SB Nation - Kyle Weaver

A first look at Idaho

Dancing Football — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 00:01:48 -0000

Moscow - City of mystery, So full of history, noble and old
Mm-mm-mm-mm-mm-mm-mm-Moscow, there is a burning fire
That never will expire, deep in your soul
-Genghis Khan "Moscow"

Every Coug has a special place in their heart for Moscow. For earlier generations, Idaho's younger drinking age built WSU's party reputation as freshman could rub elbows with fifth year seniors at Moscow's various liquor stores and watering holes. Those days are gone, but most Cougars still find themselves making the 8 mile trek across state lines for the cheap DVDs from Wal Mart, a Dad's weekend postgame dinner, and Winger's. Of course, there is also the area's premier shopping center, the Palouse Mall. They know what you want, and they got it.

Also located in Moscow, La Casa Lopez, which has the best Mexican food on the Palouse. Go during dinnertime (after 4pm) and have the bean dip. It's phenomenal.

In my time in Pullman, I took my fair share of trips across the border. I also had the opportunity to take in two basketball games in the Cowan Spectrum. I saw the legendary battle for last place in the WAC between the Vandals and San Jose State in 2007. I also saw the Cougs play there in the turnaround year.

That Coug game was my first experience in the Kibbie Dome. (For those of you that don't know, Cowan Spectrum is the Kibbie Dome with a giant divider down the middle and a basketball court laid out over the north end of the football field.) The Vandals were having a double header, so I was lucky enough to take in some WAC women's basketball action!

On a side note, this game took place the day after Dennis Erickson left for Arizona State. It took every decent cell in my body to keep myself from bringing a sign that said "He's Gone" to flaunt around. I think I made the right choice.

My friends and I had seats in the front row on the side opposite the benches. They were the seats assigned by our tickets, and we bought them three days before the game. The crowd was sparse on that side, so we stuck out pretty well. Towards the end of the women's game, the cheerleaders brought out pizza boxes to get the crowd cheering. WSU does the same thing, and despite all my crazy cheering during my college career, I never was able to secure one. Seeing an opportunity, I yelled and screamed and jumped up and down, all the while wearing crimson. The cheerleaders, who were apparently colorblind, handed me the pizza box amongst a cascade of boos from Vandal fans. The pizza box was a bit heavier than I expected and I opened it, expecting a coupon. Instead, there was a large pepperoni pizza! My group sat happily the rest of the night and enjoyed pizza while Kyle Weaver and company avoided a total letdown and defeated Idaho.

The 2009-2010 version of Idaho is nothing like the pushovers of that season. Through their first seven games of the season they are ranked 84 by kenpom.com, 31 spots higher than the Cougs. They play well on offense, ranked 45th in the nation in adjusted offensive efficiency. They beat Eastern Washington soundly and crushed a Portland team that did the same to UCLA. This is not a cupcake game for Washington State.

Let's take a look at some important factors:

Pace:

Once again, the Cougars face a fast-paced team. Idaho averages just over 70 possessions a game. As we said last time against Kansas State, that is ideal for a young Cougar team that struggles in offensive sets. However, the pace of game against the Wildcats seemed to get the best of Wazzu, as they struggled to take care of the ball. Luckily, Idaho will not have the athletic presence to pressure the ball like Kansas State was able to. Expect a third straight game over 70 possessions.

Rebounding:

Idaho is a poor defensive rebounding team. They are allowing 29.6% of opponent misses to be turned into an offensive rebound. However, that is actually better than the Cougs, who sit at 34.9%. The Vandals do a solid job on the offensive glass but will not have the strength advantages down low that Kansas State used to bully the Cougar bigs. WSU probably wins the rebounding battle in this one primarily on the backs of Casto, Capers, and Thompson.

Shooting:

Idaho has done a fine job making it tough on their opponents in making field goals. They are 84th in the country in eFG% allowed. They also shoot the ball well themselves, as they are 14th in the nation in eFG%. Despite a less-than-stellar performance last time out, the Cougs have also shot the ball well so far, ranking 16th in eFG%. They racked up most of those stats playing teams with similar athletes to Idaho, so look for this one to be a high scoring affair.

