The Monday Morning Wash
by John Berkowitz on Jan 26, 2009 8:28 AM PST
Email
PrintIf you are Rick Neuheisel coach of the UCLA Bruins their are two words you are really not fond of right now and those two words would be Steve Sarkisian. The Huskies have been all over the UCLA commitment list this past month.
With UW recruiting so late in the game this year they have had no other choice in the late going but to try to poach kids from other conference schools. Historically the Huskies have recruiting basically wrapped up before Christmas. When you are still out there with 5-10 spots to fill in late January you have to be aggressive.
Aggressive is the key word that comes to mind when you think about Sarkisian and his staff. They probably aren't going to accomplish all their goals this recruiting season but the foundation they are laying for 2010 is impressive.
LB Tim Tucker from Narbonne, HS in Harbor City, CA. made a from commitment to Washington this weekend. From what film I have seen Tucker is an excellent recruit who will add some size and hitting ability to the UW linebacker unit.
Dominique Giesie from Mount San Antonio JC in Ontario CA also took the plunge for Washington this weekend. Giesie is a kid they are recruiting to play right away and bring some more experience and cover ability to the CB position.
Rumors that Hawaii LB Simione Vehekite de-committed from USC in favor of Washington this past weekend a rumor. There has been no official confirmation since he arrived back home in Hawaii. Vehekite tripped Washington with his teammate OL Stan Hasiak.
Hasiak has always been very high on Washington's list but he committed to California last weekend after making a soft commit to UCLA earlier in the recruiting season.
UW is still in the game with both Vehikite and Hasiak because of the visits but getting them to commit is going to be a long shot this late in the process. If Sarkisian can reel in those two this late in the game it would be special.
UW also reportedly had a couple of OSU verbals on campus this weekend. OL Joshua Andrews and OL Mana Rosa. Reports say Rosa is still headed to OSU while Andrews has not made a final decision.
S Stanjarivus McKay reportedly committed while on his trip to UW but once he got home and thought about it remained solid to UCLA.
OL Eddie Williams from Mount San Antonio JC was another player who made the trip.No word yet from Williams but he is known to have a slight lean toward UCLA.
DT Myles Wade form Portland, OR verballed to Texas Tech last night after an in home visit from Mike Leach. UW offered him last week and is going to try to get a visit out of him this coming weekend to see if they can turn him around.
Look for recruiting to get really interesting this coming week. Washington is still in on a number of top players and it is really going to be a huge fight between Washington and UCLA on a number of these recruits. This bodes well for the future regardless of the outcome. It shows Washington once again is going after the top players in the West after four years of concentrating in state and going after players the big boys like USC, Cal, Oregon, and UCLA were not in on.
The only way you win a conference championship is to beat USC. You can't beat USC unless you have the horses to compete on your roster. Washington is going after those horses.
Husky Basketball team on top of the Pac 10
The Husky basketball team took another big step toward a tournament berth in March by sweeping UCLA and USC at home this weekend. Washington showed killer instinct in seizing the momentum in both games during the latter stages of the second half.
Washington has a lot of depth and it has been showing late in games when they start wearing teams down. The squad used to flail whenever Jon Brockman left the game but now they look like a team that can win games without him if that is what is needed.
This week Washington finishes the first half of the Pac 10 season by making a trip down the desert to play the Arizona schools. ASU is the best of the two this season and UW will have a very physical matchup with the Sun Devils. Arizona is still reeling from the loss of Lute Olsen.
The Huskies need at least a split on this trip to keep the lead in the Pac 10 going into the seasons second half. With tough road series coming up in the Bay Area and LA during the second half UW a sweep in Arizona would cement the Huskies as the Pac 10 favorites.
27 comments
|
0 recs |
Do you like this story?
Comments
When do they rank the teams for basketball?
Jerry Brewer came out with an article saying we should be in the top 25 and a lot of people bashed him for not saying top 10. No offense to those people, but no one jumps from barely on the outskirts of the top 25 to top 10 in one weeks span. If we win the next two games, we might be in the top 10, but more likely will be 10-15, as both Arizona and Arizona State are pretty good schools.
