Welcome, Husky Fans. This is what the big time feels like. Years of recruitment have come to fruition as Aaron Gordon announced that he will be attending the University of Washington.

Anyone who has been calling for Lorenzo Romar’s head can cease, at least for now. He has gained the commitment of the best prospect on the West Coast and one of the best in the country.

Gordon joins an already impressive recruiting class that includes fellow five-star, Nigel Williams-Goss. Darin Johnson, Jahmel Taylor and Mike Anderson round out a class that will almost certainly be ranked in the top-10.

Gordon brings a unique set of skills to the table. After playing the post for much of his high school career, he is expected to play on the wing at Washington. Standing 6’8”, he is a bit of a tweener, as an undersized post and tall wing.

His post skills easily make up for the lack of size and there is no question of the physicality he brings. His ball skills and shot are not the highlights of his game, but it is hard to find a weakness on a player like Gordon.

He is the perfect player to run a high post offense, possessing skills to drive, shoot or pass from the top of the key. If the Huskies can put him to use correctly, they can be deadly.

Washington is in desperate need of a savior, and Gordon could be that man. 2013 marked the second straight season that finished with an NIT loss. With Gordon, UW becomes the favorite to win the Pac-12 and an instant top-25 team.

While Romar may have gotten the coup of his career in Gordon, that won’t be enough to ensure his job is safe.

Now that he has one of the best post/wing players and one of the best point guard recruits in the country joining C.J. Wilcox, Andrew Andrews and Desmond Simmons, he has to take that talent and create results.

In the past, the Sweet 16 has been the barrier for Washington. Gordon is supposed to be the guy who brings the Huskies over the hump. It will take work to go from an 18-win team to a Final Four one, but the talent added in this recruiting class will make it a lot easier to do.

As newly proclaimed Pac-12 favorites, go out and celebrate, Husky fans. A fun year is ahead, watching Andrews, Wilcox, Gordon, Williams-Goss and the rest of the squad compete for a Pac-12 title and maybe more.

For now, you have the No. 4 player in the country.

Like what you read? That’s what I typed up the night of April 1, in speculation of Aaron Gordon choosing Washington. Of course, I also wrote articles on Oregon, Kentucky and Arizona. We all know which one got published.

It was arguably the biggest loss in Huskies recruiting history. A kid that Lorenzo Romar had been chasing since he was recruiting his brother, five-plus years, decided that Arizona was a better fit for him.

Don’t discredit Sean Miller, he had been on Gordon’s trail for some time as well and has quite the program himself, but his recruitment shouldn’t have trumped Romar’s.

A month later and a lot has happened. Most recently, Angelo Chol announced that he would be transferring from Arizona (bet he wouldn’t be from UW). Also transferring is Mike Moser; it had been speculated (admittedly, too early) that he would be playing his senior season at Washington. Well, it so happens that he’s down to three schools: Gonzaga, Oregon and Washington.

As of this weekend, he’s made his visits to all three schools and will decide by the end of the summer. It is still speculated that the Huskies are the favorite, but they were also the favorite for Gordon for months, if not years.

Like I wrote nearly a month ago, getting Moser to Montlake would practically make up for losing Gordon. Both outcomes give the Huskies a premier frontcourt, Gordon simply would have been a little flashier.

Nonetheless, even after a month to allow it sit in, the loss of Gordon doesn’t hurt any less. One can only hope Romar is able to snag Moser, now that possible target Junior Etou is off the board to Rutgers.

Happy Thursday, Husky fans. Hopefully this Morning Haul starts your day off well. We’ve got Huskies football articles this morning because apparently there is never an off season for college football!

Lisa Horne of Bleacher Report says anything less than a Rose Bowl berth next season will be a major letdown and could lead to Steve Sarkisian’s firing.

For some teams, seven bowls in 12 years is a pretty successful run. Four head coaches in 13 years? Well…not so much. Washington is yet again at another turning point in the football program’s direction, only this time it’s under head coach Steve Sarkisian.

 

He points to last year’s victory over No. 8 Stanford as the “ah-ha” moment of his career. The Cardinal — who finished fifth in the nation against the run — only allowed three players to go for more than 100 yards against them last season…Sankey had 144 [yards] in the win…[his] 1-yard touchdown run against the Cardinal, coming on fourth-and-1, brought the Huskies back to life and swung the momentum back their way.

 

Bob Condotta brings us two stories, the first being that Desmond Trufant will join other top NFL prospects in New York for the NFL Draft.

The NFL announced today that Desmond Trufant is one of 23 players who will attend the Draft, which begins April 25 in New York…Trufant will be the first UW player to attend the NFL Draft, (or at least the first since that began being a big deal).

 

The charge might make it more likely that Seferian-Jenkins could miss games in the 2013 season. The university released a statement announcing that Seferian-Jenkins remains indefinitely suspended.

Moser hails from Grant HS in Portland and originally committed to Arizona, then landed with UCLA. Coming out of high school, he was ranked in the top-100 prospects and was heavily recruited.

After a season at UCLA, in which he saw very little playing time, Moser transferred to UNLV. Before Anthony Bennett arrived, Moser starred for the Rebels and was considered a dark horse National Player of the Year candidate entering this season.

However, the arrival of Bennett displaced Moser to the small forward slot. This, combined with him dislocating his elbow early in the season, made it difficult for him to repeat his success from the year prior.

Now with a program that will allow him to compete at his natural power forward position, Moser will look to return to averaging 14 points and 10.5 rebounds per game, rather than his 7.1 and 6.1 averages of last season.

With the departure of Aziz N’Diaye from an already weak frontcourt, Moser will slide right in alongside Shawn Kemp Jr. and Perris Blackwell. Add in Jernard Jarreau, Desmond Simmons and Gilles Dierickx and the Huskies should have one of the deepest and most talented frontcourts in the Pac-12.

