Washington Huskies Basketball

Washington Huskies' junior guard Isaiah Thomas has declared himself eligible for the 2011 NBA Draft. 

“Although it was a tough decision, I have decided to forgo my senior season and enter my name into this year’s NBA draft," said Thomas.

"At this time, I will not hire an agent."

While Huskies' fans might see hope in that "no agent" statement, Thomas later declared in a press conference that no matter what happens, he won't be coming back to the UW. 

"Yes, it is good bye...I'll do whatever it takes to get there."

So there it is. Just like that, the junior guard—who had a chance to take Washington to new heights and set career Huskies records next year—is gone.

While Dawg fans speculated that "IT" might test NBA waters, no one expected the disruption to be this abrupt.

Though this is certainly sad news in Seattle, the future of the Huskies' guards is still bright.

Returning next year will be senior swingman Scott Suggs, junior point guard Abdul Gaddy and sophomores Terrence Ross and C.J Wilcox—all of whom made significant contributions for the Huskies last year.

Also joining the team is five-star recruit point guard Tony Wroten Jr.

If anything, Thomas' departure will certainly open up some room in what would have been a log-jam at the guard position.

More silver lining for Husky Nation: This will free up another scholarship for the Huskies to possibly go after another big man. Or they could bring in Andrew Andrews, who was planning on going to prep school if there was no available spot.

While the departure of the two-time Pac-10 Tournament MVP will certainly hurt, it also allows coach Lorenzo Romar and company to have a little bit more flexibility.  

Final Four aspirations for Isaiah Thomas and the Washington Huskies were denied this year, as they bowed out of the NCAA Tournament at the hands of the North Carolina Tar Heels. Will next year be any different?

If Thomas has anything to say about it, there is a good chance that the Huskies will make a deep run in March of 2012. Thomas, who will be a senior, will be called upon to lead Washington to glory, and the 5'9" point guard just might have what it takes to bring the Huskies to national prominence.

Nonetheless, there will be several obstacles that the Huskies must overcome next year. Among them is the loss of three contributing seniors.

Matthew Bryan-Amaning, a 6'8" power forward who played in the Pac-10 when Kevin Love, Russell Westbrook, Darren Collison and Luc Richard Mbah a Moute were still at UCLA, will graduate this year, leaving a gap in the front line. He played a very efficient career, one in which he improved each and every year.

This season, MBA averaged 15.3 points per game, good for second on the team, and 8.0 rebounds per game, leading the Huskies in that category. Next season, the team will look to Aziz N'Diaye, a 7' sophomore, to grab boards and be a physical presence on the court.

N'Diaye has shown his potential, demonstrated by his 11-rebound performance against the Tar Heels in the NCAA Tournament. Those types of performances will have to become regular for N'Diaye to give the Huskies a shot at winning in March.

Another key senior who will be leaving is Justin Holiday, brother of Philadelphia 76er Jrue Holiday. Justin, the older brother, averaged career-bests in points, rebounds, assists and minutes this season. At 6'6", he posed a matchup problem for opponents, and his presence will be sorely missed next season.

A possible replacement for Holiday could be C.J. Wilcox, a freshman wing with a similar build to that of the departing senior. In under 16 minutes of action per game this season, Wilcox scored 8.1 points, and reached double-figures in 12 contests.

Wilcox, along with Terrence Ross (8.0 points per game), will offer the Huskies versatility at the wing position next season. Both are long and athletic, and could have similar careers to that of Holiday. Scott Suggs, a will-be senior, is also capable of filling in for Holiday.

Although Isaiah Thomas has ran the point ever since he arrived on campus, Venoy Overton has been a solid backup. A model of consistency, Overton played in at least 20.5 minutes per game in each of his four seasons as a Husky, and played well when called upon. While his 6.0 points per game might not suggest it, it will be difficult to replace him.

A possible replacement for Overton is Abdul Gaddy, the highly-touted, in-state recruit from the class of 2009. He was averaging 8.5 points per game and 3.8 assists per game this season before he tore his ACL. If he can return healthy, he is a viable option.

Not to be overlooked is the incoming freshman class, which includes the third-ranked point guard in Tony Wroten, Jr. It shouldn't be expected for the teenager to have an immediate impact, but the southpaw (just like Thomas) could play a large factor in March Madness.

