July 2009

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Your Slam Dunk Champion: 6-foot. . . something, Clarence Trent

July 31, 2009 in Uncategorized by Themod | 3 comments

trent lucy copyI’ve made the executive decision to cancel the second round of the Montlake Madness UW Husky Hoops Freshman Slam Dunk Contest. This first-ever contest at MM was a huge success, so thanks to everyone who voted!

Receiving about three-quarters of the votes, Clarence Trent obliterated his teammates in the competition with his “Jumpman CT” throwdown (about 47 seconds into this video). There’s also not much more impressive dunk work of second-place finisher Abdul Gaddy to be found online, which makes sense considering he’s a 6’3″, pass-first point guard. Should you be concerned, though, check out this five-minute testament to Gaddy’s undeniable skills.

And here’s more Trent dunk footage to drool over. It’ll be interesting to see if he can impose his high-flying style on opponents as a freshman — something more likely at UW, with our fast-paced style, than on other teams.

One question we might not be able to answer until Coach Romar’s rotation takes shape next season is how Trent will be used position-wise. The Huskies list him at 6’5″, while other sites have him at 6’6″,  6’7″, and even 6’8″ (you’ll need to find Trent here on the roster of their 2007-08 team). He’s clearly a forward, and played the four-spot in high school, but if he’s closer to 6’5″, you have to assume that in a majority of circumstances, we’ll want two guys playing alongside him who are taller.

My best guess, based on everything I’ve seen and read, is that Trent will be used similarly to Quincy Pondexter, as far as position, playing the three or four, depending on whether we go with a big lineup or a small one. That is, of course, if Trent is lucky enough to break into the rotation much at all as a freshman. Just ask Scott Suggs about that.

I’ve got a hunch, though, that given his ability to grab rebounds on the offensive end, and score inside, Trent will earn at least some minutes with the Dawgs this year. I don’t think he’ll see enough time to be the team’s X-factor, but Trent is my pick to be its ZZZ-factor, the sleeper who plays his way into the regular rotation.

What do you think, Husky fans? Vote down below, and please drop a comment — especially if you’ve ever watched him play live. I’d love to hear your opinion of Trent’s game.

And, hey, thanks for coming!

Will Clarence Trent break into the regular rotation for the Huskies this season?

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Lil’ Dentmon; B-Roy’s Shout-Out; Clarence Trent’s Domination

July 30, 2009 in Uncategorized by Themod | No comments

lil dentmon big dentmon copyJust three quick notes on another ridiculously hot day in Seattle:

Obviously, it’s a little early to be thinking about the heir apparent to Abdul Gaddy, but it looks like Justin Dentmon’s brother, Illinois high school junior-to-be Bruce Barron, is starting to make a name for himself.  He’s a more traditional point guard than his brother, and taller at 6’3″. Too early, of course, to know whether Barron is someone the Huskies should be looking at, but it’s always nice to think about bringing in players that have a connection to the program.

Brandon Roy gives the Huskies a shout-out in his new Nike commercial. (Actually, he gives “purple” the shout, but the implication is clear.)  The sneakers look a little clownish to me, but there’s a reason I’m not writing about footwear. Nice to see B-Roy continue to remember where he comes from.

The readers have spoken, and they’ve spoken loudly: Clarence Trent is dominating the first-ever Montlake Madness Slam Dunk Contest, but voting is open for another day. Scroll down, or click here to participate in the festivities. Also, if anyone out there happens to have video of any of the contestants that isn’t available online, and you wouldn’t mind it being posted, please send it to me at MontlakeMadness@gmail.com.

Hey, thanks for coming, and best of luck beating the heat again tonight!

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It’s a Montlake Madness Slam Dunk Contest!

July 29, 2009 in Uncategorized by Themod | 6 comments

dunk contest pic copyWelcome to the first ever Montlake Madness slam dunk contest!

It’s the hottest day in Seattle history, so let’s check out some redonkulous dunks from the Huskies four newest players, and vote for the best.

Here’s the rules: Watch all four videos — two of them have multiple dunks, but only vote for the one I’m pointing you to. In a couple of days, I’ll post new dunks from the two top votegetters, and we’ll vote once more for the Montlake Madness UW Freshman Slam Dunk Champion.

If this goes well, we’ll do a full-team dunk contest later in the summer. So, take a good look, and cast your votes. And, hey, thanks for coming!

