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Year of the Hometown Hero?

August 27, 2010 in Uncategorized by Themod | 20 comments

by Craig Yamada, Editor-In-Chief

Clockwise from Top (Hikeem Stewart, Tony Wroten, Kevin Davis, Kasen Williams, Austin Seferian-Jenkins)

“I want to be that home town guy, that local guy to help bring them back up.” – Austin Seferian-Jenkins

2010. I am going to call it now: The year of the hometown hero. ASJ started it and we hope Tony Wroten will finish it. Not often will we cross pollinate with UW Football, but the recruiting trends will share some sparkling similarities in regards to their hometown guys.

On my birthday, ASJ delivered me a wonderful gift in deciding to attend the UW on a Football scholarship. As arguably the best TE in all the land, ASJ is looking to deliver a Rose Bowl and National Championship back to Seattle. By far, one of the most heralded in-state recruits UW has hauled in for their football program since Jake Locker. An extra added bonus was that he declared he would play basketball for Coach Romar in 2011 as a walk on. (More to come on that later)

ASJ has started what most Dawg fans hope will be a domino effect of local talent staying home to represent their city and state to play their respective sports. The next domino to fall is Kasen Williams, the #1 WR on the West Coast, who we all prayed would don the purple and gold next fall over a myriad of big name schools. And today, we got our wish.

Kasen used the same reasoning as ASJ did regarding his final decision. He values his family, the proximity to home, and playing for a program on the rise. Could there be assimilation with our basketball recruits? Without a doubt.

As a Seattle native, what basketball recruit could say no to the notoriety that comes along with being the primary focus of basketball in Seattle? The Sonics are long gone, may they rest in peace. UW Basketball is now the epicenter of the basketball community not only in Seattle, but in all of Washington.  (No disrespect to WSU or Seattle U) But without an NBA team, local players would become instant celebrities walking down the streets of downtown. Seattle’s homegrown ballers will have an opportunity to play for a national contender in the comfort of their own backyard. Their families would be a five minute drive away to watch their kids play under the bright lights of Hec Ed. What could be better? Simple answer: Nothing.

Although Wroten has been heard again and again about UK being his leader, I just don’t see how UK can eclipse UW here. Wroten, the cousin of Nate Robinson, is all about the 206. He even etched those numbers in his hair when he played in his AAU tourney in Vegas this summer.  Many argue that Terrence Williams and Peyton Siva both loved the 206 just as much, but in the case of Wroten the proximity to home will definitely become a major factor in his decision. Not a day goes by where I don’t see him tweet about the home team and reppin’ Seattle. He gets awfully homesick when he is away longer than a weekend and that will definitely work in UW ‘s favor.  With the local grooming of his BFAM (Brothers From Another Mother), former Huskies have to be urging Tony to continue the legacy of Seattle hoops at UW.

Hikeem “the Dream” Stewart, close friend of Wroten, is also likely heading to the UW following everything I have heard about his recruitment. UW is still #1 on his list and he, like Wroten, talks about representing his city. Kind of funny, but both Wroten and Stewart recently tweeted about Kasen Williams’ recruitment.

Tony guaranteed Kasen’s choice at UW:

“UW. Garenteed RT @ymmij2k: @ToneTone13 Kasen Williams is announcing his college tomorrow, where u think he goes?”

Hikeem further stressed the importance of being a hometown hero:

“Kasen Williams stay home be a hometown hero lol but real talk”

Could this be a little foreshadowing for the early signing period for UW Hoops? Fingers are crossed.

And with Kevin Davis remaining a verbal  UW commit for the 2011 class, the Dawgs will have the opportunity  to field a squad with as much, if not more local talent than the 2004 squad with Conroy, Nate Rob, Simmons and B-Roy.

Enter Tony Wroten, Hikeem Stewart, Kevin Davis, Abdul Gaddy and Isaiah Thomas.

The second coming is almost here, are you ready?

