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Wednesday, April 30th, 2008
Posted by Don Ruiz @ 02:52:49 pm
The Pacific-10 Conference has released its annual football prospectus looking ahead to the 2008 season with schedule, bowl and team-by-team information. Pretty useful stuff to get us through this early part of the off-season.
Categories: Huskies
• 3 comments
Tuesday, April 29th, 2008
Posted by Don Ruiz @ 01:54:06 pm
Just a final reminder that the UW coaches tour -- a golf and banquet event featuring Tyrone Willingham, Lorenzo Romar and Tia Jackson -- will open at Fircrest Golf Club on Thursday. Here's a link to the details.
Categories: Huskies
Posted by Don Ruiz @ 09:14:29 am
First and second round games of next season's NCAA men's basketball tournament will be held in Portland and in Boise -- where UW started its Sweet 16 run a few seasons ago. Here's the link for ticket information.
Categories: Huskies
Monday, April 28th, 2008
Posted by Don Ruiz @ 04:04:46 pm
Washington's crowd for the spring game on Saturday was estimated at about 9,000, a nice enough crowd for a clear spring day. However, it was just a drop in the bucket compared to some of the other spring game crowds around the country (most in the South, not surprisingly). Here's this spring's Top 10 attendance figures for spring football games played through last weekend: Nebraska - 80,149
Categories: Huskies
• 4 comments
Posted by Don Ruiz @ 09:12:03 am
The free agent signings have continued, with UW's Louis Rankin (and Western Washington linebacker Shane Simmons) signing with the Oakland Raiders. I've also heard Marcel Reece is signing with the Dolphins, Greyson Gunheim with the Rainders, Jordan Reffett and Roy Lewis to the Steelers and Chad Macklin to the Vikings. Here's the current list from UW.
Categories: Huskies
Sunday, April 27th, 2008
Posted by Don Ruiz @ 03:48:15 pm
Over its two-day draft, the NFL selected players from Army and Bentley and finally even Idaho. NFL teams also drafted a player named "Washington," but ultimately they drafted no one from Washington. At least not the University of Washington. One player who played his collegiate career in the state of Washington was taken: WSU quarterback Alex Brink by the Houston Texans in the seventh round. And shortly after the draft UW receiver Anthony Russo of Lakewood and WSU's Michael Bumpus were about to sign with the Seahawks. Before the draft, Russo had worked out for the Seahawks and said that former UW coach Keith Gilbertson -- now receivers coach for the Hawks -- had said the team was excited about him. That leaves other hopefuls such as UW receiver Marcel Reece, defensive end Greyson Gunheim, cornerback Roy Lewis, tailback Louis Rankin and outside linebacker Dan Howell; Washington State offensive tackle Bobby Byrd, fullback Jed Collins, safety Husain Abdullah and defensive tackle Ropati Pitoitua; Eastern Washington guard Matthew Alfred and safety Gregory Smith; and Western Washington inside linebacker Shane Simmons free to look for free agent contracts. This was the first draft since 2003 when no UW player was selected, and it marked the lowest number of draftees from the state since 1994, when Washington’s Pete Pierson was the only pick. Pac-10 champion Southern California led the league with 10 drafted players, followed by California, six; Arizona State, five; Arizona, four; UCLA and Oregon, three each; Oregon State, two; WSU, one; UW and Stanford, none. Before the draft, Washington coach Tyrone Willingham had acknowledged that the ability to produce pro players says something about the strength of college programs. “I think it does,” he said. “I think when you have good players, other people want good players.”
Categories: Huskies
• 3 comments
Posted by Don Ruiz @ 09:46:13 am
As we anticipated in our Saturday story, no Huskies were taken on the first day of the NFL draft. It's also not a sure thing that any will go today, either, but there should be at least some suspense for players such as Anthony Russo of Lakewood, Marcel Reece, Louis Rankin and maybe some others. Rankin told his hometown paper that's he's confident that he'll get a shot. And even if undrafted, a handful of Washington players are likely to get their chances as free agents.
