NCAA Basketball FanHouse

Washington Makes Unserious Opening Offer to Play Gonzaga

Chas Rich — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 11:37:00 EST

Filed under: Gonzaga, Washington, WCC, Pac-10, Media Watch

Having lost eight of 10 games to Gonzaga between 1997 and 2006, the Washington Huskies felt they needed a break because "the schedule began to get away from us." Apparently, that was code for "tired of being beaten by an in-state team from a non-power conference."

Well, after a few years of finding themselves, Washington would like to renew the series with Gonzaga. Just as long as the games are played for Washington's benefit.

Rather than play a home-and-home type of series with Gonzaga as had been done (and how Gonzaga plays it with Washington State, Wake Forest, Illinois, and Michigan State), Washington wants a three game series to be played at Key Arena in Seattle as a neutral site contest. Apparently playing a scant five miles from Washington's campus still constitutes a "neutral" site to Washington's athletic department as long as the ticket sales are split 50-50.

Unsurprisingly, Gonzaga is not interested in that kind of arrangement. Gonzaga already plays an annual game at Key Arena in the Battle in Seattle that annually pits them against a national opponent. There is little incentive to make a second trip of nearly 300 miles for a "neutral" court game. To say nothing of the additional costs the Bulldogs would incur to make the trip.

Gonzaga wants a home-and-home, but would likely settle for a "neutral court" system as long as the games were split between Key Arena and the Spokane Arena -- about two miles from the Gonzaga campus. Washington, having made the whole offer public very quickly, sees this working only one way.

"This is the proposal that we're interested in and I don't see it changing in terms of any other sites," said Richard Kilwien, UW's associate athletic director of athletic communications. "Having it at the Key really benefits both schools in terms of fans and financially as well."

[Gonzaga athletic director Mike] Roth isn't so sure.

"The renewal of this series is something that will be decided by the two athletic directors and the two head basketball coaches in private discussions," he said.

Washington has been taking shots the last couple years for not renewing the in-state series. Some of this is clearly an attempt to shift the pressure over to the Zags.

Eventually the series will be renewed. Most likely as a home-and-home or alternating "neutral sites." In the meantime, it can be a bit of entertaining sniping and gamesmanship to play out via the media.

Washington Makes Unserious Opening Offer to Play Gonzaga originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Tue, 27 Oct 2009 11:37:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Life After Brockman Begins for Huskies

Gary Washburn — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: Washington, Pac-10

Lorenzo Romar is downplaying the talent and potential of his Washington Huskies basketball team. Yes, they lost all-time leading rebounder Jon Brockman along with productive guard Justin Dentmon, but the Huskies are deep and have three able incoming freshman that make Washington a Top 25 team this year.

The Huskies have the type of depth that can compete with the perennial power programs. What's more, Washington is three deep at nearly every position, and that type of competition sparks potential transfers. But the Huskies lost only one player, little-used center Joe Wolfinger, in the offseason. So this loaded roster -- featuring Pac-10 freshman of the year Isaiah Thomas and vastly improved swingman Quincy Pondexter -- is ready.

At least that's what Romar hopes.

"Well I wouldn't say I feel totally comfortable because I'm not sure yet.," he told FanHouse. "We have to see how mature we are. We have to grow up quickly. We can't take Jon Brockman and Justin Dentmon's absence for granted. To me that is the major question, is what kind of leadership are we going to have? How mature we are going to be as a group? Quincy will be our team captain. He will be one for sure. But again, you can't just do it alone."

The Huskies are coming off a heartbreaking second-round NCAA loss to Purdue, a game they sleep-walked through the first half before furiously rallying and falling short. The end was bitter, especially considering Washington was playing in Portland, Ore., just 170 miles from home.

Brockman will be a major loss. The Huskies, however, feature an imposing and athletic front line in Matthew Bryan-Amaning and Darnell Gant, along with redshirt freshman Tyreese Breshers. Romar said he believes the club can compensate for the rebounding loss of Brockman by committee.

"I guess what I'm saying is we're not going to have anybody who may average 11.5 rebounds a game. That hasn't happened in a long time. Jon is the leading rebounder in the history of the program," he said. "It's hard to bounce right back and say we've got another one that's going to out-rebound him. But I think we'll do it another way. What did it mean that Jon got rebounds for us? Well it meant he got us baskets when maybe we couldn't score because he got the rebound putback. Defensively, we get a stop and he'd come up with the basketball for us. He was a low-post option for us to get baskets. Now, I think the difference is we have some guys coming in that have a chance to be able to score on the block."

The Huskies will have more weapons but Romar can't play 12 guys. In addition to incoming guard Abdul Gaddy, Venoy Overton returns as well as Scott Suggs, Elston Turner and Justin Holiday, brother of Philadelphia 76ers guard Jrue. This could be the most competitive fall practice in Romar's seven-year tenure in Seattle and that is a testament to advancement of the program.

Programs such as UConn, North Carolina and Kansas recruit the best players and allow them to fight it out for rotation spots. The rest can sit or transfer, and that has become the situation at Washington.

"I don't think there are many programs that win at a high level that have two or three players," he said. "You've got to have some talent. You've got to have some depth. But I think it shows that we're gaining a little consistency in our program and I think it does help that we have pretty good character guys. Like last year there were guys who didn't play as much as they would have liked. They were upset. But I think their character won over and they were still part of the team concept."

Chemistry has to be developed with the new players and returning ones. The Huskies have to overcome an early schedule that includes Texas Tech, Georgetown, Texas A&M and Portland State and then comes the difficulty of the Pac-10. Washington could be the early favorites, but Cal returns four starters from its tournament team while UCLA and Arizona are young but talented.

Romar was not necessarily convinced that his team is the prohibitive favorites. He is sly enough to pass that responsibility to Cal.

"We can't just show up and win games. People are probably going to come after us. I don't know if we are necessarily the favorite," he said. "Obviously Cal is going to be very good. UCLA is going to be good but I think there are going to be some teams better that people think. You talk about Arizona is not left for dead as people thought they might be. USC is the cupboard still is not bare over there. There are going to be some surprises."