The biggest concern here is Idaho's ability to shoot the three. They are 4th in the nation on three point percentage, and the Cougs have proved time and time again in this short season that they struggle to defend that. This could be a difference maker in the matchup.

Free Throws:

The Vandals are very good at getting to the line, ranking 66th in the nation in free throw rate. They are even better at preventing the other team from getting there, ranking 47th in free throw rate allowed. This could be a problem for Wazzu, as they have relied heavily on free throws on many occasions this season. The good thing is that Reggie Moore has shown the ability to get in the lane against anybody, and Klay has done very well against smaller guards in drawing fouls. The Cougs should outperform previous Vandal competition in free throw rate. Don't be surprised to see Idaho at the charity stripe frequently as well. If you are recording this game on the DVR, be sure to leave some extra time.

Do not expect this game to be the blowout it has been the last few years Coug fans. Idaho will be tough team in the WAC conference and they've already shown what they can do in defeating a pretty solid Portland squad. Interestingly, the Vandals have ten transfers on their roster, including former Coug point guard Mac Hopson among a host of junior college guys. This matchup should be a contest worthy of the long rivalry between these two schools.

Quincy Pondexter is sort of smart, sort of not

Nuss — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 01:14:57 -0000

More photos » by Elaine Thompson - AP

QP: Hey Venoy! Guess why I'm smiling? VO: Why? QP: Because I compared you to Kyle Weaver as a defender! Isn't that funny? VO: I don't get it. QP: Well, if I have to explain it to you ...

Browse more photos »

So, my friend Seth alerted me to this recap of a live chat Quincy Pondexter had on Percy Allen's Husky basketball blog at the Seattle Times. Seth's a Husky fan -- and a good guy -- so he thought it would be nice to pass along this little nugget, in case I missed it:

"(Pondexter said) the toughest defenders he's played against are former WSU star Kyle Weaver and Venoy Overton."

Now, I'll go ahead and give him props for singling out Weaver. I mean ... duh -- Weaver is one of the top two defensive guards in the Pac-10 this decade (Darren Collison being the other).

But Overton? Really?

I'm not going to flog Pondexter too much for this. After all, the nature of these live chats is that guys have to come up with off-the-cuff answers to completely random questions, so it can be hard to come up with complete answers that reflect all the information available. That's clearly the case here, but I can't let another person pass along the myth that Overton is some great defender, let alone one that worthy of even being mentioned in the same breath with The Name Above All Other Names.

At the height of his powers, Weaver put up a 4.1 steal percentage (as a junior) -- good enough for 40th nationally. Overton put up a 3.6 mark this past year. That's comparable to Weaver, right?

Unfortunately, that would completely ignore Overton's astoundingly awful 5.2 fouls called per 40 minutes, which begs the obvious question: If he's such a good defender, why does he have to foul so much? Weaver never exceeded 3.2 fouls called per 40 (as a sophomore), and as senior, he only committed 2.3 fouls per 40.

However, come to think of it, I guess I can almost see where Pondexter might put Overton in that class -- he only has to practice against Overton, where there aren't any of those pesky referees there to call any fouls. Of course, Overton and every other Husky will tell you that all those fouls -- all 5.2(!) per 40 minutes of them -- are completely unfair and totally not fouls in the first place ...

via cache.daylife.com

Click on the jump for more of Venoy's greatest "hits"!

via seattletimes.nwsource.com

via cache.daylife.com

via seattletimes.nwsource.com

via cache.daylife.com

via grfx.cstv.com

Poll

Venoy Overton cannot ...

Defend anyone without fouling them

9 votes

Ever shut up

2 votes

Carry Kyle Weaver's unmentionables

14 votes

All of the above

109 votes

134 votes | Poll has closed

2009-2010 Team Previews: Washington St. Cougars

everydayezag — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 22:47:16 -0000

More photos » by Dean Hare - AP

New Washington State men's basketball coach Ken Bone will look to replace Tony Bennett.

