Husky Basketball Mid-Season Update

By Kevin Calderhead

Truthfully, when conference play started, I was about two bad games away from being completely done with the Huskies. They were playing like they deserved to finish in eighth place in the conference, as predicted. Jernard Jarreau tore his ACL two minutes into the season opener. In their first four games, they shot 24% from beyond the arc. After losing to #10 UConn, the UW seemed to play a little better, winning their next two before Pac-12 play. The Dawgs were 8-5 before playing 11-2 Arizona State, and going into the game I was less than optimistic. I actually didn’t watch it, mostly because it was on Pac-12 Network (DirecTV, can you please sign a contract with the Pac-12 already), but also I just figured they would get blown out.

           

Well, around halftime, I checked the score on my phone. I remember saying sarcastically to my friend: “Hey, let’s guess how much the Huskies are losing by now!” The page loaded, and I was shocked: Washington 40, Arizona State 23.

The Huskies ended up winning the matchup 76-65. This game was followed by a close loss at #1 Arizona in which UW was actually ahead by two at the break. Washington then played Utah and #15 Colorado at home, and beat them both. Most impressive was the 71-54 defeat of Colorado; the first win against a ranked opponent since 2011 after losing their previous twelve contests. The Dawgs have turned it around and have won seven out of their last nine games. They are 3-1 in conference games, which has them tied for third place in the Pac-12.

What changed? It’s not C.J. Wilcox, who has been consistent the entire year; playing well enough to put himself in the NBA draft conversation. I think one of the factors is the performance of guard Andrew Andrews. The Dawgs have won the last five games in which Andrews scored more than 10 points. Freshman guard Nigel Williams-Goss has also been more consistent; turning the ball over less often.

CJ Wilcox is the clear leader of this Huskies team.

Dean Rutz

Despite being more successful as of late, the Huskies still have one major problem: rebounding. The loss of Jerreau is showing, as the Huskies have had to rely heavily on Perris Blackwell for the majority of their rebounding. He leads the team with 7.6 RPG, but the next four leading rebounders on the team are all guards (Anderson, Williams-Goss, Wilcox, Andrews). A surprise to me has been Mike Anderson, new to the team this season from Moberly Area CC. He has helped pick up the slack and is averaging 6.6 boards per game.

This week, the Huskies are traveling to the Bay Area to play Cal and Stanford.

           

Big picture time again. March Madness. Looking forward from this point, will Washington make the tournament?

It is possible. There are 14 games left in the season. UW is now 11-6 (3-1 Pac-12), and if they can win at least 11 out of the last 14 games (final record of 22-9) and play well in the Pac-12 tournament they could be selected. 11 of 14 is a lot, but their schedule is fairly easy from here on out; the only ranked teams that the Huskies will play from here on out are #21 Colorado and #25 UCLA, but the rankings could change. Let’s not forget Cal and Oregon either, both of whom the Huskies play twice from here on out. Another key to making the tournament is to upset better teams, like UCLA, Cal and Oregon. The remaining games are evenly split between home and away: seven at Hec Ed and seven on the road. And regardless of how many games they win or lose, if the Dawgs win the conference tournament they automatically make the March Madness bracket. In my opinion, Washington has an outside chance of making the tournament.

So midway through the season, I can say with confidence that I think the Huskies will finish higher than eighth place in the Pac-12. With Arizona around, they probably won’t take first in the conference but a top three finish is definitely feasible. In regards to the NCAA tournament, only time will tell.  

Washington Huskies Men's Basketball Season Preview

By Kevin Calderhead

Last year, Washington Men’s Basketball, having lost two key players to the NBA draft, posted a disappointing 18-16 record (9-9 Pac-12). The loss of Terrence Ross and Tony Wroten left a big hole that evidently was not filled effectively. As the Dawgs begin to practice, we must put last fall and winter behind and look to what is to come in this brand new season.

                

As in any college sport, seniors will graduate (hopefully). Three starters from last year will not return this season: point guard Abdul Gaddy, guard Scott Suggs, and center Aziz N’Diaye. Coach Lorenzo Romar seems to know how he is going to compensate for the loss of these players.

