needs to do in order to become our best player is to take this team over and make it his. This will be Gaddy's senior season. His last hurrah. Gaddy must develop that seasoned, vocal leadership this team so dearly lacked last season. Gaddy could average double digit points if he attacked the rim consistently and improved his 3-point accuracy. And, while it may seem greedy, I would really like to see Gaddy average 7 assists per game. Gaddy has amazing court vision and has a great knack for making solid passes to open players. I believe Romar's play calling is what is holding Gaddy back from averaging those types of numbers. If Romar can develop a few more motion offensive plays, Gaddy will have more opportunities to deliver the rock to open guys on the perimeter and in the post. With the addition of Suggs as a steady hand inside and out, Gaddy has one more tool at his disposal to spread the floor and make things happen. Another important point to note is the absence of Wroten allows Gaddy to resume taking a majority of the point guard play time, meaning more play-making opportunities to boost his stats.
So who do you think will take over in 2012-2013? One of these four? Someone else? Let us know in the comments below.
Go Dawgs!
Showing posts with label Abdul Gaddy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Abdul Gaddy. Show all posts
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
University of Oregon Game Review 3
Final Score: UW-90 UO-86
Oregon made it a 4 point defeat with a last second tip-in following a series of made free throws by C.J. Wilcox. The Dawgs and Ducks battled back and forth all night with 10 points being the greatest differential achieved during the match.
The night started out rough for the Huskies who saw Oregon take another early lead. Slowly, but surely the Dawgs started connecting on their shots and played a little tougher defense, allowing the Huskies to go into half down only 4 points. The second half brought more energy and the crowd, who was already the loudest I have heard all season outside of the WSU and Cal games, got louder and more excited. The players fed off this and highlights plays started accruing. Terrence Ross and Tony Wroten were aggressive all night leading to a combined 46 points from the duo, while Wilcox came off the bench to provide 17 critical points including a stellar 6 of 6 performance from the free throw line, all of which came in the final 30 seconds of the game.
The two teams provided one of the most even match-ups of the season with neither team dominating any one particular category. The Dawgs out rebounded the Ducks 37-34 with a 14-12 advantage on the offensive glass. Both teams made 7 3-pointers, though it took the Ducks an additional 6 attempts to achieve the same results. The Ducks made 3 more field goals than the Dawgs, but the Huskies attempted 13 more free throws than the Ducks and made 10 more overall. Both teams dished out 17 assists and had their steals and blocks combine for 6 each. The Ducks had 7 turnovers and the Dawgs had 8. As I said, an even game.
What makes games like this so exciting and fun to be at is not only the rivalry, but the pace at which the game is played. Teams like Utah, USC, and ASU drive me nuts due to their slow down, mind numbingly boring type of basketball. The Ducks play at a high rate, they love the transition, and can really push this Husky squad to be their best.
This Husky squad played one of their best games of the season and no surprise, a large part of this had to do with the aggressiveness of our guards. Abdul Gaddy had one of his best nights as a Dawg, tallying a double-double with 11 points, 10 assists, and an impressive 7 rebounds. Gaddy helped the Dawgs execute their half-court offense with supreme efficiency. The team as a whole used the shot clock well, but Gaddy excelled in finding the open man after driving into the lane late in the clock. Gaddy also converted 4 shots at the line during 6 attempts. What changed in Gaddy's mind during the last 2 weeks is beyond me, but this aggressiveness and desire to not only play, but to win, has been missing most of the year and, in my mind, is a big reason this team is now winning games they would have struggled through early this season.
Aziz N'Diaye had a quiet night due to foul trouble. He attempted only 2 shots and made 1. N'Diaye was a solid 3 of 4 from the line and collected 7 rebounds during his limited 20 minutes. Tony Woods was next to impossible for N'Diaye to shut down, especially once the fouls started racking up. Thankfully, Austin Sefarian-Jenkins was able to play 15 minutes of relief during which ASJ picked up 4 hard fouls of his own. The man loves to foul and I'm OK with this. ASJ is a back-up player whose fate ultimately lies on the gridiron. Any foul he picks up is one less for N'Diaye. Desmond Simmons played only 5 minutes in the first half and that was all the game time he saw.
Darnell Gant was excellent on the offensive glass tonight picking up 7 total boards and 5 on the offensive side. Gant shot reasonably well hitting 3 of his 5 attempts and finishing with 6 points on the night. After picking up 15 points in the first half, E.J. Singler was held to just 4 points in the second and fouled out, due in large part to the handcuffs put on him by Gant and the Huskies.
C.J. Wilcox saved the game with his clutch free throw shooting, but he should also be recognized for his aggressiveness in the paint and his sharp shooting performance. Wilcox was only 4 of 10 from the field, but was 3 of 6 from deep. Wilcox's shooting allowed his teammates to get open looks by spreading the floor and threatening to shoot. Terrence Ross and Tony Wroten saw many great looks inside the paint due to Wilcox sitting on the perimeter, forcing the Duck defense to stay honest and defend the outside shot.
Terrence Ross had another career night finishing with 24 points on 9 of 18 shooting. Ross' outside shot was a tad below average with only 3 makes on 8 attempts, but his inside drive was as dangerous as ever. It seemed as though any set where the clock was running out, Ross or Wroten had the ball in their hand, looking to drive inside for the basket. Ross finished 3 of 3 from the foul line and also picked up 3 rebounds. With 4 other Huskies grabbing 7 boards, Ross did not need to be as aggressive on the glass. Thus far in the tournament, Ross had averaged just under 27 points per game, 11 points above his season average. This shows just how talented Ross can be when he plays hard during both halves. If Ross stays another season, he may very well be one of the nation's leading scorers.
Tony Wroten now hold the freshman scoring record for UW, surpassing Isaiah Thomas. Wroten now holds a 9 point advantage and will certainly add more as the NIT continues. After a 5 shot game against Northwestern, it was almost a certainty that Wroten would be aggressive once more. Sure enough, Wroten attacked the Ducks early and often leading to 22 points on 6 of 15 shooting. The best part of Wroten's night? 10 of 14 at the foul line, an impressive stat for a player who has struggled throughout the season. If Wroten can come back next season and be a 75% free throw shooter, he will battle Ross for the leading scorer title. Wroten's speed and agility causes supreme difficulty for his opponents and often leads to foul calls. Being able to convert his foul shots is just one more step in becoming a true superstar.
What Needed Improvement:
First Half Defense:
It is really hard for my to criticize much from the game. I thought the Dawgs performed pretty well throughout the night. My only complaint going into half time was about a few lapses in defensive rotation that led to wide open shots by the Ducks. Overall I felt the execution by the Dawgs went well through the nights. The Ducks were often forced to take contested shots and ultimately that is the best you can ask of a team. Good shooters will make shots over their defenders.
What was Good:
Offensive Execution:
The Dawgs were unusually patient in the half-court and found success. The team moved the ball well and Gaddy led the way by finding the open shooter time and time again. The Huskies limited their turnovers, they made smart plays, and took smart shots. There were very few times I found myself asking why a particular shot was attempted. This patience is something the team has lacked all most of the year and again, a big reason why the Dawgs are now winning games that would have been chalked up as losses earlier this year.
Attitude and Aggressiveness:
This team wanted to win. They wanted to play. The first game of the NIT was tough for both fans and players, but after the win I think everybody decided to let bygones be bygones and celebrate the fact that we get to see our team play a few more games, at home none the less. The players came out with smiles on their faces, they pumped their fists, and raised the roof. Just about everyone aggressively attacked the rim and found ways to make their mark on the game. The Huskies need to carry this momentum and attitude to New York.
Final Thoughts:
I know this may be looking a bit too far ahead, but I can't help but get excited for a potentially exhilarating match-up between UW and the University of Massachusetts in the NIT finals. For those who don't know, UW and UMass play one another in the NCAA championship during the movie "The Sixth Man." This movie is about the Husky basketball team winning a national title. If you haven't seen it, check it out. It's awesome and a Husky fan must. The Dawgs have been playing the type of basketball fans have been expecting to see all season and now look to win a championship, though not of the caliber they initially set eyes upon. Regardless, this team now gets another week to play and practice together, a huge asset for a team so filled with youth and inexperience. I am excited to see how this team does in New York and am hopeful that they will bring home the banner.
Go Dawgs!
Oregon made it a 4 point defeat with a last second tip-in following a series of made free throws by C.J. Wilcox. The Dawgs and Ducks battled back and forth all night with 10 points being the greatest differential achieved during the match.
The night started out rough for the Huskies who saw Oregon take another early lead. Slowly, but surely the Dawgs started connecting on their shots and played a little tougher defense, allowing the Huskies to go into half down only 4 points. The second half brought more energy and the crowd, who was already the loudest I have heard all season outside of the WSU and Cal games, got louder and more excited. The players fed off this and highlights plays started accruing. Terrence Ross and Tony Wroten were aggressive all night leading to a combined 46 points from the duo, while Wilcox came off the bench to provide 17 critical points including a stellar 6 of 6 performance from the free throw line, all of which came in the final 30 seconds of the game.
The two teams provided one of the most even match-ups of the season with neither team dominating any one particular category. The Dawgs out rebounded the Ducks 37-34 with a 14-12 advantage on the offensive glass. Both teams made 7 3-pointers, though it took the Ducks an additional 6 attempts to achieve the same results. The Ducks made 3 more field goals than the Dawgs, but the Huskies attempted 13 more free throws than the Ducks and made 10 more overall. Both teams dished out 17 assists and had their steals and blocks combine for 6 each. The Ducks had 7 turnovers and the Dawgs had 8. As I said, an even game.
What makes games like this so exciting and fun to be at is not only the rivalry, but the pace at which the game is played. Teams like Utah, USC, and ASU drive me nuts due to their slow down, mind numbingly boring type of basketball. The Ducks play at a high rate, they love the transition, and can really push this Husky squad to be their best.
This Husky squad played one of their best games of the season and no surprise, a large part of this had to do with the aggressiveness of our guards. Abdul Gaddy had one of his best nights as a Dawg, tallying a double-double with 11 points, 10 assists, and an impressive 7 rebounds. Gaddy helped the Dawgs execute their half-court offense with supreme efficiency. The team as a whole used the shot clock well, but Gaddy excelled in finding the open man after driving into the lane late in the clock. Gaddy also converted 4 shots at the line during 6 attempts. What changed in Gaddy's mind during the last 2 weeks is beyond me, but this aggressiveness and desire to not only play, but to win, has been missing most of the year and, in my mind, is a big reason this team is now winning games they would have struggled through early this season.
Aziz N'Diaye had a quiet night due to foul trouble. He attempted only 2 shots and made 1. N'Diaye was a solid 3 of 4 from the line and collected 7 rebounds during his limited 20 minutes. Tony Woods was next to impossible for N'Diaye to shut down, especially once the fouls started racking up. Thankfully, Austin Sefarian-Jenkins was able to play 15 minutes of relief during which ASJ picked up 4 hard fouls of his own. The man loves to foul and I'm OK with this. ASJ is a back-up player whose fate ultimately lies on the gridiron. Any foul he picks up is one less for N'Diaye. Desmond Simmons played only 5 minutes in the first half and that was all the game time he saw.
Darnell Gant was excellent on the offensive glass tonight picking up 7 total boards and 5 on the offensive side. Gant shot reasonably well hitting 3 of his 5 attempts and finishing with 6 points on the night. After picking up 15 points in the first half, E.J. Singler was held to just 4 points in the second and fouled out, due in large part to the handcuffs put on him by Gant and the Huskies.
C.J. Wilcox saved the game with his clutch free throw shooting, but he should also be recognized for his aggressiveness in the paint and his sharp shooting performance. Wilcox was only 4 of 10 from the field, but was 3 of 6 from deep. Wilcox's shooting allowed his teammates to get open looks by spreading the floor and threatening to shoot. Terrence Ross and Tony Wroten saw many great looks inside the paint due to Wilcox sitting on the perimeter, forcing the Duck defense to stay honest and defend the outside shot.
Terrence Ross had another career night finishing with 24 points on 9 of 18 shooting. Ross' outside shot was a tad below average with only 3 makes on 8 attempts, but his inside drive was as dangerous as ever. It seemed as though any set where the clock was running out, Ross or Wroten had the ball in their hand, looking to drive inside for the basket. Ross finished 3 of 3 from the foul line and also picked up 3 rebounds. With 4 other Huskies grabbing 7 boards, Ross did not need to be as aggressive on the glass. Thus far in the tournament, Ross had averaged just under 27 points per game, 11 points above his season average. This shows just how talented Ross can be when he plays hard during both halves. If Ross stays another season, he may very well be one of the nation's leading scorers.
Tony Wroten now hold the freshman scoring record for UW, surpassing Isaiah Thomas. Wroten now holds a 9 point advantage and will certainly add more as the NIT continues. After a 5 shot game against Northwestern, it was almost a certainty that Wroten would be aggressive once more. Sure enough, Wroten attacked the Ducks early and often leading to 22 points on 6 of 15 shooting. The best part of Wroten's night? 10 of 14 at the foul line, an impressive stat for a player who has struggled throughout the season. If Wroten can come back next season and be a 75% free throw shooter, he will battle Ross for the leading scorer title. Wroten's speed and agility causes supreme difficulty for his opponents and often leads to foul calls. Being able to convert his foul shots is just one more step in becoming a true superstar.
What Needed Improvement:
First Half Defense:
It is really hard for my to criticize much from the game. I thought the Dawgs performed pretty well throughout the night. My only complaint going into half time was about a few lapses in defensive rotation that led to wide open shots by the Ducks. Overall I felt the execution by the Dawgs went well through the nights. The Ducks were often forced to take contested shots and ultimately that is the best you can ask of a team. Good shooters will make shots over their defenders.
What was Good:
Offensive Execution:
The Dawgs were unusually patient in the half-court and found success. The team moved the ball well and Gaddy led the way by finding the open shooter time and time again. The Huskies limited their turnovers, they made smart plays, and took smart shots. There were very few times I found myself asking why a particular shot was attempted. This patience is something the team has lacked all most of the year and again, a big reason why the Dawgs are now winning games that would have been chalked up as losses earlier this year.
Attitude and Aggressiveness:
This team wanted to win. They wanted to play. The first game of the NIT was tough for both fans and players, but after the win I think everybody decided to let bygones be bygones and celebrate the fact that we get to see our team play a few more games, at home none the less. The players came out with smiles on their faces, they pumped their fists, and raised the roof. Just about everyone aggressively attacked the rim and found ways to make their mark on the game. The Huskies need to carry this momentum and attitude to New York.
Final Thoughts:
I know this may be looking a bit too far ahead, but I can't help but get excited for a potentially exhilarating match-up between UW and the University of Massachusetts in the NIT finals. For those who don't know, UW and UMass play one another in the NCAA championship during the movie "The Sixth Man." This movie is about the Husky basketball team winning a national title. If you haven't seen it, check it out. It's awesome and a Husky fan must. The Dawgs have been playing the type of basketball fans have been expecting to see all season and now look to win a championship, though not of the caliber they initially set eyes upon. Regardless, this team now gets another week to play and practice together, a huge asset for a team so filled with youth and inexperience. I am excited to see how this team does in New York and am hopeful that they will bring home the banner.
Go Dawgs!
Thursday, February 16, 2012
Arizona State Game 2 Review
Final Score: UW-77 ASU-69
This game was not nearly as close as it looks. UW had a 22 point lead in the final 3 minutes before letting ASU chip away as Romar an team let up on the gas. I have a bone to pick about this. First off, I love it when our walk-ons and reserves get playtime, it is a fun and rewarding experience for them. That being said, we are in a critical stretch of play right now and the bubble is not on our side. We need to make statement games, not win by 8 at home to an atrocious ASU team. We need to finish. We should have dropped 30+ on them and said "Hey! We are here! We want to win! We want to compete!" Nope, didn't happen. To be fair, the Dawgs were really hot the first half, despite committing 10 first half turnovers. In the second half, the Dawgs committed an additional 5 turnovers, but only managed 33 points on sub par shooting. The Dawgs were a blistering 61% in the first half, but the second half zone of ASU caused problems leading to another sub 35% outing.
What we saw today was a true team effort on the court. For the first time in god knows how long, the Dawgs had 18 assists! Its amazing how passing and sharing the ball can lead to good things. Abdul Gaddy led the way with 8 assists to 3 turnovers, while Tony Wroten had 4 and 4.
The passes led to our team getting early production from everyone. Terrence Ross, C.J. Wilcox, and Darnell Gant were all hovering around 8 points at halftime. Ross finished with a team high 18, Wilcox added 14, Wroten had 13, Aziz N'Diaye put up a respectable 12, and Gant finished with 9. Those are the types of numbers we should be seeing every night from our guys. Four and five guys with double digit scoring on top of their rebounding, steals, etc. Getting production is easy if you pass the ball and that is exactly what we did tonight.
