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Friday, November 30th, 2007
Posted by Don Ruiz @ 11:30:40 pm
Sophomore guard Adrian Oliver injured his back in practice and didn't travel with the Huskies on their way to Oklahoma State for their game against the Cowboys on Saturday afternoon. As reported earlier, Justin Holiday also stayed home with a viral infection. And while guard Ryan Appleby did travel, he isn't expected to play due to his thumb injury. That leaves the Huskies pretty thin for what is an exceptionally important early season game. Some notes: WASHINGTON (4-2) Series: The Cowboys lead 7-3 overall and have won the last two meetings, most recently 84-72 on Dec. 21, 1999, in Seattle. Washington is 37-48 all-time against current members of the Big 12 Conference, including a 77-63 loss to Texas A&M last week in the NIT Season Tip-Off in New York. Oklahoma State is 25-25 all-time against schools from the Pacific-10 Conference. Statistical leaders: For UW, F Jon Brockman, 18.8 ppg and 11.3 rpg; G Venoy Overton, 5.3 apg. For OSU, G/F James Anderson, 19.2 ppg; G/F Marcus Dove, 5.2 rpg; G Byron Eaton, 3 apg. Scouting report: This game is part of the Big 12/Pac-10 Hardwood Series. Oklahoma State will make a return visit to Seattle next season. The Cowboys are an athletic team that tries to deny the pass on defense and push the ball on offense. They are second in the Big 12 in steals (11.2 spg), fourth in turnover margin (plus-6.4) and fourth in 3-point field goals made. They also rank third in their league in offensive rebounding; however, overall they are being outrebounded by almost five per game. Next: Dec. 8, noon, vs. No. 14 Pittsburgh, Hec Edmundson Pavilion.
Categories: Huskies
Posted by Don Ruiz @ 09:10:31 pm
I got a note that the Huskies finally got out of SeaTac around 6 this evening ... roughly about the time they were originally scheduled to arrive in Hawaii, but at least they're on their way.
Categories: Huskies
Posted by Don Ruiz @ 03:16:41 pm
The Huskies were supposed to leave SeaTac for Honolulu at 11:45 this morning. However, mechanical troubles have ground them while another plane is found. Their first hope was to get out by around 3. However, that's come and gone and now they're hoping for 5.
Posted by Don Ruiz @ 10:23:15 am
It rained on the Warriors' practice Wednesday, which was front-page news here. Then, Thursday defied forcasts of rain with a pretty much perfect day. Friday dawned nicely, but now a morning shower is coming down pretty good. The forecast for gameday still calls for at least a chance of rain. And while instinct might say that works against a passing team, coach Tyrone Willingham cautions that in a short-passing game with a lot of outs and slants like Hawaii runs, the defensive back -- who doesn't know the cuts in advance -- might be at more of a disadvantage than the receivers. Here's a quick advance look at the game. WASHINGTON (4-8, 2-7 Pac-10) The series: The teams have split two previous meetings. UW won, 53-13, in the 1938 Pineapple Bowl (also called the Poi Bowl). Hawaii won, 10-7, at Husky Stadium in 1973. What to watch: Washington is expected to go it its running game to try to muscle the Warriors and keep Hawaii’s run-and-shoot offense off the field. The Warriors’ offense ranks first nationally in scoring, second in pass and third in total yards, while the Huskies defense 94th in scoring, 85th in passing yards and 98th in total yards allowed UW quarterback Colt Brennan needs a big game on national TV for his Heisman push. Aloha Stadium is sold out and is expected to be rocking. The teams have one common opponent: Hawaii beat Boise State, 39-27, last week, while UW beat the Broncos, 24-10, in September. Washington hasn’t played a regular season game in December since 1939. It is their first regular season game played after the Apple Cup since 2001 – when they lost at Miami, 65-7. What’s at stake: Hawaii is playing for a perfect regular season and likely qualification for a BCS bowl and all the prestige (and $17 million) that comes with that. UW would like to end its season on a positive note, especially for its seniors. Huskies need a victory to match their win total of last season. QB Jake Locker needs 90 rushing yards for reach 1,000 yards for the season. WR Anthony Russo takes a 36-game reception streak into his final college game. TNT pick: Hawaii, 47-43. The Huskies have played hard all season, and I think they'll bring it for one more game. I also think the UW running game will work against the Hawaii defense. The problem is that Hawaii passing game against the UW pass defense. That tips me to calling another what-if loss in a season that's been full of them. Thursday, November 29th, 2007
Posted by Don Ruiz @ 03:39:40 pm
We were getting off the plane at Honolulu airport when I made Husky Honk and former coach Dick Baird a very happy man. I had just gotten the news from TNT sportswriter Ryan Divish that top Lakes prospects Kavaro Middleton and Jermaine Kearse have given oral commitments to play their college football at Washington. He was as happy as you might expect and as happy as any Huskies fan should be as visions of Locker-to-Middleton and Locker-to-Kearse dance in their heads.
Categories: Huskies
• 21 comments
Wednesday, November 28th, 2007
Posted by Don Ruiz @ 06:22:05 pm
Runner/returner Louis Rankin made the Rivals.com All-Pac-10 first team as an all-purpose player. Jordan Reffett made the second team at defensive tackle. Here is the full release. And meanwhile, here's a repeat of my earlier post about Jake Locker: The Sports News has named UW quarterback Jake Locker as the quarterback of its all-Pac-10 freshman team, and the league's freshman of the year. The Pac-10 doesn't name its own freshman team, however, it will name a freshman of the year after the season. Here is the official release:
Categories: Huskies
• 13 comments
Posted by Don Ruiz @ 03:34:49 pm
UW guard Ryan Appleby will get his cast off today, and although he is not expected to play Saturday at Oklahoma State, he will travel and dress. However, freshman Justin Holiday will stay home with what is described as a systemic viral infection. That is not expected to be a long-term issue, and Holiday is likely to be ready the following week when Pittsburgh visits Hec Ed.
