Every team needs a star and perhaps just as important is the X-factor player. The guy who doesn't always produce the most impressive stats in every column, but does the type of work that turns a potential loss into a win. Many times the X-factor is the first man off the bench who supplies tough defense, a steady hand, and killer instinct.
Last season, C.J. Wilcox and Desmond Simmons often appeared to be the X-factor as both supplied their own unique brand of basketball support. Wilcox was an efficient scorer and solid defense player as well as shot blocker, while Simmons was more known for his rebounding and sheer tenacity in getting down and dirty after loose balls.
This season presents a more interesting challenge in identifying who will step his game up in a special way to supply the team with that extra oomph that is needed to keep the scoring margin in our favor. With our best talent now in the NBA there is plenty of room for players to step up and become the stars of the hardwood. In turn, this leaves room for players to become the new X-factor, but exactly who is tough to nail down after experiencing such a shallow bench this past year.
Desmond Simmons is an easy early pick as next season's X-Factor. While Simmons' production on the glass slowed during conference play, the potential and talent was clearly displayed in the non-conference games and will most certainly be improved upon by the start of 2012's non-conference schedule. Simmons reminds me a lot of Jon Brockman, an undersized power forward with great strength and hustle. Simmons knows how to use his body to gain position and snatch rebounds up left and right and is more than willing to sacrifice his body diving on the floor and fighting for every ball out there. Simmons showed signs of an excellent mid range to long range shot in early season games, but strayed away from shooting the ball as the year went on. With the departure of Darnell Gant, the team could really use a consistent touch between 10 and 15 feet and Simmons may be just the guy to do it. What makes me believe in Simmons as the X-factor next season is his motor and drive. Not many players work as hard as he does day in and day out. Add in his extra experience due to his redshirt season and Simmons has all the makings of a game changer.
Aziz N'Diaye should also be considered in this discussion due to the offensive upside that remains on his side. N'Diaye will (more than likely) be a three year starter for the Dawgs, all without having much of a developed offensive game. Everyone knows the type of contribution N'Diaye makes on the defensive end with his massive body sucking up the paint and his rebounding efforts make him a very valuable force in the middle. N'Diaye can become an X-factor by turning his inability to shoot free throws into a passable aspect of his game. With N'Diaye standing taller and stronger than a majority of his opposition, playing above and through contact should not and has not been too much of a problem. What has been a problem is his production at the foul line following the contact. With a career average just over 40%, N'Diaye has missed, quite literally, over 100 free opportunities at easy points. I expect no player to be perfect at the line, but as Gilles Dierickx has shown, big men can shoot the ball well from the foul line if they are willing to work at it. Averaging 4 foul attempts per game this past year, N'Diaye is missing 2 to 3 points per game. Perfecting his shot suddenly jumps N'Diaye's 8 point average right into the double digit range and gives him a chance to put up a double-double in every game. A summer's worth of work should be enough to get him near the 75% any player should consider the minimum, it only comes down to whether N'Diaye is willing to put in the work necessary to fix his shot. UW has been well known for its string of proficient outside shooters and wings. If N'Diaye can become an offensive force in the paint, his presence can be a deterrent to defenses wishing to cheat outside. However, this will only work well if N'Diaye proves he can hit the free ones. Should N'Diaye continue to miss his foul shots, the opposition should have no problem instituting a "Hack-a-Shaq" policy and the defense will be freer to spread the floor and prevent the deep shots.
Mark McLaughlin is another intriguing choice, though for different reasons than the two mentioned above. McLaughlin was a dominating scorer at the junior college level averaging nearly 30 points per game. The biggest question surrounding McLaughlin is "Can he produce at such high levels against Division 1 defense?" The likely answer is that McLaughlin will continue to score in droves, though his possession numbers will not be high enough to rack up 30 points a night. Personally, McLaughlin strikes me as a guy who will produce much like Wilcox has these past two years. McLaughlin sizes up well next to Scott Suggs and Wilcox and could very well be the 6th man of this team and the first sub off the bench. What made the 2010-2011 Huskies so dangerous was the bench depth and scoring potential of so many players. That season featured a rotation of nearly 10 guys, all of whom could have started for any team in the Pac-10. They all could score and as such, substitutions did not mean a dip in scoring. McLaughlin should be a big help in that same vein. When Suggs or Wilcox need a breather, McLaughlin could offer up a third deadly hand to maintain a high team scoring average. McLaughlin needs to establish himself early in the preseason games in Europe and Africa to gain the confidence of his coaches and teammates.
A fourth choice is Jernard Jarreau, the 6-10 forward with point guard skill. Featuring a 7-7 wingspan, Jarreau is a lanky guy with huge potential to disrupt on the defensive end and play above the rim on both sides of the court. A comparison to Anthony Davis is likely farfetched, but Jarreau strikes me as a similar player due to their build and back stories. With N'Diaye beside Jarreau with a 7-6 wing span, the duo more than covers the 12 foot paint and take up 30% of the court's width. That type of length is tough to beat and will certainly help ail some of the defensive issues that plagued the Dawgs off and on last season. Jarreau must do more than play tough, preventative defense. Jarreau must also supply some sort of scoring potential, preferably from the high post where he can see above the defense to create plays through himself or with a pass to an open teammate. Jarreau could be the first man off the bench for the Husky frontcourt to provide Simmons with a breather. Jarreau's thin frame prevents him from subbing for N'Diaye, but that is where Shawn Kemp Jr. comes into play.
Go Dawgs!
Showing posts with label Aziz N'Diaye. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Aziz N'Diaye. Show all posts
Saturday, June 30, 2012
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Who will take over in 2012-2013?
The title of best player is always up for debate in the world of sports. Sure, some NBA teams possess super stars that leave little doubt like the Heat and LeBron James, the Magic and Dwight Howard, or the Zombie Sonics and Kevin Durant, but at the college level things change drastically. Several players contribute in a variety of ways to allow great debates about which player has the greatest and most positive impact on his team.
This past off-season saw the departure of our two best players in Terrence Ross and Tony Wroten. While some may not agree with declaring Wroten as one of our top players, it is hard to ignore everything he did for the Husky squad. What this means for the 2012-2013 season is a wide opening for several individuals to elevate their games to the next level and take over the reigns as the squad's "Best Player."
Being the best player is about more than points per games or how many rebounds a player can snatch up in 40 minutes. The best player needs to have intangibles that don't show up in the post-game box score. The best player needs to dominate all aspects of the game and thrive because of it.
Arguably the best player in recent, if not all, UW history is Isaiah Thomas and he is exactly the sort of player I refer to when I talk about a guy doing more than just hitting baskets and making plays. I.T. ruled the court with both his skills and his attitude. The guy refused to lose. He did everything and more to motivate and carry his team through adversity as well as success. If you have any doubt about how good I.T. was and is, just watch this.
My initial reaction was to peg Scott Suggs as the best player next season. Suggs has everything a team could want in terms of size, athleticism, and experience. After facing a tough foot injury right before the 2011-2012 season began, Suggs opted to take a medical redshirt and return in full force for a complete and dominating senior season. Built just like Ross, Suggs stands at 6-6 and nearly 200lbs. Suggs' long athletic frame allows him to elevate above the competition at the hoop and outside the arc. During his junior season campaign, Suggs showed a huge improvement concerning his inside game. Suggs was able to attack the rim and finish inside. We are all well aware of Suggs' ability to nail the outside shot. Suggs was arguably the best sharpshooter on the team in 2010-2011 due to his consistency and accuracy. Watching Suggs during warm-ups this past season has only increased my confidence in his ability to drain the long ball. As a fifth year senior, Suggs has more experience than most. Suggs has participated in 3 NCAA tournament appearances as well as having won a regular season title and two tournament titles (I won't include his redshirt season as he did not play in any games). I believe Suggs will step in to fill Ross' shoes immediately and will make a strong case for Pac-12 Player of the Year honors. The one aspect on his game that Suggs can improve on to solidify his position as the Best Player is rebounding. Suggs has never been a great rebounder, but the increased presence of his inside game will allow Suggs more opportunities near the hoop to snag a few extra boards. I can easily envision Suggs averaging 16 points and 5 rebounds per game. That type of production combined with excellent senior leadership and tenacity would make for an amazing player and could certainly be a game changer in tight situations.
C.J. Wilcox should be involved in any type of "Best Player" argument, whether simply the Husky Basketball team or the Pac-12 conference. Wilcox averaged a quiet 14 points per game last season despite battle nagging injuries that prevented him from seeing action in several games and limiting his play time in others. With a full summer to heal the stress fracture in his hip/leg, Wilcox is primed to light up the court for what could be his final season. Wilcox is attending the Kevin Durant skill camp this summer along with playing the the Seattle Summer league games, giving him plenty of opportunities to work on his abilities before the preseason games across the Atlantic. As with Suggs, Wilcox can strengthen his argument for the team's best player by improving his rebounding from 3 boards per game to 5 or 6. A greater aspect to improve upon, perhaps more important than a few more rebounds per game, would be Wilcox's ability to play into and through contact near the paint to draw fouls and free throws. Wilcox averaged 84% from the line last season and at one point had hit over 30 free throws in a row. Romar's teams have always been known to be unsuccessful at the foul line, yet individual players have made great strides in improving their shot from the charity stripe and in doing so become game changers. These individuals include I.T. and Jon Brockman. Last season, Wroten averaged nearly 8 free throws attempts per game, making under 60% on the season. With Wilcox's 84% average those 4 points from 8 free throws becomes nearly 7 points per game. 3 points extra per night is a huge number from the foul line where close games are won and lost. What could ultimately hold Wilcox back from being the best player on the 2012-2013 squad is his quiet nature. In terms of sheer athletic ability, no one can match-up with Wilcox. Wilcox has been the fastest at the mile, is one of the quickest sprinters on the team, and has the highest vertical jump of anyone. Wilcox out jumped Ross last season and we have all seen what type of plays can occur when a player has huge hops. If Wilcox can become not only a leader in terms of production, but also as a vocal and emotional leader, he could be a favorite for Player of the Year awards.
Aziz N'Diaye would be my third pick for top player on the team. N'Diaye's size and defensive presence alone put him near the top of the list. N'Diaye showed great improvement to his footwork, post moves, and in softening his hands. The big man is no longer a black hole in the middle where the ball will never return from. N'Diaye showed better court vision knowing when to take his man to the hoop and when to kick the ball back out to the perimeter. N'Diaye is already a supreme rebounder, picking up nearly 8 per night, but could take another step forward by boxing out better on the offensive end and allowing his length to take charge. Where N'Diaye can really improve is his offensive game. This has always been the weakest part of N'Diaye's game, but his jump hook is improving steadily. I would also like to see N'Diaye throw down a few more dunks. Too often, N'Diaye is right next to the hoop and opts for a dainty little lay-in. Throw down, big man, throw down. Dunks are the highest percentage shots there are. At 7-0, it is hard to have a dunk blocked inside 4 feet. Take a page out of this kid's book, N'Diaye, it'll help you immensely. If N'Diaye can continue improving his ability to catch the ball and finish at the rim, he could quite possibly average 14 points per game on top of 8 rebounds and a block or two a night. All that production does not even begin to tell the whole tale, something I argued earlier would be critical in determining the team's best player. How many times has an opposing player driven towards the lane only to see N'Diaye towering in the paint? How many times has that player then changed his mind and opted for either a terrible jumper or been forced to kick the ball back outside the paint? That is the type of impact that doesn't show up in the box score. It's the type of impact that every player should strive for.
A fourth, perhaps outside pick, would be Abdul Gaddy. Gaddy has struggled to live up to the All-American hype that surrounded him coming into his freshman season. Gaddy came to the UW as a quite young 17 year old, trying to compete against 22 year old players who were much stronger, faster, and experienced. Gaddy's sophomore campaign started phenomenally, but sadly he blew his ACL right as Pac-10 play began. Gaddy spent the summer recuperating his knee and appeared to be on track for a solid 2011-2012 year. Gaddy spent much of this past season looking slower and more cautious, something that was not all that surprising given his newly injured knee. At the end of the year, Gaddy finally realized how deadly he can be when driving the lane. Not only does it open the opportunity to kick out for an assisted 3-pointer, but it also allows Gaddy to get a good look at the hoop down low in the paint where his teardrop shot can be put to good use. What Gaddy needs to do in order to become our best player is to take this team over and make it his. This will be Gaddy's senior season. His last hurrah. Gaddy must develop that seasoned, vocal leadership this team so dearly lacked last season. Gaddy could average double digit points if he attacked the rim consistently and improved his 3-point accuracy. And, while it may seem greedy, I would really like to see Gaddy average 7 assists per game. Gaddy has amazing court vision and has a great knack for making solid passes to open players. I believe Romar's play calling is what is holding Gaddy back from averaging those types of numbers. If Romar can develop a few more motion offensive plays, Gaddy will have more opportunities to deliver the rock to open guys on the perimeter and in the post. With the addition of Suggs as a steady hand inside and out, Gaddy has one more tool at his disposal to spread the floor and make things happen. Another important point to note is the absence of Wroten allows Gaddy to resume taking a majority of the point guard play time, meaning more play-making opportunities to boost his stats.
So who do you think will take over in 2012-2013? One of these four? Someone else? Let us know in the comments below.
Go Dawgs!
This past off-season saw the departure of our two best players in Terrence Ross and Tony Wroten. While some may not agree with declaring Wroten as one of our top players, it is hard to ignore everything he did for the Husky squad. What this means for the 2012-2013 season is a wide opening for several individuals to elevate their games to the next level and take over the reigns as the squad's "Best Player."
Being the best player is about more than points per games or how many rebounds a player can snatch up in 40 minutes. The best player needs to have intangibles that don't show up in the post-game box score. The best player needs to dominate all aspects of the game and thrive because of it.
Arguably the best player in recent, if not all, UW history is Isaiah Thomas and he is exactly the sort of player I refer to when I talk about a guy doing more than just hitting baskets and making plays. I.T. ruled the court with both his skills and his attitude. The guy refused to lose. He did everything and more to motivate and carry his team through adversity as well as success. If you have any doubt about how good I.T. was and is, just watch this.
My initial reaction was to peg Scott Suggs as the best player next season. Suggs has everything a team could want in terms of size, athleticism, and experience. After facing a tough foot injury right before the 2011-2012 season began, Suggs opted to take a medical redshirt and return in full force for a complete and dominating senior season. Built just like Ross, Suggs stands at 6-6 and nearly 200lbs. Suggs' long athletic frame allows him to elevate above the competition at the hoop and outside the arc. During his junior season campaign, Suggs showed a huge improvement concerning his inside game. Suggs was able to attack the rim and finish inside. We are all well aware of Suggs' ability to nail the outside shot. Suggs was arguably the best sharpshooter on the team in 2010-2011 due to his consistency and accuracy. Watching Suggs during warm-ups this past season has only increased my confidence in his ability to drain the long ball. As a fifth year senior, Suggs has more experience than most. Suggs has participated in 3 NCAA tournament appearances as well as having won a regular season title and two tournament titles (I won't include his redshirt season as he did not play in any games). I believe Suggs will step in to fill Ross' shoes immediately and will make a strong case for Pac-12 Player of the Year honors. The one aspect on his game that Suggs can improve on to solidify his position as the Best Player is rebounding. Suggs has never been a great rebounder, but the increased presence of his inside game will allow Suggs more opportunities near the hoop to snag a few extra boards. I can easily envision Suggs averaging 16 points and 5 rebounds per game. That type of production combined with excellent senior leadership and tenacity would make for an amazing player and could certainly be a game changer in tight situations.