A lineup featuring Nigel Williams-Goss, Andrew Andrews, C.J. Wilcox, Moser and Blackwell will be the most athletic team Lorenzo Romar will have fielded since the Nate Robinson/Brandon Roy eras.

While the loss of Aaron Gordon hurts, the addition of Moser almost completely makes up for it. In all likelihood, Gordon would have only stayed one year, like Moser. There are few players in the country that are as talented as Gordon, but Moser has the potential to match his numbers due to experience and talent of his own.

Again, nothing has been confirmed by the UNLV athletic department, but Mike Grimala of RunRebs.com talked to UNLV head coach Dave Rice, who had this to say:

Per Dave Rice, Mike Moser will transfer and play elsewhere next season. Moser officially informed the team today

— Mike Grimala (@MikeGrimala) April 5, 2013

Rice on Moser: “I told Mike I was grateful for the two years we got to coach him, and I’m very excited for Mike in his new opportunity.”

— Mike Grimala (@MikeGrimala) April 5, 2013

Washington is the rumored destination for Moser, but Rice couldn’t confirm.

— Mike Grimala (@MikeGrimala) April 5, 2013

Once the reports are confirmed, we will have further analysis right here on The Husky Haul!

I opted not to watch the game and instead played in my rec league hoops game where we lost by 30 points. I still think I made the right call. NWG had a good game. In 15 minutes, he shot 4-for-6 from the field and missed his only three (although he did win the 3-point contest the day before). He finished with 10 points, six assists and two blocks. Solid all around, no doubt.

But then there is Gordon’s line.

To put that in perspective, only 10 people have scored more points than him in a McDonald’s All American Game. Some of those names? Jordan, Pierce, James and Durant. On the other hand, other names include Eddie Curry and Jonathan Bender. But still…

So, I didn’t watch the game but I still tortured myself by looking at the stat lines and then watching highlights on YouTube. It got me thinking – how filthy would this team be WITH Aaron Gordon in 2013-2014? Pair Gordon with NWG, Darin Johnson and Jahmel Taylor and we’re talking about a top-5 recruiting class. Pair that group with C.J. Wilcox (who I am assuming will return to school after his struggles during Pac-12 play), Andrew Andrews, Shawn Kemp Jr., Jernard Jarreau and Paris Blackwell, and we’re talking about a deep team lead by veterans paired with immensely talented freshmen.

Obviously that’s not reality – we’re going to battle with what we have and that doesn’t include Aaron Gordon. However, and maybe this is the eternal UW optimist in me, but Lorenzo Romar’s most talented and successful teams have been guard heavy.

When highly touted big men have come in (Hawes, Brockman, N’Diaye), UW has struggled. Granted, Brockman set records, but the only time his teams had postseason success was with talented perimeter players (Roy in 2006 and I.T. and Pondexter in 2009).

Without a true big man, the Huskies will look back to the glory days with Will Conroy, Nate Robinson and Brandon Roy in the backcourt. Photo via seattlesportsnet.com

The 2004 out-of-nowhere team ran essentially four guards out there with Nate Robinson, Will Conroy, Tre Simmons and Bobby Jones (who played the 4 but was built like a small forward/guard) and then rotated big men with Hakeem Rollins and Mike (gulp) Jensen.

The 2005-2006 team that earned a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tourney only had a slightly better low post option with Jamaal Williams, but was still dominated by guards.

Like I said, this could just be my homerism, but history doesn’t lie – Romar likes to coach athletic, fast teams that can run and dominate the perimeter. The guards he is bringing in are really good. Will they develop? Maybe; I hope so. NWG is widely recognized as a top-10 guard in the country – but then again, Abdul Gaddy was ranked No. 2 overall, behind only John Wall in 2009.

Unfortunately, after two lackluster seasons that were preceded by several years with postseason play, Husky fans are holding this program to higher standards and missing out on big time recruits just isn’t acceptable to us.

So now we wait – we wait until April when Wilcox decides what to do about the draft, then we wait until October when practice starts. Don’t get me wrong, I am fired up for Nigel Williams-Goss. A backcourt of NWG and Andrews oozes with athleticism, and you layer in Wilcox with guys who can get him the ball along with functional guys up front and there is tons of potential there. I hope history repeats itself with a guard heavy rotation.

The class isn’t anything close to a failure, but when expectations are sky high, they are nearly impossible to meet. To the naked eye, a class consisting of a top-50 player, two three-stars and a sharp-shooting JUCO transfer looks impressive.

Unfortunately, Lorenzo Romar was, once again, unable to nab the piece that would have sealed this class in UW history. It’s tough to lose Gordon, but this feels like every lost recruit in the past combined into one painful storm.

It is painful knowing that, without major change, Washington will always finish second. Whether it be Arizona, Kentucky, Duke or anyone else, Washington seemingly can’t compete with the “big boys” of college basketball, recruiting wise. For a while, it was nice knowing UW was always in the discussion, that they made it into a big recruit’s final five. UW is at a point where it can’t just be a hat on a table; it has to be a hat on a head.

Romar has been recruiting Gordon since his older brother, Drew, passed up Washington five years ago. He had formed a relationship with the younger Gordon that was unmatched by any coach in the country.

That apparently wasn’t enough, as Gordon spurned Romar for Sean Miller and the Wildcats.

Washington is, in no means, in a bad place right now. The Huskies still have a top-30 recruiting class, including McDonald’s All-American, Nigel Williams-Goss. They still have a core consisting of C.J. Wilcox, Andrew Andrews and Desmond Simmons. Transfers Perris Blackwell and Gilles Dierickx will make their debuts next season and are expected to contribute meaningful minutes; Blackwell is even considered a threat to start.

Gordon would have made the Huskies instant favorites for the Pac-12 title and put them in many pre-season top 25s. Without him, they are most likely a middle of the road, bubble team. Despite the losses of Aziz N’Diaye, Scott Suggs and Abdul Gaddy, the team will be improved.

They will have been immersed in the high post offense for a full season and without a true center, will be able to run and win games on heart, rather than the passionless teams of recent memory. Don’t expect a national championship or even a Pac-12 one, but expect an improved, fun team to watch in 2013-2014.

Few people know for certain where he will choose and those who do know haven’t disclosed anything. In the past weeks, there have been flurries of tweets suggesting where Gordon will go to school. They all agree on something: He will go to college, most likely at one of the four aforementioned schools. What they differ on is exactly where.

Marshall Cherrington doesn’t think the times line up in the Gordon timeline, but ultimately believes he will choose the Wildcats.

Good point I saw: Aaron Gordon said he made his decision 4-5 weeks ago and informed the coach. Romar was seen hugging him 3 weeks or so ago.

— Marshall Cherrington (@MCWayne22) April 1, 2013

Eldridge Recasner (who previously tweeted that he had sources saying Gordon to UA) says that the Steve Alford hire puts UCLA back in the picture for Gordon.

Breaking News: A little birdie just texted me again saying that UCLA is NOW in play for Aaron Gordon as a result of the Alford hire.

— Eldridge Recasner (@erecasner) March 31, 2013

However, Evan Daniels puts those rumors to rest after speaking with Gordon.

Steve Alford did call Aaron Gordon yesterday. “It was just too late,” Gordon said.

— Evan Daniels (@EvanDanielsFOX) April 1, 2013

There have been other reports of him to Oregon and everyone knows his history with Lorenzo Romar. The fact remains that he has been one of the few recruits that have been able to keep his commitment a secret until decision day and that is killing us. All we know are the four schools he will choose from. Here is what we think.

The Favorite: Arizona
The Wildcats have been in the picture for almost the entire time that Washington has, but were never considered the favorites until recently. Sean Miller apparently did a great job talking up Gordon’s involvement in their perimeter game. Whether that is realistic or not, it seems as though Gordon bought it. No Husky fan likes the idea of losing anything to Arizona, especially such a heralded recruit, but any rational person can see the reason behind the decision. The Wildcats have more recent success, more historical success and with Gordon, likely more future success. They don’t need Gordon to create a championship winning team, but he will make it a lot easier for Miller. Ultimately, it looks like he will choose the Wildcats based on pedigree and the pitch Miller made.

The Underdog: Washington
Like it or not, after years of recruitment, Lorenzo Romar finds himself as the underdog on decision day. He has been on Gordon’s trail since middle school and they have become very close. It seems to be the consensus that this won’t be enough when 9:30 rolls around. Gordon loves Washington, made clear by the fact that they are still in the the top four, likely the top two, at the end of his recruitment. It hasn’t been an easy decision for Gordon and much of that is due to Romar’s endless pursuit of the star forward. They aren’t favored to earn Gordon’s commitment, but it won’t be a surprise if he chooses the Huskies, as they were long thought as the favorites until recently.

The Dark Horse: Oregon
After their impressive season and Sweet 16 run, Gordon announced that the Ducks were back in play for his services. With Oregon comes lots of flash and an exciting system to play in. Dana Altman is one of the best coaches in the conference and showed it, tying for second in the Pac-12 with a team built with transfers. It’s hard for a recruit not to be interested in Oregon, at least a little. It is an exciting concept to play for a team that provides you with the top-notch equipment and newest uniforms in the game. While the amenities of being the showcase of Nike is appealing and playing for a fantastic coach like Altman is enticing, I doubt it is enough. Each program has top-notch facilities and equipment of their own as well as esteemed coaches. It was a case of too little, too late for Oregon, I think.

The one team that didn’t get categorized was Kentucky and while I think John Calipari brings with him a unique aura, there is just too much talent for one team. Gordon realizes that and will most likely pick a school at which he can star, or at least stick out, at.

I’m not foolish enough to predict where Gordon will land, so I’ll let you decipher the information and decide for yourself. If you want to know for sure, stick to your Twitter feeds at 9:30 a.m. PDT and come here right after for an analysis of his decision, no matter which school he picks.

The Great Danes have lost their top two scorers from last season who accounted for nearly 50% of their scoring total. However, their top returning scorer has stepped his game up and is averaging 17 points thus far with a 20 point night against a very good OSU team. The 6-0 180lb senior guard, Mike Black, is a solid all around guard who seems to be doing a little bit of everything for his team. Black is shooting a career average around 36% from range and about 45% from the field, while his free throw shooting is a respectable 70-75%. Last season Black led his team in assists, but has struggled to deliver the ball with the same aptitude 2 games into the year; something that should not throw off Husky or Albany fans. Abdul Gaddy and Andrew Andrews should make it their goal to contain Black as much as possible to limit his touches and shooting opportunities.

Perhaps the biggest surprise player for the Great Danes is the explosion of production from 6-10 235lb forward/center John Puk. After seeing his minutes dwindle between his freshmen and sophomore years where he averaged just over 2 points and 3 rebounds per game, Puk has immensely improved his game with some career nights to start the season resulting in a 9 point and 7.5 rebound per game average. In all reality, the rebounding number is the only one I have confidence in at the moment as Puk was shut down by the Buckeyes and held to just 4 points on 1 of 3 shooting over 30 minutes. To me that reads as a timid player who can be abused by a tough, defensive minded guy such as Aziz N’Diaye.

Oct 24, 2012; Seattle, WA, USA; Washington Huskies center Aziz N

Jacob Iati is third Albany player that demands a bit more attention with a shooting mindset and the skills to back it up. The 5-10 165lb guard hit 45% from deep last year and is off to a fairly hot start this season with 4 makes on 10 attempts. What is more impressive to me is his foul shooting. Despite only taking 20 attempts last season, Iati made 16 to give him an 80% average for the year and is a perfect 6 of 6 this season. Iati seems to be getting more aggressive in the lanes, which is a great improvement for any sort of sharp shooting guard. Hopefully C.J. Wilcox will mirror this aggression and get to the lane with some regularity this year as he is the best foul shooter on the team.