No.23 sounds about right- for now
I think we are a legit top 20 team and we’ve got a chance to prove that this weekend. UofW has played very well in league play, but this team has not plateaued yet. We’ve got areas where we can improve. Personally I’d like to see Q and Holiday become serious scoring threats. Now we have enough point production from other players, but it would be nice to have a back up that can score if someone is having an off night or in foul trouble.
Also I’d like to see Gant work in more minutes. But can we? His shot has been off for most of the season and that may have something to do with maturity and playing against savvy upperclassmen. I’d like to put in a few sets at point blank range for him and quite possibly a back door alleyoop. Still think we should attempt to play above the rim a little more and Gant is THAT GUY! Feed him a few alleyoops. Everthing else is clicking.
On a differnt note I don’t think Gonzaga is top 25 material and I don’t think they have been for the last 3 years. When was the last time Gonzaga played beyond the first weekend in the tournament? A top 25 team should not be getting dissed in the first weekend of the tournament and they can’t get past the first or 2nd rounds. O-V-E-R-R-A-T-E-D!
Go Dawgs! WOOF!!!
Complimentary fact checking
In 2008 Gonzaga was ranked #24, earned a #7 seed, and was “upset” in the first round by a Davidson team that was actually ranked higher (#23) and ended up advancing to the Elite Eight.
In 2007 Gonzaga was unranked, received a #10 seed, and lost in the first round to Indiana.
In 2006 Gonzaga was ranked #5, earned a #3 seed, and made it to the Sweet Sixteen.
The key things to remember:
1. Only 16 teams survive the first weekend, so there will always be legit Top 25 teams that don’t make the cut.
2. Only a team with a #4 seed or higher is legitimately expected to make the Sweet Sixteen (by definition, any lower seed would be considered an upset).
In the last three years, when Gonzaga was a #4 seed or better, they made the Sweet Sixteen. When they weren’t, they didn’t. That sounds like a team that was correctly rated, not overrated, and most certainly not O-V-E-whatever.
What is your point?
With all the hype surrounding Gonzaga year after year you’d think they’d make it to the Elite 8 or Final 4. They want everyone to believe they are the Duke or Carolina of the West. They haven’t made it to the Elite 8 since 99. And just getting to the Sweet 16 is not that big of chore! The first and second rounds are a crap shoot and it’s about matchups. But a good team that is a perennial power monger will find away to advance to the Elite 8 more then once in a decade.
Gonzaga’s preseason schedule appears to be a juggernaut, is it? Most of the good teams have yet to hit their stride, hold kids out due to offseason injuries, and are still working on their starting rotations. Gonzaga is all hype. You buy it if you want to but they are not Pac 10 and it shows come tournament time. Heitvelt should’ve signed on with a Pac 10 school. How lame is it to play in the WCC?
My point
Gonzaga does not appear to have been overrated by the Associated Press, which is the entity that actually does the rating.
Obviously you are entitled to come to your own conclusions, but you asked a factual question about Gonzaga’s tournament history and I did the research for you, even including some extra data to provide context. You don’t have to thank me, we’re all friends here.
We’re cool and thank you. This Gonzaga hype really chaps my hide. Yes they play a difficult preseason schedule, but how difficult is it really? Like I said in preseason many of the best programs are not hitting their stride, holding kids out due to offseason injuries, and still working on a starting rotation. Clearly not the making of a good post season run in the tournament.
I believe Few and company hit full stride in the preseason, then play down to their WCC competition and it shows come tournament time. Gonzaga has grown up into big boy status due to perception, but on the hardwood floor is where it counts? Bowing out in the first and second rounds is not something to be proud of considering Gonzaga gets an automatic qualifier for the tournament even without a WCC championship.
Better than nothing!
All you have to do is win and these things will work themselves out.
HecEd was rocking
I haven’t felt or seen that much energy at HecEd in a long time. You could just feel the emotion for the Dawgs. The team is jelling very well and the Sr Leadership has been superb. I hope we sweep in Az this week but it will be tough. However both Az and ASU are essentially 2 man teams with average PG play. Hill, Budinger and Wise, and Harden, Pendergraf and Glasser for ASU. I like our depth better and hope we can pull it off.
