by | February 6, 2010 · 3:12 pm

Huskies 2010 Recruits (Offensive/Defensive lines)

Offensive Line (7)

James Atoe, OT, 6-6, 339–  James Atoe was a late addition to this class. The coaches didn’t offer him until the last week of recruiting and it was thought that Atoe was mostly offered because some other guys didn’t commit to come here. But after hearing the coaches talk about him I think that they wanted to keep him a secret so that other schools wouldn’t find out about him. This guy is 6-6, 339 lbs. and still runs a 4.9 40. Think about that running at you, frightening to say the least. Sark said Atoe is a potential top 5 pick in the NFL draft. Honestly, I don’t believe him but if he’s anywhere near that kind of a player this is a great under the radar pickup.

Mike Criste, OL, 6-5, 279– Criste is only rated a 2 star by Scout.com but he pulled in scholarship offers from good programs like Notre Dame, Oregon State, and Arizona State. His weight is a little small at the moment but his high school coach told the Seattle Times that he could easily get to 315 because of his frame. Like Atoe, Criste is likely headed to a red-shirt year in which he’ll develop but after that he could become a real contributor.

Micah Hatchie, OT, 6-5, 265– Hatchie is generally considered the best offensive lineman out of Hawaii this year. He had scholarship offers from most of the Pac-10 schools, including Oregon and California. He’s considered a good basketball player which means he has good feet for an offensive lineman. Another guy who is most likely headed to a red-shirt year but I think he’ll be on the field before too long.

Erik Kohler, OT, 6-5, 304– He’s considered by many the best lineman on the west coast this year. He was Nick Montana’s teammate this year and will probably be protecting Montana’s blind side for years to come at left tackle. Before Sean Parker committed, many thought Kohler was the best guy in this class. He’s one of two offensive lineman who has a real shot at playing next year.

Colin Porter, OL, 6-4, 314– This is the other guy who could play next year on the line. Another guy who played for Bothell, this guy is already 314 lbs. and is still very quick. From watching his highlight films, Porter seems more polished than any of the other lineman who committed (outside of Kohler). I think he will probably end up playing guard for the Dawgs within the next few years.

Colin Tanigawa, G, 6-3, 291– The only lineman who isn’t listed as a tackle. Rivals.com has him ranked as the #28 guard in the country. His quarterback this year was Jerry Neuheisel, son of Rick Neuheisel. He is the shortest of all the lineman, which is typical in guards.

Ben Riva, OT, 6-6, 276– Rounding out this great class of lineman is Riva. He was Zach Fogerson’s teammate at O’Dea this year. Like Porter, I think Riva will end up as a guard for UW. He is another guy who will benefit from a year in the weight room. You can never be sure but I think he’s headed to a red-shirt year as well.

Defensive Line (4)

Andrew Hudson, DE, 6-3, 222–  Hudson is from the same high school that brought UW Ronnie Fouch, Chris Polk, and Marquis Persley.  Scouting reports say that Hudson is very quick off the ball but that he needs to put some weight on.  Ideally, a defensive end would be over 240-250 lbs.  With the lack of depth at this position, I expect to see Hudson on the field this year.  In an interview on signing day, Hudson said that he thought he’ll be playing this year.

Hau’oli Jamora, DE, 6-3, 250–  Jamora was named Hawaii’s defensive player of the year, which is no small feat (he actually has quite large feet).  Like Hudson, I think Jamora will get some playing time this year as a true freshman.  He’s also quick off the ball and has already gained weight this year.  I’m very excited to see this kid play.

Lawrence Lagafuaina, DT, 6-0, 336–  Are you ready for LagaMANIA?!  Alright, I’m done with the bad jokes.  Obviously, Lawrence is a big boy.  Despite his size, Sark says he has good quickness.  Lagafuaina is a basketball player which can be an indicator of good footwork.  He’s another player from Hawaii.

Sione Potoa’e, DT, 6-2, 266–  Potoa’e is considered the best recruit in Washington who’s not named Jake Heaps.  USC came after him hard but, thankfully, Potoa’e chose to stay home.  Very few college freshman can come in and made an impact at the the defensive tackle position but that’s exactly what is expected of Potoa’e.  Although he’s listed at 266 pounds, I’ve heard Sione is closer to 290 which is about where he needs to be for this coming season.  The best thing I can think to say about Potoa’e coming to UW is, “WHOOOO!”

