UW Basketball Headed for NCAA Tourney

Okay, so the woeful Huskies will not get a chance to make a great run in the NCAA Tournament this year. In fact, the Huskies probably deserve to go to the NIT less this year than they did last year. With a disappointing 84-81 loss against Cal tonight, it is officially time to take a look into the future.

Washington will enter the 2008-2009 season with the No. 15 ranked recruiting class according to Scout.com. We once again have to give credit to Coach Lorenzo Romar for his great recruiting skills. Recruiting four 4-star players to a team that hasn't seen postseason play since Brandon Roy was still a Husky is an impressive feat.

Not only will the Huskies boast a strong freshman class, they will also have something they haven't had in two years: upperclassman. This year's seniors, both transfers from current powerhouses, Ryan Appleby and Tim Morris both brought leadership to a young Husky team. Apart from Appleby's streaky offensive production, however, they were missing the skills necessary to lead this team into the postseason. Next year, seniors Jon Brockman, Artem Wallace, Justin Dentmon, and Joel Smith, along with lone junior Quincy Pondexter, will be the nucleus of leadership this team has been missing. 

Starting Rotation for 2008-2009 season should include these players.

• Venoy Overton- Overton's speed on offense will bring Washington back into the high-octane offense it used to play with when Nate Robinson was running the point. His defense is what will put him ahead of Justin Dentmon when Romar puts together his starting five next year.
  

• Issiah Thomas- Many people are already calling him the "Mini Nate Rob." At just under 5'9" Issiah can play above the rim better than, dare I say, the seven foot Joe Wolfinger. Apart from his high-flying windmill dunks, fans will also find out next year that Issiah Thomas does not miss. From anywhere.
  

• Quincy Pondexter- While many saw this season as a huge disappointment for the future NBA star (yes, he will make it), I believe this year was a great learning experience for Pondexter. While critics called this year lackluster for Quincy, he was still able to average almost 10 points and five rebounds a game. Look for him to double both next year. Trust me, he will be at the gym 24/7 in the off season.

• Jon Brockman- Its hard to imagine how Jon Brockman, the Huskies second future NBA star in the starting rotation, could improve from this season where he was named second-team All Pac-10 and averaged a double-double. Brockman averaged just shy of 18 points and 12 rebounds per outing. Next year however, Jon will get his free throw touch back, adding another five points to his average. With extra help from Quincy and Matthew Bryan-Amaning, teams will be forced to either double team him and leave one of the other two open, or just let Brockman lead the Pac-10 in scoring.
  

• Matthew Bryan-Amaning- The final starter for the Huskies next year, London native Matthew Bryan-Amaning, will add the extra defense inside that they were missing this year. We will not see anyone put up 30 points inside on the Amaning-Brockman duo. Amaning, who seems to not fit his body at this time in his career, will be sent to the weight room this summer. He will also learn that you don't get that extra step in the U.S. when backing down in the paint. Watch for Amaning to be one of the most improved players in the Pac-10 in 2008.
  

What should excite Husky fans apart from the starting five is the amount of support the Dawgs will receive off of the bench next year.

Guys that will be huge off the bench next year.

• Justin Dentmon- With two relatively young guards taking over next year, having Dentmon available to come in when they begin to get frustrated will be huge. Dentmon, who averaged 10 points a game off the bench this year, including a huge 20 point game against UCLA, will bring scoring and defense off  the bench next year. With the faster pace that Overton and Thomas will play at next year, Dentmon will see plenty of playing time and his contributions will not go overlooked.

• Artem Wallace- Wallace, who still wont be able to shoot free throws next year, will be huge in shutting down the inside game late in contests. With size similar to Brockman, Wallace, in his senior year, he will finally realize his full potential, even if it is from the bench.
  

• Tyreese Breshers- Probably the best addition to this freshman class is the powerful Breshers. At 6'6", 230 lbs. he has a very similar build to Quincy Pondexter. Yet, it is his defense that impresses me the most. He plays with the same philosophy as Brockman: put your heart into it. Apart from swallowing up the garbage inside, fans will feel like they are at a volleyball match when they see him block anything and everything guys inside throw at him.
  

• Joe Wolfinger- At seven feet tall, the expectations for Wolfinger to perform inside are as big as his giant shoes. As Wolfinger begins to understand how to operate within his own body (he seems to end up on the floor more than a football when Dave Krieg is under center) he will also begin to be very productive. Joe had huge games against Stanford and Cal towards the end of the season, which included a 4-4 from beyond the arc show against Cal.