The title of best player is always up for debate in the world of sports. Sure, some NBA teams possess super stars that leave little doubt like the Heat and LeBron James, the Magic and Dwight Howard, or the Zombie Sonics and Kevin Durant, but at the college level things change drastically. Several players contribute in a variety of ways to allow great debates about which player has the greatest and most positive impact on his team.
This past off-season saw the departure of our two best players in Terrence Ross and Tony Wroten. While some may not agree with declaring Wroten as one of our top players, it is hard to ignore everything he did for the Husky squad. What this means for the 2012-2013 season is a wide opening for several individuals to elevate their games to the next level and take over the reigns as the squad's "Best Player."
Being the best player is about more than points per games or how many rebounds a player can snatch up in 40 minutes. The best player needs to have intangibles that don't show up in the post-game box score. The best player needs to dominate all aspects of the game and thrive because of it.
Arguably the best player in recent, if not all, UW history is Isaiah Thomas and he is exactly the sort of player I refer to when I talk about a guy doing more than just hitting baskets and making plays. I.T. ruled the court with both his skills and his attitude. The guy refused to lose. He did everything and more to motivate and carry his team through adversity as well as success. If you have any doubt about how good I.T. was and is, just watch this.
My initial reaction was to peg Scott Suggs as the best player next season. Suggs has everything a team could want in terms of size, athleticism, and experience. After facing a tough foot injury right before the 2011-2012 season began, Suggs opted to take a medical redshirt and return in full force for a complete and dominating senior season. Built just like Ross, Suggs stands at 6-6 and nearly 200lbs. Suggs' long athletic frame allows him to elevate above the competition at the hoop and outside the arc. During his junior season campaign, Suggs showed a huge improvement concerning his inside game. Suggs was able to attack the rim and finish inside. We are all well aware of Suggs' ability to nail the outside shot. Suggs was arguably the best sharpshooter on the team in 2010-2011 due to his consistency and accuracy. Watching Suggs during warm-ups this past season has only increased my confidence in his ability to drain the long ball. As a fifth year senior, Suggs has more experience than most. Suggs has participated in 3 NCAA tournament appearances as well as having won a regular season title and two tournament titles (I won't include his redshirt season as he did not play in any games). I believe Suggs will step in to fill Ross' shoes immediately and will make a strong case for Pac-12 Player of the Year honors. The one aspect on his game that Suggs can improve on to solidify his position as the Best Player is rebounding. Suggs has never been a great rebounder, but the increased presence of his inside game will allow Suggs more opportunities near the hoop to snag a few extra boards. I can easily envision Suggs averaging 16 points and 5 rebounds per game. That type of production combined with excellent senior leadership and tenacity would make for an amazing player and could certainly be a game changer in tight situations.
C.J. Wilcox should be involved in any type of "Best Player" argument, whether simply the Husky Basketball team or the Pac-12 conference. Wilcox averaged a quiet 14 points per game last season despite battle nagging injuries that prevented him from seeing action in several games and limiting his play time in others. With a full summer to heal the stress fracture in his hip/leg, Wilcox is primed to light up the court for what could be his final season. Wilcox is attending the Kevin Durant skill camp this summer along with playing the the Seattle Summer league games, giving him plenty of opportunities to work on his abilities before the preseason games across the Atlantic. As with Suggs, Wilcox can strengthen his argument for the team's best player by improving his rebounding from 3 boards per game to 5 or 6. A greater aspect to improve upon, perhaps more important than a few more rebounds per game, would be Wilcox's ability to play into and through contact near the paint to draw fouls and free throws. Wilcox averaged 84% from the line last season and at one point had hit over 30 free throws in a row. Romar's teams have always been known to be unsuccessful at the foul line, yet individual players have made great strides in improving their shot from the charity stripe and in doing so become game changers. These individuals include I.T. and Jon Brockman. Last season, Wroten averaged nearly 8 free throws attempts per game, making under 60% on the season. With Wilcox's 84% average those 4 points from 8 free throws becomes nearly 7 points per game. 3 points extra per night is a huge number from the foul line where close games are won and lost. What could ultimately hold Wilcox back from being the best player on the 2012-2013 squad is his quiet nature. In terms of sheer athletic ability, no one can match-up with Wilcox. Wilcox has been the fastest at the mile, is one of the quickest sprinters on the team, and has the highest vertical jump of anyone. Wilcox out jumped Ross last season and we have all seen what type of plays can occur when a player has huge hops. If Wilcox can become not only a leader in terms of production, but also as a vocal and emotional leader, he could be a favorite for Player of the Year awards.