Categories: Huskies
Saturday, April 26th, 2008
Posted by Don Ruiz @ 02:49:43 pm
Coaches and players seemed to agree that the UW spring game was a fair representation of what had been happening behind the scenes through the previous 14 days of spring. It's always hard to tell whether a low-scoring spring game indicates a strong defense or a weak offense. In reality, it might not indicate much of anything. Both teams really played vanilla because, as offensive coordinator Tim Lappano pointed out, there were green shirts -- Oregon green -- in the stands. Also, the running clock made for fewer offensive plays than a typical game. Here is my game story. Here are the stats. Here's a quick overview: GOLD 10, PURPLE 7 Offensive player of the game: Locker completed 13 of 17 passes for 159 yards with one touchdown and one interception. “I felt comfortable,” he said. “I had fun, I saw things really well, and I felt like I was really accurate when I was throwing the ball. I think everything’s coming along.” Defensive player of the game: Junior linebacker E. J. Savannah seems determined to regain his starting job. He had a game-high eight tackles, including two for loss. And after an early-spring suspension, he said he now knows how to stay out of the doghouse: “Just go to all the workouts – that’s about it. Do everything that (coach Tyrone Willingham) asks.” Observations: Redshirt freshman Willie Griffin showed a nice knack for one stutter move before breaking hard into the hole. He led all rushers with 71 yards on 20 carries. ... Charles Hawkins had five catches, but also two notable drops, including one in the end zone. … The Purple blew a fourth-down attempt when Locker fumbled the snap. … Starting center Juan Garcia watched from the sidelines, using crutches to get around with his injured left foot. His replacement, Matt Sedillo, played with an ankle injury. … Freshman Chris Polk was manhandled on separate plays in the fourth-quarter while trying to block end Daniel Te’o-Nesheim and linebacker Chris Stevens. Next: The Huskies begin off-season work. They will return for fall camp in early August. The regular season begins Aug. 30 at Oregon. (And here's a report from the Ducks' spring game.)
Categories: Huskies
Posted by Don Ruiz @ 02:25:07 pm
Jake Locker went 7-for-7 in leading an 80-yard drive, capped by an 11-yard pass to D'Andre Goodwin over Quinton Richardson.
Categories: Huskies
Posted by Don Ruiz @ 01:45:55 pm
The only score was a 39-yard field goal by Cory Rutkowski. The Gold had actually given up possession earlier, but got the ball back because the Purple had too many men on the field for the punt. And that's the kind of half it's been. A few stats: Willie Griffin has 23 yards on seven carried, while the Brandons -- Johnson and Yakaboski -- each have 10 on three carries. Leading receiver is D'Andre Goodwin, with four catches for 60 yards. Linebacker E.J. Savannah, apparently running with the No. 2 defense, leads all tacklers with six ... twice as many as anyone else. A few observations: Griffin shows nice little ability to take one stutter step and then break hard for the hole. Charles Hawkins has two catches, but also two drops including one in end zone. The Purple tried a fourth and one on their first possession, but Locker fumbled the snap. Goodwin was flagged for excessive celebration after a 28 yard catch down the sideline over Mesphin Forrester. Locker was picked late in the half by Quinton Richardson, but on a badly underthrown pass. Juan Garcia is watching on crutches. His sub, Matt Sedillo, played some center for both teams.
Categories: Huskies
Posted by Don Ruiz @ 01:10:19 pm
Jake Locker fumbled the snap on a fourth-down attempt. Charles Hawkins has had a couple of big drops, including one in the end zone. As the score indicates, not much offense.
Categories: Huskies
Posted by Don Ruiz @ 11:53:02 am
The kids and visitors are being cleared from the Husky Stadium field, making way for the main event: the annual Purple and Gold football game. It's a beautiful day -- sunny, football-weather cool, with lake and mountains shimmering in the distance. In other words, if you can get up here, you'd probably enjoy yourself. If you can't or don't, the game will be broadcast on KJR, 950-AM, and I'll blog a bit during and after. We've just been given the rosters, and it appears that the Purple will feature the No. 1 offense and No. 2 defense , while the Gold will have the No. 1 defense and No. 2 offense. Assuming that's right, here's the Huskies No. 1 (purple) offense at the end of spring: QB Locker, FB Homer, TB Johnson, WRs Chris Polk and D'Andre Goodwin, T's Ben Ossai and Cody Habben, G's Casey Bulyca and White-Frisbee, C Sedillo and TE Michael Gottlieb. The No. 1 defense (Gold) is: DEs Te'o-Nesheim and Jones, DTs De'Shon Matthews and Cameron Elisara, LBs Josh Gage, Donald Butler and Mason Foster, safeties Nate Williams and Victor Aiyewa and CBs Mesphin Forrester and Quinton Richardson.
Categories: Huskies
Friday, April 25th, 2008
Posted by Don Ruiz @ 08:09:37 pm
Here's my spring game preview for the Saturday paper, mostly trying to outline some of the areas fans might find most interesting in their one spring look at the time. I'll be especially interested in watching the play of the large secondary, the small defensive line, the passing of Jake Locker and Ronnie Fouch, the running of the young runners, and maybe most of all, the performance of the new receivers. Meanwhile, here once again is a Spring Fling overview from the GoHuskies.com Web site. The game will be live broadcast on KJR-950-AM, and of course I'll blog some thoughts Saturday and have a general spring wrap-up in the Sunday paper. Today also marks the start of the NFL draft, and we have preview of hopeful Huskies, Cougars, Eagles and even a Viking.
