The Gekko File on the Pac 12 South continues. Pandemonium takes to the streets.

Today we open the file on the Arizona State Sun Devils. The mercurial team from the heart of the desert has been going through a two year transition that started with a makeover of their uniforms and ended with a makeover of the athletic administration office and the Dennis Erickson regime. Not gone, however, is the legacy of Jeff Van Rapphorst, Sparky and, of course, the Tempe party scene. In fact, tell me if I'm wrong, but if this were a poll of how ASU might finish in the Pac 12 tailgating championship, they may well be the top contenders for the title.

Am I right? Yeah, I'm right. My goodness, how are those things staying in there?

The Gekko File on projected #5 finisher in the Pac 12 South, the Arizona State Sun Devils, after the jump.

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There are only two kinds of guys in this world. Guys who eat Dots and guys who eat, well, you know.

• Our friends at Music City Miracles chart Jake Locker...kind of. This is the beginning of a series on Locker. It'll probably irritate you in the same way that Lost and 24 irritated me. Proceed at your own risk.
  
• Speaking of Jake, Mel Kiper calls Jake a "Breakout Player in 2012" ($). Mel has had an odd love affair with Jake. First their relationship was "etched in stone". Then such assertions were "not accurate". But it now looks like their love is about to "breakout".
• Ahhh, where are you now Mr. Nate Williams? Hint: his stint with Baltimore is over and now he is sizzling in Seattle.
• Sportsnation ran a poll: which 2012 AFC Defensive Rookie will have the biggest gameday impact? Alameda Ta'amu is on the list. Go vote. Or not. By the way, Alameda is missing an OTA right now because, errr, he has to go to school.
• There are some really fun things going over at the ESPN Pac 12 Blog today. Check out Ted's listing of the 10 best players in the Pac 12. There is, of course, one Husky on it. It is pretty hard to argue with most of the list, though I think Marquise Lee may be inflated due to both his QB and his partner WR. I also have a hard time seeing how Kenjon Barner makes this list over guys like Dion Jordan, John White, Cameron Marshall, TJ McDonald and so on...but, whatever.
• The Pac 12 Blog also is giving you reasons to hate every coach in the Pac 12. My projected finish of their poll? 1) Lane "Opie" Kiffin, 2) Chip "Man Boobs" Kelly, 3) Rich "Railroaded" Rodriguez, 4) Mike "Barn Door" Leach, 5) Steve Sarkisian. Cal fans tend to turn out for online surveys, so that might push Sark up the list. I know that WSU fans also turn out for these things, but I think they'll vote for Mike Leach because, well, they are WSU fans and they don't really read. They'll just be happy to win something.
  
• Seattle area residents know the name Chris Hansen. He had a live chat today and there was a shout out to Husky Nation. And a rip on Cougar Nation. All is as it should be.
• The NFP just released their Pac 12 Power Rankings post-spring. UW is...somewhere on the list.
• Here is a little recap on Cooper Bateman. We lost him to Nuss and 'Bama, but it is still an interesting read.
• NBA Draftniks have been hinting at it for a while, but there is more and more buzz out there that Terrence Ross may be the top SG in the Draft and that he might show it in organized workouts against more celebrated prospects. Fair warning, you may not like how the UW roundball program is framed in some of these comments. Hard to dispute the basic premise.
  
• More on Ross: David Thorpe likes him in the Suns attack. Uh, yeah.
  
• TRoss worked out for the Nuggets yesterday.
• Bob Ernst is taking his Ladies Crew team to the 16-team NCAA Championships. Some good notes on the UW website.
• The Huskies are sending two men's rowers to the Olympics. Yes, the Olympics. Congratulations to Guiseppe Lanzone and Brett Newlin. In case you didn't know, the Games are this summer and they are in London.
• There are five Pac 12 teams among the finalists vying for the eight spots in the NCAA Softball Championships. UW kicks off a best two of three against Cal in Berkeley on Saturday. Given the dominance of the Pac 12 in Softball, it is a good bet that the eventual NCAA champ is among these five.

There you go, Dawgfans. The Mojo is going to be checking out for a few weeks with limited laptop access (and, seriously, Dots on the iPhone aren't happening). Cassino and the gang will try to keep up the Dots. Enjoy!

I can't stand 'em. Dots. They're disgusting. I never touch 'em.