Aziz N'Diaye would be my third pick for top player on the team. N'Diaye's size and defensive presence alone put him near the top of the list. N'Diaye showed great improvement to his footwork, post moves, and in softening his hands. The big man is no longer a black hole in the middle where the ball will never return from. N'Diaye showed better court vision knowing when to take his man to the hoop and when to kick the ball back out to the perimeter. N'Diaye is already a supreme rebounder, picking up nearly 8 per night, but could take another step forward by boxing out better on the offensive end and allowing his length to take charge. Where N'Diaye can really improve is his offensive game. This has always been the weakest part of N'Diaye's game, but his jump hook is improving steadily. I would also like to see N'Diaye throw down a few more dunks. Too often, N'Diaye is right next to the hoop and opts for a dainty little lay-in. Throw down, big man, throw down. Dunks are the highest percentage shots there are. At 7-0, it is hard to have a dunk blocked inside 4 feet. Take a page out of this kid's book, N'Diaye, it'll help you immensely. If N'Diaye can continue improving his ability to catch the ball and finish at the rim, he could quite possibly average 14 points per game on top of 8 rebounds and a block or two a night. All that production does not even begin to tell the whole tale, something I argued earlier would be critical in determining the team's best player. How many times has an opposing player driven towards the lane only to see N'Diaye towering in the paint? How many times has that player then changed his mind and opted for either a terrible jumper or been forced to kick the ball back outside the paint? That is the type of impact that doesn't show up in the box score. It's the type of impact that every player should strive for.
A fourth, perhaps outside pick, would be Abdul Gaddy. Gaddy has struggled to live up to the All-American hype that surrounded him coming into his freshman season. Gaddy came to the UW as a quite young 17 year old, trying to compete against 22 year old players who were much stronger, faster, and experienced. Gaddy's sophomore campaign started phenomenally, but sadly he blew his ACL right as Pac-10 play began. Gaddy spent the summer recuperating his knee and appeared to be on track for a solid 2011-2012 year. Gaddy spent much of this past season looking slower and more cautious, something that was not all that surprising given his newly injured knee. At the end of the year, Gaddy finally realized how deadly he can be when driving the lane. Not only does it open the opportunity to kick out for an assisted 3-pointer, but it also allows Gaddy to get a good look at the hoop down low in the paint where his teardrop shot can be put to good use. What Gaddy needs to do in order to become our best player is to take this team over and make it his. This will be Gaddy's senior season. His last hurrah. Gaddy must develop that seasoned, vocal leadership this team so dearly lacked last season. Gaddy could average double digit points if he attacked the rim consistently and improved his 3-point accuracy. And, while it may seem greedy, I would really like to see Gaddy average 7 assists per game. Gaddy has amazing court vision and has a great knack for making solid passes to open players. I believe Romar's play calling is what is holding Gaddy back from averaging those types of numbers. If Romar can develop a few more motion offensive plays, Gaddy will have more opportunities to deliver the rock to open guys on the perimeter and in the post. With the addition of Suggs as a steady hand inside and out, Gaddy has one more tool at his disposal to spread the floor and make things happen. Another important point to note is the absence of Wroten allows Gaddy to resume taking a majority of the point guard play time, meaning more play-making opportunities to boost his stats.
So who do you think will take over in 2012-2013? One of these four? Someone else? Let us know in the comments below.
Go Dawgs!
Showing posts with label Scott Suggs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Scott Suggs. Show all posts
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Friday, October 14, 2011
Scott Suggs out 8 Weeks
Well, practice official starts today and wouldn't you know it, Scott Suggs is in for surgery on his right foot to repair a broken toe. Lorenzo Romar expects him to be out 8 weeks, just in time for the Duke game in the Big Apple. Evidently Suggs has been experiencing some discomfort for a few weeks and evidently felt something pop just a few days ago. He will have a screw placed in his foot to help aid the process.
Get Well Suggs.
Get Well Suggs.
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Arizona State University Review 2
UW-79 ASU-62
A great start to a critical weekend. UW had a 21 point lead before subbing in Antoine Hosley and entering garbage time. MBA had another dominate performance over ASU, finishing with a double double (22 points, 12 rebounds, 4 blocks, 3 assists, and only 1 turnover). 4 Huskies finished with double digit scoring. C.J. Wilcox had 16, Isaiah Thomas had 11, and Venoy Overton finished with 10.
Scott Suggs left early in the game after a tumble that resulted in a sprained MCL. He will likely not be available until the WSU game. *Update* Reports indicate 2-3 weeks for recovery, so WSU game is a maybe at best. More likely he won't return until the Pac-10 tournament.
Brendan Sherrer did not travel with the team this weekends as he is currently dealing with a Staph infection in his arm.
UW won the rebounding battle 41-38 led by MBA at 12, followed by Overton and Wilcox with 8 a piece. Keala King led ASU with 8 off the bench. ASU picked up a lot of rebounds from long misses by both UW and themselves. UW shot a measly 8-26 from range, led by Wilcox going 4-9. I.T.'s shot was off and missed his first 8 shots including 6 from deep. He finished 4-12 over all, 2-8 from outside.