Categories: Huskies
Posted by Don Ruiz @ 10:33:03 am
I'll be back on radio with Dave "The Groz" Grosby on KJR, 950-AM, at 1:35 p.m. today, talking about the Huskies' spring practices, the Purple and Gold game at 12:45 Saturday, and perhaps some outgoing Huskies' chances in this weekend's NFL draft and the free agency period beyond. The conversation also will be streamed over the Internet.
Categories: Huskies
Thursday, April 24th, 2008
Posted by Don Ruiz @ 03:46:08 pm
We just talked to UW center Juan Garcia, who confirmed that he will try to rehab his Lisfranc foot injury without surgery, which under a best case could get him on field field early next fall. If that doesn't seem to be work over the next four weeks, then he would have surgery, which would mean the end of his UW career, and maybe his football career. He said that if he's well in 2009 and thought he had a reasonable chance in some NFL camp that he will give it a shot. But if not, he said he'll walk away, perhaps becoming a high school coach or working with youth in some other way. He also says thanks for all the good wishes he has received from teammates, coaches and fans. He said he has visited the get-well Web site the university has established, but that he can't read much because he becomes too emotional.
Categories: Huskies
Posted by Don Ruiz @ 03:20:01 pm
Coach Tyrone Willingham said he will try to divide the team evenly for the spring-practice-ending Purple and Gold game at 12:45 p.m. Saturday. Willingham didn't announce the rosters or even promise ones-vs.-ones, twos-vs.-twos. However he said he thinks competitive games are most useful, and that's apparently what they're aiming for. The game will be played with a running clock (mostly), and with quarterbacks protected from contact. Willingham also implied that he isn't planning to show much of the playbook, and he said his No. 1 goal -- as always -- is for his team to come out healthy. Otherwise, no big news today as the Huskies head into their final practice session of spring this afternoon. With 13 practices behind them, Willingham said "spring has been good for us." The game will be the centerpiece of the UW's annual Spring Fling. Here's the full schedule.
Categories: Huskies
Posted by Don Ruiz @ 03:02:09 pm
A UW spokesman has informed us that UW senior center Juan Garcia has decided to try rest and rehab on his Lisfranc foot injury, rather than go straight to surgery. If that course works, it offers the best chance of Garcia actually being able to play this season. However, doctors have said it works less than half the time, and if it just have the affect of delaying surgery, then Garcia's college career is over. There's a chance we'll hear from Garcia later, and if so, I'll share his thinking here.
Categories: Huskies
Posted by Don Ruiz @ 07:51:03 am
Please note the question mark. This remains more speculation than even rumor. However, it's a fascinating possibility floated by Mercury-News columnist Tim Kawakami. Meanwhile, here is a more certain update on the Kevin O'Neill situation at Arizona, from the Tucson Citizen.
Categories: Huskies
Wednesday, April 23rd, 2008
Posted by Don Ruiz @ 06:16:30 pm
The 37th annual UW coaches tour will being at Fircrest Golf Club in Tacoma on May 1. Each of the seven stops will include a golf tournament and banquet. However, tickets to each even are sold separately, meaning you can do the banquet but not the golf, or vice versa. The tour is a fund-raiser of the UW Alumni Association and Department of Intercollegiate Athletics, which over the past five years has raised more than a quarter of a million dollars for UW student scholarships. From here, the tour contines though mid-June with stops in Spokane, Everett, Bellingham, Yakima, Port Orchard (June 12), and Longview.
Categories: Huskies
Tuesday, April 22nd, 2008
Posted by Don Ruiz @ 05:51:28 pm
The University of Washington's athletic Web site has set up a page for fans to send their get-well wishes to center Juan Garcia, who suffered a possible career-ending foot injury last week.
Categories: Huskies
Posted by Don Ruiz @ 04:28:27 pm
Coach Tyrone Willingham confirmed today that junior tailback J.R. Hasty has been suspended from the football team and likely won't practice anymore this spring or play in the spring game on Saturday. Willingham added that Hasty's future with the team is yet to be determined. Willingham gave no further details and wouldn't entertain questions on the matter. Hasty had missed the first two weeks of spring practice due to a failure to fulfill undisclosed commitments to the team. He returned last week, but was missing from practice Monday. The only other thing Willingham was willing to say about the situation is that he's pleased with talent and depth provided by tailbacks Brandon Johnson, Brandon Yakaboski and Willie Griffin, and he does not plan to ask any current players to convert to the offensive backfield.