Categories: Huskies
Posted by Don Ruiz @ 01:16:45 pm
The Sports News has named UW quarterback Jake Locker as the quarterback of its all-Pac-10 freshman team, and the league's freshman of the year. The Pac-10 doesn't name its own freshman team, however, it will name a freshman of the year after the season. Here is the official release:
Meanwhile, in one other interesting piece of Pac-10 news, USC is apparently thinking about moving home games from the LA Coliseum to the Rose Bowl - as early as next year, when UW visits.
Categories: Huskies
• 4 comments
Posted by Don Ruiz @ 11:59:02 am
With the Apple Cup and NIT Season Tip-Off behind and the Hawaii game and crucial off-season decisions ahead, I'll be back talking UW athletics with the Groz again at 2:35 this afternoon -- 15 minutes laster than usual -- on KJR, 950-AM. The conversation also will be streamed over the Internet.
Categories: Huskies
Tuesday, November 27th, 2007
Posted by Don Ruiz @ 04:45:55 pm
UW offensive coordinator Tim Lappano did not want to comment on reports that have listed his name among the candidates for the newly open head coaching job at Washington State. However, Lappano admitted he does want to be a head coach one day. And coach Tyrone Willingham said he believes Lappano and others on his staff would make capable head coaches. The Huskies are practicing in Dempsey Indoor this week to more closely approximate the 80-degree weather that is forecast for Saturday in Honolulu. UW quarterback Jake Locker and guard Ryan Tolar have been named to Rivals.com’s freshman All-America second team. Cody Bruns, a four-star receiver recruit from Prosser, has given his oral commitment to Washington, according to Internet reports.
Categories: Huskies
• 13 comments
Posted by Don Ruiz @ 07:26:49 am
Hawaii is now a 14-point favorite over UW. A look at the Warriors: Coach: June Jones (75-40 in 12th season at Hawaii). Last week: The Warriors clinched their first outright Western Athletic Conference championship with a 39-27 win Friday over defending champion Boise State. Against the Huskies: The teams have split two previous meetings. UW won, 53-13, in the 1938 Pineapple Bowl (also called the Poi Bowl). Hawaii won, 10-7, at Husky Stadium in 1973. Washington connections: The Warriors’ roster includes four players from Washington: OL Daniel Johnson (Issaquah/Skyline), LB Adam Leonard (Seattle/Rainier Beach), LB Tyson Kafentzis (Richland) and TB Leon Wright-Jackson (Pasco). Four Huskies are from the state of Hawaii: DT Wilson Afoa, DL Kalani Aldrich, S Jay Angotti and DE Daniel Te’o-Nesheim. UW running backs coach Trent Miles was a Hawaii assistant from 1995-96. Scouting report: Hawaii is the only undefeated team in the Bowl Subdivision (formerly Division I-A). A victory likely gives the school its first BCS bowl invitation. The Warriors run the run-and-shoot offense, almost a pure passing offense with multiple small receivers with the speed and quickness to break short passes into big gains. UH leads the nation in scoring (47.2 ppg), is second in passing offense (450.9 ypg) and third in total offense (528.5 ypg). The Warriors haven’t scored fewer than 28 points or gained fewer than 430 yards in any game this season. Quarterback Colt Brennan has tied or broken 29 NCAA records. Jason Rivers leads the nation with a 48-game pass catching streak. Davone Bess is six receptions from the school’s single-season record of 102. Did you know: Hawaii is 11-0 for the first time in school history. Dating back to last season, UW has a 12-game winning streak, which is the longest nationally and in school history, and the Warriors have won 21 of their last 22 games. By the way, for anyone going to the Islands, here is some practical game security information from the Honolulu Advertiser. After a rabid sellout crowd last week, the university is expecting more of the same Saturday.
Categories: Huskies
• 6 comments
Monday, November 26th, 2007
Posted by Don Ruiz @ 09:31:21 pm
Long Beach actually pulled even, 61-61, less than 10 minutes from the end. However, the Huskies dominated from there. Justin Dentmon had a huge night, leading all scorers with 22 points including going 6-for-6 from the field in the middle stretch when little else was working for the Dawgs. Washington was horrible from the line, hitting just nine of 26 foul shots ... maybe jet lag from New York. The Huskies themselves said they weren't physically tired. But Romar thought they might have been mentally tired, which could have shown up in the foul shooting and a mid-game lapse. Some postgame notes and quotes: Star of the game: UW junior guard Justin Dentmon led all scorers with 22 points. He went six-for-six from the field in the middle of the second half while accounting for 15 of 17 UW points over a six-minute stretch, keeping the Huskies afloat while the 49ers made a run. Key stats: Washington shot 58.2 percent from the field and 57.9 percent on 3-pointers, but shot only 34.6 percent from the free throw line. That is their lowest free throw shooting percentage since January 2000. … The 49ers outrebounded the Huskies, 34-32. Key run: Long Beach pulled even, 61-61, less than 10 minutes from the end. However, a fall-away Dentmon field goal started a 16-2 UW run that settled it. Observations: Dentmon becomes the fourth Husky to lead the team in scoring over the first six games, joining Jon Brockman (three times), Tim Morris and Quincy Pondexter. … Dentmon said hurt his thumb in practice Sunday and his free throw shooting (0-for-4) may have been affected. … UW coach Lorenzo Romar said guard Ryan Appleby (thumb) will likely return to the lineup right on schedule in a couple of weeks. UW coach Lorenzo Romar quote: “One of the most pleasing things for me as a coach is to see Quincy Pondexter have an effect on the game down the stretch even without scoring a whole lot. He did a lot of things down the stretch to help us. He hit a couple of threes, but he also got some good rebounds and made some good plays for us.” Long Beach coach Dan Monson quote: "It's a process for us right now to try to get better. I think this game will help us in that. It was a tough environment." Next: 2:30 p.m. Saturday, at Oklahoma State, Gallagher-Iba Arena, Stillwater, Okla.