Let’s begin with point guard position. Abdul Gaddy was supposed to be the greatest point guard UW had ever seen. Gaddy was ranked the second best point guard in the country during high school. The only guy in front of him on that list was John Wall. Yeah, he was that good. Unfortunately, after a knee injury, Gaddy was never the same. He played well, but not great. His replacement, Nigel Williams-Goss, has the potential to be the Gaddy that never was.

Where do I start with this guy? He was the 19^th ranked recruit on ESPN, and his high school team, Findlay Prep, went 124-8 during his four years there. Williams-Goss played in both the McDonald’s All-American game and the Jordan Brand Classic. Even though he’s only a freshman this year, Romar says he is emerging as a leader. Let’s not forget about the other point guard on the Huskies’ roster. 6’2” sophomore Andrew Andrews showed last year that he can play a little basketball too.

Nigel Williams-Goss looks to fill the void left by Abdul Gaddy.

Getty Images

So that solves that problem. Moving on to filling N’Diaye’s spot.

Romar looks to use 7’ center Gilles Dierickx (Will we ever have a big man whose last name we can spell?) and 6-9 forward Perris Blackwell. Both are transfers that redshirted last season, due to NCAA regulations. Dierickx didn’t post great numbers at his previous school, Florida International, only 2.6 points per game and 2.2 rebounds per game in 14.9 minutes. However, having a player of his height helps immensely on defense, and if he can perform offensively as well he could be a key part of this Husky basketball team.

His counterpart from University of San Francisco, Perris Blackwell, is the offensive threat that the Dawgs need down low. Coach Romar wants his guards to feed Blackwell the ball, and with the Husky’s high-post offense he could be very successful. He posted 12.7 points and 6.1 rebounds in the 2011-12 season at USF.

Returning from last year are Shawn Kemp Jr., Jernard Jerreau and Desmond Simmons. Kemp showed signs of greatness in his 18 point and 6 rebound performance against Arizona State last year. Jerreau has yet to have a breakout game, but as a sophomore, can only improve from here on out. Desmond Simmons works the hardest out of any guy on the team, always fighting for rebounds and playing great defense. I think everyone overlooks Simmons, and I’m really not doing him justice. He’ll be one of the key players on this Husky team, like last year.

What the Huskies lost in Suggs was a great scorer and most importantly, the team leader. For this spot this year, all eyes go to senior guard C.J. Wilcox. Wilcox is the best scorer on this team, and not only will he need to be consistent in his performance, but he must emerge as a team leader. He was 2^nd team All-Pac-12 last year, had an honorable mention in 2012 and made the Pac-10 All-Freshman team in 2011. All last season, Wilcox was plagued by a stress fracture in his foot. After the season ended, he had surgery to repair it in May.

C.J. Wilcox is the most integral piece of this basketball team. He has the most experience of any of the other players on the roster. And he absolutely has to be the leading scorer if the Huskies want to win a substantial amount of games this season. Hopefully the surgery fixed the nagging foot injury, and he can perform as he is fully capable of.

CJ Wilcox looks to lead this Huskies team to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in three years.

The Husky Haul

Now the real question: Can the University of Washington make the NCAA tournament this year?

That all depends. The 2013-14 Huskies are a very young team. And if the pre-season media prediction, in which the Dawgs were picked to finish eighth in the Pac-12, is correct, then the answer is absolutely not. However, there are so many new faces that we haven’t seen play yet that there is no real way to tell. If the young players can prove that they can perform, then there is a chance that they can make the NCAA tournament. But honestly, it’s too early to say at this point.

I don’t think the Huskies will finish as low as eighth in the Pac-12, but I also don’t think that they will be in contention for first place in the Pac-12. Arizona and UCLA are too good of teams. So I’ll put the Dawgs at fifth place. But who knows, maybe the Huskies will exceed everyone’s expectations and be serious contenders in the Pac-12. Here are my final predictions for this year’s team:

Starting Lineup:

PG: Nigel Williams-Goss

G: C.J. Wilcox

F: Perris Blackwell

F: Desmond Simmons

G: Andrew Andrews

Leading Scorer

Is there really any question? If it’s anyone other than C.J. Wilcox, it’s likely that this season just didn’t pan out well for the Dawgs. I’m predicting he averages about 18 points per game, up from 16.8 last year.