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Jabari Brown Narrows His List

August 16, 2010 in Uncategorized by Themod | 61 comments

by Craig Yamada, Editor-In-Chief

Scout.com reported earlier today that highly coveted five star recruit Jabari Brown has widdled his way down to just seven schools vying for his services. Here are his final seven (in no particular order): UW, Cal, Georgia Tech, St. John’s, Oregon,  DePaul, and UCONN.

No, there is no typo here. Kansas is no longer on his list. Shocker right? I definitely think so. For the last month heading into his final AAU tournament, all the buzz was about Rock Chalk Jayhawks. All the rumors were about Jabari wanting to play along side his AAU teammate, Josiah Turner. Maybe something has happened?

Given the latest list Jabari has released, one couldn’t help but get excited about the possibility of a future Wroten and Brown backcourt. Throw in Hikeem Stewart while you are at it, and we can have a party.

It’s still a bit premature to assume anything, but Jabari has only set up one official visit thus far. And whom might that be? Yes, that’s right.  Romar has an in home visit scheduled on 9/9. And Jabari says he’s visiting Montlake on September 18th to watch Jake Locker and the Dawgs take down Nebraska. (Tangent: I am super stoked to hear ASJ is now a Husky)

He is also working on setting up official visits with Oregon, Georgia Tech and Depaul. Cal is in his backyard in Berkeley and will be able to take an unofficial there. Brown is claiming that “all schools are equal right now.”

From my point of view, it will likely be a two horse race between Cal and UW. Mike Montgomery will surely be in Jabari’s ear about how important playing in front of family will be. The upside for the Dawgs: Cal is at least two years away from being a title contender after losing their 4 starters to graduation last year. Don’t be surprised if Steve Lavin becomes part of a bigger conversation with Brown. Lavin has shown much interest in the west coast, especially with their guards as of late. He may be a contender after all is said and done. As it stands, UW fans should feel confident in their standing with Brown as I had last heard that UW was one of his leaders, if not THE leader, before the whole Kansas topic came up in conversations months ago.

Jabari went on to say in the article that he needs to “figure out if he can spend up to four years [at the school he chooses.]” All in all, things are looking bright for Romar if that is the case. Romar is second to none in terms of developing and graduating his talent in four years time with a degree. Jabari has definitely shown his cards to read that he’s not just another one and done. Only time will tell.

From the sounds of things, Brown wants to make his decision in the early signing period after he takes his five official visits. Sounds like a five star that won’t be making us wait to the deadline.

With today’s news, my guess is that we sign the following this year:

1. Wroten

2. Brown

3. Stewart

4. Chol

5. Davis/Kingma

All for now. Thanks for coming!

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Q&A with Mason Kelley

August 12, 2010 in Uncategorized by Themod | 9 comments

Courtesy of Seattle Times

by Griffin Bennett, Staff Writer

With high school basketball no where in sight and football season a few weeks away, I thought that it would a perfect time to distract Seattle Times’ Mason Kelley away from his blogging efforts and ask him his Husky-centric questions. He was kind enough to oblige and help us talk basketball during the summer.
 
We hit him with the hard question. The ones that everyone wants answers to that only a true insider would know. You know, like what’s in the water at Garfield? How many Stewarts are there exactly? Why does Joshua Smith hate puppies? And what does Tony Wroten think of himself? Unfortunately he passed on those, but he still gave us some great answers.
 

MM: What is your overall opinion of the Terrence Jones saga? Should we expect more scenarios like these to come?

MK: I think Terrence Jones was just a confused teenager who made a quick decision and then was swayed a different direction. As long as kids can give an early verbal I don’t see any reason why it wouldn’t continue. I think, for the most part, when a kid makes a public announcement like that, the people around him make sure he’s confident in the decision. But as long as there’s a way for kids to change their mind, they will. They’re teenagers and that happens.

MM: Where do you stand on the Gary Bell vs. Tony Wroten debate? Who do you think projects better to the NCAA level? 

MK: Well, first of all, I really like Gary Bell as a player. I only watched him once or twice during the season, but his game was incredibly polished for a junior last year. Now, I’ve only seen Wroten play in a Pro-Am game. I really like the way Wroten drives to the basketball and finds teammates. However, his jumper continues to be a work in progress and I don’t think that’s much of a secret. As of right now, I would say Bell is a bit more polished, but keep in mind Wroten missed a full year of high-school ball, so it’s hard to project one over the other at this point.