Categories: Huskies
Posted by Don Ruiz @ 08:24:44 pm
The Huskies took control early, running out to a 16-point lead around the middle of the half. However, they seemed to get a bit bored and have allowed the Niners to climb back in. Washington is featuring uncommonly balanced scoring. Eight Huskies have scored. Joel Smith leads the way with nine points - three 3-pointers. Matthew Bryan-Amaning has eight, Justin Dentmon seven, and Jon Brockman six. Rebounds are tied at 21 each. UW has committed eight turnovers, LBSU nine. UW is shooting 48.5 percent, Long Beach 36.4 ... and they've given away a lot of points under the basket. About as bad a finishing team from 2 feet as I've seen.
Categories: Huskies
• 3 comments
Posted by Don Ruiz @ 06:26:50 pm
No major news out of the UW media briefings today. However, UW coach Tyrone Willingham said the 35-yard touchdown pass that was the final score in the Huskies’ Apple Cup loss was the result of a miscommunication for which the coaches take responsibility. No new injuries appear on the UW medical report. However, defensive back Jordan Murchison (ankle) and linebacker Donald Butler (knee) remain questionable. The Huskies return to practice Tuesday, travel to Hawaii on Friday and will remain in Honolulu for one free day Sunday before flying home Monday. We also got time today with both quarterbacks: Jake Locker and Hawaii's Colt Brennan. That will be the main topic of my Tuesday story. And while Brennan has dark spots in his history, he has seemed pretty straighforward and likable in my couple of dealings with him. And there's no questioning him on the field, where he has broken or tied 29 NCAA records including career touchdown passes (126), TDs responsible for (141), and points responsible for (856). In 36 career games, he has led the Warriors to 50 points or more 10 times. Hawaii is 24-9 with Brennan as its starter. “He’s a great quarterback,” Locker said. “I have a lot of respect for what he’s doing over there. He’s a very confident passer, very accurate and has been very successful in the offense that he has been put in.” Of course, Locker has some accomplishments of his own, and another big one may be on the way Saturday. With 910 rushing yards, Locker already has become the top-running Pacific-10 quarterback of any single season of the modern era and the top rushing UW quarterback ever. And 90 more rushing yards at Aloha Stadium would push him to the 1,000-yard mark.
Categories: Huskies
• 4 comments
Posted by Don Ruiz @ 06:13:24 pm
I'm at Hec Ed, watching a few Huskies warm up for their game tonight against Long Beach State. Among them is Ryan Appleby, who is running and even shooting despite a cast on his shooting hand. Durning the NIT Season Tip-Off last week, Appleby said the cast will come off Wednesday and that he hopes to play Saturday when Washington visits Oklahoma State. However, coach Lorenzo Romar seemed to pour cold water on that timeline yesterday. Romar said that Appleby has always been scheduled to return around mid-December and he has seen nothing to indicate that isn't the more realistic date.
Categories: Huskies
Posted by Don Ruiz @ 11:41:32 am
Washington coaches have named their players of the week from the Apple Cup: quarterback Jake Locker on offense, linebacker E.J. Savannah on defense, and retun man Louis Rankin and Chris Stevens on special teams. Honored for their work on the scout teams were receiver Charles Hawkins, linebacker T.J. Poe and linebacker Cort Dennison.
Categories: Huskies
Posted by Don Ruiz @ 07:25:12 am
Washington has opened a 12 1/2-point underdog in its season-ending game at Hawaii on Saturday. It's not that surprising a margin, for a couple of reasons. One, UW-Hawaii is a much worst match for the Dawgs than UW-Boise State just because the Huskies have had trouble with big passing games, and Colt Brennan and the Warriors have one of the best. Secondly, the teams could be miles apart mentally. Hawaii just moved up to No. 12 in the BCS rankings, which puts their fate clearly in their hands: Beat UW and go to a BCS bowl, lose and you don't. That means they will come into this game rightly thinking of it as the biggest in school history. And a rocking sellout crowd will jam Aloha Stadium to watch. If UW is thinking of it as a post-season Island getaway ... this thing could get out of hand real quick.