Along with Wroten, the Huskies will bring in Jernard Jarreau, a versatile 6'10" power forward, whose range extends to behind the three-point line. Shooting guard Hikeem Stewart was widely sought after in the Pac-10, and will look to crack a spot in the rotation.

At the end of the day, the success of the Huskies will fall on Isaiah Thomas's shoulders. Yes, the Huskies are losing three solid seniors, but they are bringing back a group of talented underclassmen. Along with the freshmen, the sophomores will fill in the voids.

The Washington Huskies were a mere basket away from forcing overtime against UNC in the Third Round of the NCAA Tournament this season, and in 2012, they will be hungry to advance further into March, perhaps making an appearance in the Final Four.

Edit: On March 31, Isaiah Thomas announced that he would enter the 2011 NBA Draft.

For Washington Huskies seniors Matthew Bryan-Amaning, Venoy Overton and Justin Holliday, Sunday's loss to North Carolina not only signaled the end of the 2011 season, but the end of their careers in Seattle.

The three were part of 92 wins over the course of their four years with the team, including 76 in the past three seasons.

That type of experience and leadership will be tough to replace next season as the Huskies enter into the first season of the Pac-12.

More teams (Colorado and Utah will be added) won't necessarily mean better competition, at least not immediately. But the Huskies will have plenty to worry about with current rivals Arizona and UCLA, as well as improving Stanford and California teams.

Picked by the vast majority of people to win the Pac-10 this season, the Huskies finished third in the regular season, a disappointment considering the expectations both inside and outside of the program, though they did win the Pac-10 tournament.

With heavy senior losses, will the Huskies compete for the league crown next season?

Key Losses

As mentioned, Bryan-Amaning, Overton and Holliday are the departing seniors. Bryan-Amaning was second on the team in scoring and first in rebounding and combined with Holliday to score nearly 26 points per game.

Overton scored six points per game, but more importantly was a catalyst defensively and a distributor offensively.

With the departure of Bryan-Amaning, the Huskies lose their only true low-post threat from this season.

Key Returnees

Fortunately for the Huskies, their top scorer and team leader, Isaiah Thomas, should return.

Though he might choose to evaluate his status at some NBA evaluations, Thomas is not on many mock boards for this coming draft. Thomas has the ability to raise the level of play of those around him and make clutch shots in big games, and will be the key again for the Huskies in 2011-2012.

Also returning are six other players who averaged at least 15 minutes per game this past season. Terrence Ross came on strong toward the end of the season and looks to be a lock to start at either small forward or shooting guard. C.J. Wilcox averaged eight points per game in his 15 minutes and, along with Scott Suggs, can fill it up from the outside.

Darnell Gant continued his steady improvement up front, where the Huskies will need his solid 6'8" frame, and JUCO transfer Aziz N'Diaye showed tremendous athleticism for his size (7'0'', 260 pounds).

This year's experience for N'Diaye, who started 25 games, should make him much more prepared for the grind next season. His limitation was his inability to avoid foul trouble.

The wild card in the mix of returning players is Abdul Gaddy, who was lost for the season after 13 games due to a knee injury. Gaddy, who struggled as a freshman, was coming into his own as a sophomore, averaging 8.5 points and 3.8 assists per game. If he comes back healthy, the Huskies backcourt will be as good as anyone's.

Impact Recruits

Tony Wroten, ranked anywhere in the top 10 nationally for this year's point guards, is the key commitment for Washington.

The addition of Wroten to an already stacked backcourt gives coach Lorenzo Romar more options. He likes to play fast and use 10 players, so Wroten should get some time early. 

Prognosis

Losing the quality of players that Washington will is never a good thing. However, there are several things to suggest that the Huskies should come back strong next season.

First, Isaiah Thomas is returning, and that is a great starting point.

Second, if you analyze the careers of Bryan-Amaning and Holliday, you can see some interesting parallels. Namely, with each successive season, their minutes increased, their production increased and their respective roles with the team expanded.

By using his bench, coach Romar provides all of his players with the opportunity to get better. Gant and N'Diaye will be in this position next season after being solid contributors this season.

Third, the Pac-12 will be wide open again next season, and while this year could be seen as a disappointment, opportunity to win the conference next season will be there.

Last, the style of play that Romar prefers puts pressure on opposing teams to either alter their style of play or try and gun with them. And most teams don't have the depth or the scorers to do the latter.