Overall the free throws were very solid. MBA elevated his game by not only going 7-11 from the field, but 8-11 from the charity stripe. On the other side, normally constant Overton was 5-9 from the free throw line and constituted a majority of the misses. UW finished 21-30 from the line, while ASU went 6-19. Only due to the fouling at the end of the game did UW have the foul advantage 23-22. ASU was shooting one and ones only 4 minutes into the game and Holiday picked up 3 rather quickly, all on rather weak fouls.
UW played strong defense today. Despite only forcing 9 turnovers, the Dawgs hosted another block party with 10 on the night. MBA led with his 4 with both Aziz N'Diaye and Wilcox added in two of their own. UW also stole the ball twice.
To add onto the strong defense, UW handled the ball extremely well, only committing 9 turnovers themselves and dishing out 21 assists to ASU's 14. I.T. led the team with 6 assists and was followed closely by Overton who had 5, while both MBA and Wilcox added 3 a piece.
Terrence Ross struggled to find his shot tonight, going 0-5 from the field and 0-3 from outside. He picked up 2 points off a pair of free throws, had 2 assists, 1 steal, 1 rebound, 1 block, and 2 silly turnovers. He played 24 minutes tonight because he played tough defense and moved well around the court.
I was most impressed with C.J. Wilcox. He has resurfaced and brought back with him that sweet, sweet shot and the quick release. With Scott Suggs out for at least the next 2, if not 3, games there is a starting spot open and I believe it will go to either Terrence Ross or C.J. Wilcox to prevent mismatches at point guard for Isaiah. Ross has been having some statement games, but C.J. argued his case well tonight. If it was up to me, I'd go with Ross. He has been better overall as of late. Also, bringing C.J. in gives us some instant firepower from the bench.
The refs, perhaps inspired by the Stanford Teabag Theme, held their own T party tonight. An ASU player ran over Isaiah when there was no reason to be near him. I.T. got up the court and said "Hey, don't do that." No swearing, no contact, no nothing. I.T. got T'ed up by the refs. After review by the refs, the ASU player was also issued a technical. Shortly after, the ASU bench picked up another technical as the ASU assistant coach blew his top. None of those T's should have happened, the refs needed to step in early and issue warnings.
I was most impressed with our composure during the game. UW started off shooting slow and got down by 8 quickly. They went on a run and finished the half up 10. Tough defense and a will to win, not to mention making their free throws, was what enabled them to make the run.
What Needed Improvement
Boxing Out
While UW rebounded well, so did the Devil. We only had a 3 rebound margin. This won't cut it against UA on Saturday. We need to do a better job of boxing out, especially the guards on the long rebounds. There were flashes of strong boxing out, but overall it was lacking on the perimeter.
Fouling
This was not entirely the players fault, but players need to adjust their game. The refs were calling weak sauce fouls all over the place. While the second half was much better we still need to avoid the sloppy ones right off the bat. We have had more stressful games in terms of foul trouble, but no need to start again.
Outside Shooting
Everyone but C.J. seemed to struggle. Thomas was 2-8, Holiday was 1-3, Ross was 0-3, Gant was 0-1, and Venoy was fairly solid at 1-2. They weren't necessarily bad shots, they just weren't hitting the open ones like they should, I.T. especially.
What was Good
Rebounding
As I said above, our rebounding was good enough, we just need to defend against it a little better. 41 boards is nothing to turn your nose up at. MBA was very solid and Overton and Wilcox surprised me with their solid play. Aziz didn't pick up many, but he usually struggles a bit against the zone. Ross and Gant were also a little below their averages, but their slack was picked up by the above mentioned.
Defense
Looked pretty solid for a majority of the night. ASU made a short run at the start of the second and the very end of the game (as expected), but that was about it. If not for the poor shooting to start the game and heavy fouling, UW would not have trailed at all this game. At one point UW had 6 points, 7 fouls. Ridiculous.
Ball Control/Passing
As I said earlier, we did a fantastic job holding onto and distributing the ball tonight. Players outside the point guard position were handling and distributing the ball well. I.T. only had 1 turnover to his 6 assists, which was great to see after his 1 assist 5 turnover game last week. Overton has been very solid as well and is returning to his prime level of play on both ends of the court.
Player by Player Reviews
Justin Holiday
Another quiet night for the senior. 9 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 block, 0 turnovers. A fairly solid line for 22 minutes. It only seems so quiet because he sat a bit with foul trouble. We have also become spoiled when it comes to his 15 to 20 point games so hearing he only put up 9 seems like an off night now-a-days. 3-7 from the field and a very nice 3 pointer to keep the momentum going our way off a sweet pass by C.J. Wilcox.
Grade: B
Venoy Overton
Can I say the Venoyance is back? I feel like I can. He was strong on defense, harassing people all night, he only had 1 foul, picked up 8 huge rebounds (7 defensive), and despite poor free throw shooting still managed to hit double digits with 10 points. He only had 1 steal, but he did much more than the stats show. He did a great job running the team after Suggs left with his injury and played a team high 30 minutes. Like I.T., Venoy only had 1 turnover on the night. Fantastic.