Categories: Huskies
• 5 comments
Saturday, November 24th, 2007
Posted by Don Ruiz @ 07:06:51 pm
Obviously, the Huskies were disappointed in this one. Losing to a rival in a back-and-forth game hurts. On top of that, the loss assures that the Huskies will finish in last place in the Pac-10 Conference ... either in a tie with Stanford, or alone if the Cardinal beats Cal next week. Asked about that, coach Tyrone Willingham asked fans not to lose faith, that he still believes there is greatness ahead. Willingham and the Huskies said they are happy to have one game remaining this season --unlike after most Apple Cups. They say that look forward to the challenge of trying to spoil the BCS chances of unbeaten Hawaii next Saturday. Some notes: Player of the game: Maybe Alex Brink will be remembered more for winning this Apple Cup than losing his share of heartbreakers in his three-plus years as a starter. The senior from Eugene, Ore. set an Apple Cup record by passing for 399 yards and five touchdowns, including a pair to Brandon Gibson in the final 7:29 to complete a come-from-behind victory. Brink moved into third on the Pacific-10 Conference career passing list with 10,913 yards, and became the first WSU quarterback to ever win three Apple Cups. Husky of the game: Defensive end Daniel Te’o-Nesheim energized the Washington defense with nine tackles. Four came behind the line of scrimmage, including two sacks. Key stats: Washington State rolled up 509 yards of total offense, becoming the third team to top 500 yards against Washington this season. … WSU averaged 7.7 yards per play. … The Huskies converted two of four fourth-down attempts. … Washington dominated time of possession, 35:05 to 24:55. Turning point: With the scored tied late in the fourth quarter, Washington receiver Corey Williams caught a pass at the WSU 28 – already in field goal range. However, the ball popped free as he was being tackled, and Washington State recovered. Gibson gone?: The Rogers High product finished up his junior season in grand style, setting the school's single-season receiving mark. His six-reception, 137-yard, two-TD outing gave him 1,180 yards this season, eclipsing the old mark held by Nakoa McElrath (1,163 set in 2001). After the game, Gibson said he was waffling on his earlier decision to return for his senior year. "I'll be honest, I'm putting my papers in (to the NFL Draft) and see where it puts me, and I'll go from there." Big start: Washington senior Louis Rankin returned the opening kickoff 89 yards for a touchdown. It was the first kickoff return touchdown of his career, the first UW kickoff return for a score since Roc Alexander did it in the Idaho game of 2001, and the first time UW returned a game-opening kickoff for a touchdown since Ja’Warren Hooker did it in the Arizona game of 1997. It also was Washington’s longest kickoff return ever against Washington State. Quote: “It’s totally frustraing for me as a senior. It’s not the way I wanted to go out here. It’s one of those games where you can look back and say shoulda, woulda, coulda. My hat’s off the to Cougs. They came in here and got it done, and we didn’t. And I thought they handled themselves with class after the game and I respect the guys.” – UW senior defensive end Jordan Reffett. Extra points: Jake Locker’s 103 rushing yards gave him the modern Pacific-10 Conference record for rushing yards by a quarterback. Locker has run for 910 yards this season, passing UCLA’s Jeff Dankworth, who run for 815 yards in 1976. … Locker’s 12 rushing touchdowns ties Mark Burnell for the most ever by a Husky quarterback. Senior Anthony Russo led UW with five catches, and he has now caught at least one pass in 36 straight games. … Rankin became the fifth Husky to top 1,000 yards for career kickoff returns. He has 1,106 yards. … Twenty-two UW seniors were honored at Senior Day, marking their final game at Husky Stadium. … Game captains were Juan Garcia, Greyson Gunheim, Rankin and Reffett.
Categories: Huskies
• 39 comments
Posted by Don Ruiz @ 07:04:55 pm
It's shaping up as one of those anything can happen games. Get to a TV.
Categories: Huskies
Posted by Don Ruiz @ 05:54:57 pm
For now at least, this is looking like one of those games where a team -- Washington -- has a chance to open a lot of daylight early, fails to do so, and then the other team finally comes on. After doing very little for the first 10 minutes or so, the Cougs have come on to lead in total yardage -- 264-223 -- and first downs are even, 10-10. The big difference is in the air, where WSU is dominating, 222-110. Washington has the advantage on the ground -- 113-42 -- but they're not just churning out big blocks of yardage like they did last week against Cal. In the QB duel, Brink is 14 of 19 for 222 yards and two touchdowns. Locker is 7 of 22 for 110 yards and no TDs. Rankin leads all rushers with 48 yards. Locker has 41.
Categories: Huskies
Posted by Don Ruiz @ 04:58:35 pm
Huskies had chances to open real daylight early, but didn't. Then a late quick-strike drive got WSU right back in it.
Categories: Huskies
Posted by Don Ruiz @ 04:21:09 pm
The game has started with a bang, as Louis Rankin took the opening kickoff for a 89-yard TD ... the Huskies first TD kick return since 2001. Huskies instantly up, 7-0.
Categories: Huskies
Posted by Don Ruiz @ 01:48:28 pm
It's a little over two hours until kickoff and the sun is shining the day is cool but not cold -- yet. In other words, just about a perfect setting for this 100th Apple Cup, which is, by the way, proudly presented by Boeing. Normal gameday drill on the blog: I'll pop in with pregame notes as they reveal themselves, then quarterly updates, then turn it over to you for postgame comments before I click back in tonight with notes and quotes. Kickoff is 4 p.m. and the game will be shown on FSN. 2:40: The stadium has opened, a few fans have trickled in, and the first players from both teams are on the field warming up. Sun still shining, but it's going to get cold out there before this thing is done. 3:20: Both teams are out on the field now. As has become their Apple Cup custom, the Cougs are wearing their throwback helmets: silver with the word "Cougars" rather than the "WSU" logo. 4:07: Senior Day introductions about to begin ... actual kickoff is set for 4:15, not the 4 o'clock we were told earlier in the week. 4:15: Due to Senior Day festivities, Juan Garcia handled captain duties alone. Huskies will receive. Play ball.
Categories: Huskies
• 3 comments
Posted by Don Ruiz @ 03:11:27 am
Well, at least it does over here on the East Coast. Now it's just a little matter of those 2,500 miles or so, trying to get from Newark International to Husky Stadium by kickoff. Meanwhile, here is today's game story, along with John McGrath's take on why this pairing of 4-7 teams still matters.
Categories: Huskies
Friday, November 23rd, 2007
Posted by Don Ruiz @ 06:49:47 pm
UW guard Ryan Appleby will get the cast off of his right thumb on Wednesday, and he said he expects to play Dec. 1 when the Huskies visit Oklahoma State. That is far earlier than the previously announced schedule, which didn't have Appleby returning to action until mid-December. If Appleby's new timetable is correct, it is very good news for the team as they have very obviously missed his outside threat. "He’s just a big piece of what we’re doing, and once he’s back (defenses) have to respect him," Jon Brockman said. "When you’ve got a shooter who can shoot 3-points like it’s a lay in, that’s a big help."