It will be nice to see these guys play for another year. It’s hard for me to grade any of these kids, considering I’ve only seen most of them a handful of times.

MM: Why is Tony Wroten playing so many recruiting games? Do you think he ends up at UW after all is said and done? How close is Tony with Will Conroy and former Huskies? 

MK: At this point I don’t know where Wroten will end up. I think his favorites remain Kentucky and UW. That’s what he’s told me. I think Wroten is close with a lot of former Huskies. Keep in mind he’s Nate Robinson’s cousin and you could see him talking to several former Huskies at the Pro-Am over the weekend.

MM: What is the latest on Hikeem Stewart and his recruitment? What kind of player is he? Is he better than Lodrick and Rodrick? 

MK: I’m still waiting to hear back from Stewart to catch up on recruiting, but from what I’m hearing he’s had a great summer. He had a nice junior season where he showed some impressive flashes of the player he could develop into and it sounds like he put it all together playing for Friends of Hoop this summer. I wanted to watch him at the Seattle Summer Pro-Am last weekend, but I had to leave before his game.

He has some good offers on the table, and I plan on talking recruiting with him before the school year begins. I didn’t get to watch Lodrick and Rodrick play much in high school, so I can’t really compare them, but I do know that Hikeem has the potential to be a special player.

MM: Of the 2011 seniors around the state, who is getting the least amount of recruiting coverage that you think deserves more? 

MK: That’s an interesting question, because there’s a lot of recruiting information out there these days. The big names are obvious with Stewart, Gary Bell Jr. and Tony Wroten Jr. getting plenty of attention. The other guy to really keep an eye on is Jackson’s Brett Kingma, who a light’s out shooter. He hasn’t gotten quite the attention of the other guys, but he’s had as good a summer as anyone.

MM: How is UW sitting with Brett Kingma? What could he bring to the team? 

MK: Kingma does have an offer from UW. Personally, I think he would be the perfect fit for UW. The Huskies could use a shooter. A lot of people compare him to Ryan Appleby, but Appleby was a streak shooter. Kingma is a scorer. With him it’s more a matter of when than if he’ll get going in a game. He’s worked to improve his ball-handling and overall game this summer and he keeps pulling in offers with almost 15 so far.

MM: Who are some up and coming youngsters of the 2012 and 2013 class that UW should have on their radar? Any potential All-Americans amongst them? 

MK: The top prospect among younger players would have to be Anrio Adams, who will be a junior at Franklin this year. He’s already made a name for himself nationally, participating at the LeBron James Skills Academy. Another local player who would have been one to watch out for down the road was Seattle Prep’s D.J. Fenner, the son of former Seahawk Derrick Fenner, but he has moved back to Washington D.C. after spending his freshman year with the Panthers.

As far as players that I’ve seen, Adams is the best of the young players coming through the ranks.

　

MM: What kind of a relationship does Romar have with Seattle Rotary? Could there be a future pipeline of Rotary players to UW? 

MK: I don’t know about Romar’s relationship with Rotary. I can’t even speak to that, because I haven’t talked to Romar or anyone associated with Rotary about their relationship. Obviously if Wroten ends up at UW there could be a pipeline. Since Rotary and Friends of Hoop are the premier AAU programs in the area, I can’t think of a reason why the Huskies wouldn’t be interested in the top local talent.

MM: What do you hear from coaches and players regarding UW’s reputation? Is it positive? Elite program? Not enough exposure? Etc. 

MK: I don’t spend a lot of time with coaches or players talking about UW’s reputation. For me, it’s more about the individual players and programs I’m covering. Since most of the players I cover at least consider staying home to play at UW, I would have to say the reputation is strong in the community. 

Just look at the local guys who have come through that program from Nate Robinson, to Brandon Roy and Will Controy and Isaiah Thomas. I think, when guys leave, it’s more because they want to attend school away from home than they don’t want to go to UW. But again, it’s not something I’ve asked a lot of people about up to this point.