Grade: A- (make your free throws and its an A kind of day)
Matthew Bryan-Amaning
MVP of the game tonight. This season MBA has averaged 26 points and 10.5 rebounds against ASU. Brilliant numbers. His 22 and 12 with 4 added blocks was tremendous. To do so while only picking up 2 fouls and even handing out 3 assists is beautiful. He was fantastic receiving it down low, faking in and then dishing out to our waiting guards and wings for the 3 ball. Some strong dunks tonight, including a great alley oop dish in transition. We will need this kind of performance against UA this weekend.
Grade: A+
Brendan Sherrer
Did not play.
Grade: N/A
Scott Suggs
Can't say a whole lot. He only played 3 minutes before the tumble and won't play for another few weeks. We wish you quick healing and a magnificent return.
Grade: A for effort
Darnell Gant
Not as strong tonight as he was against the Bay Area schools, but a decent game as is. 4 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 turnovers. He played defense well and worked in the zone to shut down the ASU outside shot. He will be important as well on Saturday, working in turns to contain Derek Williams.
Grade: B
Isaiah Thomas
Fairly quiet tonight. He missed a lot of shots, including 2 open 3 pointer he should have nailed. It wasn't until late in the first that he found his shot again and didn't miss any more shots until games end. He passed well and dished out of the drive more often, which was great to see. That's the kind of play we needed from him tonight as our post was having its way all game long.
Grade: B+
Aziz N'Diaye
Picked up 4 fouls and went 2-4 from the field, 1-2 from the free throw line. 3 rebounds, 2 blocks, 1 turnover. Not bad, but not great for 21 minutes. The 3-2 zone really gives him troubles as he is still learning how to box out and rebound properly against the zone defense. It'll come with time, no worries there. He had a brilliant dunk, ramming it home on a nice pass by Overton. Big boy needs to go up that strong and with authority more often. He crumpled one ASU player tonight, but drew the foul rather than just a pure block.
Grade: B
Antoine Hosley
Played 4 minutes tonight. The only stat to report is a lone turnover that occurred to his O button smashing. If you don't get the reference, visit seattlesportsnet.com and look up the Human Victory Blunt. Hilarious article by Alex Akita.
Grade: A for effort
Terrence Ross
After 2 solid performances last week, Ross was quiet today. It happens with freshmen and against the zone it is much harder to pull off those fancy, athletic moves. Let's hope he shows up strong against Arizona on Saturday. I'm picking him as my starter until I hear otherwise from Romar or see it in the game.
Grade: B for defensive effort and overall tenacity
C.J. Wilcox
He has returned at last, ladies and gentlemen. After passing on his Staph to poor Brendan, his swag and shot are back in action. While not quite at his 50%+ level we saw at the start of the season, 4-9 is pretty damn sweet. His release is just fantastic. Watch Ray Allen, who recently set the NBA record for 3 pointers, and you will see a similar shot style. Elbows up, elevate, quick release. Its a thing of beauty. His defense is also looking very solid as evident by his 2 blocks, which were not just tips, but full on rejections. He gets an honorable mention for MVP tonight.
Grade: A
Final Thoughts
This was a great way to start the road trip. Get some confidence, shoot well enough, hit our free throws, defend the ball, and control the rock. We need to carry our momentum through Saturday and pick up the sweep. WSU lost a game against UA that was never really in question, but fairly close at times. Klay Thompson had something like 30 points for the Cougars, but had no additional support to pull off the upset. It is up to us to start a losing trend for Arizona. The game on Saturday will be the biggest of the year, by far. Playing #12/13 on the road on ESPN, essentially for the title in many ways. We pick up that win and we sit only a half game back with 3 home games to finish off the conference season. A great time and place to win the title if you ask me. Sure we need UA to drop one more after that, but it can happen. UA finishes with UCLA, USC, UO, and OSU all of whom would beat UA on any given day. My bet is on UCLA or OSU. Both teams have played well against Arizona in the past. UO is a dark horse for the upset. The Trojans haven't played well enough as of late for me to have confidence in them pulling the upset, but it could happen. Before worrying too much about what Arizona does, we need to take care of ourselves first. Win out and the title is ours. Lose on Saturday and aim for second. That is pretty much what it comes down to. This is it. This is our time. Let's get it done. Go Dawgs.
A great start to a critical weekend. UW had a 21 point lead before subbing in Antoine Hosley and entering garbage time. MBA had another dominate performance over ASU, finishing with a double double (22 points, 12 rebounds, 4 blocks, 3 assists, and only 1 turnover). 4 Huskies finished with double digit scoring. C.J. Wilcox had 16, Isaiah Thomas had 11, and Venoy Overton finished with 10.
Scott Suggs left early in the game after a tumble that resulted in a sprained MCL. He will likely not be available until the WSU game. *Update* Reports indicate 2-3 weeks for recovery, so WSU game is a maybe at best. More likely he won't return until the Pac-10 tournament.
