I'm going to be out on vacation for the next couple of weeks, and therefore new entries to this blog are likely to slow significantly, if not stop.

However, I wanted to post something here so that you guys could continue to discuss any Huskies topics in the comments section below ... sort of turning this blog post into a message board.

So, please feel free to do so ... in the respectful, non-trash-talking atmosphere that has generally been the norm in our blog discussions.

One early topic might be discussion on the post below: Do you see the Huskies as ready to go bowling this season?

Mark Schlabach takes an early (hyper-early, really) shot at predicting the coming season's bowl pairings. And his early take is that the Huskies will sit home again.

Schlabach predicts Georgia vs. Ohio State in the BCS title game.

He sees USC headed for the Rose Bowl, apparently as Pac-10 champs, and Arizona State in the Holiday, as the apparent Pac-10 runners-up.

I don't have any problem with either of those picks, but he puts Oregon State third and Sun Bowl bound. I'm not convinced the Huskies go bowling this season, but from this distance I think they've got at least as much chance as the Beavers.

Here's his full list.

The Bellingham Bells rolled into Bremerton on Monday, but centerfielder Jake Locker was not with them.

True to his word to put UW football ahead of Bells baseball, Locker was with his college teammates as the Huskies began their limited summer workouts.

Also present was center Juan Garcia, whose leg injury continues to improve encouragingly through the early stages of rehab.

ESPN's Dan Gottlieb lists Washington among the school's that shouldn't be underrated when the 2008-09 men's basketball season rolls around.

Gottlieb thinks the Huskies' down cycle in hoops may be about to ends, and that UW could reach as high as No. 2 in the Pac-10 next season.

Here's his take on the Dawgs:

• Washington has gone through a down cycle after a 1-seed a couple of years ago. The Huskies didn't even make the NCAA tournament last season. But with the Pac-10 set to be down and the Huskies bringing back eight of their top 10 (barring a transfer), Jon Brockman should put up huge numbers in the Dawg Pound. Quincy Pondexter was disappointing as a sophomore, but he has a ton of skill. Keep an eye on incoming scoring combo Isaiah Thomas. Look for UW to compete with Arizona for the No. 2 spot (behind UCLA) in the Pac-10.

And here's his full report.

Jake Locker went 3-for-5 including his first home run of the season Thursday in the Bellingham Bells' win over Moses Lake.

Locker also had a single and a double, leaving him a triple away from the cycle.

On the season, the UW quarterback is currently hitting .333.

The Pac-10 is once again doing a preseason football poll of its beat reporters, and my deadline is coming up next Wednesday.

That gives me time to float my first thoughts past you guys, knowing you'll weigh in in time for me to reassess before sending my final pick.

So, here's the first draft:

1. USC – They lose a lot, including their quarterback. But this is USC, and I'll need to see some hint of a stumble before predicting a fall.
2. Arizona State – I’m tempted to move them to the top. They return 16 starters – tied with Stanford for the most in the league. Rudy Carpenter is likely the league's best quarterback, and Dennis Erickson's second season in Tempe could be a breakthrough.
3. Oregon – They lose Dixon and Stewart, and they face a Pac-10 schedule that sends them on the road to USC, ASU, Cal and the Civil War. But QB Justin Roper showed something in the Sun Bowl, and seven returning defensive starters could keep things close while the offense finds itself.
4. Cal – I see lots of problems, including lots of offensive turnover and a looming quarterback question. So this is mostly a vote of confidence in Jeff Tedford.
5. Arizona – This feels high, but there seem to be at least five teams in the league that are even more flawed. At least the Wildcats can count on scoring points, with a league-high 10 offensive starters returning, including quarterback Willie Tuitama. Only three starters return on defense, but here's a hunch that in his fifth season Stoops has defensive guys ready to step in and step up.
6. Washington – There's no shortage of things to worry about. Jake Locker is only a sophomore, and there's no experience behind him -- just like there’s no experience at the other skill positions. Two of the stars you could have counted on -- Juan Garcia and E.J. Savannah -- are injured. There’s nothing proven on a potentially tiny defensive line. And the kicking game had big troubles in spring. But the league seems to have come back to the Dawgs a bit. And if Ed Donatell makes a difference on defense, the young offense has the potential to keep up.
7. UCLA – A new coaching staff, a decimated QB corps and more than half the starters gone on both sides of the ball. That much-anticipated game at Husky Stadium could determine which team goes bowling.
8. Oregon State – TB Yvenson Bernard is gone, only three defensive starters return, and there is a big question at quarterback. What the Beavers have going for them is coach Mike Riley.
9. Washington State – The Cougs will be breaking in a new coach -- not only new to Pullman, but new the Bowl Subdivision. He has the mixed blessing of eight starters returning from a defense that gave up an average of 32 points last season. But that extra year of experience had better work wonders, because that’s setting the bar mighty high for an offense that will be finding its way without the most prolific passer in school history.
10. Stanford – The Cardinal returns the same quantity of starters as Arizona State, but not the same quality. The quarterback situation isn’t as settled as it looked like it might be when Tavita Pritchard got off to that dazzling start. It just still seems too early in a too tough rebuilding process.

