Isaiah Thomas and Matthew Bryan-Amaning made the Pac-10 1st team.
C.J. Wilcox made the all freshman team with Terrence Ross receiving an honorable mention.
Justin Holiday and Matthew Bryan-Amaning were honorable mentions for the all defensive team.
Derrik Williams won Player of the Year and Sean Miller won Coach of the Year.
Freshman of the Year was Allen Crabbe.
Defensive Player of the Year was Marcus Simmons.
Most Improved went to Matthew Bryan-Amaning.
See the full list here: http://www.pac-10.org/News/tabid/863/Article/221965/2010-11-pac-10-conference-mens-basketball-honors.aspx
Showing posts with label Matthew Bryan-Amaning. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Matthew Bryan-Amaning. Show all posts
Monday, March 7, 2011
Monday, January 24, 2011
UW Moving Back Up
UW moved up to 17th in the Coaches/ESPN poll and 18th in the AP poll. Arizona dropped to 27th in both polls following their split of the Washington Schools.
Joe Lunardi, the "expert" on bracketology, released his newest prediction of tournament teams. Somehow, UW remained at the 4 seed, while Arizona moved up to a 7 seed despite losing this week. UCLA also moved back into the bracket as a 12 seed and WSU is in the First Four Out category. Gonzaga remained in the bracket as a 10 seed despite losing to USF for the second straight year as well as posting a 3-2 conference record, 13-7 overall. He still has 11 Big East teams in the bracket. 11. I understand the east coast teams are pretty good, but that is just absurd especially considering the Big East hasn't sent a team to the National Championship game since 2004 and only one of the Big East teams made it to the Sweet 16 last year.
The East Coast Bias is still alive and strong. The "experts" try to correct this by over loving Gonzaga, UCLA, and Arizona to the point of ridiculousness as they consider those schools the cream of the crop regardless of how well they actually perform. Sure those schools have traditionally done well in the tournament, but their past season performances should have no actual bearing on their seeding for this year. While I am happy to see more Pac-10 schools being represented, it is sad to see UW posting a 7-1 conference record in a Power 6 conference and not receive more love. I am not expecting a 1 seed by any means, but you would think if we beat WSU on the road this Sunday we would move up to a 3 seed. An 8-1 record, 4-1 on the road, is very solid in any conference.
Isaiah Thomas won his second Pac-10 player of the Week award after averaging 20.5 points, 9 assists, 6 rebounds, and 2 steals against the Arizona schools. Tremendous stats and a well deserved award. You have to imagine Matthew Bryan-Amaning also received considerable thought from Romar towards nomination as he played well against both schools, averaging 24 points, 8 rebounds, and 2.5 blocks.
I believe I.T. was nominated by Romar because he is the catalyst that allows MBA to perform so well. I.T. does a fantastic job of drawing defenders and dishing the ball down low for MBA to finish at the hoop. MBA did his part by shooting well and making shots. MBA showed some great post moves and finished 8-8 from the free throw line against ASU, a place he normally struggles.
Both I.T. and MBA have made huge strides towards becoming more complete and dominate players when conference play began. It was fantastic to see, especially in light of Gaddy's injury. Holiday has also stepped up his play, though he is a tad more inconsistent.
Wilcox's slump continues, though Romar did play him 17 minutes off the bench. He looks as though his rhythm and form are coming back after the Staph infection in his hip. He moved much better and shot with more confidence.
This week we play the Cougars in Pullman to round out the first half of conference play. It will be a tough game, no doubt, as this rivalry always brings out the best in both teams. I'll be posting my preview over at montlakemadness.com and will put a link to the article here. The review for the game will also be posted on Montlake.
I will also have a first half review of our players' performances sometime after the WSU game. Right now I.T., MBA, and Holiday have been the best by far and Terrence Ross has surprised a few people with his explosive games against USC and Oregon. I am hoping for another great game from Ross this Sunday against WSU.
