The 2011-2012 season has been over for some time now. Our two stars have declared early for the NBA draft and Lorenzo Romar seems to be done recruiting for next season. The Dawgs have added two new names to the roster, though one will likely redshirt this season as per NCAA regulations regarding transfers.
So what can Husky fans expect out of next year's team? It's a bit hard to tell at the moment, especially in light of last season's less than stellar outcome. While the 2011-2012 team was young, but talented, the lack of depth may have ultimately led to the early season losses and the late season collapses. 2012-2013 looks to be loaded with much more experience and, hopefully, a much deeper bench that will allow Romar and staff to execute the type of high octane defense that has been such a staple of this program.
With 7 freshman on last season's roster it is easy to see why the team may have struggled early on. Next season the roster will feature 2 redshirt freshmen, 5 sophomores (4 if Austin Sefarian-Jenkins does not return), 1 redshirt sophomore, 2 juniors, and 4 seniors (though Perry Blackwell will be redshirting). Now I must state that experience does not always equal talent, but it certainly is not a deterrent. Only two incoming players will have had zero experience with Romar's program and both players are experienced college ball athletes. Along with the preseason trip to Europe and Africa, this team should be a much more prepared unit than the 15 guys that took the court against Seattle Pacific University in early November, 2011.
The biggest question is most certainly "Who will replace Terrence Ross and Tony Wroten?" With Scott Suggs returning from his medical redshirt season, it is easy to imagine Suggs slipping right into Ross' starting possession and immediately make a positive impact. Suggs was our most consistent 3-point threat in the 2010-2011 season and he appeared confident in his shot throughout the exercises in the pregame warm-ups. Suggs has a chance to be one of the leagues leading scorers if he can not only knock down his jumper, but also drive the line with regularity to keep the defenses from cheating out to cover him. C.J. Wilcox also has the potential to jump into the starting 5 with his excellent outside shooting. At times, Wilcox was a streaking shooter hitting either all of his shots or none at all. There is no stopping Wilcox once he gets hot, just take a look at the 2009-2010 game against UCLA for proof.
I should also throw the new Husky's name in here, Mark McLaughlin. While I have seen very little of his game outside the occasional highlight video, McLaughlin is another tall wing with excellent scoring abilities. McLaughlin could provide excellent 6th man support, much like Wilcox this past year. Who knows, McLaughlin may turn out to be a better scoring threat than either Suggs or Wilcox, though my money is on the later players.
As for point guard production, the majority of the burden will fall upon Abdul Gaddy who is still struggling to live up to the hype set before his freshman year. Gaddy showed much more aggressiveness in the final stretch, but it proved to be too little too late. Gaddy is a well controlled guard with great court vision who, unlike Wroten, can see his teammates on the perimeter while attacking the lanes and is very comfortable kicking it out for an open J. Gaddy needs to be willing to move inside the paint and drop in the teardrop over the opposition frontcourt or simply bank his shot off the glass into the rim. When Gaddy executes inside, it looks all too easy and often leaves me wondering why in the world he doesn't attempt such things more often.
With next year's starting 5 likely featuring 2 outside threats versus 2 point guards, we may see more driving shots from whoever is at the 1 position as the defense spreads to covers the 3-point threat. I also believe that Andrew Andrews is in a position to provide stellar relief for Abdul Gaddy. Andrews has shown to be a fairly solid outside shot and is also known for having great speed and passing abilities. I've been told that Andrews has come out of practices looking like the best point guard on the court. We can only hope that these rumors are true. Hikeem Stewart can also improve his impact on the game by spending the summer with a shooting coach. As it stands Stewart is a 1-dimensional player without much of a shooting game, making it far too easy for opponents to simply sit back and let Stewart jack up shots that will never fall.
