UW-56 Stanford-58
We blew an 11 point lead in the second half. Trailed by 1 for the first time all year. Suggs tied it at 56 with a huge three. Stanford got a put back to go ahead with 25 left. Holiday went to the line with a chance to tie. Missed the front end. Intentionally missed the second. Stanford rebounded, but traveled. I.T. inbounded with 1.1 left. Holiday's shot game up short.
Hard to say much more than that. No TV coverage makes it near impossible to say what went on. We couldn't shoot and Stanford played it terribly boring slow ball that drives me mad. The Huskies played at that pace and got beat by it of course.
Aziz was a rebounding machine and Holiday was great in the second half minus the last minute where he missed everything. We had no bench production. Hell, we had no production outside Isaiah and Holiday. MBA only managed 8 and those came early. More turnovers than assists. IT had 7 of the 11. Aziz had 11 boards, MBA had 7. IT had 4 turnovers, MBA had 3.
Damn. Damn. Damn. Damn.
That slip up should not have happened. At all. 11 points, boys. Better take that to heart and learn to finish. Hit your free throws. Plain and simple.
That's all I have for you for now. Too frustrated to give a good report.
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Stanford University Preview
Stanford is 9-5 on the year and 2-1 in conference, most recently having lost 67-57 to Arizona on the road. The Huskies have now beat Stanford the past 6 times in a row over the last two years thanks to playing Stanford in the Pac-10 tournament both of those years.
UW is currently 4-0 in conference play for the first time since '84 and has won 11 straight conference games going back to last season, the most since the '53-'54 seasons.
Stanford runs a 9 to 10 man rotation with 6 players getting 20+ minutes a game.
Stanford is led by Jeremy Green, a solid 6-4 guard who took the backseat last season to Landry Fields. He is currently leading the team in scoring with 15.9 points per game. Green is a good shooter with a nice outside shot, currently 38 of 88 (43.2%) on the year. Green averages nearly 32 minutes per outing. He also averages 1 assist per game and 1.9 turnovers per game.
The starting Stanford guards combine for 5.5 turnovers and 6.7 assists per game. Aaron Bright, 5-11, is putting up 2.6 assists and 1.1 turnovers, while Jarrett Mann is sitting at 3.1 assists and 2.5 turnovers per game.
Josh Owens is a solid 6-8 forward/center who is second in scoring at 12.0 points per game and 6.4 rebounds per game, 1st on the team. Owens also leads the team in steals with 1.1 per game.
Dwight Powell is the last starter for the Cardinals. At 6-9 and 227lbs he is a fairly big forward and is third on the team in scoring with 8.8 points per game and second in rebounding at 4.2 boards per game. As a team the Cardinals grab 34.2 rebounds per game. Powell reminds me a bit of Gant in that he is 4 of 9 from range. He doesn't always take the long ball shot, but he makes a high percentage when he does. This makes him a dangerous assignment and potential x-factor if he has a great game.
Stanford has an 81-60 win over Virginia who UW beat 108-63 in Maui.
Perhaps the most telling stat is that Stanford averages 2 more turnovers than they do assists. They also shoot free throws as terribly as us with both Stanford and UW shooting 65.3% on the year.
Starting Line Up Predictions
Stanford
Aaron Bright 5-11 175lb G
Jarrett Mann 6-4 190lb G
Jeremy Green 6-4 198lb G
Josh Owens 6-8 230lb F/C
Dwight Powell 6-9 227lb F
Washington
Isaiah Thomas 5-9 185lb G
Venoy Overton 6-0 185lb G
Justin Holiday 6-6 185lb F
Matthew Bryan-Amaning 6-9 240lb F
Aziz N'Diaye 7-0 260lb C
Keys to the Game
Rebounding
MBA continues his conference domination in the post, averaging a double double with 17 points and 10 rebounds per game. In his last outing he went into beast mode and put up 24 points and grabbed 15 rebounds. I think he was channeling Marshawn Lynch. If he can continue to play that way and our team continues to support him, rebounding should be no problem. Josh Owens is a solid post player with an ability to get the ball off the glass. With Powell assisting and Andrew Zimmerman coming off the bench, our bigs will need to play hard. As an aside, I still get giddy every time I watch MBA throw down over Zimmerman and am quite anxious to see another.
Passing
UW plays its best game when they are dishing the ball out and finding the open shot instead of forcing it. With Isaiah averaging nearly 5 assists per game and has 26 assists in the last three games alone, its easy to see why our team has been so solid. Overton is also performing quite well with 4.2 per game and an assist/turnover ratio of 2.8. These two begin the attack, but without the support of our wings the ball doesn't move as well. This is where Holiday, Ross, Wilcox, Suggs, and even Gant and MBA come in. They don't necessarily need to get the assist, but the better they pass around and use their field vision to find open shots, the better we are.
