July 2010

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Keys to Cutting the Nets in 2011

July 28, 2010 in Uncategorized by Themod | 14 comments

pac10champs

   by Craig Yamada, Editor-In-Chief

 

Summer school is officially in session. The freshmen have arrived on campus and have already started summer classes. Scrimmages and open gyms have commenced. Pac 10 predictions have been released. UW is the unanimous pre-season favorite to win the Pac-10.

 Now it’s time to examine how Romar will lead his Dawgs back to Pac 10 supremacy. Here are the ten keys that I am looking for in UW’s 2010-2011 squad:

 

1.       Senior Leadership

seniors_trioComing off a year where we had one lone senior in QPon, 2010-2011 figures to be that much better with three impact players playing their last year in purple and gold. Overton, Holiday and MBA will all see significant minutes and are all expected to make huge impacts on every game.  Expect all three players to be more vocal this year and lead by example from the outset.

Much like last year, I expect Venoy to be the first player off the bench to help change the pace of the game. He will likely be the player Romar relies on at the end of the game to handle the ball and knock down pressure free throws. Holiday and MBA will be looked upon to help ease the scoring load off of IT this year. Holiday will look to continue to improve his jump shot and become a threat on both sides of the ball. MBA will be coming off a strong summer showing in Europe and will look to establish dominance in the post.

 

2.       Winning on the Road

UCLA CrowdIn 2009, road wins were hard to come by in the early going.  With seven straight road losses to open the season, many Dawg fans were beginning to awaken to a harsh reality that UW could struggle to make the Tourney last year.  Non-conference losses included a nail biter to Texas Tech and a route at the hands of Georgetown. UW then opened the Pac 10 season In dropping road games in pairs to the Arizona and Southern California teams, and a loss to Cal in Berkeley. With a strong finish to the season in stealing a win at Stanford, blowing out WSU in Pullman, and sweeping the Oregon schools in Oregon, they were able to salvage the rest of their season in third place in the Pac 10 and a remarkable Pac 10 Tournament championship.

 Boys, call me greedy, but let’s not be so dramatic this year. Let’s not get caught up in the parity that was last year.  My blood pressure is still in recovery mode. Losing back to back games on the road will not get us to the promise land this year. I expect UW to hold serve on all home games this year with the squad we have in place, given maybe a two game buffer (Arizona and USC are tough teams). I foresee a sweep of the Bay area, Oregon schools and WSU on the road, and  at the least a split of the Arizona and LA schools when they are on the road. That in itself should be enough to help UW secure the top spot. With a possible record of 14-4, UW should be atleast a game ahead of the Pac by season’s end. Easier said than done, but I think this should be realistic.

 

 

3.       Freshman Contributions

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Three talented true freshmen, a redshirt frosh, and a walk on Freshman will be looking to make an immediate contribution to this year’s squad. 

 CJ Wilcox has been labeled as the “complete package” by many critics and will have a lot of expectations given all the hype this season. IT and Gaddy have both claimed that CJ is the “best shooter [they] have ever played with or against.” That is a huge compliment given the huge talent they have been playing against these past two years.  CJ will be looked upon to be a 3pt gunner and jump shot specialist. After operating one year in the Romar practice system, CJ will be looked upon to step up immediately and plug in the hole that Elston Turner left behind. He will battle Suggs for time all season long.

 Terrence Ross is arguably the most athletic player we have on this team sans MBA. He is explosive and his shooting ability comes as advertised. IT has already tweeted that “TROSS is Gooooood” after his first scrimmage with him. Ross will need to bulk up and get his defensive skills honed to the NCAA level before he makes a big impact. He has the largest upside of all the Freshman in my opinion.

Aziz N’Diaye needs no introduction as he will finally give UW an athletic inside presence that they have lacked for sometime. Aziz’s offensive skills are raw at best at the time being, but his main focus will be rebounding and blocking shots. Expect a lot of lob alley oops to this athletic big man all season.

The wild card just may be Desmond Simmons. The early reports are that Simmons has a surprisingly good outside shot, good ball handling for a guy his size and does all the little things that most guys don’t do on defense. He seems like a game changer and could be a reliable option off the bench at the 3 or 4. We still don’t know if he will redshirt this season, but it sounds like if he doesn’t he will see minutes because of his work ethic.

And let’s not forget about our newest walk on, Antoine Hosley. Antoine will look to follow in Will Conroy’s footsteps in being an impact walk-on. From video footage, it looks like he has the quickness to help the Dawgs, but will have plenty of competition for minutes.

4.       Gaddy playing with confidence

gaddyThis is definitely a broken record, but Gaddy is expected to have a coming out party this year after having a year of NCAA experience under his belt. Gaddy may not be the flashiest of players on the squad, but he will do the little things to get UW victories. Many overlooked his passing abilities last year. Many highlights of MBA, Breshers or Gant finishing strong last year were a result of a dime by Abdul Gaddy. His lack of scoring was the only thing people noticed.

Working with Ryan Appleby with his shot this summer, I expect Gaddy to be a triple threat in driving to the basket, dishing the ball and knocking down an open jumper when he has the space. We all know he is capable because we all have seen him do it time and time again in his prep years. It’s purely a mental game with Gaddy at this point and I will look for him to play his game this year instead of going out and trying not to make mistakes. Gaddy is hungry for the season to start and should be eager to shut his critics up.

