Dot...Dot...Dawg (7/8)

The sizzle of the substance that once served as functional flesh in the loins of the beast produced a somewhat pungent bouquet of craving. It inspired memories of moments that I struggled to identify but knew were pleasant. The beverage selection was uninspired, but not distracting. The dots were spectacular.

For your Sunday morning pleasure ...

• First, a little tweet with an update on Nigel Williams-Goss. As a side note, he was interviewed for about 10 minutes on Bill King's Sirius XM radio program a few weeks back. I tried to find a podcast of it but failed. What I can tell you is that the composure, politeness and articulation of this young man will blow you away. His focus on Harvard was legit and he has a true "ivy league" skill set. He is going to be rock in the UW community.
  

Nigel Goss-Williams showing energy. Nice matchup between Goss-Williams & Casey Hill. Hill is fast but Williams is strong. #LebronSkillsCamp

— POP (@PremierBall) July 7, 2012

• Jerry Zgoda of the Minneapolis Star Tribune details why Brandon Roy chose to play for the TWolves. On my part, I can't help but to think that the Bill Bayno connection was the key piece and I'm thrilled that he'll be playing for former Blazers HC Rick Adelman ... one of my all time favorites. Oh, and there is the matter of Lorenzo Romar's little tweet:

Really excited for former Husky Will Conroy who is about to join the Timberwolves. An unbelievable leader!

— Lorenzo Romar (@CoachRomar) July 7, 2012

• Percy Allen wants to know who will replace Terrence Ross's offense in 2012. Personally, I think this is the wrong question. T-Ross was a huge talent, but his game was similar to those of Scott Suggs and CJ Wilcox given his lack of a handle and his proclivity for living on the perimeter. I think the bigger question is who replaces the dribble drive capabilities of Tony Wroten? We definitely saw flashes of it from Abdul Gaddy towards the end of the season. If he gets his burst back, it might be him. If Suggs has found a handle, I could see him putting up a an All-Conference type of season. The other unknown, in my mind, is Mark McLaughlin.
• This story was published before Steve Nash opted to go to the Lakers, but it has some interesting insights into how Terrence Ross fits in at Toronto.
• Condotta picked up on a little bit of a scheduling mystery for the 2013 season. Will UW be opening the new stadium versus Boise St or not?
• Also from Condotta, a great blog post on Jeff Lindquist and the start up of the LEAP program. I love hearing news of the commencement of LEAP because it means that football is just weeks away.
• Finishing my Condotta tri-fecta, a nice interview with James Johnson. JJ says that there is a sense of urgency among the team. Speaking of a sense of urgency, how about Bob C with outstanding production in the doldrums of the offseason? Let's give it up for our friendly neighborhood beat writer!
• Kevin Gemmell wants you to vote on which Oregon game will be the most "intriguing" of the season. Early returns are that you-know-who will be the most interesting test for the Ducks in 2012. While I don't think we are anywhere close, yet, to their level, it is inevitable that this this wretched streak will end. One cannot measure the impact of complacency that may eventually seep into the Duck mindset when it comes to this once red-hot rivalry.
• Nike's "The Opening" camp is going on now in Beaverton, OR. You can see that several UW commits and targets are involved. While not UW specific, ESPN has this interesting article in reaction to Robert Nkemdiche's feeling that he may be more inclined to commit elsewhere if Clemson doesn't offer his high school teammate a spot. The question here is whether or not such an insinuation is out of line, or simply a statement of fact that qualifies as criteria that the young man is using to assess his options. Frankly, I don't have a problem with any of it given the nature of the sausage factory that already exists.
• H/T to Robert M in the comments of the Gekko File for noting that big time LB recruit, Reuben Foster, decided to take a break from The Opening and head three hours north for an unofficial visit. Foster is a strong 'Bama commit, but the fact that we got him to come up to visit Montlake versus having him head south to Eugene while nursing an injury that is keeping him from the camp is an indication of how much of an upswing our recruiting is on. I imagine Peter Sirmon had something to do with hit.

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

— Mike Farrell (@rivalsmike) July 7, 2012

• Finally, DDonald Butler tops this blogger's list of AFC West players who are about to enter into the elite of the conference. You all know that I love DB ... Go Dawgs!