Key to the Game:

Ball Control:

The Huskies cleaned up their miserable 11 turnover first half performance against Loyola and went on to commit only 1 more infraction thus allowing the Dawgs to cruise home with a 20 point win. The Albany Great Danes should be much less of a match up than the Greyhounds of Loyola, but that does not mean the Huskies can afford to be as careless with the ball. Any halfway decent team can seize on the mistakes of their opponents and given the right circumstances a ball game can be made of a supposed blow out. Romar should treat this game as a real lesson teacher and pull players who do not show patience and basketball intelligence. With Seton Hall and the Buckeyes on the horizon, the Huskies really need to begin fine tuning their ball game and develop an identity. This all starts with ball control and guard play, where we are thankfully quite experienced.

Rebounding:

Despite the official scorekeepers taking away one of N’Diaye’s rebounds, the senior center still had a career night with 16 boards to his name. The Great Danes’ tallest player comes in a 6-10 and their heaviest at only 235lb. No one on the court can match up with N’Diaye’s massive 7-0 260+lb frame and he should dominate the night. Romar and staff really need to begin riding the big man, holding him accountable for producing less than he is capable of on the offensive end. What I noticed last game is that N’Diaye was often much too far outside the block when receiving the ball. The Washington guards can help correct this by working the ball into the corners, forcing N’Diaye to create space by backing his body into the paint and opening up for entry passes. Not only will this allow inside domination by our bigger line-up, but it will also allow much better position when it comes time to clean up the glass. The Huskies held a narrow 34-30 rebounding margin last game and will need to improve upon these numbers if they intend to compete at the highest levels. As I have already repeated a dozen times this paragraph, the Dawgs are a much bigger and better team and as such they need to prove their skills by grabbing every single loose board in sight. There is no reason N’Diaye can’t be expected to grab another 15-20 boards come Tuesday night.

Oct 24, 2012; Seattle, WA, USA; Washington Huskies guard Abdul Gaddy (0) looks for an open player while being guarded by Western Washington Vikings guard Rico Wilkins (3) during the game at Alaska Airlines Arena. Washington defeated Western Washington 88-78. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-US PRESSWIRE

Free Throws:

The Great Danes are averaging 76% as a team after two games and have several prove foul shooters. The Huskies had a great start on Sunday night with 22 makes on 30 attempts, but they can always do better. Free Throws win ball games. If you are new to my writing, be prepared to see this phrase written over and over in my articles. The importance of foul shots cannot be overlooked. If you don’t believe me, just go watch the Huskies in the Pac-12 tournament or against Nevada last season. The Dawgs need to capitalize on every single freebie to prevent any sort of confidence in the Albany players.

Final Thoughts:

This is another nice warm-up game for a Husky team with a plethora of new players and play-makers. The chemistry with this squad already seems a great improvement over last year’s talented, but unorganized team. With some good games in the following week against Colorado State and Saint Louis on the horizon, the Dawgs should be able to utilize this outing as a great moral booster and another opportunity for Romar and staff to work on their rotation, especially in light of Shawn Kemp’s fairly serious knee injury that will keep him out most, if not all, of this season. The Dawgs should put this one away midway through the first half and enjoy a great home town experience.

Final Score Prediction: UW-92 AU-64

Go Dawgs!

Josh Perkins and Willis Wilson were on the Husky Football roster. Then they weren’t. Now they’re back on it. Many figured that when they were initially dismissed that it may have just been a big time college program doing what big time college programs have to do to reach the upper echelon of competitiveness in terms of player turnover. With a big recruiting class coming in and not a lot of seniors on the roster, players are going to have to move on in one way or another.

Perkins and Wilson didn’t really make sense in that respect though. For one, Wilson isn’t occupying a scholarship as a walk-on, so dismissing him wouldn’t have helped the team from a numbers standpoint. He’s also getting reps in practice due to the injury to Deontae Cooper and the lack of depth at the RB position, so he’s a player who definitely has value for this team.

Perkins, also, is a player who has value in that he’s transitioning from WR to more of a hybrid WR/TE player. He may not get a ton of playing time this season, but down the road the Huskies may run into a problem at the TE position with all 3 true TE’s being sophomores (and, as of yet, 0 TE commits in the 2013 class). Perkins may be relied upon to bridge that gap.

That the players were reinstated and the matter is being dealt with “internally” suggests perhaps a few things. One, this might have been a warning shot from coach Steve Sarkisian about behavior that will not be tolerated. Whatever happened clearly was not something that the coaching staff would ever like to see, and maybe the plan all along was to give Wilson and Perkins a bit of a scare, while at the same time sending a message to the other players on the roster. Or perhaps the leaders of the team, guys like Drew Schaefer, Keith Price and Desmond Trufant, met with the coaches and came to an agreement on bringing them back. This scenario would suggest a healthy amount of trust in the older players, and a good relationship between the leaders and the coaches: both very good things.

Whatever the reason, don’t be too happy for Perkins and Wilson: having things “taken care of internally” means that those two guys probably had one of the most grueling workouts of their lives pretty recently. And maybe that’s not a bad thing.

via Steven Bisig-US PRESSWIRE

Yesterday, John Breech of CBSSports.com wrote a post about 3 Washington players who need to shine.  And, he kind of duffed it. The premise is simple: one offensive, defensive and special teams player who need to have big seasons for the Huskies to have a big season. So of course for offense and defense, Breech chooses two captains, two players who went to Pac-12 Media Day with Steve Sarkisian, two upperclassmen on everybody’s radar: Keith Price and Desmond Trufant.

