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Husky Hoops: Week in Review (10/19 – 10/25)

October 25, 2009 in Uncategorized by Themod | 2 comments

Few sasquatch copyNow that the college basketball preseason is getting into full swing, we’re going to start summing up the past week in Husky basketball each Sunday*. And what better week to start than with such an eventful one? Here were the major stories in Husky Hoops from October 19th through October 25th.

Big Foot not pregnant with coach’s baby: In a little bit of Northwest basketball drama, Washington proposed a series of games to Gonzaga, all taking place at Key Arena, and alerted the media. Gonzaga fired back, saying “not so fast,” first through its athletic director, then with some tough talk from coach Mark Few, who seems to have given more thought to the idea of sasquatch/human copulation than may be healthy.

Dawgfluenza: More than half of the Husky roster came down with the flu, starting with Darnell Gant shortly after the team’s Midnight Madness event on October 16th. While it’s likely the afflicted players put in an impressive amount of virtual court time on NBA 2K10, the illnesses preventing the team from starting their real practice regimen until late in the week. Here’s our post on the outbreak, and here’s the wire story from the AP (national coverage!) picked up by ESPN.

LoRo wants you!: The flu bug seemed to trigger Coach to reconsider his reluctance to add a walk-on or two to this year’s squad, likely to warm the bench during games, but push players in practice (and, ensure enough healthy bodies to run a full-court scrimmage). Eight players showed up to Thursday’s walk-on tryouts, and Coach planned to call any lucky winners on Friday. No word in this recap from The Times as to whether one of the contestants was UW tight end, Kavario Middleton.

Sports Illustrated <Hearts> the Huskies!: CNNSI picked the Husky backcourt as the sixth best in the nation, but left out Scott Suggs when they listed the Dawg’s guards. Montlake Madness is channeling Shaq and suggesting the nickname “The Big Oversight” for Suggs this season. We also sincerely hope Scott makes Luke Winn feel stupid by season’s end. (Cal was picked fifth.)

Sports Illustrated <Hearts> the Huskies!, part II: CNNSI also picked Isaiah Thomas as the ninth most exciting player in the country, ranked ahead of Michigan State’s Kalin Lucas and NCAA Tournament opponent, Jarvis Varnado, but behind Willie Warren, and number-one pick, Greivis Vasquez of Maryland.

In case you missed it: We caught up with Husky legend Jon Brockman to talk about his NBA experience so far. . . We spoke to Abdul Gaddy. . . And, check out Doug Haller’s blog. He covers Arizona State for The Arizona Republic, but often does a good rundown of what’s going on around the Pac-10. . . And, here’s another great college hoops blog as well, called March Madness All Season.

Thanks so much for coming!

*We may move these to Mondays once the season gets going, so they can cover the weekend’s games as well.


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Brief Interview with Husky Guard, Scott Suggs

October 18, 2009 in Uncategorized by Themod | 1 comment

scott suggs warmups copyI was lucky enough to catch up with Scott Suggs at UW’s Media Day recently. In the time since I first interviewed Suggs, he’s mentioned to Percy Allen that he considered transferring, and some have conjectured (as we have) that it’s going to be very tough for Scott to crack Lorenzo Romar’s nine- or ten-man rotation this season with so much Husky depth on the perimeter.

Here’s our brief discussion:

Montlake Madness: So, how much pressure do you feel to jump right in and break into that rotation and prove to yourself, prove to the coaches, teammates and fans early on that you’re going to be in the plan? That you’re going to play minutes for this team?

Scott Suggs: You know, I’d say it’s a big thing that obviously I had to work at from last year, and it’s just something that I worked real hard on all summer. I still continue to go into practice playing aggressively, doing what I know I can do and showing them what I can do to help this team out, and just making the coaches notice me really.

Montlake Madness: Where do you fit in to be most successful? Do you see yourself out there with two smaller guys? Or, one smaller guy? What’s the spot where you feel like you can really succeed?

