game preview

You are currently browsing articles tagged game preview.

Game Preview: UCLA

March 2, 2011 in Uncategorized by Themod | 22 comments

by: Griffin Bennett

I hope everyone has a short memory. The Huskies need to just forget about their disastrous showing against Washington State on Sunday and completely focus on the game in front of them. The Bruins are the hottest team in the Pac-10 as they have won 12 of their last 14 Pac-10 games as well as 8 of their last 9. Their head coach, Ben Howland, finally has his team playing at the high level that he expects and the wins have followed suit. UCLA has more NBA talent on their roster than any other Pac-10 team and some of their late-bloomers are now full fledged stars. This is not the team that the Huskies ran into at Pauley Pavillion on New Year’s Eve. In comparison, the Huskies may have even taken a step back since that day.

While UCLA may have made a few Final Four runs in the last couple years, the Huskies have history on their side. The Bruins haven’t won at Hec-Ed since their 84-82 victory in overtime during the ’03-’04 season 7 years ago. I’m not really sure why the Huskies have been UCLA’s kryptonite but a 6 game home winning streak is quite impressive. Howland’s and Romar’s styles certainly clash as UCLA likes to slow it down and play out of half-court sets and the Huskies thrive on an up-tempo game. I’m not sure how aware the players are of this streak, but I’m sure that most of them remember last year’s game where the Huskies embarrassed the Bruins on an ESPN national broadcast by a score of 97-68. It was the game that began the Huskies hot streak that didn’t end until the Sweet Sixteen, while the Bruins only won two more games and failed to reach the NCAA tournament.

For the Huskies, a victory would make their tournament hopes look a lot brighter and a loss would certainly put them on the bubble. UCLA only needs to win out the rest of their games in order to at least share a part of the Pac-10 title and a loss could put their second place seeding the Pac-10 tournament (and a bye) in jeopardy. The bottom line is that there will be no lack of motivation for either team.

Bruin 101:

The Bruin’s success begins and ends with the forward duo of Tyler Honeycutt and Reeves Nelson. Honeycutt has posted 12.8 ppg, 7.4 rpg, 2.9 apg, while shooting 35% from three and Nelson leads the team in points (14 ppg), and rebounds (9.0 rpg). Nelson is in the Jon Brockman mold while Honeycutt has NBA lottery-type size and skills. UCLA wants to feed the paint as much as they can and they have found that most teams can’t match their size and ferocity.

At guard, Malcolm Lee was supposed to be the next great Pac-10 pro-prospect. While he hasn’t quite met those lofty expectations, he still is a very dangerous player from the perimeter. He averages 13.3 ppg, 2.9 rpg, but has only shot 31% from three. A guy who has stepped up this year has been Lazeric Jones. He has played the point guard position excellently and it has helped the Bruins’ big men with his recent passing. Jones has averaged 9.9 ppg, 3.4 apg, and 1.1 spg. His defense has been his signature and he completely shut down Mo-Mo Jones against Arizona.

Next up would be the biggest freshman in the nation, and local Kentwood High star, Joshua Smith. He has started to get into game shape as this 300 pounder has been a force down low as of late. On the year, he has averaged 10.8 ppg and 6.2 rpg. Joshua Smith has been an amazing 6th man as his combination of size and skill off of the bench is unmatched in the conference. It has allowed Nelson and Honeycutt to take advantage of match ups against smaller opponents.

Rounding out the Bruin’s rotation are Anthony Stover (who has been starting at center), Jerime Anderson, Branden Lane and Tyler Lamb.

Projected Line-ups: Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: ,

Game Preview: WSU

February 26, 2011 in Uncategorized by Themod | 5 comments

by Craig Yamada

Who: UW (19-8, 10-5) vs WSU (17-10, 7-8)

When: Sunday, 7 PM

Where: The Hangar at Hec Ed

TV: FSN

The last image Isaiah Thomas and the Dawgs have of their in-state rivals is a sea of red storming the court after their 80-87 loss in late January. The then ranked #17 Huskies underwhelmed and underperformed in their last game at Pullman. The setting has now shifted back to the comfort of Hec Ed and the Huskies will be seeking retribution on their home floor. UW is coming off a win against Seattle U entering Sunday’s game and have won 4 of their last 5. The Cougs on the other hand have taken a nose dive ever since beating the Huskies. After vowing to “run the table” on the Pac 10, Klay Thompson and his Cougs have dropped 4 of their last 6, including a donut registered in the desert last week.

The Huskies are still mathematically in it for the Pac 10 title, believe it or not. Though it is unlikely, Arizona has to lose two of their final three games for the Huskies to even have a chance. After a loss against USC on Thursday, Zona heads to UCLA today for a huge game that could help put pressure on Zona in the final week should UCLA win today.

However, the Huskies can ill afford to focus on what the rest of the league is doing, and will need to focus on their own game. This shapes up to be a great chance for UW to take back the swag that WSU stole away from them a month ago.