Leading Rebounder

This is a tougher one. This one really depends on who Coach Romar plays and who he doesn’t. I’m going to say Perris Blackwell, with 7 or 8 rebounds per game, followed by Shawn Kemp Jr. with about 6.

Leading Assister

Nigel Williams-Goss. He’s going to get most of the playing time at point guard, so hopefully around 6 assists per game.

Breakout Player

I think Shawn Kemp Jr. is going to have a big year. Watch for him to throw down some big jams this year. Hopefully his dad has taught him a thing or two about bangin’ out.

Sixth Man

Andrew Andrews. He’ll be a great guard off the bench if Williams-Goss needs a break, or the Huskies run three guards. On that note, I don’t think we’ll see much of four guards on the court like we did with Wilcox, Ross, Wroten and Suggs.

Well those are my predictions. I’ll revisit these predictions at the end of the season to see if I’m completely right, or way off the mark.

Thanks for reading and follow us on Twitter @seasportssoup! Like us on Facebook. Keep checking back for more updates!

Five Wishes on My Seattle Sports Christmas List

Well like everybody says, it's that time of the year again. Christmas is just around the corner, and I mean JUST around the corner, and most people are in that cheery type of mood again. Teams in Seattle have had their ups and downs this month, most notably the down of the Huskies, and the ups of the Seahawks, but in the end aren't all Seattle sports kind of bipolar in these kinds of ways? Christmas has ups and downs just like Seattle sports, the downs of gaining weight from all the great food, but the ups from getting presents, getting a break from school, and celebrating the life of Jesus Christ. Every year I look forward to Christmas, as I think many other people do as well, and always wonder what gifts I could be receiving. I usually make a list (even though I'm almost in college) and put my favorite desires on this list. Well this time I'm making the list a little bit differently. I'm creating a list of what 5 things/events I want, or want to occur, in Seattle sports that are within the realistic spectrum (so probably not a World Series championship for the M's). Here are the five items on my list.

1. Seahawks winning the Super Bowl

First off, I think this wish has a very realistic shot of happening. The Seahawks have been one of, if not, the hottest teams in the NFL the past couple of weeks and Russell Wilson just proved it again with an enormous win over the 49ers. Wilson had the highest QBR in week 16 out of every quarterback in the NFL, posting a 97.6 rating, and I think this goes to show how high of a level the Seahawks (and Russell Wilson) have been playing at the past couple of weeks. I mean it's crazy to think that they have outscored their opponents 150-30 the past three weeks. It still kills me to think we had losses against the Rams, Cardinals, and Dolphins. If we played them all again right now, I would have to believe that we would outscore all of them by at least 150-0 or some score around there. That's how good the Seahawks are playing right now (and how bad the other three teams are). The Seahawks will face the winner of the Dallas and Washington game in the first round of the playoffs and I believe that the Seahawks can go on the road and beat either of those teams. Nobody wants to play the Seahawks right now and if I were in the NFC, I would have nightmares of Richard Sherman and Russell Wilson (as long as Sherman's appeal goes as he said it went). The Seahawks will face a tough opponent if they win their first round playoff game, but they have faced at least 2 of the teams in the NFC playoffs before this season. The Seahawks will be prepared and if I was an opponent, boy would I be scared. This would be an awesome late Christmas present in February.

