March 14, 2013; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Washington Huskies guard Abdul Gaddy (0) shoots against the Oregon Ducks during the second half in the second round of the Pac 12 tournament at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. Oregon defeated Washington 80-77 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

The Huskies simply couldn’t stop Tyler Hawes of BYU who was shooting lights out for the entirety of the game. Some of that lies on the defense that could not get back soon enough in transition and part you have to credit to Hawes for playing at such a high level.

The Dawgs had the game even at half only to get down 11 points early in the second resulting in another half of furious comeback attempts that fell all too short of an insurmountable lead. Abdul Gaddy finished on somewhat of a high note despite the lose with 9 points and an incredible 9 assists to only 2 turnovers. Speaking of assists, the Huskies handled the ball surprisingly well with 18 assists on 28 shots and committed only 10 turnovers. What killed the Dawgs was their rebounding or lack thereof. The Dawgs were out-rebounded 37 to 28. Kemp Jr. led all players with 11 boards and Scott Suggs pulled in 5. The Dawgs only managed to get 3 boards from Aziz N’Diaye who scored early and looked to be having some success only to have foul trouble remove him from the game.

With all this in mind its tough to say much else until the whole season settles in and I have time to process whether or not this year was a bust or simply a subpar team playing up to their capabilities. This off season has a few interesting story lines for the Huskies including the recruitment of Aaron Gordon and whether or not Wilcox will return for his senior season.

Go Dawgs!

Wilcox had a solid game outside the final turnover. He shot exceedingly well and look much more on form with his early season efforts. Alongside the sharp shooting of Scott Suggs, the Huskies were hot early on and battled the Ducks back and forth. After going into half down 5, the Dawgs came out on a tear and worked up a sizable lead onto give it up for good in the waning minutes.

March 14, 2013; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Washington Huskies forward Shawn Kemp Jr. (40) and Oregon Ducks center Tony Woods (55) fight for the rebound during the first half in the second round of the Pac 12 tournament at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

The game was a tale of two sides. The Huskies dominated the fast break and were weak on the interior, while the Ducks struggled to make plays in transition and received excellent contributions from their backcourt.

It was unfortunate that it took the whole season to get Suggs and Wilcox on the same page as the duo was a threat that could not be contained. Andrew Andrews tore up the Ducks with athleticism to be excited about next season. Andrews drove, passed, soared, and stole all night long with tenacity that Abdul Gaddy can only dream of.

In all reality, the season is likely over for the Dawgs lest they receive and accept a bid to the NIT. The NCAA is out of the question and the CBI would be insulting to fans.

This was a disappointing season without a doubt, but the Huskies have some decent talent returning along with a pair of transfers who could prove invaluable. Along with incoming McDonald’s All-American Nigel Williams-Goss and, hopefully, Aaron Gordon the Dawgs could prove a more skillful team come next November. A better non-conference could help the Huskies in securing an NCAA berth in 2013-2014.

Go Dawgs!

March 13, 2013; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Washington Huskies guard Abdul Gaddy (0) shoots against Washington State Cougars guard Royce Woolridge (22) during the second half in the first round of the Pac 12 tournament at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. Washington defeated Washington State 64-62. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

The Dawgs got a huge night from senior Scott Suggs who was hot early and kept his stroke going most of the night. Suggs finished with a team high 19 points on 6 of 8 shooting, 4 of 6 behind the arc, and a perfect 3 of 3 at the foul line. Suggs struggled to contain WSU superstar Brock Motum who went off for a game high 28 points on 11 of 19 shooting.

Motum was nearly by himself on the court for a majority of the game. When all was said and done, the Cougars only had 4 players with points next to their name and only 3 points from the bench. D.J. Shelton proved to be an all but impossible match-up for Aziz N’Diaye and racked up 19 of his own, while Royce Woolridge dropped in 12 to support the forward duo.

Abdul Gaddy had a great night overall with last minute turnovers that were nearly detrimental for the Huskies. Gaddy finished 1 point shy of a double-double. Gaddy had 5 assists at half and went on to toss up another 6 assists in the second, including a pair of back-to-back alley-oops to N’Diaye for his only 2 points and Shawn Kemp Jr.

Andrew Andrews was an unsung hero whose last second piece of basketball brilliance proved the deciding factor. Andrews only compiled 3 points, but dragged in 5 rebounds. On the last play of the game Suggs defended Brock Motum who screened off another Cougar. Andrews switched on the screen and played tight in Motum’s face despite the 8 inch height differential. Motum tried to flop into Andrews as time expired to draw a foul, but Andrews showed his agility leaning away from Motum to avoid the contact. Speaking of flopping, Motum fell down more times than I could count and only one was a legitimate fall. I understand that Motum had to fight through a lot of harder contact, but a guy of his size and athleticism does not go down that easily unless he is trying to draw attention and sway the referees. In a way this is not surprising as the NBA has specifically created laws to fine and punish flopping due to the “techniques” being used by foreign players in the league.

The Huskies need to study and execute the first 30 minutes of today’s game for a full 40 minutes tomorrow against the Oregon Ducks. The last 10 minutes need to be thrown away as the slow tempo play that allowed the Cougars to make another improbable comeback is garbage and the complete opposite of what the Dawgs find success in. A win is a win, but the Huskies have a long way to go with another 3 wins necessary to reach the NCAA.