Scott Suggs: It’s hard to say, really, ’cause… I guess we’ve got… everybody on this team can make plays. But, just anywhere where I can really just get the rock and just try to get to the lane and create plays. So, whatever kind of lineup that’s suited to that is really up to Coach Romar.

Thanks for coming!

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Video Fun From Midnight Madness: Slam Dunk Contest and Pre-Event Warmup

October 17, 2009 in Uncategorized by Themod | 12 comments

Quincy Dunking at MMadness copy If you haven’t read it yet, here’s the post with my impressions of yesterday’s Midnight Madness event — focusing mostly on the 10-minute team scrimmage.

Wanted to share some video I took before and during the event. I had a great time, and wanted to give anyone who wasn’t there a little taste of what went down, and give even those of you who were there a little look behind-the-scenes.

Here are a few videos (mostly dunks) of the team warming up while they waited for the UW/UCLA volleyball game to end:

Watch the background of this video for a nice slam by Abdul Gaddy.

A series of dunks and dunk attempts.

A little shooting contest between Matthew Bryan-Amaning and Scott Suggs.

More pre-event warmups.

A couple of nice dunks by MBA.

And, here’s a windmill dunk by Tyreese Breshers, who didn’t participate in the Slam Dunk contest.

Slam Dunk Contest:

Here’s one long clip from the Dunk Contest.

Thanks for coming!

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PurpleDawgs Crush GoldDawgs at UW Basketball’s Midnight Madness Event

October 17, 2009 in Uncategorized by Themod | 5 comments

MMadness on ESPNIn the fan’s first look at this season’s UW Husky Basketball Team, the PurpleDawgs defeated the GoldDawgs, 35-20, at Bank of America Arena on Friday night.

The Basics:

The PurpleDawgs team consisted of Abdul Gaddy, Quincy Pondexter, Darnell Gant, Tyreese Breshers, Elston Turner, and C.J. Wilcox.

The GoldDawgs Team consisted of Scott Suggs, Venoy Overton, Isaiah Thomas, Matthew Bryan-Amaning, and Clarence Trent.

Hec Ed was crowded, but not full. Our women’s volleyball team is very, very talented. Anytime you have the opportunity to see the 3rd-ranked team in any sport, it’s worth the time.

The scrimmage was only 10 minutes long, played with a running clock that only stopped for free throws.

Here’s an (unofficial) box score I put together based on my notes, and consulting a couple of other stories, all which seem to disagree on the scoring:

MMadness Boxscore copy

Impressions and Extras:

Poised Purple and Go-go-Gold: Not sure how the teams were chosen, but there was a clear contrast in styles between the PurpleDawgs poised, structured attack, and the run-and-gun effort by the GoldDawgs. The more controlled team won, but the lopsided-ness was due mostly to the best guy on the court playing for the PurpleDawgs.

Elston Turner: Sure, it was only a scrimmage, but Elston Turner looks good. Real good. Turner, Gaddy and Pondexter kept the ball moving at midseason form, finding the open man and taking advantage of Elston’s hot shooting (he went either 5-6 or 5-7 from the field, with three three-pointers). Based on the small hints Coach Romar gave during his Media Day press conference, I have to believe Elston Turner may contend for a starting role on this team (likely with two smaller guards, Quincy Pondexter, and one traditional big man).

The Venoy/Gaddy Matchup: This was the marquee one-on-one battle of the evening, and, if only for the final score, the slight edge goes to Abdul Gaddy tonight. Venoy had one nice steal which started a fast break, ending with a redonkulous dunk by Clarence Trent. Otherwise, though, Abdul controlled the tempo and was able to run the offense despite Venoy’s pesky D.

Gaddy had one jaw-dropping, thread-the-needle pass out of traffic from right under the basket to a wide-open Quincy Pondexter.

Clarence Trent: Trent is very active, but doesn’t look as big as I’d expected. Maybe it’s seeing him next to Breshers, Gant and MBA that’s throwing me off. Time will tell, but his frame, and his game, are reading more to me like a small forward’s than a big man’s.