 

  5.       Gant and Breshers: Fresh Start

tyreeseandGantDarnell Gant and Tyrese Breshers will both have chips on their shoulders following their 2009 campaigns. With the departure of QPON, UW will look to one of these two to fill the immediate need at PF. Breshers was coming off an injury last year and didn’t look to be in the best shape last year as he played sparingly due to fatigue and foul trouble.

Darnell Gant struggled last season as well as he didn’t look to have the same game we saw his freshman year. Look for Gant to rebound this year and reclaim his game from his first year.  If Gant can get his baseline jumper down, he could be a real threat on offense.

Both players have proven to play good defense, with a slight edge to Gant given his ability to stay out of foul trouble. Gant has proven to be an offensive presence in the past and Romar will heavily rely on his experience to help relieve pressure off MBA in the post, much like he did for Brockman.

I will look for Breshers to be in better game shape and more acclimated to the speed of the NCAA game. If Breshers can stay out of foul trouble and get his post moves in order, he could be dangerous down low.

 

6.       MBA refining his post presence

MBA_new

MBA, this is your year. You made the turn half way through last season  and you gradually morphed  into the player that Romar dreamed you would become. Now it’s time to dominate the post like we all know you are capable of.  My biggest recommendations for you this year:

 

  

  • Continue to move slower when making your post moves (Don’t rush your shot)
  • Master the drop step and assert yourself
  • Use the up and under move a la Jon Brockman when possible
  • Don’t shy away from contact
  • Get to the stripe and make your free throws

 

7.       The Tri-Fecta Trio

3pt Trio UW now has three legit long range shooters that can bust any zone in half.  The trio of Suggs, Ross, and Wilcox will likely be one of the most interesting stories heading into the season.Who will get the lion’s share of PT? Based on the latest scrimmage reports, Suggs looks to be more assertive with the ball and is trying to be more than just a jump shooter. Wilcox is shooting the lights out as expected. IT reported that his teammates “get mad when Wilcox misses a shot. That’s how good he is.” And Ross’ athleticism has been hyped on multiple reports. He has a smooth stroke and release and has the range to be successful next year.

The main difference from last year is that at least  2 of our 3 shooters have the ability to create their own shot. ET and Suggs were stationary shooters last year and UW will be looking to add more depth to their gunners’ offensive games. 

Expectations are for Ross to be IT’s main back up at the 2 and for Suggs and Wilcox to battle it out at the 3. But given that the 2 and 3 spots are interchangeable, look for all three players to play both spots. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Romar slide Holiday down to the 4 spot and have one of these three break the starting rotation. Who will win the battle?

 

 8.       IT continuing to play a hybrid PG/SG role

IT_newIT will lead the team in scoring next year. Count on it. But the side of his game we were all pleased to see toward the end of the year was his passing ability. After being benched against Arizona following poor play, he began to open up the floor by finding the open man in following games.

And as a result, UW began a huge run to close out the season. Given the multitude of offensive fire power next year, expect IT to average at least 5-6 assists a game to help break games open. He will still get his, but he will still showcase his PG abilities to make his teammates better.

 

9.       Full Court Pressure Defense

venoy defenseReminiscent of the Bobby Jones, Tre Simmons, Nate Rob and Conroy era, full court press should be a higher priority for Romar out of the gate next year.

UW has proven to have one of the quickest teams in the country whose suffocating defense is almost unparalleled in the Pac 10. Look for Romar to exploit younger Pac 10 teams with full court pressure to help turn the ball over and score in transition. We saw many successful changes in games once he upped the pressure full court last season.

 

10.   Don’t just show up, Play Hungry

bullseyeThe bulls-eye is already on our backs. There is no turning back. The Dawgs need to play with a sense of urgency every time they set foot on the floor as they will get every team’s best game day in, day out. They struggled early last year with living up to the hype brought upon them by pre-season projections. They seemed to just go through the motions expecting their talent to win games. The hunger finally kicked into gear mid way through the season.

If they can start out of the gates with swagger and hunger, they will be in great shape. My guess is that we will see a new approach to the season this year and no opponent will be taken for granted.

 

 

Thanks for coming!

 

 

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Pac 10 Re-Emergence in 2010?

July 20, 2010 in Uncategorized by Themod | 26 comments

newpac10logo

by Craig Yamada, Editor-In-Chief

Have you all heard the news? Apparently some folks are doubting the competitiveness of the Pac 10 for the 2010 season. It seems as people are already assuming the Pac 10 will be the same conference as it was last year: watered down.  Here were some headlines in case you missed them:

“Another down year for the Pac-10”

“Downtrodden Pac 10 seems bound for another lackluster season”

“Looking for signs of life in the Pac-10 basketball? Good luck.”

“The Weak-Coast.”

I wish I had four hands, so I could give these articles four thumbs down.

The tipping point came at the hands of an article written by SI’s Ann Killion . In this article, Ann measures the Pac 10’s future success with the number of players it has sent to the NBA Draft and the total McDonald’s All Americans it has signed. Ann foresees yet another down year for the Pac-1o much like we saw in 2009.

Ann, put down the HATERade and prepare for a revitalized Pac-10 in 2010.  Riddle me this, if the Pac-10 only lost 2 players to the NBA Draft this year (Quincy Pondexter and Landry Fields), wouldn’t it be fair to expect we would be harboring even more NBA talent in our league this year?  And if success is measured by the number of McDonald’s All-Americans you have signed on your team, then I will do as Q-PON does and switch from Bic Macs to Whoppers.