Go Dawgs!

Scott Suggs put forward another solid offensive night with 18 points behind 8 of 13 shooting, all 5 misses coming outside the 3-point line. The senior guard added 3 rebounds and 3 assists to make up for his 3 turnover night. All in all it was one of Suggs’ better nights, but not one to remember in particular.

Mar 6, 2013; Seattle, WA, USA; USC Trojans forward Eric Wise (34) shoots a layup but is fouled by Washington Huskies forward Jernard Jarreau (33) during the 2nd half at Alaska Airlines Arena. Washington defeated Southern California 65-57. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-USA TODAY Sports

Aziz N’Diaye sucked up the rebounds left and right after his zero rebounding night Sunday against the Cougars finishing with 12, including 5 on the offensive end. N’Diaye’s 1 of 9 shooting left a lot to be desired, however, and it gives N’Diaye just one last game to put together an all around excellent performance while his mother is in town.

While Wilcox was not able to put in the points we were accustomed to at the season’s onset, he did manage to drop in 11 points on top of 8 huge rebounds and a pair of assists to his one turnover. During the off season, Wilcox must focus on his ability to free himself from a defender to find open shots. This team will likely lean heavily on his offensive production capabilities and much of his success or failure will depend on how well Wilcox can create opportunities despite double teaming efforts by the opposition.

Andrew Andrews and Jernard Jerreau both had excellent nights off the bench for the Dawgs and proved to be the key in getting the win against the Trojans. Andrews raked in 8 rebounds, 5 on the offensive glass, on top of 7 points and was instrumental down the stretch in securing the Husky victory. Jerreau had a career night in points finishing with 12 points on just 2 of 7 shooting. Coupled with 3 rebounds and a pair of blocks late in the second half, Jerreau showed why he had earned starting rights during the non-conference season. Jerreau’s length is tough to contend with and it will be interesting to see how it is utilized next season.

Overall it was a decent win. Sloppy, but manageable with just a hint of anxiety. The Dawgs played solid defense and dominated the glass throughout. Their free throw shooting finished strong despite lacking shooting abilities elsewhere on the court. The Trojans are no push over as their 9-8 conference record shows, yet they are far from the competition the Dawgs will face against the Bruins in the regular season finale. The Bruins are fresh off their first defeat in Pullman since 1993 and this should motivate their squad plenty for the match against the Dawgs in just a few days time.

Go Dawgs!

The Dawgs will need to shore up their perimeter play against the Trojans. J.T. Terrell lit the Dawgs up for 18 points behind 4 of 7 shooting from 3. The other improvement area? Free throws, of course. The Dawgs were a miserable 4 of 14 from the line, while the Trojans were an excellent 14 of 15. In all other areas of the game, the Huskies held their own.

Feb 10, 2013; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Southern California Trojans guard J.T. Terrell (20) shoots the ball against the Washington Huskies at the Galen Center. USC defeated Washington 71-60. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee/USA TODAY Sports

The Trojans have a losing record, but their conference record is a guaranteed .500 year. The Huskies on the other hand have a winning record, but to guarantee .500 they must split this series or better. The Dawgs backcourt play has been revitalized the past two games with strong offensive performances by Scott Suggs and C.J. Wilcox and that guard play will need to continue if the Husky are to have a chance against the Trojans. Aziz N’Diaye will also need to improve his play from the WSU outing last Sunday. The game against the Cougars is the first time N’Diaye has failed to grab a rebound and posted only a pair of points in 13 minutes.

The Trojans have been performing quite strongly over the past few week with an impressive 11 point win over Arizona at home and a narrow 1 point win over ASU. The Trojans were able to pull off the victory over the Wildcats for one very simple reason: they shot the lights out. 61% from the field, 60% from the arc, and 81% at the free throw line.

The Dawgs need a big run to finish out the year for tournament seeding. Not NCAA, but NIT. The only way the Huskies will get into the NCAA is with an unlikely Pac-12 Tournament Championship. I believe the field is too deep for this Husky squad to win 4 in a row to take home the tournament trophy. If the Dawgs can finish up the regular season with a pair of wins on their way to a  10-8 record and win two games in the Pac-12 tournament, I believe the Huskies can get a 1 or 2 seed in the NIT and potentially save this season from complete disappointment.

The Dawgs can do little to bolster their tournament resume until the Pac-12 tournament rolls around. The final 3 games on the Husky schedule will simply decide seeding for the Dawgs and at best they will finish in 5th place, one spot outside the automatic first round bye. What this means is that the Dawgs need to win this for themselves and nothing else. It remains to be seen whether or not this squad can motivate with such little hope on the line.

Feb 20, 2013; Tucson, AZ, USA; Washington Huskies guard Abdul Gaddy (0) dribbles the ball up court during the first half against the Arizona Wildcats at McKale Center. Mandatory Credit: Casey Sapio-USA TODAY Sports

The Huskies should have a slight edge at home where they have been less than their normal stellar selves this season. One would hope that the rivalry match-up would inspire some improved play from the Dawgs, but for a team that struggles to score more than 65 points per game it is tough to imagine a high flying performance to provide motivation and adrenaline for the coming post season.

The Dawgs will need to buckle down in the frontcourt and find a way to shut down Cougar forward and star, Brock Motum, who has continued to average 18 points and 6 rebounds per game. Motum leads the team in both categories and would have been a potential Player of the Year candidate for the PAC-12 if not for his team’s record. Unfortunately for Motum, the Cougars were not able to string together enough of a run to get him the attention and praise he deserves.

