UW Dawg Pound

Spring Outlook - Offensive Line - Improvement demanded and expected

2010-03-18T13:31:01Z

More photos » STEPHEN BRASHEAR - AP

10 months ago: Washington quarterback Jake Locker, right, celebrates scoring a touchdown with teammates Senio Kelemete, left, and Drew Schaefer during the first half of the Washington spring football scrimmage at Husky Stadium in Seattle, Saturday, April 25, 2009. Purple defeated Gold 33-0. (AP Photo/Stephen Brashear)

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One word could be used to describe Washington's 2009 offensive line and that was simply adequate. Everyone of consequence other than Ben Ossai is back and the outlook is brighter in 2010. A full year of conditioning and weight training under Coach Ivan coupled with a year of experience with the new offense should yield significant improvement.

Ryan Tolar returns for his senior year after being moved to center last season. I think he will move back to guard in 2010 because the coaches had to notice how well the unit performed the last two games when Mykena Ikehara took over when Ryan was injured.

Tolar will start this season because he has experience. Even though he will start he represents the past since he will never be known for his speed, quickness, and overall conditioning. That being said we expect him to be solid in 2010 while better athletes behind him are groomed to take his place when he graduates.

The only knock on So. Mykena Ikehara is size. He suffered from a virus last spring which forced him to shed around 25-30 pounds. The hope is that he has put that weight back on by April and is ready to move to the full time role of starting center. Mykena is an animal with a nasty streak and if his weight is back on it will be impossible to keep him out of the line up.

Greg Christine surprised us last fall by moving into the starting lineup the first half of the season. The walk-on senior has worked hard to get that opportunity but a nasty broken leg sidelined him at the midpoint. He probably won't be ready for contact this spring but should be good to go this fall. Christine can play guard or center so he is a great asset to have in the depth.

Jr. Senio Kelemete returns after a very strong season in 2009. He is definitely a kid to watch because of all the returnee's he has the best chance of them all to be drafted when he graduates. He started his career playing immediately as a DT and then was moved by Sark to OG last spring.

With a year of experience under his belt Senio could develop into one of the best lineman in the conference. He definitely has war daddy potential. The coaches will take a long look at the possibility of moving him outside due to depth concerns but chances are he stays where he is at.

Jr Nick Wood was a pleasant surprise last season. He started off the year buried on the defensive line and he looked like a probably attrition candidate. A mid season move to the offensive line proved to be the right choice. Within a couple of weeks he had earned a starting position due to injuries ahead of him. I wouldn't count on Nick to start this season unless there are injurises ahead of him but he will provide some solid depth coupled with a great attitude.

The Huskies will take a long look at true frosh Colin Porter when he arrives on campus. This kid is a real beast and he could earn an early shot in the rotation that could lead to a starting job sometime later in the season.

Jr Mark Armelin and Jr Scott Shugert fill out the depth in the interior. Both of these guys need to make some sort of move this spring if they ever expect to see the playing field. Talent is due to arrive in the fall which will knock them to the end of the depth chart.

Overall Washington seems to be strong enough up the middle but lacks experienced depth at tackle. Sr Cody Habben and So Drew Shaeffer are the designated starters heading into spring. Habben showed improvement last season but he was far from being dominant.

Shaeffer goes into the spring as number one on the other side but he will have plenty of competition from Jr Skyler Fancher if he has recovered from a series of three leg operations. Shaeffer pushed for a starting job as a RS last fall but in the end the coaches decided to move Ben Ossai back outside. True frosh Erik Kohler is certain to step into the rotation next fall and compete for a starting job. you would like to redshirt him but there just isn't any depth.

Washington is bringing in seven HS offensive linemen this fall. It represents one of the better offensive line classes in the history of the school. The majority of these kids will redshirt but expect Colin Porter and Erik Kohler to be given the chance to make an impact in 2010.

Washington will bring in at least five offensive lineman in the 2011 class. Sarkisian and Cozzetto will continue to rebuild from the bottom up. The Washington offensive lines best days are ahead of us but in the meantime the coaches are making good use of the pieces they have.

