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!
Showing posts with label Seattle University. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Seattle University. Show all posts
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Monday, January 9, 2012
Seattle University Game Preview
First things first. Two "big" pieces of news in the Pac-12. ASU's leading scorer, Keala King, was dismissed this week following a suspension before the LA trip (leaving the Sun Devils with 6 scholarship players for the trip as two other players were suspended as well) due to team conduct violations. Big loss for the Sun Devils as King averaged nearly 14 points per game. The second big piece of news is standout freshman tight end, Austin Seferian-Jenkins, will official join the basketball squad today, but will likely not see play time for a few weeks at minimum. At 6-6, ASJ is not a tall player, but he weighs in at a very muscular 260lb that makes him a beast to deal with inside. ASJ averaged over 20 points and 8 rebounds per game for Gig Harbor High School last year. ASJ is the fourth player in recent history to play both basketball and football for the Dawgs.
UW arrives back home after another dismal road trip. Getting beat by 20 by Colorado is just plain ugly and atrocious. The players showed zero heart and drive. Beating Utah by 4 is pathetic. The Huskies should have won by 30 or 40. Utah is a terrible team, but like I said in my preview it wouldn't matter and it didn't. The Huskies have the most talent in the Pac-12, yet they lack the mentality and attitude to put it into action. C.J. Wilcox started off 0-8 against Utah. Zero. For. Eight. I don't care how many shots are made after that, the momentum is not on a team's side when one of our premier shooters is that cold. As I've said before, Wilcox is a streaky shooter. He'll have 3 or 4 games where he can't miss followed by 3 or 4 games where everything misses. That is mental, pure and simple. I put that on not only Wilcox, but the coaches as well for not helping their player combat whatever mental issues are holding him back from being one of the nation's top scorers. I don't know what is missing from this team that makes them such a terrible shooting team on the road, yet still finding so much success at home. I wish I could spend time with the team before games and see what kind of preparations they are going through and what exactly it is that the coaches are doing differently in each setting. Whatever it is, it needs to change. On to Seattle U.
Seattle U is bad. 3 and 10 bad. Right on par with the Utah team the Huskies narrowly escaped. The big difference? The Redhawks average 10 more points per game than Utah. What that means for the Huskies is a more developed and therefore dangerous offense that spells bad news, especially when one considers the type of wins the Huskies have had recently over SU and the vengeance the SU players will want to achieve. Seattle U is on a two game losing streak after suffering defeats at the hands of San Jose State and Utah Valley. Luck for the Dawgs, the Redhawks give up an average of 75 points per game. What this means for the Huskies is a chance to get some scoring down and perhaps continue to develop an offensive rhythm that might, just might, carry on through the next road trip.
What Seattle U does best is rebound. The Redhawks grab nearly 40 boards per game and do it behind a number of solid player. Eric Wallace, Aaron Broussard, and Clarence Trent (formally of UW) combine for 19 of SU's 40 rebounds per outing. What is somewhat crazy about these three guys is that not one of them is listed taller than 6-6. In fact, the entire SU line-up is short, with their tallest player listed at 6-9 and their tallest contributor is one of the three above at 6-6. To say UW will have a size advantage is an understatement. Regardless of height, the Huskies will have to work hard to prevent SU from cleaning house on the glass. What the Redhawks lack in height, they make up for in tenacity and go-getter attitude, something the Huskies could learn from.
Aaron Broussard is built like Tony Wroten, but has a better 3-point shot and a much better free throw shot. Broussard is averaging 17.2 points to lead the Redhawks and is second in rebounds with 6.1 per game. Broussard is most certainly a shooting guard and is all about creating plays for himself rather than passing it off. Broussard averages less than 1 assist per game, while also averaging 2 turnovers per game. Broussard helps make up for his turnovers with his defensive efforts, picking up nearly 2 steals per game. Looks for Broussard to start the game with a pair of 3-point attempts to open up drives in the paint. Aziz N'Diaye will need to clog the lanes and put the fear of god into Broussard.
After Broussard, the scoring drops off a small bit. Clarence Trent is second in scoring with 11 per game and is third in rebounding with 5 per game. As when he played for UW, Trent is most comfortable in the short to mid-range and thrives on flashy plays. Trent was a very athletic player when he played for the Huskies, but his overall game was still developing. The year off seems to have done him some good and helped him develop a better shot. While Trent is still shooting only 25% behind the arc, its an improvement that he is even taking those types of shots and finding decent success. I suspect Terrence Ross will be matched up against Trent. That is a ton of athleticism going at it right there. I hope Ross takes this game as a challenge to show up and play like a man against someone who plays a fairly similar game. Ross has a small disadvantage in terms of strength as Trent weighs in around 30lbs heavier. Depending on the line-up that the Redhawks throw on the court, this defensive assignment could very well go to Desmond Simmons (who I suspect will start over Darnell Gant and Wilcox).
Eric Wallace is the only other Redhawk in double digits with just over 10 points per game. Wallace also averages a team best 8 boards per game. Wallace is not a long range shooter in the slightest, having attempted only 11 3-pointers on the year, making 3. He is also an horrendous 52% from the FT line. If Wallace gets hot for some reason, a "Hack the Shaq" type scenario is certainly worth while. I hope it doesn't come down to free throws, but if UW needs to foul someone, this is their guy. Wallace finds success using his larger frame to bully defenders out of his way down low (6-6 233lb).
Sterling Carter is the top 3-point threat for the Redhawks with 23 makes on the season, though his 84 attempts are twice as many as any other player on the team. Carter is not a great shooter from anywhere on the court, hitting only 29% of his shots. Carter is currently averaging 80% from the FT, which is only slightly redeeming as he is only 8-10 on the season. Despite his poor shooting, Carter is averaging 7 points per game, which I find fairly impressive. I suppose when one considers the sheer volume of shots Carter attempts, it is not surprise that he is able to average that high of scoring.
The two assist leaders for the Redhawks are 5-10 170lb Cervante Burrell with 2.8 per game and 6-2 205lb Prince Obasi with 2.6 per game.