Categories: Huskies
• 2 comments
Posted by Don Ruiz @ 01:43:01 pm
We just got a short visit from UW center Juan Garcia, who is clearly down about the Lisfranc foot injury that has put his career in jeopardy. Garcia said he will sleep on the decision tonight about whether to have immediate surgery or to try a combination of rest and rehab and then maybe face surgery later. However, he regularly talked about his career in the past tense. He said that he won't be ready by fall even under the best circumstance, and that his best hope may simply be to be able to put on the uniform to say goodbye to fans at the final home game. "I’ll think about it," he said. "It’s just kind of hard knowing you might never wear the uniform again, but that’s the way it is. Maybe I’ll go for the surgery so I can say goodbye to the fas – maybe for the last game I could come in for a play or two or something like that and at least say I’m a Husky." Garcia was injured Friday as the Huskies scrimmaged in Dempsey Indoor. "We were doing goal-line scrimmage and stuff and I went to block the d-tackle and the fullback – it was a handoff to the fullback – got stuffed at the line of scrimmage and I went ‘Oh, no, we have to punch this in,’ so I hit the linebacker and as I was pushing and all those guys started pushing the other way, and I caught my leg on the turf and my knee started going one way," he said. "I could feel it snap, I was just dropping back and I was feeling everything rip and I knew from the get-go that it wasn’t going to be good. Maybe if I wasn’t trying to push that guy in for a touchdown, but that’s not my style." Garcia is a sixth-year senior who has already missed two seasons due to injury. He said he will not consider sitting out this season and returning for a seventh. The injury came the same week that he was named to the Outland Trophy watch list. "Whether my career didn’t end up the way I wanted it to and stuff, I had fun," he said. "I wish it would have been better, but it is what it is. Stuff happens. ... I just have a feeling that I could have been special, and it’s just frustrating."
Categories: Huskies
• 4 comments
Posted by Don Ruiz @ 08:47:49 am
Near the bottom of this basketball notebook out of Kentucky, there is a note suggesting that UW junior-to-be Quincy Pondexter might transfer to UNLV. As the lone remaining member of his recruiting class, Pondexter has often been mentioned amid such rumors, and he has routinely said he is staying put. And on Monday he once again said that the report should not be believed.
Categories: Huskies
Monday, April 21st, 2008
Posted by Don Ruiz @ 04:14:59 pm
UW starting center has suffered a Lisfranc injury to his left foot. "That means that Juan will be out for the remainder of the spring, and we’ll be sending him out to specialists to see what that means for the future," coach Tyrone Willingham said. "That’s what we know today." The injury can heal in weeks or months. The one that ended Isaiah Stanback's college career kept him out for the better part of a year. Garcia, a sixth-year senior on the Outland Trophy watch list, was injured early in a UW scrimmage Friday, and his absence was instantly felt. "There’s no question he’s an important person to our football team. That was one of the things that we recognized prior to the start of our spring," Willingham said. "But the impact of his loss Friday was immediately felt from the standpoint that the whole team felt his absence. It’s one of those situations where it feels almost like air is being sucked out of the room when that person leaves. We know that he’s a vital part to our football team. But always in football, the next man needs to step in and that’s what happens." For now at least, that next man is sophomore Matt Sedillo. If Garcia's absence lingers until fall, Willingham said some juggling of offensive line positions could occur, especially when starting guard Ryan Tolar returns from his shoulder injury. Other notes from today: *Tailback J.R. Hasty wasn’t at practice Monday. Hasty had been back only a week from some unspecified disciplinary issue. *Willingham said the starting UW secondary is currently made up of former safeties Mesphin Forrester and Quinton Richardson at the corners, with Nate Williams and Victor Aiyewa at the safeties. *Willingham said that the team got in some good work in the Friday scrimmage despite Garcia’s injury and that he believes the defense generally got the better of the offense.
Categories: Huskies
• 5 comments
Posted by Don Ruiz @ 03:14:20 pm
UW center Juan Garcia just limped through the bottom floor of Hec Edmundson Pavilion, using crutches. However, there's no word yet on the exact nature of the injury he suffered Friday, nor a pronosis. We could get that any time now, as we are waiting to hear from coach Tyrone Willingham. Naturally, I'll click in here as soon as there's word.