Scott Suggs: I’m hoping we’ll get early evidence that Scott Suggs is going to be more aggressive and take control of whatever minutes he’s given on the court. It didn’t happen tonight, but hopefully tomorrow when real practices begin, a terrific sophomore year will start to take shape for Suggs.

Justin Holiday: Justin didn’t compete in the scrimmage, the dunk contest, or the three-point shootout, as he’s still recovering from hernia surgery. However, I did see him warming up in the gym before the event, and he’s moving pretty well.

Overheard after Tyreese Breshers missed two free throws: “Maybe he’s taking those Jon Brockman comparisons too far.”

The Dunk Contest: Isaiah took the slam dunk event, despite some tough competition from MBA and Venoy. According to Assistant Coach, Raphael Chillious, this was the first time he’d ever seen Clarence Trent lose a dunk contest.

The Three-Point Shootout: C.J. Wilcox defeated Elston Turner, but each was paired with a UW student as a teammate. I watched C.J. shoot for a bit in the gym beforehand, and his form is just so consistent. It’ll be interesting to see whether he can create his own shot this season though, or whether he’ll need some seasoning before he can show off his stellar form consistently in games.

ESPN2′s coverage: ESPN2 did a couple of minutes on the program as part of their 30-minute Midnight Madness show. They highlighted Coach Romar, (calling him a “rising star”) and the Huskies perimeter players. ESPNU isn’t available in my area, so I have no idea how much of the two-hour show was devoted to the Dawgs.

Coach Chillious on what ESPN choosing UW for its Midnight Madness program means to the team: “I think what it does is validate the successful season we had last year. And, hopefully, it gives us momentum moving forward. We know that’s not what’s going to make us a good team. And, y’know, the rest of the nation doesn’t get to see the teams in the Pacific Northwest that often, so this is just a jumpstart.”

Terrence Jones and Tony Wroten: Both stud recruits were there. Jones was on his official visit and sat on the Husky bench. He didn’t look too enthused, but I’m not going to read much into the facial expressions of a 17-year-old kid.

Real Practice Starts Saturday at 1 PM: With 31 days until the regular season opener at home against Wright State, the Huskies get back to full practices tomorrow afternoon.

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Montlake Madness Conjectures on the Starting Lineup and Nine-Man Rotation

September 29, 2009 in Uncategorized by Themod | 12 comments

In recent days, Coach Romar has begun to reveal what his lineup may look like during the upcoming season. Here are some of the clues he’s given through interviews:

  • He said that Isaiah Thomas, Quincy Pondexter, and Darnell Gant would all start for the Huskies at the beginning of the upcoming season, as each did on last year’s Pac-10 championship squad.
  • Coach LoRo has also said that whichever point guard (between Abdul Gaddy and Venoy Overton) does not start will be “like a starter,” since he’ll often opt to finish games with a three-guard lineup.
  • Finally, coach has said before that it’s likely he’ll exercise a nine-man rotation again this year, which will leave three Huskies scrapping for extra minutes during blowouts, and times of foul trouble or injury.

Here’s the lineup I think Coach will use to start the season, along with the role players coming off the bench, and our explanations for each pick. You’ll notice that we’re not listing the guys in order of playing time, since there are too many unknowable factors that will go into that. We’re picking starters, role-players, and reserves.

The Starters:

aa starters copy

F/C – Matthew Bryan-Amaning

Why he should start: No one’s been a victim of higher expectations than MBA during the first two seasons of his college career, and it seems like he’s just now prepared to start making those flashes of brilliance a more regular occurrence at Hec Ed.

Why he shouldn’t: We’re being a little unfair here, given his injuries last year, but if MBA couldn’t consistently maintain a high level of intensity in about 17 minutes-per-game last year, what makes us think he can do it now for 25-30 mpg?

