What a great win by the Dawgs today! Since this is my first post, I've been editing for John up until now, I figure I should introduce myself. My name is Scott Alspach and I'm a senior at the UW double majoring in Electrical and Computer Engineering. That double major is the reason it has taken me so long to write my first post, but homework has slowed down and with the first basketball game of the season today I figured I owed it to everyone who couldn't attend the game to describe the biggest (And I do mean biggest) addition to the Husky lineup.
Aziz N'Diaye finished the game with 13 points and 15 rebounds (9 offensive), and almost singlehandedly caused McNeese State's two starting post players to foul out. He ended up shooting 15 FT's, and while he only made 3, I'm hopeful that his FT percentage will increase throughout the year. If he had shot even 50% he would have ended up with 18 or so points.
His presence on defense was also felt. He altered the shot of any guards who drove into the lane (which didn' t happen too often due to solid perimeter defense by our guards, particularly Venoy Overton). When coming down with defensive rebounds Aziz sticks his elbows out and clutches the ball like he's trying to pop it. Don't expect to see anyone taking the ball away from him in the low post.
While we didn't see too much of a post up game from Aziz today, he moved well without the ball, passed out when nothing was there, and was almost always ready for the pass from a penetrating guard. During one sequence, a guard (I think it was Abdul Gaddy) drove into the lane, dished it back to a trailing Aziz who was going to throw down one of the biggest dunks ever seen in Hec Ed, if not for a foul which knocked him to the floor. If you haven't made it to either of our games this year the only way I can describe Aziz's size and strength is to say that he has the potential to break a backboard this year.
Not only is Aziz tall, long, and strong, he is remarkably fast as well. On second thought, maybe it isn't difficult to run fast when it takes you about 3 steps to reach the key from half court.
Aziz showed us today that he is a capable sub for MBA, who can hold his own defensively, rebound the ball, and give us plenty of putbacks off of offensive boards. While Aziz is going to continue to improve throughout his time at the UW, he is already a difference maker who should give Coach Romar even more options when he gameplans for opposing teams.
While there is a lot more to say about the game, I think John will be posting about it later, I'm going to go get something to drink and try to get my voice back after losing it from one of MBA's monstorous dunks. I'll also be watching the Cal-Oregon football game and rooting for Cal to put a stop to the ridiculously good Oregon offense. 8-7 Oregon at the half, it could be a good one.
Saturday, November 13, 2010
Friday, November 12, 2010
McNeese Preview Links
Since it's the day before the game, I thought I would relink my post as well as put out the link for the Montlake Madness preview and the Dawg Pack Dirt for the game.
http://uwbasketblog.blogspot.com/2010/11/mcneese-state-preview.html
http://www.montlakemadness.com/game-preview-uw-vs-mcneese-st/
http://seattlesportsnet.com/2010/11/12/dawg-pack-dirt-mcneese-state/
Give um a read and come prepared for the game. It will not be televised, but there will be radio coverage. Check out
http://www.gohuskies.com/sports/m-baskbl/sched/wash-m-baskbl-sched.html for more info on media coverage of the game.
http://uwbasketblog.blogspot.com/2010/11/mcneese-state-preview.html
http://www.montlakemadness.com/game-preview-uw-vs-mcneese-st/
http://seattlesportsnet.com/2010/11/12/dawg-pack-dirt-mcneese-state/
Give um a read and come prepared for the game. It will not be televised, but there will be radio coverage. Check out
http://www.gohuskies.com/sports/m-baskbl/sched/wash-m-baskbl-sched.html for more info on media coverage of the game.
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Recruiting News
Norvel Pelle has given St. John's a verbal commitment despite his supposed visit to UW this weekend. While his recruitment is still not on paper and official, it looks like the Dawgs have missed out on another star big man. This means the Huskies need to concentrate their recruiting efforts on Angelo Chol in an attempt to fill out what should be a solid recruiting class. If Norvel does indeed come to the game this weekend, be sure to try to convince him to change his mind. He doesn't know what he is missing out on here. He would see major minutes should he choose the UW as we tend to lack a lot of big post players. Angelo Chol is considered to be the better player of the two and is perhaps more prepared for college level game play. Let's hope the purple and gold light shines on Chol and he finds home at UW.
In other news, former UW verbal commit Enes Kanter has been declared permanently ineligible by the NCAA for receiving money during his stint with a professional basketball team in native Turkey that was considered above the necessary amount needed for food, tuition, and housing. He received approximately $100,000 during his three seasons and the NCAA found he received $33,033 more than was necessary. Looks like Romar avoided a big pain in the butt by not pursuing Kanter after his interest began to waiver.
In other news, former UW verbal commit Enes Kanter has been declared permanently ineligible by the NCAA for receiving money during his stint with a professional basketball team in native Turkey that was considered above the necessary amount needed for food, tuition, and housing. He received approximately $100,000 during his three seasons and the NCAA found he received $33,033 more than was necessary. Looks like Romar avoided a big pain in the butt by not pursuing Kanter after his interest began to waiver.
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Food for Thought: Last Play of the Game
First off, let us welcome in our new recruits for the class of 2011. Today UW signed Andrew Andrews (weird name, I know. He also may join the 2012 class depending on our 2011 roster), Jernard Jarreau, Hikeem Stewart, and Tony Wroten Jr. We are told Kevin Davis plans on joining the UW after his year at Tacoma Community College. We are also in pursuit of Norvel Pelle and Angelo Chol. Pelle is visiting UW this weekend for the season opener against McNeese State, so Dawg Pack: get loud, make him feel at home, make him want to be apart of this, and make him forget silly St. John's. Help the team play a fantastic game and show Pelle why he should be here.
It may be early in the season, but it is never to early to think about who is going to nut up and play clutch at the end of a close game. Last year the clear and definitive answer was Quincy Pondexter. If we were tied up or needed a shot to keep the lead, Pondexter was our go-to guy. He won the Marquette game for us, after what was 40 minutes of stress and an amazing come back. Without Pondexter, Romar and the Huskies need to think about who their go-to guy will be this year. Who is going to take that last second shot? Who is going to get the ball and be entrusted with the outcome of the game? Who has the ability to perform under pressure and excel? Who does Romar want to handle that responsibility?
There are a few stand out players in my mind, who can make a case for this responsibility. Each has their own set abilities and shots they can utilize in those last few ticks of the clock.
Now, remember, its hard to judge this at such an early part of the year. We have played only one game and an exhibition game at that. St. Martin's put up a fight, but in the end, the talent level just can't compare. I'm basing my arguments off of previous years performances, upside, and what I saw at the St. Martin's game.
My third choice would have to be Justin Holiday. He had an amazing performance against St. Martin's by going 4 for 4 on the long ball and 6 for 11 overall. The 6-11 is what slightly concerns me. While his 3 game was perfect, he missed an easy lay in on a fast break that he probably should have just dunked and a few other shorter shots you would hope he could make. 6-11 isn't bad at all, over all its a good game. What it does means is he went 2 for 7 on other shots, not something to expect from the senior. If I'm going to let someone take the last shot and make the last play of the game, I'd like to see a little more consistency. Holiday may very well step up and show his shot is improving, but if he can't get above 50% on the short game shots I'm going to hesitate on calling him the clutch player the Huskies should turn to. However, if he shows his 3 ball is spot on almost every time, I'd be more than happy to let him lob the half court shot, or even spot up near the arc and drop a game winning bomb. It all depends on how his performances continue.
My number two choice has to be Isaiah Thomas. Plain and simple, this kid is a winner. He knows how to score, he knows how he scores, and he drives with a lot of strength and skill. He has no problem banging against the big boys down low when he needs to, even shooting over 7-3 Max Zhang in the 2010 Pac-10 Tournament championship game. He even has a ranged shot that demands respect. In the 2009-2010 home game against WSU, Isaiah dropped three straight 3's including the last one in the face of his defender. Ice cold veins and a smooth shot. A dangerous combination. My only hold back has been his tendency, over his first two years at UW, to force shots that weren't there. I don't know how that'll play out this year. He seemed to play a bigger team game towards the end of last season and against St. Martin's he was all about the team. Dishing out 11 assists and only two shots is a point guard, team orientated game. This looks very promising for the Huskies, especially along side what appears to be the development and unleashing of Abdul Gaddy's potential. I like Isaiah taking the last shot, I wouldn't be stressing out if he did, but there is someone I have seen perform clutch plays in the waning seconds and desperate situations. That would be.....