The Redonkulous Dunks:

Clarence Trent: At about 42 seconds into the video, “The Jumpman CT”

Tyreese Breshers: “The Sir Dunkamatic”

C.J. Wilcox: At about 27 seconds into the video, “The Backdoor Smackdown”

Abdul Gaddy: “The Over and Easy”

UPDATE/TECH ISSUES: There seem to be some tech issues with the poll. If you can’t vote below, please leave your vote in the comments section, and we’ll add it to the totals. Thanks!

Which is the sickest, most redonkulous dunk?

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Nothing’s Hotter Than We Are!

July 28, 2009 in Uncategorized by Themod | 3 comments

Blowing up copyMaybe it’s fitting that Montlake Madness is blowing up on one of the hottest days in Seattle history. Okay, maybe not “blowing up,” but our second week of existence has been good here — the response has been great, and we’ve seen the number of visitors to our upstart site grow consistently every day. We’re not quite Tommy Hanson hot, or Bar Refaeli hot, but we’re very thankful for our burgeoning readership.

Seriously, I really appreciate everyone who’s come and checked out what I’ve had to say about Husky hoops even though we’re still in the doldrums of the off-season. And, double-thanks to those of you who have commented. Please continue to speak up.

Today, in honor of all things “blowing up,” I present you with the best career games we’ve seen from each returning Husky. These aren’t necessarily the high-scoring games, but the ones with the most contribution to the entire stat sheet.

And, hey, thanks for coming by on this hot-as-ass-crack day!

Matthew Bryan-Amaning:
23 points, 12 rebounds, 2 steals, 1 block
(vs. Portland State, last season)
Darnell Gant:
8 points, 6 rebounds, 2 blocks
(vs. Florida, last season)
Justin Holiday:
6 points, 11 rebounds, 1 block
(vs. Cleveland State, last season)
Venoy Overton:
11 points, 5 assists, 5 steals
(vs. Stanford, last season)
Quincy Pondexter:
23 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals
(vs. Mississippi State, in the NCAA tournament, last season)
Scott Suggs:
3 points, 2 rebounds
(vs. Texas Southern, last season)
Isaiah Thomas:
17 points, 3 rebounds, 9 assists, 1 steal, 1 block
(vs. Florida, last season)
Elston Turner:
11 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal
(vs. Arizona, last season)

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How Would the Pac-10 Look if Every Player Stayed Four Years?

July 28, 2009 in Uncategorized by Themod | 3 comments

glasser johnny copyAfter seeing so many terrific players graduate or leave early over the past few years, it’s hard not to think about what might’ve been if all players were required to play four seasons of college ball. So, Montlake Madness is proud to present the first annual Fantasy Four-Year Pac-10 lineups and standings.

Here’s what the Pac-10 might look like in 2009/10 if every player who’d entered the league since 2006 was still with their team. Take a look below at the starting lineups in reverse order of how I think they’d finish in the Fantasy Four-Year Pac-10 standings. Fantasy Four-Year additions are listed in bold, and, not surprisingly, the three teams receiving the least fantasy help wound up at the bottom of the conference.

Let me know how you think these teams might finish. And, hey, thanks for coming!

Oregon, 10th Place:

  • C – Michael Dunigan, So.
  • F – Josh Crittle, So.
  • F – Joevan Catron, Sr.
  • G – Tajuan Porter, Sr.
  • G – Garrett Sim, So. / Malcolm Armstead, So.

This lineup will be the same as this season’s harsh reality for Oregon — their squad includes no fantasy four-year additions. And, just like in the real world, they’re not going to be expected to do anything better than ninth or tenth in the conference.

Washington State, 9th Place:

  • F – DeAngelo Casto, So.
  • F – Charlie Enquist, So.
  • G – Nikola Koprivica, Sr.
  • G – Klay Thompson, So.
  • G – Reggie Moore, Fr.

Other than Thompson, this would be a team that struggled mightily to score against a lot of these fantasy squads. Thankfully, Ken Bone will be coaching in the real universe and should be able to fare (a little bit) better in the real Pac-10 than this.

Oregon State, 8th Place:

  • C – Roeland Schaftenaar, Sr.
  • F – Daniel Deane, Jr.
  • G – Seth Tarver, Sr.
  • G – Calvin Haynes, Jr.
  • G – Jared Cunningham, Fr.