Categories: Huskies
• 2 comments
Posted by Don Ruiz @ 04:29:00 pm
With Jon Brockman spending long stretches on the bench with foul trouble, Quincy Pondexter came on to lead UW with 20 points and 15 rebounds. However, Pondexter eventually fouled out, too -- one of four Huskies to do so in a game with a huge foul disparity: Syracuse shot 52 foul shots, UW shot 19. UW couldn't overcome that, but given the problems, coach Lorenzo Romar seemed to like certain things with his team's performance. Star of the game: Syracuse forward Donte Green led all scorers with 25 points and added seven rebounds, three assists and three blocks. Husky of the game: Sophomore forward Quincy Pondexter led Washington with 20 points and a career-high 15 rebounds. Key stats: Syracuse hit 34 of 52 foul shots; Washington hit 19 of 26. … The Huskies outrebounded the Orange, 54-31. … Four Huskies fouled out. Key run: Washington led, 25-16, midway through the first half. However, Jon Brockman went to the bench with foul trouble about the same time Syracuse shifted to a man defense. The combination ignited the Orange, which went on a 28-10 run in taking a lead it never surrendered. Observations: No Huskies were named to the all-tournament team. Joseph Jones of Texas A&M was named the tournament’s most outstanding player. … UW guard Ryan Appleby will get the cast off of his right thumb on Wednesday, and he said he expects to play Dec. 1 when the Huskies visit Oklahoma State. … Coach Lorenzo Romar picked up his first technical foul of the season simply for shouting “Noooo” when Brockman was called for his fourth foul. … In a battle of freshman point guards, Syracuse’ Jonny Flynn had 16 points and two assists, UW’s Venoy Overton had 11 points and four assists before fouling out. As he left, Flynn taunted him. “It’s just basketball,” Overton said. “We talked back and forth. He was challenging me to come at him; I was challenging him to come at me.” Quotable: “Washington never gave up. They kept coming. They were going to keep coming and pressuring and banging. They’re physical. They’re in on every play. They’re banging and pushing on every play, and you have to be ready for that.” – Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim. Next: Long Beach State, 7:30 p.m. Monday, Hec Edmundson Pavilion. NIT Season Tip-Off championship game: No. 16 Texas A&M defeated Ohio State, 70-47.
Categories: Huskies
Posted by Don Ruiz @ 04:27:50 pm
With Jon Brockman spending long stretches on the bench with foul trouble, Quincy Pondexter came on to lead UW with 20 points and 15 rebounds. However, Pondexter eventually fouled out, too -- one of four Huskies to do so in a game with a huge foul disparity: Syracuse shot 52 foul shots, UW shot 19. UW couldn't overcome that, but given the problems, coach Lorenzo Romar seemed to like certain things with his team's performance. I'll click back later with notes and quotes.
Categories: Huskies
Posted by Don Ruiz @ 02:27:40 pm
The Huskies actually jumed out to a 21-14 lead. However, Jon Brockman went to the bench with two fouls, the Orange moved to a man defense and everything changed. Syracuse went on a 17-4 run, and they seem in control at the half.
Categories: Huskies
Posted by Don Ruiz @ 01:24:23 pm
True freshman wing Matthew Bryan-Amaning has moved into the UW starting lineup for today's game against Syracuse. Guard Joel Smith moves to the bench. Therefore, coach Lorenzo Romar's starting lineup will be MBA, Jon Brockman, Justin Dentmon, Venoy Overton and Quincy Pondexter.
Categories: Huskies
Posted by Don Ruiz @ 12:52:56 pm
We're at Madison Square Garden for UW's NIT consolation game against Syracuse. Despite that "consolation" tag, this could be a big on. It will be interesting just in terms of learning more against the Huskies. But it also is just the kind of result that could send a bubble team into the NCAA or NIT or home. Winning always beats losing, even this early in the year. Usual gameday drill: I'll click in with a halftime report, then hopefully you'll share your impressions, and then I'll be back after the game with notes and quotes. Tipoff is 1:30 p.m. and it's on ESPN.
Categories: Huskies
Thursday, November 22nd, 2007
Posted by Don Ruiz @ 07:18:49 pm
Just a small Pac-10 schedule on Saturday ... but they're both very interesting games. Notre Dame at Stanford. Pac-10 is 21-8 in out-of-conference games this season, with two left: this one, and Washington at Hawaii. Cardinal, 23-18. Washington State at Washington. Huskies’ new running identity may work well against Cougs. Home field advantage hasn't been huge in this series lately, but it can't hurt. And there's just a feeling here that Jake Locker is going to do something special in his first time on that big stage. UW, 38-31. Last week: 0-2 (I picked Cougars over Beavers, and Bears over Huskies.) Season: 40-17.
