[credit: vegascoug123; YouTube]
On January 19th the Cougars were still in the midst of a thirteen game losing streak to the Oregon Ducks. Amazing how in just two months it turned into a three game winning streak.
Tentatively: (Source: Pac-10 website)
Sat., Nov. 15 Legends Classic (1)
Tues., Nov. 18 Legends Classic (1)
Fri., Nov. 21 Sacramento State
Sun., Nov. 23 Mississippi Valley State
Fri., Nov. 28 at Legends Classic (2)
Sat., Nov. 29 at Legends Classic (2)
Tues., Dec. 2 Idaho State
Sat., Dec. 6 Baylor (3)
Wed., Dec. 10 Gonzaga
Sat., Dec. 13 vs. Montana State (4)
Sat., Dec. 20 at Idaho
Sat., Dec. 27 at LSU
Sat., Jan. 3 Washington
Thurs., Jan. 8 California
Sat., Jan. 10 Stanford
Thurs., Jan. 15 at Oregon State
Sat., Jan. 17 at Oregon
Thurs., Jan. 22 UCLA
Sat., Jan. 24 USC
Thurs., Jan. 29 at Arizona State
Sat., Jan. 31 at Arizona
Thurs., Feb. 5 at Stanford
Sun., Feb. 7 at California
Thurs., Feb. 12 Oregon
Sat., Feb. 14 Oregon State
Thurs., Feb. 19 at USC
Sat., Feb. 21 at UCLA
Thurs., Feb. 26 Arizona
Sat., Feb. 28 Arizona State
Sat., Mar. 8 at Washington
Mar. 11-14 at Pac-10 Tournament (5)
(1) Legends Classic, Pullman, Wash.
(2) Legends Classic, Newark, N.J.
(3) Big 12/Pac-10 Hardwood Series
(4) Seattle, Wash. (KeyArena)
(5) Los Angeles, Calif. (Staples Center)
Home games in bold.
Alright, let’s talk about this. After the jump.
Courtesy kapoleicoug on YouTube
How great is it that Hawaiian newscasters get to wear Hawaiian shirts?
This week’s video is Honolulu’s local television station profiling Derrick Low at the Pan Am Games last summer. Yes, it’s old, but if you’re like me (meaning you didn’t have a chance to see the Pan Am games on TV) you’re seeing these highlights for the first time.
Watching a tape like this makes you wonder why Low wasn’t drafted into the NBA last Month. Certainly he’s not a first rounder, but if you watched WSU closely you know how hard Derrick worked in his career to make himself into the team’s leading scorer. That’s why if I’m an NBA exec I take Low late in the second round, because there’s nothing to lose and everything to gain in terms of upside. He’s not flashy, but he can at the very least distribute the ball and catch-and-shoot with the best of them.
So a gold star goes to Mark Cuban and the Dallas Mavericks, who got a good deal on an underrated player.
Kyle Weaver (left) with new teammates Alexis Ajinca (center) and D.J. Augustin (right)
The NBA Draft was, without a doubt, a benchmark evening for Pac-10 basketball. Five of the first eleven picks belonged to the conference, seven were taken in the first round (a draft record), and twelve players in all were selected. The Pac-10, regarded as possibly the best conference in the land prior to last season, regained some of the notoriety it lost following a disappointing showing at the NCAA tournament for some of its teams. The top three (UCLA, Stanford and WSU) performed well, but the remainder of the conference representatives were duds, leaving some national pundits to mark the Pac-10 as overrated.
So, with all of the picks in, how did the NBA do in evaluating talent from the “conference of champions”? I’ll take a look at each individual pick from the draft, and then tell you if I thought the player was underrated, overrated, or “just right”. Let’s start near the top of the draft board, with the third pick and the Minnesota T-Wolves.