Perimeter Defense
Jeremy Green is a good shooter. Powell shows potential. Anthony Brown and Aaron Bright both have 13 makes on 36 and 37 attempts respectfully. UW cannot afford to let them get hot like OSU was able to do in the first half against us. With 3 or 4 good outside shooters it is important to move our feet well, transition off of screens, and get a hand in their face. Prevent the outside shot and prevent Green from lighting us up. That's where our defensive game plan should start.
Free Throws
Stanford is a terrible free throw shooting team like us. Bright and Green are their best FT shooters and they shoot pretty well with Bright leading at 91% and Green near 80%. Keep them off the line and make our shots and the game will have one less way for Stanford to stay in it. We have had problems getting to the line this year, something the Dawgs thrived on in '08-'09. Each one is big and that makes them extremely important whether we are up a bunch or in a close game.
Work the Post
With MBA riding a hot streak and Aziz drawing all sorts of pressure, an inside out game plan is a great basis for our starting attack. MBA and Aziz don't need to take the shot, but if they at least get a look or two and are able to move the defense about our perimeter shooters will have an easier time of getting into open space. Also look for I.T. and Overton to drive the lane and create space that way.
Keep Their Head in the Game
With the off court issue currently going on, it is easy to see the Dawgs not being as focused as usual. They need to forget about everything outside the game as Stanford has been known to be a tricky arena for us. This SHOULD be an easy game and the Dawgs SHOULD outscore Stanford by 15 or more, BUT if they aren't focused and don't bring their A game the Huskies could easily slip up and drop this one. I don't want to see that happen, I don't foresee it happening, but there is always a chance.
Final Thoughts
Stanford doesn't bring a ton to the table, but they are an improving team and can be dangerous if we don't do our jobs. They played a semi close game with Arizona, losing by 10 on the road. Nothing to be ashamed of there, UA is a good team and road games are always tough. MBA and I.T. need to lead the attack and get our offense rolling early. Holiday and Overton need to create turnovers and get steals to get our transition game started. Our team runs really well and that's where we can best avoid Stanford's tough defense. It also brings the tempo onto our side as Stanford tends to be a slow, half court offense type of team.
Final Score Prediction
UW-85 Stanford-68
UW is currently 4-0 in conference play for the first time since '84 and has won 11 straight conference games going back to last season, the most since the '53-'54 seasons.
Stanford runs a 9 to 10 man rotation with 6 players getting 20+ minutes a game.
Stanford is led by Jeremy Green, a solid 6-4 guard who took the backseat last season to Landry Fields. He is currently leading the team in scoring with 15.9 points per game. Green is a good shooter with a nice outside shot, currently 38 of 88 (43.2%) on the year. Green averages nearly 32 minutes per outing. He also averages 1 assist per game and 1.9 turnovers per game.
The starting Stanford guards combine for 5.5 turnovers and 6.7 assists per game. Aaron Bright, 5-11, is putting up 2.6 assists and 1.1 turnovers, while Jarrett Mann is sitting at 3.1 assists and 2.5 turnovers per game.
Josh Owens is a solid 6-8 forward/center who is second in scoring at 12.0 points per game and 6.4 rebounds per game, 1st on the team. Owens also leads the team in steals with 1.1 per game.
Dwight Powell is the last starter for the Cardinals. At 6-9 and 227lbs he is a fairly big forward and is third on the team in scoring with 8.8 points per game and second in rebounding at 4.2 boards per game. As a team the Cardinals grab 34.2 rebounds per game. Powell reminds me a bit of Gant in that he is 4 of 9 from range. He doesn't always take the long ball shot, but he makes a high percentage when he does. This makes him a dangerous assignment and potential x-factor if he has a great game.
Stanford has an 81-60 win over Virginia who UW beat 108-63 in Maui.
Perhaps the most telling stat is that Stanford averages 2 more turnovers than they do assists. They also shoot free throws as terribly as us with both Stanford and UW shooting 65.3% on the year.
Starting Line Up Predictions
Stanford
Aaron Bright 5-11 175lb G
Jarrett Mann 6-4 190lb G
Jeremy Green 6-4 198lb G
Josh Owens 6-8 230lb F/C
Dwight Powell 6-9 227lb F
Washington
Isaiah Thomas 5-9 185lb G
Venoy Overton 6-0 185lb G
Justin Holiday 6-6 185lb F
Matthew Bryan-Amaning 6-9 240lb F
Aziz N'Diaye 7-0 260lb C
Keys to the Game
Rebounding
MBA continues his conference domination in the post, averaging a double double with 17 points and 10 rebounds per game. In his last outing he went into beast mode and put up 24 points and grabbed 15 rebounds. I think he was channeling Marshawn Lynch. If he can continue to play that way and our team continues to support him, rebounding should be no problem. Josh Owens is a solid post player with an ability to get the ball off the glass. With Powell assisting and Andrew Zimmerman coming off the bench, our bigs will need to play hard. As an aside, I still get giddy every time I watch MBA throw down over Zimmerman and am quite anxious to see another.