Categories: Huskies
Posted by Don Ruiz @ 11:34:53 am
Hoops coach Lorenzo Romar said there could be one or two changes in his starting lineup when UW meets Syracuse at 1:30 p.m. Friday in the NIT consolation game. He said he hadn't decided yet and didn't share what he is considering. A few other highlights from our post-practice briefing this morning: The Huskies Thanksgiving in New York consisted of a morning practice, brunch, a little Macy’s parade watching, a film session, and maybe a movie tonight. Andrian Oliver’s knee is bothering him, which accounts in part for his brief five-minute appearance Wednesday. Romar said foul trouble was the only thing that limited Quincy Pondexter to 10 minutes, although he acknowledged that the sophomore wing “hasn’t had the start he would like.” Romar said that freshman point guard Venoy Overton “was outstanding at times … when he’s on the floor, offensively he makes us a better team.” UW radio voice Bob Rondeau flew back to Seattle to work the Apple Cup on Saturday. Play-by-play of the Syracuse game will be handled by KJR’s Mike Gastineau. Some Syracuse notes: Some hoops quotes ROMAR on the loss to Texas A&M: "We made some critical mistakes on both ends – defensively and offensively. We did not do a good job of boxing them out. But we did a lot of good things. I thought what we did for a half, wasn’t something that we could just fake. I thought we did a lot of good things for a half." ROMAR on teams trying to take away Jon Brockman: ROMAR on his team's 2-for-13 three-point shooting: "When Ryan (Appleby) comes back, it makes a difference. And Joe (Wolfinger) been shooting the ball real well from 3-point distance as well. That’s enough out on the floor to keep a team honest." ROMAR on the Syracuse zone: "We talked more about being able to attack the zone and working on it. We did not say, 'OK we must make threes tonight.' I think when you attack a zone and say OK we’ve got to shoot threes you are setting yourself up for failure. Against a zone, you’ve got to make it inside out: You’ve got to get the ball in the middle of the zone and play through that. You’ve got to be able to attack the zone to get your misses. ... Obviously if we would have had guys in there knocking threes down that would have helped our cause. But at the same time, in the first half when we were playing efficient basketball, we were playing inside out and we were shooting over 50 percent." ROMAR on A&M dominating UW on the boards: "Right now Jon is carrying too much of the rebounding load. We almost play a little bit like Jon is going to get it so we don’t go as hard. We all have to attack the glass. Jon is averaging over 12 rebounds a game. We need to have a couple of other guys averaging six, seven, eight rebounds a game as well. And it’s possible, I’ve seen it done before."
Categories: Huskies
Posted by Don Ruiz @ 07:40:15 am
The Huskies team hotel here at the NIT is on Times Square and right along the route of the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade, which is passing as I type this. Although, also as I type this, the Huskies are wrapping up practice at Madison Square Garden. (They actually were supposed to be off the floor by now, but Texas A&M, which had the 10:30 a.m. local time slot, is either a no-show or caught in parade traffic. In any case, Coach Romar is using the extra time by keeping his team out on the court longer than planned.) The practice times were assigned on the basis of last night's results, however, the Huskies are likely going to be able to get back to their hotel before the entire (very long) parade passes. And once they get there, they should be able to view it in style, as a special viewing area has been set up for the NIT teams. As for me, my hotel is about a half block off the parade route and I was able to duck out to catch a few passing balloons including Ronald McDonald and Shrek and a few others. Very cool to see in person after watching on TV for virtually every Thanksgiving I can remember since childhood.
Categories: Huskies
Posted by Don Ruiz @ 05:30:10 am
Happy Thanksgiving. The only real news from Wednesday was Coach Willingham's confirmation that Jake Locker will start the Apple Cup. Also, the news looks good for cornerback Byron Davenport's return, less good for linebacker Donald Butler's return. My story in today's paper looks at this Washington football senior class, and especially some of their higher profile players from the South Sound, such as Anthony Russo, Carl Bonnel, Cody Ellis and Caesar Rayford. They signed on when UW seemed an annual cinch for championship contention and bowl games. However, they went five seasons without a bowl, with no winning records and a school-record four straight losing records. Now they are down to their final two college games, and will play their final Husky Stadium game on Saturday, in the 100th Apple Cup. A few of this classes' struggles. REPORT CARD FOR SENIOR CLASS
Categories: Huskies
Wednesday, November 21st, 2007
Posted by Don Ruiz @ 06:16:36 pm
Jon Brockman had a double-double in the first half, but the Aggies clamped down in the second half. And I thought that was the story of the game ... and maybe of the season so far: Washington knows it has something special in Brockman. But where is the help? When a team goes all out to take Brockman away, who steps up to make them pay elsewhere? Tonight, no one did. Looking ahead, Ohio State beat Syracuse in the other semifinal game, meaning UW will meet the Orange in the NIT Season Tip-Off consolation game at 1:30 p.m. Friday (ESPN). Texas A&M will play Ohio State for the championship at 4 p.m. (ESPN2). Notes on the UW game: Star of the game: Brockman had a double-double in the first half: 13 points and 11 rebounds. And although he cooled, he ended with 21 points and 15 rebounds – both game highs - and he seems halfway to a spot on the all-tournament team. Key stats: The Aggies outrebounded Washington, 48-39. Washington outshot A&M .533-.394 in the first half, yet led by only four points. UW hit only two of 13 3-point attempts (.154), both by 7-foot Joe Wolfinger. Key run: Joel Smith scored the first basket of the second half, but the Aggies scored six straight after that to pull even and remained in control the rest of the way. Observations: The loss ends Washington’s streak of three straight early-season tournament championships. The Huskies had won the Great Alaska Shootout (2004), the BCA Classic (2005) and the Basketball Travelers Classic (2006). … UW coach Lorenzo Romar remains one win short of the 200-victory mark. … This was Washington’s first game at Madison Square Garden since routing New York University, 72-38, in 1941. … A late-arriving crowd of 8,388 was in attendance. Romar quote on the game: “Dominique Kirk, I think, was the difference in this ballgame. He was a senior. He controlled this basketball game from the guard position. He directed their team, he scored when he had to, he got the ball inside when he had to. He spearheaded their defense.” Brockman on UW being outrebounded: "I feel we could have rebounded a lot better than we did. They are a great rebounding team. They're big bodies, and a lot of times when big bodies shoot around the hoop, you know, their arms aren't that far from the hoop, so they just get it right back. But we definitely could have done a better job clearning the glass." Joe Wolfinger, who had UW's only two 3-pointers: I had a couple of open shots, but they didn't go in. If we had had our original 3-point shooter - Appleby - the game would have been a lot different. Romar on missing Appleby: "Well, we didn't have Appleby in the first half, and we were up by four. Does he help? Yeah, anytime your playing without of your starters, your top scorers, it hurts. We've got games to play. We can't say Friday we're not going to play because we don't have Appleby. We've got to show up and play." Romar, on whether he's disappointed: Well, disappointed, because we lost. Whenever you lose you can point to areas where you could have done a better job. We could have controlled their guards better." Semifinal Game 2: Ohio State defeated Syracuse, 79-65. Forward Kosta Koufos led the winners with 24 points and nine rebounds, but four Buckeyes had 12 points or more. Forward Donte Greene led Syracuse with 21 points, while Orange forward Paul Harris had a game-high 12 rebounds.