NBA decision day for college players passed Monday. In the key moves involving Pac-10 late-deciders:

Arizona's Chase Budinger has decided to stay in school.

While UCLA's Luc Richard Mbah a Moute and Cal's Ryan Anderson have decided to go pro.

With the dust now clear, I would think that UCLA and Arizona will be generally rated ahead of UW for the coming men's basketball season. However, I don't see how Cal -- without Anderson -- avoids falling behind the veteran Huskies.

The Oklahoma State Cowboys will visit Hec Ed this Dec. 4 as UW's portion of the Pac-10/Big 12 Hardwood Series.

The Huskies visited Stillwater last season, and this is the return visit.

Here's the release from the Pac-10:

The Pacific-10 and Big 12 Conferences have announced the dates and matchups for the 2008 Big 12/Pac-10 Hardwood Series. The series is in its second year after beginning competition during the 2007-08 season.

The majority of the games are scheduled for Dec. 4-7, with three taking place outside the four-day series window.

Each matchup is a return contest from 2007. The 2009 games in the series will be played Dec. 3-6, while meetings in 2010 will take place Dec. 2-5. After this season, new pairings will be in place for the next two years of the arrangement.

Last season, the Pac-10 held a 7-5 edge over the Big 12 in Hardwood Series games. Overall, the Big 12 posted an 11-8 advantage between the conferences in regular season and postseason play. The 12 contests averaged more than 10,000 fans, drawing a total of 123,035 to the arenas.

Additional components of the series, including the times and television information will be announced at a later date.

BIG 12/PAC-10 HARDWOOD SERIES
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Oklahoma State at Washington
UCLA at Texas
USC at Oklahoma
Friday, December 5, 2008
Arizona at Texas A&M
Saturday, December 6, 2008
Baylor at Washington State
Oregon State at Iowa State
Sunday, December 7, 2008
Kansas State at Oregon
Nebraska at Arizona State
California at Missouri
Outside the four-day series window
Colorado at Stanford (Sat., Nov. 29, 2008)
Kansas at Arizona (Tue., Dec. 23, 2008)
Texas Tech at Stanford (Sun., Dec. 28, 2008)

The Washington Huskies may have landed a big man to step in immediately when Jon Brockman leaves after the coming men’s basketball season.

Six-foot-9 power forward Charles Garcia has verbally committed to join UW’s incoming class of 2009, according to Scout.com.

Garcia averaged 16 points and eight rebounds last season as a freshman at Riverside (Calif.) Junior College. The team went 25-8, and Garcia was named first-team all-state and was runner-up for junior college player of the year honors.

Scout reports that Garcia had received an offer from San Diego State and had drawn interest from Memphis, Tennessee and Southern California. Two seasons ago as a senior at Dorsey High School of Los Angeles, he had been more lightly recruited, drawing interest primarily from Long Beach State and Nevada.