Wouldn't it be nice to see this on the cover page of the Seattle Times once again, except this time having Russell Wilson on it?

http://cdn102.iofferphoto.com/img/item/125/193/793/LbTD.jpg

2. Seattle Arena is built and the city gets an NBA franchise within the next 5 years

I know, I know some of you may be asking how this is not number one on my list, but at the current moment, the Seahawks are tearing it up, if you haven't been watching. Also, there are years in the future where I can wish for Seattle to get an NBA franchise. I've learned that you always have to be patient. Anyways, I think that if the city of Seattle attained an NBA franchise within the next five years, it would energize every sports fan in the city. Well duh it would, but I mean that this event would probably boost ratings and attendance for every team in the city. People would get excited about the general scent of Seattle sports, maybe as strong of a scent that would catch the east coast's attention. Probably not though, knowing the east coast. Gotta love that east coast bias! But back to the point. With the construction of the Seattle arena, not only could an NBA franchise come to the city, but an NHL franchise could follow just as easily. Therefore, this would make Seattle one of the biggest sports cities in the nation, as long as the teams have success, and could even rival towns such as Boston (that only comes with HUGE success though). The acquisition of an NBA franchise has its positives up front, but has even more positives behind the smokescreen, such as the ones I just explained above. This would definitely make my Christmas a whole lot merrier.

3. The Mariners sign or trade for a superstar, or big power hitter

Everybody knows the Mariners need offense. The M's got some offense in their trade for Kendrys Morales this past week, but they still need a lot more. Like, a whole lot more offense. Some trade names that have been thrown out there in recent weeks are Carlos Gonzalez of the Rockies and Andre Eithier of the Dodgers. Both of those players would be hard to pry out of their respective team's hands and it would take one or more of the Mariners' big pitching prospects. However, I would give up one of those prospects for either of these bats. There are some other power bats that could be attained through trades, but I'll leave it to Jack Zduriencik to find out exactly who he wants. However, Raul Ibanez won't cut it, at all. After or if we sign or trade for a power bat, I think the Mariners should sign Michael Bourn. He would set the table nicely for the big power hitters and would always bring his stellar defense to the situation. An outfield of Michael Bourn, Franklin Gutierrez and Michael Saunders would be a very athletic and effective group. Either way, the Mariners need to make some more moves to improve their offense and Jack Z knows this. I also think he might know that it would make my Christmas a little bit better. Actually, probably a whole lot better. Hopefully Jack Z makes a move for not just me, but for all of Seattle soon after Christmas.

Andre Eithier could bolster the Mariner's offense in a big way.

http://www.dodgersnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/andre-ethier.jpg

4. Keith Price returns to his 2011 form in 2013

Fresh off a Vegas Bowl loss, this wish debuts at number four on my list. The Huskies were one of the most infuriating teams I've ever chosen to root for this year as their play-calling, decision making, performance and sometimes their effort were way below what I thought they were going to be at the beginning of the season. I think the reason for why this season was so frustrating to me was because I saw so much potential in this Huskies team. Sure, the first six games were tough, but the Huskies made it out of the gauntlet with a 3-3 record. I thought the season would have ended with a 9-3 record after the first six games, but probably more realistically an 8-4 record. Well sure enough, the regular season ended with a 7-5 record and in the end a 7-6 record was pulled out from the rubble. Leading the team this year was Keith Price and I thought he was poised for another outstanding year, but boy did he disappoint big time. After talking with Scott Enyeart yesterday, I think USC fans know what I'm talking about. Matt Barkley was poised for a Heisman caliber year and in the end it turned out to really be a dud of a season for Trojan fans. For once, Trojan and Huskies fans can relate in the ways that they feel. Oh what a jolly time Christmas is, friendships and all, but back to the point. It would make me so happy if Keith Price returns to his 2011 form in the 2013 season and depending on how well his year goes, this wish could end up being the best event I ever wished for! With a performance reminiscent of his 2011 season in the 2013 season, Keith Price could lead the Huskies to contend for a PAC-12 title.

5. Aaron Gordon announces that he will attend the University of Washington

This would be absolutely huge for Lorenzo Romar and the Dawgs. The Huskies desperately need a play-maker and star player, and they would be getting just that in Aaron Gordon. The Huskies are pretty darn boring to watch this year and the signing of Gordon would give a reason to all the Huskie's fans to come storming back to Alaska Airlines Arena. I know that I sure would. It looks like Arizona is the Huskie's biggest competition for Gordon as Kentucky already has a jam packed recruiting class, as they always do under Calipari. Gordon will likely make his choice after the college basketball season as he wants to see how each team on his lost performs throughout the year. I've also heard a rumor that Gordon is waiting to see what happens with Romar, as Romar could sprint off to UCLA if Howland is fired. I found these rumors hard to believe, but if it happens, you can say you read it here first (unless you read it somewhere else first...). A kid who is only 18 years old has the chance to make my Christmas. That's how good Aaron Gordon is.