C.J. Wilcox should be involved in any type of "Best Player" argument, whether simply the Husky Basketball team or the Pac-12 conference. Wilcox averaged a quiet 14 points per game last season despite battle nagging injuries that prevented him from seeing action in several games and limiting his play time in others. With a full summer to heal the stress fracture in his hip/leg, Wilcox is primed to light up the court for what could be his final season. Wilcox is attending the Kevin Durant skill camp this summer along with playing the the Seattle Summer league games, giving him plenty of opportunities to work on his abilities before the preseason games across the Atlantic. As with Suggs, Wilcox can strengthen his argument for the team's best player by improving his rebounding from 3 boards per game to 5 or 6. A greater aspect to improve upon, perhaps more important than a few more rebounds per game, would be Wilcox's ability to play into and through contact near the paint to draw fouls and free throws. Wilcox averaged 84% from the line last season and at one point had hit over 30 free throws in a row. Romar's teams have always been known to be unsuccessful at the foul line, yet individual players have made great strides in improving their shot from the charity stripe and in doing so become game changers. These individuals include I.T. and Jon Brockman. Last season, Wroten averaged nearly 8 free throws attempts per game, making under 60% on the season. With Wilcox's 84% average those 4 points from 8 free throws becomes nearly 7 points per game. 3 points extra per night is a huge number from the foul line where close games are won and lost. What could ultimately hold Wilcox back from being the best player on the 2012-2013 squad is his quiet nature. In terms of sheer athletic ability, no one can match-up with Wilcox. Wilcox has been the fastest at the mile, is one of the quickest sprinters on the team, and has the highest vertical jump of anyone. Wilcox out jumped Ross last season and we have all seen what type of plays can occur when a player has huge hops. If Wilcox can become not only a leader in terms of production, but also as a vocal and emotional leader, he could be a favorite for Player of the Year awards.
Aziz N'Diaye would be my third pick for top player on the team. N'Diaye's size and defensive presence alone put him near the top of the list. N'Diaye showed great improvement to his footwork, post moves, and in softening his hands. The big man is no longer a black hole in the middle where the ball will never return from. N'Diaye showed better court vision knowing when to take his man to the hoop and when to kick the ball back out to the perimeter. N'Diaye is already a supreme rebounder, picking up nearly 8 per night, but could take another step forward by boxing out better on the offensive end and allowing his length to take charge. Where N'Diaye can really improve is his offensive game. This has always been the weakest part of N'Diaye's game, but his jump hook is improving steadily. I would also like to see N'Diaye throw down a few more dunks. Too often, N'Diaye is right next to the hoop and opts for a dainty little lay-in. Throw down, big man, throw down. Dunks are the highest percentage shots there are. At 7-0, it is hard to have a dunk blocked inside 4 feet. Take a page out of this kid's book, N'Diaye, it'll help you immensely. If N'Diaye can continue improving his ability to catch the ball and finish at the rim, he could quite possibly average 14 points per game on top of 8 rebounds and a block or two a night. All that production does not even begin to tell the whole tale, something I argued earlier would be critical in determining the team's best player. How many times has an opposing player driven towards the lane only to see N'Diaye towering in the paint? How many times has that player then changed his mind and opted for either a terrible jumper or been forced to kick the ball back outside the paint? That is the type of impact that doesn't show up in the box score. It's the type of impact that every player should strive for.
A fourth, perhaps outside pick, would be Abdul Gaddy. Gaddy has struggled to live up to the All-American hype that surrounded him coming into his freshman season. Gaddy came to the UW as a quite young 17 year old, trying to compete against 22 year old players who were much stronger, faster, and experienced. Gaddy's sophomore campaign started phenomenally, but sadly he blew his ACL right as Pac-10 play began. Gaddy spent the summer recuperating his knee and appeared to be on track for a solid 2011-2012 year. Gaddy spent much of this past season looking slower and more cautious, something that was not all that surprising given his newly injured knee. At the end of the year, Gaddy finally realized how deadly he can be when driving the lane. Not only does it open the opportunity to kick out for an assisted 3-pointer, but it also allows Gaddy to get a good look at the hoop down low in the paint where his teardrop shot can be put to good use. What Gaddy needs to do in order to become our best player is to take this team over and make it his. This will be Gaddy's senior season. His last hurrah. Gaddy must develop that seasoned, vocal leadership this team so dearly lacked last season. Gaddy could average double digit points if he attacked the rim consistently and improved his 3-point accuracy. And, while it may seem greedy, I would really like to see Gaddy average 7 assists per game. Gaddy has amazing court vision and has a great knack for making solid passes to open players. I believe Romar's play calling is what is holding Gaddy back from averaging those types of numbers. If Romar can develop a few more motion offensive plays, Gaddy will have more opportunities to deliver the rock to open guys on the perimeter and in the post. With the addition of Suggs as a steady hand inside and out, Gaddy has one more tool at his disposal to spread the floor and make things happen. Another important point to note is the absence of Wroten allows Gaddy to resume taking a majority of the point guard play time, meaning more play-making opportunities to boost his stats.
So who do you think will take over in 2012-2013? One of these four? Someone else? Let us know in the comments below.
Go Dawgs!
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
2012-2013: Who can take over in the frontcourt?
Quick recruiting update: Nigel Williams-Goss, a 6-3 point guard out of Oregon, has verbally committed to the Huskies for the 2013 recruiting class. NWG is a stereotypical Romar player: smart (4.0 GPA in high school), focused on the defensive end, and the completely opposite of a drama-hog. Instead of the "traditional" method of declaring a commitment via selecting a hat off a table, NWG opted to write a blog post about his decision. NWG is a great pick-up would should help replace Abdul Gaddy following his senior season.
Now back to your regularly scheduled programming.
I mentioned briefly in my early season preview that one of the Huskies biggest issues moving into the '12-'13 season is filling the power forward position Darnell Gant had been the center of the past two years. Desmond Simmons provided solid relief in the non-conference season, but struggled to have a strong impact in conference play. Outside of Simmons, the Huskies had little bench support to speak of at the 4 (and 5 slot for that matter).
If the Huskies want to compete for a 5th straight Pac-10/12 title, the Dawgs will need to find an answer to the question "Who can take over in the frontcourt?" While a definitive answer is far from complete at this point in the year, the Dawgs do possess a number of candidates who could make enough of an impact to take scoring and defensive pressure off the backcourt.
The only certainty in the frontcourt is Aziz N'Diaye who will undoubtedly remain in the starting line-up as our go-to center for the third straight season. N'Diaye improved his offensive game greatly this past year as well as his ability to play suffocating defensive without drawing a foul every few plays. This has allowed N'Diaye the opportunity to play more minutes, leading to more scoring and game play experience. N'Diaye's hands softened up and the big man was able to add some nice drop step maneuvers to his post game skill set. N'Diaye continued to struggle mightily at the foul line, but another summer could prove to be invaluable for his work at the charity stripe. Oftentimes N'Diaye's shots would fall short or long of their mark, but remain dead on target in terms of hitting the center of the rim. If the 7 footer can bring his foul shot percentage up to 75% from his career average of 40.4%, N'Diaye will see his scoring average raise at least 1 points per game (a number more significant than it may seem). This number increases even more if N'Diaye can play more into contact to draw a greater number of fouls. During the 2011-2012 season, N'Diaye averaged just under 4 foul shot attempts per game. With the Pac-12 featuring some powerful frontcourts next year in UCLA and USC, the Dawgs desperately need players to step up inside the paint and draw fouls on the opposition. While I do not expect N'Diaye to pull a Derrick Williams and average over 8 foul attempts per game, seeing N'Diaye raise his average from 4 to 6 would be fantastic for the Huskies.
I wish N'Diaye could play the full 40 minutes, but N'Diaye is not I.T. and those type of minutes will wear on any players as the season progresses. With that in mind it is critical that the Dawgs find a strong relief player who can fill the paint and provide solid play on both sides of the court. The loss of Darnell Gant is felt even more when considering this problem. While Gant may not have been the strongest player at the 5, his length and speed made him dangerous as a defender and his mid-range game made Gant a tough cover for bigger centers like Josh Smith.
Maybe the most obvious man for the job is Shawn Kemp Jr. Kemp comes in at 6-9 and a very solid 265lbs. Kemp may have averaged only 7 minutes and 2 points per game last season, but Kemp did something our other frontcourt players seemed scared to do: go hard to the rim and dunk the ball. Too often for my taste, N'Diaye would lay the ball in rather than going up for the jam. I know N'Diaye can dunk, I just don't know why he seems so scared to do just that. N'Diaye's length is unbelievable and very few players can get their hands up near his on the block. Kemp understands that a dunk is more than just two points. A dunk can change the momentum of a game by charging up the home crowd or silencing a hostile environment. Players rally around guys playing a tough, physical game and a center that can throw down next to the rim is an immense tool. I believe Kemp can be that tough player. I believe Kemp can be that guy to come in and bang in the paint, drawing a few fouls while delivering a few of his own. Kemp certainly has the genetics for highlight plays and showed flashes of his abilities during his limited play time. When considering Kemp as N'Diaye's backup you have to remember that Kemp had spent two season away from competitive basketball while improving his academic standing and his conditioning and skills suffered as a result. Now that Kemp is able to refocus his efforts in basketball, expect an immediate rise in his abilities.
We now arrive at the biggest unknown of next season: the 4. If I had to place a bet now, I would lay my money on Desmond Simmons starting at the 4 slot. Simmons proved he is the rough and tumble energy guy Romar professed him to be. Simmons was aggressive on both ends of the glass and supplied reasonably solid defense through the game. Some may argue that Simmons is a tad undersized for the 4 at only 6-7, but at 220lbs Simmons has the strength to battle with players bigger than himself. It is truly his motor that carries him forward and allows him to find success. Where Simmons needs to improve is his mid-range shot. The Dawgs need Simmons to nail down that 12 to 15 footer that Gant was known for. It is an especially dangerous shot when used on the high post screen/pick-and-roll, a play Romar neglects to use way too often. I believe this is a simple fix for Simmons due to the fact that he started the year hitting exactly that type of shot. I'm not sure what changed between November and January, but the Freshman Wall almost always rears its head and Simmons encountered his late in the year. I doubt any Husky fan is expecting our 4 to average double digit points, but I think it is more than fair to want our starting forward to bring 7 to 8 points a game with him.
After Simmons, the experience level drops off pretty significantly. The Huskies have 2 players off the bench to provide some length and minutes.
I expect Martin Breunig to be a big part of the bench next season. I love this kid's attitude and the way he plays. Defensively, Breunig had troubles picking up Romar's style of play, which ultimately led to his limited minutes during conference play. That being said, Breunig is aggressive on offense and seems to possess solid court vision. After the Huskies ended their post season, Romar talked about how the defensive issues would be cleared up immediately and that the Husky fan base should expect a return to the hustle and grind that teams in the Romar era have been known for. Breunig has great athleticism and the will to do whatever is necessary to get the W. After a year of the learning a brand new system in a brand new country, Breunig is primed for an off season of training that is made even more valuable when considering the multi-week trip to Europe and Africa that will give The Dawgs an additional 10 practices before non-conference play. With a defensively improved Breunig, the forward slot issues could be much more easily and readily addressed.
A potential X-Factor for the '12-'13 season is 6-10 forward Jernard Jerreau. When Jerreau first arrived at campus he had to run circles in the shower to get wet. A full year of weight lifting during his redshirt season has led to at least 15lbs of muscle being added to his lengthy frame since high school. That additional muscle puts Jerreau at a much better 205lbs with another four and a half months to go before the games begin. Jerreau has skills that many others his size do not after growing 7 inches between his freshman year of high school and his senior year. Jerreau can handle the ball with somewhat surprising grace that combined with his 91 inch wingspan allows the New Orleans native to make plays above and around others with much greater ease. The key to Jerreau's career moving forward is continuing his weight lifting regiment to gain the strength necessary to play through contact and battle more stout players. Jerreau will not be able to compete in the center against guys like Josh Smith or the Wear twins due to his thin frame, but he could do a lot of good against the many 6-8 and 6-9 players at the forward position where his speed and length will be much tougher to stop. I, for one, am very excited to see Jerreau step on the court and see what all he has to offer. With a great shot and decent rebounding, Jerreau could make his way into the starting 5 due to his size (Imagine a starting 5 of 6-3, 6-6, 6-6, 6-10, 7-0, I'm drooling already).
Two other players have uncertain futures with the Huskies: Austin Sefarian-Jenkins and Perris Blackwell.
Perris Blackwell is a transfer player from USF who stands at 6-9 240lbs. What is holding Blackwell back are the NCAA transfer rules and his current standing as a student. If Blackwell could somehow complete 2 quarters worth of schooling over the summer, Blackwell could apply to the UW as a graduate student allowing him to immediately join and play for the Huskies. This scenario is highly unlikely and as a result, Blackwell will need to sit out the 2012-2013 season as a redshirt per NCAA regulations meaning Dawg fans will have to wait to see Blackwell donning the purple and gold.
Austin Sefarian-Jenkins is a potential All-American football player who may wish to sit out the basketball season to avoid injuries that could end his football playing career. Though ASJ loved and grew from his time on the hardwood, his future lies on the gridiron and risking injury as a walk-on to a sport that will not pay his bills is not a wise course of action. At 6-6 and 260lbs, ASJ was great for about 5 minutes of play and 5 hard fouls, which is exactly what I would expect him to bring to the floor should he put on a basketball uniform for another season. What Husky fans need to keep in mind is that even if ASJ decides to play basketball once more, we will not be able to count on him until conference play as the football season extends into late December and, hopefully, very early January.
What next year's frontcourt comes down to is 5 guys playing a total of 80 minutes, of whom only two have any reasonable amount of experience on the court in a college atmosphere. N'Diaye should continue to pick up his 25 minutes a game and Simmons will likely add a few more to his responsibility in order to fill in the gap left by Gant's departure. This leaves 30-35 minutes amongst 3 players, all of whom could easily contribute the 10-12 minute average that would be asked of them. The most likely scenario is that Kemp Jr. picks up 15 minutes to fill in for N'Diaye, while Breunig and Jerreau split the remaining 15-20 minutes at the 4. With a stellar backcourt once again, this Husky frontcourt should not have too much scoring pressure on their shoulders and much of the frontcourt's responsibilities will come on the defensive end and both sides of the glass. Last season, the frontcourt accounted for 30% of the team scoring and I would imagine next season's team to average the same.
So who can take over in the frontcourt? The answer is pretty much anyone. N'Diaye and Simmons have shown they can play, but there is a lot of room for improvement and opportunity that several players could seize. Romar has always been big on players earning their starting position, stating that no one is ever guaranteed a starting spot when practice begins. While I think most fans would agree that N'Diaye will be in the starting 5, an argument can clearly be made for a number of players to start at the forward position, depending on the off-season progress made by each individual.
The conclusion is that Husky fans should not be terribly worried about our frontcourt. Our team will be much more experienced next season and the tools exist for our frontcourt to have a successful year. I've always been a firm believer that basketball is an inside-out game, meaning that a strong (or at least reliable) frontcourt will open the floor for a talented backcourt to take over. This group of guys can get that job done. Now we just have to wait to see if they can execute and utilize the talent on their team effectively.
Go Dawgs!
Now back to your regularly scheduled programming.
I mentioned briefly in my early season preview that one of the Huskies biggest issues moving into the '12-'13 season is filling the power forward position Darnell Gant had been the center of the past two years. Desmond Simmons provided solid relief in the non-conference season, but struggled to have a strong impact in conference play. Outside of Simmons, the Huskies had little bench support to speak of at the 4 (and 5 slot for that matter).
If the Huskies want to compete for a 5th straight Pac-10/12 title, the Dawgs will need to find an answer to the question "Who can take over in the frontcourt?" While a definitive answer is far from complete at this point in the year, the Dawgs do possess a number of candidates who could make enough of an impact to take scoring and defensive pressure off the backcourt.