Fall practice will tell Romar a lot about his team. Pondexter will be the leader and he has yet to play a consistent full season. Bryan-Amaning, Gant and Overton also experienced growing pains. So excuse Romar is his enthusiasm is tempered. He wants results.

"Again potential means you haven't done anything yet," he said. "But I would agree. We do have potential to be a good team. But until we go out and work our tails off, that doesn't mean anything."

Life After Brockman Begins for Huskies originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Fri, 24 Jul 2009 16:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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After Defections, Cal, Washington Are Pac-10 Favorites

Gary Washburn — Sat, 16 May 2009 21:15:00 EST

Filed under: Arizona, Arizona State, California, Oregon, Stanford, UCLA, USC, Washington, Washington State, Pac-10, NBA Prospects, Oregon State

The upheaval at USC and constant defections at UCLA may have sent conference supremacy north.

The NBA draft's early entries have one month to return to school (June 15), but it doesn't appear any of the Pac-10 entries are coming back. Six underclassmen -- USC's DeMar DeRozan and Taj Gibson, UCLA's Jrue Holiday, the Arizona duo of Jordan Hill and Chase Budinger and Arizona State's James Harden -- will participate in the draft combine beginning May 28 in Chicago, and none are likely to return to their schools. Even Holiday, a projected late first-rounder, is reportedly close to hiring an agent and remaining in the draft.

UCLA also loses All-America point guard Darren Collison and key scorer Josh Shipp, leaving the Bruins young, raw and virtually unproven. The Trojans, meanwhile, who made an improbable run to the NCAA Tournament by winning the Pac-10 tournament, could be gutted with Daniel Hackett likely headed for Italy, top recruit Renardo Sidney bolting for Mississippi State and the program under major scrutiny regarding allegations of payments to representatives for former guard O.J. Mayo. Coach Tim Floyd, if he remains at USC, will be in another major rebuilding mode in Los Angeles.

Such ruin in Southern California and major defections with the Arizona schools leaves the two most stable programs in Washington and California. The Huskies lose all-time rebounder Jon Brockman and solid guard Justin Dentmon, but coach Lorenzo Romar will depend on freshman talent along with Pac-10 Freshman of the Year Isaiah Thomas, improving Quincy Pondexter, who sparkled toward season's end, and defensive ace Venoy Overton.

Romar, always a master recruiter, was able to get Tacoma, Wash., guard Abdul Gabby, who is expected to join Thomas in the backcourt. Bruising juco forward Charles Garcia and freshman Clarence Trent will make the Huskies perhaps the deepest team on the West Coast.

California returns four of the five starters that stunned the conference by winning 22 games and advancing to the NCAA Tournament. Gifted but enigmatic swingman Patrick Christopher decided to return to school for his senior season while speedy guard Jerome Randle and redshirt senior Theo Robertson give the Bears a chance to compete for the conference title.

And there will be some noise heard from the Oregon schools with Ernie Kent's job essentially at stake this season and the Ducks coming off an awful 2-16 conference record. Craig Robinson brought home a CBI title -- College Basketball Invitational for those non-diehards -- to Oregon State in his first season and the Beavers return their top four scorers.

After Defections, Cal, Washington Are Pac-10 Favorites originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sat, 16 May 2009 21:15:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Women's Hoops Gets Serious in Pac-10

Gary Washburn — Thu, 07 May 2009 15:43:00 EST

Filed under: Arizona, Arizona State, California, Oregon, Stanford, UCLA, USC, Washington, Washington State, Pac-10, Coaches, Oregon State

Stanford has ruled the Pac-10 Women's basketball landscape for the past 20 years, and California and Arizona State have recently emerged to make the conference a three-team scramble for supremacy. But two recent hires by Oregon and USC have made it apparent that women's basketball is indeed becoming a higher priority on the West Coast.

Oregon shocked the women's basketball community by hiring former NBA championship coach Paul Westhead to replace the fired Bev Smith. Westhead was fired along with P.J. Carlesimo from the Oklahoma City Thunder in December, but he comes to Eugene, Ore., with a WNBA title from the Phoenix Mercury.

While Oregon has been a fruitful recruiting base for Stanford and other national powers, the Ducks have advanced to just one NCAA tournament since 2001. Westhead's fast-paced style should attract recruits and some much-needed attention to the program. Meanwhile, USC athletic director Mike Garrett nabbed five-time NBA champion Michael Cooper to lead the Trojans, who haven't been a national power since the days of Cheryl Miller and Cynthia Cooper.

"He has coached and played at the highest level and with the greatest players in the world," Garrett said after the announcement. "He'll be an excellent in-game coach, he'll do a great job preparing his teams and he'll wow the recruits. And I'll say this: we'll be a strong team defensively."

Cooper won two WNBA titles with the Los Angeles Sparks and will coach the Sparks this summer and take over the USC program in the fall. The hiring of Cooper away from the WNBA is a serious indication that Garrett wants the women's program to snatch some of the attention given to Stanford, which has reached two consecutive Final Fours and won at least a share of the past nine Pac-10 titles.

Women's basketball is getting increasing national attention and prestige but West Coast schools have ignored this trend. Stanford is the lone Pac-10 program to consistently compete with the powers -- UConn, Tennessee, Rutgers -- on the East. But if Cooper and Westhead have any say, that will change quickly.

Women's Hoops Gets Serious in Pac-10 originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Thu, 07 May 2009 15:43:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Transition to Football Gaining Popularity

Matt Snyder — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 14:30:00 EST

Filed under: Arizona, Duke, Penn State, Washington, ACC, Big Ten, Pac-10, NBA Prospects, Rumors

The few weeks after the NCAA Basketball season concludes are traditionally chock full of player movement announcements -- new recruits, transfers, entry entrants into the NBA draft, etc. This year has been no exception, but there is a trend gaining more steam. Having a collegiate basketball player become a football player isn't a new thing. Antonio Gates is an All-Pro tight end who didn't play a snap of college football, for example.