Browse more photos »

Everything seemed to be going to plan in Pullman at the end of the 2008/2009 season. Even though the Cougs had lost Kyle Weaver, Derrick Low, and Robbie Cowgill, they remained competitive throughout the season and even earned an NIT berth. The terrific freshman trio of Kyle Thompson, DeAngelo Casto, and Marcus Capers emerged to form arguably the best young nucleus in the Pac 10. However, the program was hit by a stunning development when Tony Bennett, who had turned down some of the premier jobs in the country over the past couple of years, unexpectedly accepted the head coaching job at the University of Virginia. Bennett seemed to be perfectly content in Pullman, and had a young group of guys that seemed destined to lead Washington St. back to the NCAA Tournament on a regular basis.

Much credit must be given to Jim Sterk, the Athletic Director at Washington St., as he did a terrific job of moving past the departure of Bennett and found a perfect replacement in Ken Bone. Gonzaga fans know the quality of coach that Bone is, as he led Portland St. into the MAC last season and helped lead the Vikings to one of the most stunning losses in recent Gonzaga history. Bone led Portland St. to back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances, and did a remarkable job of keeping together, and even adding to, the highly touted recruiting class that Bennett had established before he left. Bone will certainly bring a more energetic and high tempo feel to the Washington St. program, and it wouldn't be surprising if the Cougs continue their return to prominence under him.

Last Season: Everyone around the Wazzu program knew that last season would be a rebuilding year. There are very few programs in the country that could rebound from losing a trio like Kyle Weaver, Derrick Low, and Robbie Cowgill. As was expected, the team struggled against some of the better competition on the schedule early in the season. Non-conference losses to Gonzaga, Baylor, Pitt, and LSU were nothing to be embarrassed about, and it was clear that each game showed dramatic improvement and chemistry for the young Cougs. It seemed like that the Pac 10 might have been too much for this team to handle, as they started conference play with a 5-9 record. However, everything started to gel during the impressive 82-81 victory at UCLA, and WSU closed out their Pac 10 season by winning three of their final four games. The terrific play towards the end of the season was enough to earn a spot in the NIT and a first round game against St. Mary's. Unfortunately, the postseason was only one game for WSU, as the season ended with a 68-57 loss in Moraga.

New Faces: If this team is able to surprise a lot of people like some think they might be able to, a lot of credit will have to be given to Tony Bennett. Prior to his departure, Bennett was able to put together a very talented group of recruits, highlighted by Brock Motum. Motum continues the tradition of big guys from Australia. The 6'9 center had a terrific performance for Australia at the FIBA U-19 championships, and much is expected of him during his career at WSU. Another exciting newcomer is Xavier Thames. Thames, who received some interest from Gonzaga early in the recruiting process, is an exciting combo guard who will make an immediate impact. The Sacramento native is very quick and he plays with great energy. Knowing that this team will push the ball much more under Ken Bone, it wouldn't be surprising to see Thames push for a starting spot. Reggie Moore should also be able to compete for some minutes as a true freshman at point guard. Moore didn't receive the recruiting attention he should have during the process, and was generally considered a huge pick up for WSU. The rest of the class is filled out by two other talented guys who might not contribute as much this season. Anthony Brown is a small forward from Spokane, and he should be a nice complimentary option for this team in a couple years. Steven Bjornstad is a highly 6'10 prospect, who originally committed to Nevada. However, he signed with WSU after Mark Fox left for the University of Georgia. Once Bjornstad adds strength to this frame, he will be an excellent player.

Players to watch: There were more than a few nervous days after new broke that Tony Bennett was leaving for Virginia. Most of the nerves surrounded the fear that the Cougs might see one of their outstanding freshman transfer out of the program. However, in arguably his greatest piece of recruiting, Bone was able to keep Klay Thompson, DeAngelo Casto, and Marcus Capers in Pullman. Thompson was outstanding as a freshman and has to be considered one of the elite shooters in the country. His ability to score has seen him projected as a future NBA talent, and its clear that Ken Bone certainly agrees.

He’s just a great shooter. He’s a great, great possibly NBA type shooter. We’d like to make him into a little bit more into a scorer where he is scoring in a variety of ways of which one would be getting more to the free throw line. Last year I believe it was 29 free throws attempted on the year. And he played 30 games. And I think he played about 33 minutes a game. So we’re trying to get him a little more aggressive offensively and looking for ways to score and attack the rim instead of just being a shooter."