• The Huskies Baseball squad continues their freefall. Swept again - this time at the hands of the Arizona St. Sun Devils. But, hey, we still have the Softball team.
• Here is another way-too-early rankings sheet. UW is not in the top 25 on this one.
• Wes Bunting has a "what I like, what I don't like" article on Keith Price. If you read the last scouting report I linked to on Price, this one won't remind you of that.
• The Husky Haul takes a look at Psalm Wooching with a bit of a Hawaiian twist. Look for a lot more linked and original content on incoming freshman as the offseason progresses.
• Also from the Husky Haul - a nice write up on incoming transfer, Josh Banks.
• Another view on Chris Polk. This author thinks that Polk has a solid shot at backing up McCoy.
• Many of you are getting into the Men's Golf story. Here is a link to the details for the upcoming 156 participant tournament.
• Justin Dentmon is now in Milan. It is hard to believe that he is only three years removed from Purple and Gold. He's hanging on and I know we all wish him luck.
• And, just for fun, Tom Perry has a write-up on what would make up this year's "perfect" college roadtrip. He favors a stop in Seattle to view one particular UW matchup. He also plans on arriving a day early.

That's it. Get back to work now.

Things seem pretty slow around the blog this week, so instead of putting in the time for dots, I'm going to drop in a quick little poll that is sure to drive controversy and debate. Make your pick and leave some comments.

There are three things that a man should do every day. Dots are not one of them. Yet.

• Mark Schlaback has the Huskies in his top 25. Slots 19 through 24, where the Dawgs fall, are made up of a fascinating mix of teams. It's also mind boggling to think that UW is going to get a stretch of six games where they will play four of the top 12 teams on this list.
• Ted Miller assesses his conference power rankings for May. It feels as good as one could expect. I have to say, I really do not understand why everyone is placing USC ahead of Oregon. In my mind, Oregon is the class of the Pac 12 this season and I'm not sure it is even all that close. There seems to be an odd dynamic of media members sucking in each others exhaust when it comes to USC. I've also got a problem with Utah at #4. I think Cal and UW are both better/deeper. We'll see about WSU at #8. That also seems like a stretch.
• More from Ted: he calls UW's 9/27 matchup with Stanford a "measuring stick" game and one that is likely to determine the pecking order behind Oregon in the Pac 12 North.
• By the way, Keith Price is tweeting.

Everybody looks the same in the gym,but when the lights turn on and the pressure is turned up who' s gonna seperate??#iwill

— Keith Price (@17baller) May 10, 2012

• UW target Johnny Stanton talks about the Elite 11 and comparisons to Tim Tebow. The regionals were last night. No surprise that Max Browne walked away with the invite.
• After a very quiet season with the Milwaukee Bucks, the Brockness Monster has been sighted. And he's wearing purple.
• A report card on Isaiah Thomas and his freshman campaign with the Kings. I didn't realize that IT was a former "Huskie".
• It's always hard to read the tea leaves, but there seems to be some momentum brewing for Terrence Ross to the Dallas Mavericks.
• The Men's Golf team had a huge day yesterday in claiming the lead in the NCAA regionals. They came from 7 shots down to end the day 4 up going into today's final day. Good luck Dawgs!
• The Husky Ladies found a little swagger (swagga?) and pulled a first round upset of Harvard. Something about that just doesn't sound right. Their second round matchup with #23 Texas Tech, who advanced by beating Maryland, will be played today. This is group-play style elimination tournament. As such, the loser of our game can still advance by winning the "loser's bracket" game - in this case, against the winner of the Harvard/Maryland matchup. Good luck Lady Dawgs!

That's it. Now go do something good today.

The sun was breaking through as the mist rolled lightly off of the surface of the water. Dots were everywhere. All was as it should be.

• Matt Hayes has a very nice article on Keith Price. Even more compelling than the Alamo Bowl performance as an indicator of 2012 success is the leadership that this young man continues to demonstrate. I know it sounds cliche, but when you see him quoted, the nature of the comments he's made this past off-season are more frank, more accountable and more forceful than the "aw shucks" stuff we got from him last year. I'm eager to see if he can parlay that into results on the field.
  
• Coach Sark was on the Kevin Calabro show (Podcast). Biggest tidbit was his continuing stance that he's not all that concerned about the o-line. Honestly, neither am I. Not that I'm satisfied with it, but my perspective is that we did what we did last year behind a really crappy o-line. With the injuries and the youth, it didn't meet expectations. Going into this year, there is definitely uncertainty. However, I'm not sure that we were not already at our lowest point. Can we not only go up? Regardless, the entire unit - starters and backups - are all a little older, a little stronger and a little more experienced. The depth isn't ideal, but there is enough. I'm going to spend the off-season worrying more about other things. Like how good Oregon is and why Sundodger and Cassino can't seem to agree on what shade of purple is best.
  
