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The Huskies are about to embark upon a foreign tour which will take the team to Europe and Africa. Games will be played in Barcelona, Nice, Monaco, Paris before wrapping up in Aziz N’Diaye’s native country, Senegal. The last few weeks have been very busy at Montlake and this tour will certainly not aid in slowing things down. As the Huskies eye the date of their departure (August 25th), what will make a successful trip?

Rotations
In a recent interview on KJR’s Mitch in the Morning program, Romar stated that this year’s team may settle into a more defined rotation earlier than in years past. I imagine, barring injury, the starting five are Gaddy, Wilcox, Suggs, Simmons and N’Diaye. They key for the Huskies, long term however, may well be that second rotation - however deep - off the bench. Romar’s shown in the past that minutes are there, but minutes must be earned. Though it’s early, we may see someone emerge from the bench that mandates minutes, even if they remain part of the second rotation.

New High Post Offense
On the heels of the Dawgs hiring former Western Washington University head coach, Brad Jackson, Romar announced the change from a motion offense to a high post offense. The high post offensive set is often attributed to John Wooden, who of course used it to great success at UCLA. Though there are varieties, the basic philosophy is to employ the strengths of each member on the floor, with proper spacing and flexibility in attacking the basket - oh, and a high post!

The reason Romar sited for the change, was that it better fit his personnel. It’s difficult to say what impact the Jackson hiring had on the decision, since he ran the high post successfully at WWU, but it does signal a shift in offensive philosophy, at least. Regardless of the origin and goal of the new offense, the overseas tour allows the Huskies to begin to draw upon its unique characteristics and gain a deeper level of familiarity with its intricacies. With guards who see the floor well, and athletic big men who can knock down perimeter shots - I’m thinking of Jarreau and Simmons - the new offensive set will likely provide the structure that, at times, seemed to lack last year.

This tour, due to NCAA rules, can only be taken every four years. In addition to being a life changing cultural experience and providing some additional exposure for the program, the European/African tour will mark the first step in what is shaping up to be a very intriguing season. Go Dawgs!

Silver Lining for the Post-McLaughlin Huskies?

Latest article on the Husky Haul site - Post-McLaughlin Huskies

Husky Summer Ball

A piece I wrote for The Husky Haul on summer league ball. Enjoy!

Draft Boards, Updside, And Terrence Ross

Here's a piece I wrote for Husky Haul on Terrence Ross and what the national draft experts are saying...oh, and my take too!

Terrence Ross and the NBA

I don’t know about you, but in his two short seasons with the Huskies, Terrence Ross made me all but forget about that other Terrence; at least until that other Terrence won a national championship...but I digress.

After sitting out his senior season at Jefferson High School in Northeast Portland, Ross showed flashes of brilliance as a freshman as he adjusted his game to D-1 level. His sophomore year revealed the depth of his talent, as he often carried the young Huskies offensively. There were points in the season too where coach Romar called upon Ross to check the opponent’s best scorer. He did so, and in that fashion, helped his team to victory.

On Thursday, June 28, 2012, Ross will be chosen in the first round of the NBA draft by a team who will no doubt not only need and covet his services and skill set, but drool at the possibilities his athleticism brings to the NBA style of play. How does Ross project as a pro?

I, like a majority of Husky fans, wish Ross and Wroten could have stuck around for another year. Oh, what could have been?! But, when you size up Ross’ skill set, can you blame him for declaring early? No. At 6’6”-6’7” he’s a big 2 guard, and his uncanny athleticism allows him to slide down to the 3, if the situation calls for it.

Many players who declare early for the NBA draft are picked on the basis of their upside; how they project as they improve their game and adapt it to the rigors of the NBA style of play. Some haven’t developed an outside shot, for instance. Some big men may not be polished in the block offensively. Sure there are improvements Ross can make, but he’s not a project; he’s pro-ready. He has a wet jumper, as they say, and when committed, can be stellar defensively.

Recently SLAMOnline had a nice write up and a corresponding video on Ross’ workout with Impact Basketball’s LA branch http://www.slamonline.com/online/nba/2012/05/nba-pre-draft-tour-terrence-ross-workout/ . Workouts included long-time NBA vets and the audience included half a dozen NBA executives. Needless to say, Ross was impressive with his range on his jumper and skill around the basket.

So what, besides athleticism, does Ross bring to the NBA? First, the ability to create and find his own shot. This is crucial as a 2 guard when every night you face big, long, versatile defenders. Second, the moment Ross walks onto the floor, the other team is forced to consider matchups, particularly if Ross is drafted by a team with an offensive-minded point guard. Third, I believe Ross has the ability to be a great defender, even a lock-down defender. But this is the NBA, where defense is an afterthought, right? Yes, if you’re the Golden State Warriors! But if you look down the line at the teams that will make deep playoff runs, they play defense. They have to if they want to win.

A few of the online draft boards have Ross going 17 to the Dallas Mavericks, who could be a good fit, given their style of play and the possible departure of certain key free agents, like Jason Terry (15 ppg). On the 28th of June we’ll find out where Terrence Ross lands, and the team that drafts him will find out first hand what we’ve known for some time - Ross is boss.