I’ll be back with the rest of the defensive guys tomorrow. Thanks for reading! (Make sure to check out Dan’s post on I.T. below, good stuff).

-Andrew

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by | February 6, 2010 · 2:18 pm

Isaiah Thomas: Sophomore Slump

Any fan who follows his or her teams closely knows just how frustrating fan hood can be. For myself, a prime example is this years Washington basketball team. An underachieving team can be extremely difficult to watch, and UW fits that description. To say the Pac-10 conference is having a down year for men’s basketball is a grave understatement. For this reason, as well as some promising newcomers and a handful of returners, it seemed all too realistic that Washington might be the favorite to repeat as champions this year. Maybe this will happen, but it’s looking doubtful.

We all know that for as great as they can be at home, the Huskies are equally dreadful on the road. The numbers back this up…15-1 at home, 0-5 away. Dissecting this phenomenon and the overall disappointment the team has been so far would take up a lot of time and space, and consist of a hundred different topics we could focus on. What could have been if Charles Garcia were a Husky; How leadership is missing from the departure of Brockman and Dentmon; The impact of losing Cameron Dollar; The lack of big man contribution; How small crowds and zero energy on the road are connected; and many other subjects that all probably have some merit. Rather than tackle all of these though, I’m going to focus on one angle that can’t be ignored; Isaiah Thomas.

Just glancing at Isaiah’s numbers don’t tell the whole story. He is averaging 17 ppg to go with 4 rebounds and nearly 3 assists per game. But it’s some of the other stats that I find more revealing. He is shooting 39% from the field, and just 30% from behind the arc. From a scorer who is hardly 5’8″, (more like 5’6”) I’m sure Romar would like to see Isaiah above 40% and at least around 35% shooting 3’s. To be fair, IT isn’t the only guard who hasn’t found his touch. Scott Suggs is shooting 39%, while Elston Turner is converting only 37% of his shots. The difference is the Huskies depend on Isaiah far more than Suggs or Turner, and while his defensive has certainly improved, his decision making has not. Thomas’ 54 assists are nice, but the 57 turnovers are ugly. In comparison, Thomas’ backcourt mates are faring better. Venoy Overton has 77 assists and 50 turnovers, and Abdul Gaddy has 58 assists to just 37 turnovers. This is only one statistic, but the reality is you can’t count on Thomas game after game and his decision making is a big reason why.

One night Isaiah will shoot lights out, play lock down defense, and show flashes of Nate Robinson, a familiar small guard from Washington’s past. The next game he is shooting poorly, looking lost on the court, and occasionally letting it spill into his defensive performance as well. This trend of inconsistency is especially disturbing when you consider how heavily Thomas will be counted on next year, with Pondexter gone. Isaiah will probably always be a streaky shooter, but you can be streaky and still shoot better than 39%. And streaky doesn’t have to translate to more turnovers than assists.

Perhaps moving Thomas to shooting guard has given him the freedom to shoot first, pass second, and while the Huskies desperately need his scoring, I’m not convinced his game plan should be to carry the scoring load. I don’t know the best way to use our top guards, Thomas, Overton, and Gaddy. For now, Thomas and Gaddy start, and Venoy comes off the bench. Thomas is the scorer, Gaddy the passer, and Overton provides the spark. Should Thomas come off the bench so that less is depended on him? Would Overton struggle in a starting role? Or maybe Gaddy should be the spark, thus allowing the veteran guards to start. Maybe nothing needs to change, and Thomas is just having a down year because teams are focusing in on him. It could be that IT flourishes when he has a big man he can depend on, which clearly UW does not. Either way, one thing is a must–All three guards need to be playing 20+ minutes a night. (Had Venoy played more than 11 minutes versus UCLA I can argue the result would have been different)

In Isaiah Thomas, the Huskies have a talented scorer who can also defend. I personally watched IT score 28 points in a state game as a sophomore, including an impressive 17-17 from the free throw line. As a junior, he dropped a state tournament record 51 points in a losing effort against Venoy Overton’s Franklin Quakers. Simply put, he can produce. But the key to Thomas’ success seems to depend on his mindset. When he starts forcing shots, versus allows the game to come to him, he is likely to have a game similar to his last outing against Arizona. (3-10 shooting, 7 points, 1 assist, 4 turnovers) Still, Isaiah is the defending Pac-10 freshman of the year, and that’s quite an accomplishment. Paired with Overton, maybe the best defensive guard in the nation, and Gaddy, the #2 rated point guard coming out of high school, the Huskies have the most talented backcourt in the conference. The future is bright for all of them, but Thomas needs to grow, soon, and I’m not talking about his height.