F – Darnell Gant

Why he should start: Because he plays solid defense, shares the ball, and hustles whenever he’s on the court. And, word out of Montlake is that Gant put on a bunch of muscle and is ready to be more of a presence near the rim on both sides of the ball this year.

Why he shouldn’t start: Because he had the worst assist-to-turnover ratio (1/2.2) of any regular player last season and shot just under 37% from the field, meaning defenders could sag off of him and clog the lane.

F – Quincy Pondexter

Why he should start: We finally saw the Quincy Pondexter we’d been waiting for during the last part of 2008/09, when Q-Pon developed into a scorer by forcing himself into the lane and getting high percentage looks at the basket, or getting himself fouled. An underrated rebounder, there’s an outside chance he could challenge for the Pac-10 lead in boards.

Why he shouldn’t start: It’s not worth struggling to come up with a reason just for the sake of writing something here.

G – Isaiah Thomas

Why he should start: I.T. is going to be the most exciting player on the court this year wherever he goes, and if he doesn’t lead the team in scoring, it will mean something’s gone horribly wrong. He’s the Husky capable of throwing a 50-spot up on the scoreboard, or laying the ball in despite a lane filled with a guy like Jarvis Varnado, or Hakeem Olajuwon, or Shaq. . . or all three.

Why he shouldn’t start: Again, he should and he will. Not much more to offer here.

G – Abdul Gaddy

Why he should start: Because the word on Gaddy is that he’s one of the best pure point guards in the world right now, and that he’s a guy who makes the game come more easily to everyone around him. Unless he gets some form of the freshman yips, and isn’t as poised or polished in reality as by reputation, the Huskies will benefit from having a true quarterback on the floor.

Why he shouldn’t start: Because for a team with aspirations of a run through the NCAA Tournament, any growing pains at all for Gaddy could result in loses that would severely hamper our seeding come March.

The Role Players:

aa reserves copy

Venoy Overton – Sixth Man

Why this role is right for him: Because Venoy was our game-changer last season, and there’s no way to quantify the energy boost he gave the team every time he stepped on the floor. It’s valid to wonder whether fouls and turnovers would go up, and the manic energy would go down, if Venoy saw 7-8 more minutes per game (last year he averaged about 20).

Dissenting opinion: Venoy is the team’s nerve center — at times, our heart and soul. Is there ever a time we don’t want his energy on the court? And, are we selling short the idea that Overton can grow as a playmaker too, using his two years of Pac-10 experience to make the battle for the starting point guard spot an absolute dawgfight?

Justin Holiday – Defensive Stopper

Why this role is right for him: Because we need someone we can bring onto the floor to ice the other team’s hot hand. With his length and speed, smaller point guards (common in the Pac-10) and huge post men (not so common in the Pac-10) are the only players Holiday will have difficulty shutting down.

Dissenting opinion: We’re a defensive-minded team, and that should be a strength regardless of the mix on the floor. Additional minutes for a shooter (like Wilcox) or a post player (Trent) may be more critical for the team than another defensive-minded sub.

Elston Turner – Marksman

Why this role is right for him: With some consistent playing time (after last season’s ankle injury Turner’s minutes-per-game dropped from 19 to 11), and a year under his belt, I’d be very surprised if Turner didn’t raise his three-point accuracy into the 40% range (from about 37% last season). He does everything well enough not to hurt us when he’s on the floor, and until someone proves differently in real game action, Turner is the option here.

Dissenting opinion: It’s hard to ignore the early whispers out of practice: that C.J. Wilcox is the team’s best shooter. If Turner doesn’t make the most out of his minutes early, Wilcox could begin to eat into his court time.

Tyreese Breshers – Reserve Big Man

Why this role is right for him: Because there are going to be games when (gasp) the Huskies are getting out-rebounded and the ghost of Jon Brockman looms large over this club. When the gameplan isn’t going our way, or our bigs are in foul trouble, Big Ty is going to be the man who gets the call.