Aaron Gordon would be a huge get for Lorenzo Romar and the Washington Huskies.



Honorable Mention: A surprise 5 or 4 star recruit for the Huskies football team, Sounders making it to the MLS Cup, Huskies make solid offensive coaching hires

As you can see, I dream big. All of these events have a realistic chance of happening and if they all do happen, the city of Seattle will go absolutely nuts. But on the other side of the spectrum, these wishes could all just as easily not happen and Seattle sports fans could be left to drown in their sorrows for once again another year. Obviously, I won't get instant gratification with any of these wishes as they will happen over time, being within the next year or five years, but I can live with that. I think Seattle sports fans, such as myself, have learned to be patient over the past 10 years or so. Don't worry, we can be patient again, we would just like to have our wishes come true once in a while.

Thanks for reading and follow us on Twitter @seasportssoup! Like us on Facebook as well! Keep checking back for more updates.

Marshall

Huskies Basketball: Taking a Glance at the Near and Far Future

The life of a Husky fan can be so sweet and joyous at times, but so frustrating at others. There is always the high of a big win and a low of an unbelievable loss. This season will be a typical season for Husky fans, with huge wins like, perhaps, those over Arizona or UCLA, but also huge losses against teams like Albany. True fans always stick with the team through the tough times and bumps in the road and even though this is one of the hardest things to do, most Husky fans survive through this brutal test of survival. The Huskies extended future looks bright, but in my opinion, the near future could end up to be a struggle.

Aziz N'Diaye played well Tuesday, but the team suffered a big loss.

Joe Nicholson – US PRESSWIRE

To start off with the most vivid point on my mind right now, I will start talking about this highly discouraging Albany loss. Even though this loss was one of the worst of the Romar era, I think it is a good thing this team lost to Albany. This team needs a reality check, and I think they were promptly handed one Tuesday night. With tough non-conference games against Seton Hall and possible Ohio State coming up, the Dawgs needed something to happen to whip them into shape. I think this loss will do just that. However, speaking of the loss, I think this can all be placed on Romar’s hands and rightfully so, after the game, he stated it was 100% his fault. Romar should have and could have kept Aziz in the final play of the game to be a shot blocker, but chose to go with the guard Hikeem Stewart so he could switch screens easier (even though he didn’t switch one screen). The Huskies need to learn to play hard and win without one of their best players and I think this game gave the Huskies some experience in to what that feels like as Scott Suggs came out early with a concussion. While CJ Wilcox was mediocre, I think Andrew Andrews shined and will turn out to be a star in the future. I think losing Aziz next year will hurt the team a bunch, but I strongly believe that Perris Blackwell will be able to step in and contribute from day 1. In the end, I believe this game will turn out to really be a blessing in disguise because this kind of game gets everyone’s attention and pushes players to work harder when they want to stop working. If the team doesn’t figure it out themselves, Lorenzo Romar will force them to figure it out. I mean there is a reason why he has been the coach of the Dawgs for what seems like forever.

Look for Andrew Andrews to blossom into a star this year.



Elaine Thompson / AP

 

These early non-conference games will tell us a lot about how the team will perform and look this year. With a new offense going in and many new players, the Dawgs will have to work out the kinks and make sure everything flows before actual conference play starts. Many people thought that the Europe trip would help with this, but it has clearly not helped so far. Again, time will only tell how well this offense works out. It is way to early to judge how much of an impact the new coaches and system have on the team. I think we will be able to judge these aspects of the team by the time conference play actually starts. Look for the Dawgs to have a solid year in the Pac-12, maybe not a tournament caliber year, but a year that is viewed by many as straight up solid. I don’t expect anything huge out the Huskies team this year, but perhaps that’s just me.