Still, the movement from football to basketball seems to be increasing in recent weeks. It makes sense, considering the speed, quickness and agility needed in both. For post players in basketball, they've become accustomed to a physical game anyway, and have the necessary strength-athleticism combo for a position like tight end. Here are four currently considering the shift:

Greg Paulus - Duke's former point guard is supposedly considering entering the NFL draft -- where the Packers are interested -- tranferring to Michigan to play football, or staying at Duke to play football. That's probably not all he's considering, but the high school All-American quarterback definitely has options. Holding a clipboard for the Packers, playing quarterback in the Big House, or playing wide receiver on a famiilar campus all seem appealing to varying degrees, so we'll see how he chooses. Of course, you could argue picking basketball over football was the wrong move in the first place, so there is precedent for a sub-par decision.

Jamelle Cornley - Here's a guy who played basketball like it was football at times. At 6-foot-4, 248-pounds, he definitely has the frame to take on the more physical sport. Apparently, he never got the chance to try his hand at the gridiron because his father didn't allow it when Jamelle was growing up. Now, after leading the Penn State Nittany Lions to an NIT Championship as a senior, Cornely is reportedly considering a go-round in pads. In fact, he would have a year of collegiate football eligibility, so it's possible he's added to the fray at Penn State for next season. He's also considering his NBA, NFL and overseas basketball options.

Jon Brockman - Friday night during his on-air visit with the Seattle Mariners broadcast team, Brockman mentioned the Tampa Bay Buccaneers had contacted him and were very interested in the big man. He hasn't even been on a football field competitively since junior high. He said he played some receiver and some lineman. So that narrows it down, I guess? Standing 6-foot-7 and weighing in at 255, though, makes Brockman yet another perfect tight end candidate, should he answer the Bucs' call. For what it's worth, he said he wanted to keep pursuing basketball, but if that didn't work out he'd certainly give football a try. Can't say I blame him.

Fendi Onobun - The former Arizona forward has never played football, but he's got the body for it (6-foot-6, 250 pounds). Onobun played basketball like a football player as well, but he had much less grace than Cornley. Unlike Cornley, he has no chance of playing in the NBA, so the NFL would be his only route, should he wish to make money in America playing a sport. He's currently learning the game, and has worked out for the Patroits, Panthers and Bills. His potential position? You guessed it: Tight end.

Transition to Football Gaining Popularity originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sat, 18 Apr 2009 14:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Huskies Win First Pac-10 Title Since 1953

Adam Papagiorgio — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 19:54:00 EST

Filed under: Washington, Pac-10

There was a forgettable movie released around 10 years ago called The Sixth Man starring Marlon Wayans and Kadeem Hardison as brothers -- one from beyond the grave -- who lead the University of Washington to an NCAA title.

The movie always seemed like make believe. No, not that a ghost came back from the dead to lead a college basketball team to a championship. Rather, that it was Washington winning a championship. The Huskies have never been thought of as a national power.

But those days are over now that Washington has won the Pac-10 title outright for the first time since 1953.

No. 16 Washington 67, Wasington State 60: Box Score | RPI | Scores

The key for the transformation has been point guard Isaiah Thomas. The Huskies have very good upperclassmen, such as senior Jon Brockman and junior Quincy Pondexter, but it's Thomas that makes the team go. And he's the reason that this win could kickoff the start of a run for Washington. As previously mentioned, this team hasn't had a long run of success and this Pac-10 title validates the program, and with Thomas, there is reason to believe that this will stretch into the future.

If you looked at Thomas' stat line, nothing really jumps out at you against Washington State. He didn't even reach double digits in scoring. But when Washington needed a big bucket, he delivered.

The Huskies were clinging to a four-point lead with less than two minutes to go. This is the point in the game when most teams will hold the ball and make a bunch of passes before finally settling for a bad shot. All too often, the team milking the clock blows the opportunity and lets the other team get back into the game. Washington nearly did that, but Thomas saved the possession by driving to the basket and converting to give the Huskies a six-point lead.

Shots like that are what makes the difference between a conference winner, and a conference follower. Washington, for too long, has been the follower. But now they are the conference champions, thanks to Thomas.

Huskies Win First Pac-10 Title Since 1953 originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sat, 07 Mar 2009 19:54:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Washington Takes Control of Pac-10

Shane Bacon — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 18:17:00 EST

Filed under: Arizona, Washington, Pac-10

It wasn't very pretty, but the Washington Huskies did what they hoped to do: Sweep the Arizona schools and assure the program at least a share of the Pac-10 regular season championship for the first time in nearly a quarter century.

Washington took down Arizona State on Thursday 73-70 in Seattle, and today had the Wildcats come to town in desperate need of one more big win to assure they'd be returning to the NCAA tournament for the 25th straight time. The Wildcats dominated in the first half on the back of Jordan Hill and Chase Budinger, but an injury to Hill in the second half and foul trouble for the 'Cats allowed the Huskies to pull away and take it 83-78.

It wasn't the prettiest of games for either team, and most of that can be attributed to sketchy refereeing, who seem to call fouls when there didn't seem to be any contact and non-fouls when, for instance, Zane Johnson of Arizona pushed a Washington player out of bounds in the first half.

What was the key to victory for Washington? It won't surprise you to hear the name Jon Brockman, who had 19 points and 11 rebounds and looked like Shaquille O'Neal in (Huskie) purple.

Now, two things happen. The Huskies have played themselves into contention to a possible two seed during March Madness, if they can continue to win out the rest of the regular season, and the Wildcats need a sweep at home next week of California and Stanford to make sure they are in the bracket.

Arizona was one of the hottest teams in the nation a couple of weeks ago but a tough loss to Arizona State in Tempe, followed by back-to-back losses to the Washington teams now has the Wildcats in a tough spot. I guess next week will tell us all we need to know about both team's near future.

Washington Takes Control of Pac-10 originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sat, 28 Feb 2009 18:17:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Bruins Beat a Ranked Team ... Finally

Adam Papagiorgio — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 02:28:00 EST

Filed under: UCLA, USC, Washington, Pac-10

UCLA finally did something that it hadn't done all season: beat a ranked opponent. Doesn't seem right, does it? It's not like the Bruins play a Utah State-like schedule, dodging powerhouses and choosing to beat some of the Weak Sisters of the Poor. And Cal Poly.

