ChillyDawg
New Fish
247 Sports (click link for full article)https://247sports.com/college/ucla/...h-Washington-Washington-State-Cal--174898266/
It's Tip-Off Tuesday! The 2021-2022 college basketball season gets underway today, with all 12 Pac-12 teams playing their first game of the season.
If there's a great day to take off from work and settle in front of your TV with some popcorn, this is it.
You'll also need a guide to get to know all the Pac-12 teams and its players (players listed in conventional class, not COVID-added class, unless otherwise noted).
The 247Sports Pac-12 sites collaborated for this season team preview, with breakdowns and scouting reports on each conference team.
Let the games begin!
WASHINGTON[/i][/b]
Starters[/b]
PG: 6'1 Terrell Brown Jr (Grad)
SG: 6'3 Daejon Davis 6-3 (Grad)
SF: 6'6 Jamal Bey (Sr)
PF: 6'7 Emmitt Matthews Jr (Sr)
CP: 6'11 Nate Roberts (R-Jr)
Reserves[/b]
SG: 6'4 PJ Fuller (Jr)
PG: 6'2 Dominiq Penn (So)
SF: 6'7 Cole Bajema (Jr)
SF: 6'6 Reagan Lundeen (Sr)
PF: 6'10 Jackson Grant (Fr)
PF: 6'8 Samuel Ariyibi (Fr)
PF: 6'9 Langston Wilson (Jr)
CP: 7'5 Riley Sorn (R-Jr)
Roster/Team Analysis[/b]
Washington went through a total reset in the offseason after the Huskies went 5-21 in Mike Hopkins' fourth season at Montlake. Gone are Quade Green, Hameir Wright, Marcus Tsohonis, Nate Pryor, Erik Stevenson, RaeQuan Battle, and J'Raan Brooks. Also gone are two of Hopkins' assistants, Cameron Dollar and Dave Rice.
Hopkins and his two new assistants, former UW star forward Quincy Pondexter and former California Head Coach Wyking Jones, completely transformed the roster with the help of the transfer portal. Their new roster also has a very local feel to it, as a number of upperclassmen from other schools decided to come back home to play for the Huskies. Terrell Brown, Jr. (Seattle U/Arizona), Daejon Davis (Stanford), PJ Fuller (TCU), and Emmitt Matthews, Jr. (West Virginia) all prepped in the Puget Sound area before making the decision to come back home. They join the five scholarship players that decided to stay on from the 2020-21 campaign: Nate Roberts, Jamal Bey, Cole Bajema, Riley Sorn, and Dominiq Penn.
Hopkins also added a couple of true freshmen in Olympia forward Jackson Grant, a McDonald's All-American, and his first international recruit, Samuel Ariyibi from the NBA Africa Academy in Lagos, Nigeria. And finally the new staff, with the help of Matthews, was able to reach out and get the signature of 247Sports' number-two JC recruit for 2021, Langston Wilson of Upper Darby, Pa. - by way of Georgia Highlands College.
Team Strengths/Weaknesses[/b]
It's very hard to know what the strengths of this team starting from the off because they haven't played together. Three of the five expected starters are brand-new to UW and their systems, especially Hopkins' Syracuse-based zone defense. But if you look at the strengths of the individuals and what they did at their other schools, you'll see an emphasis on defense and an upgrade in athleticism. We've also been told by many people that the team has already created a bond that is stronger and tighter than in previous seasons, but there's no way of knowing how that bond will manifest itself on the court. But with so many veteran players coming back to the 206 to play in front of their friends and families, there is certainly the motivation piece that can't be discounted.
The clear weaknesses stem from the unfamiliarity of a group that hasn't played together. They haven't been asked to play zone, although a player like Matthews played a number of times against Syracuse, and both Brown and Davis have played against Hopkins' zone defense when they played for Arizona and Stanford, respectively. How quickly they pick up the defensive piece will be key.
Brown and Davis have had times in their respective careers where they've been counted on to score, and Matthews has certainly had individual games at West Virginia where he's taken over, but UW is still not considered a great shooting team on paper. Jamal Bey had some great efforts in Pac-12 play last season from deep, and if he can use that as a platform to kick on and be even better in 2021-22, that would be huge for these Huskies.
We've been told that, based on the pressure implemented via the zone, the Huskies want to generate a lot more of their points via transition than before. That can be hit-and-miss with better teams, teams with discipline and solid fundamentals.
Season Projection[/b]
The Huskies were picked 11th in the preseason media poll, so there's basically no expectations for this season, other than fans hope to their personal gods UW is better than last year. The fact that they've been able to have a full offseason to train and familiarize themselves with each other can only help, and the spine of their team is incredibly experienced. That kind of leadership bodes well for the Huskies overdelivering, but it would be a huge stretch to consider them anywhere close to a tournament team. They would have to become a much better shooting team than they are on paper, and their defense would have to be stellar from the get-go. Getting to 10 wins doesn't feel like an unattainable goal, but 15 wins feels like it's too much.