Are McDonald’s All Americans nice to have? Yes. Are they vital for victory? Nope.  One word for you: Butler. Butler proved to the entire nation that you don’t need a McDonald’s All-American class to have success. Although the Pac 10 has signed/acquired only four McDonald’s All-Americans in the last two years (Abdul Gaddy – UW, Wear Twins – UCLA, Josh Smith – UCLA), the showing of Cal and UW in the 2010 NCAA Tourney should have been plenty evidence that we can hang with the nation’s best.

Let me be clear here. I don’t think Pac-10 is going to have a banner year, but I do believe that it will be competitive with the major conferences. And yes, UW will definitely lead that charge starting in Maui. My guess is that we send 4 teams at minimum this year (UW, Arizona, ASU and UCLA) to the Tourney and a bigger handful of NBA ready players to the Draft if they decide to leave (pending NBA lockout): Klay Thompson, Derrick Williams, Isaiah Thomas, Jeremy Green, Tyler Honeycutt, and Jamelle Horne. J-Holiday and MBA both have a shot at making the league if they can get make some refinements to their offensive game as well.

And with that, we will segue into my Pac 10 rankings…

PAC -10 Predictions

1. Washington

UW has to be the front runner going into the season. They return the most experienced nucleus of starters and have the depth to make a serious run at the Final Four this year. The loss of Q-PON will sting, but they have plenty of new tools to use in his place. Terrence Ross headlines our freshman class as he sounds poised to make an immediate contribution. N’Diaye gives UW that big body we have been missing in years past. Simmons has the defensive energy and know how to make plays a la Justin Holiday. This will be IT’s team this year, no ifs ands or buts. MBA, Holiday, and Overton look to finish their senior campaigns with a bang. Abdul Gaddy showed signs of promise this past year and will work to prove that he is a McDonald’s All American this year. UW will look to play to its hype in 2010-2011.

2. Arizona

Arizona, much like UW, only lost one big Senior name last year in Nic Wise. They return a talented team led by Freshman of the Year, Derrick Williams. Senior Jamelle Horne returns as their versatile PF.  Momo Jones looks to replace Wise as its starting PG after a solid Freshman campaign. Kyle Fogg remains one of their best three point threats. Added to the mix are two solid SG’s in Daniel Bejarano and Jordin Mayes. Bejarano was ranked #91 in the ESPNU 100. This kid has a great stroke from deep and the ability to slash. He’s ready to make an immediate impact. Arizona will definitely be competitive this year in the Pac 10 and will look to help the Pac 10 regain its swagger.

3. Arizona State

Given ASU’s performance these past two years, it’s hard to imagine they will place any further than third this year. The loss of Derek Glasser and Eric Boateng will definitely hurt out of the gates. But with the recent addition of Carrick Felix, the Duke de-commit, they have a legit SG/SF that can score at will. Keala King, another incoming freshman, has proven his versatility to play anywhere on the floor and fill up the cup. With returning players in Ty Abbot, Richard Kouskis, Trent Lockett and Jamelle McMillan, ASU looks to have the talent and the defensive prowess to give UW a run for the Pac-10 title.

4. UCLA

This should be the year that UCLA turns their fortunes around. With the addition of sharp shooters Tyler Lamb and Matt Carlino, the loss of Dragovic and Michal Roll should be short felt. Josh Smith will give them the dominant presence in the middle they have been lacking in years past and has been rumored to have lost a substantial amount of weight this offseason. A returning front court cast of Reeves Nelson and Tyler Honeycutt could help round out a very talented squad. The X factor this year will be the play of PG Malcom Lee. Lee has not yet played to his potential, but will be looking forward to his junior season for a break out year. Expect UCLA to start making movements back to the top of the Pac 10 and being competitive again outside of the conference.

5. USC

USC remained the only team that UW could not defeat last year. Key losses include Dwight Lewis, Mike Gerrity, and Marcus Johnson. And yes, Lil Romeo has decided to transfer out of USC this summer. Returning starters will be their two bigs: Nikola Vucevic and Alex Stephenson. They will continue to be a lengthy team down low. Incoming freshman include two ESPNU 100 players in Bryce and Maurice Jones (no relation). At 5’7”, Maurice Jones will look to fill the PG void left by Gerrity graduating. Bryce Jones is a slashing style SG, but is not know for his 3 pt range. Forwards Garret Jackson and Curtis Washington round out the incoming class. Out of their self imposed suspension, USC will be looking to regain its honor in 2010. If any team aside from UW can compete outside the conference, I will put my money on USC given their coaching staff and history taking down big name teams.

6. WSU

WSU/USC/OSU may be battling it out for positions 5-7 this season. Although WSU lost three players to transfer this year, Klay Thompson returns as a sure Pac 10 POY candidate to help WSU get back to their winning ways. DeAngelo Casto and Reggie Moore return a solid nucleus of starting depth from last year.  Marcus Capers could see additional playing time this year as he has proven to be one of the most versatile and athletic players in the Pac 10. Added to the roster this year are Patrick Simon (PF), Andre Winston (PG) and Dexter Kernich-Drew (SF). Look for WSU to make some noise this year, but may be looking up in the standings when the season comes to a close.