-Dan

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by | February 5, 2010 · 10:34 pm

Huskies 2010 Recruits(Offensive Skill Positions)

With signing day just happening this last Wednesday, I decided it was time to get to know the Huskies new players.  Tonight I’ll go over the Huskies offensive skill positions, tomorrow the offensive and defensive lines, and on Sunday I’ll write about the defensive skill positions.  I’m sure you could find better information from the Seattle Times or any recruiting website but hopefully you all find this interesting!

This class is extremely large, with 30 players coming in.  This makes up for the lack of depth Tyrone Willingham (also known as the anti-christ) left UW with.  This class was ranked #11 by www.scout.com, #20 by www.espn.com, and #28 by www.rivals.com.  The reason for such a big difference in the recruiting rankings will take on a post of its own, that I will hopefully get to soon.  So on to the players!

Quarterback (1)

Nick Montana, 6-3, 191– As Nick Holt would say, this is awesome!  Montana will be enrolled in time for spring practices, which will help in his development.  After Jake graduates, Montana and Keith Price will battle it out for the 2011 starting job and these extra practices may really help Nick.  He needs to add a little weight to become a starting Pac-10 quarterback.  Most scouting reports say he needs a little time to develop under good coaching.  Thankfully, he has time, with Jake sticking around, and two of the best quarterback coaches in the country in Sark and Nussmeier.  Also, his dad was an alright quarterback so it’ll be nice to have him around.

Running Back (2)

Jesse Callier, 5-11, 186–  Callier led the state of California with 3,010 rushing yards this year.  No, that’s not a typo.  3,010 yards!  In one game last year he rushed for 447 yards!  Callier seems durable since he had 300 carries this year, which is a ton for a high school kid.  Scouting reports have him more as a speed back than a power back.  He will be enrolling in time for spring practices.

Deontae Cooper, 6-0, 191–  Cooper was second in the state of California with 2,863 rushing yards this year.  It’s pretty impressive that Sark went into California and got the two top rushers.  In comparison to Callier, Cooper is more of a power back.  Like Chris Polk, he is a straight ahead runner.  Cooper is already enrolled at UW, he got here in January.

Fullback (1)

Zach Fogerson, 6-0, 231–  Zach, who is the younger brother of UW’s backup running back, Johri, was ranked as the #3 fullback in the country by Scout.  He committed to the Huskies way back when Willingham was coach in 2008.  He wavered a bit in his committment after Michigan offered him a scholarship, but he ultimately stuck with the Dawgs.  He brings a little more athleticism to the fullback position, which the coaches want to utilize.

Wide Receiver (2)

DiAndre Campbell, 6-1, 186–  There’s not a lot being said about this guy. He cane from a school in Oakland. Our coaches want tall receivers who can jump and catch the ball, much like USC receivers and Jermaine Kearse. This guy fits that bill as he is said to be very athletic. He’s averaging 20 points on his high school basketball team, which shows some of his athleticism. Sark said in his press conference on Wednesday that they like to recruit basketball players because they have good hand-eye coordination.

Kevin Smith, 6-0, 194– Many people seem to be excited about Kevin Smith. He didn’t start playing football until a couple of years ago and a lot of scouts think that if he had one more year in football he would’ve been a 5 star recruit. As is he’s rated a 4 star by Scout. At the press conference Sark compared him to Terrell Owens. He will also be able to get up and catch the ball with his 40-inch vertical leap.

Tight End (1)

Michael Hartvigson, 6-6, 235–  From Danny’s alma mater, Bothell, Hartvigson is a hometown kid who is ranked as one of the best tight ends in Washington. He can also play Defensive End but will most likely stick here for the Huskies. He’s got the length that you want for a tight end. With Middleton, Izbicki, and Boyce in the fold, I believe Hartvigson is headed to a red-shirt year but he will be a solid contributor in time.