The only certainty in the frontcourt is Aziz N'Diaye who will undoubtedly remain in the starting line-up as our go-to center for the third straight season. N'Diaye improved his offensive game greatly this past year as well as his ability to play suffocating defensive without drawing a foul every few plays. This has allowed N'Diaye the opportunity to play more minutes, leading to more scoring and game play experience. N'Diaye's hands softened up and the big man was able to add some nice drop step maneuvers to his post game skill set. N'Diaye continued to struggle mightily at the foul line, but another summer could prove to be invaluable for his work at the charity stripe. Oftentimes N'Diaye's shots would fall short or long of their mark, but remain dead on target in terms of hitting the center of the rim. If the 7 footer can bring his foul shot percentage up to 75% from his career average of 40.4%, N'Diaye will see his scoring average raise at least 1 points per game (a number more significant than it may seem). This number increases even more if N'Diaye can play more into contact to draw a greater number of fouls. During the 2011-2012 season, N'Diaye averaged just under 4 foul shot attempts per game. With the Pac-12 featuring some powerful frontcourts next year in UCLA and USC, the Dawgs desperately need players to step up inside the paint and draw fouls on the opposition. While I do not expect N'Diaye to pull a Derrick Williams and average over 8 foul attempts per game, seeing N'Diaye raise his average from 4 to 6 would be fantastic for the Huskies.
I wish N'Diaye could play the full 40 minutes, but N'Diaye is not I.T. and those type of minutes will wear on any players as the season progresses. With that in mind it is critical that the Dawgs find a strong relief player who can fill the paint and provide solid play on both sides of the court. The loss of Darnell Gant is felt even more when considering this problem. While Gant may not have been the strongest player at the 5, his length and speed made him dangerous as a defender and his mid-range game made Gant a tough cover for bigger centers like Josh Smith.
Maybe the most obvious man for the job is Shawn Kemp Jr. Kemp comes in at 6-9 and a very solid 265lbs. Kemp may have averaged only 7 minutes and 2 points per game last season, but Kemp did something our other frontcourt players seemed scared to do: go hard to the rim and dunk the ball. Too often for my taste, N'Diaye would lay the ball in rather than going up for the jam. I know N'Diaye can dunk, I just don't know why he seems so scared to do just that. N'Diaye's length is unbelievable and very few players can get their hands up near his on the block. Kemp understands that a dunk is more than just two points. A dunk can change the momentum of a game by charging up the home crowd or silencing a hostile environment. Players rally around guys playing a tough, physical game and a center that can throw down next to the rim is an immense tool. I believe Kemp can be that tough player. I believe Kemp can be that guy to come in and bang in the paint, drawing a few fouls while delivering a few of his own. Kemp certainly has the genetics for highlight plays and showed flashes of his abilities during his limited play time. When considering Kemp as N'Diaye's backup you have to remember that Kemp had spent two season away from competitive basketball while improving his academic standing and his conditioning and skills suffered as a result. Now that Kemp is able to refocus his efforts in basketball, expect an immediate rise in his abilities.
We now arrive at the biggest unknown of next season: the 4. If I had to place a bet now, I would lay my money on Desmond Simmons starting at the 4 slot. Simmons proved he is the rough and tumble energy guy Romar professed him to be. Simmons was aggressive on both ends of the glass and supplied reasonably solid defense through the game. Some may argue that Simmons is a tad undersized for the 4 at only 6-7, but at 220lbs Simmons has the strength to battle with players bigger than himself. It is truly his motor that carries him forward and allows him to find success. Where Simmons needs to improve is his mid-range shot. The Dawgs need Simmons to nail down that 12 to 15 footer that Gant was known for. It is an especially dangerous shot when used on the high post screen/pick-and-roll, a play Romar neglects to use way too often. I believe this is a simple fix for Simmons due to the fact that he started the year hitting exactly that type of shot. I'm not sure what changed between November and January, but the Freshman Wall almost always rears its head and Simmons encountered his late in the year. I doubt any Husky fan is expecting our 4 to average double digit points, but I think it is more than fair to want our starting forward to bring 7 to 8 points a game with him.
After Simmons, the experience level drops off pretty significantly. The Huskies have 2 players off the bench to provide some length and minutes.
I expect Martin Breunig to be a big part of the bench next season. I love this kid's attitude and the way he plays. Defensively, Breunig had troubles picking up Romar's style of play, which ultimately led to his limited minutes during conference play. That being said, Breunig is aggressive on offense and seems to possess solid court vision. After the Huskies ended their post season, Romar talked about how the defensive issues would be cleared up immediately and that the Husky fan base should expect a return to the hustle and grind that teams in the Romar era have been known for. Breunig has great athleticism and the will to do whatever is necessary to get the W. After a year of the learning a brand new system in a brand new country, Breunig is primed for an off season of training that is made even more valuable when considering the multi-week trip to Europe and Africa that will give The Dawgs an additional 10 practices before non-conference play. With a defensively improved Breunig, the forward slot issues could be much more easily and readily addressed.
A potential X-Factor for the '12-'13 season is 6-10 forward Jernard Jerreau. When Jerreau first arrived at campus he had to run circles in the shower to get wet. A full year of weight lifting during his redshirt season has led to at least 15lbs of muscle being added to his lengthy frame since high school. That additional muscle puts Jerreau at a much better 205lbs with another four and a half months to go before the games begin. Jerreau has skills that many others his size do not after growing 7 inches between his freshman year of high school and his senior year. Jerreau can handle the ball with somewhat surprising grace that combined with his 91 inch wingspan allows the New Orleans native to make plays above and around others with much greater ease. The key to Jerreau's career moving forward is continuing his weight lifting regiment to gain the strength necessary to play through contact and battle more stout players. Jerreau will not be able to compete in the center against guys like Josh Smith or the Wear twins due to his thin frame, but he could do a lot of good against the many 6-8 and 6-9 players at the forward position where his speed and length will be much tougher to stop. I, for one, am very excited to see Jerreau step on the court and see what all he has to offer. With a great shot and decent rebounding, Jerreau could make his way into the starting 5 due to his size (Imagine a starting 5 of 6-3, 6-6, 6-6, 6-10, 7-0, I'm drooling already).
Two other players have uncertain futures with the Huskies: Austin Sefarian-Jenkins and Perris Blackwell.
Perris Blackwell is a transfer player from USF who stands at 6-9 240lbs. What is holding Blackwell back are the NCAA transfer rules and his current standing as a student. If Blackwell could somehow complete 2 quarters worth of schooling over the summer, Blackwell could apply to the UW as a graduate student allowing him to immediately join and play for the Huskies. This scenario is highly unlikely and as a result, Blackwell will need to sit out the 2012-2013 season as a redshirt per NCAA regulations meaning Dawg fans will have to wait to see Blackwell donning the purple and gold.
Austin Sefarian-Jenkins is a potential All-American football player who may wish to sit out the basketball season to avoid injuries that could end his football playing career. Though ASJ loved and grew from his time on the hardwood, his future lies on the gridiron and risking injury as a walk-on to a sport that will not pay his bills is not a wise course of action. At 6-6 and 260lbs, ASJ was great for about 5 minutes of play and 5 hard fouls, which is exactly what I would expect him to bring to the floor should he put on a basketball uniform for another season. What Husky fans need to keep in mind is that even if ASJ decides to play basketball once more, we will not be able to count on him until conference play as the football season extends into late December and, hopefully, very early January.
What next year's frontcourt comes down to is 5 guys playing a total of 80 minutes, of whom only two have any reasonable amount of experience on the court in a college atmosphere. N'Diaye should continue to pick up his 25 minutes a game and Simmons will likely add a few more to his responsibility in order to fill in the gap left by Gant's departure. This leaves 30-35 minutes amongst 3 players, all of whom could easily contribute the 10-12 minute average that would be asked of them. The most likely scenario is that Kemp Jr. picks up 15 minutes to fill in for N'Diaye, while Breunig and Jerreau split the remaining 15-20 minutes at the 4. With a stellar backcourt once again, this Husky frontcourt should not have too much scoring pressure on their shoulders and much of the frontcourt's responsibilities will come on the defensive end and both sides of the glass. Last season, the frontcourt accounted for 30% of the team scoring and I would imagine next season's team to average the same.
So who can take over in the frontcourt? The answer is pretty much anyone. N'Diaye and Simmons have shown they can play, but there is a lot of room for improvement and opportunity that several players could seize. Romar has always been big on players earning their starting position, stating that no one is ever guaranteed a starting spot when practice begins. While I think most fans would agree that N'Diaye will be in the starting 5, an argument can clearly be made for a number of players to start at the forward position, depending on the off-season progress made by each individual.
The conclusion is that Husky fans should not be terribly worried about our frontcourt. Our team will be much more experienced next season and the tools exist for our frontcourt to have a successful year. I've always been a firm believer that basketball is an inside-out game, meaning that a strong (or at least reliable) frontcourt will open the floor for a talented backcourt to take over. This group of guys can get that job done. Now we just have to wait to see if they can execute and utilize the talent on their team effectively.
Go Dawgs!
Friday, May 4, 2012
UW to Take On Europe and Africa
The UW Huskies scrapped plans earlier this year to travel to China for several exhibition games against Chinese professionals. We were promised something equally exciting, if not more so, and the UW did not disappoint. The Huskies have scheduled 7 games across 15 days throughout Europe and Africa. UW is allowed 10 practices before hopping on their plane out, which will no doubt be tremendously helpful in preparing for the regular season.
The Huskies begin their trip on August 25th in Barcelona, Spain for a 5 day/2 game stint before departing to Nice (pronounced Niece), France (having been to Nice, I must say I am quite jealous of the weather they should experience). The Dawgs will stay in Nice for 3 days for two games at which point the Huskies will head over to Paris, France for a 4 day/2 game stay. Following Paris, the Huskies will fly down to Senegal, Africa for a 4 day/1 game stay. This should be immensely exciting for Aziz N'Diaye as it will give him the opportunity to play in front of friends and family.
Go Dawgs!
The Huskies begin their trip on August 25th in Barcelona, Spain for a 5 day/2 game stint before departing to Nice (pronounced Niece), France (having been to Nice, I must say I am quite jealous of the weather they should experience). The Dawgs will stay in Nice for 3 days for two games at which point the Huskies will head over to Paris, France for a 4 day/2 game stay. Following Paris, the Huskies will fly down to Senegal, Africa for a 4 day/1 game stay. This should be immensely exciting for Aziz N'Diaye as it will give him the opportunity to play in front of friends and family.
Go Dawgs!
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!
Saturday, January 28, 2012
University of Arizona Game Review
Final Score: UW-69 UA-67
The game came down to a game saving block yet again, but this time it went to the Huskies and it was without a doubt a solid block. Nick Johnson flew in after the block and flushed a dunk and it appeared that Arizona may have tied it up, but the replay clearly showed time had expired and UW won it after Tony Wroten swatted away the potential game tying shot.
The Huskies could have put this game out of reach sooner, but several big missed free throws allowed UA to tie the game at 67 with just a few seconds left on the clock. At one point, the Huskies held an 11 point lead, but let it bleed away with critical turnovers and a silly 5 second call on an inbounds play. Despite their struggles, the crowd, and the foul differential (22 to 13 with four UW players sitting at 4 fouls, while no UA player had more than 3), the Huskies were able to get the win in front of a national audience. This is quickly becoming one of the most exciting rivalries in the league, and nation if you ask me, as the past 4 games have all been thrilling in their own ways.
This win was huge as the Huskies jumped into first place in the conference with a 7-2 record. Both Cal and Oregon play their instate rivals tomorrow and can retie for first place with wins. Out of those two, Oregon has a better chance of winning due to the sub-stellar play of OSU as of late. Stanford has been solid thus far and could give Cal problems on Sunday. The sweep over the Arizona schools, on the road, is going to have big implications for conference standings as UA is a strong home team that will be tough to beat.
Solomon Hill single-handedly kept Arizona in the game with a massive 28 point 11 rebound night, shooting 9 free throws and sinking 8 as well as draining both of his 3-point jumpers. Hill only missed one shot all night and finished 9 of 10 from the field. Jesse Perry did his part as well making 13 points and grabbing a game high 12 rebounds. Hill and Perry were the only Wildcats in double digit scoring.
Four Huskies hit double digit points and all made strong arguments for MVP of the game. Wroten scored a team high 17 points, right around his average, Aziz N'Diaye played a huge game scoring 12 points and grabbing a team high 8 rebounds, 5 offensive, C.J. Wilcox came off the bench and drained 15 points with some nice drives in the lane, and Terrence Ross put up 16 points and 7 boards.
The other four Huskies combined for a less than acceptable 9 points. All four went 1-3 from the field. They did manage to combine for an important 11 rebounds.
Aziz N'Diaye used his size advantage to take it to the hole early on and found immediate success against the much smaller Wildcat frontcourt. N'Diaye was able to extend over the defenders for some nice looking post moves and hook shots. The Dawgs recognized the advantage and fed him the ball more often than in the past. While N'Diaye's offensive talents are still improving, the difference between this year and last is very noticeable and much needed. Aziz finished 6-11 from the field, but missed all 3 free throw attempts.
C.J. Wilcox looked solid on the court, finished inside the paint when his outside shot wasn't falling. Wilcox hit 6 of 10 from the field and was only 1 of 3 from outside the arc. Wilcox nearly cost the Dawgs the game with a missed front end of a 1-and-1 with the Dawgs only up 3 points. The Wildcats came down and sank a game tying 3-pointer. Wilcox took care of business in the last 15 seconds, hitting a pair of free throws following the expected foul. Wilcox had 5 boards and a pair of assists as well as turnovers. Not his greatest night, but following over two weeks of missed practices and games, Wilcox knocked some of his rust off and played big when we needed him.
Terrence Ross had another amazing second half, hitting some big 3-pointers down the stretch to extend the Husky lead. Like Wilcox, Ross missed the front end of a critical 1-and-1 situation that nearly cost the Dawgs the win. Still, Ross had an impressive stat stuffing night with 7 boards, 2 assists, 3 steals, 3 blocks, and 3 turnovers. Ross put together a much better game and did some work in both halves rather than just in the second. That being said, Ross was still much better in the last 20 than the first 20 minutes. Ross let his impact be felt defensively more than offensively as his blocks were humongous and provided the Dawgs with some nice transition opportunities.
Tony Wroten gets my MVP vote tonight. Not only did he swat the game winning block, but Wroten drilled an insane 3-pointer after Ross bobbled the ball. With only 3 seconds on the clock, Wroten grabbed up the loose ball, turned and dribble around his man and pulled up for a 30 footer that crashed through the net. Unbelievable. The shot was almost a bad thing for Wroten and the Dawgs as Wroten got a little too cocky and started to play overexcited, shooting a poor 3-pointer and turning the ball over in the paint. Wroten quickly gained his composure back after the turnover and returned to playing more mature basketball. Wroten went 5-7 from the foul line, but finished a rather poor 5-18 from the field. Many of his shots were inside where he tried to muscle through a lot of contact that wasn't being called (see the foul differential). My bet is Wroten gets Player of the Week once more and gives one more reason why he should get Freshman of the Year and possibly Player of the Year. Wroten averaged just under 20 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 4 assists per game this week and helped seal a much needed road sweep.
The rest of the Dawgs played somewhat underwhelming. Gaddy had the biggest impact, picking up 3 assists early in the first half and finishing with 5 on the night with only 1 turnover. Gaddy managed only 2 points and was not aggressive offensively. His 4 fouls certainly limited how hard he could go to the hoop and defend, but I thought Gaddy had a favorable match-up that could have been exploited more often. Darnell Gant and Desmond Simmons provided some defensive sparks and grabbed 4 boards a piece. Simmons drilled a wide open 3-pointer in the starting minutes to help the Huskies jump out to a 7 point lead. Austin Sefarian-Jenkins played only 6 minutes, but gave N'Diaye a breather and gave out some heavy fouls. Kevin Parrom tried to shove ASJ after a foul, but the big man didn't move an inch and Parrom seemed to realize his mistake shortly after.