Categories: Huskies
Posted by Don Ruiz @ 04:58:39 pm
Wow. Very entertaining and impressive first half. The Aggies are really big and athletic. Just walking on the court it seemed apparent the Huskies would learn something about themselves today. What they've learned so far is that they're able to match up with big teams. Jon Brockman carried them early as the rest were feeling their way. But the freshmen have really grown up so far, with Venoy Overton really looking solid -- the Ohio State writer next to me can't believe he's a freshman -- and Matthew Bryan-Amaning has made more confident moves than I had seen previously. Dentmon, Wolfinger, Smith and others are helping out. Very impressive half against the No. 15 team in the country. No stats handed out yet, but I'll click back in after the game.
Categories: Huskies
Posted by Don Ruiz @ 03:26:04 pm
Jon Brockman was the first Husky out on the Madison Square Garden court. Now he has been joined by his teammates as game time approaches. We'll go through the usual drill here: I'll pass along any pregame notes, then click in with some halftime stats. Then, I'll turn it over to you for postgame discussion (the game is on ESPN2 and KRJ) and then I'll stop by again with notes and quotes from the locker room.
Categories: Huskies
Posted by Don Ruiz @ 10:35:35 am
With the NIT tipoff just hours away and the Apple Cup just days away, I'll be back talking UW athletics with the Groz again at 2:35 this afternoon on KJR, 950-AM. The conversation also will be streamed over the Internet.
Categories: Huskies
Posted by Don Ruiz @ 06:32:07 am
1. Arizona State 9-1, 6-1: Two wins from Pac-10 title, but they’re tough USC and Arizona. 2. Oregon 8-2, 5-2: Pac-10 rushing leader by 70 yards over runner-up UW. 3. USC 8-2, 5-2: S Taylor Mays has double-digit tackles in two of last three games. 4. Oregon State 7-4, 5-3: QB Lyle Moevao 2-0 in first two college starts. 5. UCLA 5-5, 4-3: Mattew Slater has returned school-record three kickoffs for TDs. 6. Arizona 5-6, 4-3: Second-ranked Oregon was the highest-ranked visitor to lose at Arizona since top-ranked Huskies in 1992. 7. Washington 4-7, 2-6: Huskies looked good as a power-running team... but Willingham says more balance is needed over the long haul. 8. California 6-5, 3-5: Defensive line was pushed around by the Huskies. 9. Washington State 4-7, 2-6: WR Brandon Gibson leads league with 104 receiving ypg. 10. Stanford 3-7, 2-6: Should still be focused with Notre Dame and Cal ahead.
Categories: Huskies
Posted by Don Ruiz @ 05:17:55 am
The University of Washington basketball forces struck unbeaten New York University with cyclone fury at Madison Square Garden last night, virtually swept the Violet off the court with the fastest-breaking attack seen hereabouts in many a moon and cracked three Garden scoring records in achieveing a 72-38 victory. That is the actual lead from the Dec. 31, 1941, New York Times, from Dec. 31, 1941 ... the day after the Huskies beat NYU, 72-38. That was the last time UW played at Madison Square Garden. That kind of history is what makes the Garden special, and it is much of what makes tonight's game feel so much different from the BCA and Travelers tournaments the past couple of seasons. That plus a strong field. All four teams in New York today are unbeaten, but obviously only two of them will be by the end of the day. Here's a preview: NO. 16 TEXAS A&M (4-0) Statistical leaders: For Texas A&M, F Josh Carter, 16 ppg; C DeAndre Jordan, 8 rpg; G Dominique Kirk, 4.3 apg. For UW, F Jon Brockman, 23 ppg and 11 rpg; G Venoy Overton, 5 apg. Scouting report: Texas A&M was picked to finish third in the Big 12. The Aggies are coming off of their first back-to-back NCAA tournament appearances. … Three starters return from the team that bolted to the Sweet 16 last season: Kirk, Carter, and Joseph Jones. However, the Aggies are without point guard Acie Law, a first-round pick of the Atlanta Hawks. … Jones is a 6-foot-9 255-pound forward expected to match up against Brockman. … Carter led the nation in 3-point accuracy last season (.500), while Kirk ranks fifth in school history with 134 treys. NIT preview: All four teams enter the tournament undefeated. … This is Washington’s first appearance at Madison Square Garden since Dec. 30, 1941, when the Huskies routed New York University, 72-38. … Washington won the championship in its previous three season-opening tournaments: the Great Alaska Shootout in Anchorage (2004), the BCA Classic in Seattle (2005) and the Basketball Travelers Classic in Seattle (2006). … This is the Huskies’ second appearance in the preseason NIT. UW opened the 1985-86 season at the NIT in Denver, Colo., getting by UTEP before being eliminated by fifth-ranked Kansas. … Butler won the 2007 NIT Season Tip-Off. The last Pac-10 team to win the tournament was Arizona, in 1999. Game 2: No. 21 Syracuse (3-0) meets Ohio State (2-0) at 6 p.m., ESPN2. Next: Losers advance to the consolation game 1:30 p.m. Friday, ESPN. Winners advance to the championship game, 4 p.m. Friday, ESPN2.