The second question the Huskies will have to address is "How will the frontcourt perform?" In many ways, this is a more important question than replacing Ross and Wroten. Players almost always step up their offensive production when called upon to do so and considering the holes our team needs to fill is in our deepest position, well we as fans shouldn't stress ourselves too much in that regard. The Huskies lose Darnell Gant to graduation, leaving Aziz N'Diaye as the only major minute grabbing big man. Desmond Simmons will pick up most of Gant's minutes as Simmons proved himself to be an amazing rebounder and hustler whenever he got into the game. Simmons did hit the proverbial freshman wall late in the season, but the fact that it took so long to occur is a testament to the work ethic Simmons possesses. I believe that Simmons and N'Diaye will be responsible for most of the dirty work off the glass, but expect some support for our outside guards.
The Husky frontcourt will also add in 6'10 redshirt freshman, Jernard Jerreau. While Jerreau is still built like a beanpole, he has put on weight since arriving to the UW campus. Another summer of working out will hopefully see an additional 10 or 15lbs of muscles added to his physique. The frontcourt should also see reasonable production from Shawn Kemp Jr. and Martin Breunig, both of whom showed potential on the offensive side of the ball. Their defensive lapses is what likely kept both players from receiving more minutes throughout the year. I am a big fan of Breunig. During his limited playtime, he really impressed me on the offensive end and I like the way he executes. I also enjoy Kemp Jr. dunking the ball next to the rim, rather than trying to lay it in as N'Diaye so often does.
So can the frontcourt establish itself as a respectable threat such that our backcourt benefits? I would say...yes. The Husky frontcourt will not be one of the top in the nation, heck it likely won't be one of the top in the conference (see UCLA for frontcourt depth). What the Husky frontcourt will be is a reminder for teams that the pick-and-roll still exists, that cheating out to the perimeter leads to easy dunks and lay-ins, and that dropping the ball inside to our big men is not any less effective than hitting a 15 foot jumper. Last season our frontcourt averaged only 28% of our points, I'd like to see that number jump to 35%. Our team relied far too much on backcourt production last season and that wears down players quicker than one might imagine. Sure, we managed to score nearly 80 points per game, but our defense suffered from the effort required on the offensive end. If the post can establish themselves as a scoring threat, the perimeter players will not be asked to run off of so many screens or cut across the baseline as often. I'm not saying those things should stop by any means, but if we can get a nice pass to the block for a 1-on-1 situation, our frontcourt should be talented enough to score a majority of the time. N'Diaye has really begun to put together some solid post moves that are near impossible to stop at 7 feet tall.
Overall, I would say this team may be slightly more consistent than 2011-2012, but I fear a similar post season outcome. UCLA and Arizona look very dangerous with some very talented freshmen joining their respective teams. Stanford also looks to be a threat, losing very little from last year's NIT championship team. What this means for the Huskies, is with a successful non-conference reason of their own, the Pac-12 could finally start making a return to dominance in the NCAA tournament. At this point, I would predict the Huskies to finish in 3rd, maybe 4th place, with a 12-6 or 11-7 record. As the season draws nearer and more information begins to come out from the various camps and practices, I'll speculate more on how each individual Pac-12 team should fair in the coming season.
Go Dawgs!
Thursday, May 10, 2012
Friday, May 4, 2012
UW to Take On Europe and Africa
The UW Huskies scrapped plans earlier this year to travel to China for several exhibition games against Chinese professionals. We were promised something equally exciting, if not more so, and the UW did not disappoint. The Huskies have scheduled 7 games across 15 days throughout Europe and Africa. UW is allowed 10 practices before hopping on their plane out, which will no doubt be tremendously helpful in preparing for the regular season.
The Huskies begin their trip on August 25th in Barcelona, Spain for a 5 day/2 game stint before departing to Nice (pronounced Niece), France (having been to Nice, I must say I am quite jealous of the weather they should experience). The Dawgs will stay in Nice for 3 days for two games at which point the Huskies will head over to Paris, France for a 4 day/2 game stay. Following Paris, the Huskies will fly down to Senegal, Africa for a 4 day/1 game stay. This should be immensely exciting for Aziz N'Diaye as it will give him the opportunity to play in front of friends and family.