Yet, here in late February, the Bruins finally notched that elusive win over a Top-25 foe, beating Washington, 85-76. UCLA was able to avenge an earlier loss in Seattle, when the Huskies made a conga line to the charity stripe -- something reminiscent of a Bugs Bunny cartoon, only not as funny.

The free throws, this time, were evenly distributed as the Bruins held off a late second-half surge by the Huskies.

UCLA also remains in the hunt for a fourth consecutive Pac-10 title, though somebody might want to let Ben Howland know they don't hang conference championship banners in Westwood. The Bruins have much larger goals.

And they needed this win.

Beating a ranked opponent finally got that monkey off the Bruins' backs. They certainly didn't want to go into the NCAA tournament with that "Haven't beaten a Top-25 team" graphic shoved down our throats. Not that CBS would ever do something so underhanded during its tournament broadcast.

The Bruins needed to prove to themselves that they are capable of beating one of the big boys. UCLA had proven its meddle against lesser teams such as USC and Notre Dame, and that's fine if the Bruins were angling for an NIT title. But if another run to the Final Four is going to be possible, UCLA needed to make that first step by beating a ranked opponent -- especially one that has give them fits over the years.

I'm actually kind of curious to what this does to the Bruins. We've seen stretches of brilliance sandwiched by utter ineptitude; just when we've all thought that UCLA has turned a corner, it falls off the wagon. So I'm going to keep the hyperbole to a minimum here. This was an important victory, yes, but the Bruins haven't shown the ability to take these season-changing, marquee wins and turn it into something special.

We've all learned that the wait-and-see approach is best with this team.

Meanwhile, on the recruiting front, it looks like UCLA is out of the running for Renardo Sidney. The 6-foot-11 prospect could be heading across town to USC, which is good for the Trojans, who should enjoy reeling in these kind of prospects before probation eventually hits.

Bruins Beat a Ranked Team ... Finally originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Fri, 20 Feb 2009 02:28:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Are Bruins Run-and-Done?

Adam Papagiorgio — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: UCLA, Washington, Pac-10

Sometimes, old ball coaches do learn new tricks. Heck, even Giants coach Tom Coughlin loosened up enough last season to win a Super Bowl. So it came as no surprise when UCLA's coach Ben Howland met with team leaders and let the offense run-and-gun a little on their suggestion, leading to the high point of the Bruins' roller coaster season.

Life was good.

UCLA went on a winning streak, and crushed USC and Notre Dame. But then came the desert debacle, as the Arizona schools swept the Bruins. Suddenly, run-and-gun or not, a Pac-10 title that seemed inevitable is, well, wholly evitable. So will Howland rein in the Bruins after this two-game stumble?

Good coaches are control freaks and that certainly applies to Howland. Scrapping the run-and-gun seems like a knee-jerk reaction after two tough losses. But Howland has been known to blow all of his timeouts before the 12-minute mark (or so it seems), so he does do knee-jerk.

Not this time, though. UCLA can't stand and swing with Washington, whom it faces on Thursday night. The Bruins tried to battle the Huskies in their previous matchup, but just weren't tough enough. Washington out-shot UCLA 43-15 from the free-throw line as the Huskies cruised to a win.

The Bruins need to come out aggressively and push the ball; Howland has to see this. His first instinct might be to control the tempo, but he's smart enough to know that he will have to push the ball to be effective. Besides, UCLA has yet to beat a ranked opponent this season, so the Bruins have to try something, right?

Of course, if UCLA loses this game -- which would be their first three-game losing streak since 2005 -- who knows how Howland will react.

Latest College Basketball Photos

Wyoming guard Brandon Ewing is guarded by UNLV guard Tre'Von Willis during an NCAA college basketball game in Laramie, Wyo. on Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2009. (AP Photo/Laramie Boomerang, Ben Woloszyn)

Wyoming guard A.J. Davis drives to the basket past UNLV guard Kendall Wallace during an NCAA college basketball game in Laramie, Wyo. on Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2009. (AP Photo/Laramie Boomerang, Ben Woloszyn)

Nebraska coach Doc Sadler calls to his players in the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against Colorado, in Lincoln, Neb., Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2009. Nebraska defeated Colorado 46-41. (AP Photo/Nati Harnik)

Nebraska head coach Doc Sadler is seen past Colorado's Jermyl Jackson-Wilson, who was preparing to take a free throw against Nebraska in the first half of an NCAA college basketball game, in Lincoln, Neb., Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2009. Nebraska defeated Colorado 46-41.(AP Photo/Nati Harnik)

Colorado coach Jeff Bzdelik instructs his players in the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against Nebraska, in Lincoln, Neb., Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2009. Nebraska defeated Colorado 46-41.(AP Photo/Nati Harnik)

Colorado's Nate Tomlinson (1) drives around Nebraska's Ryan Anderson (44) in the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in Lincoln, Neb., Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2009. Nebraska defeated Colorado 46-41. (AP Photo/Nati Harnik)

Colorado's Nate Tomlinson (1) struggles for the ball against Nebraska's Toney McCray, right, during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in Lincoln, Neb., Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2009. Nebraska defeated Colorado 46-41. (AP Photo/Nati Harnik)

Arkansas coach John Pelphrey talks to his team during the final seconds of an NCAA college basketball game against LSU in Fayetteville, Ark., Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2009. LSU won 72-69. (AP Photo/April L. Brown)

Colorado's Cory Higgins (11) drives past Nebraska's Sek Henry in the second half of an NCAA college basketball game in Lincoln, Neb., Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2009. Nebraska defeated Colorado 46-41. (AP Photo/Nati Harnik)

LAWRENCE, KS - FEBRUARY 18: A Kansas Jayhawks cheerleader performs prior to the start of the game between the Iowa State Cyclones and the Kansas Jayhawks at Allen Fieldhouse February 18, 2009 in Lawrence, Kansas. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)

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Are Bruins Run-and-Done? originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Thu, 19 Feb 2009 18:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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UCLA Not Underrated at All

Adam Papagiorgio — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 09:04:00 EST

Filed under: Arizona, Arizona State, Oregon, UCLA, USC, Washington, Washington State, Pac-10, Oregon State

This is never why you listen to the stat heads. They will let you down. Just when you start to doubt UCLA, the Bruins go on a huge winning streak with impressive wins. And just when you completely buy in and believe that UCLA has turned the corner, the Bruins lose on the road at Arizona State, 74-67.