MM: What is your opinion on the Seattle/Tacoma fraternity of hoopers? What keeps them together long after they leave Seattle?

MK: I think it’s a special bond that is unique to Seattle based on the way it spreads to so many guys. It’s amazing how close these guys are and, for the most part, they’re just good people. They come home every offseason and give back. It happens all over the country, but not on the same scale as far as the number of people and their contributions to the basketball community.

Check Sunday’s paper for more on the subject. 

Thanks again to Mason Kelley and everyone should check out his blog and follow him on twitter @masonkelley.

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2011 Recruiting Profile: Hikeem Stewart

August 10, 2010 in Uncategorized by Themod | 16 comments

By Craig Yamada – Editor-In-Chief

  • Height: 6’3”
  • Position: SG
  • Class: 2011
  • Scout Ranking: #35 SG
  • Location: Seattle, WA
  • AAU Team(s): Friends of Hoop
  • High School Team: Rainier Beach
  • Interested Schools: Colorado, UNLV, Kansas, Oregon State, Oregon, Gonzaga, UCLA, Santa Clara, Seattle, Washington State, and UW

 

Yes, Seattle, it is yet another Stewart. And yes, this is yet another twin. And YES, this is the younger twin brother of older twin brothers Loderick and Roderick. Hikeem Stewart of Rainier Beach High School has been the talk of the town as of late with his recent tournament performances.

He is gaining momentum in his recruiting following a strong showing during his AAU summer tourneys. Playing in the backcourt with before mentioned Brett Kingma (recent UW offer), on the FOH squad, he helped lead his team to the Final Four in the Las Vegas Fab 48 tournament. The Oakland Soldiers won this tourney. (More to come on them soon.) 

From the few highlights I have seen on Hikeem Stewart, he’s a 2 guard  with great ball handling skills that sees the floor very well. Hikeem says he models his game after Brandon Roy. His court vision has allowed him to showcase some flashy passes to his teammates in the half court set as well in transition, much like Tony Wroten. He has the athletic ability to create his own shot and beat his man off the dribble.  He has been noted to have decent range as he pulls up for jumpers. His three point range is another area where Hikeem has excelled as he can stick it from anywhere beyond the arc off the bounce.  Sounds like yet another athletic guard that would fit well within the Romar system. The only area I haven’t heard much about is his defensive prowess. He has been said to be able guard the 2 or 3 spot with ease, but haven’t seen enough film of him to back that up.  Given Rainier Beach’s stellar guard classes of the last 8 years dating back to Nate Robinson and the Stewart Twins, I would expect nothing less than a lock down defender.

Off the court, he is an honor student and a smart one at that. Sounds like this kid has a good head on his shoulders. Definitely a Romar kind of player.

How does UW sit in his recruitment?

Hikeem recently did an interview for Rivals where he said he had no clear cut leader thus far. He has doubled his official offers following his showing in Las Vegas. He now has offers from Colorado, UCLA, ASU, Oregon St, Santa Clara, UNLV, WSU, and UW. He is going through the motions of his official visits and is already planning on visiting Colorado, UCLA, Oregon St, and UW. Kansas has been hot on his trail lately and could be his fifth visit if they continue the press on Stewart. Kansas, get used to the name. UW will be battling Bill Self on many of our top recruits: Stewart, Jabari Brown, Kyle Wiltjer and Angelo Chol.

However Stewart did go on to say that “UW is in his hometown so that kind of puts them above everybody.” My guess is that he is UW’s to lose.

Who has UW officially offered?

We all know that Romar has four spots open. He may even take 5 with the assumption that IT will take his chances in the 2011 Draft or another transfer at year’s end.  Let’s look how we currently stand.