Go Dawgs!
The Huskies begin their trip on August 25th in Barcelona, Spain for a 5 day/2 game stint before departing to Nice (pronounced Niece), France (having been to Nice, I must say I am quite jealous of the weather they should experience). The Dawgs will stay in Nice for 3 days for two games at which point the Huskies will head over to Paris, France for a 4 day/2 game stay. Following Paris, the Huskies will fly down to Senegal, Africa for a 4 day/1 game stay. This should be immensely exciting for Aziz N'Diaye as it will give him the opportunity to play in front of friends and family.
Go Dawgs!
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
What Sports Mean to Me
Sports are more than just two teams or a group of individuals competing against one another. Sports are more than the score at the final buzzer. Sports are more than just a show to turn on in passing while flipping channels. Sports are a way of life, a way to define oneself, a way to learn valuable life lessons that can only be found on the hardwood and gridiron, and an escape from the monotony of everyday life.
Just about every kid dreamed of being a sports star at some point in their life. Whether it was draining a buzzer beating 3-pointer to win the championship or hitting a walk-off grand-slam in the bottom of the 9th, every child wanted to be a super star. The fact of the matter is that very few will ever get to experience that pure jubilation of nailing the game-winner and the rest must be content to watch it happen.
I was no exception. I grew up playing sports from the moment I could swing a bat or shoot a ball. I was 3 years old when my dad first handed me a rolled up newspaper to hit a wiffle ball. A year later I was on my first peewee tee-ball team alongside my cousin. Not long after that I picked up basketball, which was soon followed by soccer.
My parents are both Physical Education teachers, one of my grandfathers was also P.E. teacher. Like my grandfather, my dad was a coach and player throughout his life and their passion for all things sports was instilled in me from a young age and I have loved every minute of it. My dad introduced me to his two sports: basketball and baseball. My mother gave me her love for soccer. My dad coached my basketball and baseball teams through my 8th grade season, at which point I then transferred to a new school district where I played my last season for any organized team in basketball and baseball. Since then I've been content to play both sports in pick-up games where ever I can find the time. Just having graduated from the University of Washington, I spend most of my day job hunting and playing pick-up basketball for 3 or 4 hours a day down at the IMA. I played organized soccer in a rec league until I turned 19 as well as indoor soccer alongside my mom for well over a year straight. Every weekend my mom and I would head to the Bremerton Indoor Center where we would take play alongside several other parent/child combos.
Sports have given me so many tools that I have used in both the academic and "professional" setting. Skills like team management, time management, teamwork, communication, and persistence are the first few that jump to mind. There comes a killer instinct from playing sports, a drive to excel in all scenarios, that is hard to achieve without some sort of sporting background.
I was never an amazing athlete. Not a slouch, but I was hardly ever the star. It was never my true dream to pursue a career as a sports athlete. My cards lay in academia and that's what I have successfully achieved. I just graduated with a 3.4 GPA and a Bachelor of Science in Physics. Every year myself and my friends would sign up for a variety of intramural sports that included Flag Football, Co-Ed and Men's Basketball, Men's Softball, and Co-Ed Ultimate Frisbee. Like myself, my friends have grown up with sports playing a big role in their lives. Just because I couldn't compete at the highest level didn't mean I had to halt my "career" as an athlete. I still strive to be the best I can be, to play the hardest I can every game, and to leave everything on the court.
Despite my relatively short endeavor in organized play, I still live vicariously through my Alma-mater's various sports teams, namely the Men's Basketball team. I don't regret this for a moment, even when we suffer a tough or humiliating loss. There are times I wonder if it would be easier not to care so much about a group of guys I don't even know. Sometimes I wonder if all the emotional strain, the countless hours, and words typed out before me is worth anything at all. That's when I remember how amazing it feels to cheer a team on through insurmountable odds to a crazy win. I don't think any sports fan can deny just how ridiculous a huge win can feel; it always makes my day/week/month/year/life that much better.