Garcia is the second member of UW’s 2009 recruiting class, joining shooting guard/small forward C.J. Wilcox of Pleasant Grove, Utah.

Monday is deadline day for college basketball underclassmen to declare whether they're going to make themselves available for the NBA draft or return to school.

Apparently taking their decision down to the final day at Chase Budinger of Arizona, Ryan Anderson of Cal and Luc Richard Mbah a Moute of UCLA.

And from this distance, I think its fair to say that UW's coming hoops season could be significantly affected by those decisions.

For now, I think UW projects as very close to Arizona and Cal ... close enough where the Huskies would likely move past them if Budinger leaves Tucson (and Wildcats beat writer Steve Rivera says he likely will) and Anderson leaves Berkeley. And while I think UCLA survives as the league favorite even with its heavy losses, there's no doubt they become a more beatable team if Mbah a Moute departs.

I've always made the case that UW could make a significant jump in the league standing next season based on two prime reasons: 1.) UW will field a far more experienced team than at any time during this downturn, and 2.) several other Pac-10 teams will drop back considerably.

How considerably will become clearer Monday. And if it's two places in the standings, that could be the difference between an NCAA bid or a disappointing something less.

Here's a good national roundup of late deciders from ESPN's Andy Katz.

Now that Pac-10 commissioner Tom Hansen has announced that he will step down next summer, speculation about his replacement has begun.

Jon Wilner of the San Jose Mercury News offers this good roundup of potential candidates.

One of those floated names is Bill Moos, former Oregon AD. However, John Hunt's blog from the Oregonian reports that Moos considers that unlikely.

Former P-I reporter Ted Miller, now of ESPN.com, has a good piece online on UW center Juan Garcia, and his fight back from a leg injury that could -- but might not -- cost him his senior season.

Star receiver Jermaine Kearse of Lakes High School, one of the top recruits of the incoming UW freshman class, has been selected as The News Tribune's high school Male Athlete of the Year.

Here's a good profile by reporter Doug Pacey from today's paper. And here's our video package.

If the Huskies are going to break through as a bowl team this season, they're going to have to earn it. At least, according to Phil Steele's College Football Preview which ranks UW's 2008 football schedule as the toughest in the nation.

By some figuring, last year's schedule also was the toughest. And this one certainly ranks in the same neighborhood, with an out-of-conference schedule with Oklahoma (comparable to last season's Ohio State), Brigham Young (comparable to last season's Boise or Hawaii), and Notre Dame (even at their worst, a considerable upgrade from last season's Syracuse).

Then the Pac-10 schedule turns around this season, giving the Huskies five conference games on the road, including notoriously difficult Oregon and USC, and sending the Huskies to Pullman in late November.

Meanwhile, Yardbarker.com reminds that there are at least two ways of looking at every game, by ranking Oklahoma's visit to Husky Stadium as one of the top five trap games for this season's national title contenders:

Oklahoma @ Washington (Sept. 13): Washington is either going to be one of the surprise teams in college football this season, or else the Huskies will be in the familiar role of conducting a search for a new head coach at the end of the season. Jake Locker is going to be a handful for the Sooners' defense to control, and if he has matured as a passer over the off-season, look out. Plus, we all know what happened the last time Oklahoma ventured to the Pacific Northwest.

The Pac-10 has announced the advanced section of its TV packages for the coming football season.

The Huskies season-opener Aug. 30 at Oregon will kick off at 7 p.m. and be televised on FSN.

The schedule also shows noon kickoffs for Washington's home opener Sept. 6 against BYU, as well as for the Apple Cup on Nov. 22 in Pullman.

Here is the current TV/time UW schedule

at Oregon: 7 p.m. Aug. 30 on FSN.
BYU: Noon Sept. 6 on FSN.
Oklahoma: 4:45 p.m. Sept. 13 on ESPN.
Oregon State: 4 p.m. Oct. 18 on Versus.
Notre Dame: 5 p.m. Oct. 25 on ABC, ESPN or ESPN2.
at WSU: Noon Nov. 22 on FSN.
at Cal: Either noon Dec. 6 on FSN or 5 p.m. Dec. 6 on ESPN or ESPN2.