I don’t know if Haynes will actually start — he was too good off the bench last year. But, for the purposes of this post, I’d rather go with the best five. Whatever lineup they trot out, though, will be much improved in the real world, but would have trouble hanging here in the fantasy four-year Pac-10.

Stanford, 7th Place:

  • C – Brook Lopez, Sr.
  • C – Robin Lopez, Sr.
  • F – Josh Owens, Jr.
  • G – Landry Fields, Sr.
  • G – Gabriel Harris, Fr.

The Lopez twins must be feeling like they got a raw deal as their fantasy squad isn’t as good as the team they played on in 2007/2008. That said, just like it did during their two seasons at the school, this Cardinal team would provide matchup problems for nearly every team in the conference.

Arizona State, 6th Place:

  • F – Victor Rudd, Fr.
  • F – Rihards Kuksiks, Jr.
  • G – Ty Abbott, Jr.
  • G – James Harden, Jr.
  • G – Derek Glasser, Sr.

This is a small lineup, so maybe Eric Boateng or one of their freshman replaces Kuksiks or Abbott. By the way, is there an easier player to hate than Derek Glasser? He’s the cartoonish douche dude out of an 80′s movie — but in real life. Get this guy a black gi and some blond hair. . . and a crane kick to his chin.

Cal, 5th Place:

  • F – Jamal Boykin, Sr.
  • F – Ryan Anderson, Sr.
  • F – Theo Robertson, Sr.
  • G – Patrick Christopher, Sr.
  • G – Jerome Randle, Sr.

An all senior starting group would make this the most experienced squad in our Fantasy Four-year Pac-10. Add the possibility of one of their two new frontcourt additions Markhuri Sanders-Frison or Bak Bak taking Boykin’s spot and this would be a solid, workmanlike team that could compete with anyone.

Washington, 4th Place:

  • C – Spencer Hawes, Sr.
  • F – Darnell Gant, So.
  • F – Quincy Pondexter, Sr.
  • G – Isaiah Thomas, So.
  • G – Abdul Gaddy, Fr.

Dawgs would have been more scary last season with a starting lineup of Hawes, Brockman, Pondexter, Thomas and Dentmon. Still, a senior Spencer would be a force to be reckoned with.

Arizona, 3rd Place:

  • C – Jordan Hill, Sr.
  • F – Jamelle Horne, Jr.
  • F – Chase Budinger, Sr.
  • G – Jerryd Bayless, Jr.
  • G – Nic Wise, Sr.

To think this was a Sweet 16 team last year without Bayless. This year’s team would be one of the top in the land without even considering their underrated incoming class.

UCLA, 2nd Place:

  • C – Kevin Love, Jr.
  • F – Nikola Dragovic, Sr.
  • F – Tyler Honeycutt, Fr.
  • G – Jrue Holiday, So.
  • G – Russell Westbrook, Sr.

Hard to know which freshmen will carve out the most time in UCLA’s strong class this year, but Honeycutt or swingman Mike Moser would be the best bet to find court time with the other four in UCLA’s four-year fantasy lineup.

USC, Fantasy Four-Year Pac-10 Champs:

  • F – Taj Gibson, Sr.
  • F – DeMar DeRozan, So.
  • G – O.J. Mayo, Jr.
  • G – Dwight Lewis, Sr.
  • G – Daniel Hackett, Sr.

It goes to show how affected the Trojans have been by early departures that this year’s top returning player, Dwight Lewis, only cracks the starting lineup if the Trojans play an undersized squad. Otherwise, incoming transfer Alex Stephenson starts at PF, pushing Lewis to the bench.

So, there it is. The Trojans earn the slight edge over the Bruins, and Fantasy Four-Year Pac-10 hoops supremacy rests solidly in southern California.

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Retiring #40 This Year Right on All Accounts

July 26, 2009 in Uncategorized by Themod | 2 comments

brockwelp trip gray copyWatching the Baseball Hall of Fame inductions this morning and feeling a little ceremonial. While no speech is going to be as exciting as, say, watching Rickey Henderson float from home to third on a triple, seeing the accomplishments recognized of guys who played at the top of their leagues is super-satisfying.

The University of Washington has only retired the numbers of two basketball players from their entire history: Bob Houbregs, a Husky great from the early 1950s, and Brandon Roy, last season. While honoring only two such players in this way has kept the achievement from becoming watered down, the school has the opportunity to pay tribute to two deserving Dawgs in one fell swoop next season.