I can remember nearly every detail leading up to I.T.'s game winning, buzzer beater against Arizona in overtime for the Pac-10 championship. I can remember feeling on top of the world when we got up early. I can remember feeling depressed as we went down 4 with under 40 seconds to go. I also remember feeling pure ecstasy as I.T., Terrence Ross, and C.J. Wilcox all nailed consecutive 3-pointers to tie the game in regulation. The tension during the final seconds was indescribable. It was myself and about 10 other friends in my little "apartment style" dorm living room surrounding a 40 inch T.V., sitting/kneeling/pacing as Thomas dribbled up the court. As he sized up Jones, everyone went tense. One of my friends said "Nope..." as I.T. let loose his shot. It seemed as though the game went into slo-mo and as the ball fell through the net and the backboard lit up. Then...chaos erupted in my apartment. Everyone began to jump and yell, hugging everyone in sight, falling off their chairs, and collapsing to the floor. It was so loud we were heard in another building across the road from us and I'm sure the people above us could make out every word we said without a problem. I wouldn't trade that feeling for anything. I still get goosebumps to this day when I think of that moment.
Sports are a way of life. I can think of very few people who do not refer to their teams as "We" or "Us." Whenever a game is completed I always talk about how "we" won and what "we" did well or terrible. never "they." Following a sports team means being a part of the team and I firmly believe that not a single coach or player would fail to acknowledge that their fan base is an integral part of their team. Without the fans there are no paychecks.
Sports are who I am, who I was, and who I will be until the day I die.
Go Dawgs!
Just about every kid dreamed of being a sports star at some point in their life. Whether it was draining a buzzer beating 3-pointer to win the championship or hitting a walk-off grand-slam in the bottom of the 9th, every child wanted to be a super star. The fact of the matter is that very few will ever get to experience that pure jubilation of nailing the game-winner and the rest must be content to watch it happen.
I was no exception. I grew up playing sports from the moment I could swing a bat or shoot a ball. I was 3 years old when my dad first handed me a rolled up newspaper to hit a wiffle ball. A year later I was on my first peewee tee-ball team alongside my cousin. Not long after that I picked up basketball, which was soon followed by soccer.
My parents are both Physical Education teachers, one of my grandfathers was also P.E. teacher. Like my grandfather, my dad was a coach and player throughout his life and their passion for all things sports was instilled in me from a young age and I have loved every minute of it. My dad introduced me to his two sports: basketball and baseball. My mother gave me her love for soccer. My dad coached my basketball and baseball teams through my 8th grade season, at which point I then transferred to a new school district where I played my last season for any organized team in basketball and baseball. Since then I've been content to play both sports in pick-up games where ever I can find the time. Just having graduated from the University of Washington, I spend most of my day job hunting and playing pick-up basketball for 3 or 4 hours a day down at the IMA. I played organized soccer in a rec league until I turned 19 as well as indoor soccer alongside my mom for well over a year straight. Every weekend my mom and I would head to the Bremerton Indoor Center where we would take play alongside several other parent/child combos.
Sports have given me so many tools that I have used in both the academic and "professional" setting. Skills like team management, time management, teamwork, communication, and persistence are the first few that jump to mind. There comes a killer instinct from playing sports, a drive to excel in all scenarios, that is hard to achieve without some sort of sporting background.
I was never an amazing athlete. Not a slouch, but I was hardly ever the star. It was never my true dream to pursue a career as a sports athlete. My cards lay in academia and that's what I have successfully achieved. I just graduated with a 3.4 GPA and a Bachelor of Science in Physics. Every year myself and my friends would sign up for a variety of intramural sports that included Flag Football, Co-Ed and Men's Basketball, Men's Softball, and Co-Ed Ultimate Frisbee. Like myself, my friends have grown up with sports playing a big role in their lives. Just because I couldn't compete at the highest level didn't mean I had to halt my "career" as an athlete. I still strive to be the best I can be, to play the hardest I can every game, and to leave everything on the court.