Now, I don’t disagree with either choice but it just seems really lazy to pick those two guys. A quarterback needing to have a good season for his team to be successful? Not exactly breaking new ground there. As for Desmond Trufant, he’s been anywhere from serviceable to really good over the past three seasons, and the defense hasn’t mirrored his play.

So without further ado, here are my 3 Washington players who need to shine.

Offense: LT Micah Hatchie

Assuming Hatchie wins the starting left tackle job as is expected, he may well be the key to making the offense go. It’s pretty much a given that Keith Price is going to have a good season considering what he did last season, Sark’s history with quarterbacks, and what Price did in his healthiest appearance against Baylor. And that’s one of the biggest keys to Price’s season: keeping him at his healthiest so that he isn’t limited. That’s not happening without solid play at the tackle postions, especially on the blind side.

The other thing that Hatchie will have to do to to make the offense hum is to open holes in the running game. With the talent Washington has at running back, the real question mark is whether or not there will be holes available for Jesse Callier and Bishop Sankey to run through. Hatchie being dependable in run blocking will keep the ball moving forward, and prevent defenses from focusing on defending the pass.

Defense: DE Hau’oli Jamora

The Huskies defenses the last couple of years have had good players in the secondary (Sean Parker, Desmond Trufant), at linebacker (Mason Foster) and defensive tackle (Alameda Ta’amu), and the results have been pretty underwhelming. The position that hasn’t had a standout player manning it in that span has been defensive end. Washington hasn’t had a (healthy) standout defensive end who can do it all since Daniel Te’o-Nesheim, and Jamora could end up being much better than UW’s all time sacks leader.

Breech props up Trufant because of the prolific passing offenses in the Pac-12, but I’d go the other way and say that the best way to defeat those passing attacks is with a sound pass rush. With Jamora on one side and Josh Shirley coming from the other, opposing quarterbacks will not have the luxury they’ve had in recent years of dropping back and waiting until their receivers pop open. If the defense can force passing situations, they should be able to get off the field more often than than in the past.

Special Teams: PK Travis Coons

Alright, I’ll give you that one, Breech.

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November 19, 2011; Columbus, OH, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions linebacker Khairi Fortt (11) waves to supporters as the team arrives for their game against the Ohio State Buckeyes at Ohio Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Greg Bartram

Khairi Fortt is another name that has popped up in connection with a Penn State transfer to Washington. He is a talented linebacker that according to reports from Dave Ruden has interest from 12 schools.

ESPN.com lists Washington in that mix and currently Fortt is on the West Coast visiting the California Golden Bears. If there is any mutual return in interest, UW may be able to get him to swing up before flying back to Penn State. Currently, Ruden says he has no other visits scheduled but that could change. He also doesn’t plan to make a decision by Monday.

I talked with Tim Tolley from VictoryBellRings.com, the Penn State affiliate for Fansided.com, about Fortt. Tolley told me that Fortt is a freak of an athlete.

“Big, strong, fast. He’s fast enough to play any LB spot but he’s a mlb on our depth chart.  Highly recruited out of high school in Connecticut. Was partially recruited to PSU by silas redd, who’s from his hometown. He added like 8-10 pounds this post off-season.”

He also went on to explain that he was going to be competing for the starting MLB role this season with the returning starter from last season. Fortt is more athletic and talented but sometimes over relies on his speed/athleticism and loses his discipline. Tolley said, “If he plays more disciplined, he has all-conference caliber talent.”

It is no surprise that Washington is interested in Fortt as he would be a veteran linebacker with much needed talent and ability. He would most likely start on the Husky defense and with his ability to play other linebacker positions could find himself putting in lots of minutes.

However, the chances look slim that he will find his way to UW, with the amount of schools that are pursuing him and he has even mentioned he is willing to stay at Penn State. But certainly a name to keep an eye on.

This rapid release of news on Gordon is happening for a few reasons: 1) it is no longer the school year when Gordon was shutting down interviews to focus on school work. 2) He is fresh off an injury and is just now able to play in the last tournament. And lastly, 3) he has been showing he is an absolute monster on the court and thus everyone wants to talk with him.

Eric Bossi of Rivals.com tweeted this about his play recently:

They got a word to describe Aaron Gordon where I come from…….PRO

— Eric Bossi (@ebosshoops) July 20, 2012

And this video surfaced by HoopMixtape on back to back plays in the Championship of Peach Jam (Nike EYBL):

This was on his way to help the Oakland Soldiers win the Peach Jam Crown over another future pro in Andrew Wiggins. Gordon’s name has been popping up all over.

Washington still seems to be the team to beat with both Arizona and Kentucky on the heels. He told Adam Zagoria of Zagsblog.com this week that his favorites are those three schools in an interesting dialogue.

After the game, Gordon told SNY.tv that while he doesn’t have a definitive list, he likes Washington, Arizona and Kentucky as his top options.

“Yes, that’s probably how it would go,” Gordon told SNY.tv following the game. “It’s all wide open right now, but that [order] would be the closest.”

Washington coach Lorenzo Romar, Arizona coach Sean Miller and Kentucky coach John Calipari all sat courtside.

“Washington’s a really good school,” Gordon said. “I love Romar. I also like Calipari a lot. I like Sean Miller. I like all those guys. There’s no really No. 1. Those are very close to my top three.

“Washington’s probably up there, but there’s really no No. 1.”

Many UW fans have told me this is a scary place to be. It’s like the hydro races at the Mariners game and just because the green hydro is ahead the whole race, most often indicates the green won’t win. However, signs point to the fact that UW seems to be the team to beat.

He dives into this relationship a little more in an interview on Scout.com with Evan Daniels (it is a paid article so I will only share a small portion, please if you have a subscription read the rest).

Does that give Washington an edge?

“It really helps Washington,” he said. “[Lorenzo] Romar is a really good dude. He knows what he’s talking about. He’s been there from the start. He has seen me develop as a player.”