• Bob Condotta updates us on some Huskies who made Phil Steele's pre-season All Pac 12 team. Usual suspects showed up along with a few surprises. Austin Seferian-Jenkins was our only first teamer.
• SB Nation interviews the #20 ranked LB in the nation ... and Husky commit ... Sean Constantine.
• Here is another look at the QB competition in Tennessee between Matt Hasselbeck and Jake Locker. I expect that I'll be linking to many of these stories over the off-season. That said, I don't anticipate Jake beating out Matt, at least to start. Neither QB is likely to drive a Super Bowl season, so why wouldn't you want to save Jake for when you know it is absolutely the time to turn the page?
• Is Washington a trap game for this national powerhouse? Given that it is in Seattle and that we'll have already been tested by similar elite competition, you can't write it off.
• PFW posits that the Eagles may have found a backup to LeSean McCoy. Because every team needs a War Daddy in their arsenal.
• A scouting report on Terrence Ross. Hint: they like his ups.
• First round of the Men's Golf tourney is over. UW sits in fourth seven shots off the lead.
• Can the Husky ladies reclaim their mojo? Up next is Harvard.

That's it Dawgs. Go have a nice day.

Today begins a culling of the Gekko File in preparation for the Pac 12 season before us. There is a lot of offseason left to endure, so these will come out at my leisure. Fear not, as they will contain all the lack of wit and originality that you've come to expect from the Gekko File.

We start with the Pac 12 South and coverage of our predicted cellar dwellar: The Colorado Buffaloes. The sophomore Pac 12 season of the Buffaloes comes at a point of evolution for this once proud program. The Buffaloes are in year #2 of a significant rebuilding process under the tutelage of first time head-coach Jon Embree. Sound familiar?

The Gekko File on projected #6 finisher in the Pac 12 South, the Colorado Buffaloes, after the jump.

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Don't be cruel. Dots have feelings, too.

• Men's Golf is getting some pub with former NCAA National Freshman of the Year, Chris Williams, continuing to set the pace. He is currently the 8th ranked amatuer in the world and he is leading the UW team into the NCAA Tournament that kicks off tomorrow. Todd Miles calls Williams the best golfer in UW history. I think this is pretty much indisputable.
• All the late season hype wasn't enough to get Isaiah Thomas anywhere close in the NBA ROY race - he finished a very distant seventh behind a lot of other guys including Klay Thompson. Though his stats were impressive as a starter, they apparently were not good enough to overcome his early stint on the bench or the fact that his team was probably the second worst in the NBA. Look for IT to be carrying a little chip on his shoulder next year. Either way, he had a great season.
• The Husky Softball team is in the NCAAs for the 19th straight year. This isn't the best squad they've rolled out over the past several years, but they open up against Harvard and, as they say, there is always a chance!
• Here is a recap on rowing championship news from around the country. You already know that the UW Men's Crew team took home the Pac 12 championships. You may have also heard that the Women's team has just been selected to challenge in the NCAA's. Interestingly, they are just one of four programs to have participated in every tournament since it's inception in the 90's. Go Crew!
• Bummer news coming out of the NCAA Tennis Tournament: The Huskies got bounced by Pepperdine and will not be moving on into the Sweet 16. The Dawgs finished the season 17-9.
• Here is some more non-revenue news from the Seattle Times including a recap of James Alaka's record-setting track performance and news on the UW Baseball team getting swept by UCLA.
• Interesting debate here on who is most likely to challenge USC, Oregon and Stanford for premier status in the 2012 Pac 12 season. Hint: the favorites are Cal, Utah and you-know-who.
• Ted Miller has a wrap on the Washington Huskies Spring Practices. Nothing you don't already know, but interesting to see it summarized so concisely.
• Bruce Feldman takes a look across the nation and recaps his "top surprises of the spring". Look who's number two. Then, look who's number seven.
• Chris Low calls UW at LSU one of the best SEC non-conference games of the season. Speaking of LSU, here is a Todd McShay tweet on their DEs. Cassino noted Twitter that these beasts will be matched against two OTs with zero career starts before next season. Take that as you will.

Studying these LSU DE's right now.Man they're talented.Montgomery is a better football player today but Mingo is a freakish athlete.

— Todd McShay (@McShay13) May 15, 2012

Dots? Hell yeah, I got dots. Don't you?

• At the risk of pissing off 206, here is a Draft Profile on Keith Price. Interesting set of opinions contained herein. Of note, the author calls Keith an "intriguing" prospect with better than advertised arm strength but prone to "wild bouts of inaccuracy".
• Vince Ferrarra caught up with Jake Locker as part of a fan fest tour through Knoxville, TN. He called Jake "extremely impressive". It's a good read and links to this video of the interview which spans a variety of topics including Jake's take on the Tennessee offense contrasted with the Husky offense.
• Husky alum and current 49er Pro-Bowler, Dashon Goldson, is not yet in camp as he waits to sign his franchise tag tender. I'd like to make a shout out to Dashon. He is one of the more forgotten studs to have come out of our program in the past decade. Dashon was a gamer for the Huskies - playing both CB and S for our defense. Together with CJ Wallace, he was instrumental in making what were otherwise some challenged defenses into respectable units that contributed to several wins. Because he played during "the slide", his contributions tend to get lost in the grand scheme of things. I'm a big Dashon fan and I'm happy to see him make a Pro Bowl after literally getting cut by the 49ers to start last season.
• Expect to see a lot of Chris Polk coverage as he is quickly becoming one of the most talked about NFL rookies in the 2012 season ... partly because he was a surprise UDFA and partly because he is one bad-ass War Daddy.