Other -- and perhaps all -- UW games could also be picked up for telecast, but those would be announced either six of 12 days in advance.

Here's is the complete Pac-10 TV schedule.

Pac-10 commissioner Tom Hansen will step down on July 1, 2009. Here's our story from today's paper.

Hansen took over at the Pac-10's fifth commissioner on July 1, 1983. That gives him the longest reign of any Division I commissioner.... ever.

He said he decided to retire now because he has just turned 70, and that the travel the job requires has become less enjoyable. Also, he said the timing works well because the Pac-10 had four more years on its TV contracts, two more years on its bowl contracts and four more years on its men's baseball tournament contract, so his successor will be able to break into the job a bit before facing any of those big issues.

As for the other big issues -- things like league expansion or the embrace of a football playoff system -- Hansen said those are decisions made by school presidents, not the league commissioner, and he doesn't expect the Pac-10's skepticism on those issues to change with a new face in his office.

I spoke to him Monday afternoon, and he said this is what he's most proud of:
"First, the great competitive record. … I’m particularly proud of the inauguration and great success of our women’s programs -- I guess that was mid-80s we started that. The expansion of our televisions programs … that was something I’m very proud of. Establishing a good bowl lineup, that was something I’m very proud of. I’m also very proud of having been one of the founders and guiding administrators of the BCS because I think it’s been one of the great success stories that’s been very very positive for both the regular season and the bowl system, which I think is a marvelous thing for college football in that it gives some 6,000 young people a chance to have a postseason experience."

Hansen said the league presidents already have begun looking for his successor. A list of candidates will be created his summer, interviews could take place in the fall, and the new commissioner could be in place before Hansen leaves office.

(The only name I had heard no longer seems in play: Kevin White -- who recently left Notre Dame to become AD at Duke.)

Here is the news announcement from the Pac-10.

Jake Locker got a single and a stolen base Saturday night in his second game with the Bellingham Bells.

Given the distance from Tacoma to Bellingham, I won't be a regular up there to report on Locker's progress. However, we'll try to continue to pass along the highlights. And for those who want a daily fix, please check in with our sister paper -- the Bellingham Herald -- which plans to cover most Bells games. There also should be regular updates from the Bells' web site.

Ah, to see ourselves as others see us.

The Bleacher Report website is taking a look at Brigham Young opponents and comes to the conclusion that the Cougars should be UW by 10 or more in Husky Stadium this fall.

It's possible, of course. But from this distance, I'd be surprised if the actual spread was more than three points either way. BYU projects as one of the best of this season's mid-majors -- just as Boise State did last season, when they were pushed around pretty soundly at Husky Stadium in last season's second game.

And, of coure, this will be a big game for the Huskies, as second games always are. The Huskies will either come in on a high after having beaten Oregon in Eugene, or they will come in with the early utter desperation of avoiding an 0-2 start.

Here's my story from the Saturday paper. And below is my running blog post from Friday in Bellingham:

Final: Everett, 11-1.

Locker went 1-for-three with a double, a walk and two strikeouts. Defensively, he handled a handful of routine plays in the field.

Tonight's attendance, 2,019.. which is just below capacity. Part of it was opening night. Part of it was fireworks after. But you gotta figure most of it was Jake Locker.

And Locker himself estimated that about 10 of his UW football teammates were here, too.

LOCKER'S OVERVIEW
“I really enjoyed it. I struck out too many times, though. … I wish I would have done a little better. I wish I hadn’t struck out twice.”

MANAGER BRANDON NEWELL'S TAKE
“He’s just a special special athlete. I don’t know any other person who could have taken two years off and run into an 88 miles per hour fastball and hit it like that. He’s a kid that’s amazingly gifted in everything he does.”

Newell, by the way, estimated that Locker could end up playing 30 to 35 of the Bell's 52 games... figuring most Thursday-through-Sunday home games and maybe some on the road, too. That sounds like a little more than the number football coach Tyrone Willingham had hinted at. However, Locker assured once again that whenever there are conflicting responsibilities, UW football will always come first.