It also talks about how Kentucky is coming on strong and it is an intriguing school for Gordon.

Aaron Gordon says Oregon, Washington, Kentucky, Kansas will probably get 4 of 5 official visits bit.ly/OUnA7T (premium)

— Ben Roberts (@NextCats) July 23, 2012

The minor clarification for that visit list is that he does plan to visit (whether officially or unofficially) Arizona for the “Red/Blue Game”.

While the decision seems to be a long ways out for Gordon and it will most likely be one that goes down to the very bitter end. Right now, Washington looks to be in good shape for Gordon. Does that make you nervous?

July 23, 2012; Indianapolis, IN, USA; NCAA president Mark Emmert speaks during a press conference at the NCAA Headquarters with NCAA Executive Committee chair Ed Ray standing behind him to announce corrective and punitive measures against Penn State University for the child abuse committed by former Penn State Nittany Lions assistant coach Jerry Sandusky. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-US PRESSWIRE

Penn State officials covered up one of the biggest child rape scandals in the history of Sports and the NCAA let them know it with the sanctions they just dropped on Nittany Lions football.

Here are the sanctions via Fansided.com:

1. Penn State must reduce 10 initial scholarships and 20 total scholarships each year for four years.

2. Four-year postseason ban.

3. $60 million fine. Emmert says the money will go to organizations that help children.

4. Vacate all wins from 1998 to 2011.  Joe Paterno wins record is thus wiped from the books.

5. Penn State players are allowed to transfer immediately, without penalty.

Mark Emmert, the former president of the University of Washington and current president of the NCAA, commented today on the sanctions. Placing the value of 10 children ahead of 111 wins. Saying that this was to ”make sure that football is never again placed ahead of educating, nurturing & protecting young people.”

This is where PSU went wrong in the first place when the officials, coaches, and leaders decided that wins and the false “integrity” of the program was more important than the young people Jerry Sandusky was coming in contact with. And that is why the NCAA dropped the hammer on the program. NCAA makes the majority of their money of sports but said with these sanctions, children and people are more important than money and wins.

It will take at least 10 years or more for Penn State to fully recover from these sanctions. It may never recover.

There will most likely be a mass exodus of players from Penn State in form of transfers. The recruiting situation could be tough for them and they will be playing with extra walk-ons because 65 is barely enough to field a quality team.

That all being said, how does this apply to Washington besides the obvious and don’t cover up illegal atrocities?

The transfers are essentially considered recruits at this point as they are allowed to be contacted by coaches and they can play right away. There will be no rule for them to sit out a year. This is where many programs around the country will try to capitalize. It may be hard to get them across the country but Coach Steve Sarkisian may try to snatch a player or two.

Mar 24, 2012; Chicago, IL, USA; McDonalds High School All American guard Shabazz Muhammad (15) poses during a photo shoot for the 35th McDonalds High School All American Game to be held at the United Center. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-US PRESSWIRE

The Pac-12 had once again some impressive hauls for the Men’s Basketball 2012 recruiting class. Three of the teams even made the top 25 in recruiting rankings; UCLA, Arizona, Colorado.

I took the time to peruse through the classes, compared the classes, and am going to write my thoughts on how much of an impact each class will have on the team success. One thing I did not look into and possibly can in a future article is transfers into the program for 2012. For example, Washington had two transfers in Perris Blackwell and Gilles Dierickx. Those players will not be included in this breakdown.

I ranked them in (my) order of top 2012 recruiting classes.

UCLA

In my opinion, it’s not even close. Arizona has a great class and you can read that below but UCLA’s is far and away the best in the conference and debatable for the best in the country.

• Shabazz Muhammad is the second best player in the country behind Nerlens Noel. Some may even consider him the best prospect in the 2012 class. It is close. He will make a huge impact right away at UCLA and will look to the NBA lottery after the year is over. He can score at will, and just is an incredible slasher to the basket. He could easily be UCLA’s best scoring threat next season.
• Kyle Anderson is another impressive 2012 recruit. He is a 5-star “point-forward”. He is really smart with the basketball, and makes good passes. However, he is 6-8 and isn’t quick enough nor does he have an amazing jumper to handle the ball as much as he did in college. My guess is that he takes about half to all of the season to get acclimated to college ball.
• Tony Parker is a 5-star big man with a likeness to Josh Smith. He is a great scorer around the basket, can even play some solid defense. He isn’t going to be in shape right away. However, with Smith and Parker to rotate in and out when the opposite is tired could only help UCLA.
• Jordan Adams is a 4-star shooter. He is mainly known for his ability to drop in shots from behind the 3-point line. He will have spot duty off the bench unless Coach Ben Howland can convince him to go with the red-shirt route. Not that he can’t play right away but there is a log-jam ahead of him.

Overall, UCLA’s class is the most impressive in the Pac-12. That being said, I think they still disappoint on the season. They may finish in the top 3 but I see team chemistry being another big factor for the Bruins. They will win some big games and lose some games they shouldn’t. Sound familiar?

Arizona

Arizona has another top 5 recruiting class. They added five players to their class and they all show great potential.

• Brandon Ashley is the headliner in this class. One of the stars at Findlay Prep and an impressive scorer and defender from the post. He is a 5-star player and should have an immediate impact at Arizona. He may take a little to adjust but he will be starting out of the gate.
• Kaleb Tarczewski is a big goofy 5-star Center. He is 7’0 player but mainly is rated so high because of his potential not current ability. Don’t get me wrong, he can play, but he won’t do anything impressive his first year at Arizona. He needs work but shows flashes of impressive ability.
• Grant Jerrett Another 5-star Center. They probably hauled them both in because Jerrett is more polished and ready to go but Tarczewski projects better long-term. I could see Jerrett playing more minutes in the freshman campaign than Tarczewski.
• Gabe York is a 4-star scorer. He can score by driving or shooting from deep. Husky fans should know his name because UW was in the mix for him before he chose Arizona. He is good but he reminds me of Josiah Turner in terms of what goes on mentally. York may need some time to adjust to college and the college game.
• Matt Korcheck is a JC commit that I know nothing about. However, he is another big-man for Arizona.