Venoy Overton. If not for sloppy defense on the UCLA inbound play, Venoy Overton would have made a beautiful, cross court, game winning lay-in. He has shown to possess the speed and skill needed to get an open shot from anywhere on the court. He has also proven time and time again, it is a mistake to foul him, especially when the clock is winding down. Overton went a very impressive and extremely vital, 25 for 29 on free throws when the clock was under 2 minutes. I'm going to recite my mantra, which I believe Venoy is a firm believer in as well. Free throws win ball games. Did you get that? Free throws win ball games. Not the long ball, not the lay-in. Free throws. Here are two examples of Venoy and his awesome free throw shooting. Against Arizona at home, we won by 6 points. You know how many free throws Venoy attempted? 6. How many did he make? 6. How about his performance against WSU? While WSU tried to fight back and foul our players to stop the clock and minimize points, Venoy was given the ball and fouled multiple times. He nailed every single free throw he took during those last few minutes. If Venoy, not Elston Turner, had been fouled on that last possession at Texas Tech, we would have won. Turner missed both free throws and an overtime was forced (after a late 3 ball went in, seemingly winning the game for Texas Tech, only to be ruled after time had expired). We ended up losing in overtime. If Turner had made 1 free throw... Game. Set. Match. Perhaps our road woes would have never been a problem. Perhaps we would have won the Pac-10 title back to back. Perhaps we would have been seeded higher in the NCAA Tournament, Perhaps, perhaps, perhaps. I digress...
Venoy has show he is the goto guy, with the skills and mentality of a winner in every sense of the word. If I trust any player on the Husky team to make a critical shot, I am handing the ball to Overton. Like Romar said with Pondexter last year, you have to trust your seniors.
On a last second play, I want to see Overton up top with the ball. I want Isaiah on the strong side, outside the arc, keeping the lane clear. I want Holiday floating on the weak side. I want MBA coming out to screen and open our wings up. I want our 5th man to keep things open. I believe our 5th guy will be Ross, he plays like a winner. If we keep that lane open, Overton will have the freedom to drive the lane and shoot or dish it out to Isaiah/Holiday for what should be an open shot. He also has a decent long ball, that if developed could be deadly as well.
Other potential last shot players: Terrence Ross, Abdul Gaddy, Matthew Bryan-Amaning.
So what do you think? Is this a fair assessment? Who do you think should get the last shot? Drop a comment, let us know what you think. Tell us who and why.
Post by: John
It may be early in the season, but it is never to early to think about who is going to nut up and play clutch at the end of a close game. Last year the clear and definitive answer was Quincy Pondexter. If we were tied up or needed a shot to keep the lead, Pondexter was our go-to guy. He won the Marquette game for us, after what was 40 minutes of stress and an amazing come back. Without Pondexter, Romar and the Huskies need to think about who their go-to guy will be this year. Who is going to take that last second shot? Who is going to get the ball and be entrusted with the outcome of the game? Who has the ability to perform under pressure and excel? Who does Romar want to handle that responsibility?
There are a few stand out players in my mind, who can make a case for this responsibility. Each has their own set abilities and shots they can utilize in those last few ticks of the clock.
Now, remember, its hard to judge this at such an early part of the year. We have played only one game and an exhibition game at that. St. Martin's put up a fight, but in the end, the talent level just can't compare. I'm basing my arguments off of previous years performances, upside, and what I saw at the St. Martin's game.
My third choice would have to be Justin Holiday. He had an amazing performance against St. Martin's by going 4 for 4 on the long ball and 6 for 11 overall. The 6-11 is what slightly concerns me. While his 3 game was perfect, he missed an easy lay in on a fast break that he probably should have just dunked and a few other shorter shots you would hope he could make. 6-11 isn't bad at all, over all its a good game. What it does means is he went 2 for 7 on other shots, not something to expect from the senior. If I'm going to let someone take the last shot and make the last play of the game, I'd like to see a little more consistency. Holiday may very well step up and show his shot is improving, but if he can't get above 50% on the short game shots I'm going to hesitate on calling him the clutch player the Huskies should turn to. However, if he shows his 3 ball is spot on almost every time, I'd be more than happy to let him lob the half court shot, or even spot up near the arc and drop a game winning bomb. It all depends on how his performances continue.
My number two choice has to be Isaiah Thomas. Plain and simple, this kid is a winner. He knows how to score, he knows how he scores, and he drives with a lot of strength and skill. He has no problem banging against the big boys down low when he needs to, even shooting over 7-3 Max Zhang in the 2010 Pac-10 Tournament championship game. He even has a ranged shot that demands respect. In the 2009-2010 home game against WSU, Isaiah dropped three straight 3's including the last one in the face of his defender. Ice cold veins and a smooth shot. A dangerous combination. My only hold back has been his tendency, over his first two years at UW, to force shots that weren't there. I don't know how that'll play out this year. He seemed to play a bigger team game towards the end of last season and against St. Martin's he was all about the team. Dishing out 11 assists and only two shots is a point guard, team orientated game. This looks very promising for the Huskies, especially along side what appears to be the development and unleashing of Abdul Gaddy's potential. I like Isaiah taking the last shot, I wouldn't be stressing out if he did, but there is someone I have seen perform clutch plays in the waning seconds and desperate situations. That would be.....
Venoy Overton. If not for sloppy defense on the UCLA inbound play, Venoy Overton would have made a beautiful, cross court, game winning lay-in. He has shown to possess the speed and skill needed to get an open shot from anywhere on the court. He has also proven time and time again, it is a mistake to foul him, especially when the clock is winding down. Overton went a very impressive and extremely vital, 25 for 29 on free throws when the clock was under 2 minutes. I'm going to recite my mantra, which I believe Venoy is a firm believer in as well. Free throws win ball games. Did you get that? Free throws win ball games. Not the long ball, not the lay-in. Free throws. Here are two examples of Venoy and his awesome free throw shooting. Against Arizona at home, we won by 6 points. You know how many free throws Venoy attempted? 6. How many did he make? 6. How about his performance against WSU? While WSU tried to fight back and foul our players to stop the clock and minimize points, Venoy was given the ball and fouled multiple times. He nailed every single free throw he took during those last few minutes. If Venoy, not Elston Turner, had been fouled on that last possession at Texas Tech, we would have won. Turner missed both free throws and an overtime was forced (after a late 3 ball went in, seemingly winning the game for Texas Tech, only to be ruled after time had expired). We ended up losing in overtime. If Turner had made 1 free throw... Game. Set. Match. Perhaps our road woes would have never been a problem. Perhaps we would have won the Pac-10 title back to back. Perhaps we would have been seeded higher in the NCAA Tournament, Perhaps, perhaps, perhaps. I digress...
Venoy has show he is the goto guy, with the skills and mentality of a winner in every sense of the word. If I trust any player on the Husky team to make a critical shot, I am handing the ball to Overton. Like Romar said with Pondexter last year, you have to trust your seniors.
On a last second play, I want to see Overton up top with the ball. I want Isaiah on the strong side, outside the arc, keeping the lane clear. I want Holiday floating on the weak side. I want MBA coming out to screen and open our wings up. I want our 5th man to keep things open. I believe our 5th guy will be Ross, he plays like a winner. If we keep that lane open, Overton will have the freedom to drive the lane and shoot or dish it out to Isaiah/Holiday for what should be an open shot. He also has a decent long ball, that if developed could be deadly as well.
Other potential last shot players: Terrence Ross, Abdul Gaddy, Matthew Bryan-Amaning.
So what do you think? Is this a fair assessment? Who do you think should get the last shot? Drop a comment, let us know what you think. Tell us who and why.
Post by: John
Monday, November 8, 2010
McNeese State Preview
Dawg Pack Dirt for McNeese State is here: http://freepdfhosting.com/84528f4745.pdf
I'd like to start with a quick recap of the St. Martins' game and how the results may play into Saturday's game plan for the official season opener.
First off, injuries. Venoy Overton will likely get the OK from the doctors and Romar meaning he will be playing and, most likely, playing quite a bit. This has two big consequences.
1) Less playing time available at the Guard position. This will most likely affect C.J. Wilcox and Abdul Gaddy. Gaddy had a great game and I expect to see more of the same in the coming weeks, but Overton's experience and defensive tenacity really give him an edge and will earn him some major minutes. C.J. had a good second half of the game, but I think his performance was weakest from the small forward position. He will probably lose some minutes to Overton indirectly, simply due to better chemistry and more consistent performances from the other wings. I think there is a distinct possibility of running IT, Overton/Gaddy, Holiday, Ross, and MBA on the court for a large portion of the game. I see Suggs subbing in first for Ross, then perhaps Aziz if we need another big man on the court. Even Gaddy may replace IT at times when we need a taller group on the floor. The team is so dynamic and talented that on any given day any player could step up and earn 20+ minutes. Depends on how they have practiced and how they performed their last time out.
2) Our overall defense will improve. Plain and simple, Overton is a game changer. His speed, go-get-um attitude, and constant on ball pressure give opponents nightmares. All that pressure is going to force more turnovers and will help to eliminate the outside game. Sometimes his speed out plays even himself. He is known to make silly errors from trying to go too fast on offense for his or anyone else's, own good. If Romar feels like Overton is still recovering from his hamstring injury, he may limit Overton's minutes to about 15 for the game and try to conserve him for when we really need him in Maui.
Gant is iffy in my mind. There has been no report on his condition, that I am aware of, so I would expect him not to play again this week. What that means is Simmons will most likely not redshirt this year and will receive a fair amount of time, 10-15 minutes. This gives us a bit of help defensively as his defensive skill set is better than Suggs or Wilcox, but offensively he is much weaker. This shouldn't be too much of a concern though. At any time we could have 3 or 4 dangerous weapons on the court. Whether its IT and Gaddy in the backcourt leading Holiday and MBA or if its Overton and Ross commanding Aziz and Suggs, there are many scoring options we can go to. Hopefully another week or two of rest and light practice will give him ample time to prepare for the important games in late November. We need his defense and size back, especially as we approach Pac-10 play where the line ups are bigger.