If the Huskies can win two of their final three games, they will hit 500 in conference play and avoid a losing season. While this year is a bit of a bust, it seems as though expectations were too high for this under talented squad. Certainly the Dawgs should be favored against WSU and USC, but with the Dr. Jekyll-Mr. Hyde act this squad has put on it I would not be surprised with a loss against either team. The Cougars have less to play for than the Dawgs and as such the rivalry game becomes that much more important.

Aziz N’Diaye has just a few more games to make his case as a potential NBA draft pick. The Senegal native has the size and strength of an NBA caliber player, but his skills require time in the developmental league before he would be an asset. Could an NBA team draft the big man with the idea of stocking him away for a few seasons before rising to his full potential? Of course. Will it happen? Likely not. In all reality, N’Diaye will likely end up in Europe making a decent living and never really fulfill his NBA aspirations.

C.J. Wilcox’s shooting slump has all but cemented his fate with a fourth year in college next season. Wilcox’s hot start had many believing, myself included, that this would be his final season. Wilcox has much to prove and these final few games will go a long way towards improving his hype for next season as a potential POY candidate.

As a coach, I view these final two weeks as a chance to develop my squad and test out the future of the program by giving the underclassmen more play time. Andrew Andrews is the type of aggressive guard that this squad lacked at the season’s onset. Desmond Simmons has slumped once more due to decreased play time. Shawn Kemp Jr. has shown low post moves and athleticism that no other play on the roster possesses. If Romar wants to succeed this season, getting these guys play time is critical. The Huskies do not have the benefit of an extracurricular trip to Europe as they did this year and game time is essential in identifying the key components in a basketball team.

There is little to say of game plan that hasn’t already been said this season. Rebounding and free throws will be instrumental in the outcome of this game as both squads lack consistent offensive production. Turnovers will decide the end game momentum. One hot shooter could make or break the opening half and set up the overall atmosphere of the game. Will the Dawgs come out motivated and exciting or will they dissolve into a puddle of self loathing and misery? I’ll edge towards motivated as they are playing for their pride and own self worth. This team, while certainly less skilled than the previous few years, should still provide more than ample competition for a struggling Cougar squad.

Feb 2, 2013, Seattle, WA, USA; Washington Huskies guard Scott Suggs (15) drives to the basket for a layup against the Arizona State Sun Devils during the second half at Alaska Airlines Arena. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports

Saturday’s game will be another fast one with the winner likely being decided by who can execute and make their shots. The Dawgs have been absolutely atrocious since the last meeting and I see no reason why this would change against the Sun Devils. What won the game for the Huskies was simple: free throws. The Dawgs were nearly perfect with a 21 of 22 night, Abdul Gaddy missing his only free throw of the night. The Huskies also DOMINATED the interior with a 33 to 17 rebounding advantage, 12 to 1 on the offensive boards. Shawn Kemp had a career night with 18 points and 6 rebounds with Aziz N’Diaye supplying his own 16 points and 10 boards. In fact, every single Husky who scored hit double digits (minus Abdul Gaddy who was two shy with 8 on the night). Andrew Andrews also performed extremely well and gave Husky fans a reason to look forward to next season as the redshirt freshman guard went ballistic with aggressive play. Andrews stormed his way to 20 points and a perfect 6 of 6 from the foul line.

What was not so good was how easily Carson was able to slice up the Dawg defense. To be fair, Carson did his fair share of work getting the game high 32 points, but the Huskies were certainly slack at points leaving the potential Player of the Year with far too many open opportunities. Along with Carson, Jonathan Gillings had an exceptional outing with a 6 of 8 3-point performance that led to 22 points and several huge baskets to keep the game in reach for the Sun Devils. As a team the Sun Devils hit over 60% from deep, but their 50% foul shooting doomed them as poor shooting all too often does.

If the Huskies want to stay above 500 on the season and attempt to break 500 in conference play they will have to improve on their weak defensive efforts and make the open shots when presented. Guys like N’Diaye and Kemp need to demand the ball early and often to set the tempo for the game. Their shots are often high percentage and open the court for guys like Wilcox to, hopefully, drill the long ball for additional offensive damage. Turnovers will be critical in Saturday’s match and limiting mistakes has been an issue for the Dawgs this season and does not bode well for the hostile environment they will surely face in Tempe.

It is my opinion that Andrew Andrews should start over Abdul Gaddy and begin garnering some highly valuable playing experience to prepare Andrews for next season as this year is essentially over. With Gaddy gone, Andrews is the prime choice for starting point guard and has made a strong case with aggressive play that is very similar to the shoulder down approach Isaiah Thomas executed so well for his three seasons in the purple and gold. Gaddy has been underwhelming much of the year and has become more of a liability than an asset in many games as he tried too hard to score, rather than creating scoring opportunities for his shooting guards and post players. Andrews, on the other hand, knows how to use his attacking play to draw in the defense to open the perimeter for jumpers and 3-pointers. The Dawgs will need a miracle run in the Pac-12 tournament to gain entry to the big dance and giving the youth of our team a chance to make a positive change seems as good an option as any. What the Dawgs have done thus far has clearly not worked so why not try something new at this critical junction?