I’ll be back with the offensive and defensive lines tomorrow! Hope you enjoyed this, thanks for reading!

-Andrew

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by | February 5, 2010 · 5:34 pm

Shorter Bedard Thoughts

Sorry, too many words in that last post.  Here’s my more concise view on the potential Erik Bedard signing.

Signing Erik Bedard for $1.5 mil. + incentives is like winning some sweet-looking Prada shoes for $25 on Ebay.  You’re excited, because it doesn’t happen very often.  You know they might end up being unwearable: too small, or really beat up, or in that class of weird-ugly Prada footwear instead of awesome Prada footwear.  But it’s only $25, and if they turn out good, you just got $400 shoes for a fraction of the price.

Also, make sure you read Danny’s post below, which I have now completely buried.

-Matthew

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by | February 5, 2010 · 5:01 pm

Erik Bedard: Franchise Changer

Few moves have had the impact of the Seattle Mariners initial acquisition of Erik Bedard.  Following the Mariners’ first winning season in years, the 2007-08 off-season was difficult to get a handle on.  Many felt 2007 had been a year of surprisingly good, unsustainable luck for the team.  Some wanted GM Bill Bavasi fired.  Others saw an annually increasing win total and held to hope of a contender.

At some point, Bedard’s name started flying in rumors, and eventually he was acquired for 5 players.  Opinion was again heavily divided.  Few complained about having Bedard on the team, but most felt the team had overspent to acquire him, especially given the team’s status as anything but a sure contender.  Still, the future of the rotation, and the team in general, looked positive.

And then, it quickly fell apart.  Bedard was named opening day starter, a move that seemed to disappoint Felix Hernandez and likely added unnecessary pressure on Bedard.  He refused to play nice with the local media, answering most questions rudely or with one word answers. They proceeded to question and doubt every move he made.

Bedard pitched well when the season started, if not up to the level of 2007, when he was legitimately one of the few best pitchers in baseball.  There were steady complaints that he threw only 100 pitches per start, even though that’s the common point when most pitchers lose their effectiveness.  And then he got hurt, and the Mariners finished with the second worst record in baseball.  They fired Bavasi, and it’s not a stretch to think that had Bedard put together the Cy Young-type year hoped for, Bavasi might still be around. 

Instead, Jack Zduriencik was hired.  The team was largely rebuilt, and Ken Griffey Jr. came home and tickled Ichiro all the way to the happiest 85 win team in history.  Bedard contributed, starting the year pitching like we all hoped he would when he came from Baltimore, but then he got hurt again, the dreaded torn labrum, and it looked like Seattle’s last vision of Erik Bedard would be as the symbol of Bill Bavasi’s tenure: he was everything we hoped for that didn’t come true, and we were glad to see him go. 

Now, pending a physical, he’s back.  And this time, he is somehow a demonstration of everything we love about the new Mariners.  He’s not being depended on or overpaid, and he isn’t Carlos Silva.  If he’s good, it will likely mean the playoffs.  If he’s not, oh well.  The team will find someone else, and it will still hopefully mean the playoffs.  It’s not all or nothing this time.

Some will see it as a risky signing, because there’s a strong chance he won’t return from the surgery, to his previous level or at all.  Really, there’s little risk.  The only way he’s paid more than $1.5 million is if he earns it.  He’s not costing them Adam Jones or George Sherrill or Chris Tillman, much less all three plus a couple more.  With any luck (or a lot of luck), he’ll pitch in June and by August and September he’ll be the dominant starter on a playoff team the Mariners thought they were getting two years ago.  If not, we’ve been down this road before.  Only now, Bedard is the potential cherry on top, not the whole sundae.

-Matthew

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by | February 5, 2010 · 2:50 pm

Erik Bedard: Re-signing with Seattle

Apparently Erik Bedard is about to re-sign with the Mariners on a 1 year deal worth 1.5MM and a laundry list of incentives that could bump it up close to the 7.75MM he earned in 2009. In short, Bedard has been injured more than he has been healthy in each of the past 2 seasons, and currently he is trying to recover from a torn labrum. It’s a serious rehab and if we see him pitch at all this year, it surely won’t come sooner than June.