via blog.seattletimes.nwsource.com

• Awesome Hoopsworld story on Isaiah Thomas. Click through and read about his story on his "welcome to the NBA moment". Hint: it involves Kobe Bryant.
• Here is a vote, and justification, for IT in the Rookie of the Year race.
• The Huskies fell to the Bruins for the second straight game as their recent hot streak comes to an end. I like to our friends at Bruin Nation because they do great baseball coverage. Maybe they will unban me at some point. Or not.
• Linked is more great non-revenue sports coverage from the Seattle Times. Of note is the ending of the Ladies Golf season.
• Yes, that is Kavario Middleton getting a tryout with the Seattle Seahawks

via desmond.yfrog.com

That's it for sports dots. If you are interested in a totally off-topic curiosity, click through the jump. The good news is that it is totally PG rated. The bad news is that it is very disturbing.

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Happy Mother's Day to all the Moms out there from Huskies everywhere.

Unlike Duck fans, who apparently hate their mothers and mock any public displays of affection (including the simple act of a kiss on the cheek) for the valiant women who sacrifice daily for the lives of their children, we Husky fans love Moms!

"That's all ya got?" she said, with some disdain in her voice. "Yeah," I replied, "It's a tough time to be a dot. Offseason, and all".

• Bud Withers leads off with his predictions for the Pac 12 North this season. What is surprising isn't so much who he has in first place, it is who he doesn't have in last place...as well as who he has in second place. Apparently, he doesn't value competent QB play.
• Rant Sports ruminates on the upcoming Pac 12 season and highlights a certain program as a key factor that may influence the outcome of the season. While I generally agree with the premise that Stanford is primed to be overtaken in the North, I struggle to see how Oregon isn't better post LMJ and post DAT. Any jitters that the replacement players may have will surely be worked out as Oregon cruises through their ridiculously easy first half schedule. They are legit national title contenders next year.
• Bob Condotta has more Q&A in his mailbag. I heart Bob. And I know he reads this blog. Don't you, Bob? By the way, see if you can catch his subtle snark in the linked post.
• The Morning Call (Lehigh Valley) is impressed with the Eagles's crop of rookies - especially Chris Polk.
• Softy Mahler had Polk's agent, Steve Caric, on his show yesteday.
• Steeler alum continue to be impressed with Alameda Ta'amu. Recently retired Steeler DL Chris Hoke is very bullish on the big man and offers some interesting views on what it takes to be a successful interior lineman in the league.
• More debate on the Hasselbeck vs Locker situation in Nashville. This really is a no-lose situation for Jake.
• SI has an awesome way-too-early discussion on the upcoming Pac12 roundball season. A lot has been made about UCLA's class, but this Dawg is more concerned about the move Arizona is going to make this season. They've been recruiting length and, frankly, they have a flat out better coach. Watch out for the 'Cats next season.
• This is a couple of weeks old, but I just saw it after linking to it from Divish's blog. It is Chad Ford's latest mock NBA draft. It has some interesting comments about Tony Wroten as both a player and a teammate. It also has Terrence Ross going to the Sixers.
• Chris Madden thinks that the Pistons should avoid drafting Tony Wroten. Why do I link this here? Well, because our Duck friends at ATQ are the #1 source of page views every day and I don't want them to think that I only link to the articles that stroke the Huskies. There is that and the fact that this is a Bleacher Report article which should further knot them up as they struggle synching their disdain for B/R with their impulse to agree with them.
• A roundup of non-revenue sports action, including the Husky Men's Tennis Team winning in the first round of their tournament. This is their NCAA championship tourney - good luck and go Dawgs.

I'll show you my dots, but only if you show me yours.

• This was raised in the FanShots already, but Johri Fogerson has concluded his Husky career. Thanks, Johri, for being a Dawg. I wish the injuries hadn't slowed you down.
• Jim Weber thinks that Keith Price has the "it factor" and calls him the next RGIII. He likes KP as a dark horse Heisman candidate. You guys all know that I feel KP is getting a bit overhyped, but it still is fun for such a great guy to get such attention.
• Ryan Divish has all the details of the Pac 12 North coaches interviews on the conference conference call (how often do you get to repeat those two words back to back in a sentence and actually have it make sense?). He also has a link to the transcript of Steve Sarkisian's interview. The best news from my POV was that Deontae, Jamora and Tanigawa all look on track for fall.
• An Eagles insider thinks that Chris Polk is positioned well to win the backup RB job in Philly.
• This Steeler blog has a nice write up on the new-look D and how Alameda Ta'amu fits in.
• Speaking of Husky Alum, here is an in-depth update on Jake Locker and his battle to earn the job in Nashville. Congratulations to Jake who is expecting the birth of his first child, a baby girl, this year.