In all reality the starting 5 will like remain nearly the same with Jernard Jerreau perhaps reentering over Kemp at tip off. The chances of Romar actually removing Gaddy from the starting point guard slot is slim to none.

The excitement that surrounded this squad following their improbably 4-0 start in Pac-12 play is far removed and all that is left is a sense of disappointment. The Huskies have little left in the way of redemption opportunities and at this point are playing for pride as well as becoming not only the first Husky team in four years not to win a Pac-10/12 title, but also the first losing record since the 2007-2008 squad finished 16-17 following a loss in the first round of the NIT.

Go Dawgs! (Football 2013, here we come)

Last time around the Wildcats scrapped together a 4 point victory over the Dawgs despite a number of turnovers and overall poor shooting. Luckily for the Wildcats, the Huskies were even worse on both ends of the court with 1 of 12 shooting outside the arc and 17 turnovers for the game. Aziz N’Diaye was the lone “bright” spot for the Huskies with 10 points and 11 rebounds. Nick Johnson of the Wildcats locked down C.J. Wilcox the entire night and the star shooter struggled to find any success on the court.

Jan 31, 2013, Seattle, WA, USA; Arizona Wildcats forward Solomon Hill (44) makes a move to the basket against the Washington Huskies during the second half at Alaska Airlines Arena. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports

The Huskies have not played well lately, but neither have the Wildcats. The Key to a UW victory is finding an offensive rhythm that can produce more than 70 points. It seems as though the Huskies can either play great defense and hold a team under 65 points, but commit numerous turnovers and lack any offensive conviction, or they can completely light up the court, but allow just as many points defensively. The Dawgs have not been able to put together a complete performance this season where everything falls into place. More often than not a high scoring game for the Dawgs has resulted in a victory thus the critical nature of Wilcox hitting shots early and guys like Shawn Kemp and Andrew Andrews also finding the bottom of the net during the early goings of the game.

Another big problem that has faced the Dawgs in these previous loses has been getting in a big hole during the opening minutes of play. The Huskies have found themselves down double digits within the first few minutes only to have to fight and claw their way back to an even score for the next 30 minutes leaving victory all but an impossibility. If the Dawgs want to take down Arizona on the road they cannot afford to let the game escape them during the first half. The Huskies must also quiet the crowd early on with offensive execution and perhaps a highlight play or two.

A victory over #12 Arizona on the road could be a nice resume booster for the Dawgs, but is most certainly not enough to guarantee a tournament berth. This game could also provide an excellent moral booster for a struggling squad with little to be proud of on the season. As things stand, the outlook for Wednesday’s game is grim, but there is always hope in college basketball.

Go Dawgs!

The Dawgs continued to control the ball miserably despite the favorable outcome. 18 turnovers is twice the acceptable amount and a better team would have taken the Dawgs apart with such horrendous play. What went well for the Huskies was the returned shot of C.J. Wilcox who finished with a game high 24 points on 7 of 14 shooting. While the improved shooting was nice, Wilcox committed over a quarter of the Husky turnovers with 5 on the night. Wilcox did put up 3 nice blocks, but in a game that was down to the wire the turnovers were critical mistakes that simply cannot happen. I did like his 6 rebounds and the nearly 88% foul shooting with a 7 of 8 night.’

Feb 16, 2013; Seattle, WA, USA; Washington Huskies guard C.J. Wilcox (23) a free-throw during the 1st half against the Oregon State Beavers at Alaska Airlines Arena. Washington defeated Oregon State 72-62. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-USA TODAY Sports

The game became interesting near the start when Joe Burton flopped on a hard box out by Aziz N’Diaye resulting in N’Diaye being flagged with a Flagrant 1 foul. N’Diaye did go into Burton hard, but the contact was clearly into the chest and Burton used the opportunity to try and take the big man out of the game. To Burton’s credit, he may have succeeded. N’Diaye had a terrible outing and sat on the bench most of the second half due to his 6 turnovers and only 4 boards. After posting several double-doubles in a row, N’Diaye fell well short with only 5 points. Thankfully, the remainder of the Husky frontcourt elevated their game at least temporarily with Shawn Kemp playing strong in the post hitting 5 of 7 shots. Kemp only managed 1 rebound, but Jernard Jerreau proved an excellent foil with his best game wearing the purple and gold. Jerreau nabbed a team high 7 rebounds on the night and took advantage of the transition style game scoring 8 points on 4 of 5 shooting. Desmond Simmons did his fair share with 5 boards, 6 points, and 0 turnovers. Simmons was hauled to the ground by Eric Moreland (if I remember correctly) and initially the refs called only a simple foul. Upon review the refs called a Flagrant 1 on Moreland, though a Flagrant 2 seemed plausible given the complete lack of play on the ball as Moreland grabbed two handfuls of Simmons’ jersey to bring him to the court.

Roberto Nelson kept the Beavers in the game with excellent foul shooting. The long ranged guard only managed 2 of 6 from the field, but hitting 11 of his 13 foul shots allowed the Beavers to stay well within range until the final 3 minutes. Paired with Ahmad Starks who drilled both of his 3-point attempts, the Beavers capitalized on the many Husky mistakes as they took an early lead that was maintained for the first 20 or so minutes.