Dissenting Opinion: Breshers was a medical redshirt last season and is just getting back to full-speed workouts. With Breshers off of a year-long injury, it’s entirely possible that Clarence Trent, who has impressed with his hustle thus far, could sneak into this role as well.

The Reserves:

aa bench copyScott Suggs, Clarence Trent, C.J. Wilcox – Bench Guys

Why this role is right for them: Trent and Wilcox are freshmen, and provided neither of them cracks the regular rotation, they’ll have the chance next year. Trent can set his sights on earning minutes vacated when Quincy Pondexter graduates, and Wilcox can bulk up and keep working on his sweet shot. Suggs is the odd man out here, still struggling in a crowded backcourt to distinguish himself.

Dissenting Opinion: It may be impossible to keep Wilcox off the court if he turns out to be a more athletic version of Ryan Appleby and truly is the team’s best shooter. The tools are there, and Trent could easily step into the backup big man role, or even a starting spot, if he can rebound well, play defense, and add an offensive element to the team that Darnell Gant doesn’t. It’s starting to sound like a familiar refrain, but Scott Suggs was Missouri’s best high school baller before he came to UW. I wouldn’t be shocked if Suggs shocks us and improves by leaps and bounds, forcing himself into the discussion.

So, that’s the lineup I think we will go with, and should go with. What do you think? Please do offer up your opinions in our comments section. We love to hear from you!

***

Finally, an announcement came yesterday from UW that a “Midnight Madness” style preseason event will be taking place on October 16th, at about 7:30 PM. A dunk contest and scrimmage are on tap, and you can bet we’ll be there soaking in every second of it.

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Catching up with UW Husky Guard, Scott Suggs

September 8, 2009 in Uncategorized by Themod | 7 comments

suggs interview copyScott Suggs was one of the men at the end of the bench for Lorenzo Romar last season, rarely seeing time with the game still in play. And, truth be told, not many fans would know what to expect from the 6’6″ guard this season, because they simply didn’t see enough of Suggs last year to make a judgment.

But, this guy was the top player in Missouri as a high school senior, and the 15th-ranked shooting guard in his class. No one with that amount of success at one level wants to ride the pine at the next. So, succeed or fail, it would be foolish to imagine that Suggs isn’t going to do everything in his power to make more of an impact this year.

I caught up with Scott this week and had a chance to get his take on the road to the regular rotation, and other thoughts on last season, and the year ahead.

Montlake Madness: So, last season, I imagine you didn’t get on the court as much as you’d have wished. What can we expect from Scott Suggs this year?

Scott Suggs: You can expect to see me contributing to the team much more this season.

MM: What did you learn last year that’s going to make you a major contributor this year?

SS: I just became more familiar with the system, and also more comfortable with a year of experience under my belt

MM: What was the biggest surprise going from high school to the Pac-10?

SS: Probably the amount of talent that each team has. Even teams that are not seen to be as good as others will still have pretty good players.

MM: So, you were a part of that group of Huskies that was getting up ridiculously early for a few months and practicing?

SS: Yeah. During the spring we were getting up at about 6:00 AM, and working out around 6:30. But in the summer we were working out at like 8:00 or 8:30 so we got a little bit more sleep.

MM: During the season, what’s a normal day like, with practice, classes, etc?

SS: A typical day is workouts at 6:30am, class from about 9:00-3:00, practice from 3:30-6:30 or 7:00, and then tutoring from like 7:30-9:00. So, we have a pretty full day during the season.

MM: When I spoke to Artem Wallace last week, he said you were going to be a guy that surprised a lot of people this year. Let me ask you, did you ever have a conversation with Coach Romar last season expressing that you wanted to play more?

SS: Yeah, I talked to him about that a few times during and after the season, and he just kept telling me to keep working hard in practice. At the end of the season, i just talked to him about what i needed to work on and those types of things.

MM: And what did he tell you to work on?

SS: Defense, and continue shooting, and of course getting stronger.

MM: Which of your teammates has surprised you most this summer as far as improvement? Who’s going to surprise people this season?