Overall, I loved the energy of the first half. The team played like it was taking on Arizona versus ASU. That is what I wanted to see. They treated the first half like a real game and went into halftime up 18. Then the second half rolled around and the Dawgs got lazy. UW had held ASU to 2 of 9 outside shooting in the first half by playing pressure d, extending to the sidelines, and preventing open looks. ASU went 6-11 in the second half, allowing them to chew their way back into the game to save face. This happened because our guys got lazy, stayed in the paint, and generally just did not try to put a hand in their face. I put that on Romar for not hyping them up at half, demanding more of the same.
Desmond Simmons and Shawn Kemp had decent nights, combining for 8 points and 7 boards. Simmons got most of the boards will Kemp got most of the points. They played a total of 26 minutes, allowing Gant and N'Diaye to rest after battling ASU's 7-footers in the paint. Respectable numbers for the time they played. They did their jobs tonight.
Abdul Gaddy was not aggressive in the normal fashion, but he attacked none the less. Gaddy took only two shots on the night and drilled a 3-pointer, his only points of the night. What he did do is attack the hoop and dish out to our open shooters and wouldn't you know it, they were open. Man, I feel like I iterated this exact thing multiple times throughout the season. Drive and dish, kick it out, get in the lanes. Easy peasy, lemon squeezy. 8 assists is amazing and the 3 turnovers are reasonable, though many were unforced errors that could well have been avoided. Gaddy also pulled in a rebound and picked off a steal. Productive night over all. We don't need him to score, we need him to create scores.
Darnell Gant looked a lot better tonight than he has in a while. His second half shooting definitely cooled off, but his first half put-back jam was sensational. He reared back hard and jammed it home. Loved it. On the night, Gant was 3-6, missing only outside the arc. Gant made both his foul shots, nabbed 5 boards, and dished out 2 assists with 0 turnovers.
Aziz N'Diaye wanted the ball in the first half. He wanted it bad. He got the ball and he scored. Didn't matter who was on him. The second half he battled some cramps or a dead-leg. Not sure what happened, but he went down twice before getting pulled out and N'Diaye required some treatment from the PT staff. A few minutes later he came back in and looked good as new. N'Diaye was 5-9 from the field, 2-3 from the line, and had 4 rebounds.
Tony Wroten was a defensive machine tonight. At times he played too fast and turned the ball over, but the fact that he also handed out 4 assists and a ridiculous 6 steals is impressive and says a lot about his effort on the court. Wroten finished the night 4-8 from the field and a 5-8 performance at the line. He missed both free throws on one set, the first time that has happened in a while. Wroten also managed 4 boards during his 29 minutes of play.
C.J. Wilcox is evolving his game and it's a good thing. With his stress injury limiting his practice participation, Wilcox's shot has been suffering lately as anyone would suspect. Instead of focusing all of his efforts outside the arc, Wilcox has been utilizing a pump shot to draw defenders in the air then dribbling a bit closer and draining the jumper. He is also attacking the lanes and getting nice looks inside. He was 6-11 from the field, 2-6 outside the arc, but I liked his approach to tonight. Wilcox did a little bit of everything tonight with 2 rebounds, 3 assists, a turnover, block, and steal.
Terrence Ross. My man. Where has this game been all year. Finally, production in both halves and a great looking shot throughout. Ross was on fire outside, hitting 4 of 8 from deep and converting 7 of 13 overall. Several times, Ross would step outside the arc on purpose, seemingly insisting he was too close before. His 5 rebounds were lower than normal, but spending so much time outside the paint tends to cause that. The only mar on his performance were the 3 turnovers that were quite out of character. He needs to bring this early fire again Saturday when the Wildcats roll into town.
What Needed Improvement:
Rebounds:
UW and ASU went back and forth on the glass with a final tally of 32-32. 11 offensive for UW, 10 for ASU. That is about as close as it gets. While I understand that ASU possess two 7-footers, the Dawgs were getting beat on the glass by the guards and often times losing out on rebounds they didn't secure properly. Normally this is not an issue so I won't worry too much about it, but we cannot afford to give up so many second chance opportunities against a team like Arizona who will capitalize on them in a big way.
Turnovers:
15 is way too high. 10 in a half is absurd and unacceptable. The Dawgs were playing at too high of a tempo and needed to get things under control a tad more. Wroten was bouncing balls off the opposition's head, Wilcox was forgetting to bring the ball with him, and so on. You get the picture. Not sure why the ASU defense caused so many problems, but it needs to get fixed in less than 36 hours.
What Was Good:
First Half:
Have I been able to write that yet this year? For the first time in ages, the Dawgs put up more than 40 points in the first half and scored less in the second than the first. The Dawgs came out with the kind of intensity that has been lacking throughout the season and I am hopeful it will carry on. This team needs to remember how it felt to get it going early, instead of having to battle back before halftime.
Passing:
The Huskies really played well in the set offense today. They moved the ball quickly around the perimeter, attacked the lanes and kicked out, found open guys, and passed up mediocre shots for better shots. Got to give it to Gaddy for really running the show tonight and making things happen in a good way. Gold Star.
Final Thoughts:
Big time match-up is on its way to Hec-Ed. Arizona is chomping at the bit to get vengence for I.T.'s cold-blooded shot and Wroten's last second upset during their white-out, sell-out crowd at home. Arizona took down WSU in a close game and their moral is high. The Dawgs closed tonight on a bit of a sour note, but I hope it does not damper or affect their mood. A win is a win, even if it ends ugly. Let's finish strong boys.
Go Dawgs!
This game was not nearly as close as it looks. UW had a 22 point lead in the final 3 minutes before letting ASU chip away as Romar an team let up on the gas. I have a bone to pick about this. First off, I love it when our walk-ons and reserves get playtime, it is a fun and rewarding experience for them. That being said, we are in a critical stretch of play right now and the bubble is not on our side. We need to make statement games, not win by 8 at home to an atrocious ASU team. We need to finish. We should have dropped 30+ on them and said "Hey! We are here! We want to win! We want to compete!" Nope, didn't happen. To be fair, the Dawgs were really hot the first half, despite committing 10 first half turnovers. In the second half, the Dawgs committed an additional 5 turnovers, but only managed 33 points on sub par shooting. The Dawgs were a blistering 61% in the first half, but the second half zone of ASU caused problems leading to another sub 35% outing.
What we saw today was a true team effort on the court. For the first time in god knows how long, the Dawgs had 18 assists! Its amazing how passing and sharing the ball can lead to good things. Abdul Gaddy led the way with 8 assists to 3 turnovers, while Tony Wroten had 4 and 4.
The passes led to our team getting early production from everyone. Terrence Ross, C.J. Wilcox, and Darnell Gant were all hovering around 8 points at halftime. Ross finished with a team high 18, Wilcox added 14, Wroten had 13, Aziz N'Diaye put up a respectable 12, and Gant finished with 9. Those are the types of numbers we should be seeing every night from our guys. Four and five guys with double digit scoring on top of their rebounding, steals, etc. Getting production is easy if you pass the ball and that is exactly what we did tonight.
Overall, I loved the energy of the first half. The team played like it was taking on Arizona versus ASU. That is what I wanted to see. They treated the first half like a real game and went into halftime up 18. Then the second half rolled around and the Dawgs got lazy. UW had held ASU to 2 of 9 outside shooting in the first half by playing pressure d, extending to the sidelines, and preventing open looks. ASU went 6-11 in the second half, allowing them to chew their way back into the game to save face. This happened because our guys got lazy, stayed in the paint, and generally just did not try to put a hand in their face. I put that on Romar for not hyping them up at half, demanding more of the same.
Desmond Simmons and Shawn Kemp had decent nights, combining for 8 points and 7 boards. Simmons got most of the boards will Kemp got most of the points. They played a total of 26 minutes, allowing Gant and N'Diaye to rest after battling ASU's 7-footers in the paint. Respectable numbers for the time they played. They did their jobs tonight.
Abdul Gaddy was not aggressive in the normal fashion, but he attacked none the less. Gaddy took only two shots on the night and drilled a 3-pointer, his only points of the night. What he did do is attack the hoop and dish out to our open shooters and wouldn't you know it, they were open. Man, I feel like I iterated this exact thing multiple times throughout the season. Drive and dish, kick it out, get in the lanes. Easy peasy, lemon squeezy. 8 assists is amazing and the 3 turnovers are reasonable, though many were unforced errors that could well have been avoided. Gaddy also pulled in a rebound and picked off a steal. Productive night over all. We don't need him to score, we need him to create scores.
Darnell Gant looked a lot better tonight than he has in a while. His second half shooting definitely cooled off, but his first half put-back jam was sensational. He reared back hard and jammed it home. Loved it. On the night, Gant was 3-6, missing only outside the arc. Gant made both his foul shots, nabbed 5 boards, and dished out 2 assists with 0 turnovers.
Aziz N'Diaye wanted the ball in the first half. He wanted it bad. He got the ball and he scored. Didn't matter who was on him. The second half he battled some cramps or a dead-leg. Not sure what happened, but he went down twice before getting pulled out and N'Diaye required some treatment from the PT staff. A few minutes later he came back in and looked good as new. N'Diaye was 5-9 from the field, 2-3 from the line, and had 4 rebounds.
Tony Wroten was a defensive machine tonight. At times he played too fast and turned the ball over, but the fact that he also handed out 4 assists and a ridiculous 6 steals is impressive and says a lot about his effort on the court. Wroten finished the night 4-8 from the field and a 5-8 performance at the line. He missed both free throws on one set, the first time that has happened in a while. Wroten also managed 4 boards during his 29 minutes of play.
C.J. Wilcox is evolving his game and it's a good thing. With his stress injury limiting his practice participation, Wilcox's shot has been suffering lately as anyone would suspect. Instead of focusing all of his efforts outside the arc, Wilcox has been utilizing a pump shot to draw defenders in the air then dribbling a bit closer and draining the jumper. He is also attacking the lanes and getting nice looks inside. He was 6-11 from the field, 2-6 outside the arc, but I liked his approach to tonight. Wilcox did a little bit of everything tonight with 2 rebounds, 3 assists, a turnover, block, and steal.
Terrence Ross. My man. Where has this game been all year. Finally, production in both halves and a great looking shot throughout. Ross was on fire outside, hitting 4 of 8 from deep and converting 7 of 13 overall. Several times, Ross would step outside the arc on purpose, seemingly insisting he was too close before. His 5 rebounds were lower than normal, but spending so much time outside the paint tends to cause that. The only mar on his performance were the 3 turnovers that were quite out of character. He needs to bring this early fire again Saturday when the Wildcats roll into town.
What Needed Improvement:
Rebounds:
UW and ASU went back and forth on the glass with a final tally of 32-32. 11 offensive for UW, 10 for ASU. That is about as close as it gets. While I understand that ASU possess two 7-footers, the Dawgs were getting beat on the glass by the guards and often times losing out on rebounds they didn't secure properly. Normally this is not an issue so I won't worry too much about it, but we cannot afford to give up so many second chance opportunities against a team like Arizona who will capitalize on them in a big way.
Turnovers:
15 is way too high. 10 in a half is absurd and unacceptable. The Dawgs were playing at too high of a tempo and needed to get things under control a tad more. Wroten was bouncing balls off the opposition's head, Wilcox was forgetting to bring the ball with him, and so on. You get the picture. Not sure why the ASU defense caused so many problems, but it needs to get fixed in less than 36 hours.
What Was Good:
First Half:
Have I been able to write that yet this year? For the first time in ages, the Dawgs put up more than 40 points in the first half and scored less in the second than the first. The Dawgs came out with the kind of intensity that has been lacking throughout the season and I am hopeful it will carry on. This team needs to remember how it felt to get it going early, instead of having to battle back before halftime.
Passing:
The Huskies really played well in the set offense today. They moved the ball quickly around the perimeter, attacked the lanes and kicked out, found open guys, and passed up mediocre shots for better shots. Got to give it to Gaddy for really running the show tonight and making things happen in a good way. Gold Star.
Final Thoughts:
Big time match-up is on its way to Hec-Ed. Arizona is chomping at the bit to get vengence for I.T.'s cold-blooded shot and Wroten's last second upset during their white-out, sell-out crowd at home. Arizona took down WSU in a close game and their moral is high. The Dawgs closed tonight on a bit of a sour note, but I hope it does not damper or affect their mood. A win is a win, even if it ends ugly. Let's finish strong boys.
Go Dawgs!
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Oregon State University Game Preview
Sorry for the lack of coverage lately. Winter break is in full force meaning a lot of family time and going out with friends I don't see most of the year. Unfortunately, I really won't have a post game review for this game. Somehow the UW athletic department allowed themselves to schedule this game at the EXACT same time as the Alamo Bowl. My priority normally goes to basketball, but in this case I gotta watch the Bowl game. Hopefully I can link a few game reviews and get reader feedback from anyone who watches the game.
The Beavers are looking pretty solid this season after several disappointing finishes the past few seasons. OSU comes into the conference opener with a 10-2 record and a streak of 4 straight wins, their latest coming against the Chicago State Cougars. The Beavers played a tight one against then #22 Vanderbilt, losing 64-62. Their other loss came against Idaho with a 74-60 score.
OSU is led by Jared Cunningham, without a doubt. Cunningham is a leading Pac-12 POY candidate and has had some monstrous games this season. In one week he had a 35 and 37 point game. He has been held to single digit scoring only twice this season, both games were OSU losses. The key to beating Oregon State? Shutting down Cunningham. He leads the team in scoring with 16.8 per game. Cunningham also snatches up around 4 rebounds per game, dishing out 3 assist and 2.4 turnovers per game. He also is one of the top defenders in the conference averaging a staggering 3 steals per game. The trick to shutting down Cunningham is forcing him to play outside the key. Cunningham is 11-46 on year outside the arc, while his inside presence can be absolutely vicious. He is a moderate free throw shooter, hitting a bit over 75% on the season.
OSU is a very balanced and seemingly talented team. Their youth last year has been turning into experience this season and is paying off in dividends. The Beavers receive significant contributions from 6 players outside of Cunningham, with each of those 6 scoring at least 5 points per game.
Cunningham is supported in the backcourt by "5-9" Ahmad Starks (I put it in quotations because he makes I.T. look tall and I.T. was measured by the NBA at 5-9) and 6-3 Roberto Nelson. Starks is third in scoring with 12.5 points per game and is shooting an impressive 39% from deep (18-28). Starks is also a perfect 18-18 from the charity stripe. Maybe he can give our guys a few pointers during the pregame warmups. Starks is ineffective inside, but give him room on the outside and his high arcing shot can do some serious damage. Starks has had three games with at least four 3-point makes.
Nelson comes in with a bit over 11 points per outing on top of 3 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2.5 turnovers a night. Nelson is another dangerous 3-point shooter who thrives on receiving the outlet pass after a drive by Cunningham. Nelson is shooting 44% behind the arc and has made 20 of his 46 attempts. Nelson is a scrappy guard who started the season slow with five straight games of 5 points or less. Since then, Nelson has scored at least 11 in every game and has two 20+ point games thus far. Nelson's higher scoring games follow solid outside shooting nights. Nelson tends to be the first man off the bench and receivers starter minutes.
The OSU frontcourt is decent in its own right. Devon Collier stands at 6-7 and is second in scoring for the Beavers. Collier brings in 14 points and 5 rebounds a game. He is a very solid shooter from short to mid-range, but struggles at the line. Collier is averaging around 7 FT attempts per game and knows how to draw a foul. This is not necessarily a bad thing due to the fact he has made only 58% of his attempts. In crunch time this could prove to be a huge factor.
Angus Brandt is a 6-10 237lb F-C who likes to play quite mobile, taking shots inside the paint and outside the arc. Brandt is a very respectable 9-18 from deep and is a definite threat when given space and time. The key to preventing Brandt from taking deep shots is tight, pressure defense. Brandt tends to be more comfortable from longer distances as shown by his sub-par rebounding stats that do not make sense give his size. Brandt is only averaging 2.8 rebounds per game. The majority of the Beaver rebounding comes from 6-7 280lb Joe Burton and 6-10 201lb Eric Moreland.
Joe Burton is a big, big body that uses size rather than speed to make his move. Burton averages about 6.4 rebounds per game and has only attempted 6 outside shots, making 3. He is a better player in the paint, making around 50% of his shots and hitting 70% at the line. As much as I like the 4 guard line-up, Burton's size combined with Brandt's height demand Aziz N'Diaye to reenter the starting 5. Expect Darnell Gant to cover Brandt, while N'Diaye bodies up against Burton.
Predicted Starting Line-Ups:
Oregon State:
Ahmad Starks 5-9 165lb
Jared Cunningham 6-4 194lb
Devon Collier 6-7 206lb
Joe Burton 6-8 280lb
Angus Brandt 6-10 237lb
Washington:
Abdul Gaddy 6-3 185lb (Don't be surprised if Tony Wroten replaces Gaddy in the starting 5)
C.J. Wilcox 6-5 190lb
Terrence Ross 6-6 195lb
Darnell Gant 6-8 230lb
Aziz N'Diaye 7-0 260lb
Keys to the Game:
Rebounding:
OSU averages around 36 boards per game, while UW has been picking up around 41. With several strong 3-point shooters, OSU presents a challenge to the Husky team to collect every board they can. If the Dawgs allow OSU to gather up 10 or more offensive boards, the Huskies could very well find themselves looking at a big deficit due to outside shots raining in.