Angelo Chol, the best remaining big man in the 2011 class, is visiting Arizona this week and is scheduled to visit Washington on February 12th for the Stanford game. His commitment is crucial for the Dawgs as we lose MBA next year to graduation and we have yet to find a high scoring post player yet. Jernard Jerreau, a 6-10 power forward from New Orleans, is a bit undersized weight wise and has a ways to go in terms of bulking up to become a real scoring threat in the post. UW also has Kevin Davis, a possible 2011 commit that stands at 6-9 and also plays the power forward position. Davis is currently attending Tacoma Community College where he has been putting up decent numbers. Like Jerreau, Davis has some work to do before becoming a polished post player. This leaves Chol, who is by far, more developed and prepared to immediately impact the game. Missing out on Chol will be another huge miss, something Romar has been criticized for after missing out on Terrence Jones, Marvin Williams, and Charles Garcia (to be fair he did not meet grades). We also lost Breshers to an undisclosed medical issue. This has left us with a big hole in our frontcourt and it needs to be filled quickly.
All for now, more later this week.
*Edit*
Thank you to Scott for pointing this out to me. Austin Seferian-Jenkins, a 6-6 250lb football recruit for UW, has stated he would try out for the basketball team. At 250lbs you have to imagine he would play the 4. He is a bit undersized at 6-6, but as Jon Brockman showed, undersized means nothing if you are strong enough and determined enough. He could fill in nicely as Breshers did, a strong body to crash the boards and play tough defense. I have not heard about his skills on the basketball court, but I shall reserve any criticism, positive or negative, until I see him on the court.
Another dual sport athlete UW might acquire is 6-8 305lb Zach Banner out of Lakes High School in Washington. He is in the 2012 class and will not likely make a decision until late next season. He is on the ESPN 150 for football and the ESPN 60 for basketball juniors. To say the least he could bring a lot to both programs. He is said to be able to play any position on the basketball court due to his size, strength, speed, and agility.
Joe Lunardi, the "expert" on bracketology, released his newest prediction of tournament teams. Somehow, UW remained at the 4 seed, while Arizona moved up to a 7 seed despite losing this week. UCLA also moved back into the bracket as a 12 seed and WSU is in the First Four Out category. Gonzaga remained in the bracket as a 10 seed despite losing to USF for the second straight year as well as posting a 3-2 conference record, 13-7 overall. He still has 11 Big East teams in the bracket. 11. I understand the east coast teams are pretty good, but that is just absurd especially considering the Big East hasn't sent a team to the National Championship game since 2004 and only one of the Big East teams made it to the Sweet 16 last year.
The East Coast Bias is still alive and strong. The "experts" try to correct this by over loving Gonzaga, UCLA, and Arizona to the point of ridiculousness as they consider those schools the cream of the crop regardless of how well they actually perform. Sure those schools have traditionally done well in the tournament, but their past season performances should have no actual bearing on their seeding for this year. While I am happy to see more Pac-10 schools being represented, it is sad to see UW posting a 7-1 conference record in a Power 6 conference and not receive more love. I am not expecting a 1 seed by any means, but you would think if we beat WSU on the road this Sunday we would move up to a 3 seed. An 8-1 record, 4-1 on the road, is very solid in any conference.
Isaiah Thomas won his second Pac-10 player of the Week award after averaging 20.5 points, 9 assists, 6 rebounds, and 2 steals against the Arizona schools. Tremendous stats and a well deserved award. You have to imagine Matthew Bryan-Amaning also received considerable thought from Romar towards nomination as he played well against both schools, averaging 24 points, 8 rebounds, and 2.5 blocks.
I believe I.T. was nominated by Romar because he is the catalyst that allows MBA to perform so well. I.T. does a fantastic job of drawing defenders and dishing the ball down low for MBA to finish at the hoop. MBA did his part by shooting well and making shots. MBA showed some great post moves and finished 8-8 from the free throw line against ASU, a place he normally struggles.