Are we ever going to get an accurate read on this team or are we doomed to be on the back end of a trend?

Probably the latter.

Now, let's not sell No. 18 Arizona State short here. It is a very good basketball team (though, its fans should act like it and not rush the court) and already has a win at Pauley Pavilion. So this shouldn't have been a huge surprise, even though it sure feels like one. The Bruins had looked so good recently, I thought this was going to be a blowout. Factor in a home loss to the Sun Devils and this spelled revenge game.

Arizona State was ready. The Sun Devils were a dog at home (tough for a ranked team) and they played like they took that personally. The defense was great, and James Harden relishes playing against his hometown team. The Devils don't need to worry about the bubble any longer.

Now, you have to question UCLA, which still has not beaten a Top 25 opponent. The projected No. 5 seed seems pretty fair right now, and the Bruins don't seem underrated at all. And all of you college basketball fans know too well that No. 5 is the most dreaded seed in the tournament (outside of No. 16, of course). After a remarkable run of Final Four appearances, could UCLA be looking at a first-round knock this season?

Bruins fans had better hope I'm picking that way.

In other Pac-10 action:

Arizona 83, USC 76: The Wildcats are going to end up making it to the tournament. The streak is going to live. But if Arizona goes to the tournament, is that enough to get Russ Pennell the full-time gig? Wildcats fans will say no, but I think he will get the nod.

Washington State 67, Oregon 38: Ducks fans should prepare themselves for taunts of "Hang Time" in the near future. If Oregon hasn't called Reggie Theus yet, what is it waiting for? Theus is the best possible coaching candidate out there. The Ducks should pull the plug on Ernie Kent right now. This is just sad. Look for Oregon to take its name off the jersey again. And who could blame them?

Washington 79, Oregon State 60: The Huskies really needed this state of Oregon sweep. Oh sorry, was that me already giving Washington Saturday's game against Oregon? Well, really, you can hardly blame me.

UCLA Not Underrated at All originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Fri, 13 Feb 2009 09:04:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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No Worries About UCLA

Adam Papagiorgio — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 02:04:00 EST

Filed under: Arizona, Arizona State, California, Stanford, UCLA, USC, Washington, Washington State, Pac-10

UCLA doesn't care much about second place. That was evident on Thursday night as the UCLA put away Cal, 81-66. If Cal thought it smelled blood in the water, Thursday's game was nothing but a clever ambush by the Bruins.

UCLA played like a desperate team trying to send a message. The passive, eight-pass and settle for a horrible shot offense was flushed. Darren Collison was driving to the basket, drawing fouls and converting free throws to finish with 18 points. In fact, UCLA shot 91 percent from the line. The Bruins played defense like a Ben Howland team, forcing 16 turnovers. In short, it was the kind of dominating performance that fans in Westwood have come accustomed to.

UCLA not only crushed its NorCal rival, but also sent a message to the rest of the conference that they were still a the alpha male of the conference. The Bruins also moved into their rightful place -- that being first -- after Washington lost at Arizona. (Somebody must have been looking ahead, right?) Seems silly that a team like UCLA would need a conference win in January, but the freshman really did. Guys like Jrue Holliday, who had 13 points, needed to step up.

The leading question now is if UCLA can match the intensity against Stanford on Saturday.

Washington State 65, No. 14 Arizona State 55: The Huskies weren't the only team looking ahead for showdown Saturday. The Sun Devils didn't have an answer for Klay Thompson who was 8-of-10 from 3-point range. That's just being lazy on defense. Expect ASU to rally and at least try on Saturday. That's a pattern that the team has followed last week when ASU lost to USC on a Thursday, but followed that up with a win at Pauley Pavilion the following Saturday.

USC 70, Stanford 69: The Trojans are lurking. Saturday's game provides an interesting crossroads for USC and Cal. The Golden Bears need to salvage at least a split to remain in the hunt for the Pac-10 title. And a sweep would really benefit the Trojans who have kind of lurked just below the top of the conference. Which coach will have his team better prepared?

No Worries About UCLA originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Fri, 30 Jan 2009 02:04:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Is the Pac-10 Smelling Blood?

Adam Papagiorgio — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 01:53:00 EST

Filed under: Arizona State, California, Stanford, UCLA, Washington, Pac-10

This wasn't the way the season was supposed to go for the Bruins. Despite losing a bevy of talent, UCLA was still expected to stand tall. The Bruins don't rebuild, they reload. The freshman class led by Jrue Holiday was supposed to be Ben Howland's best yet and the team was supposed to look forward to a fourth consecutive Final Four.

But it hasn't worked out that way.

The Bruins are 15-4, 5-2 in the Pac-10 and ranked No. 17 in the country. That's a good year. If you are Oregon State, or one of the other teams in the Pac-10. But this is UCLA. A place where only championship banners hang from the rafters. Something, however, is way worse for UCLA. Something nobody in Westwood is comfortable talking about.

The Bruins are mortal.

The Bruins have been like that bully over the past couple of years. The tough guy standing in the corner that nobody wanted a piece of. Now, teams not only want a piece of the Bruins, they are relishing the chance. The Bruins are being challenged in what was supposed to be a down year in the conference. Washington took them apart in Seattle. Arizona State embarrassed the Bruins at Pauley Pavilion.

Right there on the Nell and John Wooden Court, the Sun Devils exploited the Bruins, like UCLA had done to so many over matched opponents in the past.

Part of the reason is the departure of Kevin Love, who toils in obscurity in the NBA. UCLA no longer has that inside presence or that ability to pound the ball down low. The Bruins used to live at the free-throw line. Now they have a bunch of jump shooters who don't draw fouls. Not the way Love did. Nikola Dragovic is a nice player, but he's one of those European players who seems to avoid contact.