Brendan Sherrer did not travel with the team this weekends as he is currently dealing with a Staph infection in his arm.
UW won the rebounding battle 41-38 led by MBA at 12, followed by Overton and Wilcox with 8 a piece. Keala King led ASU with 8 off the bench. ASU picked up a lot of rebounds from long misses by both UW and themselves. UW shot a measly 8-26 from range, led by Wilcox going 4-9. I.T.'s shot was off and missed his first 8 shots including 6 from deep. He finished 4-12 over all, 2-8 from outside.
Overall the free throws were very solid. MBA elevated his game by not only going 7-11 from the field, but 8-11 from the charity stripe. On the other side, normally constant Overton was 5-9 from the free throw line and constituted a majority of the misses. UW finished 21-30 from the line, while ASU went 6-19. Only due to the fouling at the end of the game did UW have the foul advantage 23-22. ASU was shooting one and ones only 4 minutes into the game and Holiday picked up 3 rather quickly, all on rather weak fouls.
UW played strong defense today. Despite only forcing 9 turnovers, the Dawgs hosted another block party with 10 on the night. MBA led with his 4 with both Aziz N'Diaye and Wilcox added in two of their own. UW also stole the ball twice.
To add onto the strong defense, UW handled the ball extremely well, only committing 9 turnovers themselves and dishing out 21 assists to ASU's 14. I.T. led the team with 6 assists and was followed closely by Overton who had 5, while both MBA and Wilcox added 3 a piece.
Terrence Ross struggled to find his shot tonight, going 0-5 from the field and 0-3 from outside. He picked up 2 points off a pair of free throws, had 2 assists, 1 steal, 1 rebound, 1 block, and 2 silly turnovers. He played 24 minutes tonight because he played tough defense and moved well around the court.
I was most impressed with C.J. Wilcox. He has resurfaced and brought back with him that sweet, sweet shot and the quick release. With Scott Suggs out for at least the next 2, if not 3, games there is a starting spot open and I believe it will go to either Terrence Ross or C.J. Wilcox to prevent mismatches at point guard for Isaiah. Ross has been having some statement games, but C.J. argued his case well tonight. If it was up to me, I'd go with Ross. He has been better overall as of late. Also, bringing C.J. in gives us some instant firepower from the bench.
The refs, perhaps inspired by the Stanford Teabag Theme, held their own T party tonight. An ASU player ran over Isaiah when there was no reason to be near him. I.T. got up the court and said "Hey, don't do that." No swearing, no contact, no nothing. I.T. got T'ed up by the refs. After review by the refs, the ASU player was also issued a technical. Shortly after, the ASU bench picked up another technical as the ASU assistant coach blew his top. None of those T's should have happened, the refs needed to step in early and issue warnings.
I was most impressed with our composure during the game. UW started off shooting slow and got down by 8 quickly. They went on a run and finished the half up 10. Tough defense and a will to win, not to mention making their free throws, was what enabled them to make the run.
What Needed Improvement
Boxing Out
While UW rebounded well, so did the Devil. We only had a 3 rebound margin. This won't cut it against UA on Saturday. We need to do a better job of boxing out, especially the guards on the long rebounds. There were flashes of strong boxing out, but overall it was lacking on the perimeter.
Fouling
This was not entirely the players fault, but players need to adjust their game. The refs were calling weak sauce fouls all over the place. While the second half was much better we still need to avoid the sloppy ones right off the bat. We have had more stressful games in terms of foul trouble, but no need to start again.
Outside Shooting
Everyone but C.J. seemed to struggle. Thomas was 2-8, Holiday was 1-3, Ross was 0-3, Gant was 0-1, and Venoy was fairly solid at 1-2. They weren't necessarily bad shots, they just weren't hitting the open ones like they should, I.T. especially.
What was Good
Rebounding
As I said above, our rebounding was good enough, we just need to defend against it a little better. 41 boards is nothing to turn your nose up at. MBA was very solid and Overton and Wilcox surprised me with their solid play. Aziz didn't pick up many, but he usually struggles a bit against the zone. Ross and Gant were also a little below their averages, but their slack was picked up by the above mentioned.
Defense
Looked pretty solid for a majority of the night. ASU made a short run at the start of the second and the very end of the game (as expected), but that was about it. If not for the poor shooting to start the game and heavy fouling, UW would not have trailed at all this game. At one point UW had 6 points, 7 fouls. Ridiculous.
Ball Control/Passing
As I said earlier, we did a fantastic job holding onto and distributing the ball tonight. Players outside the point guard position were handling and distributing the ball well. I.T. only had 1 turnover to his 6 assists, which was great to see after his 1 assist 5 turnover game last week. Overton has been very solid as well and is returning to his prime level of play on both ends of the court.