Categories: Huskies
Sunday, April 20th, 2008
Posted by Don Ruiz @ 09:13:43 am
The Huskies get back on the practice field Monday, Tuesday and Thursday and then conclude spring football work with the annual Purple and Gold game at 12:45 p.m. Saturday at Husky Stadium. However, the football game is merely the centerpiece of the university's larger annual Spring Fling event. Here is the university's full run-down of what will be going on.
Categories: Huskies
Saturday, April 19th, 2008
Posted by Don Ruiz @ 06:21:06 pm
As expected, there has been no update on the condition of UW starting center Juan Garcia, who suffered and injury to his left knee and ankle in a Friday scrimmage. An MRI will be conducted on Monday and that should finally determine the extent of the injury and some indication of his prognosis.
Categories: Huskies
Friday, April 18th, 2008
Posted by Don Ruiz @ 04:54:27 pm
Starting center Juan Garcia was injured in a spring football scrimmage Friday afternoon, the same day he was named to the Outland Trophy watch list. The extent of the injury was not immediatly known, however, the sixth-year senior was down on the field of Dempsey Indoor for about 10 minutes, his left leg was placed in an air cast from the knee down, and he was removed from the field on a golf cart. Garcia was selected second-team All-Pac-10 last season, and he was honored as the Huskies lineman of the year. The NCAA awarded him a rare sixth season of eligibility after he missed the 2004 with a broken fibula and dislocated ankle and the 2005 season with a shoulder injury.
Categories: Huskies
Posted by Don Ruiz @ 03:03:47 pm
For the second consecutive day, a UW tailback will be missing from practice. On Thursday, it was presumed starter Brandon Johnson, with a knee injury. Now it's reserve Brandon Yakaboski, who suffered a shoulder injury yesterday. Neither is presumed to be serious. Coach Tyrone Willingham said that Johnson should certainly be back by the end of spring and could be back as early as today. (Although, he said that yesterday, too. And another UW source said that Johnson could actually have post-spring surgery to clean up any remaining issues.) Meanwhile, Yakaboski said he expects to be back by Monday ... although he said he is frustrated by even that because obviously the Johnson injury opened some reps for him. Plus, the team is about to scrimmage, which also could have been a showcase for a young runner trying to make an impression. Now that opportunity falls especially to redshirt freshman Willie Griffin. We spoke to him a bit today, and I'll try to get more of that into the Saturday paper.
Categories: Huskies
Posted by Don Ruiz @ 08:56:20 am
With Kevin Love and Russell Westbrook now headed to the NBA and several other Bruins considering the same, the LA Times has a good look at the immediate future of UCLA basketball ... complete with a gratuitous CBI reference.
Categories: Huskies
Thursday, April 17th, 2008
Posted by Don Ruiz @ 03:50:20 pm
Presumed No. 1 tailback Brandon Johnson suffered ankle and knee injuries in practice Tuesday, coach Tyrone Willingham just announced. Willingham said he doesn't believe Johnson's status for the coming season is threatened, but he didn't rule out the possiblity that Johnson is done for the spring. Or that he could be back this afternoon. (Willingham is notoriously vague when it comes to injury prognosis.) When we went out for our brief look at the opening of practice, the team was in helmets, shoulder pads and shorts. Johnson was on the field only briefly, jogging with a limp apparently favoring his left leg. Once practice began, he was missing, apparently off for treatment. Assuming he's out a while, Willingham said Brandon Yakaboski and Willie Griffin are running 1 and 1A to replace him. And Willingham also said that J.R. Hasty has quickly worked his way into the mix as well.
Categories: Huskies
Tuesday, April 15th, 2008
Posted by Don Ruiz @ 03:43:13 pm
Coach Tyrone Willingham just confirmed that linebacker E.J. Savannah and tailback J.R. Hasty are back as members of the team in full standing, after missing the first two weeks of spring due to undisclosed disciplinary issues. Willingham said both will likely start at the bottom of their respective depth charts, but otherwise gave no hint about what the players had done wrong or what they have done to right their situations. Before that, we got a few minutes with UW defensive coordinator Ed Donatell. Donatell said he's happy to have Savannah back and that he doesn't believe he missed out on anything by running stairs the past couple of weeks while his teammates practiced. Donatell seems to take it as a given that Savannah can contribute, and his recent absence has just given other players more reps, adding confidence and eventually depth.
Categories: Huskies
Posted by Don Ruiz @ 10:51:12 am
Jeff Compher, executive assistant athletic director at UW, is leaving his post to become athletic director at Northern Illinois University. Compher was a key man in UW sports scheduling, and a very good guy. Certainly wishing him all the best in his new post. We spoke with acting athletic director Scott Woodward on Tuesday, and he said Compher will remain at UW through June, and that his eventual departure will come at a time that shouldn't cause much problem. Meanwhile, Woodward said he still hasn't decided if he's going to be a candidate for the permanent AD job.