At this point, Darren Collison might be wondering why he didn't go to the NBA. (Not that he had much of a choice.)

There is still hope for the Bruins. They have a chance to reassert themselves as they play host to Cal and Stanford this weekend. Cal has been playing very well under coach Mike Montgomery, and it also possesses the same propensity to shoot the three-ball, which could work in UCLA's favor.

And the Bruins need it, too.

No. 23 Washington will play host to No. 14 Arizona State on Thursday. Raise your hands if you thought that this was going to be for the lead in the Pac-10 at this juncture of the season. Liar.

Both teams have beaten the Bruins -- as mentioned -- and could take control of the conference. To be honest, nobody is going to run away with the league crown. But Washington and Arizona State are feeling UCLA's vulnerability and can only can confidence with a victory. A sweep by either school would be monumental.

UCLA needs to make a stand against the Bay Area schools to keep pace. Worse than losing ground in the standings is losing presence in the conference. The Bruins need to make a good showing this weekend.

Is the Pac-10 Smelling Blood? originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Thu, 29 Jan 2009 01:53:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Washington, Yes, Washington Tops the Pac-10 Standings

Chas Rich — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 23:25:00 EST

Filed under: UCLA, Washington, Pac-10

The conference slate is not quite to the halfway point, but it is still something of a surprise to see the Washington Huskies sitting all alone atop the Pac-10. The Huskies have that spot after their 86-75 win over UCLA.

The difference in the game was that Washington was attacking the basket. They fought to get the ball inside and that drew contact and fouls. The officiating was not particularly impressive, but Washington adjusted to it in the second half. They recognized that the game would be called tight on the inside and took advantage of it. Getting to the free throw line nearly three times as frequently as UCLA.

UCLA, by contrast, was surprisingly passive on offense. They settled for a lot of jumpers and attempted twice as many threes as Washington. There was an unwillingness or inability to attack the basket or get the ball inside by the Bruins. It was an odd sight to see UCLA being out-toughed in a conference game.

This was a big win for Washington. The Huskies had a very unremarkable non-conference schedule and lost the two games played against quality opponents. Beating UCLA was their first win against a ranked opponent. Couple it with their win over USC a couple days earlier and Washington has beaten two of the three teams expected to go to the NCAA Tournament from the Pac-10.

The way their conference schedule works, they really needed as many early wins as possible. Washington's next four games are all road contests.That will take a toll, but now they are not at risk of being buried in the conference by a potential rough stretch.

Washington, Yes, Washington Tops the Pac-10 Standings originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sat, 24 Jan 2009 23:25:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Things Aren't All Bad in Seattle

Adam Papagiorgio — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 02:45:00 EST

Filed under: UCLA, Washington, Pac-10

Being a Seattle sports fan isn't easy recently. The Mariners spent a lot of money to lose 100 games. The Seahawks were awful and let the Cardinals -- of all teams -- take the NFC West and go to the Super Bowl. The University of Washington's football was the worst its bad since, well, seemingly ever.

And then there's that whole deal about the Sonics. Talk about your all-time kicks to the crotch.

But there is a sign that things could be changing in the Emerald City. The University of Washington is competitive in college basketball once again.

The hoops Huskies are 5-1 for the fifth time in 25 years. A welcome sign not because the team has missed the NCAA tournament the past two seasons. Rather, it's good for the city's sports fans. They need something to look forward to. Kind of like the way Los Angeles rallied around UCLA in 1995 when the Rams folded, the Raiders moved to Oakland, and the Lakers were going through one of their down periods.

Now, let's not say that Washington is going to win the national championship this season, but a Pac-10 championship is in the mix right now. UCLA had trouble with Washington State and never seem to play well in Seattle. And really, nobody looks like they are going to run away with the crown this year.

Saturday's game could come down to Jon Brockman. He's going to be a matchup nightmare for the Bruins, who seem to be too much of a perimeter team right now. USC did a really good job on Brockman on Thursday night -- holding him to just four free throws -- but the Huskies were able to overcome. I don't think that UCLA is going to be able to do that. Nor can you expect them to. The Bruins just don't have the personnel.

Washington needs a signature win to help ease Seattle's pain, and they are going to get it on Saturday afternoon. Get ready to feel once again, Seattle sports fan.

Things Aren't All Bad in Seattle originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sat, 24 Jan 2009 02:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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If You Were Skeptical About Cal, Don't Be

Adam Papagiorgio — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 01:25:00 EST

Filed under: Arizona, Arizona State, California, Oregon, Washington, Washington State, Pac-10, Oregon State

Washington State certainly isn't the team it wa in the past. But you can't overlook the effort Cal showed in Pullman, Wash., Thursday night in a 57-50 win.The Cougars no longer have the superstars they once had, but they still play pretty good defense. Washington State held Bears star guard Jerome Randle to only eight points, well below from his 20-points-per-game average.

Yet, Cal didn't fold.

Instead, other players stepped up. Patrick Christopher scored 22 points, and was 4-of-6 from 3-point range. This is the kind of team effort you can expect from a team coached by Mike Montgomery. This would have been a huge letdown game for Cal in the past. Especially after such a huge win against Arizona State. A trip to Pullman would have easily derailed the momentum of this team under the former regime.

In fact, you can reason that this game says more about Cal's character than its upset win over Arizona State. Look at what Boston College did after it beat No. 1 North Carolina -- it lost to Harvard. But the Bears didn't fold, instead putting up a great effort. This win is pretty impressive and Cal fans, go ahead and get excited about this team.

Some other games around the Pac-10 Thursday:

Washington 84, Stanford 83: The Cardinal, on the other hand, you can be very skeptical about. Stanford can't play Cal State Northridge every week, eh? Saturday's game at Washington State will be a big test for them. Washington has put together some nice wins, but they still need to beat a good team. Beating Stanford is a nice start. But they need to prove it against UCLA, Arizona State and -- can you believe it? -- Cal.