Cougars 101: Ken Bone’s squad has been reeling as of late and have struggled to stay in the NCAA picture. Truth be told, barring a Pac 10 Tourney championship, they have little  to no shot of getting into the dance. They will be plenty motivated to be a thorn in UW’s side on Sunday, just to say they are the “best in the state of Washington”. Wow, that hurt to type. Look for Bone to throw a lot of zone defense at UW on Sunday. Given the fact that they started UW’s three game skid by playing zone on UW, I would expect nothing different in their defensive scheme. On paper, WSU does pose a decent threat to steal a game from the Huskies on Sunday:

  • Klay Thompson = The Pac 10′s leading scorer at 21.2 ppg is priority #1 for the Huskies on Sunday. Klay had his first good game against UW in January as he registered 25 points. UW had little answer for Klay, even though he was in foul trouble most of the game. UW knows well what Klay can do and will look to achieve the “frustrated face” of Klay Thompson on several occasions before games end.
  • DeAngelo Casto = Casto shaved his head. He doesn’t look as intimidating to the naked eye anymore. Though struggling with injury in the past two weeks, Casto has been able to average double figures in his last five games. He remains to be WSU’s best rebounder and top shot blocker. He continues to be a nuisance for opposing teams in the paint and will need to be kept off the boards.
  • Faisel Aiden = Yes that’s right, a guy named Faisel spelled doom for the Huskies in January. A definitely front runner for the Pac-10 Sixth man of the year award (if there was one) has proven to be a spark off the bench for Coach Bone. Aiden is a dynamic scorer who’s jump shot proved to be difficult to guard in Pullman. He is averaging nearly 13 ppg and  UW will need to be aware of his whereabouts when he steps on the floor.
  • Reggie Moore = Reggie’s back in town yet again. The former Rainier Beach graduate will be looking to show his home crowd his talents by repeating his last visit to Hec Ed with another poster worthy jam. Reggie has been averaging double figures over his last three games and was a big reason why UW couldn’t overcome the deficit in Pullman last game. Look for VO to be all over Moore in this game.
  • Marcus Capers = Arguably one of the most athletic guards in the Pac 10, Capers has had little production over his past 6 games, but is always a threat in transition as he can finish as well as anyone in the league.

WSU Likely Starting Lineup:

  • G – Reggie Moore, 6’1″
  • G – Klay Thompson, 6’6″
  • G -Marcus Capers, 6’4″
  • F – Abe Lodwick, 6’7″
  • F – DeAngelo Casto, 6’8″

Huskies Update: Romar made the announcement this week that CJ Wilcox will return for a repeat performance in the starting line up. Given Romar’s success with having a big bodied shooter in the starting rotation, he will likely keep this formula going into the Tourney. Suggs will be sitting out for the third consecutive game and is hopeful to return against the LA schools next week.

 

Huskies Starting Lineup:

PG – Isaiah Thomas

SG – CJ Wilcox

SF – Justin Holiday

PF – MBA

C – Aziz N’Diaye

 

Keys to the Game:

  • Keeping TO’s to a minimum = 24 turnovers was the main reason UW lost last game against WSU. Look for Isaiah Thomas and the rest of the guards to keep TO’s to a bare minimum at home.
  • Rebounding = Same story, different game. UW out rebounded WSU 44-28 in their last meeting. I expect a similar showing on Sunday.
  • Get MBA started early = MBA had a forgettable game in their last match up scoring just six points on 1 for 8 shooting. MBA will be the key to help break down the zone that WSU will likely deploy. Once the inside presence is established, it should open up the UW guards for a barrage of looks from beyond the arc.
  • Keep Klay contained = Easier said than done, but look for Holiday to be back to his normal self defensively on Thompson. Holiday looked a step slower in Pullman in January, but since has started to look healthy again and is playing defense like we know he can.
  • IT going off = Given IT’s performance the last time we saw him at WSU,  I expect IT to regain his swag and go for over 24 points and 10 assists on Sunday. Thomas has not forgotten about the storming of the court in January and will definitely use that for extra motivation on Sunday.

 

Game Prediction = UW comes out on fire, much like we saw them against Cal at home. WSU will keep it close for the first 13 minutes, but UW will soon pull away for an emotional win against their in state rival.

UW 92 – WSU 78

 

Tags: ,

Game Preview: California

February 9, 2011 in Uncategorized by Themod | 12 comments

by: John Chase

After 3 straight road losses, dropping from first to third in the Pac-10, and 18th to 28th in the polls, the Huskies are coming home to Hec Ed to right their ship and get their winning ways back. Cal is coming in with some momentum, losing by 2 to Arizona in triple overtime 107-105. Before the loss they were on a 4 game win streak. Cal is 13-10 on the season, 6-5 in conference.

The Golden Bears are lead in scoring by Harper Kamp at 15.1 points per game. Jorge Guitierrez is second with 13.2 points per game. Two other Cal players are scoring 10+ a game. Allen Crabbe is scoring 12.4 per game. Markhuri Sanders-Frision comes in at 10.8 points per game. All four of these players have increased their scoring averages since the last match up of the two teams. Crabbe increased his points per game by 2, not an easy feat in only 7 games. He has been hot from the field lately and is by far the leading candidate for Freshman of the Year.

  • Cal rebounds pretty well. MSF leads Cal with 7.6 boards per game. Kamp is picking up 5.7 and Crabbe is grabbing 5.7 boards per game.
  • Cal is averaging 15 assists and 14 turnovers per game. Jorge Guitierrez is leading Cal in both categories with 4.5 assists and 2.8 turnovers per outing.
  • Cal runs a 9 to 10 man rotation with 7 players getting 15+ minutes per game and 5 significant point contributors (8+ pts per game)

Frision is an undersized center at 6-7, but he weighs 265lbs. Much like Jon Brockman, Frision is able to get position and use his strength to get the boards. At 7.6 rebounds per game he is a threat MBA and Aziz will have to deal with. His rebounding average has dropped by a little over a half board per game since UW played Cal on the road.

Gutierrez has had to step up his game after Cal lost 4 of their 5 starters and something like 90% of their scoring from last season. He went from 5.5 points to 13.2 by necessity and opportunity. Recently he was switched from point guard to shooting guard as he was unsuccessful at the 1. Brandon Smith has stepped in as the starting point guard. He is much more successful at the 2.