Non-Conference Schedule[/b]
They start their non-conference schedule with an exhibition game versus Central Washington on Thursday, November 4. They then play four-straight home games - Northern Illinois, Northern Arizona, Texas Southern, and Wyoming - before traveling to Sioux Falls, SD to play in the Crossover Classic against Nevada, George Mason, and South Dakota State.
The rest of their non-conference schedule - Winthrop, Seattle U, and Utah Valley - will take place in Seattle, but they have one significant non-conference game away from home. They square up with Gonzaga in Spokane on Sunday, December 12.
WASHINGTON STATE[/i][/b]
Projected Starters[/b]
PG: 6'1 Michael Flowers (Sr)
SG: 6'5 Noah Williams (Jr)
SF: 6'6 DJ Rodman (Jr)
PF: 6'9 Efe Abogidi (So)
PC: 6'10 Dishon Jackson (So)
Reserves[/b]
PG: 5'11 Tyrell Roberts (R-Jr)
SG: 6'5 TJ Bamba (So)
PG: 6'3 Jefferson Koulibaly (R-Fr)
SF: 6'8 Andrej Jakimovski (So)
CP: 6'11 Mouhamed Gueye (Fr)
PG: 6'2 Myles Rice (Fr)
PG: 6'5 Ryan Rapp (Jr)
SF: 6'7 Carlos Rosario (So)
SF: 6'6 Tony Miller (R-Sr)
PF: 6'9 Matt DeWolf (Sr)
Roster/Team Analysis[/b]
WSU has a number of different guard/wing combinations it is likely to sort through before settling on a rotation. It returns almost all of its key players from a year ago, with the exception of leading scorer Isaac Bonton (17.7 ppg) and role player Aljaz Kunc. But in turn, the Cougars bring in two highly touted transfers in Michael Flowers (21 ppg at South Alabama) and Tyrell Roberts (D-II All-American at UC San Diego). And with them comes Mouhamed Gueye, he’s young and there’s significant talent ahead of him right now but he’s a tremendously talented center from Senegal and the third-highest rated commit in Cougar history.
The returnees include two-way standout Noah Williams who was named first-team preseason All-Pac-12, and dynamic second-year post duo Dishon Jackson and Efe Abogidi -- Abogidi made the All-Freshman team last season while Jackson was honorable mention.
The development of several other young players will likely be crucial to WSU’s goal of making the NCAA Tournament: ESPN’s Joe Lunardi, CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein and others have pegged WSU as a dark horse for the Big Dance. The Cougars need TJ Bamba, Andrej Jakimovski and DJ Rodman to all take a step forward in their development, and they need more consistency from that trio top to bottom.
Team Strengths/Weaknesses[/b]
Defense has been WSU’s calling card under Smith, and last year the Cougars finished 24th in KenPom’s defensive ranking. Losing Bonton could hurt in that regard, but there are high expectations for Jefferson Koulibaly to replace him as a shutdown perimeter defender.
The major concern for WSU lies on offense. The Cougars were just 167th in points per 100 possessions last year, and that was with Bonton. Turnovers were a huge problem as well, as without a true point guard, the Cougars turned it over on 21.6 percent of their possessions last year. WSU will be counting on Flowers and Roberts to help solve the issues.
Season Projection[/b]
WSU’s defense is at the level of an NCAA Tournament team. And the outlook for the Cougars is more positive than it has been since the days of Klay Thompson. But as Kyle Smith has consistently said, WSU hasn’t proven anything yet and hype means nothing.
That said, the progress that WSU displayed last year mixed with the returning potential and the veteran additions suggests good things are in store for the Cougars this season. They may not have enough scoring punch to compete in the upper echelons of the Pac-12 for the championship, but there should be enough talent and depth mixed with the coaching wizardry of Smith to get Washington State back in the Big Dance for the first time since 2008.
Non-Conference Schedule[/b]
On paper, WSU’s non-conference schedule looks weak because the Cougars do not play a Power Five opponent. But intermingled with some cupcakes are some tough mid-majors. UCSB, Winthrop and Eastern Washington were all tournament teams a year ago, although they all lost important pieces. And teams like Boise State, Weber State and South Dakota State won’t be pushovers.
That said, it’s not an extremely grueling schedule as WSU’s lone road game out of conference is at Idaho, a short bus ride from Pullman. Ultimately, the non-conference slate gives the Cougs very little room for error -- losses here won’t look good on the season resume -- and it almost certainly makes an impressive Pac-12 record a must to bolster its case for the Big Dance.