Categories: Huskies
Monday, April 14th, 2008
Posted by Don Ruiz @ 05:29:58 pm
The Huskies practiced in Dempsey Indoor today, perhaps part due to weather and perhaps due to lots of security around Hec Ed due to the Dalai Lama's visit ... no telling for sure since Coach Willingham wasn't available to the media today. However, in the brief portion of practice open to the media, linebacker E.J. Savannah and tailback J.R. Hasty seemed to participate fully as team members for their first time this spring and since the announcement of their discipline for some undisclosed violation of team rules.
Categories: Huskies
Posted by Don Ruiz @ 02:38:58 pm
Some medical professionals think UW kicker Ryan Perkins of Olympia should give up the game. But he's not yet ready to call it a career, and won't unless the physical realities make any other decision impossible. Perkins has a history of knee troubles, and the violence of the kicking motion is adding to the toll. Some doctors have advised him to quit. For now, he is meeting them only halfway -- continuing to kick, but giving up punting, a concession to the stress the punting motion put on his legs. He has two seasons of eligibility remaining, but he is an academic senior. As of now, his plan is to play as long as his health makes that a reasonable option. "Ultimately, (the doctors are) letting me make the choice," Perkins said Monday. "Right now I think I can go ahead and give it the old college try." Last season, Perkins hit 15 of 20 field goals with a long kick of 45 yards. This season he is competing with the returning Jared Ballman, and a now-healthy Erik Folk, another guy who has dealt with injury problems. In addition to giving up punting, Perkins admits that he can't kick as far as he used to, setting up the possibility that the Huskies could have separate long- and short-field-goal specialists this season. I have more about Perkins' situation in the Tuesday paper.
Categories: Huskies
Posted by Don Ruiz @ 09:22:14 am
The LA Daily News is reporting that UCLA freshman center Kevin Love has decided to leave school and head for the NBA. An announcement is expected at mid-week. Meanwhile, Duke transfer Taylor King, who had been considering switching to Gonzaga or Duke, apparently has instead chosen Villanova, according to ESPN.
Categories: Huskies
• 2 comments
Sunday, April 13th, 2008
Posted by Don Ruiz @ 12:30:02 pm
A few news items from Pac-10 spring football: First, at UCLA, coach Rick Neuheisel seems to have settled on Pat Cowan as his starting quarterback over returning senior Ben Olson. Meanwhile at Oregon -- UW's season-opening opponent -- the Ducks may have found a powerful running back to replace Jonathan Stewart.
Categories: Huskies
• 8 comments
Saturday, April 12th, 2008
Posted by Don Ruiz @ 01:58:27 pm
The Huskies practiced for about two hours in sunny and warm Husky Stadium on Saturday afternoon. Here's my story from the Sunday paper. If the scoreboard was to be beleived, the defense defeated the offense, 31-29, using some odd scoring system that gives the defense points for stopping drives. However, tailback Brandon Johnson later told us that actually they refigured the totals and the offense won. Just by watching, I'd have said the offense won. In general, quarterbacks Jake Locker and Ronnie Fouch both looked pretty sharp. The field goal kickers were accurate. The runners didn't break much highlight-reel stuff, but they were pretty solid between the tackles -- maybe especially by Brandon Yakaboski. The receivers looked fast and athletic, and there weren't many drops. However, if the offense won, it wasn't overwhelming. Only two touchdowns were scored: a nice juking 16-yard run by Brandon Johnson, and a 74-yard pass from Locker to D'Andre Goodwin, who got open down the sideline past Nate Williams while Locker bought time. J.R. Hasty and E.J. Savannah continued to watch from the sidelines due to the undisclosed disciplinary issue that has now cost them the first seven practices of spring. There weren't any huge surprises in what we saw, however, this was the media's last look at a practice until the spring game, so a few more observations: *Fouch is holding on field goals and extra points. Ryan Perkins was handling the PATs, and he hit a37-yarder. Jared Ballman was wide left on a 44-yard attempt, but he was solid on a 43-yarder with plenty to spare. Eric Folk was good from 23 and 33 yards. *25-year-old former minor league baseball player Tripper Johnson is running with the second unit at safety. *Quinton Richardson saw a lot of time with the No. 1 unit at cornerback. *Goodwin had a nice day, getting open regularly and coming down with a nice one-handed catch around a defender, in addition to his TD. *The quarterbacks were protected, but linebacker Trenton Tuiasosopo and defensive lineman Kalani Aldrich recorded touch sacks. * Cornerback Matt Mosley sniffed out a sweep and dropped Chris Polk in the backfield. * Early in the scrimmage, Fouch connected with Charles Hawkins on a 39-yard post pattern. * Johnie Kirton had a couple of encouraging plays at defensive tackle. And De'Shon Matthews also got time on the inside, although he is listed as a defensive end.