Player by Player Reviews
Justin Holiday
Another quiet night for the senior. 9 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 block, 0 turnovers. A fairly solid line for 22 minutes. It only seems so quiet because he sat a bit with foul trouble. We have also become spoiled when it comes to his 15 to 20 point games so hearing he only put up 9 seems like an off night now-a-days. 3-7 from the field and a very nice 3 pointer to keep the momentum going our way off a sweet pass by C.J. Wilcox.
Grade: B
Venoy Overton
Can I say the Venoyance is back? I feel like I can. He was strong on defense, harassing people all night, he only had 1 foul, picked up 8 huge rebounds (7 defensive), and despite poor free throw shooting still managed to hit double digits with 10 points. He only had 1 steal, but he did much more than the stats show. He did a great job running the team after Suggs left with his injury and played a team high 30 minutes. Like I.T., Venoy only had 1 turnover on the night. Fantastic.
Grade: A- (make your free throws and its an A kind of day)
Matthew Bryan-Amaning
MVP of the game tonight. This season MBA has averaged 26 points and 10.5 rebounds against ASU. Brilliant numbers. His 22 and 12 with 4 added blocks was tremendous. To do so while only picking up 2 fouls and even handing out 3 assists is beautiful. He was fantastic receiving it down low, faking in and then dishing out to our waiting guards and wings for the 3 ball. Some strong dunks tonight, including a great alley oop dish in transition. We will need this kind of performance against UA this weekend.
Grade: A+
Brendan Sherrer
Did not play.
Grade: N/A
Scott Suggs
Can't say a whole lot. He only played 3 minutes before the tumble and won't play for another few weeks. We wish you quick healing and a magnificent return.
Grade: A for effort
Darnell Gant
Not as strong tonight as he was against the Bay Area schools, but a decent game as is. 4 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 turnovers. He played defense well and worked in the zone to shut down the ASU outside shot. He will be important as well on Saturday, working in turns to contain Derek Williams.
Grade: B
Isaiah Thomas
Fairly quiet tonight. He missed a lot of shots, including 2 open 3 pointer he should have nailed. It wasn't until late in the first that he found his shot again and didn't miss any more shots until games end. He passed well and dished out of the drive more often, which was great to see. That's the kind of play we needed from him tonight as our post was having its way all game long.
Grade: B+
Aziz N'Diaye
Picked up 4 fouls and went 2-4 from the field, 1-2 from the free throw line. 3 rebounds, 2 blocks, 1 turnover. Not bad, but not great for 21 minutes. The 3-2 zone really gives him troubles as he is still learning how to box out and rebound properly against the zone defense. It'll come with time, no worries there. He had a brilliant dunk, ramming it home on a nice pass by Overton. Big boy needs to go up that strong and with authority more often. He crumpled one ASU player tonight, but drew the foul rather than just a pure block.
Grade: B
Antoine Hosley
Played 4 minutes tonight. The only stat to report is a lone turnover that occurred to his O button smashing. If you don't get the reference, visit seattlesportsnet.com and look up the Human Victory Blunt. Hilarious article by Alex Akita.
Grade: A for effort
Terrence Ross
After 2 solid performances last week, Ross was quiet today. It happens with freshmen and against the zone it is much harder to pull off those fancy, athletic moves. Let's hope he shows up strong against Arizona on Saturday. I'm picking him as my starter until I hear otherwise from Romar or see it in the game.
Grade: B for defensive effort and overall tenacity
C.J. Wilcox
He has returned at last, ladies and gentlemen. After passing on his Staph to poor Brendan, his swag and shot are back in action. While not quite at his 50%+ level we saw at the start of the season, 4-9 is pretty damn sweet. His release is just fantastic. Watch Ray Allen, who recently set the NBA record for 3 pointers, and you will see a similar shot style. Elbows up, elevate, quick release. Its a thing of beauty. His defense is also looking very solid as evident by his 2 blocks, which were not just tips, but full on rejections. He gets an honorable mention for MVP tonight.
Grade: A
Final Thoughts
This was a great way to start the road trip. Get some confidence, shoot well enough, hit our free throws, defend the ball, and control the rock. We need to carry our momentum through Saturday and pick up the sweep. WSU lost a game against UA that was never really in question, but fairly close at times. Klay Thompson had something like 30 points for the Cougars, but had no additional support to pull off the upset. It is up to us to start a losing trend for Arizona. The game on Saturday will be the biggest of the year, by far. Playing #12/13 on the road on ESPN, essentially for the title in many ways. We pick up that win and we sit only a half game back with 3 home games to finish off the conference season. A great time and place to win the title if you ask me. Sure we need UA to drop one more after that, but it can happen. UA finishes with UCLA, USC, UO, and OSU all of whom would beat UA on any given day. My bet is on UCLA or OSU. Both teams have played well against Arizona in the past. UO is a dark horse for the upset. The Trojans haven't played well enough as of late for me to have confidence in them pulling the upset, but it could happen. Before worrying too much about what Arizona does, we need to take care of ourselves first. Win out and the title is ours. Lose on Saturday and aim for second. That is pretty much what it comes down to. This is it. This is our time. Let's get it done. Go Dawgs.