Inning by inning:

Eighth: Locker came up with two on and two out, worked the count full, and went down swinging again.

Everett, 11-1.

Seventh: A Locker-free inning. No plays in the field, no turn at the plate.

Everett, 11-1.

Sixth: Locker recorded his first two outs in the field on a pair of routine fly balls to center.

In the bottom of the inning, he came to the plate for the third time, and went down swinging.

Everett, 11-1

Fifth inning: It appeared that the inning was going to pass quietly for Lockers -- no fielding plays, no at bats. However, at the end of the inning Jake and his cousin/teammate Brady Locker where handed a PA mike and sang "Happy Birthday" to their grandmother, Barbara Locker.

Everett, 8-1.

Fourth inning: Nice play in the field by Locker, but to no advantage. The Bellingham second baseman let a fairly routine grounder through, and the Everett runner on first advanced to second and continued on to third. Locker hustled in from center, and whipped the ball over to third. It got there ahead of the runner, but the tag was late.

Then Locker led off the bottom of the inning, with a hard line shot over the center fielders' head. The ball rolled to the 350 right in left center, and Locker -- in full gallop -- turned past second and headed to third, where he was tagged out on a head-first slide.

Everett, 8-0.

Third inning: Locker got another touch in the field. An Everett batter sent the ball off the right field wall, and missed. Locker hustled over from center and got the ball back into the infield. Everett, 5-0.

Locker is scheduled to lead off the fourth.

Second inning: Locker got his first touch in the field ... picking up a single up the middle and tossing it back into the infield. No at-bat in this inning. Everett leads, 4-0.

First inning: No balls to Locker in the top half.

In the bottom half, Locker came up to the plate for the first time. He received a nice hand (although maybe less than I would have expected. For that matter, the crowd is well below capacity, making it also smaller than I would have expected.)

His at bat: Swing and miss, ball, fouled off to the first-base side, ball two, then on a full count he fouled off a couple before finally drawing a walk.

7:05 -- It's turned out to be a beautiful day up here. Jake Locker is out in center field, with his cousin Brady Locker in left. Staring out at Jake in centerfield there is one overriding impression: He's huge.

Play ball.

7:00 -- Pregame festivities included some antics by the mascot -- Cluck the Super Chicken -- and by manager Brandon Newell's on-field proposal to his girlfriend ... and now fiancee.

6:25: A few pregame thoughts from Locker:

ON IF HE'S READY AFTER A TWO-YEAR LAYOFF
I don’t know we’ll see in about two hours. It’s fun. I’m a little rusty. I have to get back in the swing of things. ... I’m just excited to play. I know these guys have been playing, they’re all gifted baseball players. I’m not looking to compare myself to anybody. I just want to have a good time and help the team win.

ON HIS UW QUARTERBACK RESPONSIBILITIES
This isn’t going to affect me going to workouts or me throwing the football or anything like that. Football is still my first priority and anytime I have anything to so with that I’ll be out there.

ON WHY HE'S PLAYING
I missed playing the game a little bit, I got the opportunity to do that this summer and I wanted to take advantage of it.

6:10 -- Both teams are out on the field warming up in pure blazing sunshine. Looks like we're going to have a game.

We also just got a few minutes with Locker, wearing his navy Bells caps with a red and gold "B." He also got his familiar No. 10 jersey.

He says his finished three finals at UW today and made it up to Bellingham in time for a little practice. He said the hitting felt natural, but he felt rusty tracking fly balls.

We should get to see each skill fairly promptly. Locker apparently is penciled in No. 2 in the lineup and will start in center field.

He says he's excited to play.

4:10 -- I've made it up to Bellingham for Jake Locker's debut with the Bellingham Bells. First pitch is scheduled for 7 p.m., and I'll just adapt this entry all evening as a running blog.

I passed through a lot of rain and showers (and traffic) on the way up, but now -- less than three hours till game time -- there is some sunshine and more blue sky than gray clouds above.