#3 - Minnesota Timberwolves (traded to Memphis) - OJ Mayo, G, USC - With all the superlatives being tossed around about Mayo by ESPN’s draft crew, not once did I hear the most glaring criticism available. Nope, it took another Coug blogger, WSU Hoops’ Jeff Nusser, to uncover Mayo’s dirty secret earlier this season. He can’t get to the free throw line. In a league where Kobe Bryant lowers his head and charges down the lane with no hope of getting a basket, the NBA makes it an emphasis to bail players out with the whistle. And if Mayo wants to become the player people seem to think he is, he’ll have to learn to be a little more aggressive driving to the basket. Seeing as how he was the #1 prospect before the season started, Memphis gets good value making the trade for number three. Result: Just Right
#4 - The Seattle Supersonics of Oklahoma City Basketball Club/Litigation Firm - Russell Westbrook- G, UCLA - Whoa, whoa, whoa. Nothing against Westbrook, who is a fine player and lock down defender, but he’s not even the best player on his own college team. Of course this is part of Seattle’s master plan to ensure that no fans are in the seats when and if the team remains in the Emerald City in 2008. Make the team awful, with no star players (except for Durant, who is your franchise’s financial future) and sneak the team out of town in the cover of darkness. This is what being a robber baron is all about. Unless they know they will win the lawsuit and move the team this fall, in which case this is just a bad pick. Westbrook belongs in picks 8-12 and the Sonics reached for him at four. Result: Overrated
#5 - Memphis Grizzlies (traded to Minnesota) - Kevin Love, C, UCLA - Thank goodness. Now that he is free from drawing invisible fouls from Aron Baynes, I can no longer hate Kevin Love. Love was the face of the team the Cougars needed to beat this year, and I couldn’t stand it when we lost. Twice. Granted, he’s nowhere close to the level of hatred I hold for Brook Lopez, but now I can appreciate his ridiculous outlet passing and fundamentally sound skills. Result: Just Right
#10 - New Jersey Nets - Brook Lopez, C, Stanford - I hate Brook Lopez so much I won’t even waste my time with analysis of him (or at least not until we discuss Ryan Anderson). I must still be honest here: he should have been a top five or six selection. Result: Underrated
#11 - Indiana Pacers (traded to Portland) - Jerryd Bayless, G, Arizona - For 7-8 picks lower, Portland gets a much better offensive player than Westbrook, and a much better foul-line getter (is that a word?) than O.J. Mayo. Remember, he was #4 on Portland’s draft board, and they got him at #11. That stuff never even happens in your fantasy league drafts. I really do love how the Blazers are getting set up to murder the rest of the league in the 2010s. Result: Underrated
#15 - Phoenix Suns - Robin Lopez, C, Stanford - By the way, have you ever heard two tall people with more ridiculous speaking voices than the Lopez twins? My biggest pet peeve of the draft is that now everyone is raving about Robin’s offense. Really? Jay Bilas kept making the excuse that he was somehow thrown off by Brook being the #1 option on the team. And the worst part is that other analysts agreed with this crap. If that’s the case, why wasn’t Robin dominating in the post when Brook was on the bench? When Brook was too much of a moron to hit the books at Stanford, why wasn’t Robin dropping 22/10 on inferior, out-of-conference opposition? Robin is the defensive/shot-blocking twin, not the one with the dominating offensive skills. As impressive as his 8 points in 35 minutes against Siena were, I think Brook might just be a little more polished. Still, it’s not too much of a reach at #15. Result: Just Right