Thompson will be complimented by fellow USA U-19 team member, DeAngelo Casto. Casto, who injured his knee over the summer, is a big body that plays with great energy and aggressiveness on both ends of the court. As he continues to develop his offensive game, Casto will become even more of a weapon on for this team. However, at this point, his role is generally as an energy guy and a defensive stopper. Marcus Capers has the type of length and athleticism to be the shut down defender on the perimeter for Wazzu. Capers isn't a great scorer, but with more expected of him this year, he will likely look to shoot and attack the rim with greater regularity. What sets Capers apart from the rest of the team is the athleticism and versatility he presents. Here is what Bone said of Capers:

"I love the length and quickness Marcus Capers brings to the floor. He really adds a dimension that we don’t have a whole lot of. His athleticism and how bouncy he is and the way he gets around the court is really going to help us."

Concerns: Although it's a young group, WSU has tremendous depth and talent in the back court. Klay Thompson highlights the group, but with guys like Xavier Thames, Marcus Capers, Reggie Moore, and Nikola Koprivica available, this could be a tough match up for the Zags if the guards don't develop the way the coaching staff hopes. Obviously Meech, Gray, and Bouldin will be fine, but if GJ, Gibbs, Kong, and Arop can't provide depth or production on the bench, then the Zags could struggle to handle the depth and talent that the Cougs can throw at them.

What we are watching for: I couldn't be more excited to see how Elias and Rob handle the interior duo of Motum and Casto for the Cougs. In Motum and Casto, the Zags will be facing two polar opposites in terms of skill sets, but they are the perfect compliment for each other. Motum is highly skilled and can finish with his back-to-the-basket or when he is facing up. Casto does not have a refined post game at this point, but he is incredibly dangerous on the boards and in transition. Elias and Rob will need to develop a chemistry and rhythm both offensively and defensively in order to handle the skill and energy that Motum and Casto will offer.

THE AFTERNOON PAPER: Discipline issues still at the fore with football

Nuss — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 22:21:16 -0000

I haven't put together a links post in a couple of days, and I've got a ton of stuff built up in the SB Nation Clipper queue today.

Let's lead off with football for once, since, you know ... it's almost football season.

Created by OnePlusYou

Now if we could, you know, actually talk about football when it comes to the football team.

Howie Stalwick at Cougfan.com checks in with Jim Sterk to find out just what the esteemed AD thinks about the job his football coach is doing in the wake of even more transgressions with the law on the part of his players.

"I think Paul has made significant progress and the team has as far as what they’re doing -- their attitude, how they’re conducting themselves," Sterk said. ... "There’s been a couple screw-ups. I don’t want to minimize it. But they’ve been a heck of a lot better than in my previous nine years."

Wait a minute. Nine years? I was under the impression the players running afoul of the law or the university was a relatively new phenomenon. Perhaps there was more going on behind the scenes than we knew. Which is why it shouldn't be surprising that Ted Miller tells his general Pac-10 readers that it's unlikely that Sterk goes in a different direction at the end of the year, even if the Cougs suffer another abysmal season:

So let's say the Cougars win one, two or three games and end up in the conference basement. Does that mean fans should start calling for Wulff's head?

No.

It's impossible to judge a coach on two seasons. And Sterk, who strikes me as a measured decision-maker, knows that and isn't going to panic. Wulff inherited a program that had lost its direction. Or, to be more direct: He inherited a program devoid of talent and leadership.

At the very least, the changes Wulff has instituted are resulting in some good rhetoric around the program. In his Cougfan.com diary, Kenny Alfred dedicates the first portion to talking about the "covenants" the players developed to hold each other accountable.

These four covenants are things that the entire team is unifying with and working to fully attain on a day-to-day basis. And in all honesty, with these four concepts now firmly in place, things have gotten leaps and bounds better both on and off the field than they were before. As new players who are incredibly eager to learn and accept the system that we’re putting in place arrive, we will only become a stronger and better football team.

Then, in his CF.C diary, Kevin Kooyman talks about the difference in strength training since Wulff and strength coach Daren Lovat have made.