#Titans QB Jake Locker will become a dad in July. "A little girl. We've got some names me and my wife have agreed on, so we'll see."

— Jim Wyatt (@jwyattsports) May 8, 2012

• The inimitable Bob Condotta has his first Mailbag of May. Why can't the Seahawks have such an effective blogger representing them on the Times?
• Ted Miller defends his lack of enthusiasm on the Huskies in his mailbag. Truthfully, I've not really seen any bias towards any one team or another Ted since he went to the mothership. Do I think he tries a little hard to convince people he's not a Husky homer (even though it is clear that he isn't)...probably. But that doesn't bother me. What kills me about Ted is how he falls in love with a single notion and then overplays that notion to build hype around an issue. There have been a few instances where he has done it in the past: his love affair with Shayne Skov, his utter conviction (based on a book) that RichRod owns no accountability for what happened in Michigan, and his overboard reaction to USC's conclusion of last season (while, apparently, patently dismissing the early part of their season) come to mind recently. Regardless, he's pretty good and I'm glad we have him covering the Pac 12.
• You may have heard ... the Cougs are on 710. Good thing I live in Memphis.
• Oh, and Rich Neuheisel is back. Word is that Ty Willingham is interviewing. JK. I hope.
• Here is another dumb "coaches ranking" ... but there have been so many of them I figured I ought to link to one of them.
• The Crew teams head out for the Pac 12 championships this weekend. The Men are going for their fifth championship in the last six years and the Ladies look to get revenge on the Cal Bears who recently usurped them in the standings. This is a great time for Men's and Women's crew.
• Romar and Sark made a joint appearance at the Yakima Athletic Club. Apparently, they were both defensive.
• Could a Brandon Roy comeback be in the offing? If he wants to do it, I'm all for it.
• Tony Wroten is an enigma. So is CraziDawg ... the only difference is that CD isn't going in the first round of the upcoming NBA draft.
• Terrence Ross had a nice workout. Click through for a great recap and some video. The guy has freakish hops.
• Interesting interview from Time.com with UW recruit Jabari Parker

I've got dots. You know you want them. What are they worth to ya'?

• Can the Huskies pull off a signature upset in 2012? One author can see it happening.
• Alameda Ta'amu...starter? Perhaps. Either way, he's signed his deal.
  
• Also on Ta'amu (get used to it - Steelers media loves their meat) - he has a new mentor. I think he could do worse.
• Chris Polk finally speaks about his draft slide. Also a connection between Sark and Andy Reid is revealed that likely explains why CP1 chose to sign with the Eagles over other offers.
• Jake Locker never stops trying to improve.
• HoopsWorld held a mock draft with four different advisors. All four had Terrence Ross and Tony Wroten going in the first round. Click through to see where they predicted them to land.
• Percy Allen has Part III of his look ahead at the Pac 12 2012-13 Basketball Season. No surprise that he likes UCLA. The rest of his top four may surprise.
• Isaiah Thomas's rookie campaign: By the Numbers. Bottom line, he was awesome.
• The Husky Haul takes a look forward at the Men's Basketball team.
• Here is a fan's look back on some of the best stars ever produced in Husky Basketball history.
• The Huskies dominated the Windermere Cup....and Coach wasn't happy about it.
• The Seattle Times updates on some non-revenue sports including the Baseball Team's second straight victory over USC.

Have some dots. They make you smarter.