MBA had some good post moves this weekend. Admittedly they were against smaller opponents, 6-5 and 6-7, but they seemed effective regardless of how big his opponent was. If he can continue to create shots like those and convert, we should be pretty happy. McNeese's line up is appreciably larger over all, with 6 players 6-7 or taller and 3 players standing at 6-9. What I would like to see is more efficient rebounding and better boxing out of the opponent post player(s).
Ross should be able to continue his fantastic performance and snag a few rebounds once again. My hope is Holiday will also step up and grab 5 or 6 boards. This would immensely help our rebounding total and reduce the amount of second chance opportunities our opponents get. With the way Ross performed and the promise he showed, I think there is a distinct possibility he may start either this weekend or against Eastern Washington on the 16th of November. While Suggs did not have a bad game, he certainly wasn't stellar. His defense was mediocre at best and he still appears to be a spot up shooter versus an opportunity creator, whether for himself or others. His shot does force opponents to keep a man on him, but the drive is not a distinct threat as it is with Ross, Gaddy, Holiday, IT, and Overton. All five of those guys have range, but can also drive the ball into the lane as well. Knowing the drive is not part of Sugg's repertoire allows defenders to play a little further out and not be as concerned with lay-ins and short jumpers.
On to the preview of McNeese State
McNeese State is part of the Southland conference and had a 10-20 season last year, going 5-11 in conference. A pretty dismal season overall. They went 5-9 in non conference including a 1 point loss to Texas Tech on New Years Day last year.
McNeese has a much taller line up than St. Martin's and their size is similar to other major Division 1 schools. They have 6 players that stand 6-7 or taller, with their tallest player being their center, Preston David, who stands at 6-10, 215 lbs. A skinny guy who should start for the Cowboys this weekend. MBA and Aziz should have no problem having their way with this guy as he is 50 lbs lighter than the previous center they battled against.
McNeese only lost one starter from last season and retain their most valuable player in Patrick Richards, a 6-4 208 lb forward. He led the team with 12.8 points per game and also racked up team highs in 31 steals and 22 blocks over the year.
Also returning for McNeese is their point guard, C.J. Collins who is listed at 5-8 on ESPN and 5-10 on the college website (I'm more inclined to believe 5-8 than 5-10). Collins averages just under 5 points a game, but dishes out an average of 3 assists per game, a respectable number.
Diego Kapelan, a 6-3 195 lb guard, also returns and is their three point expert. He connected on 86 of 214 shots, good for .402 on the season. He averaged 12.6 points per game and an amazing 7.1 three point attempts per game, 3 higher than anyone else on his team.
P.J. Alawoya is their returning rebounding leader, coming in at 7.4 a game. 4.8 defensive rebounds and 2.6 offensive rebounds for the season. He stands at 6-7 215 lbs.
Starting Line Up Predictions
McNeese State
C.J. Collins 5-8 172 lb PG
Diego Kapelan 6-3 195 lb SG
Patrick Richards 6-4 208 lb F
P.J. Alawoya 6-7 215 lb F
Preston David 6-10 215 lb C
UW
Abdul Gaddy 6-3 195 lb PG
Isaiah Thomas 5-9 185 lb SG
Justin Holiday 6-6 185 lb F
Matthew Bryan-Amaning 6-9 240 lb F
and I am going to predict.....Terrence Ross gets the start 6-6 190 lb F
His dynamic plays and athletic ability make him a great pick to start this game. His defensive prowess will be a big key in shutting down the tall, skilled shooters McNeese and others possess. I don't think Suggs has the skill set to be as effective against this line up.
I would not put it past Romar to start Suggs again and bring Ross in off the bench a few minutes after the start, much as Overton did for Gaddy last season.
I think starting Ross allows us to match up Holiday against their big shooter in Patrick Richards and lets Ross use his athleticism and toughness to control P.J. Alawoya.
However, if Gant is healthy and able to play, I believe he will start instead of Ross due to his experience and size.
Keys to the Game
Control the three point shot
McNeese averaged a measly 67.7 points a game last season while their opponents outscored them with an average of 70.2 points a game. McNeese made an average of just over 6 threes a game. If we can shut down Diego and Patrick, the McNeese offense is going to suffer. Take away even three of those shots and they are scoring under 60 a day.
Rebound, Rebound, Rebound
McNeese averaged almost 40 rebounds a game. We only pulled 32 out last game, way to few for a program that wants to compete during Tournament time. We need to grab at least 40 a game. With thinner guys on the court I expect our big men to step up and clean the glass. It would do our team wonders to have a good rebounding game. It'll give them confidence on the blocks and help imprint in their heads the importance of rebounds and second chance points.
Defensive Pressure
With the, hopeful, return of Overton and the presence of IT, Holiday, and Ross on the field we have the opportunity to force a lot of turnovers. Converting those turnovers into points will make our offensive effort that much easier. Romar's teams have always excelled on the fast break and I expect this year to be no different. While there were no spectacular dunks against St. Martin's I think we will have a few this game. I'm under the impression we will play much, much better against McNeese than St. Martins. With a game under our belts and a better idea of who is good at what, we will find our groove much sooner in the game.
Outcome
Another Husky win. After seeing the scoring threats we possess and how effective they were last game, I think McNeese is going to have a hard time stopping the Husky offense. I could see us putting up a 100 point effort Saturday if MBA and Aziz are able to have their way down low. Our backcourt players have the skills to create their own opportunities and the McNeese defense should offer no real resistance. I don't see McNeese making much improvement after their 10-20 season and considering they lost 101-73 in their opener last year, I see a similar result occurring at the start of 2010.
I'll call it 103-65. I've never been good at score prediction, but I think the Huskies will put up a dominant performance.
In other news, Norvel Pelle will be visiting UW this weekend for the McNeese State game. He is arguably the number 1 big man on the West Coast He stands at 6-9 200 lbs. He has an 84.5 inch wing span. UW is on the top of his list alongside St. John's. We need to grab this guy to replace MBA. He is long, strong, and athletic. He will be a great addition to our class if we can snare him. So Dawg Pack make sure to give him your love and make him feel wanted and welcome. Signs, chants, etc. whatever it takes to get him to sign with us.
Post by: John
I'd like to start with a quick recap of the St. Martins' game and how the results may play into Saturday's game plan for the official season opener.
First off, injuries. Venoy Overton will likely get the OK from the doctors and Romar meaning he will be playing and, most likely, playing quite a bit. This has two big consequences.
1) Less playing time available at the Guard position. This will most likely affect C.J. Wilcox and Abdul Gaddy. Gaddy had a great game and I expect to see more of the same in the coming weeks, but Overton's experience and defensive tenacity really give him an edge and will earn him some major minutes. C.J. had a good second half of the game, but I think his performance was weakest from the small forward position. He will probably lose some minutes to Overton indirectly, simply due to better chemistry and more consistent performances from the other wings. I think there is a distinct possibility of running IT, Overton/Gaddy, Holiday, Ross, and MBA on the court for a large portion of the game. I see Suggs subbing in first for Ross, then perhaps Aziz if we need another big man on the court. Even Gaddy may replace IT at times when we need a taller group on the floor. The team is so dynamic and talented that on any given day any player could step up and earn 20+ minutes. Depends on how they have practiced and how they performed their last time out.
2) Our overall defense will improve. Plain and simple, Overton is a game changer. His speed, go-get-um attitude, and constant on ball pressure give opponents nightmares. All that pressure is going to force more turnovers and will help to eliminate the outside game. Sometimes his speed out plays even himself. He is known to make silly errors from trying to go too fast on offense for his or anyone else's, own good. If Romar feels like Overton is still recovering from his hamstring injury, he may limit Overton's minutes to about 15 for the game and try to conserve him for when we really need him in Maui.
Gant is iffy in my mind. There has been no report on his condition, that I am aware of, so I would expect him not to play again this week. What that means is Simmons will most likely not redshirt this year and will receive a fair amount of time, 10-15 minutes. This gives us a bit of help defensively as his defensive skill set is better than Suggs or Wilcox, but offensively he is much weaker. This shouldn't be too much of a concern though. At any time we could have 3 or 4 dangerous weapons on the court. Whether its IT and Gaddy in the backcourt leading Holiday and MBA or if its Overton and Ross commanding Aziz and Suggs, there are many scoring options we can go to. Hopefully another week or two of rest and light practice will give him ample time to prepare for the important games in late November. We need his defense and size back, especially as we approach Pac-10 play where the line ups are bigger.
MBA had some good post moves this weekend. Admittedly they were against smaller opponents, 6-5 and 6-7, but they seemed effective regardless of how big his opponent was. If he can continue to create shots like those and convert, we should be pretty happy. McNeese's line up is appreciably larger over all, with 6 players 6-7 or taller and 3 players standing at 6-9. What I would like to see is more efficient rebounding and better boxing out of the opponent post player(s).