What Needed Improvement:
Free Throws:
When the fouls aren't going your way, you have to hit the few you are given. The Huskies were miserable form the line, hitting only 7 of their 16 attempts. In tight games, especially on the road, foul shots are critical. As I said in the pregame, we were not going to get many calls and I was proven right. The Dawgs did not capitalize on their opportunities and it nearly cost them the game. The Huskies MUST improve their foul shooting or risk another close game slipping away.
Ball Control:
Down the stretch, the Huskies got sloppy with the ball and play calls leading to unnecessary and unforced turnovers that allowed UA to fight their way back into the game. 13 turnovers were committed, 5 by Wroten (though I believe the officials should have called a foul instead of traveling on at least one of those plays). The Dawgs need to take better care of the ball and limit themselves to 10 or less per game. The 13 turnovers led to 17 points by the Wildcats.
What Was Good:
Inside Presence:
The Huskies posted a 34 to 28 point advantage inside, led by N'Diaye and Wroten who crashed the glass and the lane. Wilcox provided the spark inside during the second half and Ross showed himself to be an extreme athlete once more with some impressive moves on the block.
Rebounding:
One of the biggest keys to UW's win was offensive rebounding. The Huskies posted 16 offensive boards (36 total) that led to 17 second chance points, crushing UA's 8 second chance points. When our shots weren't dropping, we got up high and gathered the ball for the easy put back. UA did manage 35 boards behind the strong efforts of Hill and Perry, but it just wasn't enough. Six Huskies posted 4 or more rebounds, while Hill and Perry were the only Wildcats with more than 3 rebounds.
Final Thoughts:
Finally, we played in a big road game and came out the victors. Solid defense forced 15 turnovers and held the 'Cats to 42% shooting from the field (not great, but solid enough) and 30% from deep (again, not great, but good enough). The Huskies put together some big stops early in both halves to put the Wildcats in some deep holes that proved too difficult to climb out of. The Wildcats went into half with a 3 point lead following a controversial dunk that appeared to be offensive goaltending. The Huskies overcame sloppy play and put together a strong enough effort to pull out the win. I would say the Dawgs played about 30 minutes of tough basketball, the other 10 minutes led to the Wildcats coming back from 7 and 11 point deficits. Big, big win and while I understand the Pac-12 is "weak" this year, anyone watching the game has to admit it was exciting. These two teams have provided some of the best basketball in the nation these past two seasons and I suspect this will continue for several more years as the programs have really begun to make this game into a huge event with everyone giving all they have to offer. This will be huge when it comes to building our players' mental attitude about big games and road games and should really give these guys a taste of how sweet a big time win is. Hopefully this is the turning point that allows us to start crushing teams with our superior athleticism and talent. Romar, now is your time to get us rolling. The momentum is here, the talent is here, now it comes down to execution and chemistry. Get it done, boys.
Go Dawgs!
The game came down to a game saving block yet again, but this time it went to the Huskies and it was without a doubt a solid block. Nick Johnson flew in after the block and flushed a dunk and it appeared that Arizona may have tied it up, but the replay clearly showed time had expired and UW won it after Tony Wroten swatted away the potential game tying shot.
The Huskies could have put this game out of reach sooner, but several big missed free throws allowed UA to tie the game at 67 with just a few seconds left on the clock. At one point, the Huskies held an 11 point lead, but let it bleed away with critical turnovers and a silly 5 second call on an inbounds play. Despite their struggles, the crowd, and the foul differential (22 to 13 with four UW players sitting at 4 fouls, while no UA player had more than 3), the Huskies were able to get the win in front of a national audience. This is quickly becoming one of the most exciting rivalries in the league, and nation if you ask me, as the past 4 games have all been thrilling in their own ways.
This win was huge as the Huskies jumped into first place in the conference with a 7-2 record. Both Cal and Oregon play their instate rivals tomorrow and can retie for first place with wins. Out of those two, Oregon has a better chance of winning due to the sub-stellar play of OSU as of late. Stanford has been solid thus far and could give Cal problems on Sunday. The sweep over the Arizona schools, on the road, is going to have big implications for conference standings as UA is a strong home team that will be tough to beat.
Solomon Hill single-handedly kept Arizona in the game with a massive 28 point 11 rebound night, shooting 9 free throws and sinking 8 as well as draining both of his 3-point jumpers. Hill only missed one shot all night and finished 9 of 10 from the field. Jesse Perry did his part as well making 13 points and grabbing a game high 12 rebounds. Hill and Perry were the only Wildcats in double digit scoring.
Four Huskies hit double digit points and all made strong arguments for MVP of the game. Wroten scored a team high 17 points, right around his average, Aziz N'Diaye played a huge game scoring 12 points and grabbing a team high 8 rebounds, 5 offensive, C.J. Wilcox came off the bench and drained 15 points with some nice drives in the lane, and Terrence Ross put up 16 points and 7 boards.
The other four Huskies combined for a less than acceptable 9 points. All four went 1-3 from the field. They did manage to combine for an important 11 rebounds.
Aziz N'Diaye used his size advantage to take it to the hole early on and found immediate success against the much smaller Wildcat frontcourt. N'Diaye was able to extend over the defenders for some nice looking post moves and hook shots. The Dawgs recognized the advantage and fed him the ball more often than in the past. While N'Diaye's offensive talents are still improving, the difference between this year and last is very noticeable and much needed. Aziz finished 6-11 from the field, but missed all 3 free throw attempts.
C.J. Wilcox looked solid on the court, finished inside the paint when his outside shot wasn't falling. Wilcox hit 6 of 10 from the field and was only 1 of 3 from outside the arc. Wilcox nearly cost the Dawgs the game with a missed front end of a 1-and-1 with the Dawgs only up 3 points. The Wildcats came down and sank a game tying 3-pointer. Wilcox took care of business in the last 15 seconds, hitting a pair of free throws following the expected foul. Wilcox had 5 boards and a pair of assists as well as turnovers. Not his greatest night, but following over two weeks of missed practices and games, Wilcox knocked some of his rust off and played big when we needed him.
Terrence Ross had another amazing second half, hitting some big 3-pointers down the stretch to extend the Husky lead. Like Wilcox, Ross missed the front end of a critical 1-and-1 situation that nearly cost the Dawgs the win. Still, Ross had an impressive stat stuffing night with 7 boards, 2 assists, 3 steals, 3 blocks, and 3 turnovers. Ross put together a much better game and did some work in both halves rather than just in the second. That being said, Ross was still much better in the last 20 than the first 20 minutes. Ross let his impact be felt defensively more than offensively as his blocks were humongous and provided the Dawgs with some nice transition opportunities.
Tony Wroten gets my MVP vote tonight. Not only did he swat the game winning block, but Wroten drilled an insane 3-pointer after Ross bobbled the ball. With only 3 seconds on the clock, Wroten grabbed up the loose ball, turned and dribble around his man and pulled up for a 30 footer that crashed through the net. Unbelievable. The shot was almost a bad thing for Wroten and the Dawgs as Wroten got a little too cocky and started to play overexcited, shooting a poor 3-pointer and turning the ball over in the paint. Wroten quickly gained his composure back after the turnover and returned to playing more mature basketball. Wroten went 5-7 from the foul line, but finished a rather poor 5-18 from the field. Many of his shots were inside where he tried to muscle through a lot of contact that wasn't being called (see the foul differential). My bet is Wroten gets Player of the Week once more and gives one more reason why he should get Freshman of the Year and possibly Player of the Year. Wroten averaged just under 20 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 4 assists per game this week and helped seal a much needed road sweep.
The rest of the Dawgs played somewhat underwhelming. Gaddy had the biggest impact, picking up 3 assists early in the first half and finishing with 5 on the night with only 1 turnover. Gaddy managed only 2 points and was not aggressive offensively. His 4 fouls certainly limited how hard he could go to the hoop and defend, but I thought Gaddy had a favorable match-up that could have been exploited more often. Darnell Gant and Desmond Simmons provided some defensive sparks and grabbed 4 boards a piece. Simmons drilled a wide open 3-pointer in the starting minutes to help the Huskies jump out to a 7 point lead. Austin Sefarian-Jenkins played only 6 minutes, but gave N'Diaye a breather and gave out some heavy fouls. Kevin Parrom tried to shove ASJ after a foul, but the big man didn't move an inch and Parrom seemed to realize his mistake shortly after.
What Needed Improvement:
Free Throws:
When the fouls aren't going your way, you have to hit the few you are given. The Huskies were miserable form the line, hitting only 7 of their 16 attempts. In tight games, especially on the road, foul shots are critical. As I said in the pregame, we were not going to get many calls and I was proven right. The Dawgs did not capitalize on their opportunities and it nearly cost them the game. The Huskies MUST improve their foul shooting or risk another close game slipping away.
Ball Control:
Down the stretch, the Huskies got sloppy with the ball and play calls leading to unnecessary and unforced turnovers that allowed UA to fight their way back into the game. 13 turnovers were committed, 5 by Wroten (though I believe the officials should have called a foul instead of traveling on at least one of those plays). The Dawgs need to take better care of the ball and limit themselves to 10 or less per game. The 13 turnovers led to 17 points by the Wildcats.
What Was Good:
Inside Presence:
The Huskies posted a 34 to 28 point advantage inside, led by N'Diaye and Wroten who crashed the glass and the lane. Wilcox provided the spark inside during the second half and Ross showed himself to be an extreme athlete once more with some impressive moves on the block.
Rebounding:
One of the biggest keys to UW's win was offensive rebounding. The Huskies posted 16 offensive boards (36 total) that led to 17 second chance points, crushing UA's 8 second chance points. When our shots weren't dropping, we got up high and gathered the ball for the easy put back. UA did manage 35 boards behind the strong efforts of Hill and Perry, but it just wasn't enough. Six Huskies posted 4 or more rebounds, while Hill and Perry were the only Wildcats with more than 3 rebounds.
Final Thoughts:
Finally, we played in a big road game and came out the victors. Solid defense forced 15 turnovers and held the 'Cats to 42% shooting from the field (not great, but solid enough) and 30% from deep (again, not great, but good enough). The Huskies put together some big stops early in both halves to put the Wildcats in some deep holes that proved too difficult to climb out of. The Wildcats went into half with a 3 point lead following a controversial dunk that appeared to be offensive goaltending. The Huskies overcame sloppy play and put together a strong enough effort to pull out the win. I would say the Dawgs played about 30 minutes of tough basketball, the other 10 minutes led to the Wildcats coming back from 7 and 11 point deficits. Big, big win and while I understand the Pac-12 is "weak" this year, anyone watching the game has to admit it was exciting. These two teams have provided some of the best basketball in the nation these past two seasons and I suspect this will continue for several more years as the programs have really begun to make this game into a huge event with everyone giving all they have to offer. This will be huge when it comes to building our players' mental attitude about big games and road games and should really give these guys a taste of how sweet a big time win is. Hopefully this is the turning point that allows us to start crushing teams with our superior athleticism and talent. Romar, now is your time to get us rolling. The momentum is here, the talent is here, now it comes down to execution and chemistry. Get it done, boys.
Go Dawgs!
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Seattle University Game Review
Final Score: UW-91 SU-83
Many of you might be wondering how this game was so close after going into half with a 13 point lead. One would imagine UW would build on that and crush SU into the dirt. We certainly had the opportunity to do so, but decided we didn't like free points and missed 22 free throws. Let me reiterate. Twenty-Two. All of a sudden this 8 point win turns into a 20 or 30 point win if we put up a respectable percentage. C.J. Wilcox took his streak of free throws made to 30 and then proceeded to miss 2 more over the course of the night. Tony Wroten went 12 of 18 from the line, better than his season average, but still 3 few than I consider acceptable. Aziz N'Diaye was a miserable 4 of 9 from the line. Our team pretty much takes this attitude about free throws. Where ever you hear cash or money, replace it with points or free throws.
Seattle U also applied a press the entire game (take note on how it's done Romar) that frustrated our team to the point of ridiculousness. The half court press is exceedingly easy to beat if you just run a freaking screen for one player then back to the inbounder who dribbles up the court and passes across to their center court option. I commend Cameron Dollar for his effort, but this was another foul fest featuring 5 SU players fouling out of the game. I thought for sure we would see only 4 players on the court once more.
C.J. Wilcox looked slightly improved with a 4-7 night from deep, but it was his inside game that suffered and led to a 6-15 night shooting. He set a career high in points by getting to the line 11 times and making 9. I credit his number of attempts to SU fouling, rather than Wilcox being aggressive as he should be. Wilcox still needs to find that will to attack the hoop and power through contact. A few extra hours in the weight room would certainly help.
Terrence Ross was fairly effective tonight despite early foul issues that held him back. He was 4-6 from the field, 2-2 behind the arc, but missed 2 crucial free throws in crunch time that nearly cost us. Ross, like Wilcox, remains passive about attacking the rim and the Huskies suffer because of it. If Ross wants to be an impact player at the next level, or even in this league for that matter, he needs to get tough and bang in the paint.
Speaking of banging in the paint, Aziz N'Diaye had another nice performance against SU finishing with 14 points and 13 boards (6 offensive). His shot from the field is improving, despite missing a pair of easy lay-ins, one of which was a dunk where it looks as though he didn't rotate his wrists at all. Hard to dunk when the ball smacks against the rim. Still there were several wide open opportunities following the press break where UW simply refused to pass into the block for an easy basket. I understand wanting to burn time and doing so when there is defensive pressure, but if you have a wide open, easy shot, you put the points on the board. Kicking it out and waiting only gives the opposition a greater chance to force a terrible shot and get back in the game.
Desmond Simmons got his first start since the exhibition game. Simmons has certainly deserved it and played pretty solid. Simmons only knocked up 5 points on the night with 2 of 6 shooting, but grabbed a very nice 7 rebounds (4 offensive) and provided some good defensive pressure. Simmons split his free throws and grabbed 2 steals through the night.
Abdul Gaddy had the most boring 38 minutes of basketball I may have ever seen. 0-4 from the field, 3 assists, and 3 turnovers. His impact of the game was minimal and the only reason he managed 10 trips to the line was Cameron Dollars' plan of fouling until SU took the lead, which never happened outside the starting minutes. If Gaddy is going to play essentially the whole game, he needs to do a lot more with his time. While I have always been a firm supporter of Gaddy, I starting to follow more of my father's belief that Gaddy is not the point guard the Huskies need. Gaddy is far too timid and much like Ross and Wilcox, will not attack the hoop with any consistency.
Tony Wroten. Wroten had another hot/cold night where he does a lot of good things, but also some bad. 24 points is terrific. Making 12 of 18 free throws...I'll take it hesitantly only because I know how much worse he could have done. 4 rebounds isn't bad when one considers how well N'Diaye and Simmons were able to clean house. 6 assists is fantastic, but committing 6 turnovers pretty much negates whatever good those assists did. At least Wroten gets to the rim and forces teams to defend him in the lane. He had a few turnovers credited to him that I really place on the other players not looking for the tricky pass as the situation certainly called for one.
Darnell Gant and Shawn Kemp combined for 22 minutes, 4 points, and 6 rebounds (5 by Gant). Gant is slowly taking the back seat to Simmons who played 24 minutes. With ASJ officially on the squad, Gant's minutes could be in even more danger if ASJ proves to be a competent basketball players.
What Needed Improvement:
Free Throws:
UW went to the line 59 times and missed 22 attempts. That is at least 10 too many. If I had my way it would be 22 times too many. I'm understanding enough to realize players will eventually miss. It's inevitable, but we have to be shooting at least 75% from the line. 62% is unacceptable. We nearly blew this game because we could hit the free ones down the stretch. Every time the Dawgs would start to pull away, SU would foul, we would miss, and then suddenly the Redhawks were back in it again.
Turnovers:
UW had only 5 turnovers in the first half. They finished with 16. 11 turnovers in a half is unacceptable. 11 for the game is still high. Staying under 10 turnovers every night should be this teams goal and, in my mind, this is very attainable, especially against less talented teams like SU. The Redhawks played great defense, but instead of playing above their opponents, the Huskies allowed the trap to frustrate and collapse them.