• Ted Miller chimes in on the "new look" to the UW-Oregon rivalry. He points out, fairly, that many of UW's traditional comebacks including the old Rose Bowl tweak are no longer valid. What he hasn't gotten into is the interesting dynamic to the rivalry in terms of the lingering bitterness that Oregon feels towards Washington. While it is certainly understandable why bitterness has descended upon the Husky side - eight straight blowouts by a team that brashly flaunts its rule-breaking as a badge of honor will do that - the fact that Oregon crowd hasn't gotten more blase about UW after nearly a decade of dominance speaks to the depths of their acrimony over the years. One thing is for sure, UW will beat Oregon again ... maybe this year, maybe next year, maybe the year after ... and when it happens, there will be some fireworks around these message boards.
• Speaking of the Oregon-Washington rivalry, here is a unique take on it told from the point of view of a wine connoisseur. Warning, this isn't really a football link, but it is fun. Cheers.
• The Huskies are #23 in this SI post-spring power poll. They also happen to have scheduled three of the top four teams in the rankings. This year's schedule is going to be brutal.
• Steve Sarkisian was interviewed on KJR yesterday. Among the more interesting things he said, he noted that he wasn't all that concerned about the offensive line and that most of the sacks in the spring game came against the second unit.
• Bob Condotta attended the Northwest Hall of Fame luncheon and got some good video, including a few items covering Steve Emtman. Check out his blog for some other items, including a video of Dick Baird.
• Realignment has gone crazy in the so-called non-AQ conferences. Frankly, I've lost track of it all. Thank goodness for Stewart Mandel. Anyone else think that the formation of playoffs compels Boise St and SDSU to drop their commitments to the Big East and head back to the Mountain West?
• Kevin Gemmell has a poll on potential Pac 12 breakout players. Included is one-time Washington commit DeAndre Coleman and Kasen Williams. Also inlcuded, only because Gemmell is the worst Stanford homer since John Elway, is James Vaughters. James Vaughters...over Brett Hundly, Dominique Williams, Sean Parker, Curtis McNeal, Cameron Marshall, Joe Fauria or either Oregon QB? Please.
• Pacific Takes of our very own SB Nation has a run down of the top 10 sleeper recruits of the past decade. One Husky is on it ... and, yes, it is the one you probably thought of. And, no, Cort Dennison did not even make honorable mention.
• Mason Kelly has a really nice rundown of Washington state recruits in a review with Tom Lemming of CBS Sports. Highlights include Lemming's assessment of Sammie Long ("He catches everything in sight") and Sean Constantine ("He's a potential All-American").
• On the topic of recruits, here is a little coverage on Max Browne.
• The roundball Huskies will be Globetrotters this summer. And a really big Dawg will get the rare chance to go home.
• Is the UW Men's BBall team getting outhustled on the recruiting trail? Hard to say if they are getting outhustled, but they are certainly witnessing the assembly of some other powerhouses in the Pac.
• Hillary Zevenbergen scored on a legend. But the lady Dawgs still fell in the friendly.
• If you are in Seattle, don't forget to check out the Crew team at the Windermere Cup today (10:20am PDT). UW Men, the defending national champs, are ranked #1 in the country while the ladies are ranked #5. These athletes make up one of the most dominant programs that we've ever had in any sport at UW. Go check them out.
• Here is some national coverage of the Winderemere Cup from the Washington Post. The focus here is on the participation of the Argentina National team in the tournament. Definitely a good read.

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Hello Dawg Fans,

Some Dots just for you.

• Athlon Sports is announcing it's preseason Top 25 one team at a time. Interesting note: I heard the editor of Athlon on Sirius XM yesterday morning. He said that the editorial staff of eight people had a four to four tie when they voted who the #2 team in the Pac 12 North would be between Washington and Stanford. He said that he cast the tie breaking vote towards Stanford because he thought that replacing the Stanford Offense would be easier than turning around the Husky Defense. Take that for what it's worth.
• More from Athlons. Can UW challenge Oregon in 2012?
  
• Keith Price made it onto another Heisman watch list. I love Keith, but I think he is getting undeservedly overhyped and I worry that he might get distracted trying to live up to that hype. He's a clever, elusive, accurate QB. Be that guy, and we win games. Try to turn yourself in the Tahj Boyd or Landry Jones and you might fail. Regardless, his campaign may very well begin or end with the LSU game in Week 2.
• What was Alameda's worst game last year? It was when he went one on one with his current teammate in Pittsburgh ... according to CBS Sports.
• A few more thoughts from every-once-in-a-while blogger, Jerry Brewer, on CP1.
• Chris Polk is mentioned in this Redlands article...and so is a mystery Dawg.

Continue reading this post »

Hello Dawg Fans,

The dull days of summer are now underway. Here are some dots for all that ails ya'.

• ESPN "On The Trail" has a snippet on new commit Dane Crane.
• Connor O'Brien is a Dawg. He's a teammate of Dane Crane. He's a member of California Div 1 Champs Santa Margarita. He's tall.
• Dallin Leavitt liked his trip to Washington. I'm not exactly sure how a kid from my alma mater (Central Catholic, Portland OR) ends up being a commit to BYU ... but, hey, it happens.
• Arizona stud Jalen Ortiz also chatted about his Washington visit. Sounds like it was a good weekend.
• Want to know who CBS Sports thinks failed to standout during the Husky's spring practices? There are three of them on this list, and one of them is going to be a disappointment ... if you choose to take stock in this analysis.
• In the interest of fair and balanced reporting, CBS Sports has another three who helped themselves.
• Todd Dybas thinks that there is one clear priority for UW Football in 2013: I'll give you three guesses. Ok, one guess.
• If you haven't been paying attention to all this talk about playoffs, here is the latest format being debated. Personally, I think that this is could be a brilliantly conceived compromise for a plus 1 scheme.
• The Ducks had their spring game last weekend. One-time Husky Recruit Marcus Mariota was very impressive (I confess, I watched it) and I have to believe that he has seized the upper hand in the QB battle up in Eugene. Imagine the Ducks, with a passing game. Yikes.
• Condotta got some Q&A in with Mel Kiper, Jr. The subject of Keith Price came up.
• The Eagles may take advantage of the Chris Polk signing by reducing LeSean McCoy's workload. Interestingly, Andy Reid was quoted today as saying that they gave CP1 a fourth round grade. If they had actually drafted him in the fourth round, how would the local media in Philly be speculating on the pecking order? Just curious.
  