Passing
UW plays its best game when they are dishing the ball out and finding the open shot instead of forcing it. With Isaiah averaging nearly 5 assists per game and has 26 assists in the last three games alone, its easy to see why our team has been so solid. Overton is also performing quite well with 4.2 per game and an assist/turnover ratio of 2.8. These two begin the attack, but without the support of our wings the ball doesn't move as well. This is where Holiday, Ross, Wilcox, Suggs, and even Gant and MBA come in. They don't necessarily need to get the assist, but the better they pass around and use their field vision to find open shots, the better we are.
Perimeter Defense
Jeremy Green is a good shooter. Powell shows potential. Anthony Brown and Aaron Bright both have 13 makes on 36 and 37 attempts respectfully. UW cannot afford to let them get hot like OSU was able to do in the first half against us. With 3 or 4 good outside shooters it is important to move our feet well, transition off of screens, and get a hand in their face. Prevent the outside shot and prevent Green from lighting us up. That's where our defensive game plan should start.
Free Throws
Stanford is a terrible free throw shooting team like us. Bright and Green are their best FT shooters and they shoot pretty well with Bright leading at 91% and Green near 80%. Keep them off the line and make our shots and the game will have one less way for Stanford to stay in it. We have had problems getting to the line this year, something the Dawgs thrived on in '08-'09. Each one is big and that makes them extremely important whether we are up a bunch or in a close game.
Work the Post
With MBA riding a hot streak and Aziz drawing all sorts of pressure, an inside out game plan is a great basis for our starting attack. MBA and Aziz don't need to take the shot, but if they at least get a look or two and are able to move the defense about our perimeter shooters will have an easier time of getting into open space. Also look for I.T. and Overton to drive the lane and create space that way.
Keep Their Head in the Game
With the off court issue currently going on, it is easy to see the Dawgs not being as focused as usual. They need to forget about everything outside the game as Stanford has been known to be a tricky arena for us. This SHOULD be an easy game and the Dawgs SHOULD outscore Stanford by 15 or more, BUT if they aren't focused and don't bring their A game the Huskies could easily slip up and drop this one. I don't want to see that happen, I don't foresee it happening, but there is always a chance.
Final Thoughts
Stanford doesn't bring a ton to the table, but they are an improving team and can be dangerous if we don't do our jobs. They played a semi close game with Arizona, losing by 10 on the road. Nothing to be ashamed of there, UA is a good team and road games are always tough. MBA and I.T. need to lead the attack and get our offense rolling early. Holiday and Overton need to create turnovers and get steals to get our transition game started. Our team runs really well and that's where we can best avoid Stanford's tough defense. It also brings the tempo onto our side as Stanford tends to be a slow, half court offense type of team.
Final Score Prediction
UW-85 Stanford-68
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
All Players Will Travel to Stanford
At the Tuesday press conference, Romar stated that at this time no decision would be made concerning the player under investigation.
All players practiced today and will travel to Stanford for the Thursday game.
The fact that this investigation has been going on for 60+ hours without a formal charge tends to bode well for the player in general.
Personally the whole situation seems strange. The fact the family went to the media before the police (KIRO was given the story and then reported it to the police) is very strange.
If there is a charge and a conviction made, I think I speak for everyone when I say that the player should be removed immediately as they are not the kind of person we wish to associate with, no matter the value to the team.
I also think we all want the best for both parties involved.
Regardless of the outcome, the player in question should have never put himself in the kind of situation where this kind of accusation can be made. It was a dumb, dumb move. *Edit* If he was even there at all. (Thanks CA for pointing that out) Until more is known about what went down or didn't its hard to say just what occurred and if the player under investigation even met up with the girl.
All players practiced today and will travel to Stanford for the Thursday game.
The fact that this investigation has been going on for 60+ hours without a formal charge tends to bode well for the player in general.
Personally the whole situation seems strange. The fact the family went to the media before the police (KIRO was given the story and then reported it to the police) is very strange.
If there is a charge and a conviction made, I think I speak for everyone when I say that the player should be removed immediately as they are not the kind of person we wish to associate with, no matter the value to the team.
I also think we all want the best for both parties involved.
Regardless of the outcome, the player in question should have never put himself in the kind of situation where this kind of accusation can be made. It was a dumb, dumb move. *Edit* If he was even there at all. (Thanks CA for pointing that out) Until more is known about what went down or didn't its hard to say just what occurred and if the player under investigation even met up with the girl.