7. Oregon State

Oregon State will dearly miss Seth Tarver and Roeland Schaftenaar. Back are starters Calvin Haynes and Jared Cunningham. Look for Cunningham to have a big year this year. He underwent a maturation process last year, but we saw flashes of brilliance in his game when he played against UW. Joe Burton figures to get added playing time this year. OSU adds a solid freshman class headlined by Devon Collier (PF) from New Jersey. Look for Collier to jump in to the starting rotation this year. Chris Brown (C) and Ahmad Starks (PG) round out their 2010 freshman class.

8. Stanford

Gone is Landry Fields and three other seniors, but Jeremy Green assumes the lead role on a young Stanford team. Green will be in the race for Pac 10 First team if he can play to his potential this year. Stanford may be a surprise out of the gates with their youthful recruits. Dwight Powell and Anthony Brown, both in the ESPNU 100, will look to beef up the Cardinal frontline. John Gage from Vashon Island, WA  will give them length at the center position as well. Aaron Bright, Stefan Nastic and Josh Huestis round out the remaining 2010 class. Look for the Cardinal to turn some heads this year and for MBA to leave another teabag for a lonely center.

9. Cal

4 starting seniors graduated. DJ Seeley transferred. Amoke was kicked off the team. Gutierrez remains the lone starter returning for the 2010 season. Incoming freshman Gary Franklin figures to lead the charge at PG next season. Richard Solomon, Alex Rossi and Allen Crabbe all may have to contribute immediately for Cal to be competitive. The lone bright spot for veteran talent may be the return or Sanders-Frison who will anchor the team in the post. I never doubt Mike Montgomery, but I think this may be a rebuilding year.

10. Oregon

New coach. New pavilion. Countless transfers. Michael Dunnigan remains. Don’t expect much here. PS. Armstead just left today.

All in all, the Pac 10 should be on its way back from the depths we saw from last year, despite what the critics say.

Other News

Terrence Ross won a dunk contest out at Greenlake this past weekend. Here is the video.

Thanks for coming!

Tony, Toni, Tone

July 14, 2010 in Uncategorized by Themod | 32 comments

twroten_twitterPIC

Image Courtesy of Seattle Times

 

By Craig Yamada – Editor-In-Chief

Twitter me this, twitter me that, who believes Tony will be a UK Cat? I know of a town called Denial that thinks he won’t. Population: ME. Would you like to be my neighbor?

 

What’s new?

First off, MM would like to congratulate Tony Wroten on his gold medal with Team USA U17 team in Germany this summer. This is a huge accomplishment and we are happy that Tony represented Seattle so well overseas.

But now that Tony is back on US soil, the focus shifts back to his recruitment. No other name on UW’s recruiting list is a higher priority at the moment, no matter how much anyone can try and deny it. Romar has been hot on Tony’s trail well before Tony’s high school career even began. He is a son of a rich tradition of Seattle ballers and comes from a long family history of UW tradition. We have all monitored his development as a player and a person over the last three years with great interest. And now Tony is entering his senior year of HS where one question remains to be answered. Where is he going to college?

Tony has continued to toss curveballs to all his followers whether it be over radio interviews, Facebook, and oh yes, Twitter. It has definitely kept everyone guessing and making UK fans feeling more secure about their future as the days grow old.

His most recent recruiting tweet came today: “I Have NOT committed anywhere yet. But UK is in the lead right now. Then comes UW, Uconn, Nova.”

This tweet came on the heels on a bunch of rumors that Tony had already verbally committed to UW after returning home from Germany. Apparently those rumors were put to bed with Tony’s last tweet. But were they really?

The Theory

I have a theory and I am going to share it. I will admit that the bitter taste of TJ still lingers. However, I am cautiously optimistic about Tony coming to the Dub. Tony is 17 years old and he is enjoying the attention he is getting from this entire process. Though you may be thinking this is TJ the sequel, let me stop you right there. Wroten and his family knows how hurt UW nation was during the TJ fiasco. The last thing he wants to do is upset his hometown by disrespecting its main school by playing it for a fool. Even if he doesn’t choose UW in the end, he will not be a hat changer. Tony’s parents would not allow such a circus to unfold. He would instantly lose the love by a city that he calls “home” if he pulled the old switcheroo. Tony already shook his head over how TJ did UW dirty and promised that he would not do the same.

As everyone knows, Tony will have nothing short of a Broadway production for a press conference to announce his “decision”. Knowing that this will likely take place in Seattle, Tony will likely to be hard pressed to utter the words “UK” amongst a Seattle community that is still recovering from the last press conference we tuned into. Not that this would prevent him from announcing UK, but I know how much Tony loves Seattle and how much he wants to play in front of his friends and family. A big party and a happy ending for all those involved would be ideal for Tony.

So why lead on UK and every major school out there? Simple answer: Exposure. Tony has been out of the game for a year following his ACL injury. He has slipped down the national rankings in the past year and he now has a chip on his shoulder. He needs and wants to prove that he can return to the dominant player he was during his sophomore year. Though the rankings may not mean much to him, he still needs to prove that he is one of the top players in the country. One boxing term comes to mind for me in this scenario: Rope-A-Dope. Tony loves drama. He loves messing around. It’s better to be the underdog in this scenario. He may be showing UK, but UW will be the one smiling when all is said and done.