Categories: Huskies
• 3 comments
Friday, April 11th, 2008
Posted by Don Ruiz @ 04:47:25 pm
The Huskies are holding another closed practice today. (Saturday's will be open.) However, we did get some time with coach Willingham. He started by mentioning what he was disappointed to have missed the Dalai Lama's appearance on campus this morning, noting, "You don’t have those kinds of opportunities many times in your life." Then he gave a nice summation of how his three new assistants are fitting on on his staff: "You always bring new personalities. Obviously, if you’ve been on the practice field for five minutes, you can hear Coach White, he comes through loud and clear. And if you get near Coach Donatell, you can hear the real positive nature that he brings and how he talked to our guys and how he guides them through his knowledge of what we’re doing; and if you get near Coach Gervias, you get that sense of calm in a sense that we’re on the right track, we’re doing the right thing. I think to they’re respective groups, they’ve brought that kind of approach, that kind of feel to it. So far, it’s been very positive." Other notes: * The Thursday practice was "a lot better" than the Tuesday work, which had dissatisfied him. * He cited D'Andre Goodwin as the leader of his young receiving corps. Asked directly about Alvin Logan, Willingham said Logan is improving in general, and especially in how to use his large body to his advantage. * He cautioned that the media (and fans) shouldn't get too hung up on the competitions at strong and free safety because in the end the best two players are likely to be the two starters regardless of which position they're currently listed at. * He added that he is generally pleased with the physical play of his secondary, something he thinks was missing last season. My story for the Saturday paper will take a look at the young defensive line.
Categories: Huskies
Thursday, April 10th, 2008
Posted by Don Ruiz @ 06:29:40 pm
The Huskies held their fifth of 15 spring practices today at Husky Stadium. The practice was closed, but players and coaches were available for interview, and I spoke a bit with starting tailback Brandon Johnson about the running back situation, which I wrote about for the Friday paper. Also a little to offensive coordinator Tim Lappano. And finally to a few of the young defensive linemen for a piece that will likely run over the weekend. Here's a few interesting things I heard during the day:
Categories: Huskies
Posted by Don Ruiz @ 04:42:28 pm
Football coach Tyrone Willingham said today that the Huskies' last practice -- Tuesday -- was "very average," and that he was looking for better today. Today's practice is closed to the media, so we won't know if the team lived up to Willingham's expectations until we hear from him again tomorrow. Meanwhile, Willingham also gave a brief injury update, citing no dramatic changes except for sophomore Tony Chidiac, who could have "an extended absence" due to turf toe.
Categories: Huskies
Posted by Don Ruiz @ 08:41:13 am
Departing senior Cody Ellis, of UW and Puyallyp, has been honored as a member of the National Football Foundation's Hampshire Society, honoring his work on the field and in the classroom. Here's the full release from the UW Web site. Over his UW career, Ellis had 36 receptions and three touchdowns.
Categories: Huskies
Wednesday, April 9th, 2008
Posted by Don Ruiz @ 06:40:29 pm
UW junior forward Jon Brockman won for awards tonight as the Huskies held their annual basketball awards banquet. Here's the full list:
Here's the official release from UW.
Categories: Huskies
Posted by Don Ruiz @ 04:29:32 pm
UW basketball assistant Cameron Dollar was a finalist for the top job at Sacramento State, but in the end, the Hornets went another way. Here's a report from the Sacramento Bee. In even more surprising news, it looks like Stanford coach Trent Johnson is heading to LSU. Here's a report from the San Jose Mercury News.
Categories: Huskies
Posted by Don Ruiz @ 10:08:23 am
Oregon is building it's new baseball facility near Autzen Stadium, which will present a bit of a new look for the Ducks' season opener against Washington.
Categories: Huskies
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Posted by Don Ruiz @ 09:49:48 am
Pac-10 hoops could be a very different looking league next season, depending on how many stars choose to head for the NBA. As of now, some of the biggest names seem to be considering leaving, without yet making it official.
Categories: Huskies
Posted by Don Ruiz @ 09:29:37 am
The Huskies take a break from spring football practice today. However, they return to the field Thursday, Friday and Saturday, and we'll be back blogging from each of those.