Defense:
This may seem broad and pretty obvious, but it is something the Huskies have struggled with, especially against teams with tough backcourts. OSU is in the top 10 for both points per game with 84 and assists with nearly 19 per night. The Beavers thrive on play making through passing rather than creating opportunities for themselves. If the Huskies can press early and hard, while preventing easy passes and wide open looks, their athleticism should help them prevail.
Ball Control:
This is another category that the Huskies have been on a roller coaster with, either dishing out a bunch of assists or turning it over every other possession. OSU averages 10 steals per game and force 20 turnovers per game. That is an extreme amount and is a testament to the brutal defense the Beavers put out on the court. Wroten will need to be very mindful of this and keep his risky passes to a minimum. To avoid turnovers the Huskies will need to run a fast offense with a lot of screens to lose their defender.
Final Thought:
This is a dangerous match-up for the Huskies. Hec-Ed has been kind to the Dawgs, but with a large majority of Husky fans opting to watch the Alamo Bowl, the home game feel likely won't be there. The Dawgs cannot let this get to them and need to bring the type of game that nearly beat Marquette and stayed half competitive with Duke. If the Dawgs can execute and run an efficient offense I see no reason why they cannot win this game. That being said, this will likely be a close and stressful game.
Final Score Prediction:
UW-84 OSU-80
The Beavers are looking pretty solid this season after several disappointing finishes the past few seasons. OSU comes into the conference opener with a 10-2 record and a streak of 4 straight wins, their latest coming against the Chicago State Cougars. The Beavers played a tight one against then #22 Vanderbilt, losing 64-62. Their other loss came against Idaho with a 74-60 score.
OSU is led by Jared Cunningham, without a doubt. Cunningham is a leading Pac-12 POY candidate and has had some monstrous games this season. In one week he had a 35 and 37 point game. He has been held to single digit scoring only twice this season, both games were OSU losses. The key to beating Oregon State? Shutting down Cunningham. He leads the team in scoring with 16.8 per game. Cunningham also snatches up around 4 rebounds per game, dishing out 3 assist and 2.4 turnovers per game. He also is one of the top defenders in the conference averaging a staggering 3 steals per game. The trick to shutting down Cunningham is forcing him to play outside the key. Cunningham is 11-46 on year outside the arc, while his inside presence can be absolutely vicious. He is a moderate free throw shooter, hitting a bit over 75% on the season.
OSU is a very balanced and seemingly talented team. Their youth last year has been turning into experience this season and is paying off in dividends. The Beavers receive significant contributions from 6 players outside of Cunningham, with each of those 6 scoring at least 5 points per game.
Cunningham is supported in the backcourt by "5-9" Ahmad Starks (I put it in quotations because he makes I.T. look tall and I.T. was measured by the NBA at 5-9) and 6-3 Roberto Nelson. Starks is third in scoring with 12.5 points per game and is shooting an impressive 39% from deep (18-28). Starks is also a perfect 18-18 from the charity stripe. Maybe he can give our guys a few pointers during the pregame warmups. Starks is ineffective inside, but give him room on the outside and his high arcing shot can do some serious damage. Starks has had three games with at least four 3-point makes.
Nelson comes in with a bit over 11 points per outing on top of 3 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2.5 turnovers a night. Nelson is another dangerous 3-point shooter who thrives on receiving the outlet pass after a drive by Cunningham. Nelson is shooting 44% behind the arc and has made 20 of his 46 attempts. Nelson is a scrappy guard who started the season slow with five straight games of 5 points or less. Since then, Nelson has scored at least 11 in every game and has two 20+ point games thus far. Nelson's higher scoring games follow solid outside shooting nights. Nelson tends to be the first man off the bench and receivers starter minutes.
The OSU frontcourt is decent in its own right. Devon Collier stands at 6-7 and is second in scoring for the Beavers. Collier brings in 14 points and 5 rebounds a game. He is a very solid shooter from short to mid-range, but struggles at the line. Collier is averaging around 7 FT attempts per game and knows how to draw a foul. This is not necessarily a bad thing due to the fact he has made only 58% of his attempts. In crunch time this could prove to be a huge factor.
Angus Brandt is a 6-10 237lb F-C who likes to play quite mobile, taking shots inside the paint and outside the arc. Brandt is a very respectable 9-18 from deep and is a definite threat when given space and time. The key to preventing Brandt from taking deep shots is tight, pressure defense. Brandt tends to be more comfortable from longer distances as shown by his sub-par rebounding stats that do not make sense give his size. Brandt is only averaging 2.8 rebounds per game. The majority of the Beaver rebounding comes from 6-7 280lb Joe Burton and 6-10 201lb Eric Moreland.
Joe Burton is a big, big body that uses size rather than speed to make his move. Burton averages about 6.4 rebounds per game and has only attempted 6 outside shots, making 3. He is a better player in the paint, making around 50% of his shots and hitting 70% at the line. As much as I like the 4 guard line-up, Burton's size combined with Brandt's height demand Aziz N'Diaye to reenter the starting 5. Expect Darnell Gant to cover Brandt, while N'Diaye bodies up against Burton.
Predicted Starting Line-Ups:
Oregon State:
Ahmad Starks 5-9 165lb
Jared Cunningham 6-4 194lb
Devon Collier 6-7 206lb
Joe Burton 6-8 280lb
Angus Brandt 6-10 237lb
Washington:
Abdul Gaddy 6-3 185lb (Don't be surprised if Tony Wroten replaces Gaddy in the starting 5)
C.J. Wilcox 6-5 190lb
Terrence Ross 6-6 195lb
Darnell Gant 6-8 230lb
Aziz N'Diaye 7-0 260lb
Keys to the Game:
Rebounding:
OSU averages around 36 boards per game, while UW has been picking up around 41. With several strong 3-point shooters, OSU presents a challenge to the Husky team to collect every board they can. If the Dawgs allow OSU to gather up 10 or more offensive boards, the Huskies could very well find themselves looking at a big deficit due to outside shots raining in.
Defense:
This may seem broad and pretty obvious, but it is something the Huskies have struggled with, especially against teams with tough backcourts. OSU is in the top 10 for both points per game with 84 and assists with nearly 19 per night. The Beavers thrive on play making through passing rather than creating opportunities for themselves. If the Huskies can press early and hard, while preventing easy passes and wide open looks, their athleticism should help them prevail.
Ball Control:
This is another category that the Huskies have been on a roller coaster with, either dishing out a bunch of assists or turning it over every other possession. OSU averages 10 steals per game and force 20 turnovers per game. That is an extreme amount and is a testament to the brutal defense the Beavers put out on the court. Wroten will need to be very mindful of this and keep his risky passes to a minimum. To avoid turnovers the Huskies will need to run a fast offense with a lot of screens to lose their defender.
Final Thought:
This is a dangerous match-up for the Huskies. Hec-Ed has been kind to the Dawgs, but with a large majority of Husky fans opting to watch the Alamo Bowl, the home game feel likely won't be there. The Dawgs cannot let this get to them and need to bring the type of game that nearly beat Marquette and stayed half competitive with Duke. If the Dawgs can execute and run an efficient offense I see no reason why they cannot win this game. That being said, this will likely be a close and stressful game.
Final Score Prediction:
UW-84 OSU-80
Thursday, November 24, 2011
Houston Baptist Game Preview
The Huskies return home for Thanksgiving and a little home-cooking tomorrow against Houston Baptist (2-3). After suffering a humiliating defeat at the hands of Saint Louis, the Huskies have a lot of work to do to get back on track and the game could be a good moral booster before the trip to the Big Apple.
Houston Baptist are also the Huskies so to avoid confusion I'll refer to them by Houston or Houston Baptist.
Houston is an uptempo team averaging 73 points per game. Their season low has been 64 points in a loss to Louisiana-Lafayette. Houston has four players in double digit scoring, three averaging 12 points and one with an 11 point average. Their leading scorer is also their leading rebounder with just under 8 boards a game. Joe Latas stands at 6-11 and 275lb and will be a tough match-up for the Dawgs. Aziz N'Diaye and Shawn Kemp will need to be at their best to slow him down.
Play time is pretty even for Houston. 10 players have played in all 5 games and only 3 players have not seen any game time action. The lowest minute average is 10 minutes while the game high is 25 minutes. 9 players are picking up 18 minutes or more. To me this indicates a well balanced team that will be consistent throughout the 40 minutes.
The one stat line that screams an easier game for the Dawgs is the assist-turnover lines. Houston is averaging only 11 assists, but giving up 16 turnovers per game. The turnovers come from just about everywhere with Joe Latas leading the way at 3 per game. 5-7 170lb Marcel Smith is averaging around 2 per game as is 6-5 190lb Marcus Davis. Houston is also a lower rebounding team with only 34 boards and average with only Latas picking up more than 5 a game.
6 players have attempted 10 or more 3-pointers this season and Smith leads the team with a 55% average on 6-11 shooting. Ronald March leads in makes with 9 on 27 attempts. This is a team that can extend the defense and find moderate success from just about any player on the court. The Dawgs could find themselves facing a team very similar to themselves and I'm interested to see how they cope with such a match-up. To me it seems favorable as anytime the Huskies can get up and run is a good day for us.
Jonathan Evans leads the team in assists with 2.4 per game, while also committing 2.2 turnovers per game. At 5-10 and 170lb he is a quick and mobile guard that is definitely a pass-first point guard rather than a shooting guard. At only 3 points per game he is not too high of an offensive threat, but cannot be allowed free reign while trying to prevent opportunities from other players.
Predicted Starting Line-Ups:
Houston Baptist:
Marcel Smith 5-7 170lb
Tyler Russell 6-0 175lb
Ronald March 6-4 195lb
Marcus Davis 6-5 190lb
Joe Latas 6-11 275lb
Washington:
Abdul Gaddy 6-3 185lb
C.J. Wilcox 6-5 190lb (he suffered a mild concussion against SLU so he may not start or play depending on the severity, though it sounds like he has been cleared to play tomorrow)
Terrence Ross 6-6 195lb
Darnell Gant 6-8 230lb
Aziz N'Diaye 7-0 260lb
Keys to the Game:
Offensive Patience
UW showed little composure and patience in their last outing and it was a nightmare. 25 points in a half has to be one of the lowest totals in quite some time for the high scoring Huskies. The Dawgs need to help Gaddy regain his composure and develop their half-court offense. Even if our post doesn't take a lot of shots, it's important that the Dawgs work the ball into the middle to open up our perimeter shooters.
Backcourt Pressure:
The Houston center poses a big threat to the Huskies. He's a talented and strong center who will give N'Diaye a run for his money. The best way to go about this is preventing entry passes to the post by pressuring the Houston guards with tougher, in your face, man-to-man defense. Houston is a turnover prone team, which could lead to the kind of transition basketball that Romar and team love to run. If Tony Wroten gets matched up with their 5-7, I'll be interested in seeing if he can avoid the foul trouble he encountered against FAU's 5-6 guard.
Rebounding:
The Huskies need to control the glass, especially when shots aren't falling. I can't imagine the Dawgs having as poor of shooting night as last weekend, but it could happen and we need to crash the backboard all night. Rebounding and free throws are some of the easiest and quickest ways to keep a team in the game or blow a team out of the water. If Houston is able to gain an advantage on the glass, expect a closer game.
Final Thoughts:
This is an interesting match-up for the Huskies, especially in light of the beat down they suffered in Saint Louis. While the Huskies got their act together in the second half and finished 13 down rather than 25, the team still showed a lot of holes and anxiety that could come back to haunt them. Houston knows how to score and get their point from a variety of players, so don't expect the bench to be a big drop off in talent. I'd like to think that the Dawgs can win this one with ease, but after the let down I witnessed last week I'm not so sure. I fully expect a win, but not one without its bumps and stresses. Look for Terrence Ross to continue his rise and Tony Wroten to cause hair pulling and fist pumping as he develops a better feel for the college game. I suspect C.J. Wilcox will have another slow night as he tended to be a streaky shooter last season. One other promising stat is the Houston defense is allowing 79 points a game with a low score of 73 and a high of 82. If all goes well and the team fires up their cylinders again we could see UW drop 100 on the night. All this said I'll call it:
UW-90 HPU-75
Go Dawgs!
Houston Baptist are also the Huskies so to avoid confusion I'll refer to them by Houston or Houston Baptist.
Houston is an uptempo team averaging 73 points per game. Their season low has been 64 points in a loss to Louisiana-Lafayette. Houston has four players in double digit scoring, three averaging 12 points and one with an 11 point average. Their leading scorer is also their leading rebounder with just under 8 boards a game. Joe Latas stands at 6-11 and 275lb and will be a tough match-up for the Dawgs. Aziz N'Diaye and Shawn Kemp will need to be at their best to slow him down.
Play time is pretty even for Houston. 10 players have played in all 5 games and only 3 players have not seen any game time action. The lowest minute average is 10 minutes while the game high is 25 minutes. 9 players are picking up 18 minutes or more. To me this indicates a well balanced team that will be consistent throughout the 40 minutes.
The one stat line that screams an easier game for the Dawgs is the assist-turnover lines. Houston is averaging only 11 assists, but giving up 16 turnovers per game. The turnovers come from just about everywhere with Joe Latas leading the way at 3 per game. 5-7 170lb Marcel Smith is averaging around 2 per game as is 6-5 190lb Marcus Davis. Houston is also a lower rebounding team with only 34 boards and average with only Latas picking up more than 5 a game.
6 players have attempted 10 or more 3-pointers this season and Smith leads the team with a 55% average on 6-11 shooting. Ronald March leads in makes with 9 on 27 attempts. This is a team that can extend the defense and find moderate success from just about any player on the court. The Dawgs could find themselves facing a team very similar to themselves and I'm interested to see how they cope with such a match-up. To me it seems favorable as anytime the Huskies can get up and run is a good day for us.
Jonathan Evans leads the team in assists with 2.4 per game, while also committing 2.2 turnovers per game. At 5-10 and 170lb he is a quick and mobile guard that is definitely a pass-first point guard rather than a shooting guard. At only 3 points per game he is not too high of an offensive threat, but cannot be allowed free reign while trying to prevent opportunities from other players.
Predicted Starting Line-Ups:
Houston Baptist:
Marcel Smith 5-7 170lb
Tyler Russell 6-0 175lb
Ronald March 6-4 195lb
Marcus Davis 6-5 190lb
Joe Latas 6-11 275lb
Washington:
Abdul Gaddy 6-3 185lb
C.J. Wilcox 6-5 190lb (he suffered a mild concussion against SLU so he may not start or play depending on the severity, though it sounds like he has been cleared to play tomorrow)
Terrence Ross 6-6 195lb
Darnell Gant 6-8 230lb
Aziz N'Diaye 7-0 260lb
Keys to the Game:
Offensive Patience
UW showed little composure and patience in their last outing and it was a nightmare. 25 points in a half has to be one of the lowest totals in quite some time for the high scoring Huskies. The Dawgs need to help Gaddy regain his composure and develop their half-court offense. Even if our post doesn't take a lot of shots, it's important that the Dawgs work the ball into the middle to open up our perimeter shooters.
Backcourt Pressure:
The Houston center poses a big threat to the Huskies. He's a talented and strong center who will give N'Diaye a run for his money. The best way to go about this is preventing entry passes to the post by pressuring the Houston guards with tougher, in your face, man-to-man defense. Houston is a turnover prone team, which could lead to the kind of transition basketball that Romar and team love to run. If Tony Wroten gets matched up with their 5-7, I'll be interested in seeing if he can avoid the foul trouble he encountered against FAU's 5-6 guard.
Rebounding:
The Huskies need to control the glass, especially when shots aren't falling. I can't imagine the Dawgs having as poor of shooting night as last weekend, but it could happen and we need to crash the backboard all night. Rebounding and free throws are some of the easiest and quickest ways to keep a team in the game or blow a team out of the water. If Houston is able to gain an advantage on the glass, expect a closer game.
Final Thoughts:
This is an interesting match-up for the Huskies, especially in light of the beat down they suffered in Saint Louis. While the Huskies got their act together in the second half and finished 13 down rather than 25, the team still showed a lot of holes and anxiety that could come back to haunt them. Houston knows how to score and get their point from a variety of players, so don't expect the bench to be a big drop off in talent. I'd like to think that the Dawgs can win this one with ease, but after the let down I witnessed last week I'm not so sure. I fully expect a win, but not one without its bumps and stresses. Look for Terrence Ross to continue his rise and Tony Wroten to cause hair pulling and fist pumping as he develops a better feel for the college game. I suspect C.J. Wilcox will have another slow night as he tended to be a streaky shooter last season. One other promising stat is the Houston defense is allowing 79 points a game with a low score of 73 and a high of 82. If all goes well and the team fires up their cylinders again we could see UW drop 100 on the night. All this said I'll call it:
UW-90 HPU-75
Go Dawgs!