Aside from guessing what’s going in Tony’s head, these are the cold hard facts:

 

  • NBA Lockout  Looms – It’s going to happen next year. It’s inevitable. This piece done by SI sheds some more light on the subject.  What does this mean? Answer: No Draft next year. UK likely won’t be able to unload any of its Freshman talent to the NBA this coming year. This leaves Brandon Knight, Doron Lamb, and incoming freshman Marquis Teague already battling for the starting time at the guard spot. Does Wroten really want to be competing for PT? Not likely. He can be the man right away if he chooses UW and the offense will revolve around him.
  • Will Conroy, Nate Rob, Tre Simmons – Yes, Tony trains with these three every summer. Do you not think they are in his ear 24-7 about going to the Dub and taking the program to the next level?
  • Gaddy and IT – IT has already stated over Twitter that he thinks Tony will be a Dawg when all is said done. Whether joking or not, Wroten has outwardly said that the only way he would play with UW was if Gaddy and IT were still there. That probably will be the case.  He would instantly bring back the hometown presence of UW basketball (ala Nate, Will, Tre and BRoy)
  • Tony loves the 206 – It’s no secret that Tony loves Seattle. He loves its residents. He loves everything about it. Every Twitter statement he makes seems to make some mention of Seattle and his love for it. Why go anywhere else? He could be the “hometown hero” if elects to play for Romar and the entire city would be behind him.

Bottom line: Let Tony have his fun during this process. He will throw you up and down this rollercoaster until the bitter end. Many of you will assume he is going to UK until he announces just to prevent disappointment. I for one am getting my hopes up already and will predict that he will be sporting purple and gold next year.

 

What do you think?

We all know Tony will be wearing #13 next year, but which looks the best?

uk vs Uw jerseys Wroten

     

What's going to happen with Tony Wroten?

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Recruiting Profile 2011: Angelo Chol

July 12, 2010 in Uncategorized by Themod | 8 comments

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By Griffin Bennett – Staff Writer

 

 

 

After 2010/11, the only big men left on the team will be Aziz N’Diaye, Darnell Gant, and Tyrese Breshers. With upwards of 5 scholarships available, you can certainly bet that at least 2 of them will go to big bodies that can help our young stable of guards. Here’s a look at one of them who I think Romar really likes:
 

Name: Angelo Chol

Height: 6’8”  

Weight: 205 lbs.

Position: PF/C

Class: 2011

Scout Ranking Overall: #22(#3 C)

Location: San Diego, CA

AAU Team(s): Dream Vision

High School Team: Herbert Hoover High

Interested Schools: Alabama, UCONN, Georgetown, Kansas, Washington
 

If you haven’t seen him, here are a couple decent highlight videos:

What’s his game like?
 

He’s a lefty big man!!!! That’s exciting enough. I don’t know why lefties are so fun to watch, but seeing a sky hook from a left-hander is a thing a beauty. He is still raw and scouts continue to be disappointed that he can’t put his flashes of brilliance into a consistent package. He has improved over his junior year but slower than most were expecting. His national rankings have fallen due to that, but his up-side is sky high. He is a little slower than MBA with a better mid range shot but less athleticism. His game fits the 5 spot better than the 4, but his lack of size does not help. Let me break him down a little bit more:

  •  Speed: Above average up and down the court which lends itself favorably to Romar’s high-octane game. His fast break ability is just what Romar wants to see out of his 4/5’s
  •  Quickness: A little slower with his lateral quickness which quicker players tend to take advantage of offensively. He looks like a natural 5 defender when you watch him play
  •  Shot: Lefty with great touch under the hoop. He’s an excellent finisher  with a nose for follow-up shots. His lefty hook is amazing and cannot be touched. He has also recently developed a mid-range shot that goes in at a decent rate, but his shot is long and needs work if it will be effective at the next level.
  • Defense: This is where he shines. His blocking ability is even better than MBA’s. He gets off the floor quickly and can block with force  from both hands. As I said, he is slow laterally at times which can cause him problems against quicker PF’s.
  •  Passing: His above-average passing skills are really nice as he rarely turns the ball over and can usually see when the play calls for the extra pass. You could easily play through him in the post with his passing ability.
  •  Athleticism: His body is built to play in the post. His vertical is slightly above-average, but he’s not MBA in terms of jumping ability, although, he can slam it down with ease. 
  •  Potential: High major potential with a constantly improving game. He’s a prototypical 4 year prospect who could be a first-team all-conference player later in his career.
     

Background on Angelo Chol:

Angelo moved to San Diego when he was 7 after being born in Sudan and briefly living in Egypt. In a common fashion, he had never heard of basketball when he arrived and quickly learned that his height lent itself favorably to the sport.
 

Here is a great article  year that really does an excellent job in explaining his background but I’ll pull out some key points.  He didn’t start playing until the 7th grade when his biggest struggle on the court was “layups, I guess,” said Chol. “Running down court and laying it up. That was quite a struggle for me when I first started playing.”
               

He has come a long way with the help of his high school coach Ollie Goulston. Goulston says that before his sophomore year he could already “see the difference. But it’s not all about his size. Angelo is willing to get up at six o’clock in the morning just to work on stuff like his ball handling. It’s all about developing his game – he’s willing to do whatever it takes. He’s a special kid and a high character person.”
               

After his sophomore year he led the nation in blocked shots with 210! Let me repeat that if you didn’t read that correctly: HE LED THE NATION IN BLOCKED SHOTS AS A SOPHOMORE! He averaged 14 points, 14 rebounds, and 11 blocks that season. A triple-double with blocks is not easy to do on any level.
              