Overall, Arizona did what it needed to do, improve in the post. They didn’t perform up to standards last season because of drama and lack of depth at the big-man positions. Jesse Perry had to be the catch-all down there. Angelo Chol should be better next season and Arizona may be the team to beat.

Colorado

The Buffaloes had one of their best recruiting classes to date. They were able to land some big time players.

• Xavier Johnson is an athletic forward (4-star on Scout) that will help Colorado especially as a freshman on the defensive end.
• Wesley Gordon and Josh Scott are big centers that Colorado was in desperate need of, especially at the talent level of these two. Both are in-state kids and both will need to get stronger before they are effective.
• Chris Jenkins a long athletic forward from Michigan. Rated a 3-star by Scout.
• Xavier Talton is an in-state PG who will help provide some depth at that position. (3-star)
• Eli Stalzer is probably going to be a red-shirt. He is a shooting guard. (2-star)

Overall, Colorado had an impressive class. A class that will help them more in 2013-2014 than now. Almost all of their recruits will need some time to develop. However, this provides some good depth and some help on defense, which is what Colorado loves.

Stanford

The Cardinal has a slightly smaller class with only three commitments but they landed three that could be immediate impact guys.

• Roscoe Allen is the guy with probably the most upside in this class. He is a guy that has an impressive ability to shoot from deep at his 6’9 forward size. If he can learn some more back to the basket moves, he will be a solid player for Stanford. (4-star)
• Grant Verhoeven is another guy that Washington fans should recognize. He was being recruited by UW towards the end but decided to go to Stanford. He is a 6’9 Center that simply just doesn’t stop working. He is a guy that Stanford will use immediately because of how bad Verhoeven will want it and how hard he will work in practice.  (4-star)
• Chris Sanders is the guy that may use o red-shirt. He is a 3-star shooting guard that could use a year to develop. However, if they decide to play him next year he can come in and play spot-duty.

Stanford had a decent class and they increased their team height a lot with this class. With more size they should be able to put up a few more wins. In my opinion, this class doesn’t put them in the top-5 in the Pac-12 but places them just outside of it.

This is a long post. Click below to continue reading.

Reuben Foster not here at #TheOpening anymore, heard he’s visiting #Washington on unofficial

— Mike Farrell (@rivalsmike) July 7, 2012

While up participating in the Nike hosted event, The Opening in Oregon, Foster was dealing with a minor injury so he decided to take the three hour drive up to Seattle and see the Washington campus. Washington is one of the many programs hoping to steal him away from Alabama.

The latest story about Foster is that he is 100% committed to Alabama from 24/7 Sports yesterday. The article is a paid article so we can’t dive in too much but Foster may just be enjoying the recruiting process and being one of the best players in the country.

There isn’t an expectation that he will switch his commitment to UW but this is more the fact that the Huskies are flashing their “recruiting guns” by getting him to drive up to Seattle. Especially, because many Husky fans were/are worried that Oregon has an advantage in recruiting with The Opening being in their state. Though the location is actually Beaverton not Eugene.

Foster is rated as the number two prospect in the country by both Rivals and Scout. He is also listed as the top linebacker by both sources. He is an impressive linebacker with explosive speed, strength, and uncanny ability to find and destroy the ball carrier.

Wonder what the best linebacker in the country looks like, check out his video from last season:

Scott Suggs. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-US PRESSWIRE

The title of best player is always up for debate in the world of sports. Sure, some NBA teams possess super stars that leave little doubt like the Heat and LeBron James, the Magic and Dwight Howard, or the Zombie Sonics and Kevin Durant, but at the college level things change drastically. Several players contribute in a variety of ways to allow great debates about which player has the greatest and most positive impact on his team.

This past off-season saw the departure of our two best players in Terrence Ross and Tony Wroten. While some may not agree with declaring Wroten as one of our top players, it is hard to ignore everything he did for the Husky squad. What this means for the 2012-2013 season is a wide opening for several individuals to elevate their games to the next level and take over the reigns as the squad’s “Best Player.”

Being the best player is about more than points per games or how many rebounds a player can snatch up in 40 minutes. The best player needs to have intangibles that don’t show up in the post-game box score. The best player needs to dominate all aspects of the game and thrive because of it.

Arguably the best player in recent, if not all, UW history is Isaiah Thomas and he is exactly the sort of player I refer to when I talk about a guy doing more than just hitting baskets and making plays. I.T. ruled the court with both his skills and his attitude. The guy refused to lose. He did everything and more to motivate and carry his team through adversity as well as success. If you have any doubt about how good I.T. was and is, just watch this.

My initial reaction was to peg Scott Suggs as the best player next season. Suggs has everything a team could want in terms of size, athleticism, and experience. After facing a tough foot injury right before the 2011-2012 season began, Suggs opted to take a medical redshirt and return in full force for a complete and dominating senior season. Built just like Ross, Suggs stands at 6-6 and nearly 200lbs. Suggs’ long athletic frame allows him to elevate above the competition at the hoop and outside the arc.

During his junior season campaign, Suggs showed a huge improvement concerning his inside game. Suggs was able to attack the rim and finish inside. We are all well aware of Suggs’ ability to nail the outside shot. Suggs was arguably the best sharpshooter on the team in 2010-2011 due to his consistency and accuracy. Watching Suggs during warm-ups this past season has only increased my confidence in his ability to drain the long ball. As a fifth year senior, Suggs has more experience than most. Suggs has participated in 3 NCAA tournament appearances as well as having won a regular season title and two tournament titles (I won’t include his redshirt season as he did not play in any games).