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
Florida Atlantic University Game Preview
A quick update on conference foe Utah before we get into the FAU preview. Utah recently lost an exhibition game against DII opponent, Adams State 61-60. The game may have cost them more than their dignity. David Foster, their gigantic 7-3 senior center, is undergoing foot surgery that will keep him out indefinitely and possibly the entire season. They also lose junior guard Chris Hines for 2-4 weeks with a rib injury. Both players were hurt during the exhibition game. If the Utes were looking rough before, its even worse now.
Florida Atlantic is the returning Sun Belt champion, posting a 22-11 record, 13-3 in conference. With 4 returning starters and a line-up with 5 juniors and 3 seniors, the Owls have the experience and skill necessary to take the Sun Belt conference again. Joe Lunardi currently has FAU in one of the four play-in games as a 16 seed. The Owls return 3 of their top 4 scorers including leading scorer, Greg Gantt, at 14 points per game. Their top two scorers, Gantt and Raymond Taylor, are also their top returning 3 point shooters, each hitting about 33% with 60 or so makes.
FAU does lose their top rebounder, a category they definitely struggle in at only 33 boards per game. With their tallest player standing at 6-8 and Taylor at 5-6 it is no surprise that the Owls have trouble on the glass. This is an area where UW can gain a HUGE advantage using their clearly superior size. FAU will add a 7-1 transfer next season to their roster as he is currently sitting out his transfer year as per NCAA regulation.
Predicted Starting Line-Ups:
Florida Atlantic:
Raymond Taylor 5-6 145lb
Alex Tucker 5-11 165lb
Greg Gantt 6-2 205lb
Jordan McCoy 6-6 185lb
Kore White 6-8 245lb
Washington:
Abdul Gaddy 6-3 185lb
C.J. Wilcox 6-5 190lb
Terrence Ross 6-6 195lb
Darnell Gant 6-8 230lb
Aziz N'Diaye 7-0 260lb
Keys to the Game:
Rebounding:
Washington should and will dominate the glass in this match-up. With such a ridiculous size advantage we can expect the Dawgs to come out with a +15 or more rebounding margin. This is the type of game where N'Diaye and Ross could both go for double doubles with points and rebounds as well as guys like Gaddy and Tony Wroten could possibly double-double with points and assists.
Push the Post Option:
This is a great time for UW to get some serious points in the paint, valuable experience for later in the season against bigger frontcourts and tougher match-ups. With N'Diaye having a 4 inch and 20lb advantage and Gant with 2 inches and 50lbs on his man, its tough to see either of them struggling significantly with posting up their man. Ross, Wilcox, and especially Gaddy will also have significant size advantages that will allow them to drive the lane as well as elevate for some nice three point attempts.
Force the Backcourt Pressure:
With our frontcourt having definitive size and skill advantages, the Dawgs can afford to push their backcourt defense a bit harder and cheat a little more on cutting off passes. The Owls scoring also finds most of its success on the perimeter so shutting down their guard play with tough, in-your-face defense will prevent many opportunities.
Final Score Prediction:
UW-94 FAU-60
As bad as GSU looks, FAU is a much better match-up for the Huskies. Not only is our backcourt anywhere from 4 to 12 inches taller than theirs, our frontcourt also has a huge advantage in size and strength. FAU is similar to UW in that their frontcourt is their weakness and the backcourt is their strength and our strength is much stronger than theirs by any stretch of the imagination. UW should have another dominate victory, but one in which our scoring in the paint will prove to be much more decisive than usual.
Florida Atlantic is the returning Sun Belt champion, posting a 22-11 record, 13-3 in conference. With 4 returning starters and a line-up with 5 juniors and 3 seniors, the Owls have the experience and skill necessary to take the Sun Belt conference again. Joe Lunardi currently has FAU in one of the four play-in games as a 16 seed. The Owls return 3 of their top 4 scorers including leading scorer, Greg Gantt, at 14 points per game. Their top two scorers, Gantt and Raymond Taylor, are also their top returning 3 point shooters, each hitting about 33% with 60 or so makes.
FAU does lose their top rebounder, a category they definitely struggle in at only 33 boards per game. With their tallest player standing at 6-8 and Taylor at 5-6 it is no surprise that the Owls have trouble on the glass. This is an area where UW can gain a HUGE advantage using their clearly superior size. FAU will add a 7-1 transfer next season to their roster as he is currently sitting out his transfer year as per NCAA regulation.
Predicted Starting Line-Ups:
Florida Atlantic:
Raymond Taylor 5-6 145lb
Alex Tucker 5-11 165lb
Greg Gantt 6-2 205lb
Jordan McCoy 6-6 185lb
Kore White 6-8 245lb
Washington:
Abdul Gaddy 6-3 185lb
C.J. Wilcox 6-5 190lb
Terrence Ross 6-6 195lb
Darnell Gant 6-8 230lb
Aziz N'Diaye 7-0 260lb
Keys to the Game:
Rebounding:
Washington should and will dominate the glass in this match-up. With such a ridiculous size advantage we can expect the Dawgs to come out with a +15 or more rebounding margin. This is the type of game where N'Diaye and Ross could both go for double doubles with points and rebounds as well as guys like Gaddy and Tony Wroten could possibly double-double with points and assists.
Push the Post Option:
This is a great time for UW to get some serious points in the paint, valuable experience for later in the season against bigger frontcourts and tougher match-ups. With N'Diaye having a 4 inch and 20lb advantage and Gant with 2 inches and 50lbs on his man, its tough to see either of them struggling significantly with posting up their man. Ross, Wilcox, and especially Gaddy will also have significant size advantages that will allow them to drive the lane as well as elevate for some nice three point attempts.
Force the Backcourt Pressure:
With our frontcourt having definitive size and skill advantages, the Dawgs can afford to push their backcourt defense a bit harder and cheat a little more on cutting off passes. The Owls scoring also finds most of its success on the perimeter so shutting down their guard play with tough, in-your-face defense will prevent many opportunities.
Final Score Prediction:
UW-94 FAU-60
As bad as GSU looks, FAU is a much better match-up for the Huskies. Not only is our backcourt anywhere from 4 to 12 inches taller than theirs, our frontcourt also has a huge advantage in size and strength. FAU is similar to UW in that their frontcourt is their weakness and the backcourt is their strength and our strength is much stronger than theirs by any stretch of the imagination. UW should have another dominate victory, but one in which our scoring in the paint will prove to be much more decisive than usual.
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Seattle Pacific University Game Preview
SPU is coming in riding high after beating Arizona in Arizona 69-68. This makes their third straight win over a D1 opponent dating back to last season. They finished 20-10 last season with a 12-6 conference record. The Falcons, while DII, have shown they can compete with their DI opponents. Without Aziz N'Diaye the Huskies will have a little more on their plate as SPU sports a 6-10 240lb player and 6-11 240lb player.
Last year's exhibition was a blowout and this year's is likely to be the same. Sure, they beat UA, but the Huskies will be a bit more prepared, a bit more experience, and a bit more talented. Let's take a quick look at their roster and what they bring to the game.
SPU Roster:
Jonnie Washburn 6-2 175lb
Ryan Todd 6-2 180lb
David Downs 6-2 185lb
Riley Carel 6-2 190lb
Jeff Dorman 6-2 190lb
Riley Stockton 6-4 195lb
Josh Jordan 6-5 195lb
Alex Weber-Brader 6-5 195lb
Jobi Wall 6-6 215lb
Jake Anderson 6-6 210lb
Scott Morse 6-7 190lb
Kellan Moll 6-8 220lb
Cory Hutsen 6-8 230lb
Modou Niang 6-10 240lb
Andy Poling 6-11 240lb
Andy Poling was a beast for SPU last season. He was third in scoring at 14 points per game and second in rebounding at 7 rebounds an outing. At 6-11 he has great height and with 240lb he can muscle most players around. Poling also manged to average a block a game. Aziz N'Diaye would have been a great match-up for Poling. It'll be up to Darnell Gant and Desmond Simmons to contain the SPU big men. David Downs is their best returning guard with a 7 point per game average. He also had a team high 4 assists per game. Downs is the returning 3 point expert at 41% (35-86).
As a team SPU is fairly uptempo, averaging over 75 points per game and a decently respectable 35 boards per game. These are better numbers than some Pac-12 teams (yes, the competition is worse) and the Dawgs would be wise not to overlook the Falcons.
Predicted Starting Line-Ups:
Seattle Pacific University:
David Downs 6-2 185lb
Jeff Dorman 6-2 190lb
Jobi Wall 6-6 215lb
Jake Anderson 6-6 210lb
Andy Poling 6-11 240lb
Washington:
Abdul Gaddy 6-3 185lb
C.J. Wilcox 6-5 185lb
Terrence Ross 6-6 195lb
Desmond Simmons 6-7 220lb
Darnell Gant 6-8 230lb
Keys to the Game:
Get in the Paint Early
UW needs to establish their post quick and early to open up our perimeter shooters. Get the ball to Simmons on the block or Gant at the high post and let them work. UW can also drive the lanes and pressure their big men into sloppy fouls. Getting Poling and Niang out of the game early will help our cause immensely.
Attitude and Hustle
Playing in an exhibition game against a DII opponent can seem very unimportant in the grand scheme of things and statistically it is. What is important to remember is that these games help sort out real game team chemistry issues and allow coaches and players to find out how they'll react in a game situation. The Dawgs need to give 100% the entire game and not allow their ego get in the way of a quick and easy preseason win.
Get the Freshmen Some Minutes:
With 7 freshmen on the roster we have a lot of young talent that needs to get rid of the first game jitters and discover themselves at the college level. A lot of this talent is in the post, which makes it even more critical that they find confidence in themselves and their teammates to ensure success later in the season.
Game Expectation:
UW should break out quick and early with SPU tagging along for the first 5 or 7 minutes. UW's depth on the perimeter should open the game up. SPU's post will be tougher to handle and I suspect a majority of their offense will run off the block. The key to preventing that is controlling the backcourt with tenacious defense. Look for Terrence Ross to show off some athletic moves, Tony Wroten to wow with a few crazy passes, and our bench players to see their fair share of minutes. The court should mostly be bench players when the final buzzer roars as risking injuries to first stringer in an exhibition game is just plain silly.
Final Score Predicition:
UW-84 SPU-60
Romar always instills a great sense of defensive importance in his program and players. UW has much better athletes who should be able to shut down most of SPU's offensive capabilities. I think the offense will be a bit down after last season and more players will need to learn how to get in a groove, which will prevent a 100 point outing. Not saying it couldn't be done with the shooters our team has, but I'd be amazed if it happened. Easy game, easy win, lots of fun. Let's get the excitement started and get ready for some great basketball.
Last year's exhibition was a blowout and this year's is likely to be the same. Sure, they beat UA, but the Huskies will be a bit more prepared, a bit more experience, and a bit more talented. Let's take a quick look at their roster and what they bring to the game.
SPU Roster:
Jonnie Washburn 6-2 175lb
Ryan Todd 6-2 180lb
David Downs 6-2 185lb
Riley Carel 6-2 190lb
Jeff Dorman 6-2 190lb
Riley Stockton 6-4 195lb
Josh Jordan 6-5 195lb
Alex Weber-Brader 6-5 195lb
Jobi Wall 6-6 215lb
Jake Anderson 6-6 210lb
Scott Morse 6-7 190lb
Kellan Moll 6-8 220lb
Cory Hutsen 6-8 230lb
Modou Niang 6-10 240lb
Andy Poling 6-11 240lb
Andy Poling was a beast for SPU last season. He was third in scoring at 14 points per game and second in rebounding at 7 rebounds an outing. At 6-11 he has great height and with 240lb he can muscle most players around. Poling also manged to average a block a game. Aziz N'Diaye would have been a great match-up for Poling. It'll be up to Darnell Gant and Desmond Simmons to contain the SPU big men. David Downs is their best returning guard with a 7 point per game average. He also had a team high 4 assists per game. Downs is the returning 3 point expert at 41% (35-86).
As a team SPU is fairly uptempo, averaging over 75 points per game and a decently respectable 35 boards per game. These are better numbers than some Pac-12 teams (yes, the competition is worse) and the Dawgs would be wise not to overlook the Falcons.
Predicted Starting Line-Ups:
Seattle Pacific University:
David Downs 6-2 185lb
Jeff Dorman 6-2 190lb
Jobi Wall 6-6 215lb
Jake Anderson 6-6 210lb
Andy Poling 6-11 240lb
Washington:
Abdul Gaddy 6-3 185lb
C.J. Wilcox 6-5 185lb
Terrence Ross 6-6 195lb
Desmond Simmons 6-7 220lb
Darnell Gant 6-8 230lb
Keys to the Game:
Get in the Paint Early
UW needs to establish their post quick and early to open up our perimeter shooters. Get the ball to Simmons on the block or Gant at the high post and let them work. UW can also drive the lanes and pressure their big men into sloppy fouls. Getting Poling and Niang out of the game early will help our cause immensely.
Attitude and Hustle
Playing in an exhibition game against a DII opponent can seem very unimportant in the grand scheme of things and statistically it is. What is important to remember is that these games help sort out real game team chemistry issues and allow coaches and players to find out how they'll react in a game situation. The Dawgs need to give 100% the entire game and not allow their ego get in the way of a quick and easy preseason win.
Get the Freshmen Some Minutes:
With 7 freshmen on the roster we have a lot of young talent that needs to get rid of the first game jitters and discover themselves at the college level. A lot of this talent is in the post, which makes it even more critical that they find confidence in themselves and their teammates to ensure success later in the season.
Game Expectation:
UW should break out quick and early with SPU tagging along for the first 5 or 7 minutes. UW's depth on the perimeter should open the game up. SPU's post will be tougher to handle and I suspect a majority of their offense will run off the block. The key to preventing that is controlling the backcourt with tenacious defense. Look for Terrence Ross to show off some athletic moves, Tony Wroten to wow with a few crazy passes, and our bench players to see their fair share of minutes. The court should mostly be bench players when the final buzzer roars as risking injuries to first stringer in an exhibition game is just plain silly.
Final Score Predicition:
UW-84 SPU-60
Romar always instills a great sense of defensive importance in his program and players. UW has much better athletes who should be able to shut down most of SPU's offensive capabilities. I think the offense will be a bit down after last season and more players will need to learn how to get in a groove, which will prevent a 100 point outing. Not saying it couldn't be done with the shooters our team has, but I'd be amazed if it happened. Easy game, easy win, lots of fun. Let's get the excitement started and get ready for some great basketball.
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Memorable Nights - A Story of My Husky Basketball Experience
Well, it's about 3am and I've been thinking about Husky sports. It started with football and slowly moved its way back to basketball as it usually does. The thoughts usually start out about games both past and future and generally culminates in me thinking about a few games in particular and in turn into a few camp-out nights that have been the greatest times in my college career. Many people may judge me for sitting in line for hours on end, camping over night in sub-freezing temperatures to go watch a ball game, but it doesn't bother me one bit. They ask me "why would you want to sit outside on a Friday night when I could be partying at some frat or a house party?" They tell me it's lonely or anti-social. I believe none of that for one minute for two very simple reasons. One: I do it with my friends. The same people I would be partying with are sitting in line right next to me. Some arrive earlier than others, but we all get there eventually. Two: I love the game. The team. The atmosphere. It can't be beat.
I have been very privileged when it has come to Husky Basketball whereas football has been more down than up during my time at UDub. I first came to UDub for the 2008-2009 season and didn't follow the team much before that. I would watch games on television here and there in the previous years, but I had no emotional investment in the team. This quickly changed thanks to a spare ticket a friend had.
In High School I never attended any of the sporting events for several reasons that do not need to be dictated here as they are neither relevant nor important. All that matters is that attitude transferred over during my first year of college. I watched every football game on T.V., but did not buy season tickets my freshman year. I suffered through every disappointing loss, including the BYU and Apple Cup games. This culminated in me not buying basketball tickets as well. I didn't follow the basketball team as closely as football, mainly due to my school schedule which included labs at 6:30 to 9:30pm on Thursday evenings.
