I just finished watching the UW/Seattle Pacific Exhibition game. This is the same Seattle Pacific team that beat Arizona at home last week, these are just exhibition games and the rotations aren't scaled back, a lot of guys are playing but you still get a pretty decent take on their squad.
My first thought is that UW scares me. If they don't have the best/deepest back court in the country it is right up there. JR Abdul Gaddy running the point looks completely recovered from an ACL tear early last year, SO Terrance Ross is aggressive and looks possessed to show that he is worthy of a lottery pick this upcoming summer. SO CJ Wilcox can flat out shoot, you can't leave him open, he may be even better on D than he is shooting the rock. My initial thoughts when i saw Freshman PG Tony Wroten enter the game (mind you he had arthroscopic knee surgery last week) was that he is HUGE. I immediately grabbed my computer and looked him up, 6-5 205. My second thought was who in the hell is going to guard him? Their back court is going to cause huge problems for CU, Nate and Shannon have no shot, Dinwiddie's better get off to a solid start b/c CU is going to need his size and length January 5th. Lets not forget about SR Scott Suggs who has a stress fracture in his big toe and is out, he will be questionable to return for the CU game.
Their Front court is mediocre at best. Starting forwards Darnell Gant and Desmond Simmons did nothing to impress, Shawn Kemp Jr. is impressive in pedigree only.
How you beat UW:
They are very very aggressive on defense, they overplay passing lanes, put a lot of pressure on the ball and are quick to offer weak side help when somebody drives the lane. All of this leaves UW susceptible to ball screens and back door cuts. In my opinion they are a little to quick to offer help from the weak side when somebody drives the lane, this leaves guys wide open on the outside, you simply need to penetrate and kick the ball out to the weak side defenders man (Levi would thrive here).
In order to stop them on offense I don't see anyway how CU can match up man to man against their back court, a match up zone is the way to go. Wilcox is the biggest concern in the zone because he is their best shooter and if you don't keep an eye on him he will light your up real quick like. UW loves to penetrate and dish to their big for easy layups, so pack it in on the match up zone, keep an eye on Wilcox and you may have a shot.
A lot is going to be made of losing Isiah Thomas, I just don't see this being much of an issue, they have enough experience returning and youth coming in i really don't see them missing him much. A game I will be very interested to see is the UW/UCLA game. Talk about two teams that have no way of guarding each other. UW has 75 guards and no post play, UCLA has 75 forwards and no guard play.
In closing, UW looks to be a a solid team, they were a little raw, but this was an exhibition game against an over matched opponent. If they aren't contending for the PAC 12 championship at the end of the season I will be quite surprised and something went very wrong for Lorenzo Romar's squad.
My first thought is that UW scares me. If they don't have the best/deepest back court in the country it is right up there. JR Abdul Gaddy running the point looks completely recovered from an ACL tear early last year, SO Terrance Ross is aggressive and looks possessed to show that he is worthy of a lottery pick this upcoming summer. SO CJ Wilcox can flat out shoot, you can't leave him open, he may be even better on D than he is shooting the rock. My initial thoughts when i saw Freshman PG Tony Wroten enter the game (mind you he had arthroscopic knee surgery last week) was that he is HUGE. I immediately grabbed my computer and looked him up, 6-5 205. My second thought was who in the hell is going to guard him? Their back court is going to cause huge problems for CU, Nate and Shannon have no shot, Dinwiddie's better get off to a solid start b/c CU is going to need his size and length January 5th. Lets not forget about SR Scott Suggs who has a stress fracture in his big toe and is out, he will be questionable to return for the CU game.
Their Front court is mediocre at best. Starting forwards Darnell Gant and Desmond Simmons did nothing to impress, Shawn Kemp Jr. is impressive in pedigree only.
How you beat UW:
They are very very aggressive on defense, they overplay passing lanes, put a lot of pressure on the ball and are quick to offer weak side help when somebody drives the lane. All of this leaves UW susceptible to ball screens and back door cuts. In my opinion they are a little to quick to offer help from the weak side when somebody drives the lane, this leaves guys wide open on the outside, you simply need to penetrate and kick the ball out to the weak side defenders man (Levi would thrive here).
In order to stop them on offense I don't see anyway how CU can match up man to man against their back court, a match up zone is the way to go. Wilcox is the biggest concern in the zone because he is their best shooter and if you don't keep an eye on him he will light your up real quick like. UW loves to penetrate and dish to their big for easy layups, so pack it in on the match up zone, keep an eye on Wilcox and you may have a shot.
A lot is going to be made of losing Isiah Thomas, I just don't see this being much of an issue, they have enough experience returning and youth coming in i really don't see them missing him much. A game I will be very interested to see is the UW/UCLA game. Talk about two teams that have no way of guarding each other. UW has 75 guards and no post play, UCLA has 75 forwards and no guard play.
In closing, UW looks to be a a solid team, they were a little raw, but this was an exhibition game against an over matched opponent. If they aren't contending for the PAC 12 championship at the end of the season I will be quite surprised and something went very wrong for Lorenzo Romar's squad.