We have 9 official offers out according to Rivals and Scout:

  • Tony Wroten
  • Jahii Carson
  • Jabari Brown
  • Angelo Chol
  • Kyle Wiltjer
  • Norvel Pelle
  • Kevin Davis
  • Hikeem Stewart
  • Brent Kingma 

 

Montlake Madness’ Best Guess

PF positions will likely hold priority with the loss of MBA this year. Two out of the trio of Chol/Pelle/Davis will likely occupy two schollies if Davis gets academically eligible and either Chol/Pelle chooses UW in the spring. The third will be a PG to replace Venoy Overton. That race is between Jahii Carson/Tony Wroten (most likely Tony Wroten). The fourth and fifth spot will be given to two out of these four:  Jabari Brown, Kyle Wiltjer, Hikeem Stewart, and Brett Kingma. From everything I have read, Jabari is obviously a top priority but have heard he is slightly leaning toward Kansas, but UW still has a good shot. Hikeem sounds like a more likely candidate to land given his proximity to home and his relationship with Romar. I hear that Kyle Wiltjer has been getting recruited more heavily by UW coaches as of late, but will be tough to land given all the bigger name schools that are after him (Texas, Gonzaga, Kentucky, Kansas and almost the entire Pac -10). Brett Kingma is still fielding offers but ultimately sounds like UW’s to lose as well.

If you stuck a gun to my head today, I would say this will be our 2011 incoming class:

  1. Tony Wroten
  2. Hikeem Stewart
  3. Angelo Chol
  4. Kevin Davis
  5. Brett Kingma

 

By no means is this my final answer. All for now.

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Maui Bracket Released

August 5, 2010 in Uncategorized by Themod | 9 comments

Courtesy of UW Athletic Department

UW Fans, it’s time to rejoice. We got our wish. A potential second round match up with UK in the second round looms for the Maui Invitational. Not to get too far ahead of ourselves, as we will have a tough test against Bennett’s Virginia squad in the first round. But if the cards play out the way we want them to, we will have our chance to have our Rivalry game we have hoped for since April.

More to come soon!

Recruiting Profile: Brett Kingma

August 4, 2010 in Uncategorized by Themod | 21 comments

by Griffin Bennett, Staff Writer

Brett Kingma? Really??

I’m not knocking the 6’1” point guard from Jackson High, but I can’t quite seem to understand how he fits into the Huskies long term plans. With four scholarships available (not including Kevin Davis) it’s a bit shocking that we could potentially be giving one up to a guy with only Ryan Appleby’s game (no offense Ryan). Let’s take a deeper look into what Romar might be seeing in this guy.

Name: Brett Kingma

Height: 6’1”

Weight: 160 lbs.

Position: PG

Class: 2011

ESPN Rise Ranking Overall: PG #67

Location: Mill Creek, Washington

AAU Team(s): Friends of Hoop

High School Team: Jackson High School

Interested Schools: Oregon, BYU, Colorado State, Pepperdine, Seattle U, Vanderbilt, Washington

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

Highlight 1

Highlight 2

What’s His Game Like?

The short answer is Ryan Appleby with average defense. The long answer is a bit more complicated. His shot is a thing of beauty. His quick release and ability to shoot of the dribble are incredible and he is one of the best in the nation in that respect. His shot can be streaky at times (both good and bad) and he can shoot his team out of games or back in them. Let me break him down some more:

  • Speed: Above average up and down the court and his ability to pass or shoot on the fast break is what makes you love Brett.
  • Quickness: He has worked hard on improving his first step it has shown. He can beat opponents off the dribble at times, but I don’t see it translating to a positive skill in college.
  • Shot: Superb release with deadly range. This is by far his best skill. He can catch and shoot as well as off the dribble. Streaky at times, but who isn’t?
  • Defense: Better than Appleby, but nothing special. He can pressure the ball at the point but doesn’t share the quickness that most Pac-10 point guards will have.
  • Passing: Averages only four assists in high school, but has good vision and sees the passing lanes well. Projects to the point more the shooting guard for this reason.
  • Athleticism: Below average in this category compared to other prospects, but in now way is he out of shape or slow. He has little explosiveness and won’t be throwing down two handers any time soon.
  • Potential: He’s a four year player that probably won’t be used as anything but a 8-9th man off the bench until his junior or senior year. However, his work ethic and determination are off the charts. He is a major sleeper prospect who could end up being like Luke Ridnour by the end of his career.

Will UW Get Him?