SS: Well, Darnell Gant’s shot is really coming along, and i think teams are gonna have to respect his jumper. I also think Abdul Gaddy is gonna be a nice addition to the team this year.

MM: If the season started tomorrow, do you think Abdul starts at the point?

SS: Hmmm… i dont know. (laughs) We’ll find out once practice time comes.

MM: No guesses? Personally, i love Venoy’s energy off the bench.

SS: Yeah, he does bring a lot of energy. But i know that those guys are gonna be battling it out for that starting spot.

MM: Does any of that ever affect the way guys get along off the court?

SS: Nah. Everybody is friends off the court, but on the court we have no friends!. (laughs)

MM: How are you guys gonna beat Cal this year? They look like the biggest obstacle to the Dawgs repeating as champs.

SS: Yeah, they’re returning all of their guys. I’m sure our coaches will have a gameplan for them — probably from day one.

MM: Tell me a little about Scott Suggs off the court. What’s something the fans don’t know about you?

SS: Well, I’m a pretty goofy person and i like to make people laugh.

MM: What do you do for fun in your time off the court?

SS: Just hanging out with my teammates really. Everybody on the team is pretty goofy actually.

MM: Do you guys on the team pay attention to who’s being recruited? Guys like Josh Smith, Terrence Jones, Tony Wroten?

SS: I haven’t really seen any of those guys play, but I’ve heard of them.

MM: What was it about Coach Romar and UW that made you choose the school, above the other prestigious colleges recruiting you (like Illinois, Missouri and Wisconsin)?

SS: Probably just the relationship I had with Coach Romar. I had been over to his house when he was the coach at St. Louis University. My dad’s co-worker was his best friend.

MM: What’s the one thing we wouldn’t know as fans about life as a Division I college basketball player? What don’t we see?

SS: The amount of work that we have to put in behind the scenes to be able to compete at this level. It’s basically a full-time job because we are training year-round.

MM: One more thing. I’ve got a post up on my site right now about where I’d play all you guys if I were coaching the Husky basketball team in a football game. I’ve got you at outside linebacker.

SS: I’m more of a receiver, if i do say so myself. (laughs)

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What if Husky Hoops Hit the Gridiron?

September 3, 2009 in Uncategorized by Themod | 2 comments

football basketball pic copyIn honor of college football kicking off this weekend, I thought it would be fun to do a football-themed Husky basketball post, and to get your thoughts also. Here’s the scenario:

It’s Saturday afternoon, a few hours before kickoff of the LSU game, and the Husky football team is nowhere to be found. Nothing particularly bad has happened, but the entire team is missing. Game time comes, but there’s nothing UW can do except forfeit, starting this season where they finished off last year: with a loss.

But wait. Coach Lorenzo Romar has invited every one of his players from this year’s Husky basketball team, and the last four UW hoops teams as well, to be his guests at the game. Just as Coach Sark heads toward the referee to tell him that the Dawgs will need to forfeit, Coach Romar runs onto the field and whispers an idea into his ear.

“Let my boys play,” says Coach Romar.

“You’re boys?” says Sark.

“Yes, let the basketball players suit up and play some football. They can do it. They can do anything,” Romar answers.

“You crazy, LoRo,” Sark says. “But, we’ve got no choice. Get your team of too-talls out here and let’s see what they can do.”

The only thing left then would be to take the Husky basketballers from the last five seasons and play them in the best positions on the field to produce. Sure, we’re probably looking at a losing battle against LSU. But, at least we’re not forfeiting.

If I’m Coach Sark, the following is my starting lineup. What’s yours? Send me an email to MontlakeMadness@gmail.com, and we’ll publish some of the best lineups in a future column, and name a Montlake Madness “Honorary Sark” award for the best reader-submitted lineup.

The rules are simple: only Huskies from the 2005-06 season on are eligible, players can’t start on both offense and defense. And, feel free to suggest a lineup with a 4-3 defense instead, or an additional tight end, etc.