What Was Good:
Rebounding:
Terrific night on the boards. Every player had at least 4 rebounds, except Shawn Kemp who only grabbed one. Considering he only played 6 minutes, I am perfectly OK with that. The team pulled in 20 offensive boards, excellent. They did allow SU to grab 12, about 2 or 3 higher than I'd like to see, but all things considered, I'll take it.
Ball Pressure:
UW forced 17 turnovers and picked up 8 steals as well as 6 blocks. While SU certainly got their points, it should have been a higher scoring game for the Huskies and that, in my opinion, is OK with me. If it is a high possession game, the opposition is bound to score points of their own, it's a matter of statistics. UW was able to apply their own half-court pressure that led to some nice transition plays, a few also went awry for one reason or another.
Final Thoughts:
If this team could just find some damn consistency, we would be golden. Instead, the team seems to enjoy riding a roller coaster of scoring and then shutting down. Free throws nearly cost us this game and as I have said just about every time I write an article, free throws win ball games. SU made 3 more shots, but we attempted twice as many free throws and made twice as many free throws. This team still has a lot of work to do and I hope to god, nobody takes notes on applying a press to us because a much better team will annihilate us with one. I'm waiting for the game against WSU to see if this squad has learned anything from its tribulations. My guess, WSU will be a handful.
Go Dawgs!
Many of you might be wondering how this game was so close after going into half with a 13 point lead. One would imagine UW would build on that and crush SU into the dirt. We certainly had the opportunity to do so, but decided we didn't like free points and missed 22 free throws. Let me reiterate. Twenty-Two. All of a sudden this 8 point win turns into a 20 or 30 point win if we put up a respectable percentage. C.J. Wilcox took his streak of free throws made to 30 and then proceeded to miss 2 more over the course of the night. Tony Wroten went 12 of 18 from the line, better than his season average, but still 3 few than I consider acceptable. Aziz N'Diaye was a miserable 4 of 9 from the line. Our team pretty much takes this attitude about free throws. Where ever you hear cash or money, replace it with points or free throws.
Seattle U also applied a press the entire game (take note on how it's done Romar) that frustrated our team to the point of ridiculousness. The half court press is exceedingly easy to beat if you just run a freaking screen for one player then back to the inbounder who dribbles up the court and passes across to their center court option. I commend Cameron Dollar for his effort, but this was another foul fest featuring 5 SU players fouling out of the game. I thought for sure we would see only 4 players on the court once more.
C.J. Wilcox looked slightly improved with a 4-7 night from deep, but it was his inside game that suffered and led to a 6-15 night shooting. He set a career high in points by getting to the line 11 times and making 9. I credit his number of attempts to SU fouling, rather than Wilcox being aggressive as he should be. Wilcox still needs to find that will to attack the hoop and power through contact. A few extra hours in the weight room would certainly help.
Terrence Ross was fairly effective tonight despite early foul issues that held him back. He was 4-6 from the field, 2-2 behind the arc, but missed 2 crucial free throws in crunch time that nearly cost us. Ross, like Wilcox, remains passive about attacking the rim and the Huskies suffer because of it. If Ross wants to be an impact player at the next level, or even in this league for that matter, he needs to get tough and bang in the paint.
Speaking of banging in the paint, Aziz N'Diaye had another nice performance against SU finishing with 14 points and 13 boards (6 offensive). His shot from the field is improving, despite missing a pair of easy lay-ins, one of which was a dunk where it looks as though he didn't rotate his wrists at all. Hard to dunk when the ball smacks against the rim. Still there were several wide open opportunities following the press break where UW simply refused to pass into the block for an easy basket. I understand wanting to burn time and doing so when there is defensive pressure, but if you have a wide open, easy shot, you put the points on the board. Kicking it out and waiting only gives the opposition a greater chance to force a terrible shot and get back in the game.
Desmond Simmons got his first start since the exhibition game. Simmons has certainly deserved it and played pretty solid. Simmons only knocked up 5 points on the night with 2 of 6 shooting, but grabbed a very nice 7 rebounds (4 offensive) and provided some good defensive pressure. Simmons split his free throws and grabbed 2 steals through the night.
Abdul Gaddy had the most boring 38 minutes of basketball I may have ever seen. 0-4 from the field, 3 assists, and 3 turnovers. His impact of the game was minimal and the only reason he managed 10 trips to the line was Cameron Dollars' plan of fouling until SU took the lead, which never happened outside the starting minutes. If Gaddy is going to play essentially the whole game, he needs to do a lot more with his time. While I have always been a firm supporter of Gaddy, I starting to follow more of my father's belief that Gaddy is not the point guard the Huskies need. Gaddy is far too timid and much like Ross and Wilcox, will not attack the hoop with any consistency.
Tony Wroten. Wroten had another hot/cold night where he does a lot of good things, but also some bad. 24 points is terrific. Making 12 of 18 free throws...I'll take it hesitantly only because I know how much worse he could have done. 4 rebounds isn't bad when one considers how well N'Diaye and Simmons were able to clean house. 6 assists is fantastic, but committing 6 turnovers pretty much negates whatever good those assists did. At least Wroten gets to the rim and forces teams to defend him in the lane. He had a few turnovers credited to him that I really place on the other players not looking for the tricky pass as the situation certainly called for one.
Darnell Gant and Shawn Kemp combined for 22 minutes, 4 points, and 6 rebounds (5 by Gant). Gant is slowly taking the back seat to Simmons who played 24 minutes. With ASJ officially on the squad, Gant's minutes could be in even more danger if ASJ proves to be a competent basketball players.
What Needed Improvement:
Free Throws:
UW went to the line 59 times and missed 22 attempts. That is at least 10 too many. If I had my way it would be 22 times too many. I'm understanding enough to realize players will eventually miss. It's inevitable, but we have to be shooting at least 75% from the line. 62% is unacceptable. We nearly blew this game because we could hit the free ones down the stretch. Every time the Dawgs would start to pull away, SU would foul, we would miss, and then suddenly the Redhawks were back in it again.
Turnovers:
UW had only 5 turnovers in the first half. They finished with 16. 11 turnovers in a half is unacceptable. 11 for the game is still high. Staying under 10 turnovers every night should be this teams goal and, in my mind, this is very attainable, especially against less talented teams like SU. The Redhawks played great defense, but instead of playing above their opponents, the Huskies allowed the trap to frustrate and collapse them.
What Was Good:
Rebounding:
Terrific night on the boards. Every player had at least 4 rebounds, except Shawn Kemp who only grabbed one. Considering he only played 6 minutes, I am perfectly OK with that. The team pulled in 20 offensive boards, excellent. They did allow SU to grab 12, about 2 or 3 higher than I'd like to see, but all things considered, I'll take it.
Ball Pressure:
UW forced 17 turnovers and picked up 8 steals as well as 6 blocks. While SU certainly got their points, it should have been a higher scoring game for the Huskies and that, in my opinion, is OK with me. If it is a high possession game, the opposition is bound to score points of their own, it's a matter of statistics. UW was able to apply their own half-court pressure that led to some nice transition plays, a few also went awry for one reason or another.
Final Thoughts:
If this team could just find some damn consistency, we would be golden. Instead, the team seems to enjoy riding a roller coaster of scoring and then shutting down. Free throws nearly cost us this game and as I have said just about every time I write an article, free throws win ball games. SU made 3 more shots, but we attempted twice as many free throws and made twice as many free throws. This team still has a lot of work to do and I hope to god, nobody takes notes on applying a press to us because a much better team will annihilate us with one. I'm waiting for the game against WSU to see if this squad has learned anything from its tribulations. My guess, WSU will be a handful.
Go Dawgs!
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
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
Cal State Northridge Game Preview
Sorry for a lack of game review following the humiliating and embarrassing loss to SDST, but I just couldn't bring myself to relieve that experience. Arguably one of, if not thee, worst loss in the last 10 years and possibly in program history. The only players I thought played a truly complete and solid game were Desmond Simmons and Darnell Gant. Simmons is a workhorse who's attitude the entire team should emulate. Simmons had 11 boards, 7 offensive, and scored 8 points. Gant put up 10 rebounds, 5 offensive, and dropped 15. Outside of them, it was a lot of bad basketball and underachieving play.
On to Cal State.
Cal State is 3-6 on the year coming off two straight wins against Pepperdine and Pacifica (who the beat by 41). In each of their wins they have scored at least 73 points, with two games in the 90's. Their losses have featured scores of 67 or less with a low of 49. On the year the Matadors are averaging just under 70 points and 37 boards per game. The are shooting 37% from the field as well.
The Matadors receive solid contributions from a number of players and are led in scoring by Stephan Hicks, a 6-5 190lb guard, who is averaging over 17 points per game and a team high 8.7 rebounds per game. He is a do-it-all, hard working player that is an extreme threat in all aspects of the game. Hicks is a fantastic free throw shooting who drains nearly 90% of his attempts from the line. What I wouldn't do to have him coach Ton Wroten....
Five other players average over 8 points per game, with three of those players scoring double digit averages. Michael Lizarraga is third in scoring with 10 points per night and second in rebounding with 7 boards on average. Lizarraga stands at 6-7 240lb and is a very strong inside threat. Hopefully Aziz N'Diaye will be returning tomorrow as the game against SDST showed a glaring weakness in post defense without him on the court. Lizarraga is 0-3 from the FT line and 0-1 from outside. He does most of his work next to the rim and can be contained by keeping his touches outside the paint. Lizarraga has played in only one game this season so while his stats seem impressive, its hard to judge his abilities from a single outing.
Josh Greene leads the team in assists with 3.6 per game and is second in scoring, averaging 10.6 per outing. Greene is a 6-0 180lb guard with a sweet, sweet FT touch shooting 90.5% on the season and some great defensive abilities as well, leading the Matadors in steals. His outside shot is still being developed and has only made 16 of his 59 attempts on the year. Greene is second only to Vinnie McGee who is 17 of 91 on the season. As a team the Matadors are shooting a bit over 26% from outside, but are 78% from the FT line. Clearly this is a team that thrives on their inside game and getting to the foul line, where they average 22 attempts per game.
Vinnie McGee is a 5-10 170lb guard with 9.7 ppg on the year. He is second in assists with 2.7 per game, but is also averaging 2 turnovers per game. He is a 75% free throw shooter and like the rest of his team does most of his work inside the paint. McGee does lead the team in 3-point makes, but with a 28% shooting average from deep, he is not a huge threat from outside.
Frankie Eteuati is their starting center and is build very similar to UW's own Jernard Jerreau. Eteuati stands 6-10, but weighs in at only 190lb. He is not a big contributor averaging only 1.4 points and 2.1 rebounds in his 8 games thus far. The Matadors do not possess a true big man threat, something the Huskies would be good to attack.
Predicted Starting Line-Ups:
Cal State:
Vinnie McGee 5-10 170lb
Josh Greene 6-0 180lb
Aqeel Quinn 6-4 190lb
Stephan Hicks 6-5 190lb
Frankie Eteuati 6-10 190lb
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 (If N'Diaye is still out, I'd bet on Desmond Simmons starting)
Keys to the Game:
Attack the Rim:
Only Tony Wroten has been doing this as of late. While I commend him for this, he has no right hand and this often leads to terrible lay-ins that clunk off the rim. I appreciate him drawing fouls, but he is still a terrible foul shot. Ross and Wilcox need to get aggressive and start taking shots inside. Wilcox has been better than Ross at this, but he all to often draws up short of contact, missing out on easy free throws. With the Matadors lacking a strong inside presence, UW can really affect the game by getting in the paint and attack them at their weakness.
Defense:
This may seem vague, but after the horrendous defense UW put out against the Jackrabbits I feel like it has to be said. Too many players are not getting the lateral movement they need to stay in front of their man and in turn preventing them from driving the lanes. The Dawgs need to communicate better on defense to ensure rotations lead to tight man coverage rather than open shots.
Rebounding:
This is something the Huskies can do either very well or very poorly depending on the game. Recently its been on the up-and-up with Simmons and Ross leading the way behind the ever constant N'Diaye. It's all about controlling the offensive glass to give our shooters opportunities and maintaining the defensive glass to prevent second chance shots by the opposition. I think a big part of tomorrows game will be how well UW can use its superior size to eat up rebounds.
Final Score Prediction:
UW-85 CSN-70
I truly hope Romar watches the tape from our last game and begins to appreciate just what kind of work Simmons does for our team. He is one of the toughest, hardest working players I've seen since Jon Brockman was rocking the number 40 in Hec Ed. He needs more play time and a bigger role in the team's game plan. I also hope Romar begins to coach Wroten on how to use his right hand and begins to hold him more responsible for his wild plays and passes. He has to learn that this is college, not high school, and players are much more aware and capable of stopping his plays form happening. If Ross and Wilcox and finally begin to deliver inside and develop into the players they should be, this team will greatly benefit from it. At this point, UW needs to win the conference title with at least 14 wins to secure an at-large bid, but I will not feel comfortable unless we secure the Pac-12 auto bid by winning the conference tournament. I hope this team can turn things around because at this point the season has been a huge bust of wasted potential.
Go Dawgs!
On to Cal State.
Cal State is 3-6 on the year coming off two straight wins against Pepperdine and Pacifica (who the beat by 41). In each of their wins they have scored at least 73 points, with two games in the 90's. Their losses have featured scores of 67 or less with a low of 49. On the year the Matadors are averaging just under 70 points and 37 boards per game. The are shooting 37% from the field as well.
The Matadors receive solid contributions from a number of players and are led in scoring by Stephan Hicks, a 6-5 190lb guard, who is averaging over 17 points per game and a team high 8.7 rebounds per game. He is a do-it-all, hard working player that is an extreme threat in all aspects of the game. Hicks is a fantastic free throw shooting who drains nearly 90% of his attempts from the line. What I wouldn't do to have him coach Ton Wroten....
Five other players average over 8 points per game, with three of those players scoring double digit averages. Michael Lizarraga is third in scoring with 10 points per night and second in rebounding with 7 boards on average. Lizarraga stands at 6-7 240lb and is a very strong inside threat. Hopefully Aziz N'Diaye will be returning tomorrow as the game against SDST showed a glaring weakness in post defense without him on the court. Lizarraga is 0-3 from the FT line and 0-1 from outside. He does most of his work next to the rim and can be contained by keeping his touches outside the paint. Lizarraga has played in only one game this season so while his stats seem impressive, its hard to judge his abilities from a single outing.
Josh Greene leads the team in assists with 3.6 per game and is second in scoring, averaging 10.6 per outing. Greene is a 6-0 180lb guard with a sweet, sweet FT touch shooting 90.5% on the season and some great defensive abilities as well, leading the Matadors in steals. His outside shot is still being developed and has only made 16 of his 59 attempts on the year. Greene is second only to Vinnie McGee who is 17 of 91 on the season. As a team the Matadors are shooting a bit over 26% from outside, but are 78% from the FT line. Clearly this is a team that thrives on their inside game and getting to the foul line, where they average 22 attempts per game.
Vinnie McGee is a 5-10 170lb guard with 9.7 ppg on the year. He is second in assists with 2.7 per game, but is also averaging 2 turnovers per game. He is a 75% free throw shooter and like the rest of his team does most of his work inside the paint. McGee does lead the team in 3-point makes, but with a 28% shooting average from deep, he is not a huge threat from outside.
Frankie Eteuati is their starting center and is build very similar to UW's own Jernard Jerreau. Eteuati stands 6-10, but weighs in at only 190lb. He is not a big contributor averaging only 1.4 points and 2.1 rebounds in his 8 games thus far. The Matadors do not possess a true big man threat, something the Huskies would be good to attack.