It's all well and good, but we heard a lot of talk before last year about the culture change that Wulff was bringing, and it didn't really show up on the field. When I was in high school, we had similar off-field measures to ensure our success in the coming seasons. We went 0-8, and won exactly three games in my entire high school career. We'll see just how much of a change has been made under Wulff when things start to go south this year.

THE MORNING PAPER: Showdown of undefeateds not to be as Aussies come up short

Nuss — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 17:24:19 -0000

After more or less cruising through their first seven games, Team USA and Australia seemed to be on a crash course to tangle for first place at the FIBA U19 tournament -- an exciting prospect given the presence of WSU star Klay Thompson on the American squad and incoming recruit Brock Motum on the Australian team.

Alas, it is not to be. The Aussies couldn't hold up their end of the bargain, getting whipped by Greece 84-69 in a game that really wasn't even as close as that final margin. Motum, whose effectiveness seemed to tail off as the tournament wore on, scored just nine points in 22 minutes with four rebounds and no assists, steals or blocks.

"We just came out soft, they were all over us," Australia's Cody Ellis told FIBA.com. "They were a lot physically stronger than us tonight. We beat them in Melbourne by 20, and we just came out like we were going to win this. Even in the warm up we were soft, not talking."

So, Team USA will now face Greece -- a team it has already beaten -- for the gold medal after narrowly beating Croatia, 81-77. In fact, it took a fourth-quarter comeback to put away the Croatians after a 46-33 halftime lead was completely erased in the third quarter.

Thompson had his worst shooting game of the tournament -- just five points on 2-of-6 (1-of-4 3-pointers) -- but as he has all tournament, he contributed in other ways, picking up four rebounds, an assist, a steal and two blocks.

If you didn't watch the games, you can catch highlights here (although, it's basically just a bunch of 3-pointers and dunks with no commentary). I'll have a preview for the gold medal game, which will be played at 12:30 a.m. PDT Saturday night/Sunday morning, up a bit later.

Half a world away, another Coug also will be playing for a gold medal, as Nikola Koprivica and Serbia will take on Russia in the World University Games after defeating Israel, 82-56. The Serbians would have gotten a rematch with Team USA had the Americans not allowed the Russians to end the game on a 20-9 run and defeat them by a point, 69-68. Ouch. But you've got to love all the international success our players are experiencing.

However, at least one blogger is not impressed by all this international experience the Cougs are getting. Joel Welser at CollegeHoops.net ranks WSU as the No. 141 basketball team in the country heading into this season, just ahead of such stellar programs as Jackson State (144), Fairfield (143) and South Carolina State (142).

He does seem to have a grasp on the team as a whole, so I'll give him credit for that -- he even nails Klay's need to be more aggressive to the basket, which is huge and often overlooked. But 141? That's equivalent to Oregon territory from last year, and I have a hard time believing you could make a plausible argument that we'll be that bad. Although not as absurdly low as a couple of the commenters on the post would make it sound, it still seems pretty low to me.

I will, though, give this guy props for even attempting a list like this. Until you've done something similar -- I've voted on blogpoll Top 25s the last couple of years -- you don't know just how hard it is to rank one team against another. It's a lot more difficult than it seems.

Want even more basketball news? Aron Baynes and Taylor Rochestie kicked off their quests to realize their NBA dreams, making their debuts in the NBA summer league yesterday. Rochestie played well in 20 minutes, scoring eight points on 4-of-4 shooting with two assists, a rebound, a steal and a turnover.

Baynes didn't fare nearly as well -- eight minutes, 0-of-4 shooting, three rebounds (two offensive), one assist, one turnover, five fouls. Yuck. Whether Baynes can move his feet quickly enough to play serviceable defense in the NBA will be the key, and if he's picking up that many fouls in summer league ...

Both will be back in action today at 3 p.m. You actually can watch the games online, if you want to give the NBA $14.99. I don't, but I won't begrudge you if you do. The other Coug in the league, Kyle Weaver, doesn't play until 5 p.m. tomorrow. You can check out the full schedule here.