BTW, Sark received standing ovations from the crowd both nights when they showed him on the screen for USC and he stood up and acknowleged the crowd, and again when the coaching staff was intro’ed at halftime for the UCLA game. What a 180 from TW.
Letter of Intent Question
For those of us (me) that don’t know a whole lot about the recruiting process, what happens if a recruit signs a LOI and then decides he wants to go elsewhere. Does he have to sit out a year, and if so does that burn a redshirt, or does he sit a year and still have 5 to play 4. Or does he just not get a scholarship (if his new school doesn’t have any to give) but can play immediately.
For example, let’s say that Simione Vehekite does change is mind and signs a LOI to Washington. USC then offers a scholarship to another player. Then sometime this summer, Vehekite changes his mind and decides to go to USC. What happens? How do his options/consequences change if USC has 85 scholarship players already (or if they don’t)?
Not 100%
but i think that he has to sit a year then transfer. If he transfers to another Div 1 team he will lose a year of eligibility. If he transfers down then he does not have to sit. Typically if you sign the LOI then you are obligated to go to that school.
Those LOI are binding contracts...
…I’m not sure if a school could actually let the kid out of it or not without following certain guidelines. Such as sitting out a year if it’s a Division 1 school. That’s why a lot of kids go to like Portland St or Montana because they can play immediately.
the LOI school must release the student
and they tend not to do that. June had that great class a year ago, and then got buzzed/fired. Some girls wanted to be released, but the UW refused. They played last year and then scattered. This year a local girl LOI’d to BYU (I think) for volleyball, and now wants to go to UW. BYU will not release her. I think her options are go to BYU, don’t go to any school, or go to UW with no playing, no scholarship, and I’m not sure about practice.
Breaking News: Roderick is OUT again
Molly reports Roderick is going back to Utah again. Fellas again I didn’t think this guy was a good hire, especially after the first time he reneged.
Is James Lofton still available? This guy should’ve been our first choice as receivers coach.
Fun fact – James Lofton was just replaced on the Raiders’ coaching staff by Sanjay Lal, former UW wide receiver.
Lofton
Go get this guy! The writing was on the wall that Roderick didn’t want this job, probably holding out for more money at Utah.
James Loften would be a HUGE wide receiver coach to get for us! He played in the pro style in the NFL for 15+ years. What other receiver coach has that much experience in the pro style offense?
Get Loften!
Last 4 years?
So why didn’t Ty go after the kids USC, Cal, and Oregon targeted? Was it because it was too much effort to go after the best in the west? Washington does put out some very good football players and it is our job to sign 95% of them. But you can’t just sit on in-state kids, you have to go out and bring in supplemental talent where needed and this is whay recruiting kids from California is a necessity.
I’m still puzzled to the extent of Ty’s performance the last 4 years.
recruiting
go dawgs get those recruits from USC, UCLA, and CAL…
GO SARK
Has anyone heard why Jordan Barrett hasn’t been offered a visit? I have to say that SARK has put his best foot forward in building a good staff and is in all aspects putting together a good class but I hope he isn’t looking for quantity instead of quality I want there to be some room left for next years class the one he is recruiting now. The number on dawgman is 14 that we are losing next year.
14 Scholarships?
We are losing 14 scholarships for next year?!?! That can’t be right, can it?
Jordan Barrett seems like a kid with good size but no one is really going after him that hard according the Dawgman and Rivals. I wonder what the deal is…Great size and speed, seems like he could be used but I think we have enough LB’s and DB’s right now. Just sign the kids that have commited and try to get an O Linemen or two, then wrap up the class.
Available Scholarships for 2010
In 2009 we have openings for 18 scholarships if you are not anticipating future losses.
In 2010 assuming we have no losses and we took 18 the previous year we would only have 11 scholarships to give out during what is anticipated to be a banner year.
It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to realize that to make room for the 2010 class they are going to trim at least ten current scholarship players between now and next December.
The way things have been going this week I think they are pretty close to only giving out 18 this year when it is all said and done.
by John Berkowitz on Jan 27, 2009 11:30 AM PST reply actions
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