Two players on Cal’s team have made 20 or more 3 pointers this season. Jorge Guitierrez is leading in percentage at 26 of 71. Crabbe has the most makes at 43 of 113 attempts. Gary Franklin would make this list, but transferred to Baylor earlier this season.

Starting Line Ups:

California
G – Brandon Smith – 5-11, 185
G – Jorge Guitierrez – 6-3, 195
F – Allen Crabbe – 6-4, 205
F – Harper Kamp – 6-8, 245
C – Markhuri Sanders-Frision – 6-7, 265

Washington
G – Isaiah Thomas – 5-9, 185
G -Venoy Overton – 6-0, 185
F – Justin Holiday – 6-6, 185
F – Matthew Bryan-Amaning – 6-9, 240
C – Aziz N’Diaye – 7-0, 260

Keys to the Game:

Rebounding: The Huskies have been a much better rebounding team. A lot of this has to do with MBA stepping up his game. Aziz comes and goes a bit, but it starting to edge more towards being a significant rebounder. UW needs to continue this trend in force. It is what kept us in the WSU and UO games despite our poor ball handling and defensive efforts.

Interior Defense: This is why UW has been losing its games more than any other factor. Our interior defense and defense overall has been atrocious. Teams have been having their way with us inside and it needs to change now. We have two strong post players and three of the top defenders in the league in I.T., Holiday, and Overton. Though, admittedly, both Holiday and Venoy have been weaker on defense than they are traditionally known for. For Holiday it is understandable, he is being asked to do more on offense and that means less energy on defense. For Overton, injuries have plagued him this entire season and his mind has not been in the right place for some time. He showed signs of returning to his former glory in the UO game.

Ball Handling: We have to pass well and control the ball. Against WSU we had 24 turnovers, against OSU we had 12, against UO we had 15. We need to stay below 12, preferably around 10. Our assists count needs to be 18 or higher. This starts with Isaiah playing smart basketball, penetrating when it is there and looking elsewhere when it isn’t. I.T. needs help from Holiday, Ross, Suggs, and who ever else plays the wing positions to open the middle and create plays. Our wings don’t move enough to create the shots we should be taking. Quincy Pondexter did a fantastic job of moving on the wings and as such created a lot more shot opportunities for himself and his teammates.

Force the Middle: This falls under the same category as ball handling. Getting the ball into the post is very important. MBA should be taking 15+ shots a game. His accuracy and shot selection has gotten better and he is missing less of the gimme’s. I.T. needs to drive a bit. Overton has the speed and agility to take it to the hoop. This will open up good outside shots that are hopefully open and will go in.

Free Throw Shooting: Normally home games mean more free throws for the home team. This has not been the case for a majority of the UW home games. Regardless of home or away, free throws are very important and need to be hit. They are free. Take ‘um and make ‘um.

Final Thoughts:
It’s time to wake up and step up. Big teams with big players play big in the face of adversity. UA could go 2-3 or 1-4 in their next 5 game. They could also go 5-0, 4-1, or 3-2. They control their own fate atop the Pac. They have a 1.5 game lead on UCLA and a 2 game lead on UW. If we want to get to the top we first have to win and win them all. We beat Cal on the road quite easily. You can bet they want revenge. They are playing well and we have not been. We are at home and have been completely dominate there, but anything is possible. UW will need to bring everything that much is certain.

Final Score Prediction: UW-88 Cal-75
Not sure what to think about this game. We beat them on the road by 21. Our margin of victory at home is nearly 20. We have lost three games in a row by 5, 7, and 12. Anything could happen. I think UW comes out with purpose and drive. With the home crowd behind them, UW should get back to proper basketball play and defensive intensity.

Tags: ,

Game Preview: Oregon

February 4, 2011 in Uncategorized by Themod | 9 comments

by: Griffin Bennett

Who: #19 Washington (15-6, 7-3) @ Oregon (11-11, 4-6)

Where: Matthew Knight Arena

When: Saturday, 4 PM

TV: FSN HD (yawn)

I need answers, and I need them fast. Before I get overly emotionally invested in this team’s run into the post season, I need to know what this team’s ceiling truly can be. Will we lose early in the round of 32, or is deep run still possible? I’m usually one to overreact, but I’m struggling to see a crunch-time scorer on this Husky team. Teams have learned that they can pack the paint with a zone defense and IT and the Huskies think they can shoot their way out of it. The paint is the Huskies friend, but they don’t want to hang out anymore.  The most infuriating thing is that this Oregon game won’t give us the answers that we want. Even if the Huskies win in a blow out, the concerns will still exist. On the other hand, if the Huskies lose I can go outside and walk into oncoming traffic and get it over with.

There is good news in Husky nation, however. According to Seattlecrime.com, the UW basketball player will NOT be charged with sexual assault after an investigation when a 16 year old girl accused him of rape. Hopefully this news will help end “The Distraction” and all of the players can focus more on the game on the court.

Now let’s take a look the game coming up at the new Matt Knight Arena.

Oregon 101:

The Ducks are 2-1 at the new arena since opening it with a win against USC in January. Nike U’s new arena has been the biggest basketball story coming out of Eugene this year. As impressive as their new state-of-the-art arena is, their team has been equally unimpressive. They went through a tough stretch early as they lost 6 in a row, but since then they have somewhat righted the ship and gone 4-2. The Ducks best player on the court has been Joevan Catron. He has posted 15.8 ppg and 6.6 rpg which leads the team in each. He is their biggest (and only) threat that worries me. The next on the list is E.J. Singler who sports a nice 11 ppg and 5.8 rpg which both rank second on the team. After those two, the rest are just good role players. Jay-R Strowbridge, Garrett Sim, and Malcolm Armstead are the ones that you will need to know about. All three of those are decent three-point shooters who can stretch the court.