Let's talk money, hopefully for the last time in a while. We noted on Thursday that WSU sent out a release detailing how it's coping with the budget mandates handed down by the university, and it turns out that's about the extent of the budget modifications the athletic department is undertaking. The final numbers are being worked out, but it does appear WSU is going to be able to get by on tightening its belt rather than undergoing the bloodletting at other schools.

Jim Sterk, via Grippi:

"It’s a little bit better than what I had thought," said WSU athletic director Jim Sterk on Thursday, when the athletic department announced a group of budget cuts for the 2009-10 fiscal year that started July 1. "However, some revenues are down, the annual fund, ticket renewals. … Those are things we knew were going to be down, we just had hoped they would stay strong, and they have for the most part."

Still, Washington State is trying to cover a revenue shortfall of around $1 million, a number still not completely defined despite the onset of a new fiscal year.

"I hate to be evasive and I apologize," Sterk said when pressed for concrete budget numbers, "but you could safely say, as we looked at our budget last year and then this upcoming year, we were looking at probably over a million dollars.

"It’s going to be a work in progress. Going into our budgets we have a lot of unknowns."

So there you have it -- the non-story story. About the only definitive thing about it is that there won't be any sports cut this year, which is fantastic (if not unexpected) news.

Let's finish up with a couple of small football notes. First, the game times have been set for the first three games of the year:

vs. Stanford: 5 p.m.
vs. Hawaii (in Seattle): 4 p.m.
vs. SMU: 2 p.m.

None are scheduled to be on TV, although Cougfan.com says the first two contests do fit into broadcast windows and could still be picked up. That seems correct to me.

Lastly, Jon Wilner -- the excellent college sports reporter at the San Jose Mercury News -- ranked Mike Price as the No. 6 Pac-10 coach of the decade. Neato.

We'll be back with more later on this sunny Saturday afternoon.

Will Marcus be the next Kyle?

Dancing Football — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 21:21:11 -0000

A lot has been said about the similarities between Kyle Weaver and Marcus Capers. From first look, they both have that long and lean body type, with wingspans that stretch much farther than the average person. As for their skills sets, both (as freshman) possessed a cover-your-eyes awful jump shot and above average on-ball defensive prowess. As you all know, here at CougCenter, we like to look past the anecdotal evidence and jump into the numbers.

So how do the freshman years of Kyle and Marcus compare statistically? To my suprise, their minute percentages were not as far apart as expected. The one MAJOR difference that makes them hard to compare is the usage and shot percentage numbers. When Kyle was in the game, he had the ball in his hands and was looking for his shot at nearly double the rate Marcus was. There are a couple ways to explain this. First, Kyle was just better at creating his own shot than Marcus was. Kyle could get to the rim and he knew what to do when he got there. We've seen time and time again that Marcus can get to the rim, but despite his superior athleticism, finishing has not been his strong point. Second, Kyle was the only person on that 04-05 team that could break down an opponent when the shot clock was winding down. Thomas Kelati was largely a jump shooter and relied and screens to get himself open. For the 07-08 team, there was one man and one man only who had the ball in his hands at the end of the clock, and his name was definitely not Marcus Capers.

How proficient were these guys at putting the ball in the basket when they got a shot off? Not so great. Kyle leads the way with a 39.5 eFG%, largely drug down by his 2 for 22 performance (that is what we call "Abe Lodwickesque") from beyond the arc. Marcus mostly stayed away from the three point line and posted a blistering 31.9 eFG%. As for free throws, Kyle has a higher free throw rate (because he took more shots overall) and Capers hit his opportunities more often when he got a chance. Both percentages were nothing to write home about.

How about on defense? Their block percentages are pretty much equal. Kyle's steal% is considerably higher and he eventually became one of the best thieves in the nation. Marcus commits a lot of fouls (4.5 per 40 minutes) and the data was not available to compare to Kyle. There is not a whole lot else out there statistically speaking to compare defensively.

Additionally, Kyle had a much higher assist rate. Kyle was an extremely gifted passer and he played point guard quite often as a freshman, so that is something to be expected.

Marcus obviously has the advantage in athleticism. Kyle was average athletically, which makes what he achieved all the more remarkable. Marcus is a high flyer and when he figures out what do when he gets to the rim, we are going to see some really exciting things happen.