Categories: Huskies
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Monday, April 7th, 2008
Posted by Don Ruiz @ 10:57:41 pm
There's a link to a full game report in the post below. And here's a link to my column in today's paper. But I had a few other thoughts before calling it a basketball season. One is just what a greatly entertaining game that was. This was the Final Four of the four No. 1 seeds, and most of the drama that the semifinals lacked was mostly made up for tonight. Also, as the Huskies' beat writer, there were a few things that seemed familiar. Most obviously, there was free-throw problems, which finally came back to bite the Tigers. Memphis hit only half of their 14 free throws in the second half, and what wouldn't they give to have had just one more of those roll in. Coach John Calipari -- who I thought was just great this week -- had spent most of the season making the point that free throw percentages don't matter. What matters -- be said -- is when you make your free throws. He made the point that he don't want a 90 percent free throw shooter on the line at crunch time if his knees are knocking from the pressure. Instead, Calipari implied, he'd take his own strong-willed guys who he beleived would make them when it mattered. In the most important game their is, he was wrong about that. The other UW-related thought is a little more distant. Remember when the Huskies allowed a three-pointer in the final seconds against UConn in the Sweet 16, and coach Lorenzo Romar defended his decision not to foul and force UConn to shoot two free throws? The same question was asked of Calipari tonight, but his answer was different. He said he actually wanted to foul, that his team had tried to foul, but that they apparently didn't foul strongly enough or obviously enough for the official to call it. That failure to foul allowed Mario Chalmers to hit a 3-pointer with two seconds left that sent the game into overtime and eventually cost the Tigers a title.
Categories: Huskies
Posted by Don Ruiz @ 08:50:15 pm
Here's the Associated Press game story. A few notes: *This was the seventh time the NCAA title game was decided in overtime. This was the first time since 1997, when Arizona beat Kentucky. * This was Kansas' third national title and first since 1988. Memphis has now been to the title game twice, losing each. * Kansas finished its the season 37-3, the most single-season wins in school history. * Memphis ended the season 38-2, establishing a record for wins in an NCAA season. * The Jayhawks ended the season with 13 straight wins. Their title game win snapped a 13-game winning streak by Memphis. * Mario Chalmers, who hit the 3-pointer with two seconds left that sent the game into overtime, was selected the tournament's most outstanding player. He won the same honor at the Big 12 tournament and in the Midwest Regional. *This was the second consecutive season in what the basketball champion's school also won a BCS bowl game (Orange Bowl). Last season, Florida had won NCAA title in both sports. * Kansas finished the season 9-0 at neutral sites. *Kansas hit 14 of 15 free throws, which would have been the second best in a title game, except that it fell on short of the minimum of 15 free throws made. *The teams combined for 22 steals, third most in a title game. * Finally, here's a link to an LA Daily News analysis on UCLA, facing lots of questions after being eliminated by Memphis in the semifinals on Saturday.
Categories: Huskies
Posted by Don Ruiz @ 08:32:36 pm
Kansas guard Mario Chalmers hit a 3-pointer about two seconds from the end to send tonight's national title game into overtime. Get to a TV.
Categories: Huskies
Posted by Don Ruiz @ 07:14:33 pm
Looks like a couple of very good teams slugging away at each other so far. Kansas has played with the lead most of the way, and the difference has been its ability to get inside. The Jayhawks have 24 points in the paint, the Tigers only eight. That's also showing up in shooting percentage, where Kansas has hit 52 percent, and Memphis 39 percent. Kansas also is leading on the boards, 19-11. Memphis' Derrick Rose, who was ill yesterday, was among the Tigers' starers but has only three points. Forward Darrell Arthur is leading the Jayhawks with 10 points and four rebounds. Chris Douglas-Roberts has 13 for the Tigers.
Categories: Huskies
Posted by Don Ruiz @ 04:35:10 pm
This was a fun day for the city of San Antonio, as excitement built for tonight's national championship game. At midday, the Kansas pep band and cheerleaders sailed to a pep rally on San Antonio River barges. They were followed by the Memphis pep band and cheerleaders. Everyone around the River Walk seemed to be having a great time. It's hard to tell, but there seem to be more Kansas fans around than Memphis fans. And oddly, the souvenir stands were full of (half-priced) UCLA merchandise and (full-price) Memphis merchandise, but North Carolina and Kansas items were hard to find. Anyway, no player or coaches available to the public today, so there's no new news. If any breaks, I'll pop back in here. And either way, I'll be back with a halftime and postgame report.
Categories: Huskies
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