One day I got a call from my friend, Scott Alspach who has contributed a bit to my blog and the inspiration behind it, asking if I wanted to attend the Arizona State game as he had a spare Dawg Pack ticket from a friend who couldn't attend. I figured it could be a good time and I would at least get to hang out with my friends. So four hours before game time I met up with my friends at McMahon and we headed down to the line. We stood in what was to be the usual spot for me that year, somewhere near the steps leading up to Hec Ed from the Graves building. Jim came buy, tore my ticket and slapped a wristband on me about two hours pregame per usual and I waited patiently and anxiously, not knowing what awaited me. As some of you may know the game ended up with a 73-70 victory in overtime. It was ridiculous. My friends and I ended up sitting in the back left of the Dawg Pack, which unfortunately is now a weak section, but that season and that game the crowd was roaring no matter where you sat. I quickly learned the chants after a few times through and found myself jumping and yelling like everyone else. After the game I knew I was addicted and had to get to the rest of the games somehow. I bought regular tickets for the Seattle U game and the Wazzu game and missed out on the Arizona game as the tickets were already sold out. March 7th showed up. I woke up around 4am to get ready to head down to Hec Ed where UDub would be playing against Wazzu to clinch the Pac-10 title outright for the first time in 50 years. It was snowing when I left and the temperature stayed sub-freezing the entire 8 hours I was in line. I naively thought 8 hours would be enough to be near the front of the line. I found myself on the back side of the Graves building as there were around 20 tents pitched from the front of Hec Ed down across the road and stretching along Graves. I sat there in the numbing cold for 8 hours and by god, it was worth every frozen minute. Jim came by, tearing tickets and putting on bands as always. I didn't get one because I had a regular student ticket, but I was not concerned. As with the Seattle U game I would be sneaking into the Dawg Pack using old wrist bands from past seasons the older students had. A few hours later I was standing on the court cheering, screaming, and celebrating with 10,000 other people (minus the cougar fans of course) as UDub cut down the nets. That night we gathered in McMahon with about 8 or 10 people and few cases of brew and set out on a night that has forever been labeled "Pac-10 Night." It resulted in everyone drinking far too much and paying the consequences for it. The next morning I vowed I would never miss another football or basketball game during my student tenure at the University of Washington. I've stayed true to my word and I can't recall missing a single game the past two seasons, minus the first football victory in what was something like 20 games against Idaho in 2009 when I had to attend my cousins wedding up in Port Angeles and the actual game itself when Game Day came to town during the 09-10 season, more on this later.
Before I knew it, it was time to order football tickets and the first day I could purchase said tickets I was up at 8am to be one of the first to order. I figured sales would be slow considering UW's football program had just finished an 0-12 season highlighted by blowing a 10-0 lead against the Cougars, including a missed field goal that would have won the game in regulation. The tickets were ordered and I found myself in Husky Stadium a few weeks later for the home and season opener against LSU. I enjoyed my first experience with tailgating and had a Hurricane too many and found myself high fiving everyone in sight wearing purple, which including one sneaky LSU fan who took advantage of my current state. My hand felt dirty. A 5-7 was the final result and it could have been 8-4 had we performed better in a few instances, but 0-12 to 5-7 is not a bad thing at all. Rushing the field after beating #3 USC in the final seconds with a field goal was amazing. I bought the shirt the day it came out. I wear it for every USC game.
Not long after football started, basketball tickets went on sale and I again awoke early to secure the forbidden treasure that was season Dawg Pack tickets. I succeeded in purchasing the tickets and so began my first year as a full fledged member of the basketball crew.
Two nights stand out that season.
The first night was Game Day coming to UW for senior night against UCLA. It was the be Quincy Pondexter's last home game and man was I bummed about that. As I said above, I actually ended up missing the game and I'll detail how that came to be.
Game Day was on Saturday so naturally I planned to camp out starting Thursday. That's when I realized we played USC on Thursday as well, so it was going to be tricky. We arranged for our good friend to come down about 30 minutes before the end of the USC game to bring a tent and get a good place in line for us. What went down next was ridiculous. UW lost a nail biter to USC by the 3 and the bitterness was surely felt as students left Hec Ed. Now, it is important to note that one particular group of students who were mostly seniors had been the first one to every game this season and first by quite a bit. They camped out just about every home game to my recollection and were the core of the Pack that year. They came out to find a group of 5 or 6 students who had outright skipped the USC game to wait for game day. The result was two hours of arguing over who should be first in line to get into not only the game, but Game Day itself. The police were called to resolve and mediate the matter and threatened to kick everyone out if more trouble was caused. The two groups negotiated for a while and a deal was made, which does not need to be detailed. After the dramatic night, people settled in, had a few drinks, talked sports, stats, and everything in between and slept the drama away. The next day people were in and out as class came and went. As night came, a large spot light was brought out to the front of Hec Ed. The maintenance crew turned it on, checked that everything was in working order, turned it off, and went home after erecting a small "fence" around the light consisting of the waste high dividers used to normally separate the lines going into Hec Ed. Not 10 minutes after they had left, a student hopped the fence, switched the lights on, and the party began. Some one had rented two speakers and connected them to the power supply the Sports department always gave to those camping out. A laptop with Husky Nation and other party tunes was hooked up to said speakers and a dance party broke out. About an hour later, Harry the Husky, the cheer leading team, and part of the Husky Marching Band showed up and played songs and danced for the next hour or so. It was brilliant. After they left the dance party continued. One kid did a fake break dance routine and crushed a can beneath his foot. This lead to my roommate, hailing from Bosnia on exchange for the year, doing a reverse worm and crushing a can with his back. He then climbed on top of the bridge and started chants. A big screen was hauled out and a video of Rece Davis of ESPN was played. Rece called out the Dawg Pack saying he expected a big showing. There was booing, yelling, and inspirational speeches around. Around 2 or 3am a few police showed up to check ID's and make sure things were not getting out of hand. People scattered back to their tents and the lights remained on all night. The next morning we awoke in a haze of too many beverages and a lack of sleep. Game Day started at 9am Eastern time which meant 6am out here on the West Coast. In turn this meant we had to be up at 4am to put our tents away and shuffle into Hec-Ed. I didn't sleep one wink that night ad had probably 3 or 4 hours the night before. The next morning, around 5am when we were filing into Hec Ed, maintenance came out to turn the spot light on. At some point in the night the lights had died. This was likely due to all of the gas having been burnt up, fueling our all night party. We watched in silent snickers as they twiddle nobs, checked power connections, and struggled to determine what was going on. I don't think they ever fixed it and luckily we had remembered to remove the makeshift Batman sign my Bosnian roommate had attempted to paste onto the light. After an intense few hours of Game Day yelling, cheering, and coordination with the program, the student section found ourselves in the small gym connected to Hec Ed where we were to stay until game time several hours later. We tried to sleep on the hardwood floors, but between the noise and people trying to play basketball on the other end, it was pretty pointless. Around noon, Marketing brought us food. Pizza and Fried Chicken. The chicken was the uppercut to my time. About 20 minutes after consuming the food I felt sicker than I had ever felt. I missed over two weeks of high school due to a mono like virus and this was worse. The stuffy air filled with the B.O. of several hundred students several days without showers, too many farts and burps to even think about, plus more carbon dioxide than several large trees could deal with due to a tight space with no ventilation meant I was in a world of hurt. I knew I wouldn't be able to enjoy the game in this state so I left my ticket and wristband number with my Bosnian roommate and I struggled back to Stevens Court where I flopped onto my air mattress, unable and unwilling to climb into my bunk. I turned on ESPN and drank about a gallon of water before the game even started. I'm sad I missed the game, it would have been a great experience, but the two nights before were worth it in my books. Quincy opened the game with a 3 pointer, wiped his brow in mock, and probably real, relief and went on to dominate the game, which included a Top 10 worthy windmill dunk.
The second night was the Pac-10 tournament championship game night. Due to their poor road performance for most of the season, UW needed to win at least two games in the tournament, if not win it all, to secure a berth the NCAA tournament. As any Husky fan knows the game was a back and forth battle of the ages. It is in my top 5 favorite games of all time. Neither team led by much throughout the game and in the end UW sealed the win with what was a strange sequence of events, at least in my mind. Jerome Randle, the "Pac-10 POY" (complete B.S. I could write 5 pages on how much crap it is that Pondexter didn't get the award, but I digress....), was dropping bombs all night long. UW led by 3 points with only 20 seconds to go. Pondexter had the ball when Nikola Knezevic, a no namer I don't even remember, stole the ball. California calls a time out with 10 on the clock. The last shot is going to be taken by Randle, no doubt about it. The only question was who would defend him. Would it be Isaiah Thomas? He had been successful throughout the night with two steals. Venoy Overton, the defensive specialist? No, it was Elston Turner. Elston Can't-Make-A-Damn-Free-Throw Turner. Elston The-Three_Point-Specialist Turner. What in god's name is happening? Then, chaos. Elston tips the ball away somehow with 5 seconds to go, but then is called with a nonsense foul. It was a loose ball, no foul should have been called. Either way, Randle was to head to the line for a pair of shots. He sinks the first and my heart drops a little. I know he will go for the intentional miss on the next one. Everyone in the apartment is freaking out. I am literally on my knees, hands on my head about to tear my hair out. Randle misses, UW gets the rebound. A pair of fouls ensure and Venoy Overton heads to the line where he coolly sinks two free throws to seal the game 79-75. My apartment erupts. The girls living below hate us more with every stomp and yell. We do not care. 10 minutes later we are still reveling in the victory, amazed at how we got there. A quick run to Safeway was made and another fantastic night of celebrating began. We ended up in the Sweet 16, during which time Joe Lunardi probably received thousands of emails from the Husky faithful who trashed him and his east coast bias for doubting our abilities against Marquette. I was in Arizona without a T.V. for the Marquette game and had to endure the 15 point deficit and ensuing comeback via text. As soon as I had internet access I watched the game and it joined the Pac-10 championship game in my top 5. Quincy, I will love you forever for that shot. What a beast.
The season was over far too early, but I managed between intramural games and Husky softball. Football returned again in the fall and I found myself a few rows behind the band as was custom for my group of friends. We saw our first winning season in 10 years as well as the first bowl game in close to 10 years and the first bowl WIN in 10 years. Beating USC with a second last second field goal on their own turf was awesome in its own right.
Husky Basketball returned the same day UW Football was to face #1 Oregon in Eugene. Many fans attended the football game instead of the exhibition match against St. Martin's. It almost ended up being a good decision as UW fought with the Ducks for quite sometime before getting squashed.
2010-2011 had its own series of fantastic nights and memories. I distinctly remember three nights as standing out.
The first night was camping out for the Arizona State game. Coming in with a fresh victory over then ranked Arizona, emotions were high and everyone felt great. We stayed up late, had a few select drinks, made signs, talked sports for hours on end, and started a touch football game on the concrete. This led to my roommate getting smashed into the bushes by one of our small, female friends, as well as a broken (?) foot after slipping on the concrete, a few scraps and bruises and a great time in general. It was a great bonding night and was when I really got to know these people really well and they have been great friends ever since. Before the game MBA talked with a friend of mine whom I had had a conversion with on a tagged picture of him on Facebook. He laughed about it and said don't do that on his pictures because he gets 30 some notifications and it annoys him.
The second night is probably one of my favorite college memories. It is better than the two days partying and camping out for game Day. Better than celebrating any of the Pac-10 titles. One of my friends had bought a date with Justin Holiday from a date auction, held by Greek Row if I remember correctly. He was awesome and brought he a pair of signed shoes from his High School days and was all around a cool person from what I was told. She would text him good luck before games and he was always kind enough to respond. Sure, she was on the practice squad for the women's team and is a cute, little blonde girl, but it is still somewhat amazing that he would always find time to message her back and thank her for her support. So senior night rolled around and we had set up camp about 36 or 40 hours prior to game time, per usual. The same friend had talked with Justin about getting some of the guys, namely the seniors, to come to the camp out on Friday night before the game to talk and hang out with us. It would be a great experience as not only would it be the seniors last game at home and a great opportunity for us, the fans, to thank the seniors for their hard work, but a chance for the senior Dawg Pack members to interact closely, one last time, with the basketball squad. Justin managed to wrangled in Darnell Gant and asked if that would be OK. She of course said yes and so we waited a few hours. Around 11pm Justin and Darnell roll in with about 20 other people who turned out to be their family and friends. Amongst those 20 people was also Abdul Gaddy, who snuck his way in like a ninja somehow on his bum knee. I did a double take because he was so quiet and unassuming. Now, I consider myself a fairly tall guy at 6-2 to 6-3, but Abdul Gaddy, who is listed at 6-4, was several inches taller than myself. Justin and Darnell might as well have been giants. So the players came into our little Romarville and signed our posters, hung out, talked, shook hands, and gave out hugs for 15 or 20 minutes. Then one of them got a hold of my iPod docking station and an impromptu dance party broke out once more, though this one was a bit more sober and involved a lot more dancing talent. Darnell, Justin, and their families danced and sang with us for another 20 or 30 minutes before they started to head out. Abdul was forced to watch as he had just had his ACL repaired a few months before and was in no condition to be doing anything besides the Dougie head rub. Before they left, Justin and Darnell made sure to shake every guy's hand and gave every girl a hug. Justin asked to make sure they had interacted with everyone and they thanked us all one last time before heading home for some rest. It was the most humble and honest I had seen a group of athletes behave since...ever, really. Out of the 11 active players (13 if you count Desmond Simmons and Tyreese Breshers) on the UW roster, only those 3 opted to come out and mingle with the fans. It is an act of kindness I will never forget and it made the night truly memorable, even if they did go on to lose to USC the next day. I had a Darnell sign one of my posters and pinned it up on my wall the rest of the year. I've been meaning to dig it out of the box to put on my wall at home while I'm away for the summer. I am not one to try and get things signed, but I wanted something from this night because I knew it would mean more than an average signature. The player was there. I talked with him. Shook hands with him. Sat down next to him and listened to his stories. That signature tells a story to me and it's one I'll cherish for a long time.
The final night of the season is one I'm sure every Husky fan remembers as if it was yesterday. The Pac-10 tournament championship game against regular season title holder, Arizona. After splitting the series due to a questionable block/goaltend call in Arizona, UW and its fans were looking for not only a guaranteed trip to the big dance, but vengeance as well. About 10 people came over for what was sure to be a thrill ride. Boy, what a game. UW got up early, only to relinquish the lead in the last few minutes. UW was down by 4 points with a minute a some change to go. MBA rebounded the ball with a minute to go. Isaiah brought the ball up. It worked its way around to C.J. Wilcox who bricked one without hitting the rim. I.T. rebounded near half court. Took a few dribbles in and pulled up to drain the first of two in 'Momo' Jones' face to put UW within 1. Sadness was quickly being replaced with hope as my apartment erupted as the shot swished on through. This joy was quickly killed as Derrick Williams dropped an AND1 with 27 on the clock. Isaiah brought the ball up once more, drove the lane, and kicked it out to an open Terrance Ross who drilled one from range to put UW within 1 point once more. More cheers, more hope, more anxiety, more adrenaline, more Husky Basketball. I.T. fouled Momo with 14 on the clock. At this point, I.T. now has 4 fouls and has played all but a minute in the tournament. Clearly out of breath he heads towards half court while Momo sinks a pair of free throws without a single Arizona player under the basket in case of a miss. Arizona up 3 with 14 seconds to go. Our apartment is quiet, we whisper to one another about how we can pull this off. Do we drive for two and hope for a foul? Do we try another three? 14 seconds is a lot. Time enough for a 2 pointer and foul Arizona one more time before a last second shot, but we have no timeouts. Instead, I.T. drives the lane again, kicks it out to the left wing this time. C.J. Wilcox is waiting and open. He shoots with 7 to go. Momo tries to stretch out for it, but to no avail. Boom! He drains it with 5.7 remaining. The apartment is hysteric, but we know there is time for Arizona to get off one last shot. Arizona uses its final time out. I start to pace back and forth. I stood on the couch. Crouched on the floor. Said a prayer to whoever would answer it. Momo came out of the time out, dribble down court and threw up a runner that rattled out as time expired. Overtime. For the first time in tournament history. Dear God. I have to endure 5 more minutes of insanity. Screw the 2010 championship game, this is the game for the ages. MBA and Aziz both have 4 fouls. Arizona is clear of foul trouble coming into overtime. Terrence Ross hits a fade away Ala Brandon Roy early on. Wilcox double clutches a shot less than a minute later. MBA fouls on a weak call that causes Romar to nearly takes his jacket off. A great time spending possession happens for UW, two rebounds means three opportunities, but not fall through the nets. Wilcox gets called for an offensive foul with a minute to go and UW up only 1. Parrom misses, Holiday rebounds to I.T., I.T. sees C.J. open down court and throws a chest pass over half the length of the court (try it, its hard as hell). C.J. Throws down a HUGE jam to put UW up 3. Hopes are high until Arizona tries to one-up UW as Parrom drains a monster 3 pointer to tie the game. Then began Gus Johnson's call. Shot clock turned off! Game clock at 8! He's guna do it himself! Thomas! Shake! Cross Over! Step Baaack! ......................................................GGGGGAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!! AT THE BUZZER! YUNG ZEKE! AND WASHINGTON! WINS IT! ON A LAST SECOND J! COLLLLLDDDD BLOOOODED!
We didn't even hear the last part of the call until 10 minutes later after we stopped yelling, screaming, cheering, hugging, celebrating, and disbelieving what just happened. That was the single greatest shot ever in the history of the program. The backboard literally lit up as the ball went through the net. Could you plan it any better? No, you couldn't.
And this, my friends, is why I love this team. It is because of my friends, the players, and the sport that I stress out months at a time, wait for hours and even days in line, all for 40 measly minutes of game time.
The Dawg Pack and Husky Basketball have turned a good time in college into a great time. My favorite memories have occurred during the season and the off season has included many hours debated and discussing the team with fellow enthusiasts.
Its 5:30 am. I have to wake up in a few hours to get ready for a full shift at work. I was planning on getting up at 10, but noon is much more likely now. This means I'll miss the sunshine, but it's worth it because Husky Basketball is what I live for.