#21 - New Jersey Nets - Ryan Anderson, F, California - Apparently my Pac-10 sleeper in the draft was also New Jersey’s. So here’s what is interesting: By making the Yi trade, New Jersey continues to clear a ginormous amount of cap space for 2010, when guess who (I’ll tell you: LeBron) is available. What we are seeing now is the core that the Nets want to put around LBJ when they make the move over to Brooklyn. And let me tell you, it’s intriguing. First there’s Lopez, a tall, screaming, chest-pounding lunatic in the post. Then there’s Anderson, another tall guy, but instead a lights out perimeter shooter. Perfect role players for King James, if everything goes according to plan. By the way, if I’m a Cleveland fan, I’m preparing to disown the Cavaliers and never watch basketball again. NJ still could have grabbed Ryan later in the first round. Result: Overrated
#37 - Milwaukee Bucks - Luc Richard Mbah a Moute, F, UCLA - Besides having the best name ever, LRMaM was earlier projected to be a first-rounder. Good value move for the Bucks. Result: Underrated
#38 - Charlotte Bobcats - Kyle Weaver, G, WSU - Enjoy the Kyle Weaver era, Charlotte. You are blessed. Result: Severely Underrated
#48 - Phoenix Suns - Malik Hairston, G, Oregon - Hey, remember that one time when Aaron Brooks took three f-ing steps, passed the ball to you and you drained a game winner against the Cougs?? Yep, I still hate you. [impersonating Stephen A. Smith] HOWEVA, you’re a good second-round selection. Result: Just Right
#50 - Seattle/OKC Sonics Law Offices/Hoops Firm - DeVon Hardin, C, California - Thoughts of being a lottery pick two years ago; now drafted behind Weaver and Malik Hairston in the second round. That’s cold as ice, man. The second round is for taking chances, so I like the pick. Result: Just Right
#54 - Houston Rockets - Maarty Leunen, F, Oregon - This pick is like getting a 50% off deal on Ryan Anderson. What is it about the Rockets and former Ducks players? Last year they took Aaron Brooks, now they take the King of Clutch Free Throws, Mr. Leunen. Dickie V would’ve loved this guy if he ever glanced at players outside of the state of North Carolina. Result: Underrated
Enjoy your abbreviated work week, Cougar Nation.
Derrick Low has been invited to play on the Dallas Mavericks’ summer team, as reported by the Honolulu Advertiser.
The article notes that he could be the first native Hawaiian to make a NBA roster since the 1950s(!).
Also, the winner of the Kyle Weaver draft projection contest is DraftExpress, who picked Kyle at 39th overall, just one spot after he was actually selected.
I cannot tell you how frustrating it is to watch your favorite NBA team gloss over your favorite college player not once, not twice, but three times in the exact area he was projected to be drafted. The Blazers had picks #27, #33 and #36. Weaver ends up at #38 - a perfect fit for Larry Brown, which will be about as smooth a transition from Bennett Ball as you can find in the NBA.
Weaver is now a teammate of former Gonzaga star Adam Morrison (although you have to wonder if Morrison is on the trading block, seeing as he’s the exact opposite of Larry Brown’s style). He joins a Bobcats team that is relatively young and not very deep at the guard position. I’m also excited at the prospect of watching Kyle D up on 5′5″ Earl Boykins in practice. [By the way, I'm one of the few Cougar/Husky fans on Earth that is actually a fan of Adam Morrison, and I still get upset when people call him a bust]
It should be a good fit for Kyle, and Cougar Nation wishes him all the best.
Update: was just reminded on the Cougfan forums that Tony Bennett played in Charlotte (although not for the same franchise). Awesome.
Go Bobcats.
Chad Ford, ESPN.com - Rd 2, 32nd overall, Seattle. I can’t tell you how much I hope this is wrong. Seeing as how he lists Kyle as a point guard, it’s obvious Ford isn’t the most informed person on the situation. Also remember that Ford had dropped Weaver off of the draft board as little as two months ago. And Clay Bennett: I will hunt you down and destroy you if you draft Kyle, and that is a written threat.
Vince Grippi, Spokesman-Review - Rd 1, 27th overall (or Rd 2, 33rd overall), Portland. Full disclosure: I’m a Blazer fan, so this would be a dream come true. It also makes a ton of sense for the Blazers’ organization, and apparently Nate McMillan loves him.
NBADraft.net - Rd 2, 34th overall, LA Clippers. The only way I would ever buy a Clippers jersey.