“It’s a reaction, really,” Chol said when describing his ability to block shots. “They want you to leave your feet, but the key is to not jump before they leave their feet.” Goulston noted, “He has unbelievable timing. You don’t find many kids like Angelo Chol around,” his coach continues, “and it’s not just because of his size and his basketball potential – we’re talking about his personality and dedication. There are two basic things that Angelo brings to our team; one, he dominates the game without scoring, and two, he makes everyone around him a little bit better. Where are you going to find a guy that leads the nation in blocks who is willing to take a charge? We have him right here in Angelo Chol.
 
Will UW get him?
Earlier in the year, we were the clear cut favorite for Angelo’s talents as Romar focused a lot of his earlier energy on garnering his trust which Chol’s coach says is very important to the former “refugee from a war-torn country”. With that said, a lot of other schools have come on strong with a below-average big-man class. In May during a Scout.com interview Chol said “I just don’t know yet,” when asked if he had a timeframe for a college decision. “I’m going to have to wait until spring of next year. They are all coming at me with good stuff.”  This means he won’t be an early signee or even an early commit. It will be interesting to see if Romar will be willing to wait for Chol and reserve a scholarship for him. In my opinion, it would be well worth it as his high defensive ability, upside, and character are just what Romar and all of Husky Nation love to see out of their Dawgs.

 

Thanks for coming!

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UW Lineup Scenarios

July 8, 2010 in Uncategorized by Themod | 19 comments

WABB2

By Craig Yamada, Editor-In-Chief

There have been several requests to explore the line up shake ups for the upcoming 2010-11 season for UW. And in the spirit of that ESPN touch screen scenario TV, we have created our own to show our UW starting line-up possibilities. Granted these are based on opinion and a lot of assumptions for certain players, but we would love to hear what everyone else has in mind to start the season.

The beauty of the squad we are fielding this year is that we are not subject to the same starting five each game. We have the personnel to match up to any team that we may play against. Whether they are big (USC/WVU), or play small ball (Oregon/Marquette), or they play an annoying match up zone that dares us to knock down threes (OSU/ASU), we are ready.

 

 

Starting the Season

 If you stuck a gun to my head and I had to decide on a lineup today, I would go with the following given the experience these five have over the rest of the team:

Teams to use against: Arizona and WSU

  

RegularLineUp

We all know that MBA, Holiday and IT are likely going to be staples for the starting lineup any given night. The PG spot is still up for debate but I’m 90% sure Romar will roll the dice with Gaddy out of the gates. Venoy will be ready off the bench should Gaddy slip. And as Griffin mentioned earlier, Gant should get an early look to slide into the four spot to open the season. Gant had a rough go about last year and seemed distracted. I am willing to bet that he regains his form and plays like he did circa freshman year.

Small Ball

Several teams in the Pac 10 are going to be quick and will run the ball up down the floor in transition. To counter, we must be prepared with our own quick lineup:

 Teams to use against: Oregon, Cal, and Stanford

 

DreamLineUp

 

Some of you may think I am crazy for moving Holiday down to the 4 spot, but we all know that Holiday has the potential to be a poor man’s version of Q-Pon if he can get his shot together. Q-Pon played predominantly on the elbows of the key this year and as well around the perimeter. He did make the occasional post-up which then resulted in a face up jumper.  With this lineup, Romar could do a spread offense with MBA cemented in the post. Our wings would have free reign to score from beyond the arc as Gaddy penetrates and kicks. Mr. Ross, this is your time to shine.

 

Playing Big

Having the size to compete with lengthy teams was not a luxury we were afforded last year. With losses to teams like Georgetown, USC, and West Virginia made it frustrating to watch as a player or fan. We now have the size to combat the bigger teams.

Teams to use against: UCLA and USC

BigLineUp

With this line up, we will have what will be coined as “the block party” as Griffin stated in an earlier article. Nothing but brute force in the post and rebounding for opposing teams to play against. Ross and Holiday will be able to lock down the scorers and IT can get into the passing lanes.

Zone Busters

Given the emergence of the matchup zone deployed by Herb Sendek and ASU this year, a zone busting lineup could force teams to converge back into a man to man. How do you do that? Simple. Drive and kick to the open man on the arc.

 Teams to use against: Oregon State and ASU

 

3ptLineup 

This lineup is not very likely, but having a three pronged attack from the arc would definitely cause defenses to collapse. If IT can find a seem through the defense, Ross and Wilcox will be waiting in the wings for the open J.

 

All for now. What are your starting line ups? Thanks for coming!

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2011 Prospect Watch: Jabari Brown

July 7, 2010 in Uncategorized by Themod | 6 comments

jabari

  • By: Craig Yamada – Editor-In-Chief

 

  • Jabari Brown. Get to know the name Dawg fans if you haven’t already. Jabari is quickly becoming a household name on the west coast and across the nation. The highly touted shooting guard from Oakland, CA is now one of Romar’s top targets in the 2011 class. Let’s take a look at this 2011 prospect.

 - “Sweetest stroke on the West Coast.”

- “Rising the recruiting charts”

- “Putting Cali back on the map”

  • Name: Jabari Brown
  • Height: 6’4” 
  • Position: SG 
  • Class: 2011 
  • Scout Ranking Overall: #15 
  • Location: Oakland, CA 
  • AAU Team(s): Drew Gooden Soldiers 
  • High School Team: Findlay Prep 
  • Interested Schools: Kansas, Maryland, Wake Forest, Arizona State, California, Arizona, Oregon, Oregon State, UNLV and Washington 

  

 

 If you haven’t gotten a chance to watch Jabari in action, feast your eyes on these:

Highlight 1 and Highlight 2

What kind of game does Jabari have?