Monday, January 10, 2011
University of Washington Student Athlete Under Investigation for Rape
It is not clear at this time exactly who is being charged, but from information gathered through various sources around the web and the redacted police report it appears an assumption can be made.
Until more information comes out its hard to say much more on the subject. If convicted the effect on not only the player's career and personal life, but the teams as well will be huge. We will have lost two players in a span of two weeks and gone from 12 scholarship players to 8 over the course of the season.
Tyreese Bresheers retired due to an undisclosed medical issue many believe is an enlarged heart or something similar. Desmond Simmons is red shirting. Abdul Gaddy is out with a torn ACL in his left knee. The accused player could be out a few games while under investigation or permanently should the conviction go through.
If the claims are found to be untrue, the player's name should not be released.
UW has declined to comment at the time being until the investigation is completed.
Here is the link to the police report
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/huskymensbasketballblog/2013900702_report_police_i.html
Look for the link on Percy's page
Until more information comes out its hard to say much more on the subject. If convicted the effect on not only the player's career and personal life, but the teams as well will be huge. We will have lost two players in a span of two weeks and gone from 12 scholarship players to 8 over the course of the season.
Tyreese Bresheers retired due to an undisclosed medical issue many believe is an enlarged heart or something similar. Desmond Simmons is red shirting. Abdul Gaddy is out with a torn ACL in his left knee. The accused player could be out a few games while under investigation or permanently should the conviction go through.
If the claims are found to be untrue, the player's name should not be released.
UW has declined to comment at the time being until the investigation is completed.
Here is the link to the police report
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/huskymensbasketballblog/2013900702_report_police_i.html
Look for the link on Percy's page
UW is on its way up
UW entered the ESPN/Coaches poll at 18 this week and moved up six spots in the AP poll to 17.
Isaiah Thomas won the Pac-10 player of the week after averaging 19.5 ppg and 8.5 apg.
In other news....GO AUBURN!!!
Isaiah Thomas won the Pac-10 player of the week after averaging 19.5 ppg and 8.5 apg.
In other news....GO AUBURN!!!
Sunday, January 9, 2011
MBA Live 11
Oregon State University Review
Final Score: UW-103 OSU-72
If you had told me we would win by 31 at half time, I probably wouldn't have believed you. The Huskies played solid enough the first half, but Oregon State couldn't miss from range, going 6-9 in the first half. They even managed to bank in 2 shots from deep. UW did manage to take the lead right before half off a crazy circus shot from about 8 feet out at the buzzer, 40-39 at half. UW went on to outscore the Beavers by 30 in the second half, led by Matthew Bryan-Amaning (24) and Isaiah Thomas (19). Ross also picked up some late game points, ending with 14.
MBA was a BEAST tonight, you might not have seen it happening so obviously, but he had arguably his best game as a Husky. 24 points, 15 rebound (10 defensive), 2 blocks, 1 assist, and 0 turnovers. He shot 11-14 from the field, but a sad 2-5 from the FT line. More on him later.
The Huskies struggled early to solve the defense OSU threw at them. OSU changed things up from their usual 1-3-1 and used some 2-3 zone and, what at times, looked like a 2-1-2 zone with a 3 man collapse that the top of the arc. The Huskies were down 9 at one point and eventually took the lead with a 3 point shot by Scott Suggs. They came out of the half on fire and rolling. The Huskies were able to find MBA inside and got him going. Aziz ended with 7 points and 5 boards in 19 minutes. Isaiah led the team with 8 assists followed by Venoy Overton with 7. The duo combined for only 3 turnovers.
Isaiah hit some early 3 pointers and ended 4-9 from range. Scott Suggs was 4-6 from range and Terrence Ross was 2-3. Justin Holiday ended 0-4 from range, but added 7 points, 4 boards, 3 blocks, 1 steal, 1 assists, and 3 turnovers.
Gant was a perfect 6-6 from the FT line today and I.T. was close behind at 5-6. Aziz had an off day, going 1-5 and Holiday split his at 1-2.
After half time, it was all UW. They defended extremely well, they shot well, and played very tough. UW had another great sequence of plays in a row. It all started with some fast, crisp passes from the corner to the wing to I.T. at the top of the arc and then inside to MBA for a nice lay-in. MBA then comes down and swats Joe Burton as he goes up for a fast break dunk. Darnell Gant recovers the ball as MBA falls into the crowd. He passes to I.T. who drives and dishes back to Gant for the lay-in finish. Overton signals to the fans to get up. Jared Cunningham drives and has the ball smashed away by none other than Gant. Just brilliant. Two assists by I.T., a lay-in and block for our most senior bigs. Hec-Ed was roaring, the players were smiling, and good times were had.