Even though I think the Huskies might struggle a bit this year, I think the future looks very bright. With Darin Johnson signing his NLI Wednesday and Nigel Williams-Goss signing his Friday, Romar adds two highly skilled and talented guards to his arsenal of players. Each have qualities that will significantly improve the team and if CJ Wilcox leaves for the league, which I don’t think will happen, these two guards will come in very handy. Aaron Gordon is a huge remaining target for the 2013 class for Lorenzo Romar and I think that if Romar doesn’t secure the commitment of Aaron Gordon, he could be looking at a future on the hot seat. Kameron Rooks is a 7′ center out of California and is another prospect the Dawgs are looking at. He is more of a back to the basket type player, but can also step out to hit some mid-range jumpers. He is a priority for Lorenzo Romar and the staff, but not their main one as Aaron Gordon holds down that role. If the Huskies can come away with a class of NWG, Johnson, Rooks and Gordon, they will be sitting very pretty for the 2013-2014 season. If you add in the transfers and more experienced role players, there could possibly be an Elite 8 birth in the season, who knows. The far future hinges on the players Romar ends up bringing in with the 2013 recruiting class so it’s a good thing he already has a solid start to the class.
Overall, the Husky basketball program has a solid future ahead of them. This being said, the program could have an amazing future ahead of them if the chips fall in all the right places. I think the likeliness of this happening is pretty substantial and I think there soon could be some glory days for Washington basketball. It just may not be the days right around the corner. You can’t always have instant gratification, right?

The Huskies look to add Aaron Gordon to the mix and make it a huge 2013 recruiting class.

Scout.com

Overall, the Husky basketball program has a solid future ahead of them. This being said, the program could have an amazing future ahead of them if the chips fall in all the right places. I think the likeliness of this happening is pretty substantial and I think there soon could be some glory days for Washington basketball. It just may not be the days right around the corner. You can’t always have instant gratification, right?

Thanks for reading and follow us on Twitter @seasportssoup! Like us on Facebook as well! Keep checking back for more updates.

Marshall

SG Darin Johnson's Decision Time Coming Up

Darin Johnson is a crucial recruit for the Dawgs. The 6-4, 200 lb. shooting guard out of Sacramento, California (Sheldon HS/Calif.) is announcing his college choice this Sunday, October 14. He is ranked as a four star by many recruiting websites and looks to be key to the 2013 class of Lorenzo Romar's that everyone has dreamt of.

The Huskies look to strengthen their 2013 recruiting class with SG Darin Johnson.

Rivals.com



Many believe the final two teams who are in it for Johnson are the Oregon Ducks and the Washington Huskies. However, he has also taken official visits to San Diego State and Texas A&M. Johnson visited Seattle along with Nigel Williams-Goss and Aaron Gordon, which I think was a good move by Romar and his staff. He stated that he had an awesome time that weekend as the team went paintballing and attended dinner several nights in a row at high end resteraunts. As most recruits do, Johnson stated that the main reason for his interest in the Huskies was because of Lorenzo Romar. Everyone knows that he is a great guy and makes men out of kids. The players that come to UW usually state that the main reason they made the decision that they did, was because of the family type atmosphere and because of the head man, Lorenzo Romar. With many people slating Isaac Hamilton to fall to the San Diego State Aztecs, securing a committment from Johnson is huge. A class of Nigel Williams-Goss, Aaron Gordon and Johnson would be outstanding. Of course, there's always a chance that Hamilton does commit to UW and make the class a once in a lifetime class, but the Dawgs aren't banking on that right now. They could find some JUCO transfers or under the radar players, like Andrew Andrews was, to round out the class if they don't get Hamilton or Johnson.

My prediction for this recruiting battle is that the Dawgs will win out over the Ducks. Johnson has said in the past that the Huskies were the leaders for his services and the Ducks only joined in with the Huskies after he took his official visit to Eugene. Johnson fits the prototypical UW guard perfectly. He plays defense exceptionally well and has all the ability to score and shoot the ball. Look for Romar to get a key recruit this upcoming Sunday and bolster his 2013 recruiting class.

Thanks for reading and follow us on Twitter @seasportssoup! Like us on Facebook as well! Keep checking back for updates!

Marshall