Predicted Starting Line-Ups:
Cal State:
Vinnie McGee 5-10 170lb
Josh Greene 6-0 180lb
Aqeel Quinn 6-4 190lb
Stephan Hicks 6-5 190lb
Frankie Eteuati 6-10 190lb
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 (If N'Diaye is still out, I'd bet on Desmond Simmons starting)
Keys to the Game:
Attack the Rim:
Only Tony Wroten has been doing this as of late. While I commend him for this, he has no right hand and this often leads to terrible lay-ins that clunk off the rim. I appreciate him drawing fouls, but he is still a terrible foul shot. Ross and Wilcox need to get aggressive and start taking shots inside. Wilcox has been better than Ross at this, but he all to often draws up short of contact, missing out on easy free throws. With the Matadors lacking a strong inside presence, UW can really affect the game by getting in the paint and attack them at their weakness.
Defense:
This may seem vague, but after the horrendous defense UW put out against the Jackrabbits I feel like it has to be said. Too many players are not getting the lateral movement they need to stay in front of their man and in turn preventing them from driving the lanes. The Dawgs need to communicate better on defense to ensure rotations lead to tight man coverage rather than open shots.
Rebounding:
This is something the Huskies can do either very well or very poorly depending on the game. Recently its been on the up-and-up with Simmons and Ross leading the way behind the ever constant N'Diaye. It's all about controlling the offensive glass to give our shooters opportunities and maintaining the defensive glass to prevent second chance shots by the opposition. I think a big part of tomorrows game will be how well UW can use its superior size to eat up rebounds.
Final Score Prediction:
UW-85 CSN-70
I truly hope Romar watches the tape from our last game and begins to appreciate just what kind of work Simmons does for our team. He is one of the toughest, hardest working players I've seen since Jon Brockman was rocking the number 40 in Hec Ed. He needs more play time and a bigger role in the team's game plan. I also hope Romar begins to coach Wroten on how to use his right hand and begins to hold him more responsible for his wild plays and passes. He has to learn that this is college, not high school, and players are much more aware and capable of stopping his plays form happening. If Ross and Wilcox and finally begin to deliver inside and develop into the players they should be, this team will greatly benefit from it. At this point, UW needs to win the conference title with at least 14 wins to secure an at-large bid, but I will not feel comfortable unless we secure the Pac-12 auto bid by winning the conference tournament. I hope this team can turn things around because at this point the season has been a huge bust of wasted potential.
Go Dawgs!
Monday, December 12, 2011
Update on Aziz N'Diaye
Breathe a sigh of relief Husky Nation, N'Diaye had an MRI done that revealed no torn ligaments or serious structural damage. He will, however, sit out the next 2 or 3 games and is aiming to return for the conference opener on December 29th versus Oregon State.
While UW will certainly miss N'Diaye in the next few outings, it is better to lose him now when we are facing slightly less talented teams than come conference season when we play against UA, Stanford, and the like.
The line up will definitely change and we could see either a 4 guard starting 5 or perhaps Desmond Simmons stepping in for N'Diaye as he did to start the season.
Here's to a quick recovery.
Go Dawgs!
While UW will certainly miss N'Diaye in the next few outings, it is better to lose him now when we are facing slightly less talented teams than come conference season when we play against UA, Stanford, and the like.
The line up will definitely change and we could see either a 4 guard starting 5 or perhaps Desmond Simmons stepping in for N'Diaye as he did to start the season.
Here's to a quick recovery.
Go Dawgs!
Friday, December 9, 2011
Duke Game Preview
So if you haven't heard the news yet, Scott Suggs will be redshirting this season following a surgery in mid October on his foot to repair a broken bone. He was projected to return this week for the games in the Big Apple, but continuing foot pains slowed his recovery and places him more at a mid January return, leaving only 16 regular season games. Rather than play only a small section of his senior season, Suggs has opted to return next season. This could work out great in the long run, especially if Terrence Ross leaves early for the NBA. Right now, it sucks. We needed Suggs' senior leadership on the court, especially in crunch time situations where a cool head and sweet shot are critical. Anyways...on to Duke.
The Blue Devils are coming off a big loss to Ohio State and a more recent win over Colorado State. Duke enters the game as the Number 7 team in the nation with an 8-1 record. UW and Duke have not played each other since 1989 so all previous games between the two squads are essentially null and void. The only common thread between then and now is Mike Krzyzewski.
To say Duke is going to be a tough match-up is an understatement. There is a good reason why they are in the top 10 and why many people projected a win over Marquette, but a loss to Duke. Duke has a very potent line-up from top to bottom and their frontcourt is just as strong as their backcourt.
Five players are averaging double digit scoring for Duke thus far in the season (Andre Dawkins is averaging 9.6 ppg so I'm including him). Austin Rivers, son of Doc Rivers, leads the team with nearly 16 ppg. Four players have hit 10 or more 3-pointers this season led by Andre Dawkins with 20 makes on 43 attempts.
The Plumlee brothers, Mason and Miles, dominate the glass for Duke with Mason clearly the superior ball player. Mason is averaging 9.8 boards per game and has four double-doubles on the year. Miles is averaging a second best 5 board per game. The two account for nearly 50% of Dukes 33 rpg average. Mason is also averaging over 2 blocks per game and is as much of a threat on defense as offense.
Duke is rounded out by a pair of more than capable shooters in Seth Curry and Ryan Kelly. Each average over 12 ppg and 3 rpg. Curry is the assist leader with 3.3 per game, while also committing 2 turnovers per outing. Overall, Duke is averaging just as many assists as turnovers (13).
As with Marquette, Duke plays a pretty similar style of basketball. The differences come in a much better frontcourt than Marquette and a slightly better backcourt. The Duke perimeter players are all deadly play-makers, but are not as skilled in the rebounding or assist category.
Keys to the Game:
Rebounding:
If there is one category UW can capitalize on to keep themselves in the game or possibly win it, it is rebounding. Duke averages a very low 33 boards per game and two players make up half that number. Mason will not be shut down. As strong defensively Aziz N'Diaye may be, Mason is quicker and more skilled and N'Diaye will likely struggle to keep him contained. What this means in terms of UW's strategy is containing the rest of the Blue Devil squad and our backcourt crashing the glass hard. Keeping Duke's sharpshooters from getting a second chance at the hoop is going to be huge in limiting the number of open shots they get. There is no better time to take a 3-pointer than after an offensive rebound. At that point the defense has likely collapsed, leaving the perimeter open for easy jumpers.
Ball Control:
Abdul Gaddy gave up the last possession against Marquette with 34 seconds on the clock and the game tied at 75. Instead of UW taking the game winning shot, Gaddy threw a terrible pass that was deflected and recovered by Marquette. We cannot afford those types of situations ever. Our turnovers in general have been much higher than they should be, due to not only Tony Wroten's usual antics, but lately the unusually poor play of Gaddy. If UW wants to have any chance at an upset, they need to limit their turnovers and not give Duke extra possessions.
Pressure the Backcourt:
As good as Mason Plumlee is, he can be contained by limiting the touches he receives. The happens by containing the backcourt and forcing them to stay near the top of the key rather than on the wings where they can work the ball inside. Backcourt pressure will also help limit the number of 3-point attempts that Duke can take. If N'Diaye can somehow manage Mason and Miles, the backcourt will be able to breathe a little easier.
Projected Starting Line-Ups:
Duke:
Tyler Thornton 6-1 195lb (Andrew Dawkins is having back problems and is doubtful to play Saturday)
Seth Curry 6-2 180lb
Austin Rivers 6-4 200lb
Mason Plumlee 6-10 235lb
Ryan Kelly 6-11 230lb
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
Final Thoughts:
Darnell Gant will likely draw the assignment on the tall, mobile, and sharp shooting Ryan Kelly. Wilcox will hopefully be put on shut down duty against Seth Curry, while Terrence Ross takes on Austin Rivers. Without Dawkins on the court, UW may stand a better chance of containing the perimeter shooting Duke is well known for. All things considered this is another tough, but perhaps winnable game for the Huskies. An upset here would go a long ways towards calming the fan base and establishing some confidence in the teams ability to get it done on the road. It will also give UW and the Pac-12 a marque win that will be extremely important in March for the selection committee. At this point, at least two projections leave out the Huskies from the NCAA and the highest seed they received in any projection is 10th. Unfortunately, a loss is a loss and a win is a win come selection time so while the close loss to Marquette may be a sort of moral win it does nothing for our record and chances at a fourth consecutive NCAA berth. The Huskies need to be firing on all cylinders, rotations on defense need to go smoothly, and shots need to drop.
Final Score Prediction:
UW-78 DUKE-84
The skill level of the Duke frontcourt is going to be extremely difficult for UW to match, giving them a great advantage they will be sure to exploit every chance they can. It should be a close game thanks to our perimeter players, but if our starters cannot get to the foul line we will be hurting. Thank god Tony Wroten draws fouls, if only he could make his shots. We need high percentage shooters like Ross and Wilcox stepping to the line to convert the easy baskets. I'm still quite pessimistic about our chances against Duke, but I'm hopeful they can at least make it a competitive game. While this may not exactly be a "must win" game for UW, it will certainly make their lives easier to just go out there and win.
Go Dawgs!
The Blue Devils are coming off a big loss to Ohio State and a more recent win over Colorado State. Duke enters the game as the Number 7 team in the nation with an 8-1 record. UW and Duke have not played each other since 1989 so all previous games between the two squads are essentially null and void. The only common thread between then and now is Mike Krzyzewski.
To say Duke is going to be a tough match-up is an understatement. There is a good reason why they are in the top 10 and why many people projected a win over Marquette, but a loss to Duke. Duke has a very potent line-up from top to bottom and their frontcourt is just as strong as their backcourt.
Five players are averaging double digit scoring for Duke thus far in the season (Andre Dawkins is averaging 9.6 ppg so I'm including him). Austin Rivers, son of Doc Rivers, leads the team with nearly 16 ppg. Four players have hit 10 or more 3-pointers this season led by Andre Dawkins with 20 makes on 43 attempts.
The Plumlee brothers, Mason and Miles, dominate the glass for Duke with Mason clearly the superior ball player. Mason is averaging 9.8 boards per game and has four double-doubles on the year. Miles is averaging a second best 5 board per game. The two account for nearly 50% of Dukes 33 rpg average. Mason is also averaging over 2 blocks per game and is as much of a threat on defense as offense.
Duke is rounded out by a pair of more than capable shooters in Seth Curry and Ryan Kelly. Each average over 12 ppg and 3 rpg. Curry is the assist leader with 3.3 per game, while also committing 2 turnovers per outing. Overall, Duke is averaging just as many assists as turnovers (13).
As with Marquette, Duke plays a pretty similar style of basketball. The differences come in a much better frontcourt than Marquette and a slightly better backcourt. The Duke perimeter players are all deadly play-makers, but are not as skilled in the rebounding or assist category.
Keys to the Game:
Rebounding:
If there is one category UW can capitalize on to keep themselves in the game or possibly win it, it is rebounding. Duke averages a very low 33 boards per game and two players make up half that number. Mason will not be shut down. As strong defensively Aziz N'Diaye may be, Mason is quicker and more skilled and N'Diaye will likely struggle to keep him contained. What this means in terms of UW's strategy is containing the rest of the Blue Devil squad and our backcourt crashing the glass hard. Keeping Duke's sharpshooters from getting a second chance at the hoop is going to be huge in limiting the number of open shots they get. There is no better time to take a 3-pointer than after an offensive rebound. At that point the defense has likely collapsed, leaving the perimeter open for easy jumpers.
Ball Control:
Abdul Gaddy gave up the last possession against Marquette with 34 seconds on the clock and the game tied at 75. Instead of UW taking the game winning shot, Gaddy threw a terrible pass that was deflected and recovered by Marquette. We cannot afford those types of situations ever. Our turnovers in general have been much higher than they should be, due to not only Tony Wroten's usual antics, but lately the unusually poor play of Gaddy. If UW wants to have any chance at an upset, they need to limit their turnovers and not give Duke extra possessions.
Pressure the Backcourt:
As good as Mason Plumlee is, he can be contained by limiting the touches he receives. The happens by containing the backcourt and forcing them to stay near the top of the key rather than on the wings where they can work the ball inside. Backcourt pressure will also help limit the number of 3-point attempts that Duke can take. If N'Diaye can somehow manage Mason and Miles, the backcourt will be able to breathe a little easier.
Projected Starting Line-Ups:
Duke:
Tyler Thornton 6-1 195lb (Andrew Dawkins is having back problems and is doubtful to play Saturday)
Seth Curry 6-2 180lb
Austin Rivers 6-4 200lb
Mason Plumlee 6-10 235lb
Ryan Kelly 6-11 230lb
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
Final Thoughts:
Darnell Gant will likely draw the assignment on the tall, mobile, and sharp shooting Ryan Kelly. Wilcox will hopefully be put on shut down duty against Seth Curry, while Terrence Ross takes on Austin Rivers. Without Dawkins on the court, UW may stand a better chance of containing the perimeter shooting Duke is well known for. All things considered this is another tough, but perhaps winnable game for the Huskies. An upset here would go a long ways towards calming the fan base and establishing some confidence in the teams ability to get it done on the road. It will also give UW and the Pac-12 a marque win that will be extremely important in March for the selection committee. At this point, at least two projections leave out the Huskies from the NCAA and the highest seed they received in any projection is 10th. Unfortunately, a loss is a loss and a win is a win come selection time so while the close loss to Marquette may be a sort of moral win it does nothing for our record and chances at a fourth consecutive NCAA berth. The Huskies need to be firing on all cylinders, rotations on defense need to go smoothly, and shots need to drop.
Final Score Prediction:
UW-78 DUKE-84
The skill level of the Duke frontcourt is going to be extremely difficult for UW to match, giving them a great advantage they will be sure to exploit every chance they can. It should be a close game thanks to our perimeter players, but if our starters cannot get to the foul line we will be hurting. Thank god Tony Wroten draws fouls, if only he could make his shots. We need high percentage shooters like Ross and Wilcox stepping to the line to convert the easy baskets. I'm still quite pessimistic about our chances against Duke, but I'm hopeful they can at least make it a competitive game. While this may not exactly be a "must win" game for UW, it will certainly make their lives easier to just go out there and win.
Go Dawgs!
Friday, November 25, 2011
Houston Baptist Game Review
Final Score: UW-88 HPU-65
The Huskies came in strong and blew the imposter Huskies back home with their tails between their legs. C.J. Wilcox showed up in force and dropped 19 on 5-9 shooting from range while adding 5 rebounds and 2 assists. He looked fantastic on the court and showed no ill effects from the mild concussion he suffered on Sunday.
Marcus Davis of Houston Baptist led all scorers with 20 points and picked up a game high 14 rebounds as well. He was absolutely unstoppable on the court despite our best efforts and kept the faux Huskies in the game far longer than they should have been. Joe Latas was held to 15 points and 8 rebounds, though his point margin was cushioned by his 14 free throw attempts as the UW defense held him to 3-11 shooting.
Terrence Ross came through strong in the second half and finished with a beautiful double-double scoring 13 points and nabbing 13 rebounds. He went 5-10 on the night and hit 3 of 5 outside the arc. He looked consistent throughout the night, not terribly impressive, but definitely not quiet. He still seems reserved at times, but when he finds his groove, man is he impressive.
Tony Wroten did exactly as I thought. He impressed and frustrated me as his stat line reveals. 14 points, excellent. 5 assists, very nice. 6 steals, outstanding. 6 turnover, terrible. He pulled off some really athletic moves and also threw some passes he should not have attempted. If he can get his turnovers under control, he'll take over the starting spot and be an extreme force on the court. His free throw shooting continued to struggle going 2-4 from the line.
Aziz N'Diaye did his part containing Latas and was fairly effective offensively. He grabbed 7 boards and dropped in 8 points. He shot 3-6 from the field and 2-6 from the charity stripe. He looked much better defensively and only picked up two fouls. To be fair, Latas was not a quick man, which immensely helped N'Diaye keep his position.