Go Dawgs
I have been very privileged when it has come to Husky Basketball whereas football has been more down than up during my time at UDub. I first came to UDub for the 2008-2009 season and didn't follow the team much before that. I would watch games on television here and there in the previous years, but I had no emotional investment in the team. This quickly changed thanks to a spare ticket a friend had.
In High School I never attended any of the sporting events for several reasons that do not need to be dictated here as they are neither relevant nor important. All that matters is that attitude transferred over during my first year of college. I watched every football game on T.V., but did not buy season tickets my freshman year. I suffered through every disappointing loss, including the BYU and Apple Cup games. This culminated in me not buying basketball tickets as well. I didn't follow the basketball team as closely as football, mainly due to my school schedule which included labs at 6:30 to 9:30pm on Thursday evenings.
One day I got a call from my friend, Scott Alspach who has contributed a bit to my blog and the inspiration behind it, asking if I wanted to attend the Arizona State game as he had a spare Dawg Pack ticket from a friend who couldn't attend. I figured it could be a good time and I would at least get to hang out with my friends. So four hours before game time I met up with my friends at McMahon and we headed down to the line. We stood in what was to be the usual spot for me that year, somewhere near the steps leading up to Hec Ed from the Graves building. Jim came buy, tore my ticket and slapped a wristband on me about two hours pregame per usual and I waited patiently and anxiously, not knowing what awaited me. As some of you may know the game ended up with a 73-70 victory in overtime. It was ridiculous. My friends and I ended up sitting in the back left of the Dawg Pack, which unfortunately is now a weak section, but that season and that game the crowd was roaring no matter where you sat. I quickly learned the chants after a few times through and found myself jumping and yelling like everyone else. After the game I knew I was addicted and had to get to the rest of the games somehow. I bought regular tickets for the Seattle U game and the Wazzu game and missed out on the Arizona game as the tickets were already sold out. March 7th showed up. I woke up around 4am to get ready to head down to Hec Ed where UDub would be playing against Wazzu to clinch the Pac-10 title outright for the first time in 50 years. It was snowing when I left and the temperature stayed sub-freezing the entire 8 hours I was in line. I naively thought 8 hours would be enough to be near the front of the line. I found myself on the back side of the Graves building as there were around 20 tents pitched from the front of Hec Ed down across the road and stretching along Graves. I sat there in the numbing cold for 8 hours and by god, it was worth every frozen minute. Jim came by, tearing tickets and putting on bands as always. I didn't get one because I had a regular student ticket, but I was not concerned. As with the Seattle U game I would be sneaking into the Dawg Pack using old wrist bands from past seasons the older students had. A few hours later I was standing on the court cheering, screaming, and celebrating with 10,000 other people (minus the cougar fans of course) as UDub cut down the nets. That night we gathered in McMahon with about 8 or 10 people and few cases of brew and set out on a night that has forever been labeled "Pac-10 Night." It resulted in everyone drinking far too much and paying the consequences for it. The next morning I vowed I would never miss another football or basketball game during my student tenure at the University of Washington. I've stayed true to my word and I can't recall missing a single game the past two seasons, minus the first football victory in what was something like 20 games against Idaho in 2009 when I had to attend my cousins wedding up in Port Angeles and the actual game itself when Game Day came to town during the 09-10 season, more on this later.
Before I knew it, it was time to order football tickets and the first day I could purchase said tickets I was up at 8am to be one of the first to order. I figured sales would be slow considering UW's football program had just finished an 0-12 season highlighted by blowing a 10-0 lead against the Cougars, including a missed field goal that would have won the game in regulation. The tickets were ordered and I found myself in Husky Stadium a few weeks later for the home and season opener against LSU. I enjoyed my first experience with tailgating and had a Hurricane too many and found myself high fiving everyone in sight wearing purple, which including one sneaky LSU fan who took advantage of my current state. My hand felt dirty. A 5-7 was the final result and it could have been 8-4 had we performed better in a few instances, but 0-12 to 5-7 is not a bad thing at all. Rushing the field after beating #3 USC in the final seconds with a field goal was amazing. I bought the shirt the day it came out. I wear it for every USC game.
Not long after football started, basketball tickets went on sale and I again awoke early to secure the forbidden treasure that was season Dawg Pack tickets. I succeeded in purchasing the tickets and so began my first year as a full fledged member of the basketball crew.
Two nights stand out that season.
The first night was Game Day coming to UW for senior night against UCLA. It was the be Quincy Pondexter's last home game and man was I bummed about that. As I said above, I actually ended up missing the game and I'll detail how that came to be.
Game Day was on Saturday so naturally I planned to camp out starting Thursday. That's when I realized we played USC on Thursday as well, so it was going to be tricky. We arranged for our good friend to come down about 30 minutes before the end of the USC game to bring a tent and get a good place in line for us. What went down next was ridiculous. UW lost a nail biter to USC by the 3 and the bitterness was surely felt as students left Hec Ed. Now, it is important to note that one particular group of students who were mostly seniors had been the first one to every game this season and first by quite a bit. They camped out just about every home game to my recollection and were the core of the Pack that year. They came out to find a group of 5 or 6 students who had outright skipped the USC game to wait for game day. The result was two hours of arguing over who should be first in line to get into not only the game, but Game Day itself. The police were called to resolve and mediate the matter and threatened to kick everyone out if more trouble was caused. The two groups negotiated for a while and a deal was made, which does not need to be detailed. After the dramatic night, people settled in, had a few drinks, talked sports, stats, and everything in between and slept the drama away. The next day people were in and out as class came and went. As night came, a large spot light was brought out to the front of Hec Ed. The maintenance crew turned it on, checked that everything was in working order, turned it off, and went home after erecting a small "fence" around the light consisting of the waste high dividers used to normally separate the lines going into Hec Ed. Not 10 minutes after they had left, a student hopped the fence, switched the lights on, and the party began. Some one had rented two speakers and connected them to the power supply the Sports department always gave to those camping out. A laptop with Husky Nation and other party tunes was hooked up to said speakers and a dance party broke out. About an hour later, Harry the Husky, the cheer leading team, and part of the Husky Marching Band showed up and played songs and danced for the next hour or so. It was brilliant. After they left the dance party continued. One kid did a fake break dance routine and crushed a can beneath his foot. This lead to my roommate, hailing from Bosnia on exchange for the year, doing a reverse worm and crushing a can with his back. He then climbed on top of the bridge and started chants. A big screen was hauled out and a video of Rece Davis of ESPN was played. Rece called out the Dawg Pack saying he expected a big showing. There was booing, yelling, and inspirational speeches around. Around 2 or 3am a few police showed up to check ID's and make sure things were not getting out of hand. People scattered back to their tents and the lights remained on all night. The next morning we awoke in a haze of too many beverages and a lack of sleep. Game Day started at 9am Eastern time which meant 6am out here on the West Coast. In turn this meant we had to be up at 4am to put our tents away and shuffle into Hec-Ed. I didn't sleep one wink that night ad had probably 3 or 4 hours the night before. The next morning, around 5am when we were filing into Hec Ed, maintenance came out to turn the spot light on. At some point in the night the lights had died. This was likely due to all of the gas having been burnt up, fueling our all night party. We watched in silent snickers as they twiddle nobs, checked power connections, and struggled to determine what was going on. I don't think they ever fixed it and luckily we had remembered to remove the makeshift Batman sign my Bosnian roommate had attempted to paste onto the light. After an intense few hours of Game Day yelling, cheering, and coordination with the program, the student section found ourselves in the small gym connected to Hec Ed where we were to stay until game time several hours later. We tried to sleep on the hardwood floors, but between the noise and people trying to play basketball on the other end, it was pretty pointless. Around noon, Marketing brought us food. Pizza and Fried Chicken. The chicken was the uppercut to my time. About 20 minutes after consuming the food I felt sicker than I had ever felt. I missed over two weeks of high school due to a mono like virus and this was worse. The stuffy air filled with the B.O. of several hundred students several days without showers, too many farts and burps to even think about, plus more carbon dioxide than several large trees could deal with due to a tight space with no ventilation meant I was in a world of hurt. I knew I wouldn't be able to enjoy the game in this state so I left my ticket and wristband number with my Bosnian roommate and I struggled back to Stevens Court where I flopped onto my air mattress, unable and unwilling to climb into my bunk. I turned on ESPN and drank about a gallon of water before the game even started. I'm sad I missed the game, it would have been a great experience, but the two nights before were worth it in my books. Quincy opened the game with a 3 pointer, wiped his brow in mock, and probably real, relief and went on to dominate the game, which included a Top 10 worthy windmill dunk.
The second night was the Pac-10 tournament championship game night. Due to their poor road performance for most of the season, UW needed to win at least two games in the tournament, if not win it all, to secure a berth the NCAA tournament. As any Husky fan knows the game was a back and forth battle of the ages. It is in my top 5 favorite games of all time. Neither team led by much throughout the game and in the end UW sealed the win with what was a strange sequence of events, at least in my mind. Jerome Randle, the "Pac-10 POY" (complete B.S. I could write 5 pages on how much crap it is that Pondexter didn't get the award, but I digress....), was dropping bombs all night long. UW led by 3 points with only 20 seconds to go. Pondexter had the ball when Nikola Knezevic, a no namer I don't even remember, stole the ball. California calls a time out with 10 on the clock. The last shot is going to be taken by Randle, no doubt about it. The only question was who would defend him. Would it be Isaiah Thomas? He had been successful throughout the night with two steals. Venoy Overton, the defensive specialist? No, it was Elston Turner. Elston Can't-Make-A-Damn-Free-Throw Turner. Elston The-Three_Point-Specialist Turner. What in god's name is happening? Then, chaos. Elston tips the ball away somehow with 5 seconds to go, but then is called with a nonsense foul. It was a loose ball, no foul should have been called. Either way, Randle was to head to the line for a pair of shots. He sinks the first and my heart drops a little. I know he will go for the intentional miss on the next one. Everyone in the apartment is freaking out. I am literally on my knees, hands on my head about to tear my hair out. Randle misses, UW gets the rebound. A pair of fouls ensure and Venoy Overton heads to the line where he coolly sinks two free throws to seal the game 79-75. My apartment erupts. The girls living below hate us more with every stomp and yell. We do not care. 10 minutes later we are still reveling in the victory, amazed at how we got there. A quick run to Safeway was made and another fantastic night of celebrating began. We ended up in the Sweet 16, during which time Joe Lunardi probably received thousands of emails from the Husky faithful who trashed him and his east coast bias for doubting our abilities against Marquette. I was in Arizona without a T.V. for the Marquette game and had to endure the 15 point deficit and ensuing comeback via text. As soon as I had internet access I watched the game and it joined the Pac-10 championship game in my top 5. Quincy, I will love you forever for that shot. What a beast.
The season was over far too early, but I managed between intramural games and Husky softball. Football returned again in the fall and I found myself a few rows behind the band as was custom for my group of friends. We saw our first winning season in 10 years as well as the first bowl game in close to 10 years and the first bowl WIN in 10 years. Beating USC with a second last second field goal on their own turf was awesome in its own right.
Husky Basketball returned the same day UW Football was to face #1 Oregon in Eugene. Many fans attended the football game instead of the exhibition match against St. Martin's. It almost ended up being a good decision as UW fought with the Ducks for quite sometime before getting squashed.
2010-2011 had its own series of fantastic nights and memories. I distinctly remember three nights as standing out.
The first night was camping out for the Arizona State game. Coming in with a fresh victory over then ranked Arizona, emotions were high and everyone felt great. We stayed up late, had a few select drinks, made signs, talked sports for hours on end, and started a touch football game on the concrete. This led to my roommate getting smashed into the bushes by one of our small, female friends, as well as a broken (?) foot after slipping on the concrete, a few scraps and bruises and a great time in general. It was a great bonding night and was when I really got to know these people really well and they have been great friends ever since. Before the game MBA talked with a friend of mine whom I had had a conversion with on a tagged picture of him on Facebook. He laughed about it and said don't do that on his pictures because he gets 30 some notifications and it annoys him.
The second night is probably one of my favorite college memories. It is better than the two days partying and camping out for game Day. Better than celebrating any of the Pac-10 titles. One of my friends had bought a date with Justin Holiday from a date auction, held by Greek Row if I remember correctly. He was awesome and brought he a pair of signed shoes from his High School days and was all around a cool person from what I was told. She would text him good luck before games and he was always kind enough to respond. Sure, she was on the practice squad for the women's team and is a cute, little blonde girl, but it is still somewhat amazing that he would always find time to message her back and thank her for her support. So senior night rolled around and we had set up camp about 36 or 40 hours prior to game time, per usual. The same friend had talked with Justin about getting some of the guys, namely the seniors, to come to the camp out on Friday night before the game to talk and hang out with us. It would be a great experience as not only would it be the seniors last game at home and a great opportunity for us, the fans, to thank the seniors for their hard work, but a chance for the senior Dawg Pack members to interact closely, one last time, with the basketball squad. Justin managed to wrangled in Darnell Gant and asked if that would be OK. She of course said yes and so we waited a few hours. Around 11pm Justin and Darnell roll in with about 20 other people who turned out to be their family and friends. Amongst those 20 people was also Abdul Gaddy, who snuck his way in like a ninja somehow on his bum knee. I did a double take because he was so quiet and unassuming. Now, I consider myself a fairly tall guy at 6-2 to 6-3, but Abdul Gaddy, who is listed at 6-4, was several inches taller than myself. Justin and Darnell might as well have been giants. So the players came into our little Romarville and signed our posters, hung out, talked, shook hands, and gave out hugs for 15 or 20 minutes. Then one of them got a hold of my iPod docking station and an impromptu dance party broke out once more, though this one was a bit more sober and involved a lot more dancing talent. Darnell, Justin, and their families danced and sang with us for another 20 or 30 minutes before they started to head out. Abdul was forced to watch as he had just had his ACL repaired a few months before and was in no condition to be doing anything besides the Dougie head rub. Before they left, Justin and Darnell made sure to shake every guy's hand and gave every girl a hug. Justin asked to make sure they had interacted with everyone and they thanked us all one last time before heading home for some rest. It was the most humble and honest I had seen a group of athletes behave since...ever, really. Out of the 11 active players (13 if you count Desmond Simmons and Tyreese Breshers) on the UW roster, only those 3 opted to come out and mingle with the fans. It is an act of kindness I will never forget and it made the night truly memorable, even if they did go on to lose to USC the next day. I had a Darnell sign one of my posters and pinned it up on my wall the rest of the year. I've been meaning to dig it out of the box to put on my wall at home while I'm away for the summer. I am not one to try and get things signed, but I wanted something from this night because I knew it would mean more than an average signature. The player was there. I talked with him. Shook hands with him. Sat down next to him and listened to his stories. That signature tells a story to me and it's one I'll cherish for a long time.
The final night of the season is one I'm sure every Husky fan remembers as if it was yesterday. The Pac-10 tournament championship game against regular season title holder, Arizona. After splitting the series due to a questionable block/goaltend call in Arizona, UW and its fans were looking for not only a guaranteed trip to the big dance, but vengeance as well. About 10 people came over for what was sure to be a thrill ride. Boy, what a game. UW got up early, only to relinquish the lead in the last few minutes. UW was down by 4 points with a minute a some change to go. MBA rebounded the ball with a minute to go. Isaiah brought the ball up. It worked its way around to C.J. Wilcox who bricked one without hitting the rim. I.T. rebounded near half court. Took a few dribbles in and pulled up to drain the first of two in 'Momo' Jones' face to put UW within 1. Sadness was quickly being replaced with hope as my apartment erupted as the shot swished on through. This joy was quickly killed as Derrick Williams dropped an AND1 with 27 on the clock. Isaiah brought the ball up once more, drove the lane, and kicked it out to an open Terrance Ross who drilled one from range to put UW within 1 point once more. More cheers, more hope, more anxiety, more adrenaline, more Husky Basketball. I.T. fouled Momo with 14 on the clock. At this point, I.T. now has 4 fouls and has played all but a minute in the tournament. Clearly out of breath he heads towards half court while Momo sinks a pair of free throws without a single Arizona player under the basket in case of a miss. Arizona up 3 with 14 seconds to go. Our apartment is quiet, we whisper to one another about how we can pull this off. Do we drive for two and hope for a foul? Do we try another three? 14 seconds is a lot. Time enough for a 2 pointer and foul Arizona one more time before a last second shot, but we have no timeouts. Instead, I.T. drives the lane again, kicks it out to the left wing this time. C.J. Wilcox is waiting and open. He shoots with 7 to go. Momo tries to stretch out for it, but to no avail. Boom! He drains it with 5.7 remaining. The apartment is hysteric, but we know there is time for Arizona to get off one last shot. Arizona uses its final time out. I start to pace back and forth. I stood on the couch. Crouched on the floor. Said a prayer to whoever would answer it. Momo came out of the time out, dribble down court and threw up a runner that rattled out as time expired. Overtime. For the first time in tournament history. Dear God. I have to endure 5 more minutes of insanity. Screw the 2010 championship game, this is the game for the ages. MBA and Aziz both have 4 fouls. Arizona is clear of foul trouble coming into overtime. Terrence Ross hits a fade away Ala Brandon Roy early on. Wilcox double clutches a shot less than a minute later. MBA fouls on a weak call that causes Romar to nearly takes his jacket off. A great time spending possession happens for UW, two rebounds means three opportunities, but not fall through the nets. Wilcox gets called for an offensive foul with a minute to go and UW up only 1. Parrom misses, Holiday rebounds to I.T., I.T. sees C.J. open down court and throws a chest pass over half the length of the court (try it, its hard as hell). C.J. Throws down a HUGE jam to put UW up 3. Hopes are high until Arizona tries to one-up UW as Parrom drains a monster 3 pointer to tie the game. Then began Gus Johnson's call. Shot clock turned off! Game clock at 8! He's guna do it himself! Thomas! Shake! Cross Over! Step Baaack! ......................................................GGGGGAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!! AT THE BUZZER! YUNG ZEKE! AND WASHINGTON! WINS IT! ON A LAST SECOND J! COLLLLLDDDD BLOOOODED!