Both I.T. and MBA have made huge strides towards becoming more complete and dominate players when conference play began. It was fantastic to see, especially in light of Gaddy's injury. Holiday has also stepped up his play, though he is a tad more inconsistent.
Wilcox's slump continues, though Romar did play him 17 minutes off the bench. He looks as though his rhythm and form are coming back after the Staph infection in his hip. He moved much better and shot with more confidence.
This week we play the Cougars in Pullman to round out the first half of conference play. It will be a tough game, no doubt, as this rivalry always brings out the best in both teams. I'll be posting my preview over at montlakemadness.com and will put a link to the article here. The review for the game will also be posted on Montlake.
I will also have a first half review of our players' performances sometime after the WSU game. Right now I.T., MBA, and Holiday have been the best by far and Terrence Ross has surprised a few people with his explosive games against USC and Oregon. I am hoping for another great game from Ross this Sunday against WSU.
Angelo Chol, the best remaining big man in the 2011 class, is visiting Arizona this week and is scheduled to visit Washington on February 12th for the Stanford game. His commitment is crucial for the Dawgs as we lose MBA next year to graduation and we have yet to find a high scoring post player yet. Jernard Jerreau, a 6-10 power forward from New Orleans, is a bit undersized weight wise and has a ways to go in terms of bulking up to become a real scoring threat in the post. UW also has Kevin Davis, a possible 2011 commit that stands at 6-9 and also plays the power forward position. Davis is currently attending Tacoma Community College where he has been putting up decent numbers. Like Jerreau, Davis has some work to do before becoming a polished post player. This leaves Chol, who is by far, more developed and prepared to immediately impact the game. Missing out on Chol will be another huge miss, something Romar has been criticized for after missing out on Terrence Jones, Marvin Williams, and Charles Garcia (to be fair he did not meet grades). We also lost Breshers to an undisclosed medical issue. This has left us with a big hole in our frontcourt and it needs to be filled quickly.
All for now, more later this week.
*Edit*
Thank you to Scott for pointing this out to me. Austin Seferian-Jenkins, a 6-6 250lb football recruit for UW, has stated he would try out for the basketball team. At 250lbs you have to imagine he would play the 4. He is a bit undersized at 6-6, but as Jon Brockman showed, undersized means nothing if you are strong enough and determined enough. He could fill in nicely as Breshers did, a strong body to crash the boards and play tough defense. I have not heard about his skills on the basketball court, but I shall reserve any criticism, positive or negative, until I see him on the court.
Another dual sport athlete UW might acquire is 6-8 305lb Zach Banner out of Lakes High School in Washington. He is in the 2012 class and will not likely make a decision until late next season. He is on the ESPN 150 for football and the ESPN 60 for basketball juniors. To say the least he could bring a lot to both programs. He is said to be able to play any position on the basketball court due to his size, strength, speed, and agility.
Sunday, January 9, 2011
MBA Live 11
Monday, January 3, 2011
UW Back in the Polls
UW is back in the AP poll at #23. They are 28th in the ESPN/USA Today poll. This is likely the first year the AP poll has favored us more than the Coaches poll. Arizona also received some poll votes.
The latest bracket came out from "bracketologist" Joe Lunardi. He currently has three Pac-10 teams in the tournament, one on the bubble, and one in the Next Four Out list. UW is a 5 seed, UA is a 10 seed, WSU is an 11 seed, USC is on the bubble as an 11 seed, and UCLA is in the Next Four Out category.
As awesome the OSU upset of Arizona is, it also kills the conference RPI. Because OSU lost to several terrible teams they have a poor RPI. Now that UA has lost to OSU their RPI also drops meaning any team they play also suffers some drop in RPI.
If the conference wants to return to its glory days of 4-6 tournament bids teams like UO and OSU need to lose and lose often. No more upsets. The loss is nice though as it effectively gives UW a 1 game lead on Arizona if UW gets things done this week at home against UO and OSU.