Abdul Gaddy and Andrew Andrews looked infinitely better today as they both did their job as point guard and CREATE PLAYS! Instead of trying to put the offense on his back, Gaddy dished out the ball to the shooters and finished with 9 assists and 3 turnovers. Attempting only 3 shots, Gaddy hit 2 and finished with 4 points. Any night Gaddy gets 9 assists with limited turnovers is a good performance regardless of points tallied. Gaddy nearly tore the rim off after a missed shot, but the ball racked out of the hoop. I didn’t realize the 6-3 guard could get up so high. Andrews was even better, embodying the spirit of Isaiah Thomas with a tremendous outing. Andrews missed some open shots, but continued to attack the basket finishing with 3 makes on 9 attempts. Andrews threw out 6 assists to just 1 turnovers and was instrumental in keeping the Husky offense high tempo. Andrews aggression is very promising and excites me for next season as he pairs up with Nigel Williams-Goss, a McDonald’s All-American.

This was certainly a feel good win for the Dawgs who had lost 3 in a row coming into the late Saturday match-up, but it was hardly a quality or memorable win. Each game is critical in the Huskies’ attempt to earn an at-large bid to the big dance and this was a decent start to a run that must last at least 7 games if they want a shot at redemption. The Dawgs have a rough road ahead of them and sitting a game under .500 is an even worse place to be in such a situation. With road games against Arizona and Arizona State, the Huskies face a difficult pair of games that could either bolster their resume or sink their post season hopes. The Arizona game will hopefully be another exciting and competitive game, while ASU is proving to be increasingly skilled. Arizona has been drubbed in their previous two games and face an extremely over matched Utah team Sunday. A third straight loss by Arizona could either inspire the Wildcats to stomp all over the Huskies or it could crush the Wildcat moral and lend its hand in a UW win.

I enjoyed this win, but I am not going to get terribly excited over it. Much like the last win by the Huskies against ASU, tonight’s match-up was filled with holes that will be seized upon by better teams. The Huskies have a long way to go, but there is still the slimmest of hopes on the horizon.

Go Dawgs!

The Ducks were hot early on, shooting nearly 60% from the field in the first half due to a combination of underwhelming defense and their own talented guard play. Their big man, Tony Woods, took it to Aziz N’Diaye early on and dominated the battle . The Huskies on the other hand struggled to 38% shooting in the first half with turnovers shutting down the few runs the Dawgs were able to string together. The offensive struggle became even worse in the second half for the Dawgs, which meant the cooling Duck shooters were not a factor.

Feb 13, 2013, Seattle, WA, USA; Oregon Ducks center Waverly Austin (20) blocks a shot by Washington Huskies guard Scott Suggs (15) during the first half at Alaska Airlines Arena. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports

The Dawgs were able to out rebound the Ducks, the one stat the Dawgs continue to perform well in due mainly to the presence of N’Diaye. What remains to be seen is how the Dawgs will fill that hole next season when the Senegal native graduates. Shawn Kemp Jr. has shown signs of being a real, athletic post player with offensive, defensive, and rebounding skills. Alongside Perris Blackwell, the duo could result in an improved frontcourt, which would greatly aid our backcourt in opening up shots behind the arc.

What is most startling to me is that the Dawgs continue to miss wide open 3-point attempts despite having two players who are regarded as excellent range shooters. These wide open misses contribute just as much to the offensive stalls as the turnovers. When an offense executes correctly, shots open up for players in their skill positions. The Huskies need to find players who can knock down these shots if they want to score more than 50 points per game.

Abdul Gaddy tried to take charge posting a game high 17 points, but with our next highest scorer with 9 points the Dawgs didn’t stand much of a chance against the balanced Oregon attack that has become their staple this season. The Ducks had five players in double digits making defensive lock down assignments that much tougher to execute. Gaddy improved his ball play with 5 assists to 2 turnovers, however, I did not like that he took 15 shots to N’Diaye’s 5. N’Diaye has one of the highest field goal percentages in the league for a reason, 5 footers are easy to make. When the Dawgs got the ball to N’Diaye in the paint he was able to convert, yet once more the Huskies stopped looking for the big man and instead tried to force the lane.

There isn’t much else to say about this game. The Dawgs desperately needed to win their final 7 if they wanted a post season bid. At this point the only thing that will get the Dawgs into the big dance are 6 straight wins with a 20+ point margin or winning the conference tournament. I’m not sure which of those two scenarios is more likely. What is clear is that this team is indeed down and in need of a make over.

Perhaps an unseen consequence of this teams poor play is the recruitment of star power forward, Aaron Gordon. Just when it appeared the Dawgs and the Wildcats of Arizona were the top two for Gordon, the big man mentioned Oregon being thrown into the mix and with the Ducks strong play this season it is not unreasonable to imagine that Gordon may opt for a more sturdy program versus a school where play time is immediate.

Let us hope that we can bring home at least another pair of wins to hit 15 on the season.

The Dawgs should be feeling pretty desperate right now. They are barely above .500 and have reached 10 losses in February for the first time since the ’07-’08 season when they finished 16-17. The Huskies of ’12-’13 look to be on much of the same path with little hope to turn things around. The Huskies continue to throw the ball away at an alarming and just plain embarrassing rate, while also struggling at the foul line and lacking any sort of offensive execution. If you need any sort of quick explanation as to why the Huskies are so bad this season, look no further than their assist to turnover ratio of 12 assists to 13 turnovers a night. No team can win when they give the ball away more than they share it.