We didn't even hear the last part of the call until 10 minutes later after we stopped yelling, screaming, cheering, hugging, celebrating, and disbelieving what just happened. That was the single greatest shot ever in the history of the program. The backboard literally lit up as the ball went through the net. Could you plan it any better? No, you couldn't.
And this, my friends, is why I love this team. It is because of my friends, the players, and the sport that I stress out months at a time, wait for hours and even days in line, all for 40 measly minutes of game time.
The Dawg Pack and Husky Basketball have turned a good time in college into a great time. My favorite memories have occurred during the season and the off season has included many hours debated and discussing the team with fellow enthusiasts.
Its 5:30 am. I have to wake up in a few hours to get ready for a full shift at work. I was planning on getting up at 10, but noon is much more likely now. This means I'll miss the sunshine, but it's worth it because Husky Basketball is what I live for.
Go Dawgs
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Abdul Gaddy out with Torn ACL
Abdul Gaddy is confirmed to have a torn ACL in his left knee. He will be out for a year. He has played in more games than are allowed for a medical redshirt so he will only have two years of eligibility after this season.
So what does this mean for our team? The most obvious and glaring answer is a drop in our teams passing ability. Isaiah has played great over the last two weeks and really stepped up his performances as a scorer and a passer. This will help fill the hole left by Gaddy, who is one of the best passers and point guards in the nation.
While Gaddy was not a prolific scorer, he was a tall guard who could drive the lane and score over defenders. He also had a good outside shot that was especially dangerous if left open. He has the best assist to turnover ratio in the Pac-10, averaging 3.8 assists per game and 1.2 turnovers per game.
He had not shown up much, in terms of points and assists, in the last few games and the Huskies were able to cope. This bodes well for the Dawgs as they will have to do without Gaddy the remainder of the season. Thank goodness Isaiah has stepped up as a passer and a leader, otherwise we could be much worse off.
What other implications does this injury entail?
Isaiah will likely stay at his 30-35 minutes per game and Overton will most definitely see more playing time. Could Overton average 30-35 per game as well? He very well could. We will need Overton to supply some relieve to Isaiah, but he will also see play time along side him. Gaddy was averaging 23 minutes per game and Overton was averaging 21. Those 23 minutes will need to be made up. The most obvious candidate will be whatever player starts in his place (more on this in a bit). I could see Overton playing 25-30 a game with Gaddy out. This leaves 13-18 minutes up for grabs.
Who could start in Abdul's place? Overton is a likely first guess, but in my opinion the Huskies would be better served with Overton continuing to come off the bench to supply some relief and defensive pressure on tired guards. The other likely choices are one of the three bench, wing players.
Scott Suggs could very well reenter the starting line up. He has some good ball handling skills, he has developed his driving game, and he has a great outside shot that has been hitting consistently.
Terrence Ross is another solid choice. He can handle the ball extremely well, though his passing is not the best. He is able to drive, pull up, take jumpers, and shoot from range. With Ross really starting to break out it would not be far fetched at all for him to get the nod from Romar.
C.J. Wilcox is the fourth, final, and least likely option to start in Gaddy's place. He is already questionable with a Staph infection in his hip, but once he heals I still don't know if I would start him. He is a solid defender, shoots well, and can handle the ball decently, but he hasn't shown the consistency to be given a starting position. He missed some open shots in big games, which to me reads like a freshman not quite ready for the big stage. It's not a knock against him, just how I see things.
One could argue Darnell could start again, but that is extremely unlikely if not impossible. With our big men already experiencing foul troubles, putting Darnell in at the start along with MBA and Aziz is just asking for us to lose.
What does this mean for the rest of our season? Personally, I don't think this will terribly affect us. While Gaddy was and is an excellent player, we have a lot of depth. Sure we lose our starting point guard, but Isaiah has been playing well as a point guard and Overton is improving as well by decreasing his turnovers. What we lose out on is a calm and collected mind, a great passer and play maker, and another talented body to tear up the opposition.
Does his injury mean we won't be able to crack the Sweet 16? No. Plain and simple. If this was MBA or Aziz I would say yes or highly likely that we would struggle. I think we are deep enough at the guard and wing positions that we won't be highly affected by his lose.
It's a bigger blow to Gaddy's career than our success as a team. Isaiah, Overton, and the rest of the team will need to step up their game to fill his shoes.
Get well Abdul. We look forward to you taking 2011-2012 by storm.
Link:
http://www.gohuskies.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/010511aab.html
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/huskymensbasketballblog/2013850730_abdul_gaddy_out.html
http://www.montlakemadness.com/gaddy-torn-acl-out-indefinitely/
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/huskymensbasketballblog/2013854910_uw_reaction_aft.html#continue
So what does this mean for our team? The most obvious and glaring answer is a drop in our teams passing ability. Isaiah has played great over the last two weeks and really stepped up his performances as a scorer and a passer. This will help fill the hole left by Gaddy, who is one of the best passers and point guards in the nation.
While Gaddy was not a prolific scorer, he was a tall guard who could drive the lane and score over defenders. He also had a good outside shot that was especially dangerous if left open. He has the best assist to turnover ratio in the Pac-10, averaging 3.8 assists per game and 1.2 turnovers per game.
He had not shown up much, in terms of points and assists, in the last few games and the Huskies were able to cope. This bodes well for the Dawgs as they will have to do without Gaddy the remainder of the season. Thank goodness Isaiah has stepped up as a passer and a leader, otherwise we could be much worse off.
What other implications does this injury entail?
Isaiah will likely stay at his 30-35 minutes per game and Overton will most definitely see more playing time. Could Overton average 30-35 per game as well? He very well could. We will need Overton to supply some relieve to Isaiah, but he will also see play time along side him. Gaddy was averaging 23 minutes per game and Overton was averaging 21. Those 23 minutes will need to be made up. The most obvious candidate will be whatever player starts in his place (more on this in a bit). I could see Overton playing 25-30 a game with Gaddy out. This leaves 13-18 minutes up for grabs.
Who could start in Abdul's place? Overton is a likely first guess, but in my opinion the Huskies would be better served with Overton continuing to come off the bench to supply some relief and defensive pressure on tired guards. The other likely choices are one of the three bench, wing players.
Scott Suggs could very well reenter the starting line up. He has some good ball handling skills, he has developed his driving game, and he has a great outside shot that has been hitting consistently.
Terrence Ross is another solid choice. He can handle the ball extremely well, though his passing is not the best. He is able to drive, pull up, take jumpers, and shoot from range. With Ross really starting to break out it would not be far fetched at all for him to get the nod from Romar.
C.J. Wilcox is the fourth, final, and least likely option to start in Gaddy's place. He is already questionable with a Staph infection in his hip, but once he heals I still don't know if I would start him. He is a solid defender, shoots well, and can handle the ball decently, but he hasn't shown the consistency to be given a starting position. He missed some open shots in big games, which to me reads like a freshman not quite ready for the big stage. It's not a knock against him, just how I see things.
One could argue Darnell could start again, but that is extremely unlikely if not impossible. With our big men already experiencing foul troubles, putting Darnell in at the start along with MBA and Aziz is just asking for us to lose.
What does this mean for the rest of our season? Personally, I don't think this will terribly affect us. While Gaddy was and is an excellent player, we have a lot of depth. Sure we lose our starting point guard, but Isaiah has been playing well as a point guard and Overton is improving as well by decreasing his turnovers. What we lose out on is a calm and collected mind, a great passer and play maker, and another talented body to tear up the opposition.
Does his injury mean we won't be able to crack the Sweet 16? No. Plain and simple. If this was MBA or Aziz I would say yes or highly likely that we would struggle. I think we are deep enough at the guard and wing positions that we won't be highly affected by his lose.
It's a bigger blow to Gaddy's career than our success as a team. Isaiah, Overton, and the rest of the team will need to step up their game to fill his shoes.
Get well Abdul. We look forward to you taking 2011-2012 by storm.
Link:
http://www.gohuskies.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/010511aab.html
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/huskymensbasketballblog/2013850730_abdul_gaddy_out.html
http://www.montlakemadness.com/gaddy-torn-acl-out-indefinitely/
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/huskymensbasketballblog/2013854910_uw_reaction_aft.html#continue
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Eastern Washington Review
Final Score: UW-98 EWU-72
Before I get to the review I have to say, despite winning by 26 that game felt like a loss. Not to say we didn't have our moments, but that was pretty sloppy.
On to the Review
Just the Facts
Justin Holiday scored a career high 18 points today along side 4 rebounds and a steal. Matthew Bryan-Amaning posted another double double with 14 points and 10 rebounds with 1 assist, 2 blocks, and a steal in 19 minutes of play. Abdul Gaddy was the only other Husky in double digits tonight with 13 points, 1 steal, an impressive 6 assists, and 0 turnovers. Isaiah Thomas led the team with 5 steals and added 9 points and 2 rebounds, but turned the ball over 3 times against his 4 assists. Venoy Overton put up 9 points as well as 8 assists, 4 steals, 5 rebounds, and 2 turnovers. Scott Suggs and Terrance Ross each added 9 points. Suggs also had 5 assists. The Huskies shot slightly better from the line tonight converting on 64.7%, while their shooting was fairly bad, shooting 16 for 40 in the first half, going 5 for 19 behind the line. The Huskies were out rebounded 40 to 35. The Dawgs forced 24 turnovers while committing 10 themselves.
The Spin
Sloppy, sloppy, sloppy first half for the Dawgs offensively. Combined with the slack defense, the Eagles kept the game close for far too long. The Huskies were out rebounded 25 to 16 in the first half as they failed to gain any sort of position on the glass. Abdul Gaddy gets player of the game today for shooting 5 for 6 from the field and 3 for 4 behind the arc, committing 0 turnovers and passing out 6 assists. Venoy Overton made his presence felt today, coming off the bench and immediately snatching two quick steals that led to wonderful transition baskets we should have had more of today. Justin Holiday also had a fantastic game going 8 for 13 from the field. He played superb defense and played with an intensity it seemed the team was lacking as a whole. Isaiah shot terrible today, only making 2 shots on 9 attempts including 1 for 4 from range. The team settled far too often for the long ball and did not convert very well, shooting 26.3% in the first, but a much better 57.1% in the second half. While the Eagles played a good zone defense, our offense did a terrible job getting the ball down low and this allowed the Eagles to focus on pressuring the perimeter. Neither MBA or Aziz did a great job of imposing their will on the defense. They allowed themselves to be pushed around far too often. Shot selection needs to improve, the Huskies cannot allow zone or pressure defense to affect them at that level in a more competitive game. Thank goodness the Huskies stepped up their offense in the second half, settled down, and made plays. They played like they did against St. Martin's. They played hurried, chaotic, and played how EWU wanted them to play. They were boxed out on rebounds and couldn't hold onto the ones they grabbed. What saved the day was the Husky defense grabbing 14 steals.
What Was Bad
Shot Selection
The Huskies settled far too often for shooting the 3 versus working the ball around a little longer and finding a better shot. Terrence Ross and C.J. Wilcox were arguably the worse at this, going a combined 3 for 12 behind the arc tonight. Instead of working the ball in the post, the Dawgs passed around the perimeter until someone was mildly open at which point they would jack up a shot that would knock out three quarters of the time. As I said in the preview, the Dawgs need to force the middle to open up their range game like they were able to do so effectively against McNeese. They did not accomplish that and it led to their shooting, near and far, to suffer. If the Dawgs want to compete in Maui, they cannot let the defense deny the post the ball. This is something Romar should address in practice and work on before tournament time.
First Half Defense
The Dawgs were lazy on defense to start the game, allowing the Eagles to have their shots. Against a better shooting team this will absolutely destroy us. A lot of screening problems and communication errors on switches. The intensity needs to be there all game, not just the second half.
Rebounding
Eastern is not a big team by any means. Plenty of Pac-10 teams are much taller and stronger. If we continue to have problems rebounding against these small teams, I can't, or don't want to, imagine what kind of struggles we will have against USC, UA, UCLA, etc. We need to pound the glass hard, all night long. Getting out rebounded will destroy us come tournament time. We can rebound, we proved this last game. I don't know what the difference was, but the Dawgs need to go back to what they were doing against McNeese. If we can get the rebounds, we will score the points. The only reason we didn't reach my predicted score was the lack of rebounding tonight. We had half the rebounds of our last game and understandably we had less points at the end of the night. Rebound, rebound, rebound.
Free Throw Shooting
While better than Saturday, it was still not a good showing. MBA again shot 50% going 4 for 8 while Aziz shot 50% on 1 for 2 shooting. Isaiah Thomas went a perfect 4 for 4 and C.J. went 2 for 2 as well. Venoy missed his only free throw attempt. We need to get our team average up to 75% if we are going to be a top 15 team. Missing foul shots will lose us the tough games we will encounter in February and March. The big men need to get their shots together.
What Was Good
Perimeter Passing
The Huskies threw great passes along the perimeter, working it to the open guys. While they did not always pick the best shots, the 28 assists on 37 shots is a great statistic to have. The shooting was much more effective in the second half and gave the passing more purpose and success.
Second Half Defense
The defensive intensity picked up about 13 minutes left in the first half, but really it showed in the second half. 14 steals is excellent and we converted on most of the steals.
Scoring
I wasn't sure if I wanted to put our scoring under good or bad. While we scored 98 points (could have been 100 but we ran out the clock) our percentage was very low the first half, 40% and a much improved 58.3% the second half. I would like to see 65% shooting for the game along side 45 to 50 rebounds. Those kinds of numbers will almost guarantee a win every time. I think the highlight of how talented and scoring capable our team is was a particular possession with Overton, Ross, and C.J. on the perimeter. Ross threw it to a fairly open Overton, who faked a shot and passed to C.J. for the 3. It was a great unselfish sequence in which we opted for the open player rather than a specific shooter.
Player by Player Review
Matthew Bryan-Amaning
Not a bad night for the big Brit. 14 points, 10 rebounds, 0 fouls. Those are solid numbers. It was only disappointing due to the two fabulous nights he has had thus far and the fact that his rebounding total should have been higher if not for sloppy work bringing the ball down off the glass. His free throws were decent, but need work still. Started off 3 for 3 before going 1 for 5 the rest of the night from the charity stripe. He should have had a better night, but the Dawgs had a tough time getting him the ball. Had the Huskies found a way to get him the ball more often he may have had another 20 point night. Give the Eagles credit for double teaming MBA often and forcing him to dish out.
Grade: A-
Venoy Overton
A solid outing for Venoy tonight, much better shooting wise and somehow even better on the assist/turnover side. His defense was stellar, stealing the ball 4 times and forcing other turnovers as well. His 4 for 7 shooting was good to see. He shot 50% behind the arc. He did a solid job of stepping up and helping make up for Isaiah's lack of scoring efficiency tonight. He showed some great heart tonight and worked hard to help his team win the game. I like what I'm seeing from him. If Gaddy had not stepped up in such particular fashion, Overton would easily be starting.
Grade: A
Justin Holiday
Career high point night for the senior. 18 points along with 4 rebounds. While tonight was not his most impressive night in my opinion, he was a very effective scorer from mid range. He has developed a nice one hand, tear drop like shot from the free throw line. He brought the fire tonight, yelling in the face of his opponent while on defense at the beginning of the game. His defense was tight once again, over all doing a great job controlling his man. While he shot well over all, he took a few 3's he probably shouldn't have. His long ball, while improved, is still streaky. Being streaky is a two sided blade, if you're on no one can stop you, but if you are off it'll haunt you like a curse the whole night. I would like to see another 1 or 2 rebounds a game from Holiday, especially on nights like tonight where our big men are struggling to clean the glass.
Grade: A
Brendan Sherrer
Another 3 minutes tonight. It looks as though Romar is beginning to trust him more as a competitive D1 player. This is great for Brendan and the Huskies. If he can be a reasonably effective defensive player, it will be a great asset to have him available in case of foul trouble. Had a steal tonight. Perfect record is still in tact, look out UCLA he is coming after your record.