At the end of the game, Terrence Ross sunk a pair of back to back threes to bump up his scoring. Along side Scott Suggs, who had 12 points, the bench added 38 points.
UW also had 20 assists on 39 makes and continues to have an assist rate above 50%. They also picked up 9 steals and 10 blocks, holding OSU to 9 assists.
UW won the battle of the boards once more, despite going into half down 20 to 18. UW finished with 45 while OSU had 32. What do you know? The Huskies out rebounded OSU by 15 in the second half and went on to outscore OSU by 30. UW had, I believe, 2 second chance points in the first half and 23 in the second half. More rebounds equals more opportunities, simple as that.
What Was Good
Rebounding
For starting so slow, The Huskies sure finished strong. MBA had 5 boards going into half, but powered it out in the second to finished with a team high 15. Ross added 7 and Aziz and Gant grabbed 5 a piece. It was great to get such production off the bench from Ross and great to see Gant getting a little more physical on the boards and pick up 5.
Passing
UW did a wonderful job working the ball around the zone, especially in the second half. I.T. and Overton did an exceptional job at the point, finding the open man and driving the ball inside to dish. Overton had a great pass to Aziz who turned and jammed it home over a pair of OSU defenders.
Second Half Shooting
In the first half the Huskies struggled to find rhythm from range, but Scott Suggs jump started the shooting at the end of the first and the momentum continued into and through the second half, making 25 of 39. Suggs and Ross highlighted the range game in the second half.
Toughness
After getting down 9 early, the Huskies showed a lot of resolve and kept their first half lead perfect for the season. They started to figure out the OSU defense and adjusted, allowing them to battle back and take the lead. They came out the second half with intensity and put the Beavers down quickly and efficiently.
What Was OK
Perimeter Defense
Sure OSU was hitting improbable shots and shooting much better than usual, but the Huskies gave the Beavers a few more open shots then I would have liked. In the first half the Huskies had trouble rotating around and getting a hand the their opponents face. They started in a 2-3 zone, but quickly moved to a man defense once OSU started to hit shots.
Free Throws
Darnell Gant and Isaiah Thomas were great. Justin Holiday was OK, and MBA and Aziz were bad. The two bigs combined for 3-10. Not good at all. I don't expect them to hit 80 or 90 percent, but 70 percent is more than reasonable. In a close game those 4 points could be the difference between a win and a loss.
Things to Note
This is the 11th straight win against Pac-10 opponents. The longest streak since the '53 and '54 seasons, 23 straight conference wins.
This is the fifth 100+ point game, tying a record set by the '04-05' team.
This is also ties the best start by a team since '84 when the team opened 6-0.
This is the Dawgs 10th straight home win.
6th straight win, including 2 non-conference wins.
The Dawgs have won 8 straight against OSU.
Scott Suggs played point guard the final 4 minutes of the game, something Romar indicated could happen periodically throughout the year when both I.T. and Overton are out. Suggs plays some PG in practice and has experience with it in high school.
Player by Player Reviews
Justin Holiday
He had a quieter day than most. He finished with 7 points and 3 turnovers, but his defense was stellar. He picked up 3 blocks and a steal. Holiday also picked up 1 assist. He only played 21 minutes tonight. Holiday's limited minutes were likely due to a combination of his poor outside shooting, 0-4, and Scott Suggs hot hand, 4-6 from range. He didn't rebound quite at his normal level, only getting 4, but none the less his efforts on the boards help the team a lot.
Grade: B
Venoy Overton
Nice, efficient job tonight by the senior guard. 8 points, 7 assists, and only 2 turnovers. Overton also had 2 steals and 1 very important block in the first half. He had a beautiful alley oop to a soaring Justin Holiday and another great assist to Aziz who is really starting to learn how to assert himself in the post. Overton had a great shot at the end of the first half to put the Dawgs up 40-39, which whipped the place into a fury. Great job tonight, Overton.
Grade: A
Matthew Bryan-Amaning
MVP of the game. He went into half with 10 points and 5 boards and finished with a game high 24 points and a career high 15 boards. He played with an intensity and resolve the likes of which fans have been clamoring for since the season opener. He finished shots, 11-14, picked up and1's, blocked, defended, and did everything short of shooting his free throws well. Fantastic job over 30 minutes of play. Personally, I thought it was his best game of the year if not career. He was a force to be reckoned with.
Grade: A+
Brendan Sherrer
Logged just under 4 minutes of game play. Didn't shoot, didn't rebound. He was empty in the stat sheet this game.
Grade: A for effort
Darnell Gant
Gant was all over tonight and looked great. He gave us some great production off the bench, scoring 10 on the night as well as grabbing 5 rebounds. He was perfect from the FT line, he had 0 turnovers and only 1 foul. He defended well and shot well. One of his better games for sure. His block was very impressive as it went sailing across the court into the stands.