So will Marcus become the next Kyle? It may all come down to work ethic. Kyle obviously put in the time to improve his jump shot and become a highly effective offensive player. Marcus showed us against St. Mary's that there may be potential there. Luckily for us, Tony seems to get the most out of his players and their skills sets (see Kyle Weaver, Derrick Low, Aron Baynes, etc.). I personally am very excited for what Marcus can become once he figures out that the whole purpose of driving to the basket was to put the ball in the basket, not throw it wildly off the backboard.

Poll

What do you expect out of Marcus Capers?

He will a develop a solid offensive game and become an NBA prospect.

46 votes

He will be a great defensive player, but continue to be a liability on offense.

26 votes

He will be a role player on both ends of the floor.

13 votes

He will eventually lose his floor time to younger players.

4 votes

89 votes | Poll has closed

More Jon Brockman Abuse

Dancing Football — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 18:37:13 -0000

We're almost there Coug fans! It has been a long week of anticipation awaiting one of the biggest UW-WSU basketball games that any of us has ever seen. Pac 10 supremacy on the line for the Huskies, a potential miracle NCAA tourney berth for the Cougs, this one will be a battle.

To finish my series of Coug victories at Hec Ed, we will revisit last year's contest. That game included yet another Brockman getting dunked-on moment:

The Cougs played this game holding their highest ranking ever at #4. They were undefeated and awaiting a much-anticipated matchup with UCLA the next week. UW played hard with grittyness and toughness that any WFB fan would appreciate. It was not enough however, as the powerhouse Cougs pulled out a late game victory aided by a big Derrick Low three and a Taylor Rochestie runner (yes he does make them occasionally).

On a personal note, I went to this game after securing a ticket through the UW Monday sale. There were Cougs all over the place and a guy holding up a sign that said "6" as we walked out. No other sign could have said it better. I also attended the Seahawks playoff victory over the Redskins earlier. One of the great days of my life.

Hopefully we have another YouTube highlight video to add to the collection after Saturday. Click on the link to see the video.

Go Cougs! Beat the Dawgs!

WSU vs. UW 1-5-08 (via WSUCougarHoops)

Love was in the air

Dancing Football — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 18:15:06 -0000

To continue the build up to the hardcourt clash between UW and Wazzu this weekend, we present more awesome video of triumphs of good over evil.

Valentine's Day 2007. What better way to spend time with your sweetie than snuggling up in front of the TV (or in the case of about 3,000 Coug fans, Hec Ed) to watch an Ivory Clark dunkfest? This was the fourth consecutive victory for the Cougs over the Huskies and the second in a row in Seattle. It followed the 75-47 slaughter at Friel. It was vastly different that the season before, when UW was the highly ranked team. The roles switched but the result stayed the same. Cougs win.

You knew it had to go well when Antonio Chavers started the scoring with a deep three right? It continued with five first half Ivory Clark dunks, including a nice facial for Jon Brockman. Taylor Rochestie had a huge game and his WSU star was born. Don't you love these people who make highlight videos for us to enjoy?

By the way, apparently YouTube disabled the audio on this one, so you might want to turn on some music and get some popcorn. The video is 8 and a half minutes long and shows EVERY SINGLE Cougar basket in the game.

Go Cougs! Click on the link below and make the jump for the video.

WSU vs. UW (via mitchellvictor11)

The game that started the streak

Dancing Football — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 18:30:07 -0000

The 7 game win streak may have come to an end over the Huskies, but the Cougs still have one intact over their rival. Three wins in a row at Hec Ed.

The game that started the streak was the most surprising win of all, an early season Coug victory over a highly ranked UW team led by Brandon Roy.

This highlight is awesome. Look at the terrible jerseys, take a look at some of the lineups we had out there! Chris Henry, Antonio Chavers, and freshman Caleb Forrest on the court at the same time! Remember, Derrick Low was injured for this one. How on earth did we win? Josh Akognon and his 27 points.

Watch closely as Cowgill begs Akognon not to shoot the game winner, followed by Kyle doing what Kyle does best. This was a great game.

Akognon drains the 3... (via cougarfan25)