Jan. 30, 2013; Los Angeles, CA, USA; UCLA Bruins guard Jordan Adams (3) guards USC Trojans guard Jio Fontan (1) during the second half at Pauley Pavilion. USC won 75-71 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

The Trojans are a balanced team with four players averaging 9.5 points or more per game as well as four players with 4 or more rebounds per game. On the negative side, they also have five players averaging at least 1.5 turnovers per game, a feat the Huskies can more than relate to.

The Trojans play a fairly deep roster with an 8 man rotation. 6-6 240lb senior forward Eric Wise leads all scorers with 12.3 points as well as a second best 5.5 rebounds per game. Wise’s season highs are 12 boards against Long Beach State and 19 points against Dayton in a two point overtime win.

Jio Fontan has made a solid come back after missing last season. Averaging just under 10 points on top of his excellent 5 assists per game, Fontan is one of the Trojans most important players and is one of the main reasons for his squads improved efforts.

One of the more impressive features of the Trojan line up is their frontcourt featuring 3 players that stand at 7-0, 7-1, and 7-2. Dewayne Dedmond, 7-0 255lb, and Omar Oraby, 7-2 270lb, combine for 12.5 points and 10.5 rebounds per game. The size of the Trojans will prove to be a tough match-up for the Dawgs who lack depth in the frontcourt. If they Trojans want to win this game, their key lies in pounding the paint over and over again. Only Aziz N’Diaye and Shawn Kemp have enough muscle and height to shut down such a Trojan attack.

As ugly as the UCLA game was this could be uglier still. The Trojans fail to execute their offense pretty much on par with how the Huskies have “performed” this season.This will likely be a slow, drawn out match featuring many steals, turnovers, and missed opportunities.

Maybe our expectations of this team have been too high and the criticism is unjustified, yet I can’t help but feel that with such senior leadership our record should be much better than it is. After crushing our way to a tremendous 4-0 start, the Dawgs have shut down completely and are 1-5 since that time. The Dawgs have won four straight Pac-10/12 titles and that record looks to be broken this season. Three games back from the regular season title and facing better teams in UA, UO, UCLA, and ASU in the tournament almost certainly mean that the Dawgs will have to be happy in the NIT as the NCAA is essentially out of reach barring a miracle run to end the season.

Most recently, the Bruins upstaged the Arizona Wildcats on their own court in an 11 point whooping that not many saw coming despite UCLA’s recent hot streak. Sadly, for the Bruins, they have suffered a few let downs as of late including a somewhat embarrassing 4 point overtime loss to rival USC. However, the Bruins are still in contention for the title after the Oregon Ducks dropped a pair of games against the Bay Area schools and are certainly motivated to continue their dominance of the Dawgs in the newly renovated Pauley Pavilion.

The Bruins are a freakishly large team for college, even at the DI level. Their roster currently sports 4 players standing 6-10 and even have 6-9 Kyle Anderson, a guard. Size at the guard like that just isn’t common, even at the NBA level.

Feb 2, 2013, Seattle, WA, USA; Washington Huskies guard Andrew Andrews (12) shoots against the Arizona State Sun Devils during the second half at Alaska Airlines Arena. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports

Shabazz Muhammad has exploded entering the conference season after early season setbacks due to NCAA eligibility issues. A few games was all it took to shake off the rust and since that time is now averaging nearly 19 points per game along with 5 rebounds and nearly 43% from behind the arc. At 6-6 225lb, Muhammad is a tough, physical guy with range and strength to blow past or through his defenders.

6-9 235lb Kyle Anderson is freakishly tall for a guard and presents a very tough match-up in the backcourt for UW. Anderson leads the Bruins in rebounds per games with 9 a night and nearly 10 points a game. While his inside presence is indeed strong, his outside game leaves a bit to be desired and is currently hitting less than 20% of his long range attempts.

The Wear twins, David and Travis, both stand at 6-10 230lb. Travis averages about 8 minutes more a game than his brother and is generally considered the better player of the pair. Together the duo combine for 20 points and 11 rebounds a night. Both are capable of playing physical ball at the rim, but Travis excels in extending the defense and hitting a few 3′s.

The other explosive freshman on the Bruin roster is 6-5 220lb Jordan Adams who is averaging an amazing 15 points, 4 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 1.9 steals per game. The kid is a stat sheet stuffer and on any other team he would easily be considered a star freshman, yet he has the misfortune to be playing alongside a guy who may very well end up as the number 1 pick in the 2013 NBA draft.

The Huskies will have to mend their defensive issues that had led to their 4 straight defeats and build on the successes they found in the early conference season and the games against the Arizona schools. Hitting free throws and limiting second chance opportunities will be critical if the Dawgs want to steal a win on the road. The Huskies cannot afford to commit 15-20 turnovers against the Bruins, a high scoring and skilled team that can easily take advantage of poor ball control.

If the Huskies want to bolster their NCAA resume and have a chance at breaking the bubble and earning an at large bid to the big dance, time and opportunities are running out. At this point in the season, one has to imagine that wins over UCLA, UA, and UO are a must if the Dawgs have a chance to earn an outside shot at an at large big. Only 4 such chances remain and my personal best guess is that 2 wins plus winning the remainder of the games will give the Dawgs a low seed, but a bid none the less.

Go Dawgs!