Oregon has been so bad lately, that after their win Thursday against the unranked Cougars, the ESPN recap had this gem: “… Oregon recorded its most convincing win in Pac-10 Conference play in five years with a 69-43 victory against Washington State on Thursday night.” Isn’t that sweet? I almost feel bad for them.

The Ducks mess with their starting line-up a lot, so I wouldn’t be surprised by and sort of changes. They have a bench that goes 9 deep with all 9 playing over 15 minutes. Role players who start but play less minutes often find their way into Dana Altman’s starting line-up. Tyrone Nared and Jonathan Lloyd seem to be the usual suspects.

Projected Starting Line-up:

G – Garrett Sim – 6’1″

G – Jay-R Strowbridge – 5’10″

F – Tyrone Nared – 6’8″

F – E.J. Singler – 6’6″

F/C – Joevan Catron – 6’6″

Keys to Victory:

  • Rebounding/Turnovers – Same old story, but both have been piss-poor during the last two games.
  • Points in the Paint – Feed MBA the ball early and often. While his finishing has regressed a bit lately, the Huskies best chance is to get him the ball or penetrate and draw fouls. Catron can be a force down low as he showed earlier in the season at Hec-Ed.
  • Defense – Just all of it in general. The off ball and the on ball defense has been terrible lately and I can’t explain it. The Huskies need to get their groove back and rediscover what made them so difficult to beat. I just want to see something positive.
  • Re-birth of the “Big Three” – IT, MBA, and Holiday need to reestablish their dominance and get back to what was working earlier in the season. Their combo of point/wing/post scoring was unstoppable and if they show up, they will run the Ducks off of their ugly new court.

Prediction:

I’m getting wary of continuing to pick the Huskies to win, but Oregon is just terrible. Still, they’re feeling confident and the Huskies are not. This will be the first sell-out at the new Matt Knight arena, and I am legitimately scared of losing to our rival and ending our title hopes. Still, I can’t see the Dawgs dropping both of these and this will be the first step back to the top. Huskies win 78-70.

Tags: ,

Game Preview: Arizona

January 20, 2011 in Uncategorized by Themod | 7 comments

Who: #25 Arizona (15-3, 4-1) vs. #20 UW (13-4, 5-1)

When: Thursday @ 7:30

Where: Hec Ed

TV: FSN

by: Griffin Bennett

The day has come. The showdown is tonight between two ranked Pac-10 teams for the first time in two years. The trash talk is being dished on twitter and the entire West Coast will be watching. I can’t remember a more hyped January Pac-10 game than this one. The game has everything that you want: two top teams, two top players, league title battle, two rabid fan bases, electric atmosphere, and two fast offenses. Let’s hope that the game matches the hype and becomes an instant classic.

Arizona 101:

Derrick Williams is good. Really good. He is the only Wildcat that averages double-digit points (19.7) while also leading his team in rebounds (7.3), blocks (.8), and steals (1.1). The 6’9″ power forward does everything really well, including shooting free throws (77%) and even three’s (17-24). The biggest myth is that you need to shut down Williams in order to beat Arizona. In their three loses this year, Williams is averaging 18.7 points and 5.3 rebounds. If anything, the true key is to box out Williams and make sure he doesn’t get any offensive rebounds. Derrick is too good of a player to be able to shut him down offensively. He is going to get his points no matter how you defend him, so the Huskies strategy should be to crash the boards and limit their possessions while making sure another scorer doesn’t light up the board.

Much like the Huskies, the Wildcats have extreme depth. They have 10 players that average 10+ minutes per game, and seven players that average 5+ points per game. With all of the attention being on Williams, Solomon Hill has risen be the second leading scorer (8.5) and rebounder (4.7). Williams’ double teams have opened up the paint for the sophomore, Hill.

Next, you have to focus on the guards. Kyle Fogg (7.8 ppg, 2.6 apg) and Lamont Jones (7.7 ppg, 2.4 apg) are just average players. They have terrible assist/turnover ratios and are horrendous from the three-point range as they are shooting 30%. The Husky guards should have no problem guarding them and if Venoy can get the calls, he could destroy.

Like I said, the Wildcats are deep. The best of the rest include Jamelle Horne, Kevin Parrom, Jordin Mayes, Brendon Lavender, Jesse Perry, and Kyryl Natyazhko. Horne, Mayes, Parrom, and Lavender are their three-point shooters, but Jamelle Horne is their sniper. He is the player that can get the hottest and shouldn’t ever be given an open look. Natyazhko is a 6’11″ forward that can clog the lane and can be an effective defender at times.

Starting Line-up:

PG: Lamont Jones – 6’0″

SG: Kyle Fogg – 6’3″

SF: Jesse Perry – 6’7″

PF: Solomon Hill – 6’6″

C: Derrick Williams – 6’8″

Keys to Victory:

  • Rebounding – More-so then ever, the Dawgs have to limit Williams on the boards and win this battle. I will almost guarantee a victory if they win the battle down low.
  • Three-Pointers – Both shooting and defending. The Dawgs have to limit open looks from the Wildcats, while making their own. They can’t have an off night if they hope to win.
  • Points off Turnovers – The Huskies defense needs to create turnovers and turn them into fast break points. The Wildcats will want to run more offensive sets, and the Huskies high-speed offense comes from their defense. They need to have 20+ points off of turnovers to lock-up a victory.
  • Ross, Wilcox, and Suggs – The Dawgs need 2 of the 3 to have good nights. Both from three-range and passing or defense, they need to show up and deliver on the big stage. I have a gut feeling that Ross will rise to the occasion.