Offense:

Abdul Gaddy – Quarterback: I know. He’s a freshman. But, if he’s going to be the QB of our hoops team, let’s give him a shot on the gridiron as well.

Isaiah Thomas – Halfback: You can barely see him moving up and down the court. Can you imagine trying to tackle him?

Clarence Trent – Fullback: Big body opens up holes and picks up blockers as necessary. Can also give us a different look ball carrier a few times during the game.

Brandon Roy – Wide Receiver: Big-time scorer does what it takes to get open and put points on the board.

Joel Smith – Wide Receiver: Under-achieving baller never lacked for athleticism. A good third option in the passing game behind Roy and J-Brock.

Jon Brockman – Tight End: I was tempted to play Jon at Center to anchor up the O-Line, which would need to quickly learn to function as a unit. But, it’s too appealing to think of him going all Tony Gonzalez on the Tiger linebackers and picking up key third-down conversions at will.

Artem Wallace and Tyreese Breshers – Offensive Tackle: Breshers was my original choice at TE, but I love the wingspans on these two keeping out rushing defensive ends.

Jamaal Williams and Phil Nelson – Offensive Guard: I like our athleticism here, although I wish we had some more size. Saving some big bodies for the defensive end, though, to give us a chance for scoring opportunities on the other side of the ball.

Joe Wolfinger – Center: Big body. Never quite looked engaged enough on the court, so a bit of a risk to have him at such a key spot on the line. That said, I think Wolfinger was under-utilized on the basketball team, and I want to rectify that on the football field.

Defense:

Matthew Bryan-Amaning and Darnell Gant – Defensive End: I like the power coming from MBA and the slick speed from Darnell coming off the line. Husky forwards teaming at DE forms maybe my favorite unit on the team.

Spencer Hawes – Nose Tackle: Big Body who looks to be tougher now than he ever looked during one season with the Huskies. And Spence is healthy now, which was never the case when he played at Hec Ed.

Scott Suggs and Elston Turner – Outside Linebacker: I like these two in here using their speed and athleticism for containment, coverage and on blitzes. A bit of a concern with their smallish frames considering the 3-4 defense we’re running.

Quincy Pondexter and Bobby Jones – Middle Linebacker: I love this unit too with Quincy’s getter-done grit and Bobby Jones’ shut-down defensive pedigree. Anything that gets past our line is getting thrashed by our MLB’s.

Justin Dentmon and C.J. Wilcox – Cornerbacks: Headiness of these two makes up for the athleticism edge they’ll give up to top flight receiving groups. But, we could count of these two not to make too many mistakes.

Justin Holiday – Strong Safety: Although stopping a tight end with a full head of steam behind him would be a challenge given Justin’s slight build, I like his combination of speed, brains and hands at the strong safety spot.

Venoy Overton – Free Safety: The biggest no-brainer on the field. He’d be on the ball before it even left the QB’s hand. I see Venoy breaking up as many passes on the gridiron as he does on the court.

Ryan Appleby – Kicker: Would (hopefully) convert his understanding of the angles into long-range marksmanship on the football field as well.

Tim Morris – Punter: Non-descript journeyman fits perfect mold for the position, and you’ve got to like his better-than-average (for a punter) speed for the occasional fake punt as well.

Your turn. Don’t use the comments section for your entry — keep your brilliant lineups to yourselves and try to win the “Honorary Sark” award without giving any ideas to your competition. (But, feel free to comment otherwise, of course, as usual…)

Thanks for coming!

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Catching up with Former Husky, Artem Wallace

August 25, 2009 in Uncategorized by Themod | 7 comments

Artem interview pic copyBy his third year with the team, Artem Wallace grew into a starter and big contributor to the Husky basketball team. But, he saw his playing career put in jeopardy when he tore his ACL in the last game of junior season, then worked his way all the way back and was healthy enough to play sparingly during his senior year.

Sadly, we didn’t get to see as much of Wallace as we would’ve liked last year, but simply coming back was an amazing feat, as anyone who’s torn an ACL can attest to.