With our average home victory margin at 33.4 ppg it is hard to imagine that we will lose to either school, but stranger things have happened. Last season UO beat us at home by a sizable margin. OSU upset UA on Sunday. If the Huskies want to remain in the polls and gain a higher seed they need to play well at home and sweep anyone who comes into our house. They also need to win tough games on the road. So far they picked up what may be two of the toughest games of the year. Both USC and UCLA could have resulted in losses and no one would have been surprised. The fact that we swept LA came as a big surprise to many people.
Also, Matthew Bryan-Amaning won the Pac-10 Player of the Week award for averaging 19.5 points per game and 9 rebounds per game during UW's sweep of the LA schools, UCLA and USC.
I will have a preview for Oregon up sometime late Wednesday.
The latest bracket came out from "bracketologist" Joe Lunardi. He currently has three Pac-10 teams in the tournament, one on the bubble, and one in the Next Four Out list. UW is a 5 seed, UA is a 10 seed, WSU is an 11 seed, USC is on the bubble as an 11 seed, and UCLA is in the Next Four Out category.
As awesome the OSU upset of Arizona is, it also kills the conference RPI. Because OSU lost to several terrible teams they have a poor RPI. Now that UA has lost to OSU their RPI also drops meaning any team they play also suffers some drop in RPI.
If the conference wants to return to its glory days of 4-6 tournament bids teams like UO and OSU need to lose and lose often. No more upsets. The loss is nice though as it effectively gives UW a 1 game lead on Arizona if UW gets things done this week at home against UO and OSU.
With our average home victory margin at 33.4 ppg it is hard to imagine that we will lose to either school, but stranger things have happened. Last season UO beat us at home by a sizable margin. OSU upset UA on Sunday. If the Huskies want to remain in the polls and gain a higher seed they need to play well at home and sweep anyone who comes into our house. They also need to win tough games on the road. So far they picked up what may be two of the toughest games of the year. Both USC and UCLA could have resulted in losses and no one would have been surprised. The fact that we swept LA came as a big surprise to many people.
Also, Matthew Bryan-Amaning won the Pac-10 Player of the Week award for averaging 19.5 points per game and 9 rebounds per game during UW's sweep of the LA schools, UCLA and USC.
I will have a preview for Oregon up sometime late Wednesday.
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Washington Basketball Player by Player Preview-The Seniors
Seniors:
Venoy Overton G 6-0 185lb
Just the Facts
Member of the Pac-10 Defensive Team. Should have been the 2010 Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Year. Last year was more successful off the bench, working the already tired guards. Season high of 9 steals last year against Texas Tech. Averaged 8.5 pts a game his junior season. Shot .789 percent from the line.
The Spin
Last year was a turning point in Overton’s career, he went from a pretty good defensive force, to one of the best on ball defenders in the nation as well as an offensive threat even from range. He greatest asset might be his speed. He went an amazing 25 for 29 from the line during the final two minutes of competition. His clutch free throws clinched several games, including a 16 for 19 free throw game against Seattle University. Though in that instance, the free throws were not necessary to win the game. He went 6 for 6 from the line against Arizona in a 6 point win. Call him the new Captain Clutch. If there is any one I want to be handling the ball in the last 5 minutes of the game, its Overton. No only can he make the clutch shots, but he has the ball handling skills to avoid late turnovers and the speed to get up and down the court in a hurry. If not for a lack of defensive effort in the final 3 seconds of the UCLA game, Overton’s cross court lay up would have won the game. He went end to end untouched, completely blowing by everyone on the court.
Halfway through last season he even made an effort to slow down his game, so as to not out run his teammates. Great presence of mind on fast breaks, knowing when to dish it out, when to fake, and when to take it all the way. If I were Romar, I would let him take over the starting point guard role until Gaddy can prove himself at the college level. He works hard, plays hard, and deserves to be rewarded in his fourth and final year at the UW. Could be a big year for Overton as he crafts himself into a more offensive threat, opening the lane for Isaiah and spreading out the defense to create more opportunities for others. I fully expect another 8 or 9 point avg, with 1 to 2 rebounds a game, 2 steals, and 4 assists. He has the talent and support to make this a reality. Candidate for Defensive Player of the Year in the Pac-10 and possibly the nation. Look for him to harass the enemy into a state of fury and frustration. His cocky attitude breaks out in clapping and tongue waggling that will throw off even the calmest of foes. While he doesn’t yet possess the offensive talent to go pro, he may find himself overseas or in the NBA D-League while he develops those talents.