Categories: Huskies
Tuesday, November 20th, 2007
Posted by Don Ruiz @ 02:58:15 pm
Everyone was very complimentary to the NIT today, praising it as the best of the preseason tournaments and noting the NIT and Madison Square Garden's spot in the lore of college basketball. The Wednesday game will be the first appearance there for all of the Huskies except coach Lorenzo Romar, who played there as a pro; Jon Brockman, who played there in the Jordan Classic as a high school senior; and freshman Matthew Bryan-Amaning, who played there while in prep school in neighboring Connecticut. As for the games themselves, all four participating coaches noted the relative youth of their teams, including UW opponent Texas A&M, which returns three starters from its Sweet 16 team of a season ago, and is without star point guard Acie Law, who headed for the NBA. And finally, tournament officials, including C.M. Newton said once again that thier snub of UW from the postseason tournament last season was no snub at all, just a tough decision that maybe looks a little better since all four No. 1's became the final four teams in both the postseason and the current preseason tournament ... indicating that maybe these guys know what they're doing. In any case, bygones, and the NIT says it is thrilled to have the Huskies here now. And the Huskies seem pretty happy about it too. Some random quotes from media day: ROMAR on what can be taken from the performance here: This is a young season, and it’s so long. I’ve seen teams go out and win the Maui Classic and by the end of the season they’re not playing very good. Some don’t do good early, by the end of the year (they are). ROMAR on the size of the Aggies: We’d better box out. We can put lineups out there where we have comparable size to them. But we can also put – like there way we’re going to start – with a small lineup where sometimes that can be to a big team’s disadvantage. But they are definitely a very good opponent. They’re tall, but some teams are tall but not effective. These guys are tall and athletic and quick and physical. BROCKMAN on A&M counterpart Joseph Jones: He’s a big athletic guy. He uses his body really well. He’s really experienced, so he knows how to play. He’s a tough tough (guy to) guard. He’s so strong and big he can use his body to push people around without using his arms, which makes it tough getting your body in the right position. JUSTIN DENTMON on the NCAA feel to this tournament: That’s what it feels like. You walk into the hotel, it feels like the NCAA tournament. We’re going to go play, then move to the next level. We’re going to find out where we are as a team and where our focus is as a team. DENTMON on the reaction of the freshman to NY: I think they’ll be looking like, wow, I’ve never see anything like this. But by the time we take the court we’ll be ready to play. DENTMON on his reaction to NY: This is just another good thing happening in my life. When we went to Greece, that was something good. When I step into the Garden, that will be something good. It’s just another stepping stone to where we want to be. CM NEWTON on the NIT: We want these teams to really enjoy a wonderful experience around Thanksgiving in the city. We want to do everything we can to make it a fun time for them. And of course fun comes with winning and you guys have at it and have a good time. SYRACUSE COACH JIM BOEHEIM on the event: It’s always been a tremendous tournament. It’s always been good for college basketball – both pre and post. So we’re pound to be part of it. … By the end of the week I think all of the teams will have found out something about themselves that will help them at the end of the year.
Categories: Huskies
• 3 comments
Posted by Don Ruiz @ 06:35:36 am
The Huskies have arrived in New York for the final rounds of the NIT Season Tip-Off, along with Texas A&M, Syracuse and Ohio State. It sounds like they flew in pretty uneventfully -- the best way to fly -- yesterday, worked out at the New York Atletic Club this morning, then coach Lorenzo Romar and juniors Jon Brockman and Justin Dentmon represented the Dawgs at the tournament media day luncheon on Times Square. I'll click back in with some quotes later, but everyone seems pretty excited to be here, and they're looking at the games as a measuring stick for where they are this early in the season. The Huskies are preparing for their first game at Madison Square Garden since 1941. That will come at 4 p.m. tomorrow against Texas A&M. First days losers advance to the consolation game on Friday, winners advance to the championship round, also Friday.
Categories: Huskies
• 2 comments
Monday, November 19th, 2007
Posted by Don Ruiz @ 02:37:02 pm
Quarterback Jake Locker apparently felt well enough Monday to play a little joke at a media gathering. “I’m just joking around with you guys,” he said. “I was actually thinking about wearing the neck brace for you guys.” When seriously addressing his health, he said that he feels much better than last week and hopes that his coaches will trust him when he tells them he feels ready to play. Coach Tyrone Willingham said he hasn't yet decided between Locker and Bonnell, but that he will announce his stater once that is decided upon, and that he isn’t delaying the announcement to complicate Washington State’s preparations.
Posted by Don Ruiz @ 01:53:19 pm
Twenty-one Husky seniors will be introduced for the final time at Husky Stadium before the Apple Cup on Saturday. And unlike last season, the list doesn't seem to offer any controversy. No scholarship players with remaining eligibility are being sent away involuntarily, as was the case last season. Willingham said that is a tribue to this season's "junior" class, which he believes has earned the rigth to return for a fifth year. The list: Wilson Afor, Erik Berglund, Carl Bonnell, Linus Chou, Quintin Daniels, Cody Ellis, Greyson Gunheim, Tim Harris, Dan Howell, Robert Lewis, Erick Lobos, Chad Macklin, Louis Rankin, Caesar Rayford, Marcel Reece, Jordan Reffett, Anthiny Russo, Kyle Trew, Corey Williams and Sho Yoshinaga. Only Chou and Yoshinaga have eligibility remaining, and they are both walkons who will graduate before next season.
Categories: Huskies
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