If there is a real “say-yes-and-it’s-your” offer from Romar then the answer is yes. His sister Kristi is a junior of the UW Women’s Basketball team and he wants “to prove that [he] can play at the highest level and that [he] can do more than just shoot and that [he’s] an elite basketball player that can contribute a lot at the Pac-10 level.”

It seems as if UW would be his ideal school to join. Done and done. He should be a Dawg, right? If this is all true then Kingma is about to become the first official member of the 2011 Husky recruiting class. Unless….

It’s been a while since our last crazy Montlake Madness theory which is based on nothing. Why not launch into another one right now?

An Unsubstantiated Montlake Madness’ Theory (UMMT?)

Going into 2011, the Huskies will be looking for at least two big men to replace the losses of MBA and Holiday (Chol, etc). That leaves two of the four scholarships up for grabs. One is definitely being reserved for Tony Wroten who plays PG/SG. That leaves one left which would be the spot that Kingma would take up. It just seems fishy to me that Romar would take a gamble on Kingma while he has the fame/popularity/success to land a higher skilled player. Now it’s theory time. What is the offer to Kingma is a conditional one? In other words, Romar told him the scholarship is his if a certain number of other players turn him down (Brown, Carson, Stewart, etc.). Especially with a guy like Hikeem Stewart (recruiting profile to come soon) being a far better skilled point guard, in my opinion, I don’t know why we would potentially skip over him and sign Kingma. I trust Romar more than I trust anyone, but this one is a HUGE head scratcher. Now it’s possible we sign more than two guards, but with a UW team that already is deep at guard I can’t possibly see that happening. My advice is to keep a close eye on the Kingma situation as it could be an indicator of how well the recruiting of some other guards around the west coast is going.

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Maui Invitational Brackets – Coming Thursday

August 4, 2010 in Uncategorized by Themod | 4 comments

by Craig Yamada

Thursday, 8/5 will mark the future road of the UW Basketball team in Maui.  The brackets will officially be announced on ESPN News between 10:30 AM – 11 AM.

Will Kentucky be destined for a matchup against the Dub? We all know that UW nation wants a match up whether it be first round or in the second. The organizers of the tourney would be silly not to put these newly heated rivals against each other. We all know the history. We all know the players involved. Trash talk has already commenced. Let’s make this happen.

Like the great Drake raps, “All I see is Fireworks.” Maui will be no different.

Don’t get me wrong, there are some other great teams playing such as Michigan State, UConn, Oklahoma and Virginia, but we all know we want Avatar Nation more than ever. The question is, will the great Nature goddess Aiwa be with our Terrence or theirs? 

Want to raise the stakes? Winner gets the rights to Tony Wroten. Just kidding. If Romar was smart, he has already incepted Wroten with the idea that Purple and Gold looks better. He’s already five layers deep in his head I am sure. I don’t think there is anything in the books that deems this as a recruiting violation, do you?

More to come soon. Go Dawgs.

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MBA Joins the Senior GB National Team

August 2, 2010 in Uncategorized by Themod | 5 comments

 

 by Craig Yamada, Editor-In-Chief

It’s official, MBA has officially been upgraded from JV to Varsity for his GB National Team. Head Coach Chris Finch recently announced the final 12 players that would play for their GB Senior Men’s team in the EuroBasket 2011 qualifying games and MBA’s name was among the list names that made the cut. MBA will be playing along notable NBA names such as Luol Deng and former NBA player Pops Mensah-Bonsu. Full story can be found at Gohuskies.com.

GB started the tournament against Hungary with a victory this morning,  91-82. MBA did not play in his first game with the team. Luol Deng led the way with 32 points to no surprise. Expect MBA to see time here and there, but it is looking like he will be a reserve for a change.

Expect this to help MBA gain even more confidence entering this season as he gets more  exposure to NBA caliber players and game speed overseas. We will try and keep you updated as the games occur. GB’s next game is against Macedonia on Sunday. Let’s hope MBA can get some minutes and gain a wealth of experience against  some of Europe’s best.

Congrats to you MBA and we look forward to seeing you serve some tea bags in your native homeland.

Thanks for coming!

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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

frosh5

 

 

 

 

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

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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!

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