Grade: A
Scott Suggs
Suggs was a beast in the game. He had a great shooting night, sinking 4 of his 6 attempts and finishing with 12. His lone score in the first half came at the best possible time, a 3 pointer to give the Dawgs their first lead since the opening minute. He demolished the zone in the second half, knocking down 3 triples. Suggs also had 3 assists, 1 steal, and only 2 turnovers. He played some PG tonight and looked comfortable. It was only for 4 minutes, but that is probably the maximum amount of time he will see the PG role in any normal game.
Grade: A
Isaiah Thomas
Another fantastic outing for Thomas. This marks his third game with 17+ points, 8+ assists, and 3 or less turnovers. I believe he could win Pac-10 player of the week as he averaged 19.5 points and 8.5 assists this week. He had an assist to turnover ratio of 17/4 or 4.25, amazing. You can't ask for a better point guard. Both Thomas and Overton have done a fantastic job of picking up their games to make up for the loss of Gaddy. I.T. court vision has really improved and he is doing a fantastic job of finding open guys and dishing out on drives. He forces the defense to collapse or else he will drive and score with ease. This opens things up for our bigs and perimeter shooters. A close second in the MVP category for the game.
Grade: A
Aziz N'Diaye
One of his more solid performances. He went 3-4 from the field, but only 1-5 from the free throw line. He grabbed 5 boards and had 2 blocks. No turnovers, which is great to see as it means his handling is getting better. He usually struggles against the zone, but did a much better job tonight. I was hoping to see 7 boards from him, but I'll take 5 when MBA grabs 15. He is still improving and his senior season should be absolutely impressive.
Grade: B+
Antoine Hosley
Two minutes tonight. Like Sherrer, he had an empty stat line.
Grade: A for effort
C.J. Wilcox
Still playing slowed and in a slump. He went 1-4 from the field and 0-2 from range. He did get 2 steals and a board. Hopefully he starts connecting again. Until then Suggs and Ross will see a majority of the minutes.
Grade: C
Terrence Ross
He didn't score much until garbage time, but what he did do is rebound and defend. He looked good out there and went 6-11 from the field, including 2-3 from range. Those 2 three pointers came in the last 5 or so minutes. He finished with 14.
Grade: B+
Final Thoughts
The Huskies took 15 minutes to figure out how to beat the OSU defense. Once they did that the Dawgs rolled and the Beavers could do nothing to stop us. Isaiah and MBA have really stepped up in conference play. Ross is looking great as well. Next up are the Bay area schools, Stanford and California. Both should be easy games for the Dawgs, but they cannot be overlooked. This is probably the easiest road trip for the Huskies outside the Oregon schools later in the season. If they play like they did in the second half, the Huskies should have no problem handling Stanford and Cal.
Oh, that was also some of the worst officiating I have ever seen. One ref in particular was completely terrible. He missed several blatantly obvious calls. I am fairly sure if we hadn't been winning, the ref may have been rushed at some point. From an out of bounds possession call to a missed hold that gave OSU the ball and everything in between, this guy was complete nonsense.
Dawg Pack is looking and sounding much better. The UO game was better than the OSU game, but both had full student sections and forced others to sit in overflow. Great to see.
Links
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AQL9r4p9Pjk&feature=player_embedded#!
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/huskymensbasketballblog/2013885855_raise_the_roof.html
http://www.montlakemadness.com/huskies-stuff-beavers-103-72/
http://www.mynorthwest.com/?nid=519&sid=410382
If you had told me we would win by 31 at half time, I probably wouldn't have believed you. The Huskies played solid enough the first half, but Oregon State couldn't miss from range, going 6-9 in the first half. They even managed to bank in 2 shots from deep. UW did manage to take the lead right before half off a crazy circus shot from about 8 feet out at the buzzer, 40-39 at half. UW went on to outscore the Beavers by 30 in the second half, led by Matthew Bryan-Amaning (24) and Isaiah Thomas (19). Ross also picked up some late game points, ending with 14.
MBA was a BEAST tonight, you might not have seen it happening so obviously, but he had arguably his best game as a Husky. 24 points, 15 rebound (10 defensive), 2 blocks, 1 assist, and 0 turnovers. He shot 11-14 from the field, but a sad 2-5 from the FT line. More on him later.
The Huskies struggled early to solve the defense OSU threw at them. OSU changed things up from their usual 1-3-1 and used some 2-3 zone and, what at times, looked like a 2-1-2 zone with a 3 man collapse that the top of the arc. The Huskies were down 9 at one point and eventually took the lead with a 3 point shot by Scott Suggs. They came out of the half on fire and rolling. The Huskies were able to find MBA inside and got him going. Aziz ended with 7 points and 5 boards in 19 minutes. Isaiah led the team with 8 assists followed by Venoy Overton with 7. The duo combined for only 3 turnovers.