Prediction:

I predicted wins over Kentucky, Michigan State, and Texas A+M but this game has me thinking twice. Can Isaiah replicate his recent success? Can MBA actually limit Williams? Will everything click on the same night? Even if some of those are no’s, the Huskies are still the better team. The key player in this game is Justin Holiday. He is better than any wing that Arizona has on the roster and is a difference maker on both side of the ball. Holiday for the win. Huskies win, 84-80. Bow Down.

Tags: ,

Game Preview: Long Beach State

November 30, 2010 in Uncategorized by Themod | 1 comment

Who: #23 UW (3-2) vs. Long Beach State (3-3)

Where: Hec Edmundson Pavilion

When: 8pm PST

Coverage: FSN Northwest


By: Griffin Bennett

With the holiday weekend behind us, it’s time for the Huskies to move on from the disappointing outing in Maui. The rest of the non-conference remains, starting with the Long Beach State 49ers. The Huskies can’t afford to lose in upset fashion, so the team will need to be mentally ready to play Tuesday night. The 49ers aren’t anywhere near a top 25 team, but they also aren’t a team that the Huskies could just blindly walk all over. Hopefully, Romar will have this team hungry to destroy the rest of the teams and get to Pac-10 play without anymore blemishes.

49ers 101:

If balance is your thing, then the 49ers are your team. While no one on their bench plays more than 16 minutes, their starting 5 all score in double digits while all playing 30+ minutes. Their best player on the court is T.J. Robinson who is their leading scorer (13.3 ppg) and leading rebounder (10.5 rpg). Robinson, at 6’8” and 215 pounds, is their best big body and is a good force down low. Also in the paint is 6’6” forward Eugene Phelps who averages 10.8 ppg and 5.7 ppg.

On the wing, you have 6’6” Larry Anderson who doesn’t have much of a shooting touch as he’s only made 6/18 threes. Anderson is more of a board-crasher who averages 12.8 ppg and 5.7 rpg. The remaining guards are the 5’10” point, Casper Ware, and 6’1” senior shooting guard, Greg Plater. They average 13.2 ppg 5.0 apg and 11 ppg 2 apg respectively.

Their only bench player who plays significant minutes is Tristan Wilson. He doesn’t do much on the stat line while explains the minutes for the starters. Another reserve, Edis Dervisevic, has been injured and probably won’t play on Tuesday.

PG: Casper Ware – 5’10”

SG: Greg Plater – 6’1”

SF: Larry Anderson – 6’6”

PF: Eugene Phelps – 6’6”

C: T.J. Robinson – 6’8”

Huskies win if:

  • They aren’t still thinking about Maui. They have to look forward and not think about “what if”.
  • They get out in the open court and tire out the 49ers starting line. Without a bench to speak of, the Huskies should have a field day out there.
  • They limit the offensive rebounds and win the battle of the boards by 10+. While they might win with less, it won’t be pretty.
  • They show up playing an average game. Nothing fancy will be needed from the Dawgs on Tuesday night. If everyone plays the way they’re expected to, then a victory should be easy.

Huskies lose if:

  • They’re sloppy and aren’t focused. Too much turkey leftovers all weekend could do the trick. I know Romar will have these guys whipped into shape, but in case they aren’t they could be caught off guard.
  • The 3-ball goes ice cold. If the Huskies have another 3-16 day, the score could get close and anything could happen.
  • Aziz and MBA get in early foul trouble and UW loses their post presence for the majority of the game.

Bottom line, this game shouldn’t be too difficult. I fully expect the Huskies to want to get the bad taste of Maui out of their mouth and replace it with the taste of blowout victory. I’m sure players who had less-than-impressive Maui’s (like IT, MBA, Venoy) will want to start anew. With Scott Suggs out with a strained MCL and Venoy is still bothered by a sore tailbone. I will be watching to see how the Wilcox/Ross rotation works out with Suggs now sidelined.

I fully expect the Husky scoring parade to pick up where it left off. UW wins 98-61.

Tags: ,

Game Preview: Huskies vs. West Virginia (NCAA Tournament – Sweet 16)

March 24, 2010 in Uncategorized by Themod | 19 comments

UW WVU preview copyIs it Thursday yet?. . . Not quite, but we’re getting there. And we’re close enough now for a game preview. Staff writer Tim Keeney takes a look at the Huskies’ Sweet 16 opponent, West Virginia.

by Tim Keeney – Staff Writer

“There’s a, um, tradition in tournament play – not talk about the next step until you’ve climbed the one in front of you. I’m sure going to the state finals (regional final, same thing) is beyond your wildest dreams, so let’s just keep it right there.”

–Norman Dale, in “Hoosiers”

Truer words have never been spoken, and while Washington plays its best basketball of the year, they have to continue to take it one game at a time. The Huskies now travel to Syracuse and have their sights set on the less-fun “Huggy Bear” and the Big East Tournament Champion Mountaineers from West Virginia. Let’s break ‘em down:

Starters:

Darryl Bryant (6-2, 200 lbs., SO): He’s nicknamed “Truck” and like Chevy, he’s like a rock. Kind of. Except I had a nice little write-up about him, and then BAM, Truck runs over a nail in practice on Tuesday and suffers a flat tire. He actually broke his foot and is out for the rest of the year. Joe Mazzulla will take over the starting duties.