Ross should be able to continue his fantastic performance and snag a few rebounds once again. My hope is Holiday will also step up and grab 5 or 6 boards. This would immensely help our rebounding total and reduce the amount of second chance opportunities our opponents get. With the way Ross performed and the promise he showed, I think there is a distinct possibility he may start either this weekend or against Eastern Washington on the 16th of November. While Suggs did not have a bad game, he certainly wasn't stellar. His defense was mediocre at best and he still appears to be a spot up shooter versus an opportunity creator, whether for himself or others. His shot does force opponents to keep a man on him, but the drive is not a distinct threat as it is with Ross, Gaddy, Holiday, IT, and Overton. All five of those guys have range, but can also drive the ball into the lane as well. Knowing the drive is not part of Sugg's repertoire allows defenders to play a little further out and not be as concerned with lay-ins and short jumpers.
On to the preview of McNeese State
McNeese State is part of the Southland conference and had a 10-20 season last year, going 5-11 in conference. A pretty dismal season overall. They went 5-9 in non conference including a 1 point loss to Texas Tech on New Years Day last year.
McNeese has a much taller line up than St. Martin's and their size is similar to other major Division 1 schools. They have 6 players that stand 6-7 or taller, with their tallest player being their center, Preston David, who stands at 6-10, 215 lbs. A skinny guy who should start for the Cowboys this weekend. MBA and Aziz should have no problem having their way with this guy as he is 50 lbs lighter than the previous center they battled against.
McNeese only lost one starter from last season and retain their most valuable player in Patrick Richards, a 6-4 208 lb forward. He led the team with 12.8 points per game and also racked up team highs in 31 steals and 22 blocks over the year.
Also returning for McNeese is their point guard, C.J. Collins who is listed at 5-8 on ESPN and 5-10 on the college website (I'm more inclined to believe 5-8 than 5-10). Collins averages just under 5 points a game, but dishes out an average of 3 assists per game, a respectable number.
Diego Kapelan, a 6-3 195 lb guard, also returns and is their three point expert. He connected on 86 of 214 shots, good for .402 on the season. He averaged 12.6 points per game and an amazing 7.1 three point attempts per game, 3 higher than anyone else on his team.
P.J. Alawoya is their returning rebounding leader, coming in at 7.4 a game. 4.8 defensive rebounds and 2.6 offensive rebounds for the season. He stands at 6-7 215 lbs.
Starting Line Up Predictions
McNeese State
C.J. Collins 5-8 172 lb PG
Diego Kapelan 6-3 195 lb SG
Patrick Richards 6-4 208 lb F
P.J. Alawoya 6-7 215 lb F
Preston David 6-10 215 lb C
UW
Abdul Gaddy 6-3 195 lb PG
Isaiah Thomas 5-9 185 lb SG
Justin Holiday 6-6 185 lb F
Matthew Bryan-Amaning 6-9 240 lb F
and I am going to predict.....Terrence Ross gets the start 6-6 190 lb F
His dynamic plays and athletic ability make him a great pick to start this game. His defensive prowess will be a big key in shutting down the tall, skilled shooters McNeese and others possess. I don't think Suggs has the skill set to be as effective against this line up.
I would not put it past Romar to start Suggs again and bring Ross in off the bench a few minutes after the start, much as Overton did for Gaddy last season.
I think starting Ross allows us to match up Holiday against their big shooter in Patrick Richards and lets Ross use his athleticism and toughness to control P.J. Alawoya.
However, if Gant is healthy and able to play, I believe he will start instead of Ross due to his experience and size.
Keys to the Game
Control the three point shot
McNeese averaged a measly 67.7 points a game last season while their opponents outscored them with an average of 70.2 points a game. McNeese made an average of just over 6 threes a game. If we can shut down Diego and Patrick, the McNeese offense is going to suffer. Take away even three of those shots and they are scoring under 60 a day.
Rebound, Rebound, Rebound
McNeese averaged almost 40 rebounds a game. We only pulled 32 out last game, way to few for a program that wants to compete during Tournament time. We need to grab at least 40 a game. With thinner guys on the court I expect our big men to step up and clean the glass. It would do our team wonders to have a good rebounding game. It'll give them confidence on the blocks and help imprint in their heads the importance of rebounds and second chance points.
Defensive Pressure
With the, hopeful, return of Overton and the presence of IT, Holiday, and Ross on the field we have the opportunity to force a lot of turnovers. Converting those turnovers into points will make our offensive effort that much easier. Romar's teams have always excelled on the fast break and I expect this year to be no different. While there were no spectacular dunks against St. Martin's I think we will have a few this game. I'm under the impression we will play much, much better against McNeese than St. Martins. With a game under our belts and a better idea of who is good at what, we will find our groove much sooner in the game.
Outcome
Another Husky win. After seeing the scoring threats we possess and how effective they were last game, I think McNeese is going to have a hard time stopping the Husky offense. I could see us putting up a 100 point effort Saturday if MBA and Aziz are able to have their way down low. Our backcourt players have the skills to create their own opportunities and the McNeese defense should offer no real resistance. I don't see McNeese making much improvement after their 10-20 season and considering they lost 101-73 in their opener last year, I see a similar result occurring at the start of 2010.
I'll call it 103-65. I've never been good at score prediction, but I think the Huskies will put up a dominant performance.
In other news, Norvel Pelle will be visiting UW this weekend for the McNeese State game. He is arguably the number 1 big man on the West Coast He stands at 6-9 200 lbs. He has an 84.5 inch wing span. UW is on the top of his list alongside St. John's. We need to grab this guy to replace MBA. He is long, strong, and athletic. He will be a great addition to our class if we can snare him. So Dawg Pack make sure to give him your love and make him feel wanted and welcome. Signs, chants, etc. whatever it takes to get him to sign with us.
Post by: John
Saturday, November 6, 2010
St. Martin Exhibition Game Review
Final Score UW-97 St. Martins-76
When all was said and done, it was no contest as expected. UW led by 19 at half and let SMU get within ten before pulling out once and for all. Some good things were seen today, some things in need of improvement as well. Everyone saw play time and only three players did not score (almost two, Hosley had a lay-in just roll out as time expired). Six players had double digit scoring efforts.
Just the Facts
Darnell Gant was out with a hamstring injury and Overton rested a tweaked hamstring as well. Overton should be returning to practice this week in preparation for Saturday's official season opener against McNeese State.
Poole led the St. Martin effort with 21 points and 13 rebounds. Jeremy Green grabbed 11 boards and 10 points. The second leading scorer for St. Martin was Roger O'Neil.
Matthew Bryan-Amaning was the lead scorer for UW tonight with 20 points and he also grabbed six rebounds, tying with Terrance Ross for the team high. He fouled out late in the game soon after Aziz N'Diaye fouled out.
Terrence Ross, C.J. Wilcox, and Abdul Gaddy all put up 12 points.
Scott Suggs put up 11.
Justin Holiday had 18.
Isaiah Thomas and Aziz N'Diaye came in at 8 and 4 respectively.
Wilcox had a team high 3 steals followed by MBA, IT, Gaddy, and Holiday with 2 each.
Isaiah dished out an impressive 11 assists while Gaddy threw out a nice 5 assists as well.
Isaiah did not make a shot in the first half, being fouled on both attempts and making three of four free throws.
UW shot 7 for 8 from the arc in the first half and finished 10 for 17 on the night.
UW shot a poor 15 for 24 from the free throw line, mainly due to MBA going 2 for 9. Gaddy, Wilcox, Aziz, and Ross went perfect from the line and IT only missed one.
The Spin
Why don't we start with what needs improvement so we can end on a positive note.
Rebounding
For the second straight year the Huskies lost their leading rebounder, this time in Quincy Pondexter. The Huskies were out rebounded 42-32 to an undersized opponent. This does not bode well, for we will be facing much tougher opponents in the coming weeks and without solid rebounding, we will find ourselves in a heap of trouble. The good news is, we have the size and strength to become a strong rebounding team again, not only in MBA and Aziz, but in Terrence Ross and Justin Holiday as well. If MBA and Aziz can work on their positioning, their rebounding stats will improve two fold. If Ryan Applebee can create the kind of improvement we saw in Quincy's shot and Gaddy's (more on that later), it would be pretty nice if Brockman would set up a rebounding camp for the UW big men. Give Poole credit though, the kid knew how to use his weight and get positioning in a very similar way to Brockman.
Defense
While there were some standout players, who I will touch on in the Good New sections, there were some sloppy mistakes on defense. Not only foul wise, but in over all effectiveness as well. The defense looked like it was on the edge of finding itself and becoming a stopping force, but silly mistakes and miscommunications allowed SMU to stick around for far too long.
A lot of problems coming off screens and leaving a man open. Either both players would follow the screened player or both would stick to the screener. More communication and practice needs to be done to enforce good habits and reactions to screen plays. A simple problem, fixed after another week or two of practices. I am confident this will be less of an issue come Maui Tournament time.