Isaiah hit some early 3 pointers and ended 4-9 from range. Scott Suggs was 4-6 from range and Terrence Ross was 2-3. Justin Holiday ended 0-4 from range, but added 7 points, 4 boards, 3 blocks, 1 steal, 1 assists, and 3 turnovers.
Gant was a perfect 6-6 from the FT line today and I.T. was close behind at 5-6. Aziz had an off day, going 1-5 and Holiday split his at 1-2.
After half time, it was all UW. They defended extremely well, they shot well, and played very tough. UW had another great sequence of plays in a row. It all started with some fast, crisp passes from the corner to the wing to I.T. at the top of the arc and then inside to MBA for a nice lay-in. MBA then comes down and swats Joe Burton as he goes up for a fast break dunk. Darnell Gant recovers the ball as MBA falls into the crowd. He passes to I.T. who drives and dishes back to Gant for the lay-in finish. Overton signals to the fans to get up. Jared Cunningham drives and has the ball smashed away by none other than Gant. Just brilliant. Two assists by I.T., a lay-in and block for our most senior bigs. Hec-Ed was roaring, the players were smiling, and good times were had.
At the end of the game, Terrence Ross sunk a pair of back to back threes to bump up his scoring. Along side Scott Suggs, who had 12 points, the bench added 38 points.
UW also had 20 assists on 39 makes and continues to have an assist rate above 50%. They also picked up 9 steals and 10 blocks, holding OSU to 9 assists.
UW won the battle of the boards once more, despite going into half down 20 to 18. UW finished with 45 while OSU had 32. What do you know? The Huskies out rebounded OSU by 15 in the second half and went on to outscore OSU by 30. UW had, I believe, 2 second chance points in the first half and 23 in the second half. More rebounds equals more opportunities, simple as that.
What Was Good
Rebounding
For starting so slow, The Huskies sure finished strong. MBA had 5 boards going into half, but powered it out in the second to finished with a team high 15. Ross added 7 and Aziz and Gant grabbed 5 a piece. It was great to get such production off the bench from Ross and great to see Gant getting a little more physical on the boards and pick up 5.
Passing
UW did a wonderful job working the ball around the zone, especially in the second half. I.T. and Overton did an exceptional job at the point, finding the open man and driving the ball inside to dish. Overton had a great pass to Aziz who turned and jammed it home over a pair of OSU defenders.
Second Half Shooting
In the first half the Huskies struggled to find rhythm from range, but Scott Suggs jump started the shooting at the end of the first and the momentum continued into and through the second half, making 25 of 39. Suggs and Ross highlighted the range game in the second half.
Toughness
After getting down 9 early, the Huskies showed a lot of resolve and kept their first half lead perfect for the season. They started to figure out the OSU defense and adjusted, allowing them to battle back and take the lead. They came out the second half with intensity and put the Beavers down quickly and efficiently.
What Was OK
Perimeter Defense
Sure OSU was hitting improbable shots and shooting much better than usual, but the Huskies gave the Beavers a few more open shots then I would have liked. In the first half the Huskies had trouble rotating around and getting a hand the their opponents face. They started in a 2-3 zone, but quickly moved to a man defense once OSU started to hit shots.
Free Throws
Darnell Gant and Isaiah Thomas were great. Justin Holiday was OK, and MBA and Aziz were bad. The two bigs combined for 3-10. Not good at all. I don't expect them to hit 80 or 90 percent, but 70 percent is more than reasonable. In a close game those 4 points could be the difference between a win and a loss.
Things to Note
This is the 11th straight win against Pac-10 opponents. The longest streak since the '53 and '54 seasons, 23 straight conference wins.
This is the fifth 100+ point game, tying a record set by the '04-05' team.
This is also ties the best start by a team since '84 when the team opened 6-0.
This is the Dawgs 10th straight home win.
6th straight win, including 2 non-conference wins.
The Dawgs have won 8 straight against OSU.
Scott Suggs played point guard the final 4 minutes of the game, something Romar indicated could happen periodically throughout the year when both I.T. and Overton are out. Suggs plays some PG in practice and has experience with it in high school.
Player by Player Reviews
Justin Holiday
He had a quieter day than most. He finished with 7 points and 3 turnovers, but his defense was stellar. He picked up 3 blocks and a steal. Holiday also picked up 1 assist. He only played 21 minutes tonight. Holiday's limited minutes were likely due to a combination of his poor outside shooting, 0-4, and Scott Suggs hot hand, 4-6 from range. He didn't rebound quite at his normal level, only getting 4, but none the less his efforts on the boards help the team a lot.