Predicted Starting Line-Ups:
Seattle University:
Cervante Burrell 5-10 170lb
Sterling Carter 6-0 200lb
Aaron Broussard 6-5 205lb
Clarence Trent 6-6 225lb
Eric Wallace 6-6 233lb
Washington:
Abdul Gaddy 6-3 185lb
Tony Wroten 6-5 205lb
Terrence Ross 6-6 195lb
Desmond Simmons 6-7 220lb
Aziz N'Diaye 7-0 260lb
Keys to the Game:
Rebounding:
This is the one area that the Redhawks can statistically compete in and cause problems for the Huskies. For some reasons, smaller teams seem to do more damage on the board than taller teams. To m, this screams mental once more and judging by how this team has been playing, I'm 99% confident that I am right. Second chance points kill us and we allow far too many offensive boards. The Huskies need to use their vast height advantage and grab every bounce and rouge shot in sight. I think starting Simmons could really set the tone and tempo for what type of rebounding effort is expected of the team.
Shooting:
If I have to watch another ice-cold shooting night from these guys, I'll turn out for the team. I can take bad shots and miss all night too. For Wilcox to go 8 of 11 one night to a combined 8 for 29 the next TWO games is beyond me. Here is another stat for you. Wilcox has made 23 straight free throws, but during that same time he is failed to attempt a free throw in SEVEN GAMES! The only game Wilcox missed a free throw in was against Florida Atlantic in November when he went 6-8 from the line. Our shooters need to get going. No altitude excuses, no tired legs, no hangovers, no NOTHING!
Offensive Movement:
The Huskies thrive when they pass the ball well and often. On the next road game I plan on tallying how many passes are made every play and the result of each offensive possession. I have a very strong feeling that plays with 5 or more passes will have a success rate at least twice that of under 5 passes. Shooters get open looks when defenders get lost on screens and quick movement. That only happens when the Dawgs can get the ball swinging fast around the perimeter or kick out on drives by our guards. Speaking of driving, Gaddy needs to get in the lane. In the first half of the game against Utah, Gaddy refused to penetrate the middle and struggled to find offensive consistency. In the second half, Gaddy began to drive and score. Simple as that. Drive and score or sit on the perimeter and waste away. It is easy to defend a team when all they do is sit outside the 3-point arc and let loose terrible shots.
Final Thoughts:
Hec-Ed has always been good to the Dawgs and it should continue to be that way. While I expect SU to give the Huskies a bit more of a run than in previous years, their lack of big men will hurt. While I don't expect N'Diaye to have a huge game, he certainly has a chance to put up some big points and boards if he can use his size against SU effectively. Last year, N'Diaye struggled against small posts, while this year has been a step forward in the right direction. I'd really like to see a double-double from two players tomorrow, N'Diaye and either Ross, Wroten, or Simmons. Hopefully ASJ really challenges the other Husky bigs and that his skills in high school are able to translate to the D1 level the same way his football talents did. I don't expect to see ASJ unless we are in blowout mode, but who knows, he could be a great surprise.
Final Score Prediction: UW-81 SU-70
UW arrives back home after another dismal road trip. Getting beat by 20 by Colorado is just plain ugly and atrocious. The players showed zero heart and drive. Beating Utah by 4 is pathetic. The Huskies should have won by 30 or 40. Utah is a terrible team, but like I said in my preview it wouldn't matter and it didn't. The Huskies have the most talent in the Pac-12, yet they lack the mentality and attitude to put it into action. C.J. Wilcox started off 0-8 against Utah. Zero. For. Eight. I don't care how many shots are made after that, the momentum is not on a team's side when one of our premier shooters is that cold. As I've said before, Wilcox is a streaky shooter. He'll have 3 or 4 games where he can't miss followed by 3 or 4 games where everything misses. That is mental, pure and simple. I put that on not only Wilcox, but the coaches as well for not helping their player combat whatever mental issues are holding him back from being one of the nation's top scorers. I don't know what is missing from this team that makes them such a terrible shooting team on the road, yet still finding so much success at home. I wish I could spend time with the team before games and see what kind of preparations they are going through and what exactly it is that the coaches are doing differently in each setting. Whatever it is, it needs to change. On to Seattle U.
Seattle U is bad. 3 and 10 bad. Right on par with the Utah team the Huskies narrowly escaped. The big difference? The Redhawks average 10 more points per game than Utah. What that means for the Huskies is a more developed and therefore dangerous offense that spells bad news, especially when one considers the type of wins the Huskies have had recently over SU and the vengeance the SU players will want to achieve. Seattle U is on a two game losing streak after suffering defeats at the hands of San Jose State and Utah Valley. Luck for the Dawgs, the Redhawks give up an average of 75 points per game. What this means for the Huskies is a chance to get some scoring down and perhaps continue to develop an offensive rhythm that might, just might, carry on through the next road trip.
What Seattle U does best is rebound. The Redhawks grab nearly 40 boards per game and do it behind a number of solid player. Eric Wallace, Aaron Broussard, and Clarence Trent (formally of UW) combine for 19 of SU's 40 rebounds per outing. What is somewhat crazy about these three guys is that not one of them is listed taller than 6-6. In fact, the entire SU line-up is short, with their tallest player listed at 6-9 and their tallest contributor is one of the three above at 6-6. To say UW will have a size advantage is an understatement. Regardless of height, the Huskies will have to work hard to prevent SU from cleaning house on the glass. What the Redhawks lack in height, they make up for in tenacity and go-getter attitude, something the Huskies could learn from.
Aaron Broussard is built like Tony Wroten, but has a better 3-point shot and a much better free throw shot. Broussard is averaging 17.2 points to lead the Redhawks and is second in rebounds with 6.1 per game. Broussard is most certainly a shooting guard and is all about creating plays for himself rather than passing it off. Broussard averages less than 1 assist per game, while also averaging 2 turnovers per game. Broussard helps make up for his turnovers with his defensive efforts, picking up nearly 2 steals per game. Looks for Broussard to start the game with a pair of 3-point attempts to open up drives in the paint. Aziz N'Diaye will need to clog the lanes and put the fear of god into Broussard.