Rebounding (Again)
Defensive rebounding was another problem that was almost well done. Our players were getting their hands on the ball, but not coming down with it. Whether due to it getting knocked loose, the ball bouncing high (SMU took a lot of long shots that bounced deep), or lack of effort to gain position and using two hands. Again, small things that make a big difference. Aziz has the size and strength to get himself where he needs to be to clean the glass, its just a matter of practice and time. Get him a few more games under his belt and his rebounding stats will be on the up and up. Isaiah Thomas surprisingly led the team in the defensive rebounding category with all 5 of his boards coming off missed, opponent shots.
Foul Trouble
Both MBA and Aziz fouled out of the game tonight, something that cant be happening against Division 1 opponents who will have appreciably larger line ups. With the Dawgs already a tad thin in the front court, only 3 players 6-8 or taller, we can't afford to have both our big men to have 4 fouls with 7 to 10 minutes left in the game. This means either MBA and Aziz should avoid court time together or, preferably, both avoid silly fouls and learn a bit more body control. I have to admit, though, Aziz had 3 pretty silly fouls called against him. They were all technically fouls, but quite weak when you look at them. His first two fouls came off of incidental contact that, due to his large size, sent the opponents sprawling across the court. He would be running at a fairly good chip up the court behind his man who would slow down and before Aziz could react he would plow them into the ground. A simple item that can easily be worked on after a few more weeks of instruction. The third foul came after Aziz slipped onto his back and his feet knocked into the 6-2 SMU point guard causing the small guy to land ass first on the court as well. Like I said, three silly, avoidable fouls that cannot against big teams.
MBA was also tagged for a few ticky tack fouls that were questionable. He shouldn't be placing himself in that kind of position, to have good defensive efforts confused with sloppy defensive fouls.
I believe Holiday also picked up one or two silly, unnecessary fouls.
Offensive Problems
Organized Play
This is more of a coaching problem than a player problem. The Huskies didn't seem to be running that many organized plays and instead seemed to be relying on player intuition to create opportunities. While this works fine against weaker teams, it simply will not due in Maui and certainly not in Pac-10 play against competitive opponents such as Arizona and WSU. It's something that needs to be addressed immediately and corrected as soon as possible. While it is easy to understand that the new members of the team are still learning the play books, you would think that the upper class men with their experience would be able to play a tad more organized ball. That being said, Isaiah Thomas and Abdul Gaddy did a great job of finding open players, forging points of their own for a better shot (more on this later).
Rebounding (a third time, its important, so I'm going to reiterate it often)
As on the defensive edge, the Huskies simply were not able to hold onto the ball off the glass. The big men had trouble getting into the right spot and were out scored 20 to 11 on second chance points, an unacceptable number against such a poor opponent. MBA grabbed 3 offensive rebounds followed by Holiday, Aziz, and Ross with 2 each. Aziz should be able to grab 4 or 5 a game as should MBA. Holiday and Ross are pretty close to an acceptable number in my opinion. If our forwards are grabbing 2 or 3 offensive rebounds a piece along side 5 offensive rebound efforts from our big men, we should be in fairly good shape.
To summarize our "need to improve" categories: Body control (aka ticky tack fouls), detailed organization on both ends, rebounding, rebounding, and rebounding. We were spoiled by Brockman and it has now become a standard for Husky basketball to be a good rebounding team, both offensively and defensively.
On to the Good News
Scoring Threats
We have multiple players on the court who can step up on any given day and score upwards of 15 or 20 points a piece. 6 players scored at least 11 points with the game high 20 going to MBA. Justin Holiday started strong scoring most of his 18 points in the first half. Holiday also went 4 for 4 on three pointers, 3 of which came in the first half, and Suggs came in at 3 for 4 on the long ball. Even though Isaiah only scored 8 points, he was extremely effective every time he drove. He went 2 for 2 on field goals and converted 4 of his 5 free throws. Abdul Gaddy looked great on the court from inside to out, going 5 for 8 on the day and missing his one three ball attempt by mere inches. He had a nice jumper from the old three point line that sunk in very nicely. Zones are going to have a rough time stopping our offense, especially when our line up includes IT, Holiday, Ross, Suggs/Wilcox, and MBA. Even MBA was taking some beautiful long shots during warm ups that make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside, including a half court shot right before heading into the locker room and a 20 footer after a foul.
Talent
We have some really talented players on our team. The rust was evident at the start of the game and 6 minutes into the second half when SMU was allowed to get back within 10. When it comes to depth, there isn't a team in the Pac-10 that can compete. Even without Overton and Gant available, we still find ourselves with a plethora of talents and a variety of lines ups with varying size and skills. On that note I would like to think our defense would have been much, much better had Gant and Overton been available as they are both defensive geniuses. I'm under the impression that everyone excluding Sherrer, Hosley, and Simmons could start at any point for out team and I'm a firm believer we will see Ross in the starting line up before years end.
Player by Player Reports
Seniors
Venoy Overton
Did not play. Hamstring injury, should be back next week against McNeese State.
Justin Holiday
Came out very strong, shot extremely well. Defensively was still a force to be reckoned with. While not his most impressive defensive game, he still managed to get 2 steals and a block before games end. Shooting 4 for 4 beind the arc and 6 for 11 over all it was a solid effort that should make Dawgs fans excited for what kind of season he may have this year. While I was looking for Holiday to pick up 12 points a game, with his impressive shooting I don't see why he can't put up 17 to 20 a game. His mobility combined with the passing efforts Isaiah and Gaddy showed today gave him a lot of open shots and opportunities that he was more than willing to capitalize on. He also showed great control and passing skills as he and the guards worked the ball around the perimeter fast and efficiently.
Grade: A
Matthew Bryan-Amaning
Offensively, he had his way with the undersized SMU team. The same way he worked the court in the non-conference games at the beginning of last season. While I'm not predicting him to slump off as he did last year, it concerns me he had such a trouble handling SMU on the defensive end. Guys like DeAngelo Casto and Derrick Williams are much bigger and better post players and MBA needs to get his act together to ensure the Pac-10 post players do not cause use terrible woes again. It was nice to see he has really developed his mid range game going an impressive 9 for 12 from the field. I think his long shot was a 15 foot jumper he dropped like a dime. If he can get his act together on defense and find his groove like he did during the latter half of 2009-2010, he will be on the track to success. He will also need to grab 7 to 8 rebounds a game for him to be considered successful.
Grade: B
Juniors
Darnell Gant
Did not play. Hamstring injury, no news on when he will be back. Most likely will return after our opener against McNeese State. Should return within the next two weeks and almost certainly before the Maui Tournament.
Isaiah Thomas
A fantastic game from Isaiah today, he showed great poise and leadership on the court, despite a few silly turnovers on sloppy passes. He scored 8 points and was nearly perfect shooting, missing one free throw in the first half. He posted a career high 11 assists and did a great job finding the open players. He was extremely selective when it came to driving the lane and did not force it as he was prone to early last year. He was also deadly successful on his drives , going 2 for 2 and drawing fouls on 3 of his 4 drives (one shot went in for an And 1 situation). I loved his team mentality and willingness to score less points in order to get more open shots for his teammates. My only hope is that if his scoring remains lower than expected, his assists remain high, at least 8 a game to make a 10 point average acceptable from such a stud player.
Grade: A
Scott Suggs
First start of his career and a fairly successful start at that. He scored 11 points on 3 for 4 three pointers and a nice jump shot inside the arc to round out a 4 for 7 night. He committed three turnovers and only grabbed one rebound and is quoted as saying "I've got to get more boards". That's a good mentality. He was focused mainly on this issue versus his impressive shooting night. Defensively he struggled at times and his man ended up open on several shots after being screened. Not every screen will be broken, but he seemed to find himself stuck behind the screen more often than not.
Grade: B
Brendan Sherrer
Logged only two minutes, nearly had a few rebounds, but they bounced long. No fouls, no boards, no points. Another night as the human victory cigar. I'll give him an A for effort and for being a lovable personality on the team.
Grade: A
Sophomores
Aziz N'Diaye
This big man is going to be a force to be reckoned with once he gets his act together and the rust out of his system. Silly off the ball fouls took him out of the game. His size and strength was amazing to say the least, his long body and arms let him take up a lot of room. His defense improved significantly throughout the game and he looked pretty good at the end of his playing minutes, which included two made free throws and a put back rebound good for two points. He wasn't as impressive on the defensive end as I hoped, but he showed signs of stardom to come. By the end of the game he was securing his position offensively and getting in the way defensively. Overall a decent effort for his first Division 1 game and first game in a brand new system
Grade: C+
Abdul Gaddy
Despite the 5 turnovers, this was a turn around effort for the sophomore guard. He showed off the talents that escaped him last year during his freshman campaign. Highlight of the night for Gaddy had to be the spin move around the SMU guard followed by a no look, flick pass to an open Terrence Ross (can't remember exactly who it was, I was too busy being amazed by those moves). He shot with confidence, drove the lane with authority, passed with finesse and skill much like last year, and overall turned his "swag" back on. Romar told us he was much improved and I believe it. Let's hope he can maintain that kind of attitude and aptitude come Maui and Pac-10 play. Putting up 12 points and 5 assists along side two steals and a rebound is a solid effort. Would be an A game had the turnovers been a tad lower
Grade: B+
Freshman
Antoine Hosley
Played one minute. Had a nice lay-in that just rolled out of the hoop as time ran out, rather unfortunate. The Dawg Pack showed him their love, but sadly neither Sherrer nor Hosley were able to convert.