It is tough to nail down exactly what has caused this collapse. The defense has been more than solid, forcing around 40 turnovers the past two games, yet the offense has stalled over and over again. This was highlighted by the final two “plays” draw up and “executed” by the Huskies against Arizona. A failed alley-oop by Abdul Gaddy to C.J. Wilcox and a 3-point attempt by Aziz N’Diaye, the first and hopefully last of his career. The Dawgs do not have an offense outside our perimeter and when that falters the team collapses.

Jan. 26, 2013; Tempe, AZ, USA: Arizona State Sun Devils guard Jahii Carson (1) controls the ball against UCLA Bruins guard Larry Drew II (10) in the second half at the Wells Fargo Arena. Arizona State defeated UCLA 78-60. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Shawn Kemp had great early success against the Wildcats, yet we did not return to that type of play outside of the first few minutes. Perhaps the defenses adjusted properly to the point where such play was not possible, yet I can’t help but feel that the Dawgs find success only to begin to look elsewhere for more points. The old saying goes “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” and the Dawgs may need to begin such an approach each and every game. Some days Wilcox is hot and should be given plenty of touches. Other days, Wilcox is over matched defensively and the squad needs to find star power elsewhere. Regardless of where the blame may lie, something must be done to right this quickly sinking ship.

The Arizona Sun Devils roll into town Saturday with a bit of a hot streak. With many experts picking another down year for the Sun Devils, it has been a surprise to see Jahii Carson and crew roll over many decent and quality opponents such as the 18 point drubbing  of UCLA at home. ASU is riding a 3 game winning streak following a pair of losses to instate rival UA and the Ducks of Oregon.

Jahii Carson is battling for Freshman of the Year against Shabazz Muhammad and is deserving of such consideration. Carson has burst onto the scene following last years ineligibility debacle scoring almost 18 points, more than 5 assists, and 3 rebounds per game. Needless to say, Carson is a huge part of ASU’s success this season as the difference between this year and last is immense. What makes Carson more intimidating is the fact he is a “small” DI guard at 5-10 and 175lb, the exact type of guard that has given the Huskies fits all year long. Expect a strong performance by Carson.

What is more intimidating is the frontcourt of the Sun Devils. Featuring a pair of 7 footers in junior Jordan Bachynski and senior Ruslan Pateev, the Devils are loaded with size in a way that the Huskies may not be able to contend with. Bachynski is clearly the superior player with an average of 10 points and 7 boards a night over 26 minutes, but with Pateev averaging a pair of points and rebounds a piece every 10 minutes the senior adds a nice compliment to Bachynski that will prove difficult to defend should N’Diaye get into foul trouble.

I am afraid that the loss to Arizona has damaged our team morally in such a way that a flat start against ASU is all but inevitable and the Dawgs have already proven the fact that 20 point holes are nearly impossible to climb out of because of how much energy exertion is require to pull even. The Dawgs must come to play and they must leave everything on the court from here until the end of March because anything less will mean an NIT berth at best. If the Dawgs want to play under the big lights come March they will have to pull of some amazing road upsets over the top Pac-12 programs in UCLA and UA. With UCLA and UO still on the docket at home the Huskies can still manage some decent wins to bolster their resume, yet the committee must also consider the amazing number of home losses allowed by the Dawgs this season and question whether or not the road wins have been flukes or flashes of the great play this team should be capable of sporting night in and night out.

I hope this squad can come together and make something respectable of this season.

Go Dawgs!

Jan 26, 2013; Tucson, AZ, USA; Arizona Wildcats guard/forward Kevin Parrom (3) battles for the rebound with Southern California Trojans forward Renaldo Woolridge (0) during the second half at McKale Center. Arizona beat the Trojans 74-50. Mandatory Credit: Casey Sapio-USA TODAY Sports

The Wildcats started the season on a 14-0 tear that saw their squad rise as high as #4 in the polls. After a narrow 4 point loss in Eugene to Oregon, the Wildcats dropped a few slots only to rise following a pair of wins over OSU and a surprisingly good ASU Sun Devils team who will take on the Dawgs Saturday. The Wildcats were brought back to Earth in a crushing defeat at home to streaky UCLA who embarrassed the Wildcats 84-73. The Wildcats bounced back quickly with a hammering 24 point victory over struggling USC and look to have found more of the chemistry and skill play that elevated their team so highly in the non-conference season.

Arizona is not an incredibly deep team with only 7 players getting double digit minutes, but they have found success due to their overall talent level and fairly experienced roster that included 3 seniors and a junior who see significant playing time. 6-7 220lb senior forward, Solomon Hill, is averaging a team high 32 minutes a game and is second in scoring with 13.5 points a night. Hill has been a consistent player for the Wildcats throughout his 4 seasons, but has shown increased productivity since the start of his junior season following the departure of Pac-10 player of the Year, Derrick Williams. Desmond Simmons should prove a solid match-up for Hill if Simmons can break out of his recent slump and provide that hard-nosed style of play that raised his impact to a new level.

Mark Lyons, 6-1 200lbs, has picked up where he left off after transferring from Xavier with a team high 15 points and 3.1 assists a night. Lyons is tenacious with the ball and his driving ability along with solid outside shot make him an intimidating threat. When he isn’t hitting nearly 40% of his deep shots, he is distributing the ball to his teammates who have been averaging nearly 76 points per game. The Huskies will have to stay honest on Lyons and prevent him from developing a dangerous shooting rhythm. While Abdul Gaddy will likely get the starting nod and defensive assignment, I see Andrew Andrews taking the helm on this night and providing the quick, efficient, and effective defense that has rightly earned him his recent praise.