I understand that Locker got up here before I did, and the plan is to let him speak to the media around 5:30. I'll pop in again after that.

Meanwhile, I will say that they've done a nice job of modernizing Joe Martin Field since my only other visit here many years ago. Especially nice is the entry area behind home plate. Unfortunately, the vast majority of the seats are benches with no backs ... which is pretty tough for baseball. However, Bells GM Dave Lewis (formerly GM of the Rainiers) says that green seats like the ones installed at Cheney are eventually going to be installed here too.

MORNING -- UW quarterback Jake Locker is scheduled to be in the lineup tonight when the Bellingham Bells begin their summer baseball season.

Here's the preview story from today's paper.

But here also is today's gloomy weather forecast for Bellingham.

I'm planning to go up, and if the game goes as scheduled, I'll try to blog back with at-bat-by-at-bat reporters on Locker's debut.

And if any of you are planning to go up, Bells general manager Dave Lewis -- former longtime GM for the Tacoma Rainiers -- says that a berm seating area makes the capacity of the park flexible and makes it unlikely that anyone -- especially anyone driving all the way up from the South Sound -- will be turned away even once the technical capacity of 2,100 is reached.

Former UW and Lakes receiver Anthony Russo has been released by the Seahawks.

UW's receptions leader from last season was trying to make the team as a free agent.

The St. Petersburg Times is reporting that University of South Florida athletic director Doug Woolard says he isn't interested in the UW job.

Jake Locker is still scheduled to be in the starting lineup Friday when the Bellingham Bells begin their summer baseball season.

However, UW Alumni Association is now reporting that a scheduling conflict will keep quarterback Jake Locker from appearing at the UW Coaches Tour on Thursday at Bellingham Country Club.

Even without Locker, the tour will still feature UW figures such as men's basketball coach Lorenzo Romar, his assistant Cameron Dollar, women's hoops coach Tia Jackson, football offensive coordinator Tim Lappano, volleyball star Christal Morrison, and
John Buller who is PR coordinator for the Husky Stadium renovation project. Head football coach Tyrone Willingham will be participating instead at the Marine Corp. Celebrity Classic.

More information and registration can be found at the UW Alumni Association website.

Washington starting linebacker E. J. Savannah has suffered a broken left arm, which could keep him out of action for two or three months, school officials confirmed today.

Savannah, who led the Huskies with 111 tackles last season, broke the humerus bone of his left arm on Saturday in what is being described as a non-football related incident. One unconfirmed report says that Savannah was arm-wrestling when the injury occurred.

Savannah was held out for the first half of spring practice after missing some offseason workouts. However, he is considered a key component of Washington’s revamped defense under new defensive coordinator Ed Donatell.

The Huskies begin the season on Aug. 30 at Oregon and open their home season Sept. 6 against Brigham Young.

The St. Petersburg Times is reporting that Doug Woolard, currently athletic director at the University of South Florda (Tampa) has been contacted about the athletic director job at Washington.

Woodlard is 58 and in his fourth year at USF, a Big East school.

A look at his resume indicates that he has never hired a football coach, but he has hired on in basketball: Woolard previously worked at St. Louis, and was the man who hired Lorenzo Romar there. Romar is a member of the UW committee that will make AD recomendations to university president Mark Emmert.

Here's the St. Petersburg Times report (scroll down to the second item.

UW, meanwhile, continues to conduct its search behind a pretty good wall of secrecy.

A generally stated goal was to have an new AD in place by the end of the school year -- less than two weeks away. However, all concerned have stressed that isn't a drop-dead deadline and that the announcement could come somewhat before or after that.

And by the way, the lawyer representing former Oregon athletic director Bill Moos says Moos has not been contacted by UW.

C.J. Wilcox, a 6-5 shooting guard/small forward from Utah, has become coach Lorenzo Romar's first UW basketball commit of the 2009 recruiting class.

Wilcox had plenty of options, including Utah, Brigham Young, Miami, Florida State, Iowa State, Nebraska and San Diego.

Here's a report from the Salt Lake Tribune.