Grade: A for effort
Desmond Simmons
No points for the new guy tonight but he took some nice shots from good looks, but couldn't get them to drop. Defensively he was impressive, stopping several open shots from being taken by using his long, lanky frame to get in the way. He had one steal and two rebounds on the night. Overall he did just about as expected. A good defensive effort with minimal offensive impact. Give him some time to work on his shot under pressure and he'll put up 4 or 5 a game. I'm still in favor of him redshirting (exhibition games do not forfeit redshirt status) as his efforts are replaceable should Overton and Gant be on the fast track to healthiness. If injury seems like it will be a problem for the Husky big men, we may find Simmons on the court without the redshirt on his back. Not a bad game from the freshman, I would have liked to have seen more out of him.
Grade: B-
C.J. Wilcox
A slow start to the game with an uninspiring first half, going 0 for 3 from long range. For supposedly being one of the best shooters on the team he didn't look it until the second half of the game. Finished the night with 12 points, 2 three pointers, two for two from the line and a pair of inside shots. He also had a team high three steals. A pretty good game overall. I think he had the first game jitters and once those were gone, he felt more comfortable in his shot. His defense was decent overall, no Justin Holiday, but certainly not a slouch. Some work to be done there, but it will come in time. There is a big difference between defense in practice and defense in a game. Like I've said before, its game one, there's going to be things that will need improving and we shouldn't stress now. Come Pac-10 play, well, that's another story.
Grade: B
Terrence Ross
Romar wasn't kidding when he said this kid was the real deal and could be our most talented player. He had some impressive moves on the court tonight. Defensively he was just as tenacious, playing tough, in your face defense with great foot movement and an eye for the ball. Very successful in keeping himself in front of his opponent and forcing them to pick up the dribble. Only 1 steal on the night, but he also had a respectable 6 rebounds, 2 offensive and 4 defensive. His first few shots went a tad long and his year long absence from competitive play was seen, but the dust blew off pretty quickly going 5 for 11 from the field including 1 for 2 from range. Highlight of the night for Ross had to be his back door cut resulting in a beautiful hook shot along the base line. This kid may very well break into the starting 5 and take Suggs spot in the starting line up. Romar said he enjoyed the lineup that included IT, Holiday, and Ross and I have to admit, I'm a big fan as well. I'm looking forward to seeing more of his play capabilities and hoping he chooses to stick around for a few years.
Grade: A
When all was said and done, it was no contest as expected. UW led by 19 at half and let SMU get within ten before pulling out once and for all. Some good things were seen today, some things in need of improvement as well. Everyone saw play time and only three players did not score (almost two, Hosley had a lay-in just roll out as time expired). Six players had double digit scoring efforts.
Just the Facts
Darnell Gant was out with a hamstring injury and Overton rested a tweaked hamstring as well. Overton should be returning to practice this week in preparation for Saturday's official season opener against McNeese State.
Poole led the St. Martin effort with 21 points and 13 rebounds. Jeremy Green grabbed 11 boards and 10 points. The second leading scorer for St. Martin was Roger O'Neil.
Matthew Bryan-Amaning was the lead scorer for UW tonight with 20 points and he also grabbed six rebounds, tying with Terrance Ross for the team high. He fouled out late in the game soon after Aziz N'Diaye fouled out.
Terrence Ross, C.J. Wilcox, and Abdul Gaddy all put up 12 points.
Scott Suggs put up 11.
Justin Holiday had 18.
Isaiah Thomas and Aziz N'Diaye came in at 8 and 4 respectively.
Wilcox had a team high 3 steals followed by MBA, IT, Gaddy, and Holiday with 2 each.
Isaiah dished out an impressive 11 assists while Gaddy threw out a nice 5 assists as well.
Isaiah did not make a shot in the first half, being fouled on both attempts and making three of four free throws.
UW shot 7 for 8 from the arc in the first half and finished 10 for 17 on the night.
UW shot a poor 15 for 24 from the free throw line, mainly due to MBA going 2 for 9. Gaddy, Wilcox, Aziz, and Ross went perfect from the line and IT only missed one.
The Spin
Why don't we start with what needs improvement so we can end on a positive note.
Rebounding
For the second straight year the Huskies lost their leading rebounder, this time in Quincy Pondexter. The Huskies were out rebounded 42-32 to an undersized opponent. This does not bode well, for we will be facing much tougher opponents in the coming weeks and without solid rebounding, we will find ourselves in a heap of trouble. The good news is, we have the size and strength to become a strong rebounding team again, not only in MBA and Aziz, but in Terrence Ross and Justin Holiday as well. If MBA and Aziz can work on their positioning, their rebounding stats will improve two fold. If Ryan Applebee can create the kind of improvement we saw in Quincy's shot and Gaddy's (more on that later), it would be pretty nice if Brockman would set up a rebounding camp for the UW big men. Give Poole credit though, the kid knew how to use his weight and get positioning in a very similar way to Brockman.
Defense
While there were some standout players, who I will touch on in the Good New sections, there were some sloppy mistakes on defense. Not only foul wise, but in over all effectiveness as well. The defense looked like it was on the edge of finding itself and becoming a stopping force, but silly mistakes and miscommunications allowed SMU to stick around for far too long.
A lot of problems coming off screens and leaving a man open. Either both players would follow the screened player or both would stick to the screener. More communication and practice needs to be done to enforce good habits and reactions to screen plays. A simple problem, fixed after another week or two of practices. I am confident this will be less of an issue come Maui Tournament time.
Rebounding (Again)
Defensive rebounding was another problem that was almost well done. Our players were getting their hands on the ball, but not coming down with it. Whether due to it getting knocked loose, the ball bouncing high (SMU took a lot of long shots that bounced deep), or lack of effort to gain position and using two hands. Again, small things that make a big difference. Aziz has the size and strength to get himself where he needs to be to clean the glass, its just a matter of practice and time. Get him a few more games under his belt and his rebounding stats will be on the up and up. Isaiah Thomas surprisingly led the team in the defensive rebounding category with all 5 of his boards coming off missed, opponent shots.
Foul Trouble
Both MBA and Aziz fouled out of the game tonight, something that cant be happening against Division 1 opponents who will have appreciably larger line ups. With the Dawgs already a tad thin in the front court, only 3 players 6-8 or taller, we can't afford to have both our big men to have 4 fouls with 7 to 10 minutes left in the game. This means either MBA and Aziz should avoid court time together or, preferably, both avoid silly fouls and learn a bit more body control. I have to admit, though, Aziz had 3 pretty silly fouls called against him. They were all technically fouls, but quite weak when you look at them. His first two fouls came off of incidental contact that, due to his large size, sent the opponents sprawling across the court. He would be running at a fairly good chip up the court behind his man who would slow down and before Aziz could react he would plow them into the ground. A simple item that can easily be worked on after a few more weeks of instruction. The third foul came after Aziz slipped onto his back and his feet knocked into the 6-2 SMU point guard causing the small guy to land ass first on the court as well. Like I said, three silly, avoidable fouls that cannot against big teams.
MBA was also tagged for a few ticky tack fouls that were questionable. He shouldn't be placing himself in that kind of position, to have good defensive efforts confused with sloppy defensive fouls.
I believe Holiday also picked up one or two silly, unnecessary fouls.
Offensive Problems
Organized Play
This is more of a coaching problem than a player problem. The Huskies didn't seem to be running that many organized plays and instead seemed to be relying on player intuition to create opportunities. While this works fine against weaker teams, it simply will not due in Maui and certainly not in Pac-10 play against competitive opponents such as Arizona and WSU. It's something that needs to be addressed immediately and corrected as soon as possible. While it is easy to understand that the new members of the team are still learning the play books, you would think that the upper class men with their experience would be able to play a tad more organized ball. That being said, Isaiah Thomas and Abdul Gaddy did a great job of finding open players, forging points of their own for a better shot (more on this later).
Rebounding (a third time, its important, so I'm going to reiterate it often)
As on the defensive edge, the Huskies simply were not able to hold onto the ball off the glass. The big men had trouble getting into the right spot and were out scored 20 to 11 on second chance points, an unacceptable number against such a poor opponent. MBA grabbed 3 offensive rebounds followed by Holiday, Aziz, and Ross with 2 each. Aziz should be able to grab 4 or 5 a game as should MBA. Holiday and Ross are pretty close to an acceptable number in my opinion. If our forwards are grabbing 2 or 3 offensive rebounds a piece along side 5 offensive rebound efforts from our big men, we should be in fairly good shape.
To summarize our "need to improve" categories: Body control (aka ticky tack fouls), detailed organization on both ends, rebounding, rebounding, and rebounding. We were spoiled by Brockman and it has now become a standard for Husky basketball to be a good rebounding team, both offensively and defensively.