I believe Suggs will step in to fill Ross’ shoes immediately and will make a strong case for Pac-12 Player of the Year honors. The one aspect on his game that Suggs can improve on to solidify his position as the Best Player is rebounding. Suggs has never been a great rebounder, but the increased presence of his inside game will allow Suggs more opportunities near the hoop to snag a few extra boards. I can easily envision Suggs averaging 16 points and 5 rebounds per game. That type of production combined with excellent senior leadership and tenacity would make for an amazing player and could certainly be a game changer in tight situations.

C.J. Wilcox should be involved in any type of “Best Player” argument, whether simply the Husky Basketball team or the Pac-12 conference. Wilcox averaged a quiet 14 points per game last season despite battle nagging injuries that prevented him from seeing action in several games and limiting his play time in others. With a full summer to heal the stress fracture in his hip/leg, Wilcox is primed to light up the court for what could be his final season. Wilcox is attending the Kevin Durant skill camp this summer along with playing the the Seattle Summer league games, giving him plenty of opportunities to work on his abilities before the preseason games across the Atlantic.

As with Suggs, Wilcox can strengthen his argument for the team’s best player by improving his rebounding from 3 boards per game to 5 or 6. A greater aspect to improve upon, perhaps more important than a few more rebounds per game, would be Wilcox’s ability to play into and through contact near the paint to draw fouls and free throws. Wilcox averaged 84% from the line last season and at one point had hit over 30 free throws in a row. Romar’s teams have always been known to be unsuccessful at the foul line, yet individual players have made great strides in improving their shot from the charity stripe and in doing so become game changers.

These individuals include I.T. and Jon Brockman. Last season, Wroten averaged nearly 8 free throws attempts per game, making under 60% on the season. With Wilcox’s 84% average those 4 points from 8 free throws becomes nearly 7 points per game. 3 points extra per night is a huge number from the foul line where close games are won and lost. What could ultimately hold Wilcox back from being the best player on the 2012-2013 squad is his quiet nature. In terms of sheer athletic ability, no one can match-up with Wilcox.

Wilcox has been the fastest at the mile, is one of the quickest sprinters on the team, and has the highest vertical jump of anyone. Wilcox out jumped Ross last season and we have all seen what type of plays can occur when a player has huge hops. If Wilcox can become not only a leader in terms of production, but also as a vocal and emotional leader, he could be a favorite for Player of the Year awards.

Aziz N’Diaye would be my third pick for top player on the team. N’Diaye’s size and defensive presence alone put him near the top of the list. N’Diaye showed great improvement to his footwork, post moves, and in softening his hands. The big man is no longer a black hole in the middle where the ball will never return from. N’Diaye showed better court vision knowing when to take his man to the hoop and when to kick the ball back out to the perimeter. N’Diaye is already a supreme rebounder, picking up nearly 8 per night, but could take another step forward by boxing out better on the offensive end and allowing his length to take charge.

Where N’Diaye can really improve is his offensive game. This has always been the weakest part of N’Diaye’s game, but his jump hook is improving steadily. I would also like to see N’Diaye throw down a few more dunks. Too often, N’Diaye is right next to the hoop and opts for a dainty little lay-in. Throw down, big man, throw down. Dunks are the highest percentage shots there are. At 7-0, it is hard to have a dunk blocked inside 4 feet. Take a page out of this kid’s book, N’Diaye, it’ll help you immensely. If N’Diaye can continue improving his ability to catch the ball and finish at the rim, he could quite possibly average 14 points per game on top of 8 rebounds and a block or two a night. All that production does not even begin to tell the whole tale, something I argued earlier would be critical in determining the team’s best player. How many times has an opposing player driven towards the lane only to see N’Diaye towering in the paint? How many times has that player then changed his mind and opted for either a terrible jumper or been forced to kick the ball back outside the paint? That is the type of impact that doesn’t show up in the box score. It’s the type of impact that every player should strive for.

A fourth, perhaps outside pick, would be Abdul Gaddy. Gaddy has struggled to live up to the All-American hype that surrounded him coming into his freshman season. Gaddy came to the UW as a quite young 17 year old, trying to compete against 22 year old players who were much stronger, faster, and experienced. Gaddy’s sophomore campaign started phenomenally, but sadly he blew his ACL right as Pac-10 play began. Gaddy spent the summer recuperating his knee and appeared to be on track for a solid 2011-2012 year.

Gaddy spent much of this past season looking slower and more cautious, something that was not all that surprising given his newly injured knee. At the end of the year, Gaddy finally realized how deadly he can be when driving the lane. Not only does it open the opportunity to kick out for an assisted 3-pointer, but it also allows Gaddy to get a good look at the hoop down low in the paint where his teardrop shot can be put to good use. What Gaddy needs to do in order to become our best player is to take this team over and make it his.

This will be Gaddy’s senior season. His last hurrah. Gaddy must develop that seasoned, vocal leadership this team so dearly lacked last season. Gaddy could average double digit points if he attacked the rim consistently and improved his 3-point accuracy. And, while it may seem greedy, I would really like to see Gaddy average 7 assists per game. Gaddy has amazing court vision and has a great knack for making solid passes to open players. I believe Romar’s play calling is what is holding Gaddy back from averaging those types of numbers. If Romar can develop a few more motion offensive plays, Gaddy will have more opportunities to deliver the rock to open guys on the perimeter and in the post. With the addition of Suggs as a steady hand inside and out, Gaddy has one more tool at his disposal to spread the floor and make things happen. Another important point to note is the absence of Wroten allows Gaddy to resume taking a majority of the point guard play time, meaning more play-making opportunities to boost his stats.

So who do you think will take over in 2012-2013? One of these four? Someone else? Let us know in the comments below.

Go Dawgs!