Halfway through last season he even made an effort to slow down his game, so as to not out run his teammates. Great presence of mind on fast breaks, knowing when to dish it out, when to fake, and when to take it all the way. If I were Romar, I would let him take over the starting point guard role until Gaddy can prove himself at the college level. He works hard, plays hard, and deserves to be rewarded in his fourth and final year at the UW. Could be a big year for Overton as he crafts himself into a more offensive threat, opening the lane for Isaiah and spreading out the defense to create more opportunities for others. I fully expect another 8 or 9 point avg, with 1 to 2 rebounds a game, 2 steals, and 4 assists. He has the talent and support to make this a reality. Candidate for Defensive Player of the Year in the Pac-10 and possibly the nation. Look for him to harass the enemy into a state of fury and frustration. His cocky attitude breaks out in clapping and tongue waggling that will throw off even the calmest of foes. While he doesn’t yet possess the offensive talent to go pro, he may find himself overseas or in the NBA D-League while he develops those talents.
Justin Holiday F 6-6 185lb
Just the Facts
Joined Venoy Overton on the All Pac-10 Defensive team. Co-Captain along with Isaiah Thomas for the 2010-2011 season. Shot .800 from the line .422 inside the arc and .333 outside the arc (10 for 30). Had a major breakout mid way through last season after being forced to sit out two road games which resulted in close losses. It all culminated in the NCAA tournament where he averaged 9.0 points, 5.3 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 2.0 blocks and 2.7 steals. His best game was arguably that against West Virginia. He scored 14 points nabbed 8 rebounds, blocked two shots and grabbed 5 steals.
The Spin
Justin Holiday may be the replacement for Quincy Pondexter that the Huskies need. He possesses Go-Go-Gadget arms that snare rebounds from out of no where, contain his opponents like a strand of rope, and stretch out over the defense on his way to the hoop. He may not be the biggest or most muscular player on the court, but his speed and tenacity give him the ability to guard opponents taller and stronger. He is a quiet leader of the court, letting his actions speak for themselves. Another candidate for Defensive Player of the Year in the Pac-10, will almost certainly make All Pac-10 first team if his offensive takes another step up.
Each year he has tripled his points per game from .7 his freshman year to 2.1 his sophomore year and finally 5.9 points last season as a junior. Expect an offensive break out year, especially if he develops his 3 ball. Now while I would love to see him triple again to 18 points a game I’m predicting a 12 or 14pt effort along with 6 to 7 rebounds a game. He could well average 2 assists and 1 or two steals/blocks a game as well. His long lanky arms are what really allow him to be such a presence on the court. He can cover a lot of ground that way and take up more space than most players his size. Lets hope he can bring back his NCAA mindset and swagger, not to mention the pre-game dance off. A starter for sure, his competitive nature, calm state of mind, and knack for finding the opening to get off shots and clean the glass like a hobo at a highway intersection.
Isaiah and Holiday should control the offensive game, leading the team in scoring along side what we hope is a more potent MBA. Look to him to be a difference maker in close games, as well as an adept free throw shooter as guys like him will get fouled and fouled often. Hopefully this will inspire him to improve from an already good .800 free throw average into a very good .900+ average. In the end, a lot of this season’s success in the Pac-10 and post season will come down to how well he can perform.