Grade: A
Darnell Gant
It looks as though Gant will be a permanent fixture in the starting line up as his size gives us a multitude of options and allows Holiday to play the 3 position while Gant covers the 4. Scored 4 points on 2 for 7 shooting. Gant is still not an offensive threat and while his shot may have improved I still get nervous when he faces up to shoot. Let's hope he can step up the consistency a bit to help the Dawgs spread the floor and work the defense. His defense was not as effective tonight for some reason. The Eagles were a very quick team, but Gant is also agile. A very mediocre game in my opinon. He didn't have any spectacular plays, he only tabbed 2 rebounds and had 2 turnovers. His lacking performance showed in his lack of minutes, only playing 14 on the night.
Grade: C
Scott Suggs
Decent night on offensive for Suggs. 9 points on 3 for 8 shooting, of those 8 shots 6 were behind the arc and all 3 makes came on the long ball. His two boards and 5 assists really made his night a lot more successful. It's good to see him dishing for the better shot. Defensively he left a lot to be desired. All too often his man was open in the corner due to screens being set on him. He still has a way to go on defense, but it should come in time. I saw some progress with his on ball defense. His off ball defense is really where the work needs to be done.
Grade: B
Isaiah Thomas
A slow night for Isaiah tonight. He struggled on the drives, he struggled behind the line. He had 3 turnovers. His redemption came in his team high 5 steals and 4 assists. 9 points is respectable, but we expect more from Isaiah. He is a 17+ point a game type of shooter and player. His bad shot could have been due to an external issue that was weighing on his mind. I love how successful his defense has become over the last year or two, its great to see as that type of tenacious attitude on both sides of the ball is hard to find and harder to beat. I expect him to shoot lights out in Virginia to prove his tenacity.
Grade: B
Aziz N'Diaye
Not a great night for the Senegal native. He only managed 5 points, 2 rebounds, and a block. He used his size well. Multiple times the Eagle post player would try to back him down, only to bounce off of him, resulting in a forced pass back outside. He only shot two free throws tonight, which could be considered a blessing. When he makes his shot though, it swishes beautifully I have to say. He is still learning the game, but we will see more McNeese like performances soon enough. There is a bit of a learning curve going from a JC to D1 and after not playing for a year, the curve is that much harder to climb.
Grade: C+
Abdul Gaddy
Wonderful performance tonight. This is exactly the kind of performance the Husky faithful were expecting last year. He was aggressive, calm, comfortable, assertive, and successful. His long shot was spot on and his drive was a thing of beauty. He has a fantastic tear drop that is so tough to prevent. Its almost comical how slow it gets to the hoop, but not a soul can stop it. 6 assists and 0 turnover is more impressive, in my mind, than his 13 points. Great job from the sophomore tonight. Even his defense was good tonight, managing 3 rebounds, a steal, and only 2 fouls. He may end up being the most consistent player for the Huskies, somewhat ironic considering his poor performance last year.
Grade: A+
C.J. Wilcox
2 rebounds, 3 assists, a block, and a steal to go along with 8 points. Normally a successful night, but his 2 for 7 shooting was not good, once again. For supposedly having the best shot on the team he sure hasn't done a great job of showing it. He subbed in before Suggs, but didn't have a great performance. Defensively he was above average. He got beat on occasion, but also contained his man a fair amount of the time. I'm still out on what to think of the freshman.
Grade: B-
Terrence Ross
While he played slightly better offensively than C.J. (4 for 9 shooting) he also suffered from poor shooting and shot selection. I love a player willing to spot up and shoot the 3, but they need to be able to hit it. For the second game in a row, Ross has struggled from behind the arc. No rebounds, no assist, no steals or blocks, 1 turnover. Like Aziz he is still rough around the edges, but once he finds his rhythm he will be a threat on the court no doubt.
Grade: C
Antoine Hosley
2 minutes in tonight's game. A rebound, an assist, and a steal. 2 and 0 on the year. Not much else to say about the walk on. Its awesome both he and Brendan have been able to play in all three games thus far and I hope the trend continues. Another A for effort night
Grade: A
Final Thoughts
This may have been a bit of a wake up call for the Dawgs. While the game was never really in question, the Eagles stayed in it far longer than I wanted. The Dawgs shot poorly and allowed EWU to control the tempo. Play like this against better schools will result in a loss. We need to rebound, we need to control the tempo, we need to take our shots and not what the opposition gives us. A nice win, but not the kind we should have had. A few days off before the Dawgs head to Maui to face Virginia. With Gonzaga losing tonight to SDSU the Huskies should move up in both polls. Polls mean nothing this time of the year, but last year we let our ranking affect our game play. If we are going to be a top 15 team we need to play like it and tonight we definitely did not play like a top 25 team let alone top 15. I believe we will see a much more controlled Husky performance this weekend.
Before I get to the review I have to say, despite winning by 26 that game felt like a loss. Not to say we didn't have our moments, but that was pretty sloppy.
On to the Review
Just the Facts
Justin Holiday scored a career high 18 points today along side 4 rebounds and a steal. Matthew Bryan-Amaning posted another double double with 14 points and 10 rebounds with 1 assist, 2 blocks, and a steal in 19 minutes of play. Abdul Gaddy was the only other Husky in double digits tonight with 13 points, 1 steal, an impressive 6 assists, and 0 turnovers. Isaiah Thomas led the team with 5 steals and added 9 points and 2 rebounds, but turned the ball over 3 times against his 4 assists. Venoy Overton put up 9 points as well as 8 assists, 4 steals, 5 rebounds, and 2 turnovers. Scott Suggs and Terrance Ross each added 9 points. Suggs also had 5 assists. The Huskies shot slightly better from the line tonight converting on 64.7%, while their shooting was fairly bad, shooting 16 for 40 in the first half, going 5 for 19 behind the line. The Huskies were out rebounded 40 to 35. The Dawgs forced 24 turnovers while committing 10 themselves.
The Spin
Sloppy, sloppy, sloppy first half for the Dawgs offensively. Combined with the slack defense, the Eagles kept the game close for far too long. The Huskies were out rebounded 25 to 16 in the first half as they failed to gain any sort of position on the glass. Abdul Gaddy gets player of the game today for shooting 5 for 6 from the field and 3 for 4 behind the arc, committing 0 turnovers and passing out 6 assists. Venoy Overton made his presence felt today, coming off the bench and immediately snatching two quick steals that led to wonderful transition baskets we should have had more of today. Justin Holiday also had a fantastic game going 8 for 13 from the field. He played superb defense and played with an intensity it seemed the team was lacking as a whole. Isaiah shot terrible today, only making 2 shots on 9 attempts including 1 for 4 from range. The team settled far too often for the long ball and did not convert very well, shooting 26.3% in the first, but a much better 57.1% in the second half. While the Eagles played a good zone defense, our offense did a terrible job getting the ball down low and this allowed the Eagles to focus on pressuring the perimeter. Neither MBA or Aziz did a great job of imposing their will on the defense. They allowed themselves to be pushed around far too often. Shot selection needs to improve, the Huskies cannot allow zone or pressure defense to affect them at that level in a more competitive game. Thank goodness the Huskies stepped up their offense in the second half, settled down, and made plays. They played like they did against St. Martin's. They played hurried, chaotic, and played how EWU wanted them to play. They were boxed out on rebounds and couldn't hold onto the ones they grabbed. What saved the day was the Husky defense grabbing 14 steals.
What Was Bad
Shot Selection
The Huskies settled far too often for shooting the 3 versus working the ball around a little longer and finding a better shot. Terrence Ross and C.J. Wilcox were arguably the worse at this, going a combined 3 for 12 behind the arc tonight. Instead of working the ball in the post, the Dawgs passed around the perimeter until someone was mildly open at which point they would jack up a shot that would knock out three quarters of the time. As I said in the preview, the Dawgs need to force the middle to open up their range game like they were able to do so effectively against McNeese. They did not accomplish that and it led to their shooting, near and far, to suffer. If the Dawgs want to compete in Maui, they cannot let the defense deny the post the ball. This is something Romar should address in practice and work on before tournament time.
First Half Defense
The Dawgs were lazy on defense to start the game, allowing the Eagles to have their shots. Against a better shooting team this will absolutely destroy us. A lot of screening problems and communication errors on switches. The intensity needs to be there all game, not just the second half.
Rebounding
Eastern is not a big team by any means. Plenty of Pac-10 teams are much taller and stronger. If we continue to have problems rebounding against these small teams, I can't, or don't want to, imagine what kind of struggles we will have against USC, UA, UCLA, etc. We need to pound the glass hard, all night long. Getting out rebounded will destroy us come tournament time. We can rebound, we proved this last game. I don't know what the difference was, but the Dawgs need to go back to what they were doing against McNeese. If we can get the rebounds, we will score the points. The only reason we didn't reach my predicted score was the lack of rebounding tonight. We had half the rebounds of our last game and understandably we had less points at the end of the night. Rebound, rebound, rebound.
Free Throw Shooting
While better than Saturday, it was still not a good showing. MBA again shot 50% going 4 for 8 while Aziz shot 50% on 1 for 2 shooting. Isaiah Thomas went a perfect 4 for 4 and C.J. went 2 for 2 as well. Venoy missed his only free throw attempt. We need to get our team average up to 75% if we are going to be a top 15 team. Missing foul shots will lose us the tough games we will encounter in February and March. The big men need to get their shots together.
What Was Good
Perimeter Passing
The Huskies threw great passes along the perimeter, working it to the open guys. While they did not always pick the best shots, the 28 assists on 37 shots is a great statistic to have. The shooting was much more effective in the second half and gave the passing more purpose and success.
Second Half Defense
The defensive intensity picked up about 13 minutes left in the first half, but really it showed in the second half. 14 steals is excellent and we converted on most of the steals.
Scoring
I wasn't sure if I wanted to put our scoring under good or bad. While we scored 98 points (could have been 100 but we ran out the clock) our percentage was very low the first half, 40% and a much improved 58.3% the second half. I would like to see 65% shooting for the game along side 45 to 50 rebounds. Those kinds of numbers will almost guarantee a win every time. I think the highlight of how talented and scoring capable our team is was a particular possession with Overton, Ross, and C.J. on the perimeter. Ross threw it to a fairly open Overton, who faked a shot and passed to C.J. for the 3. It was a great unselfish sequence in which we opted for the open player rather than a specific shooter.
Player by Player Review
Matthew Bryan-Amaning
Not a bad night for the big Brit. 14 points, 10 rebounds, 0 fouls. Those are solid numbers. It was only disappointing due to the two fabulous nights he has had thus far and the fact that his rebounding total should have been higher if not for sloppy work bringing the ball down off the glass. His free throws were decent, but need work still. Started off 3 for 3 before going 1 for 5 the rest of the night from the charity stripe. He should have had a better night, but the Dawgs had a tough time getting him the ball. Had the Huskies found a way to get him the ball more often he may have had another 20 point night. Give the Eagles credit for double teaming MBA often and forcing him to dish out.
Grade: A-
Venoy Overton
A solid outing for Venoy tonight, much better shooting wise and somehow even better on the assist/turnover side. His defense was stellar, stealing the ball 4 times and forcing other turnovers as well. His 4 for 7 shooting was good to see. He shot 50% behind the arc. He did a solid job of stepping up and helping make up for Isaiah's lack of scoring efficiency tonight. He showed some great heart tonight and worked hard to help his team win the game. I like what I'm seeing from him. If Gaddy had not stepped up in such particular fashion, Overton would easily be starting.
Grade: A
Justin Holiday
Career high point night for the senior. 18 points along with 4 rebounds. While tonight was not his most impressive night in my opinion, he was a very effective scorer from mid range. He has developed a nice one hand, tear drop like shot from the free throw line. He brought the fire tonight, yelling in the face of his opponent while on defense at the beginning of the game. His defense was tight once again, over all doing a great job controlling his man. While he shot well over all, he took a few 3's he probably shouldn't have. His long ball, while improved, is still streaky. Being streaky is a two sided blade, if you're on no one can stop you, but if you are off it'll haunt you like a curse the whole night. I would like to see another 1 or 2 rebounds a game from Holiday, especially on nights like tonight where our big men are struggling to clean the glass.
Grade: A
Brendan Sherrer
Another 3 minutes tonight. It looks as though Romar is beginning to trust him more as a competitive D1 player. This is great for Brendan and the Huskies. If he can be a reasonably effective defensive player, it will be a great asset to have him available in case of foul trouble. Had a steal tonight. Perfect record is still in tact, look out UCLA he is coming after your record.
Grade: A
Darnell Gant
It looks as though Gant will be a permanent fixture in the starting line up as his size gives us a multitude of options and allows Holiday to play the 3 position while Gant covers the 4. Scored 4 points on 2 for 7 shooting. Gant is still not an offensive threat and while his shot may have improved I still get nervous when he faces up to shoot. Let's hope he can step up the consistency a bit to help the Dawgs spread the floor and work the defense. His defense was not as effective tonight for some reason. The Eagles were a very quick team, but Gant is also agile. A very mediocre game in my opinon. He didn't have any spectacular plays, he only tabbed 2 rebounds and had 2 turnovers. His lacking performance showed in his lack of minutes, only playing 14 on the night.
Grade: C
Scott Suggs
Decent night on offensive for Suggs. 9 points on 3 for 8 shooting, of those 8 shots 6 were behind the arc and all 3 makes came on the long ball. His two boards and 5 assists really made his night a lot more successful. It's good to see him dishing for the better shot. Defensively he left a lot to be desired. All too often his man was open in the corner due to screens being set on him. He still has a way to go on defense, but it should come in time. I saw some progress with his on ball defense. His off ball defense is really where the work needs to be done.
Grade: B
Isaiah Thomas
A slow night for Isaiah tonight. He struggled on the drives, he struggled behind the line. He had 3 turnovers. His redemption came in his team high 5 steals and 4 assists. 9 points is respectable, but we expect more from Isaiah. He is a 17+ point a game type of shooter and player. His bad shot could have been due to an external issue that was weighing on his mind. I love how successful his defense has become over the last year or two, its great to see as that type of tenacious attitude on both sides of the ball is hard to find and harder to beat. I expect him to shoot lights out in Virginia to prove his tenacity.
Grade: B
Aziz N'Diaye
Not a great night for the Senegal native. He only managed 5 points, 2 rebounds, and a block. He used his size well. Multiple times the Eagle post player would try to back him down, only to bounce off of him, resulting in a forced pass back outside. He only shot two free throws tonight, which could be considered a blessing. When he makes his shot though, it swishes beautifully I have to say. He is still learning the game, but we will see more McNeese like performances soon enough. There is a bit of a learning curve going from a JC to D1 and after not playing for a year, the curve is that much harder to climb.
Grade: C+
Abdul Gaddy
Wonderful performance tonight. This is exactly the kind of performance the Husky faithful were expecting last year. He was aggressive, calm, comfortable, assertive, and successful. His long shot was spot on and his drive was a thing of beauty. He has a fantastic tear drop that is so tough to prevent. Its almost comical how slow it gets to the hoop, but not a soul can stop it. 6 assists and 0 turnover is more impressive, in my mind, than his 13 points. Great job from the sophomore tonight. Even his defense was good tonight, managing 3 rebounds, a steal, and only 2 fouls. He may end up being the most consistent player for the Huskies, somewhat ironic considering his poor performance last year.
Grade: A+
C.J. Wilcox
2 rebounds, 3 assists, a block, and a steal to go along with 8 points. Normally a successful night, but his 2 for 7 shooting was not good, once again. For supposedly having the best shot on the team he sure hasn't done a great job of showing it. He subbed in before Suggs, but didn't have a great performance. Defensively he was above average. He got beat on occasion, but also contained his man a fair amount of the time. I'm still out on what to think of the freshman.
Grade: B-
Terrence Ross
While he played slightly better offensively than C.J. (4 for 9 shooting) he also suffered from poor shooting and shot selection. I love a player willing to spot up and shoot the 3, but they need to be able to hit it. For the second game in a row, Ross has struggled from behind the arc. No rebounds, no assist, no steals or blocks, 1 turnover. Like Aziz he is still rough around the edges, but once he finds his rhythm he will be a threat on the court no doubt.
Grade: C
Antoine Hosley
2 minutes in tonight's game. A rebound, an assist, and a steal. 2 and 0 on the year. Not much else to say about the walk on. Its awesome both he and Brendan have been able to play in all three games thus far and I hope the trend continues. Another A for effort night
Grade: A
Final Thoughts
This may have been a bit of a wake up call for the Dawgs. While the game was never really in question, the Eagles stayed in it far longer than I wanted. The Dawgs shot poorly and allowed EWU to control the tempo. Play like this against better schools will result in a loss. We need to rebound, we need to control the tempo, we need to take our shots and not what the opposition gives us. A nice win, but not the kind we should have had. A few days off before the Dawgs head to Maui to face Virginia. With Gonzaga losing tonight to SDSU the Huskies should move up in both polls. Polls mean nothing this time of the year, but last year we let our ranking affect our game play. If we are going to be a top 15 team we need to play like it and tonight we definitely did not play like a top 25 team let alone top 15. I believe we will see a much more controlled Husky performance this weekend.
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