Grade: B
Venoy Overton
Nice, efficient job tonight by the senior guard. 8 points, 7 assists, and only 2 turnovers. Overton also had 2 steals and 1 very important block in the first half. He had a beautiful alley oop to a soaring Justin Holiday and another great assist to Aziz who is really starting to learn how to assert himself in the post. Overton had a great shot at the end of the first half to put the Dawgs up 40-39, which whipped the place into a fury. Great job tonight, Overton.
Grade: A
Matthew Bryan-Amaning
MVP of the game. He went into half with 10 points and 5 boards and finished with a game high 24 points and a career high 15 boards. He played with an intensity and resolve the likes of which fans have been clamoring for since the season opener. He finished shots, 11-14, picked up and1's, blocked, defended, and did everything short of shooting his free throws well. Fantastic job over 30 minutes of play. Personally, I thought it was his best game of the year if not career. He was a force to be reckoned with.
Grade: A+
Brendan Sherrer
Logged just under 4 minutes of game play. Didn't shoot, didn't rebound. He was empty in the stat sheet this game.
Grade: A for effort
Darnell Gant
Gant was all over tonight and looked great. He gave us some great production off the bench, scoring 10 on the night as well as grabbing 5 rebounds. He was perfect from the FT line, he had 0 turnovers and only 1 foul. He defended well and shot well. One of his better games for sure. His block was very impressive as it went sailing across the court into the stands.
Grade: A
Scott Suggs
Suggs was a beast in the game. He had a great shooting night, sinking 4 of his 6 attempts and finishing with 12. His lone score in the first half came at the best possible time, a 3 pointer to give the Dawgs their first lead since the opening minute. He demolished the zone in the second half, knocking down 3 triples. Suggs also had 3 assists, 1 steal, and only 2 turnovers. He played some PG tonight and looked comfortable. It was only for 4 minutes, but that is probably the maximum amount of time he will see the PG role in any normal game.
Grade: A
Isaiah Thomas
Another fantastic outing for Thomas. This marks his third game with 17+ points, 8+ assists, and 3 or less turnovers. I believe he could win Pac-10 player of the week as he averaged 19.5 points and 8.5 assists this week. He had an assist to turnover ratio of 17/4 or 4.25, amazing. You can't ask for a better point guard. Both Thomas and Overton have done a fantastic job of picking up their games to make up for the loss of Gaddy. I.T. court vision has really improved and he is doing a fantastic job of finding open guys and dishing out on drives. He forces the defense to collapse or else he will drive and score with ease. This opens things up for our bigs and perimeter shooters. A close second in the MVP category for the game.
Grade: A
Aziz N'Diaye
One of his more solid performances. He went 3-4 from the field, but only 1-5 from the free throw line. He grabbed 5 boards and had 2 blocks. No turnovers, which is great to see as it means his handling is getting better. He usually struggles against the zone, but did a much better job tonight. I was hoping to see 7 boards from him, but I'll take 5 when MBA grabs 15. He is still improving and his senior season should be absolutely impressive.
Grade: B+
Antoine Hosley
Two minutes tonight. Like Sherrer, he had an empty stat line.
Grade: A for effort
C.J. Wilcox
Still playing slowed and in a slump. He went 1-4 from the field and 0-2 from range. He did get 2 steals and a board. Hopefully he starts connecting again. Until then Suggs and Ross will see a majority of the minutes.
Grade: C
Terrence Ross
He didn't score much until garbage time, but what he did do is rebound and defend. He looked good out there and went 6-11 from the field, including 2-3 from range. Those 2 three pointers came in the last 5 or so minutes. He finished with 14.
Grade: B+
Final Thoughts
The Huskies took 15 minutes to figure out how to beat the OSU defense. Once they did that the Dawgs rolled and the Beavers could do nothing to stop us. Isaiah and MBA have really stepped up in conference play. Ross is looking great as well. Next up are the Bay area schools, Stanford and California. Both should be easy games for the Dawgs, but they cannot be overlooked. This is probably the easiest road trip for the Huskies outside the Oregon schools later in the season. If they play like they did in the second half, the Huskies should have no problem handling Stanford and Cal.
Oh, that was also some of the worst officiating I have ever seen. One ref in particular was completely terrible. He missed several blatantly obvious calls. I am fairly sure if we hadn't been winning, the ref may have been rushed at some point. From an out of bounds possession call to a missed hold that gave OSU the ball and everything in between, this guy was complete nonsense.
Dawg Pack is looking and sounding much better. The UO game was better than the OSU game, but both had full student sections and forced others to sit in overflow. Great to see.
Links
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AQL9r4p9Pjk&feature=player_embedded#!
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/huskymensbasketballblog/2013885855_raise_the_roof.html
http://www.montlakemadness.com/huskies-stuff-beavers-103-72/
http://www.mynorthwest.com/?nid=519&sid=410382
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