Despite my relatively short endeavor in organized play, I still live vicariously through my Alma-mater's various sports teams, namely the Men's Basketball team. I don't regret this for a moment, even when we suffer a tough or humiliating loss. There are times I wonder if it would be easier not to care so much about a group of guys I don't even know. Sometimes I wonder if all the emotional strain, the countless hours, and words typed out before me is worth anything at all. That's when I remember how amazing it feels to cheer a team on through insurmountable odds to a crazy win. I don't think any sports fan can deny just how ridiculous a huge win can feel; it always makes my day/week/month/year/life that much better.
I can remember nearly every detail leading up to I.T.'s game winning, buzzer beater against Arizona in overtime for the Pac-10 championship. I can remember feeling on top of the world when we got up early. I can remember feeling depressed as we went down 4 with under 40 seconds to go. I also remember feeling pure ecstasy as I.T., Terrence Ross, and C.J. Wilcox all nailed consecutive 3-pointers to tie the game in regulation. The tension during the final seconds was indescribable. It was myself and about 10 other friends in my little "apartment style" dorm living room surrounding a 40 inch T.V., sitting/kneeling/pacing as Thomas dribbled up the court. As he sized up Jones, everyone went tense. One of my friends said "Nope..." as I.T. let loose his shot. It seemed as though the game went into slo-mo and as the ball fell through the net and the backboard lit up. Then...chaos erupted in my apartment. Everyone began to jump and yell, hugging everyone in sight, falling off their chairs, and collapsing to the floor. It was so loud we were heard in another building across the road from us and I'm sure the people above us could make out every word we said without a problem. I wouldn't trade that feeling for anything. I still get goosebumps to this day when I think of that moment.
Sports are a way of life. I can think of very few people who do not refer to their teams as "We" or "Us." Whenever a game is completed I always talk about how "we" won and what "we" did well or terrible. never "they." Following a sports team means being a part of the team and I firmly believe that not a single coach or player would fail to acknowledge that their fan base is an integral part of their team. Without the fans there are no paychecks.
Sports are who I am, who I was, and who I will be until the day I die.
Go Dawgs!
Monday, April 16, 2012
Perris Blackwell Transfers to UW
The former USF forward has opted to transfer to the University of Washington where he will have one year of eligibility remaining. Blackwell is currently a junior and will likely have to sit out the 2012-2013 season, unless he can complete the coursework necessary to graduate from USF. Doing so would allow Blackwell to apply to the UW as a graduate student and therefore grant him immediate eligibility to play during the 2012-2013 season.
Blackwell is a 6-9 240lb forward with sizable experience. Last season Blackwell averaged over 12 points and 6 rebounds per game and has started in over two-thirds of his college appearances. While it would be certainly helpful for Blackwell to be available for next season, Husky fans should not hold their breath and would be better off expecting Blackwell to contribute in the 2013-2014 season. Either way, Blackwell should help fill some of the void in the frontcourt that has so often troubled the Huskies.
Go Dawgs!
Blackwell is a 6-9 240lb forward with sizable experience. Last season Blackwell averaged over 12 points and 6 rebounds per game and has started in over two-thirds of his college appearances. While it would be certainly helpful for Blackwell to be available for next season, Husky fans should not hold their breath and would be better off expecting Blackwell to contribute in the 2013-2014 season. Either way, Blackwell should help fill some of the void in the frontcourt that has so often troubled the Huskies.
Go Dawgs!
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
Mark McLaughlin Signs With UW
Mark McLaughlin, a junior college transfer from Tacoma Community College, has official signed with the Huskies today after several tumultuous years signing with 8 teams in 5 years due to various issues, including academics.
McLaughlin spent 2 seasons at Seattle U after transferring from Baylor University, one season was the mandated "redshirt" season that requires a transfer student to sit out for one season.