Da’Sean Butler (6’7, 230 lbs., SR): Quick bet. How many total times will the CBS announcers use the phrase, “It was the Butler with the three in the gymnasium!”? Over or under: 8.5? The Huskies better hope it’s the under, as Butler is West Virginia’s heart and soul, and he can light it up from anywhere.

This is probably a matchup best suited for Justin Holiday. I wouldn’t even mind seeing Overton on him as it would be a similar matchup to Cal’s Patrick Christopher. Our best defender is our best defender, regardless of height. V.O. might need some help, though, if Butler decided to back him down in the post, but that’s not really Da’Sean’s game.

Wellington Smith (6-7, 245 lbs., SR): He’s a heavier version of Justin Holiday. He plays very good defense and can be very physical down low. He’s not a scoring threat but can knock down the open shot if you give it to him. He’ll probably match up with Quincy.

Kevin Jones (6-8, 250 lbs., SO): Another physical player who can bang down low, Jones gets a lot of his production off of the offensive glass. 50 percent of his 7.2 rebounds per game are offensive, which means a bunch of second chance opportunities for the Mountaineers. He doesn’t do it much, but he can also step out and knock down the three.

Devin Ebanks (6-9, 215 lbs., SO): Another big-time low post presence, he rebounds (8.3 rpg) and plays defense very well. He usually scores in double figures (12 ppg) and is an underrated passer out of the post (2.5 apg). He’s athletic, too.

Bench:

Joe Mazzulla (6-2, 200 lbs., JR): As their backup point guard, he was starting to get more minutes than Bryant lately. He’s an energetic spark and a hard-nosed kid who takes good care of the ball and can run the offense while minimizing mistakes. Mazzulla isn’t a scoring threat by any means, though. The Bryant injury doesn’t necessarily hurt the Mountaineers’ production at point guard as he was probably their most inconsistent starter anyway, but it will obviously hurt their backcourt depth — one more reason the Huskies will attempt to quicken the pace.

John Flowers (6-7, 215 lbs., JR): A good solid player who pays attention to fundamentals and plays good defense. He’s only committed 24 turnovers the entire year while logging about 14 minutes per game. He’s someone that can give a starter some rest and give his coaches some quality minutes.

Cam Thoroughman (6-7, 240 lb., JR): Wont play that much, but can grab a few rebounds off the bench. He’s thorough, man.

WVU’s strengths:

Physicality: The whole starting lineup is from either New Jersey or New York, and they play like it. They are all really strong and love to bang. The Mountaineers won’t back down to anyone, especially the Huskies. They pretty much exemplify the Big East and the way the refs call this game may be a big factor in how it plays out.

Offensive Rebounding: This stems from their physicality. They crash the boards hard, and their athleticism and length has helped them to 15.5 offensive rebounds per game, which is good enough for 2nd in the nation.

Defense: They employ a tough man-to-man defense and really get in your face. Every once in a while they will drop to a 1-3-1 zone which can confuse opponents. They are 50th in the nation and second in the Big East in defensive PPG at 63.3. On top of that, they only gave up more than 80 points three times this season, and two of those came in overtime.

WVU’s weaknesses:

Shot Selection: They can be forced into taking bad shots and go cold on offense at times. They rank 182nd in the country in field goal percentage. That, of course, can sometimes be negated by their terrific offensive rebounding, but they can definitely be tempted into taking unnecessary shots. The Mountaineers also shoot the third-most three-pointers in their conference, but only make about 35 percent.

Youth: They run three sophomores in their starting lineup, and the inconsistency of their younger players, especially at point guard, has been a concern of theirs this season.

Huskies’ Keys to Victory:

Box Out: 3 words. Locate, rotate, motate. The Mountaineers will throw up their share of misses, but they attack the glass, and if we can box them out and limit their second-chance opportunities, it will be huge. Oh, to have Jon Brockman again.

Fast Break: If the Huskies rebound on the defensive end, they could catch the Mountaineers stuck in the key and get out on the break. West Virginia lost two of the three games in which they gave up more than 80 points. We can’t force it though. Missouri tried to force the fast break at times on Sunday and the Mountaineers made them pay, forcing plenty of turnovers. West Virginia’s tempo is very similar to Marquette’s and we were able to play our game against them, so the Huskies will look to do it again.

Rotation: West Virginia can throw out a lineup where all five players are 6-7 or above. They are extremely good at creating mismatches and Romar needs to be prepared for anything. We’ve got the length to matchup, though. Players such as Gant, Holiday, and even Turner, who can guard quicker and taller opponents, will be important.

Prediction:

I think the Huskies will get up and down successfully and shoot it well out of the half-court when they need to. This is the year Coach Romar breaks through to the Elite 8. 76-70 Huskies.

Tags: , ,

Game Preview: UW at Cal (game #24)

February 10, 2010 in Uncategorized by Themod | 10 comments

UW Cal preview copyWho: Washington Huskies (6-5, 16-7 overall) at Cal Bears (7-4, 15-8 overall)

When: Thursday, 6:00 PM

Where: Haas Pavilion

How to Watch: ESPN2

Huskies 101: UW has won four straight, and six of its last eight games. The margin of victory for the Huskies during that stretch is over 25 points.

This is game #4 of the Huskies’ “Ten and Your In” portion of the season. The task is no easy feat, but it’s nearly impossible to argue that the Huskies wouldn’t earn an NCAA bid — conference champs or not — if they can win the final ten games on their Pac-10 schedule. So far, so good.

The Huskies have not won outside of Hec Ed all season. A pair of wins in the Bay Area would likely change the Huskies’ perception in the national media from “out of the tournament” to “on the bubble.”