• Speaking of Polk, ever wonder if any other undrafted free agents ever made it big? The answer? Not really.
• Been wondering about Mark Brunell? He's not done yet.
• Husky Haul ponders what makes a good Men's Basketball Schedule. The glib answer is any schedule that avoids Marquette and Duke back to back. And Jack-Rabbits altogether.
  
• Like golf? Like Washington? Click here.
• Finally, in case you didn't know it, tasers kill. Don't get tazed.

Hello Dawg Fans,

How about some dots?

• Nice John McGrath article on Chris Polk. What teams will most rue the day the snubbed Polk? There are two types: the ones who wanted him as an UDFA and didn't get him (Redskins?) or the teams that have hopes that whomever they did draft can become every down guys (Seahawks?)
• Another Husky is getting invited to a mini-camp. Good luck, Cort!

More UW players getting NFL looks: Cort Dennison heading to #Dolphins mini camp next wkend

— Dave Softy Mahler (@Softykjr) April 29, 2012

• Scott Johnson looks back at Spring Practice and asks the question: Is the offense worse or the defense better. Gekko looks back and answers "yes".
• Greg Biggins checks in with recruit DL Joe Mathis ($). Uhh, yeah, this guy passes the eye test.
• Divish has a nice blog post recapping the busy Husky recruiting weekend. Including news of the Crane commitment.
• Kevin "Cardinal" Gemmell has a nice recap of spring scrimmages from around the Pac 12.
• There are still a lot of things to decide on as the BCS transitions into playoffs. Larry Scott has his own opinions on how it ought to look.
• Tampa Bay is breaking in a new middle linebacker. Guess who.
• ASU sweeps the ladies softball team. The lady Devils "slammed" us.
• Here is a recap on some non-revenue sports action including baseball, crew and golf updates.
• Grantland.com reviews NBA rookies and looks at Isaiah Thomas. The conclusion: IT was the third best rookie in the NBA - ahead of some stellar names (including a certain Cougar).
• The Commercial Appeal did a feature on a certain Dawg. The coach is hard on him, but only because he loves him.

Obviously, the story of the night is the collapse of Chris Polk's draftability as the former UW star went undrafted in the 2012 NFL Draft. By now, you all know the story. Second or third round talent has someone question his health in spite of a record run of 38 straight starts as a college performer and, as is typical, the herd mentality takes over as over half of the teams in the NFL take CP1 completely off their board. It is a shame for Chris given how hard he has worked for this. It is also a hint that the world is changing in terms of how the NFL looks at draftable RBs - performance and production are not as desired, especially if it means that excessive wear and tear have occurred. These days, it is the measurables, the potential and the fit for a role that matter the most. This could have a lasting effect on how the position gets recruited and manned in the college game and raises the question as to how many true workhorses we will see in the future.

Enough of the soapbox stump speech. There were lots of interesting things flying around the web last night. Here are some dots...and tweets... to get your Sunday off right (after the jump).

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Good Morning, Dawg Fans.

Disappointing showing for the Huskies in the NFL Draft thus far. I think we all expected Alameda to be off the board by this point and I know that we were all hoping to see a little more respect for Chris Polk and his overall War Daddiness. To the former, I can't say much other than you reap what you sow. 'Meda wasn't productive enough on tape and isn't a workout marvel. We know what he can do when he's focused, but he didn't bring it enough the last two years. On the latter, I am surprised that he has fallen as far as he has among the RBs - but it is pretty clear that most of the RBs selected ahead of him are "change of pace" guys who are going into situations where a solid 1 and 2 down guy is already there. Outside of Richardson, a true between the tackles grinder has yet to be taken.

And, your dots.

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So, how about that draft last night? Fireworks galore! I can't really speak to the Seahawks pick because my buddy here in Memphis - a WV alum - is bragging that we got the best pass rusher in the history of his conference. I can speak on former Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren. I'm very glad he is over blowing up the Cleveland franchise and not one that I care about.

Oh, and no Huskies were selected in the first round. And no Ducks. Or Cougs. And, surprise, only two Cardinal. Interesting.

Here's your dots.