McLaughlin is a 6-6 shooting guard weighing in at 200lb. McLaughlin averaged nearly 28 points and 9 rebounds on top of 3 assists across 31 games last season. McLaughlin can be a prolific outside shooter with a 38% outside shooting average. My favorite stat? 84% free throw shooting on nearly 250 attempts. That is an average of 8 attempts per game, something that only Tony Wroten managed this year. Another promising stat from McLaughlin is his 1.4 steals per game.
All around, McLaughlin could be another diamond in the rough discovered by Romar. If McLaughlin can stay on track and remain a mature and contributing player, the loss of Ross and Wroten could be offset by this acquisition.
The Huskies have two scholarships remaining for next season and the Dawgs remain on the prowl for at least one big man, hopefully two.
Go Dawg!
McLaughlin spent 2 seasons at Seattle U after transferring from Baylor University, one season was the mandated "redshirt" season that requires a transfer student to sit out for one season.
McLaughlin is a 6-6 shooting guard weighing in at 200lb. McLaughlin averaged nearly 28 points and 9 rebounds on top of 3 assists across 31 games last season. McLaughlin can be a prolific outside shooter with a 38% outside shooting average. My favorite stat? 84% free throw shooting on nearly 250 attempts. That is an average of 8 attempts per game, something that only Tony Wroten managed this year. Another promising stat from McLaughlin is his 1.4 steals per game.
All around, McLaughlin could be another diamond in the rough discovered by Romar. If McLaughlin can stay on track and remain a mature and contributing player, the loss of Ross and Wroten could be offset by this acquisition.
The Huskies have two scholarships remaining for next season and the Dawgs remain on the prowl for at least one big man, hopefully two.
Go Dawg!
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
Tony Wroten Jr. Declares for NBA Draft
And there we have it. Tony Wroten has opted to leave Washington after a single season to put his name in the NBA Draft. Unlike Terrence Ross, I do not believe Wroten is ready for the NBA. While his size and pure athleticism allow him to compete at the top, he inability to use his right hand as well as a lack of a shot outside 4 feet are quite concerning. Even Wroten's shot inside the lane is suspect and a majority of his scoring comes from his ability to dink a lay-in only to get the offensive put-back. Another hole in Wroten's game is his defense. At times, Wroten can be the best defender on the court grabbing steals left and right. Other times, Wroten over commits and lets his man take the lane or fouls resulting in free throws. Wroten has improved his turnovers throughout the season, but the fact remains that Wroten often takes too big of a risk on passes, giving the ball to the opposition. NBA players may be more capable recipients of Wroten's more wild passes, but they aren't miracle workers.
Despite these flaws, Wroten is still predicted as a mid to late first round pick. Can't really blame him for wanting to start earning the big bucks, but I can't help but question his timing. Another year in college could place him in the top 10 of the draft by adding just one additional tool to his skill set.
I wish Wroten the best and hope this does not come back to bite him. It was fun (and frustrating) watching Wroten do his work on the court.
Go Dawgs!
Despite these flaws, Wroten is still predicted as a mid to late first round pick. Can't really blame him for wanting to start earning the big bucks, but I can't help but question his timing. Another year in college could place him in the top 10 of the draft by adding just one additional tool to his skill set.
I wish Wroten the best and hope this does not come back to bite him. It was fun (and frustrating) watching Wroten do his work on the court.
Go Dawgs!
Sunday, April 1, 2012
Terrence Ross Declares for NBA Draft
This is not unexpected news, nor is the timing unexpected. Ross ended the season on a tear and proved himself to be a top 20 pick in the draft. Most sites have Ross anywhere between 18 and 20 on the board, making him a solid first round pick. Ross had a stellar career at UW, though he often left fans wanting more due to somewhat sub-par first halves followed by explosive second halves. Much like I.T.'s departure I am left saddened by the fact I won't get to see Ross in a Husky uniform again, but I wish him the best of luck in the league. If Ross has any type of rookie season like I.T., I think we can all be certain he made the right choice. Now we await to hear what Tony Wroten decides.
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