Kaleb Tarczewski should provide a great physical match-up for Aziz N’Diaye. The 7-0 255lb center is just a freshman, yet is averaging quite respectable numbers with 5.8 points and rebounds a night. Tarczewski is obviously still developing as a player as seen by his slightly lower minutes, with just over 20 per game, and his less than stellar free throw shooting. N’Diaye tends to perform better overall when matched with a player he can put his weight into and Tarczewski provides exactly that.

If this is a close game, the Wildcats have one distinct advantage that could prove murderous to the Huskies’ hope of an upset and critical tournament resume victory, team rebounding. The Wildcats have 4 players averaging 5 or more boards a night, whereas the Huskies rely almost entirely on the production of N’Diaye and Simmons. It is no coincidence that in the 4 victories to start conference play Simmons averaged nearly 9 boards a night and in the 3 losses following Simmons has averaged 4 rebounds. A big part of Thursday’s success, or lack thereof, rests on Simmons’ shoulders.

The Husky faithful will be needed to take down the Wildcats, no doubt about it. Could we see another cold-blooded performance or will it be another cold shooting night? Only time will tell.

Go Dawgs!

Jan 19, 2013; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Oregon Ducks guard Dominic Artis (1) shoots against the UCLA Bruins during the game at Pauley Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports

Following a tough triple overtime loss to UTEP, the Ducks have gone on a tear winning 8 straight, including a narrow victory at home over then #4 Arizona. The Ducks’ only other loss was at the hands of Cincinnati, a squad ranked 22nd in the nation. What is it that has made the Ducks so good this season? Senior leadership, hard-nosed rebounding, excellent ball distribution, a solid bench, and a high pace transition offense. Of those things, the Dawgs can really only count themselves as competitive in the rebounding department due to the dominance of Aziz N’Diaye and Desmond Simmons who account for nearly half of the Huskies nightly quota. The Ducks on the other hand receive a solid 9.5 boards a night from 6-7 226lb Arsalan Kazemi, a senior transfer from Rice University. Outside of Kazemi, the next highest rebounding average is 5.0 a night. The Ducks rebound by committee and the effort pays off as a single player subbing out does not destroy their ability to crash the glass.

The Ducks also post 5 players between 10.2 and 11.8 points per night during their 25 or so minutes a game. The fact that so many players show the ability to explode on any given night makes for near impossible defensive planning and as such the Huskies cannot attempted to bottleneck anyone player, else they risk a second to drop 20+ on us. While E.J. Singler is only third on the team in scoring average, he is the team leader in free throws made, free throw percentage, and 3-point percentage (excluding reserve players with only a handful of attempts). He is a dangerous player that, despite having broken the 20 point barrier just once this season, is always on the cusp of having a career night. As a senior he has all the necessary talent and skills to take a team apart. During the 3 meetings last season, Singler put up scores of 20, 13, and 19. Somewhat interesting is that in the games Singler scored the most against the Dawgs were the games they lost. Perhaps the key to the game for the Huskies is to let Singler hog the ball a bit.

Damyean Dotson has exploded onto the scene his freshman season averaging a team high 11.8 points along with a solid 4.1 rebounds per game. As with Tony Wroten, Dotson’s large 6-5 202lb frame makes for a tough match-up against most Division 1 guards and I expect the Ducks to take advantage of the size differential to force fouls in the frontcourt when our big men have to prove help defense, something they often due too slow to avoid contact. Dotson is currently 47% from the field and is 80% at the line with 24 makes on 30 attempts.

Maybe the past two games have soured me and perhaps it is inappropriate to judge this team so harshly, yet it seems strange that this squad can go from a monstrous beating of Cal on the road to a near double digit loss to Utah at home. To me this screams a lack of leadership and it is evident this squad lacks a player like Isaiah Thomas to command the troops. Glance over the Husky roster and see if you can pick out a guy to carry the team on his back. It’s an unfortunate fact that is perhaps to late in the season to correct.

I have a small glimmer of hope left that this team can squeak in a tournament bid, yet to do so will require Herculean wins over Oregon, Arizona, and UCLA both at home and at least 1 of the 3 on the road. The Dawgs’ RPI took a major hit after losing to Utah at home, a hit coming just a short time after an impressive uptick following the 3 road victories in conference. The fact remains that the thick of the conference schedule is upon the Dawgs now and its do-or-die time. The Huskies have yet to win on Matthew Knight Court and I just don’t see this weekend’s game going any better than the past two given the previous week’s lackluster performances. A win over #16 Oregon would do wonders for our tournament resume as the Ducks are most definitely the team to beat in the Pac-12. As impressive as UCLA has been over the past 10 games, Oregon has show considerably more resolve and fight power than the Bruins at this point.

The Dawgs can make their case in the coming weeks as to which team is truly the Huskies of 2012-2013, but it all starts Saturday with Oregon. A win would perhaps shore up some of the concerns myself and other Husky fans have expressed. A loss, while not surprising, would likely compound the issues already at hand. Anything can happen, this is college basketball after all.

Go Dawgs!