On to the Good News
Scoring Threats
We have multiple players on the court who can step up on any given day and score upwards of 15 or 20 points a piece. 6 players scored at least 11 points with the game high 20 going to MBA. Justin Holiday started strong scoring most of his 18 points in the first half. Holiday also went 4 for 4 on three pointers, 3 of which came in the first half, and Suggs came in at 3 for 4 on the long ball. Even though Isaiah only scored 8 points, he was extremely effective every time he drove. He went 2 for 2 on field goals and converted 4 of his 5 free throws. Abdul Gaddy looked great on the court from inside to out, going 5 for 8 on the day and missing his one three ball attempt by mere inches. He had a nice jumper from the old three point line that sunk in very nicely. Zones are going to have a rough time stopping our offense, especially when our line up includes IT, Holiday, Ross, Suggs/Wilcox, and MBA. Even MBA was taking some beautiful long shots during warm ups that make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside, including a half court shot right before heading into the locker room and a 20 footer after a foul.
Talent
We have some really talented players on our team. The rust was evident at the start of the game and 6 minutes into the second half when SMU was allowed to get back within 10. When it comes to depth, there isn't a team in the Pac-10 that can compete. Even without Overton and Gant available, we still find ourselves with a plethora of talents and a variety of lines ups with varying size and skills. On that note I would like to think our defense would have been much, much better had Gant and Overton been available as they are both defensive geniuses. I'm under the impression that everyone excluding Sherrer, Hosley, and Simmons could start at any point for out team and I'm a firm believer we will see Ross in the starting line up before years end.
Player by Player Reports
Seniors
Venoy Overton
Did not play. Hamstring injury, should be back next week against McNeese State.
Justin Holiday
Came out very strong, shot extremely well. Defensively was still a force to be reckoned with. While not his most impressive defensive game, he still managed to get 2 steals and a block before games end. Shooting 4 for 4 beind the arc and 6 for 11 over all it was a solid effort that should make Dawgs fans excited for what kind of season he may have this year. While I was looking for Holiday to pick up 12 points a game, with his impressive shooting I don't see why he can't put up 17 to 20 a game. His mobility combined with the passing efforts Isaiah and Gaddy showed today gave him a lot of open shots and opportunities that he was more than willing to capitalize on. He also showed great control and passing skills as he and the guards worked the ball around the perimeter fast and efficiently.
Grade: A
Matthew Bryan-Amaning
Offensively, he had his way with the undersized SMU team. The same way he worked the court in the non-conference games at the beginning of last season. While I'm not predicting him to slump off as he did last year, it concerns me he had such a trouble handling SMU on the defensive end. Guys like DeAngelo Casto and Derrick Williams are much bigger and better post players and MBA needs to get his act together to ensure the Pac-10 post players do not cause use terrible woes again. It was nice to see he has really developed his mid range game going an impressive 9 for 12 from the field. I think his long shot was a 15 foot jumper he dropped like a dime. If he can get his act together on defense and find his groove like he did during the latter half of 2009-2010, he will be on the track to success. He will also need to grab 7 to 8 rebounds a game for him to be considered successful.
Grade: B
Juniors
Darnell Gant
Did not play. Hamstring injury, no news on when he will be back. Most likely will return after our opener against McNeese State. Should return within the next two weeks and almost certainly before the Maui Tournament.
Isaiah Thomas
A fantastic game from Isaiah today, he showed great poise and leadership on the court, despite a few silly turnovers on sloppy passes. He scored 8 points and was nearly perfect shooting, missing one free throw in the first half. He posted a career high 11 assists and did a great job finding the open players. He was extremely selective when it came to driving the lane and did not force it as he was prone to early last year. He was also deadly successful on his drives , going 2 for 2 and drawing fouls on 3 of his 4 drives (one shot went in for an And 1 situation). I loved his team mentality and willingness to score less points in order to get more open shots for his teammates. My only hope is that if his scoring remains lower than expected, his assists remain high, at least 8 a game to make a 10 point average acceptable from such a stud player.
Grade: A
Scott Suggs
First start of his career and a fairly successful start at that. He scored 11 points on 3 for 4 three pointers and a nice jump shot inside the arc to round out a 4 for 7 night. He committed three turnovers and only grabbed one rebound and is quoted as saying "I've got to get more boards". That's a good mentality. He was focused mainly on this issue versus his impressive shooting night. Defensively he struggled at times and his man ended up open on several shots after being screened. Not every screen will be broken, but he seemed to find himself stuck behind the screen more often than not.
Grade: B
Brendan Sherrer
Logged only two minutes, nearly had a few rebounds, but they bounced long. No fouls, no boards, no points. Another night as the human victory cigar. I'll give him an A for effort and for being a lovable personality on the team.
Grade: A
Sophomores
Aziz N'Diaye
This big man is going to be a force to be reckoned with once he gets his act together and the rust out of his system. Silly off the ball fouls took him out of the game. His size and strength was amazing to say the least, his long body and arms let him take up a lot of room. His defense improved significantly throughout the game and he looked pretty good at the end of his playing minutes, which included two made free throws and a put back rebound good for two points. He wasn't as impressive on the defensive end as I hoped, but he showed signs of stardom to come. By the end of the game he was securing his position offensively and getting in the way defensively. Overall a decent effort for his first Division 1 game and first game in a brand new system
Grade: C+
Abdul Gaddy
Despite the 5 turnovers, this was a turn around effort for the sophomore guard. He showed off the talents that escaped him last year during his freshman campaign. Highlight of the night for Gaddy had to be the spin move around the SMU guard followed by a no look, flick pass to an open Terrence Ross (can't remember exactly who it was, I was too busy being amazed by those moves). He shot with confidence, drove the lane with authority, passed with finesse and skill much like last year, and overall turned his "swag" back on. Romar told us he was much improved and I believe it. Let's hope he can maintain that kind of attitude and aptitude come Maui and Pac-10 play. Putting up 12 points and 5 assists along side two steals and a rebound is a solid effort. Would be an A game had the turnovers been a tad lower
Grade: B+
Freshman
Antoine Hosley
Played one minute. Had a nice lay-in that just rolled out of the hoop as time ran out, rather unfortunate. The Dawg Pack showed him their love, but sadly neither Sherrer nor Hosley were able to convert.
Grade: A for effort
Desmond Simmons
No points for the new guy tonight but he took some nice shots from good looks, but couldn't get them to drop. Defensively he was impressive, stopping several open shots from being taken by using his long, lanky frame to get in the way. He had one steal and two rebounds on the night. Overall he did just about as expected. A good defensive effort with minimal offensive impact. Give him some time to work on his shot under pressure and he'll put up 4 or 5 a game. I'm still in favor of him redshirting (exhibition games do not forfeit redshirt status) as his efforts are replaceable should Overton and Gant be on the fast track to healthiness. If injury seems like it will be a problem for the Husky big men, we may find Simmons on the court without the redshirt on his back. Not a bad game from the freshman, I would have liked to have seen more out of him.
Grade: B-
C.J. Wilcox
A slow start to the game with an uninspiring first half, going 0 for 3 from long range. For supposedly being one of the best shooters on the team he didn't look it until the second half of the game. Finished the night with 12 points, 2 three pointers, two for two from the line and a pair of inside shots. He also had a team high three steals. A pretty good game overall. I think he had the first game jitters and once those were gone, he felt more comfortable in his shot. His defense was decent overall, no Justin Holiday, but certainly not a slouch. Some work to be done there, but it will come in time. There is a big difference between defense in practice and defense in a game. Like I've said before, its game one, there's going to be things that will need improving and we shouldn't stress now. Come Pac-10 play, well, that's another story.
Grade: B
Terrence Ross
Romar wasn't kidding when he said this kid was the real deal and could be our most talented player. He had some impressive moves on the court tonight. Defensively he was just as tenacious, playing tough, in your face defense with great foot movement and an eye for the ball. Very successful in keeping himself in front of his opponent and forcing them to pick up the dribble. Only 1 steal on the night, but he also had a respectable 6 rebounds, 2 offensive and 4 defensive. His first few shots went a tad long and his year long absence from competitive play was seen, but the dust blew off pretty quickly going 5 for 11 from the field including 1 for 2 from range. Highlight of the night for Ross had to be his back door cut resulting in a beautiful hook shot along the base line. This kid may very well break into the starting 5 and take Suggs spot in the starting line up. Romar said he enjoyed the lineup that included IT, Holiday, and Ross and I have to admit, I'm a big fan as well. I'm looking forward to seeing more of his play capabilities and hoping he chooses to stick around for a few years.
Grade: A
Friday, November 5, 2010
St. Martin Preview
This saturday is the unofficial home opener against division 2 opponent, St. Martins. While this game does not count towards our regular season record, it is important not to pull a Syracuse and flub all over the place. it would not be good for us, for our moral, for our confidence, and definitely not good for the media view of the Huskies and the Pac-10 as a whole.
That being said... we will not lose this game. We are simply much much much much much much better and much much much much much bigger. I fully expect all non redshirt players to play in what I am expecting to be a 30+ point blow out. Think of this game like the Seattle U game last year, expect more dunks, and less skill for them. Seattle U at least had Charles Garcia, who by the way is a dick for nearly killing Quincy for absolutely no reason.