After watching film of this guy, I couldn’t help but compare his game as a hybrid of both Aaron Afflalo and Brandon Roy.  When assessing his frame and stature, he already has the body and strength to be successful at the NCAA level and beyond.  He’s a legit 2-guard who is highly acclaimed for his shooting ability and range. Simply put, this kid can flat out score. Jabari has the offensive skill set that  makes him a threat from all ranges of the court. He can take you off the dribble or he can jab step you and pull up in your eye from beyond the arc. The part of Jabari’s game that is definitely starting to garner attention is his ability to create his own shot.

 The best way to watch one on one skills is to watch some of these summer highlights . He is a master of the dribble and step back jumper. Very B-Roy-esque when you watch him create space for his own jump shot. He is also a very explosive finisher at the rim as well.  The one part of his game that I have yet to see footage of is his work in the post, but it is an aspect of his game that he is working to improve to showcase his offensive versatility.

Jabari’s two favorite NBA players are Brandon Roy and Carmelo Anthony. You can definitely see that portions of his game are molded from his two idols. It couldn’t hurt that one of his favorite players played for Romar right?

 His game fits well with a high octane offense such as UW’s.   He may not have the natural agility of a Terrence Ross, but definitely has shown that he can be counted on as a #1 scoring option and could possibly carry a team as he matures.

 

What kind of person is Jabari?

From the interviews I have listened to, I can tell you that he is a smart and well spoken individual. He is a born winner and loves the game of basketball.  Definitely a humble personality that wants to improve and prove to the nation that he is one of the best out there. Sounds like a perfect fit for Romar’s  coaching style.

 

Where would he fit in the rotation in 2011-2012?

This would definitely depend on the personnel we have available next year, but if IT does feel he is ready for the draft next year, Jabari would have a great opportunity to slide in the starting SG spot and play alongside T-Ross in 2011. If that did happen, we would have two guys that really could open up the floor and create their own shots.  

 

How is Jabari’s recruiting going?

From a web radio show called “Off The Boards” I stumbled upon, I am feeling good that UW is high on his list, if not the leader at this point. I was lucky enough to catch the tail end of that show where they featured an interview with Jabari Brown. Here were some snippets that are worth noting

  • Jabari on the huge number of schools recruiting him: “Some schools I am familiar with. There are a few schools I know everything about. You have to talk to the coach and then watch how they play. You have to hear from former players and how they feel about the coach.” 

 

  • Jabari on his visits at Wake Forest and Maryland:  “WF was a good visit.  I like the state of NC…very laid back. Smaller school. Maryland went well. Got to walk around with Keyshawn Howard and he showed me around. “

 

  • Jabari on Kansas: “Coach Self is a great coach. You got to look at the NBA and how many players are going from KU. ”

 

  • Jabari on Washington:  “I love Washington. I love Coach Romar. I talk to him a lot. He’s a real down to earth guy and real good person. I definitely think that’s a place I could see myself playing.  Especially with the backcourt guys that they’ve had: Brandon Roy, Bobby Jones and Nate Rob.”

 

  • Jabari on his parents influencing his decision:  “My parents want me to go over wherever is best for me. They will fly out to watch me.” 

 

Does UW have a shot at both Jabari and Tony Wroten?

Absolutely there is a possibility. Lucky for us, both of these guys play different positions with Brown at the SG and Wroten at the PG. Getting both of these guys would leap frog UW into a top 10-15 class. We will be stocked with talented guards if that is the case. You can never have enough talent at the guard position in a Romar system.

 

When will Jabari make a decision?

According to the last twitter comments from Jabari, it sounds like he is aiming to decide and sign in the early signing period this Fall. Let’s just hope Romar and Desmond Simmons can lure him away from the Bay.

 

All for now. Thanks for coming.

 

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Quick Poll

July 6, 2010 in Uncategorized by Themod | No comments

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Top 5 UW Summer Storylines

July 1, 2010 in Uncategorized by Themod | 33 comments

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By Griffin Bennett – Staff Writer

It’s time to jump back in. I think we all needed a little break after we lost He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named to Avatar Nation.  I’m feeling refreshed and ready for 2010/11. We can all agree that there are big expectations for Romar’s crew this year and anything less than a return to the Sweet Sixteen would be a failure. While losing our emotional and statistical leader in Quincy last year (can’t wait to buy those sick New Orleans jerseys with Pondexter on the back), Elston Turner has also left in the form of transferring to Texas A&M in search of a larger role. However, the core returns led by newly-elected captains Isaiah Thomas and Justin Holiday with hopes of a Final Four. Not to be overlooked are the additions of freshman Terrence Ross, Desmond Simmons and Aziz N’Diaye. That leaves us where we are now; late June and full of hope.

As we learned last year, pre-season hype and expectations don’t matter in March. What matters is the work that each player has put in during the summer. While their peers are partying and soaking in the sun, the best players know that their summer workouts are what make them great. It’s also the time when the players aren’t in front of the cameras. Our goal is to help bridge that gap and get as much information out as we can this summer. The road to the Final Four begins this summer and each player (and even the coaches) will have their own storylines that will determine how far we get. Some are more important than others, so here is my list of the five most important ones to follow this summer.