Since Cal is in first place at 7-4, and the Huskies are one of five teams in second at 6-5, this game gives the Dawgs the opportunity to earn a share of the conference lead.

Quincy Pondexter has played out of his mind during this four-game winning streak, averaging 25.8 points, 10.5 rebounds, 2 assists, and shooting 61% from the field.

Projected lineup: G – Abdul Gaddy, G – Isaiah Thomas, F – Justin Holiday, F – Quincy Pondexter, F – Tyreese Breshers

Last time out: The Huskies dominated Cal at Hec Ed, 84-69. Quincy Pondexter has 25, and Isaiah scored 20. Matthew Bryan-Amaning had a quietly efficient game with 10 points, seven rebounds, and a not-so-quiet blocked shot that wound up on Sportscenter.

UW held a 19-point halftime lead and cruised the rest of the way on a day when Cal’s “big three” of Jerome Randle, Theo Robertson, and Patrick Christopher, were simply a “big one.” Christopher scored 28, but no other Bear made an impact on the game

Bears 101: Cal has lost two of their last three, all on the road, and try to keep their hold on first place in the conference.

Jerome Randle (19.1 ppg, 4.7 apg) leads the way for the Bears, who also get double-figure scoring from Patrick Christopher (16.3 ppg, 5.7 rpg), Theo Robertson (14.2 ppg, 45.5% 3-pt. FG), and Jamal Boykin (11 ppg, 6.2 rpg).

Last time the teams played, guard Jorge Gutierrez, one of the Pac-10′s best defenders, was out. This time, the Dawgs will not be so lucky.

Projected lineup: G – Jerome Randle, G – Jorge Gutierrez, G – Patrick Christopher, F – Theo Robertson, F – Jamal Boykin

The Huskies will win if: The Dawgs will win the game if they can somehow, some way, conjur up the level of energy on the defensive end that they have in spades at home, but never on the road. It’s clear that this is a team driven by turnovers and running off of missed shots. Can they make it happen in Berkeley?

The Dawgs will win if they can get some outside shooting (paging Scott Suggs) and open the game up for Quincy Pondexter to work inside and Isaiah Thomas to penetrate.

The Huskies will lose if: They forget to try to get their big men going. Cal is now starting four players 6’6″ and under and a wily-but-not-tough center, Boykin. MBA was effective last time, and he and Tyreese Breshers should not be left out of the offensive gameplanning.

The Huskies will lose if Cal plays its best game. I hate to say it, but I think we’re at a point with this Husky team that we’ve gotta hope for a little bit of luck. I’ve seen nothing to say we can beat a good team on its home floor unless it has an off night. It’s noble to hope for the Huskies to beat Cal at their best, but I’ll settle for just escaping with a win.

A humble suggestion: Abdul Gaddy has had an up-and-down freshman season, and it’s clear now that he’s going to be a sophomore before we see more progress out of the talented point guard. I’m cool with Gaddy starting, but once Venoy checks in, let’s have Overton and Isaiah handle the point guard duties, leaving more minutes for shooting (Scott Suggs, Elston Turner) or defense (Justin Holiday, Darnell Gant). Personally, I don’t need to see Gaddy late in games anymore during this critical stretch of the season.

Prediction: I want so badly to pick the Huskies that I’m afraid my heart (and my fingers) won’t let me type what I really believe is going to happen.

The way we played against Cal at Hec Ed, we could’ve beaten anyone in the country. But, we haven’t seen those Huskies out on the road all year. The Dawgs will come out pumped, but they’ll be playing a good Cal team that’s only lost once at home all year.

Cal wins a heartbreaker, 83-80. The Huskies pull off the upset and win, 79-73. (See, I couldn’t do it!)

Thanks for coming!

Tags: ,

Game Preview: UW vs. Arizona (game #22)

February 2, 2010 in Uncategorized by Themod | 4 comments

UW Arizona preview copyWho: Washington Huskies (4-5, 14-7 overall) vs. Arizona Wildcats (6-3, 12-9 overall)

When: Thursday, 7:30 PM

Where: Hec Edmundson Pavilion

Huskies 101: UW won both of its games last week at home, against Seattle U. (123-76) and Washington State (92-64).

This is game #2 of the Huskies’ “Ten and Your In” portion of the season. The task is no easy feat, but it’s nearly impossible to argue that the Huskies wouldn’t earn an NCAA bid — conference champs or not — if they can win the final ten games on their schedule. So far, so good.

Quincy Pondexter has scored 23 or more points in five of his last six games, and averages 20.1 ppg, 8.1 rpg, and shoots 43.2% on 3-pt. FG.

Projected lineup: G – Abdul Gaddy, G – Isaiah Thomas, F – Justin Holiday, F – Quincy Pondexter, F – Tyreese Breshers

Last time out: The Wildcats destroyed the Huskies, 87-70, at the McKale Center.

The Wildcats shot 50% from the field, 8-17 from deep, and had six players in double figures. The Dawgs had no answer for Jamelle Horne (22 points, six rebounds, two steals).

Quincy Pondexter had one of his worst games (7 points, only five FGAs); Elston Turner had one of his best (12 points, 3-6 on 3-pt. FG)

Wildcats 101: Winners of their last four games, Arizona is the hottest team in the Pac-10. The Wildcats are fresh off a character-building home win over Cal (76-72) on Sunday.

Nic Wise (16 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 3.8 apg) is the team’s senior leader, but freshman Derrick Williams (15.9 ppg, 7.3 rpg, 57.4 FG%) is making a strong case that he’s the team’s best player.