Darnell Gant didn't show up until the second half where he dropped in some fantastic flushes back to back. First was a tip-in after a missed lay-in followed immediately by a fast break jam over a Houston player. In 19 minutes he only managed 7 points and 2 rebounds. He did shoot 3-4 from the free throw line, which makes me very happy.
Desmond Simmons showed up out of no where. He managed 10 points on 3-6 shooting, including 2-2 from the 3-point line. He also had 6 boards, 2 assists, 2 steals, and zero turnovers. Loved his defensive efforts as he was all over the place diving for balls, picking up loose ones, and getting in everyone's face.
Abdul Gaddy returned to his better self. He only managed 6 points and 4 boards, but he did throw out a game high 7 assists and 1 turnovers with a steal to top it off. He was calm and composed, but his shot looked a tad off, only hitting 3-8 and 0-1 from the line.
Martin Breunig was solid on the night, as was Shawn Kemp. Both provided excellent backup for their respective starters and were effective on both ends of the court. They combined for 8 points and 6 boards (Breunig had 5 of the 6).
Brendan Sherrer saw 4 minutes of play, missed a fairly easy lay-in, but went 1-2 from the line. Alex Wegner also missed an easy lay-up sadly. Hikeem Stewart played 10 minutes and went 1-2 from the field.
What Needed Improvement:
First Half Ball Control:
UW gave up 12 turnovers in the first half and played fairly sloppily in the first 20 minutes. There seemed to be a sense of panic and hurry as Houston grabbed the early lead and I believe, subconsciously, the Huskies did not want another egg in the face and were working over the top to get points on the board leading to poor decision making. Once we got a comfortable lead, things seemed to calm down and our team got back to playing Husky Basketball.
What was Good:
Rebounding:
UW finally showed a little prowess on the glass, holding a 29-12 rebounding advantage at half and 51-40 at the end. 5 players had 5+ rebounds and only Wegner and Stewart did not record a board. Sherrer had 3. No trillion club for him. This was finally the type of rebounding performance I have been wanting to see. Only a 17-14 advantage on the offensive boards, something I would like to see improved a bit. Holding the opposition under 10 offensive boards would be fantastic, but tough to achieve. The only negative was giving up the 6 extra rebounds in the second half, though I blame this on garbage time play more than lax effort on the glass.
3-Point Shooting:
UW showed up strong tonight hitting 10-21 on the night from deep. Not only did they shoot well, but they took smart shots. Often UW can get frustrated and start jacking up 3s that have no business being shot. Tonight they played smart, something due largely in part to Romar's tough policy. If a player made bad decisions on offense or missed switches and the like on defense they were quickly substituted. Great decision in my mind as it really holds players responsible for their actions and quickly enforces solid, smart play no matter the tempo the game flowed at.
Final Thoughts:
This game was very smooth for the Dawgs and a nice pick-me-up after the debacle in Saint Louis (who, by the way, has been playing very solid and at least making the lost look respectable in some sense). UW now faces a tough road test hitting up Nevada first before heading to the Big Apple for match-ups against Marquette and Duke. All three upcoming games will be tough ones and I'm betting on a 2-1 outcome with a possibly dubbing with Duke. The Blue Devils look exceptional this year and I don't know how well our defense will be able to compete. Hopefully the Nevada game can give us a better measuring stick of where this team is at overall.
Go Dawgs!
The Huskies came in strong and blew the imposter Huskies back home with their tails between their legs. C.J. Wilcox showed up in force and dropped 19 on 5-9 shooting from range while adding 5 rebounds and 2 assists. He looked fantastic on the court and showed no ill effects from the mild concussion he suffered on Sunday.
Marcus Davis of Houston Baptist led all scorers with 20 points and picked up a game high 14 rebounds as well. He was absolutely unstoppable on the court despite our best efforts and kept the faux Huskies in the game far longer than they should have been. Joe Latas was held to 15 points and 8 rebounds, though his point margin was cushioned by his 14 free throw attempts as the UW defense held him to 3-11 shooting.
Terrence Ross came through strong in the second half and finished with a beautiful double-double scoring 13 points and nabbing 13 rebounds. He went 5-10 on the night and hit 3 of 5 outside the arc. He looked consistent throughout the night, not terribly impressive, but definitely not quiet. He still seems reserved at times, but when he finds his groove, man is he impressive.
Tony Wroten did exactly as I thought. He impressed and frustrated me as his stat line reveals. 14 points, excellent. 5 assists, very nice. 6 steals, outstanding. 6 turnover, terrible. He pulled off some really athletic moves and also threw some passes he should not have attempted. If he can get his turnovers under control, he'll take over the starting spot and be an extreme force on the court. His free throw shooting continued to struggle going 2-4 from the line.
Aziz N'Diaye did his part containing Latas and was fairly effective offensively. He grabbed 7 boards and dropped in 8 points. He shot 3-6 from the field and 2-6 from the charity stripe. He looked much better defensively and only picked up two fouls. To be fair, Latas was not a quick man, which immensely helped N'Diaye keep his position.
Darnell Gant didn't show up until the second half where he dropped in some fantastic flushes back to back. First was a tip-in after a missed lay-in followed immediately by a fast break jam over a Houston player. In 19 minutes he only managed 7 points and 2 rebounds. He did shoot 3-4 from the free throw line, which makes me very happy.
Desmond Simmons showed up out of no where. He managed 10 points on 3-6 shooting, including 2-2 from the 3-point line. He also had 6 boards, 2 assists, 2 steals, and zero turnovers. Loved his defensive efforts as he was all over the place diving for balls, picking up loose ones, and getting in everyone's face.
Abdul Gaddy returned to his better self. He only managed 6 points and 4 boards, but he did throw out a game high 7 assists and 1 turnovers with a steal to top it off. He was calm and composed, but his shot looked a tad off, only hitting 3-8 and 0-1 from the line.
Martin Breunig was solid on the night, as was Shawn Kemp. Both provided excellent backup for their respective starters and were effective on both ends of the court. They combined for 8 points and 6 boards (Breunig had 5 of the 6).
Brendan Sherrer saw 4 minutes of play, missed a fairly easy lay-in, but went 1-2 from the line. Alex Wegner also missed an easy lay-up sadly. Hikeem Stewart played 10 minutes and went 1-2 from the field.
What Needed Improvement:
First Half Ball Control:
UW gave up 12 turnovers in the first half and played fairly sloppily in the first 20 minutes. There seemed to be a sense of panic and hurry as Houston grabbed the early lead and I believe, subconsciously, the Huskies did not want another egg in the face and were working over the top to get points on the board leading to poor decision making. Once we got a comfortable lead, things seemed to calm down and our team got back to playing Husky Basketball.
What was Good:
Rebounding:
UW finally showed a little prowess on the glass, holding a 29-12 rebounding advantage at half and 51-40 at the end. 5 players had 5+ rebounds and only Wegner and Stewart did not record a board. Sherrer had 3. No trillion club for him. This was finally the type of rebounding performance I have been wanting to see. Only a 17-14 advantage on the offensive boards, something I would like to see improved a bit. Holding the opposition under 10 offensive boards would be fantastic, but tough to achieve. The only negative was giving up the 6 extra rebounds in the second half, though I blame this on garbage time play more than lax effort on the glass.
3-Point Shooting:
UW showed up strong tonight hitting 10-21 on the night from deep. Not only did they shoot well, but they took smart shots. Often UW can get frustrated and start jacking up 3s that have no business being shot. Tonight they played smart, something due largely in part to Romar's tough policy. If a player made bad decisions on offense or missed switches and the like on defense they were quickly substituted. Great decision in my mind as it really holds players responsible for their actions and quickly enforces solid, smart play no matter the tempo the game flowed at.
Final Thoughts:
This game was very smooth for the Dawgs and a nice pick-me-up after the debacle in Saint Louis (who, by the way, has been playing very solid and at least making the lost look respectable in some sense). UW now faces a tough road test hitting up Nevada first before heading to the Big Apple for match-ups against Marquette and Duke. All three upcoming games will be tough ones and I'm betting on a 2-1 outcome with a possibly dubbing with Duke. The Blue Devils look exceptional this year and I don't know how well our defense will be able to compete. Hopefully the Nevada game can give us a better measuring stick of where this team is at overall.
Go Dawgs!
Friday, November 18, 2011
Saint Louis Game Preview
The Washington Huskies (3-0) take on the Saint Louis Billkens (2-0) this Sunday at 9am. This was supposed to be a homecoming game for not only Lorenzo Romar who spent a few years as the program's head coach, but also Scott Suggs. Unfortunately Suggs will not be healthy enough to play, still recovering from his foot surgery that took place just before the onset of the season.
The Billkens have been extremely stringent on defense this year, holding Tennessee State to 37 points and Southern Illinois to 42 points while scoring 71 and 61 respectively. Saint Louis was able to hold the two teams to 29% and 20% shooting respectively and completely shut down any offense they had to offer.
These numbers are a credit to the effort being put out by the Billkens players, but it is also a testament to the low level talent that Saint Louis has played thus far. SIU is averaging only 52 points on the year, while TSU is averaging about 56 points. I commend the Billkens for their job well done thus far, but I hardly expect this to be a true test of the Huskies' ability to cope with a good team on the road. Joe Lunardi currently has Saint Louis as a member of the "Next Four Out," making them a top 100 team, but well enough outside the top 50 that they should not be considered a huge threat. I fully expect this to be a somewhat competitive game due to the Billkens' ability to slow the game down to their tempo. With a 66 point average on the year, Saint Louis is not a high scoring team and will likely have troubles dealing with the high octane offense UW brings to the table.
Saint Louis is led by a pair of forwards who do a little of everything for their team. Brian Conklin is a 6-6 230lb forward with considerable muscle to power through the opposition defense. He currently leads the team in scoring with 12.5 points per game and third in rebounding at 4.5 per game. He is also 100% from the free throw line at 9-9, something Tony Wroten Jr. would be good to take note of. He is shooting 67% from the field and has yet to take a 3-pointer. Cody Ellis, on the other hand, is 50% from range and is second in scoring at 12 points per game. At 6-8 and 240lb, Ellis is another big body UW will have to contend with. Ellis is second in rebounding at 5 per game.
Kwamain Mitchell is the all around guy for the Billkens. With a team high 5.5 rebounds to go along with his 9 point average and 6 assists per game, the 5-10 175lb guard is a tough match-up for most teams. UW should be able to contain him with superior size and skill in the backcourt.
Saint Louis do have some size in the center with 6-11 240lb Rob Loe. He is more of a defensive presence than an offensive presence as shown by his less than stellar statistics of 2.5 points and 2.0 rebounds per game. He is 2-8 from the field and 1-4 from range, indicating the big man likes to move around the court. This could be more troublesome for UW who often depends on Aziz N'Diaye being able to stay closer to home and suck up the paint. This puts a bit more pressure on our guards' defensive efforts as they will not be able to guarantee a secondary defender in the post should their man beat them.
Backup center, John Manning, stands at 6-11 as well, but at only 200lb he resembles Washington's own Jernard Jerreau. He is a thin body with work in the weight room to be done before he can significantly contribute to the Billkens effort.
Predicted Starting Line-Ups:
Saint Louis:
Kwamain Mitchell G 5-10 175lb
Kyle Cassidy G 6-4 200lb
Dwayne Evans F 6-5 205lb
Brian Conklin F 6-6 230lb
Rob Loe F 6-11 240lb
Washington:
Abdul Gaddy G 6-3 185lb
C.J. Wilcox G 6-5 190lb
Terrence Ross G 6-6 195lb
Darnell Gant F 6-8 230lb
Aziz N'Diaye C 7-0 260lb
Keys to the Game:
Rebounding:
This is a category UW should be dominate in, yet the past weekend showed the Husky faithful that there is work to be done in the paint. While several players are averaging very respectable numbers, the combined totals just are adding up as high as we might like. UW is currently averaging a bit over 41 boards per game, but I would like to see that number be closer to 45 a game. Washington has a chance to do some damage in the middle this Sunday as the Billkens currently grab less than 33 boards per game. UW is picking up 13 offensive boards a game compared to 8 for Saint Louis. This is a huge statistical advantage for the Huskies and they would do well to take advantage of that. Add in that the leading rebounder for the Billkens is a 5-10 guard and you have a recipe for what could be a strong rebounding outing for the Dawgs.
Backcourt Pressure:
The Huskies are strongest where the majority of the Billkens success comes from: the backcourt. The Huskies will need to provide stiff pressure on the perimeter to prevent entry passes to the frontcourt as well as allowing the Husky post players to step out and defend their men without risking too many open opportunities in the paint. If I was Lorenzo Romar, I'd be placing C.J. Wilcox on which ever guard is a stronger player. He has shown immense defensive capabilities and swats the ball with authority.
Get the Offense Going Early:
UW is known for slow starts on occasion, but such has not been the case as of late. UW has only been behind for 9 seconds this entire year. Take that in for just a moment. Only 9 seconds. Yes, the competition has been below average, but Washington has taken care of business and kept the lead, no matter how close the game got. They have done this by scoring early and in bunches. With 6 players averaging double digit scoring (I am including N'Diaye as his average is close enough) UW has a variety of scoring options they will need to utilize. By spreading the ball around, Saint Louis will struggle to contain the Husky offense and could be worn out early on if the Dawgs can pass well and quickly.
Final Score Prediction:
UW-85 SLU-70
The Husky offense is so fast that the Billkens will likely see a few more possession than they are used to. At the same time, the Billkens' style of offense will likely mean less opportunities than usual for the Huskies. I don't see the Saint Louis offense being able to compete with UW and I certainly don't expect the Billkens to find the same amount of defensive success this weekend as they are used to. SLU will remain close for the first 10 minutes or so until the superior UW bench wears down the SLU players at which point I expect Washington to breakout and take over.
Go Dawgs!
The Billkens have been extremely stringent on defense this year, holding Tennessee State to 37 points and Southern Illinois to 42 points while scoring 71 and 61 respectively. Saint Louis was able to hold the two teams to 29% and 20% shooting respectively and completely shut down any offense they had to offer.
These numbers are a credit to the effort being put out by the Billkens players, but it is also a testament to the low level talent that Saint Louis has played thus far. SIU is averaging only 52 points on the year, while TSU is averaging about 56 points. I commend the Billkens for their job well done thus far, but I hardly expect this to be a true test of the Huskies' ability to cope with a good team on the road. Joe Lunardi currently has Saint Louis as a member of the "Next Four Out," making them a top 100 team, but well enough outside the top 50 that they should not be considered a huge threat. I fully expect this to be a somewhat competitive game due to the Billkens' ability to slow the game down to their tempo. With a 66 point average on the year, Saint Louis is not a high scoring team and will likely have troubles dealing with the high octane offense UW brings to the table.
Saint Louis is led by a pair of forwards who do a little of everything for their team. Brian Conklin is a 6-6 230lb forward with considerable muscle to power through the opposition defense. He currently leads the team in scoring with 12.5 points per game and third in rebounding at 4.5 per game. He is also 100% from the free throw line at 9-9, something Tony Wroten Jr. would be good to take note of. He is shooting 67% from the field and has yet to take a 3-pointer. Cody Ellis, on the other hand, is 50% from range and is second in scoring at 12 points per game. At 6-8 and 240lb, Ellis is another big body UW will have to contend with. Ellis is second in rebounding at 5 per game.
Kwamain Mitchell is the all around guy for the Billkens. With a team high 5.5 rebounds to go along with his 9 point average and 6 assists per game, the 5-10 175lb guard is a tough match-up for most teams. UW should be able to contain him with superior size and skill in the backcourt.