I caught up with Artem recently to talk a little bit about the future, and a little bit about the past as well. Here’s what we discussed:

Montlake Madness: So, let’s start with right now. What are you up to, both on and off the court?

Artem Wallace: I’m living with my dad in Toledo, saving some money and looking for work.

MM: What kind of work are you looking for?

AW: I want to do something international, because I’m bilingual and have an international background. (Wallace was born in Russia.)

MM: Have you been back to Russia?

AW: I haven’t, but it’s definitely on my list of things to do when I can.

MM: So, what about basketball? What are you hoping for?

AW: I’m hoping the opportunity is there for me to play somewhere. I’m passionate about the game, so hopefully there is. We’ll see.

MM: How’s the knee injury, and how much did it impact your play last season?

AW: The knee is fine now. But, just as it got better last season, my back started giving me problems. I think I have a bulging disc. It gets really sore and I have good days and bad days.

MM: Describe the disappointment of being limited by an injury during your senior season.

AW: Of course it was disappointing. But, I felt really rewarded to be on a winning team so it balanced out. It was a special experience, so it evens out in the end.

MM: Was your playing time ever a bone of contention with Coach Romar, where you felt you were ready to contribute more than he did?

AW: I understood it took me a while to get back from the knee, and then the back started acting up. I accepted the role and I was comfortable with that. You can never predict what’s going to happen with injuries.

MM: Describe your relationship with Lorenzo Romar? What’s it like to play for him?

AW: He’s just a great guy, a great mentor, great coach and teacher. It was a really special experience to play for him for four years.

MM: Tell us a little about Artem Wallace off the court.

AW: Right now, most of my time is focused on trying to find a job. I love hanging out with friends. I enjoy bowling. I play a lot of basketball with friends.

MM: Have you played in open gym with any of your former UW teammates?

AW: No, I’m in Toledo right now, so I’m playing with my high school friends.

MM: Who’s the toughest player you played against in college basketball?

AW: Aron Baynes (from WSU). He’s a big guy –  just a truly physical player. It was a challenge to guard him and keep him away from the rim. I also had to guard Ryan Anderson (Cal) which was a nightmare. The toughest of all of them, though, was guarding Jon Brockman in practice.

MM: What was the highlight of your four years playing with the Huskies?

AW: That’s easy. Winning the Pac-10 championship at home against Wazzu. The crowd rushing the court… It was an unforgettable experience.

MM: What’s the worst memory?

AW: Going down with the ACL injury. I knew right away something was wrong. I heard something pop. When they told me, I was really down.

MM: Tell me something I wouldn’t know about the life of a D-1 college ballplayer.

AW: Well, it’s such a time commitment. It’s really a full time job. You can’t take some of the classes you want to; you have to sacrifice a lot. It requires a lot of discipline and time management. A lot of the time you wake up in the dark, hit the weight room, have your classes and practice, and by the time you come home, it’s dark again. But, it’s totally worth it. It’s a huge rush playing in front of the crowd, particularly when the team is doing well.

MM: Having played with everyone except the incoming freshman, who do you expect to have a breakout season for the Huskies this year?

AW: It’s hard to predict. There are so many great athletes on the team. Isaiah will continue to improve. And, Quincy is going to be the leader of the team, I think.

MM: What about the guys who didn’t put up big numbers last year? Any of them you expect to potentially have a break-out year?

AW: I think Scott Suggs is going to be a good player. But, all of these guys are great. You really can’t predict.

MM: I think I can predict your answer, but who wins the Pac-10 this season?

AW: I’m going with UW. I’ve gotta go with UW.

MM: Who’s going to be the toughest challenger?

AW: UCLA’s going to be tough. They’re always tough.

MM: Thanks for your time, Artem, and best of luck.

Hey, thanks for coming!

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

July 31, 2009 in Uncategorized by Themod | 3 comments

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

And, hey, thanks for coming!

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

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