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Washington Basketball Player by Player Preview-The Juniors
Juniors:
Isaiah Thomas G 5-9 185lb
Just the Facts
All Pac-10 First Team, Athletes in Action MVP, Pac-10 Tournament Most Outstanding Player. Highest returning scorer, averaging 16.9 points a game. He is 26th on the all time UW scoring list, though he leads the two year scoring list, having amassed 1,134 points since he began his freshman campaign. He is on track to take the number one spot should his offensive skills continue to grace the hardwood. He has scored 10 or more points in 59 of his 69 games, an impressive feat by any player. He is currently on the preseason list for the Wooden Award. He is Co-Captain along side Justin Holiday. Shot .732 from the free throw line last year.
The Spin
The most exciting player to be returning this year. He will be the core around which the Husky backcourt will form. He is a vocal leader, with a lot of confidence and an equally large ego. This ego hindered his performance mid season during which time he received criticism from journalists and fans alike. His return to stardom began with his increased assists stats. By getting others involved he created more opportunities for himself. He also developed into a defensive threat holding Jeremy Green and Jerome Randle to a combined total of 12 points. Jeremey and Jerome were the leagues leading scorers at the time. His signature salute and OK monocle after threes have become a fan favorite and a team feature that brings them together, increasing moral and driving the team to compete even harder. Just as Quincy Pondexter stepped up to replace the offensive and defensive eforts of Jon Brockman, expect Isaiah Thomas to increase his already impressive point per game average in order to offset the loss of Quincy.
I’m predicting 19 to 20 points a game, though the number could be much higher as he already has 18 career 20+ point games. The key to him getting 20+ points a game will be the other Husky backcourt members. If Overton, Gaddy, Holiday, and others can show themselves to be scoring threats, Isaiah will find more room to operate in as teams will not be able to afford to double team him and leave our guards and wings open on the perimeter. While he only averaged a little over 1 steal per game last year, he posted a career high 5 against Seattle University and I expect to see similar numbers from him on the defensive end. He is another player who could manage close to 2 steals a game. Rebound wise, he will most likely average around 4 a game as he did last year, a respectable number from an undersized guard. My Pac-10 Player of the Year, barring some 20+ pt, 10+ rebound effort from Derrick Williams. If Isaiah can find himself averaging 20 points, 4 rebounds, 4 or 5 assists, and 1 to 2 steals a game, the title is his. No doubt in my mind that he will have another successful year, just how good is yet to be seen, but the development of his 3 ball towards the seasons end is a good sign of things to come. He has played through a bone spur in his toe and a broken bone in his shooting hand, another tough player whose competitive nature will not let this season slip away from them.
I’m predicting 19 to 20 points a game, though the number could be much higher as he already has 18 career 20+ point games. The key to him getting 20+ points a game will be the other Husky backcourt members. If Overton, Gaddy, Holiday, and others can show themselves to be scoring threats, Isaiah will find more room to operate in as teams will not be able to afford to double team him and leave our guards and wings open on the perimeter. While he only averaged a little over 1 steal per game last year, he posted a career high 5 against Seattle University and I expect to see similar numbers from him on the defensive end. He is another player who could manage close to 2 steals a game. Rebound wise, he will most likely average around 4 a game as he did last year, a respectable number from an undersized guard. My Pac-10 Player of the Year, barring some 20+ pt, 10+ rebound effort from Derrick Williams. If Isaiah can find himself averaging 20 points, 4 rebounds, 4 or 5 assists, and 1 to 2 steals a game, the title is his. No doubt in my mind that he will have another successful year, just how good is yet to be seen, but the development of his 3 ball towards the seasons end is a good sign of things to come. He has played through a bone spur in his toe and a broken bone in his shooting hand, another tough player whose competitive nature will not let this season slip away from them.
Darnell Gant F 6-8 225lb
Just the Facts
A low scoring player whose biggest impact is on the defensive end. He averaged 3.1 points his freshman season and 2.5 points last year. His long frame allows him to guard players much taller than him. Started all but one game his freshman year and only 11 starts last year. Career high of 8 points came against Stanford in the Pac-10 tournament, 6 of which came from massive dunks on press break plays. Also had a highlight reel dunk over former California Bear, 7-3 Max Zhang.
The Spin
A possible starter again this year, due to his size and experience. He may not be an offensively minded player, but that is not a big deal as we have other scoring options we can turn to. What we really need him for is his defensive skills and space taking ability. His side line jumper can be vicious when he is open, making it almost every time in a perfect swish. He has been developing his jumper range and precision over the summer and looks to be a more competitive player on the offensive end. While I don’t expect him to post any 20 point games, I see this as the year he makes some big progress in his overall game, putting up maybe 6 or 7 points a game. What would be a better improvement is going from 2.4 rebounds a game last year up to 5 or 6 a game this year. The more rebounds we get the more opportunities we will have, ad after losing Jon Brockman we are still trying to find a rebounding replacement. It will be a team effort to replace his 10+ rebounding efforts and the 7.4 rebounding effort last year by Quincy.