More Bedard thoughts…When he does pitch, he usually only goes 5 innings. He is also a constant reminder of the worst trade in Mariners history. Not to mention, he’s kind of a jerk.

And yet, I like the signing. 2007 is not an eternity ago and in ’07 Bedard was 13-5 with a 3.17 ERA. He was emerging as a top flight starter, and he had ridiculous stuff. A mid-90’s fastball to compliment a gorgeous breaking ball. It all seemed worth giving up a bundle for. The potential is there, and the idea of a Felix-Lee-Bedard trio in October is fantastic, even if those odds are slim. At 1.5MM it’s a gamble worth taking, and a low-risk proposition; Jack Z’s specialty!

If I had known back in February ’08 when Bedard was acquired from the Orioles for half of Seattle’s farm system, that Bedard would eventually re-sign with the M’s, I would have certainly thought his new extension would be darn near 100MM over 5 or 6 years. After all, he was supposed to be one of the elite lefties in the game. He was supposed to provide Felix Hernandez with a 1-2 punch that would certainly be one of the best. Ironically, Seattle has the best 1-2 punch after all, but Bedard is neither the 1 nor the 2. At best, he is the 5th or 6th jab. But who knows, maybe Bedard ends up being the missing piece the M’s need in July when the playoff race heats up. He could essentially be a trade deadline acquisition. And if this turns out well, the best part is salvaging some of the train wreck that Bavasi created on that fateful day in February, 2008.*

*Keep in mind, had Bavasi not traded Adam Jones in the Bedard trade, we likely would not have death to flying things manning center field (aka Franklin Gutierrez). I guess that counts for something. Whatever helps you sleep at night…

Who wouldn't want a pitcher who tucks his shirt into 1 small portion of his belt?

-Dan

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by | February 4, 2010 · 6:56 pm

The Beginning!

Welcome friends! Over the past few weeks I’ve been thinking about how much fun it would be to start a sports blog. This idea started out as the simple thought, “I text and talk about sports enough that maybe I should start writing about it.” But, like many ideas before it, this thought was pushed to the back of my mind. The thought kept coming back though.

One day last week I mentioned this to my brother, Matthew Long, and good friend, Danny Scansen, and they also thought this would be fun. Between the three of us, we will be bringing you posts about Seattle sports, the Pac-10 and basically anything else we want to write about. It’s an honor to write with these two people that I respect and aspire to be like.

Needless to say, I’m extremely excited about this. It doesn’t really matter to me who or how many people read this, I selfishly admit that I’m writing for myself more than anything. This is because sports fascinate me. How do we come to this deep connection, that can lead to tears of joy or months of frustration, with a team full of players that we’ve never met? After 19 years of fandom, the strongest conclusion I can come to is that sports are our escape from reality. And no matter how harsh reality can be sometimes, I can turn on a football game (or almost any game) and that brings the potential to forget troubles. Does this always work? Of course not. And I’m not saying that sports provide a way to run from problems, when the games over it’s right back to the grind, but sports act as a break from a fast paced and frantic life. Because they do this for us, we become attached. Just like a good friend who’s always there to hear your problems or cheer you up, sports are usually there to get us out of the funk a bad day brings.

I’ve been going to Husky football games for as long as I can remember, and haven’t missed a home game in over 6 years. Recently, I was asked if the Huskies running out of the tunnel before the game ever loses it’s excitement. That got me thinking, I can’t remember a time when the team came out of the tunnel and I didn’t have my arms raised above my head, yelling. Even in the midst of irrelevancy and a winless season, when the team came out of the tunnel I still felt like a 6 year old on Christmas morning. This is because I owe the Huskies something. No matter how bad my week has been the Dawgs are there in the fall. And no matter how awful the team has played, at least they’re there to give me time to spend with my family, some excitement and memories that I hope to share with my own kids someday. They’re there to give me an escape.

So this blog will be here to talk about those escapes. To talk about how the Mariners could plausibly make a World Series run or how the Huskies could be back sooner than any of us had dreamed. We hope you enjoy it, I know I will.

(Feel free to comment on any of the posts!)

-Andrew

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