March Madness Poll

2010-03-17T19:43:35Z

More photos » Mark J. Terrill - AP

4 days ago: Washington players celebrate with their trophy after defeating California in an NCAA college basketball game at the Pac-10 Conference tournament, Saturday, March 13, 2010, in Los Angeles. Washington won 79-75. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

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How deep will Washington go in the big dance this season?

Nobody out there expects Washington to last very long in this years tournament. They all say the Pac 10 is weak and they have a point since only two Pac 10 teams are dancing this season. All that being said I think the Huskies are peaking at just the right time.

Marquette is a battle tested opponent from an elite conference but I think this game is going to go down to the wire. For some reason I think Washington will surprise the experts this season and advance to the Sweet Sixteen. Anyone will tell you that if you get that far anything can happen. Once the momentum starts building a cinderella from a major conference can keep advancing if they play their cards right.

So what do you guys think?

Is Washington a one and out team like ASU was in the NIT last night or are they going to do something special and keep us all on the edge of our seats for the next couple of weeks?

Poll

How deep will Washington go in the tournament?

Ducks make it official

2010-03-17T11:54:50Z

Oregon made the firing of basketball coach Ernie Kent official yesterday. Kent was the winningest coach in program history with a 235-173 record since was hired in 1997. Kent was a good coach who did well at a place where it is hard to recruit top basketball talent. He led his team to two elite eight appearances during his tenure at Oregon. If there was any real knock on him it was inability to keep what litte top flight in state talent from attending other schools.

Oregon wil open a fancy new arena next season and you can expect the Ducks to try to make a run at Gonzaga head coach and Eugene native Mark Few to start the search off. Another named mentioned was former Sonic head coach and all around coaching vagabond PJ Carlesimo. Louisville's Rick Pittino is another name I have heard bandied about in the press. The thinking on that one is maybe he wants a fresh start after it became public he has an affair and was then blackmailed.

I think Oregon made a mistake by firing Kent who has been on shaky ground ever since details of his own maritial affair became public a few years back. Kent was first first all an Oregon alum who had played under Dick Harter as one of the infamous Kamikaze Kids. His roots at Oregon are deep just like Washington's Lorenzo Romar's are. It is tough to replicate that type of loyalty and commitment when you are out shopping for a big name.

Anyway it is hard to a believe a guy that took his team to the elite eight twice over the past ten or so years is out on the street looking for a job. If Kent wants to continue coaching he should have no problem finding another job. As for Oregon they shouldn't have too much trouble landing a competent new coach. The new arena will be an attractive recruiting draw and should give the new coach a running start. Too bad they didn't give the guy who got them there a shot at that run.

UW got a better draw than Cal or Gonzaga

2010-03-16T19:58:34Z

UW is finally living up to their potential, which makes them a very dangerous #11 seed. I feel bad for Marquette. Look at some of the other 11 seeds. UW is one of the hottest teams in the nation and gets to stay close to home (San Jose). If they can get past Marquette, I'm sure they can beat New Mexico as well.
Isaiah Thomas and Quincy Pondexter form one of the most potent 1-2 punches in the nation, but if they don't get help from someone else it will be hard to advance.

theleftcoastbias.com breaks down UW's chances and the other teams from the west.

http://theleftcoastbias.com/?p=1751

It's a down year for the Pac-10 but the West still has many teams dancing, can't wait for it all to unfold. Who do you guy think has the best chance to make it to the final four? New Mexico? BYU? or the Dawgs?

Questions and Answers

2010-03-16T18:45:27Z

Did a Q&A with our sister SBNation site: AnonymousEagle. I'll fanshot to the questions I answered when they get them posted, but for now, enjoy:

1) How has this season been for Marquette, and what were the expectations coming into this year?

This season has aged most of us in dog years. It started off with surprising victories over Xavier and Michigan in the Old Spice Classic in Orlando ... followed up by Marquette gacking away a home game against ACC bottom feeder NC State. The Big East season got off to a rough start, as Marquette lost on a buzzer beater at West Virginia, then lost twice to Villanova (in a week span) by a total of four points, and, last and certainly least, a loss on another buzzer beater to an absolutely wretched DePaul squad that would've struggled to win a game in Conference USA. Since then, things have picked up, but it hasn't been easy: three straight road games that went to OT (all Marquette wins), followed up by two down-to-the-wire games in the BEast tourney. The boys have kept us on our toes, that's for sure.