It's Tip-Off Tuesday! The 2021-2022 college basketball season gets underway today, with all 12 Pac-12 teams playing their first game of the season.
If there's a great day to take off from work and settle in front of your TV with some popcorn, this is it.
You'll also need a guide to get to know all the Pac-12 teams and its players (players listed in conventional class, not COVID-added class, unless otherwise noted).
The 247Sports Pac-12 sites collaborated for this season team preview, with breakdowns and scouting reports on each conference team.
Let the games begin!
WASHINGTON[/i][/b]
Starters[/b]
PG: 6'1 Terrell Brown Jr (Grad)
SG: 6'3 Daejon Davis 6-3 (Grad)
SF: 6'6 Jamal Bey (Sr)
PF: 6'7 Emmitt Matthews Jr (Sr)
CP: 6'11 Nate Roberts (R-Jr)
Reserves[/b]
SG: 6'4 PJ Fuller (Jr)
PG: 6'2 Dominiq Penn (So)
SF: 6'7 Cole Bajema (Jr)
SF: 6'6 Reagan Lundeen (Sr)
PF: 6'10 Jackson Grant (Fr)
PF: 6'8 Samuel Ariyibi (Fr)
PF: 6'9 Langston Wilson (Jr)
CP: 7'5 Riley Sorn (R-Jr)
Roster/Team Analysis[/b]
Washington went through a total reset in the offseason after the Huskies went 5-21 in Mike Hopkins' fourth season at Montlake. Gone are Quade Green, Hameir Wright, Marcus Tsohonis, Nate Pryor, Erik Stevenson, RaeQuan Battle, and J'Raan Brooks. Also gone are two of Hopkins' assistants, Cameron Dollar and Dave Rice.
Hopkins and his two new assistants, former UW star forward Quincy Pondexter and former California Head Coach Wyking Jones, completely transformed the roster with the help of the transfer portal. Their new roster also has a very local feel to it, as a number of upperclassmen from other schools decided to come back home to play for the Huskies. Terrell Brown, Jr. (Seattle U/Arizona), Daejon Davis (Stanford), PJ Fuller (TCU), and Emmitt Matthews, Jr. (West Virginia) all prepped in the Puget Sound area before making the decision to come back home. They join the five scholarship players that decided to stay on from the 2020-21 campaign: Nate Roberts, Jamal Bey, Cole Bajema, Riley Sorn, and Dominiq Penn.
Hopkins also added a couple of true freshmen in Olympia forward Jackson Grant, a McDonald's All-American, and his first international recruit, Samuel Ariyibi from the NBA Africa Academy in Lagos, Nigeria. And finally the new staff, with the help of Matthews, was able to reach out and get the signature of 247Sports' number-two JC recruit for 2021, Langston Wilson of Upper Darby, Pa. - by way of Georgia Highlands College.
Team Strengths/Weaknesses[/b]
It's very hard to know what the strengths of this team starting from the off because they haven't played together. Three of the five expected starters are brand-new to UW and their systems, especially Hopkins' Syracuse-based zone defense. But if you look at the strengths of the individuals and what they did at their other schools, you'll see an emphasis on defense and an upgrade in athleticism. We've also been told by many people that the team has already created a bond that is stronger and tighter than in previous seasons, but there's no way of knowing how that bond will manifest itself on the court. But with so many veteran players coming back to the 206 to play in front of their friends and families, there is certainly the motivation piece that can't be discounted.
The clear weaknesses stem from the unfamiliarity of a group that hasn't played together. They haven't been asked to play zone, although a player like Matthews played a number of times against Syracuse, and both Brown and Davis have played against Hopkins' zone defense when they played for Arizona and Stanford, respectively. How quickly they pick up the defensive piece will be key.
Brown and Davis have had times in their respective careers where they've been counted on to score, and Matthews has certainly had individual games at West Virginia where he's taken over, but UW is still not considered a great shooting team on paper. Jamal Bey had some great efforts in Pac-12 play last season from deep, and if he can use that as a platform to kick on and be even better in 2021-22, that would be huge for these Huskies.
We've been told that, based on the pressure implemented via the zone, the Huskies want to generate a lot more of their points via transition than before. That can be hit-and-miss with better teams, teams with discipline and solid fundamentals.
Season Projection[/b]
The Huskies were picked 11th in the preseason media poll, so there's basically no expectations for this season, other than fans hope to their personal gods UW is better than last year. The fact that they've been able to have a full offseason to train and familiarize themselves with each other can only help, and the spine of their team is incredibly experienced. That kind of leadership bodes well for the Huskies overdelivering, but it would be a huge stretch to consider them anywhere close to a tournament team. They would have to become a much better shooting team than they are on paper, and their defense would have to be stellar from the get-go. Getting to 10 wins doesn't feel like an unattainable goal, but 15 wins feels like it's too much.
