Dot...Dot...Dawg (Is it Safe To Go Back In the Water?)

• This is a surprisingly light day on Dots given that there really isn't that much new material floating out there to discuss on Husky Football, Basketball or the like.  The featured sports in all of Husky Athletics seem to both be in swoons of mediocrity and, well, the natives are getting restless.  It is a good thing that we have your Pac 12 Champion Men's Soccer team, fresh off a conference clinching victory over Oregon State, to ameliorate our purple souls.
  

  This is the first conference title for @UW_MSoccer since 2000, the inaugural year of men's soccer in the Pac-12.

  — UW Men's Soccer (@UW_MSoccer) November 17, 2013



• The Women's Volleyball team pulled off a huge win over #4 USC last Friday to all but ensure their own conference title.  The Lady Huskies lead by two games in the loss column and are well-poised to make a special run.  As long as the immutable Krista Vansant keeps doing her magic, I expect big things from the Huskies.


• Unfortunately, not all of UW's programs are clicking.  You know about the Football and Men's Basketball situations.  Less well-covered was the thrashing that the Women's Basketball team took at the hands of the Portland Pilots.  The Pilots rode the wave of 15 threes to earn their first ever victory of UW 91-77.


• Then there is Steve Sarkisian's crew.  With the 41-31 loss to UCLA on Friday, USA Today noted the Dawgs as a "falling" team.


• The pressure is mounting all around Sark, and he understands it.
  

  Sark: "For people to feel how they feel, I understand it. If they could get inside my head, nobody's more frustrated."

  — Adam Jude (@A_Jude) November 18, 2013



• Clearly wishing to tap into the ugly debate that is starting to percolate around Steve Sarkisian and the merits behind his continued stewardship of the program, Larry Stone makes the somewhat premature conclusion that the Huskies "won't be taking the next step" this season.


• Clearly, Steve Sarkisian is having trouble accepting the situation as Tim Lewis tweets below.  While the production of both the offense and the defense is unquestionably improved from a year ago, the Huskies still keep making the kinds of grave, bonehead mistakes that don't seem to afflict more successful teams to nearly the same degree.  Of course it has to be frustrating.
  

  The most common word used by Steve Sarkisian in his press conference today = "frustrated." #Huskies

  — Tim Lewis (@LewisSports) November 18, 2013



• Lost in the noise last week was this great article covering a guy we don't ready much about:   Adam Jude's write up on WR Kevin Smith.


• For those who aren't up to speed on the Keith Price situation, the good news is that both the x-ray and MRI showed no structural damage.  Both he and LT Micah Hatchie are "questionable" for Oregon State.
  

  Sarkisian: No structural damage on Keith Price's shoulder. Swelling & pain tolerance issue. Will not throw until Thursday @UW_Football #UDUB

  — Gregg Bell (@gbellseattle) November 18, 2013

  
  

  LT Micah Hatchie (leg): "Still pretty sore. We need to get him healthy soon." Not sure if he will play at Oregon State. #UDUB

  — Gregg Bell (@gbellseattle) November 18, 2013



• And, my tweet binge continues with this little interesting tidbit about this weekend's Oregon State game:
  

  @BrockESPN calling his first UW game of the season Saturday night at Oregon State (ESPN2).

  — Adam Jude (@A_Jude) November 18, 2013



• Some NBA news for you fans who follow Husky alums.  There are some rumblings out there that Isaiah Thomas's contract situation may make him an attractive trade chip and that the Cleveland Cavaliers may be interested.


• Terrence Ross's young NBA career hasn't lifted off quite like IT's has (should have stayed in school), but his development is coming along as he focuses on the details.

Question of the Day

The "fire Sark" crowd scored a major victory with UW's road loss to UCLA over the weekend.  The 41-31 gap beat the spread, but was influenced heavily by several random events including two early turnovers by the normally sure-handed duo of Bishop Sankey and Austin Seferian-Jenkins, the phantom hands to the face calls (one of which was noted by the Pac 12 office as inappropriate) that erased Husky drives and injuries to our starting QB and our starting LT.  Is this a loss that we lay at the feet of the coaching staff or is this a case of a game between two evenly matched teams being decided by the one who got the better breaks?