DraftExpress - Rd 2, 39th overall, Chicago
CollegeHoops.net - Rd 2, 47th overall, Washington - clearly not a reliable source
There have been numerous other mocks, but few with the cajones to pick the second round, where most souces put Kyle right now. My pick:
Stadium Way: Rd 1, 27th overall, Portland - here’s hoping that Kyle is the reason the Blazers made the trade with New Orleans for #27.
And for Derrick Low: Undrafted free agent, New Jersey Nets
Xavier Thames is the latest WSU basketball commit for 2009. Ranked as the #19 point guard in the nation, Thames will no doubt ease the loss of Taylor Rochestie following this upcoming season.
However… there are some interesting comments that Thames makes in the article I linked to:
“We talked about how they’re going to look to get up and down a lot more with guys like Klay (Thompson), (DeAngelo Casto and James Watson) coming in — even with playing the defense that they do,” said Thames.
Not a huge shock - I just hope that Xavier understands the Cougs aren’t likely to become the Phoenix Suns anytime soon. Still, we know that Tony’s approach on offense is different than his father’s in (at least) two ways. First, he is more willing to give players the green light to shoot early in the shot clock. Second, Tony is more likely to let his teams look for opportunities in transition. This statement from Thames is huge in that we now know that Tony is looking to push the tempo even more than he has the past two seasons. It’s a very interesting comment for the future of the program.
“Coach Bennett and coach Sanchez, those guys, I have a lot of faith in them. They’re good people. And it’s a good program. They said they’re looking for me to come in and play right away, if not starting then to get a lot of minutes and help the team out and he said he was excited about that, and I’m really excited too.”
Normally I’m concerned when coaches promise playing time, but the fact of the matter is we’ll need Thames in 2009. Rochestie is staring down 35 minutes a night this season, and beyond that there is no clear replacement. If Xavier keeps on working, he could find himself earning a lot of minutes and possibly even a starter’s job.
This kid is an exceptional player and a wonderful fit for the WSU program. He even has his own webpage! Thames is a guard in the same mold as a Mac Hopson and possibly even a Josh Akognon in terms of shooting the ball. Most sources also say he is versatile enough to play the 1 or the 2. Either way he is the kind of player that WSU had no chance of getting five years ago. A huge commit for the Cougs.
I cannot tell you how refreshing it is, soon after going on a mini-tirade about why character is important, to see Tony Bennett give this response on his chat this afternoon:
Pullman: Character seems incredibly important to you, if not, the most important aspect of an athlete: would you sacrifice raw talent w/out character for an athlete who has less athletic ability (still a good athlete), but impeccable character? Why? Why not? Please explain.
Tony Bennett: No I wouldn’t. When you are building a program you cannot take a short cut on character. When you do, more times than not, it will end up hurting your program in the long run.
Read the whole chat; there’s lots of goodies in there, although TB skirts the questions regarding playing time and the starting lineup (c’mon Tony, we already know Taylor and Baynes are locks).
I would’ve liked to see Tony address the who-gets-the-last-scholarship question, but it’s from a selfish standpoint, so that I can update the scholly chart (see links above). I still think Enquist gets the scholarship, and Rochestie and Allen are the “walk-ons” for 08-09.
The great thing about Tony is that even in his chats he has a grounded, humble attitude. There are no pleas for financial support (mainly thanks for what has already been given), and he is repetitively thankful for the support WSU gives him. And he’ll need it as the Cougars enter the upcoming season with one of the youngest squads in the nation.
Side note: only 66 days until football season.
Future Cougar DeAngelo Casto - featuring highlights taken from my old high school’s gym floor. I remember it was a big deal in the Greater Spokane League when Sean Mallon simply had the ability to dunk the ball. Now here’s Casto catching the ball off the backboard and slamming it down over Central Valley’s beautiful powder blue court.
You’re probably wondering how I can top the video above. Well, let’s go with another double dose of video of the week - with high schooler Derrick Low. Dunking. Occasionally on people.
This could be the greatest video I’ve ever posted on this blog:
