Tuesday, January 24, 2012 @ 5:45pm
Preview: Seattle U at UC Irvine
Seattle U (5-12) at UC Irvine (6-13, 3-4 Big West)
Where: Bren Events Center (Irvine, Calif.)
When: Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2012 at 7 p.m.
Radio: 710 ESPN Seattle
Series: Seattle U leads 2-1
Last meeting: Irvine won 85-77 on 11/20/2010
Scouting UC Irvine
Head coach Russell Turner is in Year 2 of a major rebuild. The Anteaters are one of the youngest teams in the country with no seniors and seven freshmen. They start four juniors and one senior, but every single player coming off the bench is a freshman. They lost their first six games of the season, but built some momentum by winning three of their first four Big West games. They have since dropped three in a row. Irvine likes to push the pace. They will play small, often featuring a four-guard lineup and they will not hesitate to launch the three. This is game two of a five-game homestand as they look to build momentum when conference play resumes on Saturday.
The Ones to Watch
Michael Wilder: 6-2, 215 pounds, junior guard, 11.5 points per game, 5.5 rebounds, 2 assists
He is the leading returning scorer for the Anteaters, supplying 9.5 points per game a year ago. He is one of three starters shooting over 39 percent from 3. He is second in the Big West hitting over 2.5 threes a game. He is also one of four starters averaging over 2 assists per contest.
Daman Starring: 6-3, 190 pounds, junior guard, 12 points per game, 4.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists
The leading scorer for Irvine is also deadly from downtown. He is casting in threes at a 43 percent clip. He is coming off a career-high 23 points in the Saturday loss to Fullerton. He was 6 of 9 from 3.
Keys to the Game
1. Pound them inside. SU has the size advantage up front with Broussard, Wallace, Trent and Diop and they have an opportunity to put together a big night on the glass.
2. Perimeter defense. A team that hits the three is always dangerous, no matter the record. They will often have four good three-point shooters on the floor at once and SU must be aware.
3. Good start. Seattle U has started fast the last two games and carried it all the way through. To illustrate the point, they're 5-2 when up at half and 0-10 when trailing at half.
Numbers to Know
17 -- The place for Aaron Broussard on the All-Time Seattle U scoring list with 1,278.
16 -- The man in front of him -- the great Carl Ervin -- 1,304 points between 1976-1980.
53 -- The percentage SU is shooting from 3 the last two games.
23 -- The number of points Broussard is averaging in his last eight games.
5 -- The number of assists Cervante Burrell is averaging in his last six games, along with 8.5 points.
3.8 -- The number of points per game for Sterling Carter in his first six games.
16 -- The points per game for Carter in his last four games.
Seattle U looks to continue the streak tonight. Tune in at 7 on 710 ESPN Seattle.
Friday, January 13, 2012 @ 11:58am
Seattle U vs Utah Valley
By Gary Hill
Seattle U (3-11) vs Utah Valley University (8-10, 0-0 Great West
Key Arena (Seattle, WA)
Friday January 13, 2012 7:10 pm
RADIO: 710 ESPN Seattle
Series- SU 3-2
Last Meeting- 1/7- Utah Valley 77-72
Scouting Utah Valley:
The defending Great West champions are set for one of their final tune-ups before conference play begins. The Wolverines will be playing Seattle U in back to back games having not been in action since the Saturday meeting. They have been tough at home- 7-2, but they have really struggled on the road- 0-8. This will be the third straight year these teams have met twice. The Wolverines provide a number of match-up problems for Seattle U. In the last two years each one of their starters have given Seattle U trouble at some point. The Wolverines are tough are well organized under 10th year Head Coach Dick Hunsaker. Hunsaker has skillfully guided Utah Valley from a junior college to full Division I program. He has seen time as the head coach at Utah and made a Cinderella run in the NCAA tournament at Ball State including a win over Gary Payton and the Oregon State Beavers. The Great West Conference has been whittled down to 6 teams now, but it spans the country in men's hoops- Utah Valley, Chicago State, Houston Baptist, North Dakota, New Jersey Institute of Technology and Texas-Pan American. Utah Valley is again the favorite to take the conference title.
The Ones to Watch:
Isiah Williams- 6'1 SR G- 15 ppg 2 rbds 2.3 assts
The SR guard is an explosive scorer. He is deadly from long-range and he can penetrate. He is not bashful about letting the jumpers fly and he will look to shoot every time he touches the ball if he is feeling it. The talented SR was an AP Honorable Mention All-American last season. His scoring average is down a couple of points from last year, but his offensive impact is still enormous. He was a huge key for the Wolverines win over SU on Saturday hitting 5-11 from downtown 38 minutes of action.
Ben Aird- 6'9 SO C- 9 ppg 6.5 rbds
When you watch him warm up you will not be blown away. He may strike you as a football lineman attempting to play basketball. Don't be fooled. He has destroyed Seattle U on the interior the last couple of years on both ends of the floor. He went for 8 points 12 rebounds and 4 blocks in the win on Saturday. He also kept several balls alive on the offensive glass for his teammates. He is always around the basket and is tough on the glass. Seattle U needs to make sure they keep a body on him.
Keys to the Game:
1- Control Williams- He can light it up and was a huge factor from 3 in the first meeting.
2- Box Out- Seattle U needs to shut down second chance opportunities and must keep Aird, Keith Thompson and Geddes Robinson off the glass.
3- Feed Broussard- He is on a roll offensively and SU needs to keep getting him the ball.
Keys to the Game:
0 - The number of road wins for Utah Valley this year
3 - The number of games SU has lost in a row, and the number in a row they will be playing at home starting tonight
22.8 - The points per game for Aaron Broussard in the last 5 games
9.6 - The number of rebounds for Aaron Broussard in the last 5 games
17 - The number of points for Jarell Flora in the last two games after scoring 12 in the first 12 games of the year
5.5- The average number of assists for Cervante Burrell in the last two games
Revenge starts at 7:00 on 710 ESPN Seattle.
Tuesday, January 10, 2012 @ 3:36pm
Seattle U vs UW
By Gary Hill
Seattle U (3-10) @ Washington Huskies (9-6, 3-1 Pac-12
Alaska Airlines Arena at Hec Edmundson Pavilion (Seattle, WA)
Tuesday January 10, 2012 7:00 pm
RADIO: 710 ESPN Seattle
Series- UW 22-4
Last Meeting- Last Year- UW 95-74
Scouting UW:
The youthful Washington Huskies have ridden a wave of inconsistency throught the season. The ups and downs probably should not come as too much of a surprise considering there is only one senior in the rotation and the player who dominates the ball is a freshman. UW struggled to get a split on the road this weekend after getting buzz-sawed by Colorado and winning a close contest to the short-handed Utes. UW is good at home, as always- 8-1 and that happens to be where the game is played tonight. Washington is perfect against SU in the reemergence of Division I basketball across town and the last game at Hec Ed was an ugly affair.
The Ones to Watch:
Tony Wroten- 6'5 205 FR G- 16.5 ppg 4.5 rbds 3 assts
The freshman sensation is second in the Pac-12 in scoring and the 3rd leading scorer for all freshmen in the nation. He is lightening fast and difficult to guard one on one. He loves to get to the rim, thus his 50% shooting. He has not found the touch from range- 23% from 3 and he struggles from the line- 51%. He is third on the team in rebounds and second in assists and 3rd in the Pac-12 in steals.
Terrance Ross- 6'6 195 SO G- 14 ppg 6 rbds 2 assts
When one visits nbadraft.net, one will find Ross projected to go 15th in the 2012 NBA draft to the Phoenix Suns. The talented guard is third on the team in scoring. He can knock down shots and can hit them off the dribble. His wingspan makes him tough on defense and his size can cause serious matchup problems. He could be more aggressive getting to the rim.
Keys to the Game:
1- Good Start- Can't emphasize this one enough. They must start well to stay in the game,
2- Control Tempo- They have played at their pace against the best teams they have played this year- Virginia, Harvard… The question is- What pace do they want to play against UW?
3- The 3- Seattle U has struggled all year from 3, but if they are going to pull the upset they must hit them tonight.
The Battle For Seattle start at 7:00 on 710 ESPN Seattle.
Wednesday, December 28, 2011 @ 10:50pm
Seattle U vs Nebraska Omaha
By Gary Hill
Seattle U (2-8) vs Nebraska Omaha Mavericks (6-8)
Key Arena (Seattle, WA)
Thursday December 29, 2011 8:15 pm
RADIO: 710 ESPN Seattle
Series- First Meeting
Last Meeting- n/a
Scouting Nebraska Omaha:
The Mavericks ride into town looking for their second Division I win in school history. Nebraska Omaha is in their first year transition to DI and will play out of the Summit League next year. They are playing a mixed schedule of DI, DII and NAIA schools this year. They are just 1-7 against DI teams this year. Athletic Director Trev Alberts, (former Nebraska standout and ESPN personality) cut the football and wrestling programs and made the decision to take all other sports programs DI. They won 19 games last season in D2 and are second in the country in assists this year.
The Ones to Watch:
Mitch Albers- 6'4 195 SR G- 18 ppg 3 rbds 3.5 assts
Albers is the 4th leading scorer in the history of Maverick basketball. He spent his first two years at Nebraska Omaha before transferring to Nebraska. He spent a year redshirting at Nebraska, but returned to Nebraska Omaha before he ever took the court for the Cornhuskers. He is shooting 50% from the floor including 37% from downtown. He is the only upperclassman starting for the Mavericks.
John Karhoff- 6'8 225 SO C- 12.5 ppg 4 rbds 2 assts
The Mavericks do not feature a great deal of size which makes Karhoff that much more important. The Center is god around the basket shooting 57%. He also shoots 80% from the free-throw line.
Keys to the Game:
1- Energy- SU played at a different level in their last outing and nearly knocked off a ranked team.
2- Feed the front-line- SU should have some match-ups to take advantage of up front.
3- Get to the Free-Throw Line- Opponents are dominating Seattle U in free-throw attempts.
Numbers to Know:
- 28- The day in November Seattle U last won a game
- 6- The number of losses in a row for Seattle U.
- 0- The number of losses for SU in the Elgin Baylor classic.
-4- The number of games at the Key a day for two days straight.
Seattle U looks to snap the losing streak tonight at 8:15 on 710 ESPN Seattle.
Wednesday, December 21, 2011 @ 2:32pm
Seattle U vs Virginia
By Gary Hill
Seattle U (2-7) vs Virginia Cavaliers (9-1, 0-0 ACC)
Key Arena (Seattle, WA)
Wednesday December 21, 2011 7:10 pm
RADIO: 710 ESPN Seattle
Series- SU 1-0
Last Meeting- Wednesday, December 22nd 2010- SU Win- 59-53
Scouting Virginia:
A fast start has helped push Tony Bennett's team to a 24th ranking in the AP poll. Defense has always been the calling card for Bennett coached teams and this particular version of the Cavaliers plays it very well. They are 2nd in the nation in scoring defense (48.5 points per game) and they allow only 37.2% shooting from the field. The Cavaliers finished 16-15 (7-9 ACC) last year, but return 4 starters and Preseason ACC standout Mike Scott. Scott played just a handful of games last year and received a medical redshirt after an ankle injury. The veteran Virginia club has taken care of a soft non-conference schedule with the exception of a 70-58 win over a ranked Michigan team. They beat Oregon the last time out 67-54 in Eugene. The game against Oregon was their first true road game of the season. Virginia was picked 4th in the preseason ACC poll.
The Ones to Watch:
Mike Scott- 6'8 237 SR F- 15.5 ppg 9.5 rbds 2 assts
Scott may be the best forward Seattle U will face all year. He is a double-double machine who crushed opponents on the glass. He is one of the leaders in the country in rebounds (9.5 a game) and field goal shooting (59%). He is a tremendous college basketball player. He will provide a matchup nightmare for Seattle U. He went for 17 and 13 against Oregon his last time out and he has already picked-up 4 double-doubles this year. He punishes teams for fouling him by shooting 80% from the stripe.
Joe Harris- 6'6 211 SO G- 12.5 ppg 4 rbds 1.5 assts
Harris gets a rare chance to play in front of family and friends versus Seattle U. The Chelan, WA native was the Gatorade State Player of the Year his senior year. He averaged a staggering 26.6 points, 8.0 rebounds, 4.6 assists, 4.4 steals and 1.6 blocks a game. He is the only other Cavalier to average double-digit scoring. He doesn't miss free-throws (30-33) and is a good 3-point shooter.
Keys to the Game:
1- Free-Throws- The last 5 game average- SU (8-12.8) Opponents (21.6-30.6).
2- Keep Scott away from the basket. He is a matchup nightmare and he can do big damage in the paint.
3- Find ways to score. Scoring against Virginia is hard and SU must find a way.
Numbers to Know:
- 1984- The last time Virginia played in Seattle, losing 49-47 in OT to the Hakeem Olajuwon led Houston in the National Semi-Finals. Virginia was led by Olden Plynice and Rick Carlisle.
- 1978 - The last time SU hosted a ranked team- Losing to San Francisco 96-85.
-1974- The last time SU beat a ranked team at home- UNLV 82-64.
-5-1- Bennett's record in Seattle.
-3-0- Bennett's record at Key Arena
Join us on 710 ESPN Seattle for tip at 7:10pm. Seattle U looks to take down the Cavs for the second year in a row.
Saturday, December 17, 2011 @ 3:20pm
Seattle U at Utah State
By Gary Hill
Seattle U (2-6) at Utah State (4-5, 0-0 WAC)
Dee Glen Spectrum (Logan, UT)
Saturday December 17, 2011 7:05 pm
RADIO: 710 ESPN Seattle
Series- Utah State 14-13
Last Meeting- 1/31/1976- SU 79-73
Scouting Utah State:
The numbers are staggering- 12 straight postseason appearances, 12 straight 23-plus win seasons, 4 straight WAC championships and 3 NCAA appearances in a row. Utah State has appeared in The Tournament 20 times including in 2000, 01, 03, 05, 06, 09, 10 and 11. They feature the 4th best winning percentage in the nation in the 2000's behind 1-Duke, 2-Kansas and 3- Gonzaga. Since 2006, Utah State boasts a 75-21 (.781) record in the WAC. They are 221-15 at home in the last 15 years including a perfect 17-0 mark last season. To say that Head Coach Stew Morrill has had success at Utah State in his 13 years would be an understatement. Morrill has a 324-103 record in Logan including an impressive 30-4 mark last season. Needless to say it is shocking to see that the Aggies have already racked up 4 losses with the possibility of entering league play with a sub-.500 record. It has been an unsteady start for Utah State as they attempt to recover from the massive losses after the 30 win season a year ago. The Aggies return only 1 starter and 4 letterman from last year. They have used 7 different lineups already and have been hit with a couple of injuries as well. Their starting lineup includes two sophomores and a freshman. Despite the struggles to start the year they are still nearly impossible to knock off at home. The Dee Glen spectrum is one of the toughest places to play in college basketball and they are still 3-1 at home this year. They often sell-out their 10,000 seat arena and the crowd has a widespread reputation for being very vocal. The students are out for break so we shall see what the crowd looks like tonight. The WAC championship has gone through Logan for the past 4 seasons so this will be a challenge for the WAC bound Redhawks tonight.
The Ones to Watch:
Pane Brockeith- 6'1 195 SR G- 13 ppg 2.5 rbds 3 assts
The lone returning starter for Utah State. The transfer from Houston was 1st Team WAC last year averaging 12 points 3 rebounds and 3.5 assists a game. He has played huge minutes this season as the Aggies have relied heavily on the veteran. He is in the top-10 in several different offensive categories in the WAC. He can score and pass. Seattle U has done a great job on lead scoring guards this year and he will pose a big challenge.
Preston Medlin- 6'4 175 SO G- 13 ppg 4 rbds 3 assts
Medlin is an expert at stroking the three. He is hitting 44% from downtown including an 8-11 game from downtown against Idaho State earlier this year. He was only 1-6 his last time out against Wichita State. He is averaging 16.4 points per game in his last 5. He spent last-year redshirting. Offense is his strength, defense is not.
Keys to the Game:
1- Make the Gimmies- SU has done a good job of getting good looks close in, but now they have to turn those into points.
2- Slow down Pane and Medlin- Utah State can be beat if those two can be held down on offense.
3- Get to the Free-Throw Line- Opponents are dominating Seattle U in free-throw attempts. It provides too big a point gap for Seattle U to overcome.
Numbers to Know:
- 25.8- The number of wins Utah State has AVERAGED the last 12 years.
- 27- The total number of games SU will play this year- to put it into perspective.
- 06-07- The last season that a team other than Utah State won the WAC outright- Nevada.
-29- The shooting percentage for Seattle U from downtown.
Seattle U looks for the upset today- tune in at 7:00 on 710 ESPN Seattle.
Wednesday, December 14, 2011 @ 9:27am
Seattle U at Arkansas State
By Gary Hill
Seattle U (2-5) at Arkansas State RedWolves (4-5, 0-0 Sun Belt)
Convocations Center (Jonesboro, Arkansas)
Wednesday December 14, 2011 7:00 pm
RADIO: 710 ESPN Seattle
Series- First Meeting
Last Meeting- n/a
Scouting Arkansas State:
The Red Wolves are enjoying tremendous success since veteran Head Coach John Brady walked on campus. Brady won two SEC championships during his 10 seasons leading LSU. He was twice named SEC coach of the year while guiding the Tigers to six postseason appearances including a Final Four. The Red Wolves are the only team in the country featuring two Final Four coaches on their staff. Assistant Coach Richard Williams led Mississippi State to the 1996 Final Four, which was part of his 12-year tenure. Brady took over to begin the 08-09 season and improved their win total from 10 to 13. They have won 17 games each of the last two years including a Sun Belt West Conference Championship last year. The defending champs were picked to repeat in preseason, but that was before Brady was forced to throw their best player and 1st team All-Sun Belt forward, Martavius Adams, off the team. Arkansas State was already dealing with depth issues and the loss of Adams was a devastating blow to a team with NCAA Tournament ambitions. The Red Wolves have primarily utilized a 6-man rotation out of necessity. They added another body in their last game by playing someone who has yet to appear on their roster. The players left for Arkansas State are talented and after losing 4 of 5 to start the year they have reversed the trend and won 3 of 4. Their only loss in the recent stretch was in OT to Austin Peay. They also have a very nice road win against St. Bonaventure under their belts.
The Ones to Watch:
Trey Finn- 6'2 210 JR F- 12 ppg 6 rbds 2 assts
A basketball player with the first name "Trey" should really shoot and Trey well… and he does…46%. He does everything for Arkansas State- 1st in points and 2nd in rebounds, assists and steals. The 3rd Team Preseason Sun Belt tremendous on the glass given his size and he is a tough defender. They need him to play well for them to win.
Brandon Peterson- 6'7 215 JR F- 11 ppg 7 rbds 1 assts
He provides a presence in the middle for Arkansas State. He was second in the conference with 61 blocked shots two years ago and he leads the team this year with 7 boards per game. He is very athletic and active around the basket.
Keys to the Game:
1- Free-Throws- Seattle U has shot 14 less FT's a game in their last 3 than their opponents. Arkansas State is 4-0 when holding opponents to less than 8 free-throws made.
2- Tickling the Twine- Seattle U has struggled to shoot the rock and will look to shoot it better than their 41% on the season.
3- Shut down Finn. Seattle U has done a great job on lead guards this year and they will have work to do on another one.
Numbers to Know:
- 16- The number of wins for Arkansas State at home compared to just 1 loss in the last 2 years.
- 27 - Points scored by Arkansas State in a loss to undefeated Louisville this year.
-40- The % shot by opponents from the field against Seattle U this year.
Join us on 710 ESPN Seattle for tip at 7:00pm. Seattle U looks to snap a 3-game losing streak.
Monday, December 12, 2011 @ 9:06pm
Idaho- In Review
The Vandals kept their momentum rolling after a loss at the buzzer to Washington State and the demolition of Oregon State in Corvallis on Friday. They were steady last night- shooting 55% from the field and knocking down 45% of their 3's. They out-rebounded Seattle U by 7 and received some clutch shooting from their bench. Meanwhile, the positives for Seattle U included smothering leading scorer Deremy Geiger. The explosive guard was fresh off a career high 27 point effort, while netting 7 treys against Oregon State. SU held him to just 4 points on 1-5 shooting. Seattle U was also able to make life difficult for 6'10 Kyle Barone. The second leading scorer for Idaho managed just 8 points on 3-7 shooting. Seattle U worked hard on the glass by securing 22 offensive rebounds which helped lead to an eye-popping 76 shot attempts. Unfortunately, Seattle U could not overcome two major obstacles which have haunted them lately. In the last three games Seattle U has shot 18-31 from the free-throw line. The percentage is not great, but the real problem is the number of attempts per game- 10.3. Contrast the tally with their opponents- 53-74= 24.6 attempts per game. Seattle U opponents have had the opportunity to score 14 more points a game from the free throw line. That is a tough total to overcome when you consider the caliber of opponents. The other issue was shooting percentage. Seattle U shot 35% from the field last night including a stretch of 2 points in 8 minutes at the beginning of the second half. They are shooting 42% from the field which is 230th in the country and 28% from 3 which is 309th.
The bottom line is that Seattle U is playing very good defense and certainly well enough to win consistently. The early offensive woes should probably not be a huge surprise given the number of new faces and given the fact they have been competitive with great competition despite the offensive woes it is easy to carve out a scenario where SU could turn a game like last night into a win. They will have their chance again when they travel to Moscow to take on the Vandals again in early February.
- The Halftime guest on radio yesterday was Eddie Miles- "The Man with the Golden Arm". He will be honored at halftime against Virginia on December 21st. Tony Bennett makes his return to the Pacific Northwest as the ACC school attempts to avenge a loss to Seattle U on their home floor last year.
- The Seattle U women's basketball team took down Portland on Sunday 69-55 for their third victory in a row. They play Santa Clara next at home on Tuesday December 13th at 7:00pm.
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Gary Hill
Gary Hill Jr. has been immersed in the Pacific Northwest sports scene since childhood. Growing up in Tacoma listening to Bob Blackburn, Pete Gross, Dave Niehaus, Bob Robertson, Kevin Calabro, Bob Rondeau and the other local royalty of radio ignited an unyielding passion for sports broadcasting that eventually lured him to Washington State University. Since college Gary has served as play-by-play announcer, analyst or studio host for Seattle University, the Seattle SuperSonics, Seattle Storm, the University of Washington, and the University of Puget Sound among others. 