First and foremost in the minds of most fans will be seeing that no Husky ever wear Jon Brockman’s #40 again. Imagine the scene if, midway through next year, J-Brock comes back for a celebration of his great career.

But, retiring Brockman’s #40 isn’t so simple for the school, because it’ll also need to retire Christian Welp’s #40. Welp, a member of the Pac-10 Hall of Honor, is the Huskies all-time leading scorer and shot-blocker. He was the key player on their last two Pac-10 title teams until last year (in 1983/84 and 1984/85).

It’d be a bit dubious to honor Brockman while ignoring Welp. But, in a year that we hope to win back-to-back titles for the first time in 25 years, let’s rectify the whole thing with a big double-retirement ceremony before a game this season.

It would be understandable for the school to be a little concerned about overshadowing either legend by combining the honor, but that could be solved by making sure to give equal time to both of them. Sure, it begs the question of why the team waited this long to honor Welp. But, so what? In this case, all’s well that ends well.

Let’s hope the school doesn’t let these concerns stand in the way of doing right by these luminary Huskies and the fans. Bring both men back and hang two #40 jerseys in the rafters at Hec Ed, feeling confident that the UW has appropriately recognized a pair of Husky basketball legends.

Agree? Think I’m crazy? Let me know in the comments section…

And, hey, thanks for coming!

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Q-Pon and The Great Leap Forward

July 25, 2009 in Uncategorized by Themod | 1 comment

qpon mao copyIn 1958, China’s leader, Mao Zedong, hatched a plan called The Great Leap Forward to catapult China from being a simple, agricultural country to an industrialized and powerful one. Mao was trying to get China into the conversation when it came to world powers, but it didn’t work — the country just wasn’t ready for it and it had disastrous results.

Last season our best four players were clearly Brockman, Dentmon, Thomas and Pondexter, with the order 1-4 being pretty debatable. I rank Quincy third, ahead of I.T., when it comes to overall contribution. So this year, I think Q-Pon’s got to be our best guy (although I.T. will likely lead the team in scoring).

It stands to reason that lot of fans are carrying high expectations for Pondexter this season, hoping he’ll make The Great Leap Forward from solid contributor to superstar. Quincy’s a guy we’ve hoped would give us 15+ points and 6-7 boards a night for three years now, and there’s a lot of hope that his ascension to that level will help fill some of the void left by Jon Brockman and Justin Dentmon. The only problem with that is Quincy’s already made this leap.

First, take a look at his stats from the past three seasons:

q stats 1 copy

It’s easy to see why we’d look for a lot of improvement in Quincy’s senior season in order for the Huskies to have a chance at repeating the magic and having a truly special team. But, Quincy’s surprising leap was actually a huge reason we were such a special team last year.

Check out his stats now with last year broken up as if it were two seasons:

q stats 2 copy

Quincy had a particularly poor first half of the season last year, so his full year stats don’t really tell the story of the Q-Pon we saw during the heat of the Pac-10 Championship battle and the NCAA Tournament.

So, what does this all mean?:

Will “The Real Q-Pon” please stand up? I’m coming into this year assuming (hoping, really) that Quincy’s stats from February and March represent “The Real Q-Pon.” If that’s the case, we should be able to look for an average of at least 15 points and 7 rebounds. And, then, assuming normal improvement between his junior and senior seasons, maybe 17 and 8 isn’t out of reach.

We want the ball in his hands. The 2nd half Quincy was a much more efficient player, raising his scoring about 6 points, but only shooting about 3 more times per game. Any coach in the country takes that ratio. And, looking outside the numbers, Coach ensured ball was in his hands during some of our most key possessions down the stretch last year.

We need more. This also tells me that we’re going to need someone else to take the leap. Quincy’s really a known quantity at this point in his career, and I fully expect him now to lead the team in key statistical categories, provide leadership, and have the ball in his hands when it matters. So, while he and Isaiah will be the team’s stars, there’s a lot of contribution hanging in the balance.

What the numbers can’t say. One question I have is why Quincy made such a leap in the second half of last season? While it’s always admirable to see a player improve during the conference season, what caused him to step it up so drastically? Did Q-Pon’s improvement stem from a lack of pressure on him as the focal point. Did his comfort level improve once it was clear that he was the fourth option as far as scoring the basketball? Was this the first time since becoming a Husky that the expectation of what Quincy Pondexter would do finally matched what he could do?

One thing is certain, though, Quincy Pondexter’s Great Leap Forward last season didn’t turn out nearly as badly as Mao’s did in China. Like I said, I believe it was his play that gave us the unexpected surge we needed down the stretch. Where, though, will this year’s much-needed pleasant surprise come from?

Will MBA step it up and become the low-post force we’ve been begging him to be? Will Elston Turner let it fly to the tune of several big threes every contest? Or will one of our new additions, say, Tyreese Breshers, quickly establish himself as a third scoring option on the team? I’ll share my thoughts on this in the coming days and weeks, but I’d love to hear what you think. Drop a comment if you get a chance.

And, hey, thanks for coming!

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1/16/10: Huskies vs. Bears

July 25, 2009 in Uncategorized by Themod | 1 comment

gaddy randle copyLast year, The University of Washington Huskies were the only regular-season power conference champion to lose twice to one of the teams in its own league. And, yeah, it’s still bugging me. That’s why the first date I circled on my 2009/2010 schedule was January 16th — the day Cal comes back to town.

There’s been enough written about last year’s 3OT epic between the teams, and the Bear’s convincing win in Berkeley. All I’ll add is that the contest at Hec Ed was bar none the best sporting event I’ve ever been to, and it absolutely kills me that we didn’t come out on top. It’s a hard pill to swallow that the 2008/2009 Washington Huskies took care of business in every possible way except one: dispatching of the Bears.

The two teams should be near the top of the league again, and it’s very possible that their games against each other will go a long way toward determining whether the Huskies can cut down the nets for the second straight year.

Cal will have three players on its roster capable of competing at an all-conference level this season, and one, Jerome Randle, could be the top player in the league. (Although the addition of Abdul Gaddy will push I.T. further away from the point guard duties this season, it’s not hard to imagine Thomas eventually maturing into a player similar to Randle, an undersized assassin who’s just plain underrated at this point in his career. After all, if Isaiah has designs on playing at the next level, it won’t be at the 2 spot.)

I’m glad that the Bears will come in with a very similar squad. This way, we’ll get a shot at the only guys that had our number last year. In fact, I’m more than glad — I’m fired up. January 16th, 2010. You know where I’ll be.

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May signing not good news for J-Brock

July 23, 2009 in Uncategorized by Themod | No comments

"I'll have one. . . of everything on the menu, please."

"I'll have one. . . of everything on the menu, please."

Trying to keep tabs on Jon Brockman’s prospects over the past few weeks. The man is looking at a real dawgfight as he tries to earn a contract and make the Kings’ roster.

Not surprisingly, he rebounded well during the NBA Summer League, but he didn’t make enough of an impression to warrant inclusion on any of those top Summer League player lists the national media enjoys creating so much. Maybe it was too much to think he would put himself in the driver’s seat for a roster spot this early on.

And then, some bummer news comes out earlier this week that the Kings have signed Sean May to add a (semi-) veteran presence to their frontcourt. The 6-9, 270-ish May means one less roster spot for Brockman to compete for. And, of course, it makes for a more crowded frontcourt in the event our man does make the team, figuratively and literally — Sean May circa 2009 looks like he ate 2005 NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player Sean May.

Maybe the most ominous sign of all is that neither of the two sites I could find with post-draft depth chart projections include Brockman in the Kings’ plans (here and here).

He’ll have his chance at training camp, though, to prove he deserves his spot. And, if we know our man, he’ll find some way to get ‘er done. Jon Brockman always does.

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Huskies vs. Hoyas: Series Premiere

July 23, 2009 in Uncategorized by Themod | No comments

hoyahuskies copyLooks like the Dawgs will play Georgetown for the first time ever at the Wooden Classic on December 12th. It’ll be the only game this season against a team from the Big East, last year’s (regular season) power conference, and this also means the Huskies’ schedule for 2009/10 is now complete.

Georgetown couldn’t put it together with a talented team last season, and finished 12th in the Big East. Time will tell whether the Hoya’s problems will continue into their 2009/10 effort, but no doubt, the Huskies can look forward to the grinding, all-out effort typical of nearly all of the Thompson Dynasty Hoya teams.

We’ll also get an opportunity to take a closer look G’town’s terrific big man du jour, Greg Monroe. Coming off of an impressive freshman year, word this summer is that he’s coming into the season leaner and meaner. Check out one of his best efforts from 2008/09 here.  

Interesting, though, about Monroe: The Hoyas lost in four of his five highest scoring games last season.

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