Saint Louis do have some size in the center with 6-11 240lb Rob Loe. He is more of a defensive presence than an offensive presence as shown by his less than stellar statistics of 2.5 points and 2.0 rebounds per game. He is 2-8 from the field and 1-4 from range, indicating the big man likes to move around the court. This could be more troublesome for UW who often depends on Aziz N'Diaye being able to stay closer to home and suck up the paint. This puts a bit more pressure on our guards' defensive efforts as they will not be able to guarantee a secondary defender in the post should their man beat them.
Backup center, John Manning, stands at 6-11 as well, but at only 200lb he resembles Washington's own Jernard Jerreau. He is a thin body with work in the weight room to be done before he can significantly contribute to the Billkens effort.
Predicted Starting Line-Ups:
Saint Louis:
Kwamain Mitchell G 5-10 175lb
Kyle Cassidy G 6-4 200lb
Dwayne Evans F 6-5 205lb
Brian Conklin F 6-6 230lb
Rob Loe F 6-11 240lb
Washington:
Abdul Gaddy G 6-3 185lb
C.J. Wilcox G 6-5 190lb
Terrence Ross G 6-6 195lb
Darnell Gant F 6-8 230lb
Aziz N'Diaye C 7-0 260lb
Keys to the Game:
Rebounding:
This is a category UW should be dominate in, yet the past weekend showed the Husky faithful that there is work to be done in the paint. While several players are averaging very respectable numbers, the combined totals just are adding up as high as we might like. UW is currently averaging a bit over 41 boards per game, but I would like to see that number be closer to 45 a game. Washington has a chance to do some damage in the middle this Sunday as the Billkens currently grab less than 33 boards per game. UW is picking up 13 offensive boards a game compared to 8 for Saint Louis. This is a huge statistical advantage for the Huskies and they would do well to take advantage of that. Add in that the leading rebounder for the Billkens is a 5-10 guard and you have a recipe for what could be a strong rebounding outing for the Dawgs.
Backcourt Pressure:
The Huskies are strongest where the majority of the Billkens success comes from: the backcourt. The Huskies will need to provide stiff pressure on the perimeter to prevent entry passes to the frontcourt as well as allowing the Husky post players to step out and defend their men without risking too many open opportunities in the paint. If I was Lorenzo Romar, I'd be placing C.J. Wilcox on which ever guard is a stronger player. He has shown immense defensive capabilities and swats the ball with authority.
Get the Offense Going Early:
UW is known for slow starts on occasion, but such has not been the case as of late. UW has only been behind for 9 seconds this entire year. Take that in for just a moment. Only 9 seconds. Yes, the competition has been below average, but Washington has taken care of business and kept the lead, no matter how close the game got. They have done this by scoring early and in bunches. With 6 players averaging double digit scoring (I am including N'Diaye as his average is close enough) UW has a variety of scoring options they will need to utilize. By spreading the ball around, Saint Louis will struggle to contain the Husky offense and could be worn out early on if the Dawgs can pass well and quickly.
Final Score Prediction:
UW-85 SLU-70
The Husky offense is so fast that the Billkens will likely see a few more possession than they are used to. At the same time, the Billkens' style of offense will likely mean less opportunities than usual for the Huskies. I don't see the Saint Louis offense being able to compete with UW and I certainly don't expect the Billkens to find the same amount of defensive success this weekend as they are used to. SLU will remain close for the first 10 minutes or so until the superior UW bench wears down the SLU players at which point I expect Washington to breakout and take over.
Go Dawgs!
Sunday, November 13, 2011
Florida Atlantic University Game Review
Final Score: UW-77 FAU-71
It was ugly, but a win is a win. The Huskies played a very sloppy game where the theme of the night was missed opportunities. UW shot an atrocious 38% from the field and committed 17 turnovers on the night, which allowed FAU to shoot themselves back into the game in the waning minutes. To highlight how terrible UW shot and how fortunate they were to win the game, FAU made more field goals and more 3-pointers, while UW attempted 10 more free throws and made 11 more than FAU.
The Huskies may have needed this bit of humbling experience to remind them that they cannot play down to their opponents or risk an upset. Tony Wroten Jr. literally had to play down to his opponent as he often matched up against FAU's 5-6 point guard, which led to Wroten racking up 4 fouls due to overplaying the ball and the man. The Owl point guard was also able to get away with hand checks and push offs due to his diminutive size as they did not have a noticeable effect on the defender. Just because he is small does not mean he cannot foul. Thankfully, the refs finally started calling the fouls in the final 3-5 minutes when the Owls were looking to slow the game down.
Abdul Gaddy showed why he starts over Tony Wroten once more. With 6 assists, only 3 turnovers and a very nice 15 points, Gaddy was much calmer, collected, and efficient than the flashy Wroten. Wroten racked up 4 assists, but also committed 5 turnovers and missed several lay-ins due to playing an extremely fast tempo that just doesn't work at the collegiate level. Gaddy went 4-6 from the line, while Wroten went 3-7 (he shot 2-9 from the field).
Aziz N'Diaye had some nice looks today as well. While he again looked a little rough offensively, he showed signs of improving post moves and was a lot more effective at creating shot opportunities for himself on the block. He went 5-12 from the field and made 3 of his 5 free throw attempts. He also collected 12 rebounds (5 offensive) to pull in the double-double.
C.J. Wilcox again led all players in scoring with 19 to put his average in the tournament thus far at 20.5 points per game, a fantastic result. Wilcox, like most of the team, struggled on the easy inside shots. He went 5-13 from the field, 3-5 from range. His struggles were highlighted by an easy fast break lay-in opportunities that rolled out. In reality, he should have jammed the ball through the hoop to prevent exactly what happened. If you have an open opportunity and you can dunk, DO IT! It does not need to be a monster jam, just a simple two-handed dunk.
Four players made double digits in scoring today and all four were starters. Darnell Gant was the only starter not to hit double digits and finished the night with only 2 points on 1-4 shooting. He did have a 3-pointer taken away due to an offensive foul committed by Tony Wroten after he had dished it off. Gant played a very quiet 25 minutes only managing to pull down 5 boards.
One very concerning stat was the rebounding line. UW went into half holding a 26-16 lead in the rebounding column, but only finished with a 3 board advantage, 42-39. This was another big reason FAU was able to stay in the game. UW was not boxing out well or communicating, which led to at least 3 UW rebounds knocked away by our own players. Romar needed to use a timeout or two to calm the players down as it seemed the close score line was causing our line-up to play overly anxiously.
Martin Breunig played only 9 minutes, but was a perfect 2-2 from the field. His limited time was largely due to his high foul count and ended the night with 5 points and 3 rebounds. Simple freshmen mistakes were a big part of why he picked up the fouls he did.
Hikeem Stewart only came in for a quick 2 minute burst while Romar rested his starting guards and tallied 1 rebound.
Shawn Kemp did not play today and Jernard Jarreau confirmed last night at the press conference that he would indeed be red-shirting (Jarreau, not Kemp).
Terrence Ross had another sub-par shooting night going 4-14 from the field, 1-5 from range. He did shoot a very nice 5-6 from the charity stripe and for that I give him an A+.
What Needed Improvement:
Rebounding:
For having such a height advantage, the Dawgs certainly seemed lost in the second half as to how they should keep their opponent out of the box. It was rather unfortunate as rebounding was one of the few nice stats coming out of the first half. N'Diaye had a fantastic night and with 12 boards its hard to ask him for much more. The rest of the Dawgs performed below average on the glass. After N'Diaye the next highest rebounder had 5 (Gant and Ross). The Huskies need one other player to really bring their game and average 7 boards along with N'Diaye.
Free Throws:
This is one area where poor performances are unacceptable, no matter who the Huskies are playing. Free throws are named such for one simple reason, the shooter has a free attempt at the basket. No defenders, the same shooting rhythm and motion, and essentially as much time as they wish to take. Seeing our team go 24-35 from the line when the score differential is only 6 is extremely frustrating. Even making 4 more shots puts our lead into a comfortable double digit margin. For a point guard, Wroten sure does shoot like an over-sized post player. Wilcox or Ross need to take Wroten under their wings and show him how to put a soft touch on the ball.
Lay-Ins:
Never thought I'd be writing this under the needs improvement category, but here it is tonight. The Huskies were plain and simply ugly when it came to converting in the paint. Lay-ins were often overshot or were rejected by the rim. Players missed fast break shots and tried far too hard to get a poor shot off. If I was Romar I'd be doing more than a fair share of lay-in drills at the pregame practice tomorrow.
What Was Good:
Defensive Pressure:
UW forced FAU into 19 turnovers and picked up 6 steals, led by Wilcox who had 4 on the night, as well as tallying up 7 blocks, N'Diaye had 3. UW held FAU to 32% shooting in the first half before letting up in the second when FAU jumped up to 48%. Overall the Owls finished with 42% shooting from the field and 40% from range. The latter number is a bit troubling, but correctable with better rotating defense.
Final Thoughts:
The Huskies gutted out the win somehow, which in itself is a good thing. What is not so good was how poorly we played against such an inferior team. Yes, often teams will end up playing to level of their opponent, but in this case the opposition level was far below anything the Huskies should consider respectable. With no FAU player taller than 6-8, the Huskies had a big chance to use their size in the paint and when they did get in the paint, the Dawgs couldn't finish. UW will have to play much better quite soon as better non-con opponents are approaching and 17 turnovers against a team like Marquette or Duke will absolutely demolish us.
The Dawgs take on the University of Portland tomorrow in the final game of the tournament. UP is 2-0 in the tournament, winning both games by 5 points in what I would consider an upset manner. They have been behind early, only to finish strong and take home the win. If the Huskies do not step their play up, the Pilots could very well leave Seattle 3-0 rather than the Dawgs. The key to a Washington win tomorrow is finishing at the basket and controlling the glass throughout the game and not just in one half.
Go Dawgs!
It was ugly, but a win is a win. The Huskies played a very sloppy game where the theme of the night was missed opportunities. UW shot an atrocious 38% from the field and committed 17 turnovers on the night, which allowed FAU to shoot themselves back into the game in the waning minutes. To highlight how terrible UW shot and how fortunate they were to win the game, FAU made more field goals and more 3-pointers, while UW attempted 10 more free throws and made 11 more than FAU.
The Huskies may have needed this bit of humbling experience to remind them that they cannot play down to their opponents or risk an upset. Tony Wroten Jr. literally had to play down to his opponent as he often matched up against FAU's 5-6 point guard, which led to Wroten racking up 4 fouls due to overplaying the ball and the man. The Owl point guard was also able to get away with hand checks and push offs due to his diminutive size as they did not have a noticeable effect on the defender. Just because he is small does not mean he cannot foul. Thankfully, the refs finally started calling the fouls in the final 3-5 minutes when the Owls were looking to slow the game down.
Abdul Gaddy showed why he starts over Tony Wroten once more. With 6 assists, only 3 turnovers and a very nice 15 points, Gaddy was much calmer, collected, and efficient than the flashy Wroten. Wroten racked up 4 assists, but also committed 5 turnovers and missed several lay-ins due to playing an extremely fast tempo that just doesn't work at the collegiate level. Gaddy went 4-6 from the line, while Wroten went 3-7 (he shot 2-9 from the field).
Aziz N'Diaye had some nice looks today as well. While he again looked a little rough offensively, he showed signs of improving post moves and was a lot more effective at creating shot opportunities for himself on the block. He went 5-12 from the field and made 3 of his 5 free throw attempts. He also collected 12 rebounds (5 offensive) to pull in the double-double.
C.J. Wilcox again led all players in scoring with 19 to put his average in the tournament thus far at 20.5 points per game, a fantastic result. Wilcox, like most of the team, struggled on the easy inside shots. He went 5-13 from the field, 3-5 from range. His struggles were highlighted by an easy fast break lay-in opportunities that rolled out. In reality, he should have jammed the ball through the hoop to prevent exactly what happened. If you have an open opportunity and you can dunk, DO IT! It does not need to be a monster jam, just a simple two-handed dunk.
Four players made double digits in scoring today and all four were starters. Darnell Gant was the only starter not to hit double digits and finished the night with only 2 points on 1-4 shooting. He did have a 3-pointer taken away due to an offensive foul committed by Tony Wroten after he had dished it off. Gant played a very quiet 25 minutes only managing to pull down 5 boards.
One very concerning stat was the rebounding line. UW went into half holding a 26-16 lead in the rebounding column, but only finished with a 3 board advantage, 42-39. This was another big reason FAU was able to stay in the game. UW was not boxing out well or communicating, which led to at least 3 UW rebounds knocked away by our own players. Romar needed to use a timeout or two to calm the players down as it seemed the close score line was causing our line-up to play overly anxiously.
Martin Breunig played only 9 minutes, but was a perfect 2-2 from the field. His limited time was largely due to his high foul count and ended the night with 5 points and 3 rebounds. Simple freshmen mistakes were a big part of why he picked up the fouls he did.
Hikeem Stewart only came in for a quick 2 minute burst while Romar rested his starting guards and tallied 1 rebound.
Shawn Kemp did not play today and Jernard Jarreau confirmed last night at the press conference that he would indeed be red-shirting (Jarreau, not Kemp).
Terrence Ross had another sub-par shooting night going 4-14 from the field, 1-5 from range. He did shoot a very nice 5-6 from the charity stripe and for that I give him an A+.
What Needed Improvement:
Rebounding:
For having such a height advantage, the Dawgs certainly seemed lost in the second half as to how they should keep their opponent out of the box. It was rather unfortunate as rebounding was one of the few nice stats coming out of the first half. N'Diaye had a fantastic night and with 12 boards its hard to ask him for much more. The rest of the Dawgs performed below average on the glass. After N'Diaye the next highest rebounder had 5 (Gant and Ross). The Huskies need one other player to really bring their game and average 7 boards along with N'Diaye.
Free Throws:
This is one area where poor performances are unacceptable, no matter who the Huskies are playing. Free throws are named such for one simple reason, the shooter has a free attempt at the basket. No defenders, the same shooting rhythm and motion, and essentially as much time as they wish to take. Seeing our team go 24-35 from the line when the score differential is only 6 is extremely frustrating. Even making 4 more shots puts our lead into a comfortable double digit margin. For a point guard, Wroten sure does shoot like an over-sized post player. Wilcox or Ross need to take Wroten under their wings and show him how to put a soft touch on the ball.
Lay-Ins:
Never thought I'd be writing this under the needs improvement category, but here it is tonight. The Huskies were plain and simply ugly when it came to converting in the paint. Lay-ins were often overshot or were rejected by the rim. Players missed fast break shots and tried far too hard to get a poor shot off. If I was Romar I'd be doing more than a fair share of lay-in drills at the pregame practice tomorrow.
What Was Good:
Defensive Pressure:
UW forced FAU into 19 turnovers and picked up 6 steals, led by Wilcox who had 4 on the night, as well as tallying up 7 blocks, N'Diaye had 3. UW held FAU to 32% shooting in the first half before letting up in the second when FAU jumped up to 48%. Overall the Owls finished with 42% shooting from the field and 40% from range. The latter number is a bit troubling, but correctable with better rotating defense.
Final Thoughts:
The Huskies gutted out the win somehow, which in itself is a good thing. What is not so good was how poorly we played against such an inferior team. Yes, often teams will end up playing to level of their opponent, but in this case the opposition level was far below anything the Huskies should consider respectable. With no FAU player taller than 6-8, the Huskies had a big chance to use their size in the paint and when they did get in the paint, the Dawgs couldn't finish. UW will have to play much better quite soon as better non-con opponents are approaching and 17 turnovers against a team like Marquette or Duke will absolutely demolish us.
The Dawgs take on the University of Portland tomorrow in the final game of the tournament. UP is 2-0 in the tournament, winning both games by 5 points in what I would consider an upset manner. They have been behind early, only to finish strong and take home the win. If the Huskies do not step their play up, the Pilots could very well leave Seattle 3-0 rather than the Dawgs. The key to a Washington win tomorrow is finishing at the basket and controlling the glass throughout the game and not just in one half.
Go Dawgs!
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