No. 20 Arizona State 69, Oregon State 38: The Sun Devils had no trouble bouncing back from their loss to Cal. And this was the game they were giving us on free television. What gives? And what's up with Oregon State? Are they packing it in after win its token Pac-10 game of the seasons? This makes USC look even worse.

Arizonan 67, Oregon 52: Did they play "Glory Days" during halftime? Congratulations Oregon, you are the bigger underachiever.

If You Were Skeptical About Cal, Don't Be originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Fri, 09 Jan 2009 01:25:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Former Arizona Recruit Finds New Home In Pacific Northwest

Shiloh Carder — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 11:46:00 EST

Filed under: Arizona, Washington, Pac-10, Recruiting

One recruit that got out of his letter of intent to Arizona after Lute Olson's abrupt retirement has already found a new home.

Abdul Gaddy, a guard from Tacoma, has decided to play for the University of Washington.

Gaddy is a five-star prospect according to Scout.com. He is rated the No. 6 overall prospect in the country by Scout.com.

"Abdul just committed to the University of Washington," Abdul Gaddy, Sr., told Scout.com. "He'll be playing home in front of his family and friends and we're excited for it."

Fellow de-committed recruits Solomon Hill and Mike Mosier have yet to decide where they will play next year. Hill is looking at USC while Mosier still hasn't ruled out coming back to Arizona.

The loss of these three recruits mean that Arizona has nothing coming in to the 2009-2010 season. Add that to the loss of 2008 recruit Brandon Jennings to Greece and the likely early departure of Chase Budinger and the Wildcats program could be into their worst stretch since the pre-Olson era in the late 1970s.

Former Arizona Recruit Finds New Home In Pacific Northwest originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Thu, 30 Oct 2008 11:46:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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How I Spent My Summer Vacation: Pac-10

Adam Papagiorgio — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Arizona, Arizona State, California, Oregon, UCLA, USC, Washington, Washington State, Pac-10, Oregon State

With the fall beginning and college basketball just around the corner, it's time to look back at what our favorite teams did during their summer vacations. Some did some good things; some had a bad time. So let's look back at who did what in our How I Spent My Summer Vacation series.

Today's look is the Pac-10 Conference.

The Pac 10 is coming off a season where six of its members (Arizona State was jobbed) reached the field of 64. And UCLA was bounced in the Final Four, again. Hey, at least it's not the Sweet 16 anymore, UCLA. Although, you have to wonder if the Bruins squandered their best shot under Ben Howland. No matter, the team is loaded again. So you could probably pencil the Bruins in for the Final Four. Just figuring out who will beat them is the kicker.

Let's see how each team did during its summer vacation.

Arizona
The good news is that Chase Budinger, Jordan Hill and Nic Wise all return from last year's team, but head coach Lute Olson won't after a dramatic resignation in October and revelation that he'd suffered a stroke and suffered from depression. Not much else has gone right for Arizona since. The Wildcats lost three recruits in the immediate aftermath of Olson's departure and likely hobble into the season a bit shellshocked.

Arizona State
Coach Herb Sendek and the Sun Devils were screwed out of the tournament, but there is a solid program building in Tempe. He recently scored a verbal agreement from Corey Hawkins, son of former NBA guard Hershey Hawkins. Corey, however, is a junior, so there will be some waiting. But this is a sign that the Devils are on the rise. And why shouldn't they be? They have a beautiful campus, beautiful women and a pretty good facility. Expect them to make some noise and be players in the Pac-10 this season.

Cal
The cross-bay rivalry between Stanford and Cal took a new turn as Mike Montgomery was introduced as the Bears new leading man. Montgomery said that he now has a bigger recruiting window in Cal, than he did at Stanford. The team did lose top recruit Garrett Sim, who went to Oregon. Because obviously Sim hates good coaching.

Oregon
The Ducks extended the contract of Ernie Kent, proving that they don't like good coaching, either. Hey, just trying to have a little fun here, folks. Kent gets a lot of heat from Ducks fans, and it seems a little bit undeserved. He takes the Ducks to the tournament every year and has a couple of Elite 8 appearances. Now suddenly the fans in Eugene think they are UCLA fans. And that shouldn't quell this season, with a young team and Tajuan Porter. But Michael Dunigan is a nice player and this team should at least be interesting. But face it Ducks fans, you are going to have Kent to kick around for a while.

Oregon State
The Beavers long for the success that Kent has provided at Oregon. Craig Robinson is the new coach in Corvallis. Robinson is the brother-in-law of presidential nominee Barack Obama. He even appeared at the Democratic national convention. Now he is trying to show that he is an agent of change in college basketball.

Stanford
The Trees hired a new coach, Johnny Dawkins from that great coach factory, Duke. Of course, Montgomery was hired at Cal before Trent Johnson bailed for LSU, preventing a reunion. (Nice career move, Johnson. Why leave the Pac-10 for the SEC?) Dawkins was unsuccessful in his first order of business -- finding a pair of 7-foot twins to replace the Lopez twins.

Washington
Remember that time when the Huskies were actually a pretty good basketball team? The Huskies were coming off consecutive Sweet 16 berths in 2005 and 2006. Now they languish behind Washington State and Gonzaga in the state of Washington. Lorenzo Romar probably isn't in jeopardy, but he's getting close. Jon Brockman returns and he's still a load. But reports indicate that he's much leaner and has some new post moves. Expect the Huskies to play that up-tempo style that Romar used earlier in his tenure with Washington.

Washington State
The Cougars only return two starters, losing most of its scoring. Which, of course, means they only lost about 20 points per game. Just kidding, people. Tony Bennett was brought in an outstanding freshman class to help his team remain among Pac-10 elite. One of those recruits is Klay Thompson who, just like his dad Mychal, doesn't know how to spell his first name.

UCLA
The Bruins will miss Kevin Love, but Howland has the team loaded again. Darren Collison, Mike Roll and Josh Shipp all return. Jrue Holliday, J'Mison Morgan, Jerime Lee and Malcom Lee bring a lot of athleticism to the team. Morgan (6-foot-10), will be a monster down low. Morgan had originally committed to LSU, but probably made a wise choice coming to Pauly. UCLA will be much more athletic this year and should be able to dominate and a Final Four berth is the minimum.