After Broussard, the scoring drops off a small bit. Clarence Trent is second in scoring with 11 per game and is third in rebounding with 5 per game. As when he played for UW, Trent is most comfortable in the short to mid-range and thrives on flashy plays. Trent was a very athletic player when he played for the Huskies, but his overall game was still developing. The year off seems to have done him some good and helped him develop a better shot. While Trent is still shooting only 25% behind the arc, its an improvement that he is even taking those types of shots and finding decent success. I suspect Terrence Ross will be matched up against Trent. That is a ton of athleticism going at it right there. I hope Ross takes this game as a challenge to show up and play like a man against someone who plays a fairly similar game. Ross has a small disadvantage in terms of strength as Trent weighs in around 30lbs heavier. Depending on the line-up that the Redhawks throw on the court, this defensive assignment could very well go to Desmond Simmons (who I suspect will start over Darnell Gant and Wilcox).
Eric Wallace is the only other Redhawk in double digits with just over 10 points per game. Wallace also averages a team best 8 boards per game. Wallace is not a long range shooter in the slightest, having attempted only 11 3-pointers on the year, making 3. He is also an horrendous 52% from the FT line. If Wallace gets hot for some reason, a "Hack the Shaq" type scenario is certainly worth while. I hope it doesn't come down to free throws, but if UW needs to foul someone, this is their guy. Wallace finds success using his larger frame to bully defenders out of his way down low (6-6 233lb).
Sterling Carter is the top 3-point threat for the Redhawks with 23 makes on the season, though his 84 attempts are twice as many as any other player on the team. Carter is not a great shooter from anywhere on the court, hitting only 29% of his shots. Carter is currently averaging 80% from the FT, which is only slightly redeeming as he is only 8-10 on the season. Despite his poor shooting, Carter is averaging 7 points per game, which I find fairly impressive. I suppose when one considers the sheer volume of shots Carter attempts, it is not surprise that he is able to average that high of scoring.
The two assist leaders for the Redhawks are 5-10 170lb Cervante Burrell with 2.8 per game and 6-2 205lb Prince Obasi with 2.6 per game.
Predicted Starting Line-Ups:
Seattle University:
Cervante Burrell 5-10 170lb
Sterling Carter 6-0 200lb
Aaron Broussard 6-5 205lb
Clarence Trent 6-6 225lb
Eric Wallace 6-6 233lb
Washington:
Abdul Gaddy 6-3 185lb
Tony Wroten 6-5 205lb
Terrence Ross 6-6 195lb
Desmond Simmons 6-7 220lb
Aziz N'Diaye 7-0 260lb
Keys to the Game:
Rebounding:
This is the one area that the Redhawks can statistically compete in and cause problems for the Huskies. For some reasons, smaller teams seem to do more damage on the board than taller teams. To m, this screams mental once more and judging by how this team has been playing, I'm 99% confident that I am right. Second chance points kill us and we allow far too many offensive boards. The Huskies need to use their vast height advantage and grab every bounce and rouge shot in sight. I think starting Simmons could really set the tone and tempo for what type of rebounding effort is expected of the team.
Shooting:
If I have to watch another ice-cold shooting night from these guys, I'll turn out for the team. I can take bad shots and miss all night too. For Wilcox to go 8 of 11 one night to a combined 8 for 29 the next TWO games is beyond me. Here is another stat for you. Wilcox has made 23 straight free throws, but during that same time he is failed to attempt a free throw in SEVEN GAMES! The only game Wilcox missed a free throw in was against Florida Atlantic in November when he went 6-8 from the line. Our shooters need to get going. No altitude excuses, no tired legs, no hangovers, no NOTHING!
Offensive Movement:
The Huskies thrive when they pass the ball well and often. On the next road game I plan on tallying how many passes are made every play and the result of each offensive possession. I have a very strong feeling that plays with 5 or more passes will have a success rate at least twice that of under 5 passes. Shooters get open looks when defenders get lost on screens and quick movement. That only happens when the Dawgs can get the ball swinging fast around the perimeter or kick out on drives by our guards. Speaking of driving, Gaddy needs to get in the lane. In the first half of the game against Utah, Gaddy refused to penetrate the middle and struggled to find offensive consistency. In the second half, Gaddy began to drive and score. Simple as that. Drive and score or sit on the perimeter and waste away. It is easy to defend a team when all they do is sit outside the 3-point arc and let loose terrible shots.
Final Thoughts:
Hec-Ed has always been good to the Dawgs and it should continue to be that way. While I expect SU to give the Huskies a bit more of a run than in previous years, their lack of big men will hurt. While I don't expect N'Diaye to have a huge game, he certainly has a chance to put up some big points and boards if he can use his size against SU effectively. Last year, N'Diaye struggled against small posts, while this year has been a step forward in the right direction. I'd really like to see a double-double from two players tomorrow, N'Diaye and either Ross, Wroten, or Simmons. Hopefully ASJ really challenges the other Husky bigs and that his skills in high school are able to translate to the D1 level the same way his football talents did. I don't expect to see ASJ unless we are in blowout mode, but who knows, he could be a great surprise.
Final Score Prediction: UW-81 SU-70
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Seattle University Review
Final Score: UW-95 SU-74
Well, it wasn't always pretty, but the dunks were brilliant and the outcome was nice. It wasn't the 30 to 40 point beat down I expected, but we missed a lot of shots and this allowed SU to stay in the game.
Matthew Bryan-Amaning forgot his jersey at home and wore number 55 without a name today instead of the usual number 11. He dominated regardless of the number. 24 points and 13 rebounds. Aziz also had a double double tonight with 15 points and 10 rebounds. 4 other Huskies had double digits. Isaiah Thomas had 20, Terrence Ross had 13, Darnell Gant had 10, and Justin Holiday had 10.
UW dominated the glass tonight in fantastic fashion, 49-28. UW picked up 20 offensive boards, led by Aziz with 6. MBA had the game high at 13, followed by Aziz with 10, C.J. Wilcox added 6, and Holiday had 5. Aaron Broussard led SU with 7.
C.J. Wilcox got the start tonight, but struggled to find the spark he had been showing the past few games. He finished with 3 points on 1-8 shooting, 1-6 from range. He was taking pretty good shots, they just rattled out.
We had a decent number of assists tonight, but our turnovers were atrocious. 16 assists and 17 turnovers, bleh. I.T. led the team with 4 assists, but also led the team with 5 turnovers. Not a pretty game for him. He forced too many awkward passes and drives at time, which led to giving the ball up.
UW set a new school record for blocks in a season, breaking the previous record of 151. Not sure where we officially ended tonight, but I'll update when I find out.
Justin Holiday threw down one of the most vicious dunks of the season tonight. The alley oop pass was pretty bad and behind him. Somehow, Holiday managed to find the ball, grab it behind his head and windmill it down into the hoop for a monstrous jam. The dunk was followed immediately by a brilliant block courtesy of Darnell Gant.
MBA had his own set of monster dunks, including a very nice 180 jam from the baseline.
Brendan Sherrer remained on the bench with his Staph infection.
The game was never really in doubt. Turnovers in the first half allowed SU to keep pushing within 5 points or so and every time the Huskies would jump back out to a bigger lead. They finally sealed it in the second with stronger, cleaner play.
This was a letdown game where not everything went right, but we did enough good stuff to run away with it early. We shot terribly from range tonight, 1-9 in the first half and 4-18 overall. Our free throws were also horrendous. We missed 13 free throws tonight, 29-42. I.T. must have forgotten his Wheaties next to MBA's jersey because he air-balled his first free throw and short changed the next 2 or 3. 5-10 from the line tonight for Isaiah. Not good. Aziz was 5-6. Excellent. Must have stolen some Mojo along the way.
Lorenzo Romar picked up a technical after a terrible no call followed quickly on the other end by a weak foul against UW. The refs were slightly better than our usual Pac-10 slop, but they still had some very questionable calls at times. I.T. could not buy a foul on the drive no matter what he did.
SU simply stood no chance as their tallest player is 6-8 and their skill set was no match for the experience D1 play of UW. Against a Pac-10 school, this would have been a much closer and dangerous game.
What Needed Improvement
Ball Handling
UW did not do a good job handling the rock tonight. All too often they threw away transition opportunities by short changing the pass or forcing through multiple coverage. Thomas led with 5, followed by Ross with 3. 4 other players had 2 turnovers. This cannot happen come Sunday or any of the following Pac-10 games. You can't even blame it on a home crowd. Key Arena was look pretty purple tonight.
Free Throw Shooting
Aziz N'Diaye did well. So did Terrence Ross. MBA was decent (6-9) as were Holiday and Gant (both 4-6). I.T. was just plain ugly. After so much work and progress this season with his free throw shot, the last two games have seen a dramatic decrease in his efficiency at the line. We need to make the freebies. 69% is not acceptable.
Outside Shooting
Only 22% tonight. Wilcox was cold as ice and I.T. was just as frigid. The two combined for 2-11 from the arc. Terrence Ross's shot was looking good, finishing 2-3 from outside.
What was Good
Rebounding
Fantastic effort by all tonight. Sure, SU didn't have the size to compete, but we did exactly what we should against an inferior and over matched team. Dominate. Both MBA and Aziz looked very strong and aggressive on the glass tonight. Aziz pulled down one board and using a single hand, threw off two Redhawk defenders to maintain possession. What a beast.
Passing
While a few of our passes went stray, its hard to stick your nose up at 16 assists. Holiday and Venoy added 3 a piece to I.T.'s 4 and UW worked fairly well in transition and this led to several awe inspiring dunks.
Composure
After such a hard fought, important game against UA, it would be easy to see UW letting this one get much closer than they did and allowing SU to have more than a fighting chance at a win. The Huskies did well to keep their head on straight and finish this game off strong.
Player by Player Reviews
Venoy Overton
Poor tonight for the senior. 0 points, 5 fouls, 3 assists, 2 rebounds, 2 turnovers, and a block. He only took one shot and that was beyond the arc. He couldn't seem to find an open shot and didn't seem to be able to create one for himself. The fouls kept him a bit out of the game and perhaps losing the starting role to Wilcox affected his mindset. Who knows. Either way we will need him to be on top of his game come Sunday.
Grade: C-
Justin Holiday
Holiday's dunk may have been one of the most impressive all year across the nation. Overton's pass was way behind Justin, yet he managed to real it in and cradle it to the grave. I am looking forward to seeing the replay of that jam over and over. FSN better make a commercial out of it. Only 3-8 shooting tonight, 0-2 from outside. His shot is getting better once more, but it is still slightly off kilter. On top of the 5 boards, Holiday also added 2 blocks and a steal. He played very strong defense, but had 2 sloppy turnovers in transition from poor passes.
Grade: A-
Matthew Bryan-Amaning
MVP, no doubt. 24 points, 13 boards, and only 2 turnovers. Somehow MBA not only forgot his jersey, but his invitation to the block party as well. UW had 9 blocks on the night, 2 short of the season high. MBA was 9-11 from the field and 6-9 from the charity stripe. Great night, though I would like to see him hit 7 of 9 from the free throw line. 75% is a reasonable goal. He had an awesome two hand slam near the end of the game that added to his already impressive performance. He brought down rebounds with power and looked much more confidence attacking the glass than he has in a few games. Not to say he hasn't put up good rebounding numbers, he just looked more aggressive tonight.
Grade: A
Brendan Sherrer
Did not play.
Grade: N/A
Scott Suggs
Did not play.
Grade: N/A
Darnell Gant
A pretty good night for the Birdman. 3-7 shooting, 4-6 from the line, 4 rebounds, 2 blocks, and 2 assists. He did a great job on defense and was looking for and creating shots on offense. This was great practice for what we need out of him, not only to end this season, but for next season as well.
Grade: A-
Isaiah Thomas
An overall poor night for I.T. despite the 20 points. His free throws were grotesque, his outside shot was anemic, and his turnovers were just plain lazy. He will not be able to coast by like he did against WSU. He needs to get his head back in the game quickly because his role is very important for the rivalry match up this Sunday. His inside shot and drive were the most redeeming part of his performance tonight. He was overall 7-12 from the field, meaning he was 6-7 inside the arc. That is where his game focus should be. The outside shot is nice, but on nights when it isn't dropping he has to stop forcing.
Grade: B-
Aziz N'Diaye
A wonderful career high point performance for the big man. He was great tonight. This was a good warm up and practice game for WSU on Sunday who is a bit taller and stronger. He picked up his first double double in quite sometime. He was 5-7 from the field, including the game opening points (an awesome 2 hand put back dunk). My favorite basket was a dunk in the second half where it looks as though he didn't even jump to dunk it. That man is long and strong.
Grade: A
Antoine Hosley
3 minutes tonight. He barely missed his lone shot, a 3 pointer from the corner. He picked up a foul in the final minutes and had no other stats to speak of.
Grade: A for effort
C.J. Wilcox
C.J. was bound to return to earth after soaring sky high the past 2 or 3 games. His shot was off and no amount of shooting could seemingly fix it. He did grab a fantastic 6 boards to go along with a block and 2 steals. This was his first start of his career, though it looks as thought it will not be a permanent option this season.
Grade: B-
Terrence Ross
A pretty decent night for Ross. He had a nice dunk to go along with MBA and Holiday. A wonderful put back dunk with two hands, similar to that against Oregon State on the road. He was the only one with success outside the arc and was perfect from the free throw line, 5-5. 13 points in only 16 minutes is pretty good, especially considering he only had 2 at half.
Grade: A
Final Thoughts
The game didn't quite go how I had it envisioned, but 95 points and a 21 point win is nice. It helps elevate moral after a tough loss on the road. The focus this week needs to be on ball handling and free throws Our defense was there tonight. 16 forced turnovers, 9 blocks, and 5 steals. WSU is on the horizon and it is time for vengeance after the terrible performance in Pullman.
Well, it wasn't always pretty, but the dunks were brilliant and the outcome was nice. It wasn't the 30 to 40 point beat down I expected, but we missed a lot of shots and this allowed SU to stay in the game.
Matthew Bryan-Amaning forgot his jersey at home and wore number 55 without a name today instead of the usual number 11. He dominated regardless of the number. 24 points and 13 rebounds. Aziz also had a double double tonight with 15 points and 10 rebounds. 4 other Huskies had double digits. Isaiah Thomas had 20, Terrence Ross had 13, Darnell Gant had 10, and Justin Holiday had 10.
UW dominated the glass tonight in fantastic fashion, 49-28. UW picked up 20 offensive boards, led by Aziz with 6. MBA had the game high at 13, followed by Aziz with 10, C.J. Wilcox added 6, and Holiday had 5. Aaron Broussard led SU with 7.
C.J. Wilcox got the start tonight, but struggled to find the spark he had been showing the past few games. He finished with 3 points on 1-8 shooting, 1-6 from range. He was taking pretty good shots, they just rattled out.
We had a decent number of assists tonight, but our turnovers were atrocious. 16 assists and 17 turnovers, bleh. I.T. led the team with 4 assists, but also led the team with 5 turnovers. Not a pretty game for him. He forced too many awkward passes and drives at time, which led to giving the ball up.
UW set a new school record for blocks in a season, breaking the previous record of 151. Not sure where we officially ended tonight, but I'll update when I find out.
Justin Holiday threw down one of the most vicious dunks of the season tonight. The alley oop pass was pretty bad and behind him. Somehow, Holiday managed to find the ball, grab it behind his head and windmill it down into the hoop for a monstrous jam. The dunk was followed immediately by a brilliant block courtesy of Darnell Gant.
MBA had his own set of monster dunks, including a very nice 180 jam from the baseline.
Brendan Sherrer remained on the bench with his Staph infection.
The game was never really in doubt. Turnovers in the first half allowed SU to keep pushing within 5 points or so and every time the Huskies would jump back out to a bigger lead. They finally sealed it in the second with stronger, cleaner play.
This was a letdown game where not everything went right, but we did enough good stuff to run away with it early. We shot terribly from range tonight, 1-9 in the first half and 4-18 overall. Our free throws were also horrendous. We missed 13 free throws tonight, 29-42. I.T. must have forgotten his Wheaties next to MBA's jersey because he air-balled his first free throw and short changed the next 2 or 3. 5-10 from the line tonight for Isaiah. Not good. Aziz was 5-6. Excellent. Must have stolen some Mojo along the way.
Lorenzo Romar picked up a technical after a terrible no call followed quickly on the other end by a weak foul against UW. The refs were slightly better than our usual Pac-10 slop, but they still had some very questionable calls at times. I.T. could not buy a foul on the drive no matter what he did.
SU simply stood no chance as their tallest player is 6-8 and their skill set was no match for the experience D1 play of UW. Against a Pac-10 school, this would have been a much closer and dangerous game.
What Needed Improvement
Ball Handling
UW did not do a good job handling the rock tonight. All too often they threw away transition opportunities by short changing the pass or forcing through multiple coverage. Thomas led with 5, followed by Ross with 3. 4 other players had 2 turnovers. This cannot happen come Sunday or any of the following Pac-10 games. You can't even blame it on a home crowd. Key Arena was look pretty purple tonight.
Free Throw Shooting
Aziz N'Diaye did well. So did Terrence Ross. MBA was decent (6-9) as were Holiday and Gant (both 4-6). I.T. was just plain ugly. After so much work and progress this season with his free throw shot, the last two games have seen a dramatic decrease in his efficiency at the line. We need to make the freebies. 69% is not acceptable.
Outside Shooting
Only 22% tonight. Wilcox was cold as ice and I.T. was just as frigid. The two combined for 2-11 from the arc. Terrence Ross's shot was looking good, finishing 2-3 from outside.
What was Good
Rebounding
Fantastic effort by all tonight. Sure, SU didn't have the size to compete, but we did exactly what we should against an inferior and over matched team. Dominate. Both MBA and Aziz looked very strong and aggressive on the glass tonight. Aziz pulled down one board and using a single hand, threw off two Redhawk defenders to maintain possession. What a beast.
Passing
While a few of our passes went stray, its hard to stick your nose up at 16 assists. Holiday and Venoy added 3 a piece to I.T.'s 4 and UW worked fairly well in transition and this led to several awe inspiring dunks.
Composure
After such a hard fought, important game against UA, it would be easy to see UW letting this one get much closer than they did and allowing SU to have more than a fighting chance at a win. The Huskies did well to keep their head on straight and finish this game off strong.
Player by Player Reviews
Venoy Overton
Poor tonight for the senior. 0 points, 5 fouls, 3 assists, 2 rebounds, 2 turnovers, and a block. He only took one shot and that was beyond the arc. He couldn't seem to find an open shot and didn't seem to be able to create one for himself. The fouls kept him a bit out of the game and perhaps losing the starting role to Wilcox affected his mindset. Who knows. Either way we will need him to be on top of his game come Sunday.
Grade: C-
Justin Holiday
Holiday's dunk may have been one of the most impressive all year across the nation. Overton's pass was way behind Justin, yet he managed to real it in and cradle it to the grave. I am looking forward to seeing the replay of that jam over and over. FSN better make a commercial out of it. Only 3-8 shooting tonight, 0-2 from outside. His shot is getting better once more, but it is still slightly off kilter. On top of the 5 boards, Holiday also added 2 blocks and a steal. He played very strong defense, but had 2 sloppy turnovers in transition from poor passes.
Grade: A-
Matthew Bryan-Amaning
MVP, no doubt. 24 points, 13 boards, and only 2 turnovers. Somehow MBA not only forgot his jersey, but his invitation to the block party as well. UW had 9 blocks on the night, 2 short of the season high. MBA was 9-11 from the field and 6-9 from the charity stripe. Great night, though I would like to see him hit 7 of 9 from the free throw line. 75% is a reasonable goal. He had an awesome two hand slam near the end of the game that added to his already impressive performance. He brought down rebounds with power and looked much more confidence attacking the glass than he has in a few games. Not to say he hasn't put up good rebounding numbers, he just looked more aggressive tonight.
Grade: A
Brendan Sherrer
Did not play.
Grade: N/A
Scott Suggs
Did not play.
Grade: N/A
Darnell Gant
A pretty good night for the Birdman. 3-7 shooting, 4-6 from the line, 4 rebounds, 2 blocks, and 2 assists. He did a great job on defense and was looking for and creating shots on offense. This was great practice for what we need out of him, not only to end this season, but for next season as well.
Grade: A-
Isaiah Thomas
An overall poor night for I.T. despite the 20 points. His free throws were grotesque, his outside shot was anemic, and his turnovers were just plain lazy. He will not be able to coast by like he did against WSU. He needs to get his head back in the game quickly because his role is very important for the rivalry match up this Sunday. His inside shot and drive were the most redeeming part of his performance tonight. He was overall 7-12 from the field, meaning he was 6-7 inside the arc. That is where his game focus should be. The outside shot is nice, but on nights when it isn't dropping he has to stop forcing.
Grade: B-
Aziz N'Diaye
A wonderful career high point performance for the big man. He was great tonight. This was a good warm up and practice game for WSU on Sunday who is a bit taller and stronger. He picked up his first double double in quite sometime. He was 5-7 from the field, including the game opening points (an awesome 2 hand put back dunk). My favorite basket was a dunk in the second half where it looks as though he didn't even jump to dunk it. That man is long and strong.
Grade: A
Antoine Hosley
3 minutes tonight. He barely missed his lone shot, a 3 pointer from the corner. He picked up a foul in the final minutes and had no other stats to speak of.
Grade: A for effort
C.J. Wilcox
C.J. was bound to return to earth after soaring sky high the past 2 or 3 games. His shot was off and no amount of shooting could seemingly fix it. He did grab a fantastic 6 boards to go along with a block and 2 steals. This was his first start of his career, though it looks as thought it will not be a permanent option this season.
Grade: B-
Terrence Ross
A pretty decent night for Ross. He had a nice dunk to go along with MBA and Holiday. A wonderful put back dunk with two hands, similar to that against Oregon State on the road. He was the only one with success outside the arc and was perfect from the free throw line, 5-5. 13 points in only 16 minutes is pretty good, especially considering he only had 2 at half.
Grade: A
Final Thoughts
The game didn't quite go how I had it envisioned, but 95 points and a 21 point win is nice. It helps elevate moral after a tough loss on the road. The focus this week needs to be on ball handling and free throws Our defense was there tonight. 16 forced turnovers, 9 blocks, and 5 steals. WSU is on the horizon and it is time for vengeance after the terrible performance in Pullman.
Monday, February 21, 2011
Seattle University Preview
After a tough, close loss to Arizona, the Huskies have a fairly quick turnaround to face Seattle U on "the road" at Key-Arena. Last year was a blowout, 123-76, in a game that saw the Huskies get up by 19 before SU could even score. Seattle also finished with 4 players on the court as Cameron Dollar's game plan out of halftime was to foul all the damn time.
By the way, Joe Lunardi has the Huskies still as a 7 seed with a possible match up against San Diego State in the second round. Arizona moved up to number 10 in the polls and will likely break the top 10 before season end if they win out in conference.
Seattle University is 10-16 on the year and is still without a conference this year. I believe next season they will join a league. They have 2 nice wins over Oregon State and Virginia. They also have several bad losses including a 29 point loss in their opener against Maryland and a 30 point loss to Fresno State.
SU is averaging 68.7 ppg on the season, 38.7 rpg, 11.0 apg, and a measly 39.1% shooting. 4 players are averaging double digits for the Redhawks: Aaron Broussard leads with 15.0, Sterling Carter with 13.5, Alex Jones at 11.2, and Cervante Burrell at 10.7. Broussard also leads the Redhawks in rebounding at 8.1 per game followed by Garrett Lever with 5.6 boards per outing.
Turnovers have been a big problem for Seattle U this season. They are averaging about 18 per game and have 2 players with more than 3 turnovers per game (Carter at 3.3 and Burrell with 3.2).
The Redhawks run an 8 man rotation with 3 other players having limited roles and playing in about half of their games thus far. If the foul-a-thon happens again we could see all 11 players enter the game and bout 7 of them foul out. I hope this isn't the case. I like a good, quick game not slowed down by fouls left and right.
Let's take a look at the starting line up for Seattle U.
Aaron Broussard is the most important and dangerous play on the Redhawk squad. At 15 points and 8 rebounds per game he can do it all. He is a 6-5 205lb forward. He has improved his numbers every year going from 5 points per game his freshman year to 10 his sophomore season and now 15 his senior year. He has scored in double digits in all but 3 games this season and has 5 20+ point games. He also has 9 games with 10 or more rebounds. He is also a dangerous defender with 5 games of 3+ steals. He is not very good at handling and distributing the ball. He averages 1.1 assist per game and 2.6 turnovers. Strong defensive pressure will be key in shutting him down.