• Condotta linked to this story regarding the BC Lions signing Cody Habben and Ben Ossai. Good for those guys in catching on with the CFL champs. Still, it is a reminder that the CFL is about the same as college football minus the best talent that gets drafted into the NFL.
• You wanted playoffs. You are going to get Playoffs. The question is whether or not you are ready to make the tradeoffs that will inevitably have to be made. If you read Ted Miller, you know that what happens to the Rose Bowl is foremost in his mind - and he supports the notion that the Rose Bowl should be the perennial home for the National Championship.
• A couple of days old, but this Condotta article on walk-on Tre Watson is definitely worth a read.
• And, since I'm at it, let's link to another Condotta story about a walk-on. This one is on KC Herren - a former Texas Ranger minor leaguer who is living the Tripper Johnson dream with the Dawgs.
  
• Back to the Draft - this Bleacher Report article speculates that Chris Polk would be a great pick for the Pakcers.
• The USA Today has two Huskies going in the second round today. The order in which they come off the board, and the teams that select them, may surprise.
• This Vikings fan really wants to see a Husky continue his tradition of wearing purple.

Not promising that this will be an everyday thing, but I've got a little time today, so here are your dots.

• More on Jaimie Bryant's commitment. All self-interest aside, it is great when a young man gets to live his goals and to play for the team that he grew up rooting for.
  
• The Husky Kicking Game is in a serious state of flux. We will be introducing two complete unknowns into our Special Teams unit after enjoying relative stability for the last several years. Oh, and the two favorites were not even here for Spring Ball.
• Here is a nice breakdown of Pac 12 football schedules by team. Of note is how easy the Oregon schedule is as they break in a new offensive depth chart and how lucky Utah is (once again) in missing Oregon and Stanford.
• Highlights of the Sark chat at Seattle Times yesterday.
• Divish discusses Ben Riva's quest to start in his notebook. Interesting to read Big Ben's take on Josh Shirley.
• Washington got a visit from ex-Fresno St Bulldog, Jalen Saunders. Could we be in the running for the transfer wideout?
• Randy Chambers is calling UW a "trap game" for LSU. See slide 7 on the Bleacher Report slideshow.
• Stewart Mandel calls Chris Polk the "most underrated RB in the Draft". It is an interesting analysis. In my view, it isn't so much that CP has fallen on boards. Rather, it seems that the flash of a couple of the speedsters, like LaMichael James, has become more attractive for teams looking to add a change of pace to compliment the current starters.
• The UW Men's Tennis Team had a strong showing versus Arizona. And, who is this clown named Berkowitz? You'll have to click the link to find out.
• An interesting article over at Husky Haul on race and basketball. My compliments to the author - this is a difficult topic to tackle, especially in the context of a sports fanblog.
  
• Brock Huard thinks that Keith Price may take a step back in 2012. This is a really interesting point of view that originated, no doubt, in Huard's desire to be contrarian. There is no doubt that Price exceeded expectations tremendously and had a record-breaking Sophomore campaign. There is also no doubt that a healthy Keith Price should be even more dangerous. However, I think the media has done what the media tends to do - overhype good stories. You can see this in the way that USC has been overhyped (national champion contenders?), in how Bryan Bennett has been overhyped (no dropoff after losing DAT?), in how Shayne Skov has been overhyped (I'll let KirkD explain this one) and, unfortunately, in how KP has been overhyped. He is critical to UW, no doubt, but he is also the same guy who slogged through the middle of last year's schedule when confronted with more challenging Defenses. He's still the guy who is 5'11" with middling arm strength. He is still the guy playing behind a porous O-Line and, now, without the counterbalance of a proven everydown, quality-blocking tailback.
• Chad Reuter mocked the entire seven round Draft. That's right, all seven rounds. It is good to know that the economy is so strong that we can afford to have people who have this kind of time on their hands.
  

That's about it. Don't forget to scroll down and read CODawg's preview of the Draft just below this post.

We've heard you. You want more. You want more content. You want more comments. You want more Crazi. You want more, more, more.

Ok.

Those of you who follow the blog here know that, on occassion, I will post a fanpost linking to an article that I find interesting. You see, I have this handy "Post on SB Nation" button on my browser Favorites Bar that, when pressed, will automatically generate a fanpost off of whatever you are looking at in the browser window. It is a great tool and I encourage everyone to use it to link to content that they find interesting (click on "Fanshot" to the right and then find the gray button that says "Share on SB Nation" and simply drag it to your favorites bar - super easy). It will help to generate even more great content.

In the meantime, my colleagues and I are going to try to do a better job providing you with more regular access to links and stories of interest. Since I'm posting the first one, I'm taking the privilege of naming my contribution Dot...Dot...Dawg. This is a nod to the fact that I intend to use bullet points and that I have been known to start a thought in a comment title only to use the dot dot dot to signal a continuation of said thought in its body. I toyed with the idea of continuing John's tradition of Kibble and Bits, but figured that he may wish to use that column for other purposes in the future.

My first installation of Dot...Dot...Dawg follows the jump.

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