USC
There is an old Jerry Tarkanian quote -- at least attributed to him -- that the NCAA was so pissed at (insert big name school here) that they put (insert mid-major school here) on probation. While USC is not a mid-major school, you have to wonder if the basketball program will eventually be held responsible for all of the alleged activities of the school's football team. Does that seem fair? No. But this is the NCAA. The Trojans hoop team could end up paying dearly for the O.J. Mayo payment allegations. And if not, maybe Yahoo! can do some more investigations.

How I Spent My Summer Vacation: Pac-10 originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Wed, 08 Oct 2008 12:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Who's #98? First College Basketball Invitational Field Announced

Shiloh Carder — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 02:45:00 EST

Filed under: Nevada Basketball, Washington Basketball, Cincinnati Basketball, Virginia Basktball

The College Basketball Invitational was created because, apparently, there was such an interest in non-NCAA tournament events that the N.I.T. couldn't contain it (obviously, I'm being sarcastic).

So, while the NCAA and NIT fields have been set, the CBI got to look through the rest of the clearance rack and pick off sixteen teams for their own little dance.

Tuesday: Richmond at Virginia, Houston at Nevada, Brown at Ohio, Rider at Old Dominion
Wednesday: Cincinnati at Bradley, Valparaiso at Washington, Miami-OH at Tulsa, Utah at UTEP

The winners of these games will face off next Monday. The semifinals will take place on Wednesday, March 26th. Then there will be a best-of-three championship series taking place the following week. Most of the games will be on Fox College Sports ... a network most people don't get. And even if they did, they're probably not watching this.

Look, I'm all for letting these kids extend their collegiate careers. Really, I am. But this is dumb. Credibility is shot when you invite a 13-18 Cincinnati team.

Who's #98? First College Basketball Invitational Field Announced originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Mon, 17 Mar 2008 02:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Oregon State Challenges Washington to a Fight, Gets Blown Out Again

Ty Keenan — Sun, 17 Feb 2008 08:00:00 EST

Filed under: Washington Basketball, Pac-10 Basketball, NCAA Basketball Gossip

This season hasn't been an easy one for the Oregon State Beavers. They fired their coach, dismissed their most athletic player, haven't had a win since a December 19th victory against juggernaut Northern Colorado, and stand an extremely good chance of not winning a game in the Pac-10.

Saturday's home game against Washington looked like one of their best chances for a win, but they lowered their chances quite a bit on Friday when several of their players challenged the Huskies to a fight. Yes, an actual fight. Dan Raley of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer reports:

Considerable drama surrounded this match-up of the Pac-10's two worst teams, ignited when a half-dozen Oregon State players walked onto the Gill Colliseum floor Friday while a handful of Huskies were shooting and their anger was directed at freshman guard Venoy Overton.

"I remember them saying, 'Wait until you come down here,' " said Overton, who had exchanged shoves with the Beavers' Josh Tarver in Seattle. "I knew something was coming."

Said Appleby, "I thought they were joking around."

Romar defused that situation, sending his players to their waiting charter bus while attempting to calm the Beavers.

Not long after that, UW players were attending a mandatory study table at the nearby Hilton Hotel, a long block from the arena, when Huskies guard Joel Smith discovered a voice mail message from Oregon State's Marcel Jones, inviting everyone outside.

"We were laughing about that," Appleby said. "It was, 'Are you going to come in and fight us in the hotel?' "

Not surprisingly, Washington responded with a 97-59 blowout. Detailed analysis of the tussle after the jump.

It should be clear that Pac-10 teams shouldn't need any extra motivation for beating Oregon State. Oregon State only really has three or four players that can be called quality Pac-10 players. At that much of a disadvantage, their only real hope for a win is to have the opponent overlook them. In case the Beavers haven't heard, it's a little difficult to overlook someone who wants to fight you.

Challenging teams to fights isn't going to make Oregon State seem tough, but winning will. It's pretty telling that Washington laughed at these guys when they started making threats. I can think of no other appropriate reaction.

As for the actual details of their challenge, well, let's take a look at Marcel Jones, the player who made the threatening phone call. Jones, who is probably the team's most talented player, was a child actor who had small parts in movies like The Princess Diaries and shows such as Even Stevens and Smart Guy. So he doesn't exactly have the history of a bad boy.

To make matters worse, the Oregon State coaching staff failed to turn the starting lineup in on time and was assessed a technical foul before the game even started.

For their next game, Oregon State travels to UCLA. Maybe they should change up their game plan and invite Darren Collison and Kevin Love over for a tupperware party beforehand.

Oregon State Challenges Washington to a Fight, Gets Blown Out Again originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sun, 17 Feb 2008 08:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tim Morris Throws Ball Off Alfred Aboya's Face as Washington Beats UCLA

Michael David Smith — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 14:10:00 EST

Filed under: UCLA Basketball, Washington Basketball, Pac-10 Basketball, NCAA Basketball Video

UCLA lost to Washington Sunday, and the play everyone is talking about is this inbounds pass with 47 seconds left, when Washington guard Tim Morris threw the ball directly into the face of UCLA forward Alfred Aboya:

Was it a dirty play on the part of Morris, or a heads-up move to avoid a five seconds penalty? I'd vote for dirty, but I appear to be out-voted by the participants themselves. The Seattle Times reports:

Morris immediately tried to apologize to Aboya, who noted the apology after the game. But some UCLA players began riding Morris about it, prompting Bruins coach Ben Howland to intercede.

"I threw it off his face and one of their guys said something like, 'Don't do that again,' and I said something back to them. And Howland said, 'Back up,' just trying to cool down the situation a little bit," Morris said.

Said Aboya: "They were doing everything they could to win. It's allowed."

Howland asked an official to penalize Morris but he said he was told that "there was nothing he could do."

If the referee says it's OK, and if Aboya says it's allowed, maybe I shouldn't have a problem with it. But it seems like a bush-league move to me.

Tim Morris Throws Ball Off Alfred Aboya's Face as Washington Beats UCLA originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Mon, 11 Feb 2008 14:10:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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