Galvin Gilmore is a 6-8 220lb forward whose numbers have decreased since his last season. He is averaging 15 minutes per game and is scoring 2.4 points and picking up 2.6 rebounds per game. He does not have strong defensive stats either (blocks, steals) and is not a passer. On the other side he does not turn the ball over as much as a large majority of his team (.4 assists, 1.4 turnovers). Matthew Bryan-Amaning will have a great size and skill advantage should this be his match up.
Alex Jones is a 6-8 215lb senior forward. 11.2 points and 3.9 rebounds per game. .2 assists and 2.0 turnovers per game. Like the rest of the Redhawks, Jones is turnover prone. He has 12 20+ point games on the year and a season high of 29 points. He fouls a lot. 16 games with 4+ fouls, including 6 foul outs on the year. If we can put pressure in the post and force him to foul MBA or Aziz we will remove him from the game quickly and can really gain a huge advantage in the frontcourt.
Sterling Carter is a freshman guard standing at 6-0 200lb. He is picking up 13.5 points and a very respectable 3.3 rebounds per game. He is a stronger passer with 2.1 assists per game, but also suffers from freshmen mistakes and turns the ball over about 3 times per game (10 games with 4+ turnovers). Carter can be a very prolific scorer with 7 games of 19+ points and a career high of 28 points. 6 of those 7 games he hit 4 or more 3 pointers, including 1 game with 7 makes on 15 attempts. Against Eastern Washington he dealt out 13 assists. With a very experienced and seasoned backcourt we can force a lot of mistakes through Carter by pressing hard defensively and not allowing him to get in a shooting rhythm.
Garrett Lever rounds out the starting 5. He is a 6-0 180lb guard in his senior season. While not a great scorer, 3.7 points per game, he does grab 5.6 rebounds and dish out 1.8 assists to his 1.4 turnovers. Like Carter, Lever is fairly strong on defense with 6 games with 4+ steals with a season high of 7 against Maryland.
Starting Line Up Predictions
Seattle University
Garrett Lever 6-0 180lb G
Sterling Carter 6-0 200lb G
Aaron Broussard 6-5 205lb F
Alex Jones 6-8 215lb F
Galvin Gilmore 6-8 220lb F
Washington
Isaiah Thomas 5-9 185lb G
Venoy Overton 6-0 185lb G
Justin Holiday 6-6 185lb F
Matthew Bryan-Amaning 6-9 240lb F
Aziz N'Diaye 7-0 260lb C
As a side note, Aziz did not start versus Arizona due to being late to the team bus. Not the reason we lost, but an unnecessary distraction.
Keys to the Game
Rebounding
After a very poor showing versus Arizona, the Huskies are looking to return to their strong rebounding ways. MBA played a great game and picked up his portion of the work load, Darnell Gant did his share of the rebounding, we just lacked it from other players. We match up fantastically against Seattle U and should have no problem boxing out and getting the boards. Last season we only won the rebounding battle by 1, 44-43. That is likely to change this year as MBA has been great on the glass and both Aziz and Gant have shown great promise. Our rebounding by committee has been wonderful the majority of the year and I expect no less tonight.
Free Throw Shooting
I expect us to see the line more than a few times in this game. While the 45 fouls Seattle U had last time is a bit unreasonable to expect again, I would not be surprised to see 30 to 35 fouls. With WSU, UCLA, and USC on the horizon we need to get our free throw form in shape and ready to go. This should not be a close game, but that is no reason to slack on the line.
Perimeter Pressure
Carter can get hot from outside and Broussard is decent in his own right. 4 players have 15+ makes on the season and Carter is by far the specialist and focal point with 65 makes on 191 attempts (34%). Extend out pressure, prevent the 3 pointers, and force turnovers.
Passing/Ball Handling
We can easily force the Redhawks into 20+ turnovers if we play defense as strong as we have been. Hell, we forced Arizona into 18 turnovers and they are a much, much, much better team offensively. Seattle U plays an uptempo game like us and is ranked 4th in the adjusted tempo category according to Ken Pom (UW is 9th). For a large majority of the year Seattle U was ranked number 1 in this category. By handling the ball well, we can move in transition and score in boat loads.
Push the Middle
MBA and Aziz should have a field day. Thomas and Holiday should excel. The biggest problem should be not enough possessions to go around rather than any sort of competitive problem. MBA should get 30 points and 15 boards if he can maintain his high level of play. If we can force Seattle U into a zone early we will see our outside shot open up and this will force the Redhawks to extend their pressure, opening up the middle for penetration by our guards who can either score or dish it out down low.
Avoid the Letdown
It would be easy for the Huskies to overlook this team, especially following the close loss to Arizona. It is extremely important to treat this game seriously and not have our heads towards WSU on Sunday. This should not be a close game. This should be a blow out. This is not a game to lose. The Huskies must come out of the gates firing on all cylinders.
Final Thoughts
Seattle U is an up and rising D1 team. They are a fair few years away from being competitive at this level again, but they are making progress. Their wins over OSU and UVA show this. Cameron Dollar has them headed in the right direction, its just a matter of time and players' talent levels. UW should have no problem with this game. We just need to bring the right mental attitude to the game.
Final Score Prediction
UW-115 SU-72
By the way, Joe Lunardi has the Huskies still as a 7 seed with a possible match up against San Diego State in the second round. Arizona moved up to number 10 in the polls and will likely break the top 10 before season end if they win out in conference.
Seattle University is 10-16 on the year and is still without a conference this year. I believe next season they will join a league. They have 2 nice wins over Oregon State and Virginia. They also have several bad losses including a 29 point loss in their opener against Maryland and a 30 point loss to Fresno State.
SU is averaging 68.7 ppg on the season, 38.7 rpg, 11.0 apg, and a measly 39.1% shooting. 4 players are averaging double digits for the Redhawks: Aaron Broussard leads with 15.0, Sterling Carter with 13.5, Alex Jones at 11.2, and Cervante Burrell at 10.7. Broussard also leads the Redhawks in rebounding at 8.1 per game followed by Garrett Lever with 5.6 boards per outing.