Each year he has tripled his points per game from .7 his freshman year to 2.1 his sophomore year and finally 5.9 points last season as a junior. Expect an offensive break out year, especially if he develops his 3 ball. Now while I would love to see him triple again to 18 points a game I’m predicting a 12 or 14pt effort along with 6 to 7 rebounds a game. He could well average 2 assists and 1 or two steals/blocks a game as well. His long lanky arms are what really allow him to be such a presence on the court. He can cover a lot of ground that way and take up more space than most players his size. Lets hope he can bring back his NCAA mindset and swagger, not to mention the pre-game dance off. A starter for sure, his competitive nature, calm state of mind, and knack for finding the opening to get off shots and clean the glass like a hobo at a highway intersection.
Isaiah and Holiday should control the offensive game, leading the team in scoring along side what we hope is a more potent MBA. Look to him to be a difference maker in close games, as well as an adept free throw shooter as guys like him will get fouled and fouled often. Hopefully this will inspire him to improve from an already good .800 free throw average into a very good .900+ average. In the end, a lot of this season’s success in the Pac-10 and post season will come down to how well he can perform.
Matthew Bryan-Amaning F 6-9 240lb
Just the Facts
Season average of 8.8 points and 5.9 rebounds a game, though he scored 11.8 points and 7.5 rebounds in the last 14 games of the season in what ended up being a major turn around from semi threat, to a force in the middle. His turn around was a big reason for the success of the season and post season run that included 9 straight wins before loss to West Virginia, a game in which he blocked an impressive 5 shots tying his new career high of 5 blocks against Belmont earlier in the season. He tied a season scoring effort with 23 against Belmont in the Athletes in Action Tournament.
The Spin
This is another Husky who the season success hinges on. If he can continue his end of season performances and either maintain or improve on them, the Huskies will be a force to reckon with. Supposedly he has been working on increasing his range all the way out to the arc. If he really has developed a legitimate three point shot, there isn’t a team in the nation that will be able to contain the Husky offense. Putting Thomas, C.J, Suggs, and either Overton or Ross, alongside MBA will mean a line up off 5 guys that can drop bombs from outside. No zone can even think about stopping that kind of potency as it leaves the middle wide open for lay-ins by I.T. and others. The Huskies need MBA to have a big year and not just a good half season. If he can’t become a consistent inside presence, the Husky offense may become limited and another slump could occur as it did last year.
What MBA does best is blocking and dunking and boy can he put on a show. The Pac-10 tournament really highlighted his proficiency in both these areas, smacking balls deep into the crowd and throwing down a dunk that made grown men cry. His tea bagging finesse is a sight to behold and Stanford players seem all too often to be the poor, defenseless victims. Drew Schiller was one of the first notable victims of MBA’s ruthless thrown downs in a home game against the Cardinal. His teammate, Andrew Zimmerman, got the worst of things. This dunk was by far one of the most brutal facials of the year. The only thing stopping MBA’s balls from enveloping Zimmerman’s face was MBA’s gracious hand. What makes this even better, is an almost identical dunk occurred during the 2009 Pac-10 tournament. While his dunks and blocks are fun and exciting, I would trade them for an overall improved offensive game. We need him to become the post player he should be. If he can add 10 to 12 points and 7 or 8 rebounds a game we will be in good shape.
Post by: John
What MBA does best is blocking and dunking and boy can he put on a show. The Pac-10 tournament really highlighted his proficiency in both these areas, smacking balls deep into the crowd and throwing down a dunk that made grown men cry. His tea bagging finesse is a sight to behold and Stanford players seem all too often to be the poor, defenseless victims. Drew Schiller was one of the first notable victims of MBA’s ruthless thrown downs in a home game against the Cardinal. His teammate, Andrew Zimmerman, got the worst of things. This dunk was by far one of the most brutal facials of the year. The only thing stopping MBA’s balls from enveloping Zimmerman’s face was MBA’s gracious hand. What makes this even better, is an almost identical dunk occurred during the 2009 Pac-10 tournament. While his dunks and blocks are fun and exciting, I would trade them for an overall improved offensive game. We need him to become the post player he should be. If he can add 10 to 12 points and 7 or 8 rebounds a game we will be in good shape.
Post by: John
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