 5. Recruiting

 Arguably the most important storyline for every program, but I’m looking at it from a 2010/11 season angle only. The reason that I’m including it in here at all is because I think this will be one of the strongest and deepest recruiting classes that the Huskies will have ever assembled. With 3 seniors, 1 rollover, and the possibility that IT leaves early, that leaves a possible 5 players to sign coming off of one of the Huskies best seasons. I’m not forgetting Kevin Davis; I just don’t want to count my chickens with him quite yet. Craig and I are already drooling over the prospects that Coach Romar and his staff have been looking at.

 Real quickly (as we’ll save it for other posts) in order, the guys that I’m most excited about are:

 

4. Who will be the third forward?

This will be very interesting to follow as we know Holiday and MBA will be two of the three “forwards” that will play. We all know Romar doesn’t think too highly of the center position and loves to play it as more of a hybrid second power-forward spot. That leaves us with these candidates to fill the vacant third spot: Darnell Gant (PF), Tyrese Breshers(PF/C), Aziz N’Diaye (C), Terrence Ross (SF), and Desmond Simmons (SF/PF).

 I’m sure that Romar will give Gant the spot to lose as he is a junior and should be afforded that luxury. However, I expect his leash to be shorter than Brian Scalabrine’s was in the NBA finals. Breshers never lost the weight that he promised us all that he would lose (we’ve all been there) and he I don’t believe he ever truly was 100% last year. Remaining are the three newcomers in Aziz, Simmons, and Ross. We have yet to see any of these guys play against college talent yet so paying close attention to the summer camps and practices will be a huge indicator.

 If I had to bet my gold #3 Brandon Roy jersey on one of these players to win the battle, I would choose N’Diaye. It’s no more than a hunch, but I think he will provide the most to a starting line-up that was vertically challenged last year before losing Pondexter. Aziz will provide rebounds and blocks at decent rate while also being able to run the floor the way that Romar loves. With him in the starting line-up, it allows MBA to play at his natural position of PF which will give him a shorter/weaker match-up that could allow him to thrive. On the other hand, N’Diaye could be slower than I-5 at 4:30 on a Friday before a three day weekend while also having chronic knee problems. Either way, it makes for an interesting storyline.

 

3. Gaddy on the U18 team

Yes, Gaddy qualified for the U18 team heading into his sophomore year. I have friends who went to UW with me who would have been too old before they graduated high school. We all expected so much from our McDonald’s All-American last year, but for most of it he couldn’t smoke a victory cigar if he wanted.

 After making the U18 final roster, he averaged 5 points, 2.8 assists, 2.4 turnovers, and 0.8 steals over 13.4 minutes a game. He was  the teams’s 6th player off the bench. Saying “this isn’t going well” would be an understatement. I couldn’t have imagined a more perfect situation for a young gun-shy uber-prospect than this team presented. It should have done wonders for his game but more importantly for his confidence. As Gaddy has said, he’s looking to get his “swagger back”. With Ryan Appleby working on his shot when he gets back, I expect him to be better than what his USA stats have shown. Honestly, it’s not looking good.

 With Venoy out performing him last year, I expect Romar will hold the same competition for the PG spot in the fall that he held last year, but I believe Gaddy will be ready. This experience does not help his already crushed confidence, but a late change isn’t out of the question.

           

 2. MBA in the UK

The biggest question this year will be “Who will score Quincy’s share of the points?” I fully believe it’s going to come from the guys we already have, not anyone new. MBA is already showing dominance in England as Craig wrote about earlier . I won’t repeat the details, but MBA’s development will be a huge part as I fully expect him to become the Pac-10’s best big man this year. There are will be no more excuses for him as he is now a senior (wow that went by fast) and there is no room for error if he is trying to make the next level. He slowly improved last year and if he regresses next year then the Huskies’ wins might as well.

 He also has the chance to make the England’s Olympic team which would allow him to play alongside NBA players like Ben Gordon and Luol Deng later this summer. The experience he would gain from that opportunity is what’s going to be paramount. He can play in these scrub games against Luxembourg (their country is so small that they can only play half-court games) but there’s no real competition there. He has to make the national team in order to get some well-needed minutes against quality opponents.

 

1. Holiday and Venoy

These two seniors will be the key for the 2010/2011 Dawgs. We pretty much know what we’re going to get from Isaiah and any dramatic improvement from him will only be a pleasant surprise. It’s the two vocal elder statesmen that we all need to keep an eye on this summer.

 Venoy has two options this summer: 1. Feel comfortable with his roll as the backup PG that brings the defensive energy along with being the one of the best defensive guards in the country. Or, 2. Wanting to show the world that he’s more than just some defender and he works on his shot, controlling the pace of the game, and wins the starting PG spot.

 Venoy maybe the most polarizing Pac-10 player this year as far as the other teams are concerned, but that’s because he’s good. I hope he’s not happy with that moniker and wants to become great.

 J-Holiday has a similar choice to make because of his scoring ability that he flashed during the NCAA tournament. As I said about MBA, the scoring will come from within the starters from last year’s team. I think Holiday is going to make that “Dentmon-esque” leap forward his senior year and will average around 13 and 6ish. Once again, I’m basing that off only hopes and dreams, but Romar will hand him the keys and ask him to help lead this team to greatness.

 The success of the Huskies’ season lies in the hands of these two players. They are 2 of the top 5 players on this team. If they fall short, so will the Dawg’s Final Four hopes.

 

Thanks for coming!

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July 1, 2010 in Uncategorized by Themod | No comments

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