Turnovers have been a big problem for Seattle U this season. They are averaging about 18 per game and have 2 players with more than 3 turnovers per game (Carter at 3.3 and Burrell with 3.2).
The Redhawks run an 8 man rotation with 3 other players having limited roles and playing in about half of their games thus far. If the foul-a-thon happens again we could see all 11 players enter the game and bout 7 of them foul out. I hope this isn't the case. I like a good, quick game not slowed down by fouls left and right.
Let's take a look at the starting line up for Seattle U.
Aaron Broussard is the most important and dangerous play on the Redhawk squad. At 15 points and 8 rebounds per game he can do it all. He is a 6-5 205lb forward. He has improved his numbers every year going from 5 points per game his freshman year to 10 his sophomore season and now 15 his senior year. He has scored in double digits in all but 3 games this season and has 5 20+ point games. He also has 9 games with 10 or more rebounds. He is also a dangerous defender with 5 games of 3+ steals. He is not very good at handling and distributing the ball. He averages 1.1 assist per game and 2.6 turnovers. Strong defensive pressure will be key in shutting him down.
Galvin Gilmore is a 6-8 220lb forward whose numbers have decreased since his last season. He is averaging 15 minutes per game and is scoring 2.4 points and picking up 2.6 rebounds per game. He does not have strong defensive stats either (blocks, steals) and is not a passer. On the other side he does not turn the ball over as much as a large majority of his team (.4 assists, 1.4 turnovers). Matthew Bryan-Amaning will have a great size and skill advantage should this be his match up.
Alex Jones is a 6-8 215lb senior forward. 11.2 points and 3.9 rebounds per game. .2 assists and 2.0 turnovers per game. Like the rest of the Redhawks, Jones is turnover prone. He has 12 20+ point games on the year and a season high of 29 points. He fouls a lot. 16 games with 4+ fouls, including 6 foul outs on the year. If we can put pressure in the post and force him to foul MBA or Aziz we will remove him from the game quickly and can really gain a huge advantage in the frontcourt.
Sterling Carter is a freshman guard standing at 6-0 200lb. He is picking up 13.5 points and a very respectable 3.3 rebounds per game. He is a stronger passer with 2.1 assists per game, but also suffers from freshmen mistakes and turns the ball over about 3 times per game (10 games with 4+ turnovers). Carter can be a very prolific scorer with 7 games of 19+ points and a career high of 28 points. 6 of those 7 games he hit 4 or more 3 pointers, including 1 game with 7 makes on 15 attempts. Against Eastern Washington he dealt out 13 assists. With a very experienced and seasoned backcourt we can force a lot of mistakes through Carter by pressing hard defensively and not allowing him to get in a shooting rhythm.
Garrett Lever rounds out the starting 5. He is a 6-0 180lb guard in his senior season. While not a great scorer, 3.7 points per game, he does grab 5.6 rebounds and dish out 1.8 assists to his 1.4 turnovers. Like Carter, Lever is fairly strong on defense with 6 games with 4+ steals with a season high of 7 against Maryland.
Starting Line Up Predictions
Seattle University
Garrett Lever 6-0 180lb G
Sterling Carter 6-0 200lb G
Aaron Broussard 6-5 205lb F
Alex Jones 6-8 215lb F
Galvin Gilmore 6-8 220lb F
Washington
Isaiah Thomas 5-9 185lb G
Venoy Overton 6-0 185lb G
Justin Holiday 6-6 185lb F
Matthew Bryan-Amaning 6-9 240lb F
Aziz N'Diaye 7-0 260lb C
As a side note, Aziz did not start versus Arizona due to being late to the team bus. Not the reason we lost, but an unnecessary distraction.
Keys to the Game
Rebounding
After a very poor showing versus Arizona, the Huskies are looking to return to their strong rebounding ways. MBA played a great game and picked up his portion of the work load, Darnell Gant did his share of the rebounding, we just lacked it from other players. We match up fantastically against Seattle U and should have no problem boxing out and getting the boards. Last season we only won the rebounding battle by 1, 44-43. That is likely to change this year as MBA has been great on the glass and both Aziz and Gant have shown great promise. Our rebounding by committee has been wonderful the majority of the year and I expect no less tonight.
Free Throw Shooting
I expect us to see the line more than a few times in this game. While the 45 fouls Seattle U had last time is a bit unreasonable to expect again, I would not be surprised to see 30 to 35 fouls. With WSU, UCLA, and USC on the horizon we need to get our free throw form in shape and ready to go. This should not be a close game, but that is no reason to slack on the line.
Perimeter Pressure
Carter can get hot from outside and Broussard is decent in his own right. 4 players have 15+ makes on the season and Carter is by far the specialist and focal point with 65 makes on 191 attempts (34%). Extend out pressure, prevent the 3 pointers, and force turnovers.
Passing/Ball Handling
We can easily force the Redhawks into 20+ turnovers if we play defense as strong as we have been. Hell, we forced Arizona into 18 turnovers and they are a much, much, much better team offensively. Seattle U plays an uptempo game like us and is ranked 4th in the adjusted tempo category according to Ken Pom (UW is 9th). For a large majority of the year Seattle U was ranked number 1 in this category. By handling the ball well, we can move in transition and score in boat loads.
Push the Middle
MBA and Aziz should have a field day. Thomas and Holiday should excel. The biggest problem should be not enough possessions to go around rather than any sort of competitive problem. MBA should get 30 points and 15 boards if he can maintain his high level of play. If we can force Seattle U into a zone early we will see our outside shot open up and this will force the Redhawks to extend their pressure, opening up the middle for penetration by our guards who can either score or dish it out down low.
Avoid the Letdown
It would be easy for the Huskies to overlook this team, especially following the close loss to Arizona. It is extremely important to treat this game seriously and not have our heads towards WSU on Sunday. This should not be a close game. This should be a blow out. This is not a game to lose. The Huskies must come out of the gates firing on all cylinders.
Final Thoughts
Seattle U is an up and rising D1 team. They are a fair few years away from being competitive at this level again, but they are making progress. Their wins over OSU and UVA show this. Cameron Dollar has them headed in the right direction, its just a matter of time and players' talent levels. UW should have no problem with this game. We just need to bring the right mental attitude to the game.
Final Score Prediction
UW-115 SU-72
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