Expectations were very low coming into the season; there was little, if any, talk of going to the Dance. We lost three Seniors from last year's squad, each of whom was a 1500-point (career) scorer. We had one returning starter and about eight new faces, and then, in September, our freshman point guard blew his Achilles. Soon after, our only big guy broke his foot, and then, in December, our freshman power forward quit the team because his dad got pissy about the way the kid was being used in the offense. After all that, I think I can safely say: nobody (least of all me) saw this one comin'.

2) What is Marquette's defense like, and who are its best defenders?

Typically, Marquette will go straight up man-to-man on defense. Occasionally, we'll throw out a token 1-3-1 full court press, but I can't remember a single time we've forced a turnover with it. Coach Buzz likes to double down on paint touches and rotate help if there's a kick-out from the post. And you'll notice, on a high screen at the top of the key, we'll sometimes send both defenders at the guy with the ball. Coach Buzz calls that "monster," probably because he's kind of crazy and likes yelling "MONSTER! MONSTER!" on the sideline.

Our best defender is probably Lazar Hayward, if only because he's usually guarding a guy who's three to six inches taller than him and doing it competently. Senior guard David Cubillan has his moments, too; in the Big East tournament, he was on 'Nova's Scottie Reynolds like a Milwaukee housewife on a beer brat, and Reynolds only went 4-10 from the field. But, despite their lack of height, Cubillan and Maurice Acker aren't exceptionally quick and can struggle keeping their men in front of them.

3) Marquette is an excellent three point shooting team. What do they do when the deep ball isn't falling?

We lose. Kidding aside: our offense is predicated on getting a touch in the paint, then working the ball around to the open man. If the open looks aren't falling, we're in trouble, because, outside of Darius Johnson-Odom and Jimmy Butler, we don't have many guys who can create on their own.

4) That Dwyane Wade dunk on Anderson Verajao was awesome, wasn't it?

(Nods)

5) If you were gameplanning against the Golden Eagles, what would you do?

1) Work the paint. (2) Make us run as much as you can, because we only play 7 guys with regularity. (On a related note: if you can get Acker or Cubillan in foul trouble, that'd certainly help your cause, since they're our primary ball handlers.) (3) Work the paint.

6) What were the biggest surprises/disappointments for Marquetter this year?

The biggest surprise was finishing fifth in the meat grinder that is the Big East. As far as players go, it's probably a tie between Johnson-Odom and the senior guards, Acker and Cubillan. DJO is a JUCO transfer, and Coach Buzz told anyone who would listen that the guy was a dynamic offensive threat. And he was right. Acker and Cubillan were bit players for the last couple of seasons, and we didn't expect either to get big minutes this year. But they've blossomed this season, and the offense goes stagnant when they're not in the game.

The biggest disappointment, as far as games go, had to be the loss to DePaul. I can't overstate how bad that team is. Think of the worst team in the Pac-10, multiply it by 20, and you'll be in the neighborhood of how epically awful DePaul was. I'm getting pissed just thinking about that game, so I'll move on.

Individually, the biggest disappointment was Jeronne Maymon, the aforementioned power forward who quit the team in December. During his recruitment, the kid had red flags all over him, not the least of which was his maniac father, who thought Junior was a one-and-done, surefire lottery pick. Predictably, Papa got pissed when the offense was being run through our best player instead of his undersized, athletically-limited son. So they packed their bags for Tennessee, with Papa Maymon firing a: "They didn't want to play the game right, so now we're going to watch them lose every game" barb on his way out of town. It wasn't a good scene for anybody.

7) Score prediction?

If Marquette's season has taught me anything, it's that the game will be close and I'll be working on my fifth brandy Old Fashioned by the 5 minute mark of the second half. I hate score predictions, so I'll cop out: if we're hitting our threes and slowing the game down, Marquette by 5. If the Huskies get out in transition, we won't be able to keep up, and you'll win by 5.