Projected lineup: G – Nic Wise, G – Kevin Parrom, G – Kyle Fogg, F – Jamelle Horne, F – Derrick Williams

The Huskies will win if: The Huskies will win if they play the way they have at home, where they’ve looked like a team that could beat (nearly) anyone in the country.

The Dawgs will win if Quincy and our bigs can contain the potent Wildcat frontcourt of Horne and Williams. The two combined for 34 points last time the teams played, compared to 15 total for Pondexter, Tyreese Breshers, Matthew Bryan-Amaning, and Darnell Gant, combined.

The Huskies will lose if: The Huskies will lose if they don’t focus on defense. The Dawgs only turned it over nine times, and shot a (semi-) respectable 44.2% last time. We just had no answer for Arizona on the defensive end.

The Dawgs will lose if theydon’t get something going from the outside. UW shot 5-17 from 3-pt. range the last time the teams met, and must do better this time around.

A humble suggestion: It’s not his favorite move — and maybe we’re so good at home we don’t need to — but what about double-teaming the post in a more “official” sense, as opposed to the flawed help defense the Huskies regularly run. I’d like to see our guys in the post get some more help possession-to-possession and try to keep Arizona taking lower-percentage outside shots. It’s unlikely they’ll find the hot streak from outside they did against us in Tucson.

Prediction: If we can win this, we’ll be in a good place going into Saturday’s game vs. ASU, with a chance to sweep our four-game homestand. I believe this is our toughest home game remaining (USC included) and truly could go either way. . .

But, I’m picking the Huskies in a high-scoring affair. The Oregon fluke aside, how can you pick against these guys at Hec Ed? 90-86, Dawgs.

Tags: ,

Game Preview: “Apple Cup of Hoops” (game #21)

January 29, 2010 in Uncategorized by Themod | No comments

Cougs preview copyWho: Washington Huskies (3-5, 13-7 overall) vs. Washington State Cougars (4-4, 14-6 overall)

When: Saturday, 12:30 PM

Where: Hec Edmundson Pavilion

Huskies 101: UW is calling it “The Apple Cup of Hoops.”

I’m calling it the first game of the Huskies’ “Ten and Your In” portion of the season. The task is no easy feat, but it’s nearly impossible to argue that the Huskies wouldn’t earn an NCAA bid — conference champs or not — if they can win the final ten games on their schedule.

The Huskies are fresh off dominating Seattle U. (123-76), after tough losses in Souther California to UCLA (62-61) and USC (87-61)

As we’ve said before, there’s very little the Huskies can do to prove to themselves, or anyone watching, that they can win on the road until they do. So, truly, I’m just excited for this homestand to be finished — assuming the team can win the next three.

Projected lineup: G – Abdul Gaddy, G – Isaiah Thomas, F – Justin Holiday, F – Quincy Pondexter, F – Tyreese Breshers

Wazzu 101: Washington State, in its first year under Ken Bone has been better than expected. The team comes in after splitting last weekend in Southern Cal — defeating USC, but losing to UCLA.

Guard Klay Thompson is tied for ninth in the country in scoring (22.3 ppg) and is second on the team in rebounds (5.0) and assists (2.5). Point guard Reggie Moore (14.4 ppg, 4.6 apg) is one of the best freshman in the Pac-10.

Forward DeAngelo Casto (10 ppg, 7.4 rpg, 2.1 bpg) is one of my favorite non-Huskies. He’s, essentially, what Husky fans want Matthew Bryan-Amaning to be: a decent, but not great, scorer who finds ways to impact the game even when he’s not in an offensive rhythm.

Projected lineup: G – Reggie Moore, G – Klay Thompson, G – Abe Lodwick, G – Marcus Capers, F – DeAngelo Casto

The Huskies will win if: Hec Edmundson Pavilion does not suddenly disappear overnight, forcing the game to be played elsewhere.

The Dawgs will win if Justin Holiday keeps a hand in Klay Thompson’s face all night. It’s silly to think Thompson won’t get his points, but keeping him in the teens, as opposed to the high 20′s, could be a difference maker.

The Dawgs will win if they pressure the rookie point guard and contain him. Moore has had three 5+ turnover games and they’ve all been on the road. And, since Thompson might go off no matter what the Huskies do, and DeAngelo Casto is, at his best, twice as good as any Husky big man, Moore is the one the Dawgs must shut down.

The Huskies will lose if: The Huskies will lose if Tuesday’s game, which felt more like an exhibition, gave them any kind of sense that they were out of the woods. This is a team that needs to play with a chip on its shoulder, and play as the underdog. Let’s hope nobody on the team looks at the (way too large) eight-point spread on the game.

The Dawgs will lose if they only don’t find something new on offense. This is really a note about every game after this one, but they’ve got to get someone going as that third option. The second time around the lineup in baseball, a pitcher needs something new to fool hitters. And the second time around the Pac-10 schedule, the Dawgs need something new too. Paging Mr. Elston Turner.

A humble suggestion: Give the three-guard lineup (IT, Gaddy and Venoy on the floor all at once) a try again at some point tomorrow. Not to start, of course, but as a change of pace. It didn’t look good early in the season when we tried it, but we’re not doing much inside anyway. Put those guys on the court with Holiday and Quincy, allowing Quincy to guard Casto, and see what happens. Just a thought. (Could be a bad thought, admittedly.)

Predictions: I have as much faith as I had in the Huskies coming into the season at home. The second half against Oregon was a fluke — this is a top-25 team at home. I predict another strong performance, devoid of “cool jackets” and all of the other ugliness we’ve seen at times.

Another win. Another game closer to showing they can do it on the road. Huskies, 86-79.

Tags: ,

« Older entries § Newer entries »

Array