He is a potential starter at the 4 position with MBA dropping down to occupy the 5. He needs to bring back the bird man hand sign after monster dunks. I see him taking a similar as he had in the 2008-2009 season. Starting the game, getting the momentum on our side using his superior defensive skills and the subbing out to a bigger offensive threat such as Scott Suggs, C.J. Wilcox, or even Terrence Ross.
He is a potential starter at the 4 position with MBA dropping down to occupy the 5. He needs to bring back the bird man hand sign after monster dunks. I see him taking a similar as he had in the 2008-2009 season. Starting the game, getting the momentum on our side using his superior defensive skills and the subbing out to a bigger offensive threat such as Scott Suggs, C.J. Wilcox, or even Terrence Ross.
Scott Suggs G 6-6 195lb
Just the Facts
Averaged 4.7 points last year as a sophomore, shooting .374 for the year behind the arc. In his last 61 attempts he has made 40 threes, approximately two thirds of his shots a definite improvement and threat from deep. Has yet to start a game, played in all but one game last year, and 18 games his freshman year. Shoots a decent .774 from the free throw line, making 24 of 31 attempts.
The Spin
Scott Suggs may find himself in a starting role this year. Romar has remarked he has really begun to develop into more than just a spot up shooter. If he is able to remain at .500 or above on his three shot, and is able to drive and dish, to score upwards of 8 points a game. It is well within his means to score 15 to 20 points given the support of his team and the development of his ball skills to create shots for himself and others. I am not sure what to expect from him as a player this year. If he becomes a force on offense I will be pleasantly surprised as it will add another layer of depth and another starting option for the Dawgs. If not, I won’t think any less of him. Putting up 5 a game is fine by me so long as he understands and fills his role on the team. Romar is known for having players step up their third year, even after sub par freshman and sophomore years.
My heart wants me to say he will put up 12 points a game, but realistically I see it being closer to 9 points a game, a rebound or two, and one assist a game. I think this pessimism comes from the terrible performance the Husky football team has been putting out and its affecting my Husky Basketball reasoning ability. He hasn’t shown himself to be dangerous on defense, which isn’t terrible so long as he does some containment and doesn’t allow the open shots. Not everyone on the team can be expected to be as proficient on D as Holiday and Overton, even Isaiah for that matter. Whether he starts or comes off the bench as the second sub, Suggs will play an integral role in this team’s tournament run and will be even more critical deep into the NCAA where bench players make and break the game. Being able to sub out and get some fresh legs that are still able to perform at that top tier is the key to winning games against tough teams.
My heart wants me to say he will put up 12 points a game, but realistically I see it being closer to 9 points a game, a rebound or two, and one assist a game. I think this pessimism comes from the terrible performance the Husky football team has been putting out and its affecting my Husky Basketball reasoning ability. He hasn’t shown himself to be dangerous on defense, which isn’t terrible so long as he does some containment and doesn’t allow the open shots. Not everyone on the team can be expected to be as proficient on D as Holiday and Overton, even Isaiah for that matter. Whether he starts or comes off the bench as the second sub, Suggs will play an integral role in this team’s tournament run and will be even more critical deep into the NCAA where bench players make and break the game. Being able to sub out and get some fresh legs that are still able to perform at that top tier is the key to winning games against tough teams.
Brendan Sherrer F 6-8 245lb
Just the Facts
Added as a walk on official a little over a year ago on November 2nd. Beofre this he was an avid member of the Dawg Pack and can be seen with full body paint supporting Jon Brockman during the upset home win over then #13 UCLA. Scored his first basket against Seattle University, the noise almost collapsed the arena and his smile was detected by Astronomers across the globe who mistook it for a super nova. He scored against 4 days later against WSU. Missed road games due to an infection mid season. Played in the NCAA tournament against New Mexico where he missed both free throw attempts. Nicknamed the “Human Victory Cigar” because he has never played in a game the Huskies have lost.
The Spin
Don’t expect Brandon to play major minutes or be a serious contributer to the Husky squad. I expect him to play in many games this year as the Huskies blow out the foolish who step out on the court with them. Has to be my favorite player on the court. He plays with a lot of heart and loves every minute he is given. Plus he loves Mario Kart 64, one of the best games of all time. Antoine Hosley should become the Victory Assistant along side Sherrer this year as the Huskies punish their way to the top of the Pac and hopefully the NCAA. As for numbers, 1 point per game, .5 rebounds and thats about it. While he is a great person, he is a walk on to a very talented team so his minutes will be few and far between and I can almost guarantee they will all be garbage time at the end of the game. Be sure to give him the love when he steps onto the court.
Post by: John
Post by: John
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