Non-Conference Schedule[/b]
They start their non-conference schedule with an exhibition game versus Central Washington on Thursday, November 4. They then play four-straight home games - Northern Illinois, Northern Arizona, Texas Southern, and Wyoming - before traveling to Sioux Falls, SD to play in the Crossover Classic against Nevada, George Mason, and South Dakota State.
The rest of their non-conference schedule - Winthrop, Seattle U, and Utah Valley - will take place in Seattle, but they have one significant non-conference game away from home. They square up with Gonzaga in Spokane on Sunday, December 12.
WASHINGTON STATE[/i][/b]
Projected Starters[/b]
PG: 6'1 Michael Flowers (Sr)
SG: 6'5 Noah Williams (Jr)
SF: 6'6 DJ Rodman (Jr)
PF: 6'9 Efe Abogidi (So)
PC: 6'10 Dishon Jackson (So)
Reserves[/b]
PG: 5'11 Tyrell Roberts (R-Jr)
SG: 6'5 TJ Bamba (So)
PG: 6'3 Jefferson Koulibaly (R-Fr)
SF: 6'8 Andrej Jakimovski (So)
CP: 6'11 Mouhamed Gueye (Fr)
PG: 6'2 Myles Rice (Fr)
PG: 6'5 Ryan Rapp (Jr)
SF: 6'7 Carlos Rosario (So)
SF: 6'6 Tony Miller (R-Sr)
PF: 6'9 Matt DeWolf (Sr)
Roster/Team Analysis[/b]
WSU has a number of different guard/wing combinations it is likely to sort through before settling on a rotation. It returns almost all of its key players from a year ago, with the exception of leading scorer Isaac Bonton (17.7 ppg) and role player Aljaz Kunc. But in turn, the Cougars bring in two highly touted transfers in Michael Flowers (21 ppg at South Alabama) and Tyrell Roberts (D-II All-American at UC San Diego). And with them comes Mouhamed Gueye, he’s young and there’s significant talent ahead of him right now but he’s a tremendously talented center from Senegal and the third-highest rated commit in Cougar history.
The returnees include two-way standout Noah Williams who was named first-team preseason All-Pac-12, and dynamic second-year post duo Dishon Jackson and Efe Abogidi -- Abogidi made the All-Freshman team last season while Jackson was honorable mention.
The development of several other young players will likely be crucial to WSU’s goal of making the NCAA Tournament: ESPN’s Joe Lunardi, CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein and others have pegged WSU as a dark horse for the Big Dance. The Cougars need TJ Bamba, Andrej Jakimovski and DJ Rodman to all take a step forward in their development, and they need more consistency from that trio top to bottom.
Team Strengths/Weaknesses[/b]
Defense has been WSU’s calling card under Smith, and last year the Cougars finished 24th in KenPom’s defensive ranking. Losing Bonton could hurt in that regard, but there are high expectations for Jefferson Koulibaly to replace him as a shutdown perimeter defender.
The major concern for WSU lies on offense. The Cougars were just 167th in points per 100 possessions last year, and that was with Bonton. Turnovers were a huge problem as well, as without a true point guard, the Cougars turned it over on 21.6 percent of their possessions last year. WSU will be counting on Flowers and Roberts to help solve the issues.
Season Projection[/b]
WSU’s defense is at the level of an NCAA Tournament team. And the outlook for the Cougars is more positive than it has been since the days of Klay Thompson. But as Kyle Smith has consistently said, WSU hasn’t proven anything yet and hype means nothing.
That said, the progress that WSU displayed last year mixed with the returning potential and the veteran additions suggests good things are in store for the Cougars this season. They may not have enough scoring punch to compete in the upper echelons of the Pac-12 for the championship, but there should be enough talent and depth mixed with the coaching wizardry of Smith to get Washington State back in the Big Dance for the first time since 2008.
Non-Conference Schedule[/b]
On paper, WSU’s non-conference schedule looks weak because the Cougars do not play a Power Five opponent. But intermingled with some cupcakes are some tough mid-majors. UCSB, Winthrop and Eastern Washington were all tournament teams a year ago, although they all lost important pieces. And teams like Boise State, Weber State and South Dakota State won’t be pushovers.
That said, it’s not an extremely grueling schedule as WSU’s lone road game out of conference is at Idaho, a short bus ride from Pullman. Ultimately, the non-conference slate gives the Cougs very little room for error -- losses here won’t look good on the season resume -- and it almost certainly makes an impressive Pac-12 record a must to bolster its case for the Big Dance.
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