Spring Outlook - Tight End - Taking it up a couple of notches

2010-03-16T14:00:34Z

Washington has the reputation of being TE University but during the Willingham years that all fell by the wayside. The recruitment of Kavario Middleton and Chris Izbicki was supposed to get things back on the right track but in 2009 this group was still receiving a mixed set of reviews.

Jr. Kavario Middleton is the starter going into spring practice. The kid has great hands and can catch the ball but he isn't known as the hardest worker or most precise blocker. He also is capable of concentration lapses out on the field which results in drops. The hope is this is the year that Kavario puts it all together in the weight room, film room, and out on the field.

Jr. Chris Izbicki finally found the field last season after escaping Ty Willingham's dog house. He was starter 1-B last season and had a solid but unspectacular season. Izbicki is never going to live up to the hype he had in HS when he was considered one of the three top HS TE's in the country but he will contribute every game for the rest of his career. The hope for him is that he will continue to develop better hands between now and fall.

Sr Dorson Boyce didn't get the opportunity to play much last season and the JC insurance policy that Sark brought in with his first recruiting class will be hard pressed to see much of the field this year unless some injuries happen in front of him. Boyce isn't a bad player but he doesn't have the size of the kids playing in front of him.

Rs Marlion Bennett will compete for playing time this spring at TE. He is more of a hybrid slot type of guy since he is shorter than a traditional TE. The coaches like the tools he has and it will be interesting to see how they use him in 2010.

In the fall Bothell's Michael Hartvigson will arrive to compete for immediate playing time. It will be tough to find that immediate playing time with a couple of juniors ahead of him but the coaches feel that he will develop into the total package. He has great hands, blocks well, and runs pretty good. That is what you are looking for in a TE. They guys ahead of him haven't shown they can do all three things well at the same time and that is why he will compete for time.

I think going into 2009 the Huskies are solid enough at TE. The big question is will Kavario Middleton develop into an NFL type prospect sooner than later. He needs to get his A game on because time is starting to run short and there are a lot of dollars on the table if he can put it all together.

Look for UW to bring in at least one TE in the 2011 class.

The Monday Morning Wash

2010-03-15T15:17:24Z

More photos » Mark J. Terrill - AP

4 days ago: Washington head coach Lorenzo Romar, right, reacts in the closing minutes of an NCAA college basketball game against California at the Pac-10 Conference tournament, Saturday, March 13, 2010, in Los Angeles. Washington won 79-75. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

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This has been a tougher than average year for Lorenzo Romar. The season started with the grand expectations of high initial rankings but by mid January it looked like his young team was going to underperform all the way to the NIT if they were lucky. In many ways it was mirroring Quincy Pondexter's first season at Washington. A young team full of young five star recruits that wasn't playing to its potential.

As Washington's star began to fade so did the rest of the Pac 10. The bracketologists were predicting that maybe only one or two Pac 10 teams would make the big dance this year. Washington was on the bubble going into the Pac 10 tournament while Cal and ASU were the likely squads to move on. The Huskies took care of business winning three in a row which removed all doubt and knocked the Sun Devils into the NIT.

Lorenzo and his squad picked up a lot of criticism on the way to the teams fifth tournament berth in the last seven years. Many felt that the team was suffering a hangover from the loss of assistants Cameron Dollar and Ken Bone over the last couple of years. Lorenzo could recruit with anyone but he couldn't teach the half court offense well without Ken Bone and pressure defense without Cameron Dollar.

The true judgement of any piece of work in progress in any trade is the finished product. By guiding his young team to its fifth tournament appearance in seven years Lorenzo Romar is on a roll that is unprecedented in the annals of Washington basketball.

This team worked hard and corrected a lot of problems to get this far. I would say that of all Lorenzo's teams at Washington this was among his most challenging. I think he did one helluva job pulling this team together for the second half of the season stretch run. These guys finished strong and are poised to go as deep as any of his teams have in the tournament this season.

As far as brackets go despite an eleven seed I think the Huskies lucked out in this area. I think they have an easier road ahead of them than Gonzaga and California. First up is Marquette in what looks to be a toss-up type of contest. UW needs to control the perimeter to beat Marquette to move on. The Golden Eagles live and die with the three and Washington matches up pretty well defenisively with these guys.

I am not sure how deep this team will end up going but one thing is for sure. March Madness is an annual event at Washington and we have Lorenzo Romar to thank for that.

Duck Soup

QB Jeremiah Masoli has been suspended for the season and RB LaMichael James has been suspended for one game by the Oregon athletic department. I agree with the one game suspension for James even though it won't hurt Oregon very much. After looking through the court documents it seems that he is deserving of a second chance. Keep in mind that under Rick Neuheisel TE Jeremy Stevens was only suspended for the first half of one game after driving his car into a retirement complex by Northgate.

The Masoli suspension is something I don't agree with. I think he should have been thrown out of school period. Not only did he commit the senseless crime he also supposedly lied to Chip Kelly when asked about it. By not telling the truth he made Kelly and Bellotti look like idiots. The thinking at Oregon is that he can use this year to redshirt and return to compete for the starting job in 2011 if he hangs around that long.

You have to wonder if they will consider rescinding Masoli's suspension halfway through the season if the Ducks are struggling on offense. Blount was reinstated in November after supposedly being suspended the entire season after his nationally televised post game tirade after the Boise state game.

Once again I think Oregon is sending the wrong message to its players. I also think they have a different set of rules based on a players importance to the team. I think these type of contradictions will continue to cause further problems for the Ducks off the field.

11 Seed vs Marquette

2010-03-14T22:35:07Z

In San Jose. I'll have a look at our pod later, but discuss here.

See you in 2011, Masoli. Well, maybe. Thoughts on Masoli's suspension and Sark.

2010-03-13T22:35:30Z

Masoli suspended for the year by Chip Kelly.

Am I the only one who feels like Sark would absolutely not put up with this kind of stuff and would nip it in the bud before UW has a multitude of issues in a short period of time?

Maybe that's me being a UW fan, so I'm looking with purple tinted glasses. I feel a little like Sark is a cut above the Lane Kiffen type up-and-coming coaches from an integrity standpoint, and I hope I'm not wrong on that.

We know he didn't appear to even consider the USC job, and if he didn't take USC when the opportunity arises, what job would come along to make a guy want to leave UW? Maybe NFL, but I don't see that happening for a few years yet, if it does happen.

I'm honestly more concerned about his in game management than off the field issues or recruiting. We've got a top notch recruiter, that much we know. What we don't know is if these issues Oregon is experiencing is a thing of the future for us, or something we can avoid entirely with Sark.

We also don't know if his in game management will improve. There are some good signs. He takes blame and seems to reflect appropriately in his post-game commentary, but still it does concern me.

All in all, there isn't another coach I would prefer to see leading UW football. Thoughts?

Pac-10 Championship vs. Cal

2010-03-13T20:36:12Z

More photos » Mark J. Terrill - AP

5 days ago: Washington's Matthew Bryan-Amaning, top, blocks a shot by Stanford's Jeremy Green during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game at the Pac-10 Conference tournament, Friday, March 12, 2010, in Los Angeles. Washington won 79-64. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

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Last night the Huskies advanced to the finals of the Pac-10 Tournament by dispatching Stanford with relative ease. The shooting wasn't great, but the Huskies were getting great looks inside and they started to fall. Eventually the game turned into a blowout and Matthew Bryan-Amaning and Darnell Gant punctuated the win with a few monster dunks.

Which brings us to Cal. I'm not sorry to say that this will be the last time we meet Cal's senior group, as I'm sure the entire conference will be happy to see them leave. Especially Jerome Randle.

Winning tonight would ease the minds of Husky fans everywhere, as it would give the Huskies the Pac-10's automatic bid. The consensus is that right now, the Huskies have secured one of the final at-large spots with Virginia Tech, Dayton and Mississippi losing yesterday, but when Houston beat UTEP today, an at-large vanished. If something crazy happens, like Miami winning the ACC tourney, then with a loss today the Huskies may be the team that everybody's talking about as #66. And the #1 seed in the NIT is not much of a consolation.

The Dawgs cannot afford another slow start, because unlike Oregon State and Stanford, Cal can bury you with their offense. Isaiah Thomas was lights out defending Jeremy Green last night, and he needs to prevent Randle from getting any good looks from 3. We saw a short leash on Abdul Gaddy last night, as he had a couple bad offensive possessions early last night. However, his defensive progress has really surprised me; earlier in the year he didn't move his feet quickly enough an had to play defense with his hands, causing him to foul. Last night in the first couple minutes he forced a turnover and made Landry Fields take a poor shot where Gaddy was in his face. The stakes are too high for him to be turning the ball over, but at least he's no linger a defensive liability, something that is huge against Cal because Gaddy is our tallest point guard, and we'll need him to match up with the 6-5 Patrick Christopher at some point in today's game.

Let's bring home a Pac-10 title.

Pac-10 Semi's vs. Stanford

2010-03-13T04:03:03Z

More photos » Mark J. Terrill - AP

6 days ago: Washington's Isaiah Thomas reacts in the closing seconds of an NCAA college basketball game against Oregon State at the Pac-10 Conference tournament, Thursday, March 11, 2010, in Los Angeles. Washington won 59-52. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

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The Huskies play again tonight, and I think we're all hoping for a little less stress in this game. My heart can't take another first half like last night.

It is said that in back-to-back games that after the first night the team with more talent gains a big edge because the coaches have less time to gameplan and watch film on their opponents. For tonight, that is a very good thing, as the Huskies' talent completely dwarfs Stanford. Aside from Landry Fields and Jeremy Green, the Cardinal might not have a single player on their roster that could make UW's team if they were trying out. It's a testament to Johnny Dawkin's coaching ability that they've put together the season that they have.

The Huskies have done a good job of not letting Green and Fields go off against them this season, with credit going largely to Isaiah Thomas' defense on Green and Justin Holiday's on Fields. The thinking of a lot of fans is that UW should do a lot of pressing tonight, which I fully support. Stanford lacks a Pac-10 quality point guard and good presses have given them fits at times this year.

With any luck, the Dawgs will be more acclimated to their surroundings tonight and won't suffer from the early woes that plagued them last night. This is a must win, and a lackadaisical start could end the season.

My UW/OSU Recap For Montlake Madness

2010-03-12T18:26:19Z

My UW/OSU Recap For Montlake Madness

Did a piece for Montlake Madness on last night's win.
I will say this: the Pac-10's scheduling is brutal for those of us who have deadlines the next morning, especially when we're not currently on the west coast. End rant.

Oregon update - Felonies and Misdemeanors

2010-03-12T14:45:53Z

Reports are coming in that Jeremiah Masoli's fingerprints were found on one of the stolen items and he will be arraigned today in court. There are also reports that Masoli has cleaned out his locker and will no longer be a member of the team. Official word on all of this is due to come out this afternoon.

If has also been rumoured that LaMichael James will not be suspended from the team even though he is expected to enter a lesser plea of harrasment today in court. If that one is true that will be a real head shaker which will be debated on a national basis.

Chip Kelly was expected to address the situation publically today but we have heard he will not talk to the media until next week and any communications today will be in the form of short written statements from the Oregon athletic department.

Kelly is in a tough spot but delaying comment on the situation only makes him look worse.

Bellotti said the distinctions would be between charges and convictions, and between misdemeanors and felonies. A felony conviction would result in dismissal from the team and loss of scholarship, he said.

That could give some indication of how coach Chip Kelly might levy punishment to his star running back and his star quarterback after Friday's hearings in Lane County Circuit Court. James' case involves misdemeanors. Masoli's involves a felony. Oregon Live Link

So let me get this straight...misdemeanors and fine and felonies are a no no?

So you can commit all the misdemeanors you want and still be on the team?

Wow!

Game 3 Against OSU

2010-03-12T02:49:49Z

More photos » Greg Wahl-Stephens - AP

11 days ago: Washington's Matthew Bryan-Amaning (11) shoots against Oregon State's Calvin Hampton (2) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in Corvallis, Ore., Saturday, March 6, 2010. (AP Photo/Greg Wahl-Stephens)

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It's a little bit weird to write a preview for the same team twice in a row. Frankly, not much has changed aside from the importance of the game. Lorenzo Romar has said that the team is focused on this one and not looking ahead to ASU (though at the moment, Stanford is beating them), and that this is a must win for the Dawgs tourney chances. He's right, of course.

It will be interesting to see how Quincy Pondexter performs. He says he doesn't hold a grudge and that he's not real upset about losing out on POY, but when you hear him speak and get to know his character, you get the feeling that he feels differently than he says he does. How's this for a grudge: after not being named a McDonalds All-American in high school, he went from eating McDonalds every day to going 3 years without eating it. I wouldn't be surprised at all to see Quincy playing with a bit of a chip on his shoulder. Though he is nursing a mild illness, so keep an eye on that: Coach may have to limit his minutes.

Aside from that it's the same stuff as Saturday: 1-3-1 zone, diagonal passes, push the tempo, IT dribble penetration, MBALive, etc.

Masoli and Embry charged with second degree burglary

2010-03-11T04:15:41Z

No surprise from Eugene today when Jeremiah Masoli and Garrett Embry were charged with second degree burglary today. What is a surprise is that Masoli hasn't been suspended from the team yet. Same thing with LaMichael James who will enter a guilty plea of some sort on Friday.

A poll in the Oregon Live asks if Jeremiah Masoli and LaMichael James should play another game for Ducks? 57% are saying no, 15% are saying yes, and 29% say it is too early to tell.

STATEMENT FROM HEAD FOOTBALL COACH CHIP KELLY REGARDING UNIVERSITY OF OREGON FOOTBALL PLAYERS

"I am carefully considering the latest news concerning Jeremiah Masoli and LaMichael James, and will make a decision regarding disciplinary action on Friday, March 12."

Chip Kelly needs a couple more days to figure it all out after this has been on his plate for a month?

Wow!

Stadium Bill Dies

2010-03-10T23:01:11Z

The stadium bill for all intents and purposes is dead which means the University of washington is going to be forced to unveil Plan B in the not too distant future to get the job done. What it all comes down to is legislators can't decide how to spend the estimated $50 million dollar per year surplus the painless tax will generate once Safeco Field is paid off.

The reality of this whole thing is that there is enough money for Husky Stadium, Key Arena, The Arts, and future maintenance of Safeco field if it is structured right and the legislators actually started using their heads. The problem is none of them are viewing the issue correctly and unfortunately they don't want King County having a say in how the oney will be used in the future even thought he revenue is generated in King County.

This link to the latest article on the mess in the Seattle Times shows you just how flawed some of these people are in their thinking.

We feel like arts and heritage are being held hostage to stadiums," said Jim Kelly, executive director of 4Culture, King County's arts and culture agency.

Most legislators don't seem to have a problem with funding for the arts. But Kelly said their funding has remained tied down by its connection to the stadium fights.

"With stadiums you're damned if you do or damned if you don't," he said. "Some people, if you take the stadiums out, they won't support the bill. Other people won't vote for it if you leave the stadiums in."

Senator Murray is still working on reviving the bill in the last days of the session but chances are this bill is dead.

Spring Outlook - Wide Receivers - Talented and deep

2010-03-10T20:21:08Z

Washington has put together a deep and talented group of wide receivers over the past three years. Jr. Jermaine Kearse, Jr. Devin Aguilar, and So. James Johnson are arguably the best trio in the Pac 10 going into the 2010 season. Jr. Cody Bruns, Sr. D'Andre Goodwin, and Jr. Jordan Polk provide solid depth.

Kearse and Aguilar had breakout seasons in 2010. With a year of experience under their belts and a competent QB to deliver the ball they flourished in Sarks pro style offense. Jermaine and Devin made clutch catch after clutch catch in 2009 and they are only going to be better this season.

Both Kearse and Aguilar have potential NFL ability. Kearse is a big play guy who concentrates very well in the red zone. He led UW with 50 receptions and 8 TD catches last season. Aguilar chimed in with 42 receptions and 5 TD's despite missing some playing time because of injury.

Newcomer James Johnson made a big impression in camp and knocked 2008's leading reciever D'Andre Goodwin out of the starting lineup. His play faded in the second half of the season after he started wearing down which is to expected from most freshman. The thinking is with a full year of strength and conditioning he should be ready to provide big things in 2010.

Goodwin suffered a pull hamstring late in spring camp and never really recaptured the form that made him UW's leading receiver in 2008. He is a kid to really keep an eye on this spring. He needs to regain the confidence he lost last season and start playing witout being tenative.

Cody Bruns hasn't played much but that really isn't his fault. He would get plenty of playing time on most teams but he has been buried behind the starters. He runs accurate routes and has good speed. All he really needs is some playing time to show what he can do.

Jordan Polk has the ability to make circus type catches but his size is a bit of a negative in this group. His playing time has been limited simply because he isn't better than the guys ahead of him and doesn't really offer a different look with his dimunitive size. He has had some looks returning the ball but he hasn't broken out doing that yet either.

The starting lineup is set in stone for Washington heading into the spring. Things to look closely at is the possible rebound of Goodwin, Bruns getting more reps, and Polk finding a niche he can fit into. I think it is make or break time also for Luther Leonard who hasn't seen the field yet. He has pretty good size but he needs to make his move this spring or be forever buried.

What Washington has been lacking has been taller go to receivers and they filled that need by recruiting Kevin Smith and DiAndre Campbell who will arrive in the fall. So. Luther Leonard who moved over from QB a year ago is also in the mix to help fill that role.

It can happen here

2010-03-10T14:43:51Z

Winter and spring quarters are a time that makes the stewards of college football programs nervous. The players have more time on their hands and enivatably if you are going to have a breach in discipline and judgement it will likely happen this time of year.

Chip Kelly at Oregon has been dealing with it on a weekly basis this off season. I can only think of one quiet weekend for the Oregon football team law wise since classes began but even that was marred by one of the cheerleaders picking up a DUI.

As a Husky fan we look South and grin when stuff like that happens. It is a definite sign that there are problems deep within the Oregon program and that coach Kelly is struggling for control of a team that should go to the Rose Bowl again next season.

We all know Washington and every other football program in the country is not immune from bad behavior. When you put together a group of 105 18-22 year olds there will be problems no matter how vigilant you are. One of those problems happened this past weekend when Husky DE Andru Pulu alledgedly beat a 22 year old man senseless at a party. The police report says he kicked the victim repeatedly in the head while he was down on the ground. He came close to killing the victim.

While none of know anything other than what was written in the police report it is obvious that this attack was probably triggered by alcohol which seriously marred Pulu's judgement. We have all seen assorted skirmishes in this age group over the years because after all boys will be boys and boys will always be stupid when they have been drinking.

This one isn't just one of those boys will be boys type of things. This is a serious physical assault where a life was very close to being taken. There is no excuse for that type of behavior. While alcohol is likely a factor it has little bearing on this incident because of the total brutality of it. Just reading the police report sickens the average person.

Coach Steve Sarkisian did exactly what he needed to as a first step in this situation. He suspended Pulu indefinitely from the team. Due process needs to take its course but I would be very surprised if Andru Pulu is ever given a second chance. His potential loss hurts a program thin at the DE position but immediate boundaries with immediate repercussions is what Sark needs to do for the good of the overall program if the charges filed are accurate.

We watched the Oregon football program turn into a zoo this off season. It has become pretty obvious that the coaching staff has lost control of the behavior of their players. One reason for that has been inconsistent punishment for offenses. Washington needs to avoid going down road again because you don't have to have a very short memory to remember the days of Jeremy Stevens driving through retirement homes.

Sark needs to act firmly and decisively once he has all the correct information to make the proper decision. Something tells me he won't have a problem doing that.

Andru Pulu Suspended

2010-03-09T22:56:27Z

Andru Pulu Suspended

Indefinitely for a violation of team rules.

Curtis Shaw moving on

2010-03-09T07:40:36Z

RB Curtis Shaw became the latest player to leave the program today when it was announced that he intended to transfer to a smaller school to get a chance for playing time. Shaw played immediately as a freshman then took a year off to resolve personal problems before returning to the roster last season.

Curtis is blessed with great speed but he didn't have the wiggle waggle which forced defenders to miss. He fumbled a kick off return against Idaho last season and never found a niche for regular playing time after that. The writing has been on the wall for awhile with two highly touted frosh coming in this spring to compete.