For starters, their center and returning high scorer is Blake Poole, a 6-5 265 lb blob. I did not mistype, a 6-5 CENTER!!! I mean come on... at least you your biggest player out there. They do have 6-11 Matt Dodson, a Sophomore out of Eugene, Oregon. You know what... I take that back, no one from Eugene should be allowed to play on any court any where. That must be the reason why Jabba the Hut is out there on the court. Poole averaged 33 minutes a game last year along with 21 points an outing. Normally an impressive feat, but I'm going to assume he just uses his weight to toss around the poor little D2 players unfortunate enough to have to block his fat ass. Poole won't have that nice advantage tomorrow when he finds him against the Gods, aka Matthew Bryan-Amaning and 7-0 hell raiser Aziz N'Diaye. Now Aziz is also 265 lbs, but he is pure muscle, ferocity, and block machine. Poole will have his work cut out trying to score against a man 7 inches taller than him, not to mention the wing span difference.
This will be a good time to experiment with out players mess out on the court outside of internal scrimmages. There isn't going to be much resistance so a real test of their skills will have to wait until the Maui tournament. What I would like to see from the Dawgs tomorrow is ball control and self control on the defensive edge, avoiding petty fouls. Minimal turnovers should occur, I don't think St. Martins has much to offer in terms of defensive stopping power. They average nearly 7 steals and nearly 4 blocks a game, but I reiterate, this is against D2 opponents, of similar size and skill, nothing like D1 ball and definitely nothing like a top 15 team such as the Huskies. Yes, I know we are ranked 17th and 18th depending on the poll, but I firmly believe we will break into the top 15 if not top 10 during the year if we play to our potential through out.
Aside from the players on the court, St. Martin players will have to deal with something there are not familiar with, a large, loud, rambunctious crowd of nearly 10,000 people based on a core of 700 students who will not shut up through out. The average home game attendance for St. Martins is 446 people. 446. Four Hundred. Forty. Six. Just over half the size of the Dawg Pack. Oh, and not to mention all the inside info the Dirt has provided us with. Check it out at http://seattlesportsnet.com/2010/11/05/dawg-pack-dirt-saint-martins-university/#more-6433 if you haven't already. Highlights include Kyle Karnofski whose mom wrote on his Facebook wall that he cannot dunk, Brady Bomber who got braces earlier this week and is struggling in accounting class, and Garrett Stoney who is in "internet jail" for illegal movie downloading.
On to the starting line up predictions
SMU
Galen Squires 6-2 180 lbs Shooting Guard, likes to shot the three ball and is fairly good at it. Let's see how he handles his shot under pressure.
Brady Bomber 5-10 175 lbs Point Guard, 4 assists 5.4 points per game.
Roger O'Neil 6-5 195 lbs Forward, claims SMU will shock the world this saturday
Jeremy Green 6-7 225 lbs Forward, not much interesting her, seconding leading scorer
Blake Poole 6-5 265 lbs "Center", he's from Eugene as I said before, that's enough to dislike him.
UW
Abdul Gaddy 6-3 195 lbs Point Guard
Isaiah Thomas 5-9 190 lbs Shooting Guard
Justin Holiday 6-6 185 lbs Forward
Darnell Gant 6-8 225 lbs Forward
Mathew Bryan-Amaning 6-9 240 lbs Forward
Match Ups
Gaddy-Squires
Thomas-Bomber
Holiday-Roger O'Neil
Gant-Green
MBA-Poole
Keys to complete domination
Gaddy needs to shut down Squires and keep him form feeling any kind of positiveness in his life while facing us.
Gant needs to contain Jeremy Green until he gets so frustrated and scared he curls up into the fetal position and cries.
MBA needs to viciously tea bag Poole off a fast break and remind him that while he is a successful D2 player he is nothing but a tiny nancy boy unfortunate to find himself in the way of a dunk train whose destination is Facial Town.
What we will see
Our starters and major minute grabbers will play early and grab the lead fast and easily. Expect them to play 25 minutes or so, before relinquishing the game to our bench, even Sherrer and Hosley should get 5 or more minutes a piece. Expect a lot of show case, highlight reel dunks, some nice three point shots, and vicious defensive efforts. Venoy will be out resting an injured hamstring. He is trying to heal up before the official opener against McNeese State next week.
So all in all Husky fans, expect a fun game that'll pump you up for the regular season and make you forget about the Husky Football escapades. Get there early, get loud, and get in SMU's head. Time to get those lungs and legs back in shape 'cause its time for Husky Basketball!!! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
That being said... we will not lose this game. We are simply much much much much much much better and much much much much much bigger. I fully expect all non redshirt players to play in what I am expecting to be a 30+ point blow out. Think of this game like the Seattle U game last year, expect more dunks, and less skill for them. Seattle U at least had Charles Garcia, who by the way is a dick for nearly killing Quincy for absolutely no reason.
For starters, their center and returning high scorer is Blake Poole, a 6-5 265 lb blob. I did not mistype, a 6-5 CENTER!!! I mean come on... at least you your biggest player out there. They do have 6-11 Matt Dodson, a Sophomore out of Eugene, Oregon. You know what... I take that back, no one from Eugene should be allowed to play on any court any where. That must be the reason why Jabba the Hut is out there on the court. Poole averaged 33 minutes a game last year along with 21 points an outing. Normally an impressive feat, but I'm going to assume he just uses his weight to toss around the poor little D2 players unfortunate enough to have to block his fat ass. Poole won't have that nice advantage tomorrow when he finds him against the Gods, aka Matthew Bryan-Amaning and 7-0 hell raiser Aziz N'Diaye. Now Aziz is also 265 lbs, but he is pure muscle, ferocity, and block machine. Poole will have his work cut out trying to score against a man 7 inches taller than him, not to mention the wing span difference.
This will be a good time to experiment with out players mess out on the court outside of internal scrimmages. There isn't going to be much resistance so a real test of their skills will have to wait until the Maui tournament. What I would like to see from the Dawgs tomorrow is ball control and self control on the defensive edge, avoiding petty fouls. Minimal turnovers should occur, I don't think St. Martins has much to offer in terms of defensive stopping power. They average nearly 7 steals and nearly 4 blocks a game, but I reiterate, this is against D2 opponents, of similar size and skill, nothing like D1 ball and definitely nothing like a top 15 team such as the Huskies. Yes, I know we are ranked 17th and 18th depending on the poll, but I firmly believe we will break into the top 15 if not top 10 during the year if we play to our potential through out.
Aside from the players on the court, St. Martin players will have to deal with something there are not familiar with, a large, loud, rambunctious crowd of nearly 10,000 people based on a core of 700 students who will not shut up through out. The average home game attendance for St. Martins is 446 people. 446. Four Hundred. Forty. Six. Just over half the size of the Dawg Pack. Oh, and not to mention all the inside info the Dirt has provided us with. Check it out at http://seattlesportsnet.com/2010/11/05/dawg-pack-dirt-saint-martins-university/#more-6433 if you haven't already. Highlights include Kyle Karnofski whose mom wrote on his Facebook wall that he cannot dunk, Brady Bomber who got braces earlier this week and is struggling in accounting class, and Garrett Stoney who is in "internet jail" for illegal movie downloading.
On to the starting line up predictions
SMU
Galen Squires 6-2 180 lbs Shooting Guard, likes to shot the three ball and is fairly good at it. Let's see how he handles his shot under pressure.
Brady Bomber 5-10 175 lbs Point Guard, 4 assists 5.4 points per game.
Roger O'Neil 6-5 195 lbs Forward, claims SMU will shock the world this saturday
Jeremy Green 6-7 225 lbs Forward, not much interesting her, seconding leading scorer
Blake Poole 6-5 265 lbs "Center", he's from Eugene as I said before, that's enough to dislike him.
UW
Abdul Gaddy 6-3 195 lbs Point Guard
Isaiah Thomas 5-9 190 lbs Shooting Guard
Justin Holiday 6-6 185 lbs Forward
Darnell Gant 6-8 225 lbs Forward
Mathew Bryan-Amaning 6-9 240 lbs Forward
Match Ups
Gaddy-Squires
Thomas-Bomber
Holiday-Roger O'Neil
Gant-Green
MBA-Poole
Keys to complete domination
Gaddy needs to shut down Squires and keep him form feeling any kind of positiveness in his life while facing us.
Gant needs to contain Jeremy Green until he gets so frustrated and scared he curls up into the fetal position and cries.
MBA needs to viciously tea bag Poole off a fast break and remind him that while he is a successful D2 player he is nothing but a tiny nancy boy unfortunate to find himself in the way of a dunk train whose destination is Facial Town.
What we will see
Our starters and major minute grabbers will play early and grab the lead fast and easily. Expect them to play 25 minutes or so, before relinquishing the game to our bench, even Sherrer and Hosley should get 5 or more minutes a piece. Expect a lot of show case, highlight reel dunks, some nice three point shots, and vicious defensive efforts. Venoy will be out resting an injured hamstring. He is trying to heal up before the official opener against McNeese State next week.
So all in all Husky fans, expect a fun game that'll pump you up for the regular season and make you forget about the Husky Football escapades. Get there early, get loud, and get in SMU's head. Time to get those lungs and legs back in shape 'cause its time for Husky Basketball!!! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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