So, do they contend?

Arizona's Derrick Williams, barring an NBA lockout, will be a lottery pick. However, the Cats are ready to reload with one of the top recruiting classes in the country coming in. UCLA, who could lose Tyler Honeycutt to the draft, will be solid. Another nemesis of the Huskies, Klay Thompson, will likely declare for the draft as well. 

All that said, the other teams in the league will be behind them in talent and depth, meaning that Washington will be at or near the top of the new and improved (?) Pac-12.

If the Georgia Bulldogs want to advance to the Round of 32 in the NCAA tournament's East region, they will have to find a way to beat a winning team.

Georgia, the No. 10 seed in the East, won only two games against teams with winning records in SEC play, by beating Kentucky and Mississippi State.

Coming off a second-round SEC Tournament loss to Alabama, Georgia is looking to break the run of winless No. 10 seeds, with Michigan State and Penn State going down in the first day of the tournament.

To take down the No. 7-seeded Huskies, they will need a big effort from star forward Trey Thompkins, who heated up in his last three SEC games with averages of 18.7 points and 7.3 rebounds.  

His presence on the glass and in the paint will be vital against a Washington team that ranks 12th in the NCAA in rebounding and 25th in field-goal percentage.  

Fellow junior forward Travis Leslie will be called on as well to keep the talented Huskies guards Isaiah Thomas, Justin Holiday and Abdul Gaddy away from the rim and make them settle for jump shots.

Washington coach Lorenzo Romar will need a stabilizing presence in the middle from Matthew Bryan-Amaning, a 6'9" senior.  Bryan-Amaning's 8.1 rebounds per contest are a team high and he's the only player with an average over five in that category.  With Georgia's main offense coming from the post players Thompkins and Leslie, Bryan-Amaning will need to stay on the court and out of foul trouble.  

Washington has a considerable advantage on the perimeter with Thomas, their star point guard.  His 16.8 points and six assists drive the Huskies' fast-paced attack and open up favorable scoring chances for swingman Justin Holiday's 1.4 three-pointers per game and high-flying jams.

Bryan-Amaning's game has benefited from Thomas' quickness and penetration as well.  His career highs of 15.1 points and 55-percent shooting are drastic improvements over his career averages.  If he can counteract some of the deficit that Washington will likely have in paint scoring, the Huskies should win this game—just like they won the Pac-10 Tournament.

This is a matchup of teams going in opposite directions.  Georgia has lost two out of three and peaked four months ago.  Washington didn't set the Pac-10 on fire, but put together some great momentum with the three wins in Los Angeles last weekend, including the buzzer-beating victory in the title game against Arizona.  

All signs point toward Washington winning this game.

Georgia Keys to Victory

1. Win the rebounding battle
2. Outscore Washington in the paint
3. Don't let Matthew Bryan-Amaning hurt you on offense

Washington Keys to Victory

1. Shoot well from the perimeter
2. Keep Trey Thompkins and Travis Leslie from huge games
3. Get Isaiah Thomas going early on

Prediction: Washington by 12

The first round the of the 2011 NCAA Tournament has been spectacular to watch, but what should you expect from Friday night's Washington vs. Georgia game? 

Each team has their own star players in Isaiah Thomas Jr. (Washington) and Trey Thompkins (Georgia).

Thompkins and Thomas both lead their teams in scoring, but this match up is more defense-oriented. Washington averages 83.5 points per game as a team, and only gives up 70. For Georgia, they only score 70 points a night, and give up 64.

While the Bulldogs were worried about making the tournament after losing in the first round of the SEC Tournament against Alabama, Washington won their conference tournament on the back of Isaiah Thomas, he hit a step-back jumper at the buzzer against Arizona to win the game.

Both teams played in surprisingly tough conferences this year, and will be serious threats to knock off likely opponent North Carolina in the next round. 

The big play potential in this game is immense because Georgia has forward Travis Leslie, who can fly to the rim. Georgia will have to use its athleticism well in this game, because they only beat one ranked opponent in the regular season (Kentucky).

As for Washington, its offense revolves around the back court, but as a team, the Huskies finished 25th in field goal percentage, and in the top 12 in points, rebounds, and assists per game. This team can score at will, and will challenge the Georgia guards. In addition, both forwards for Washington average 10+ points a night.

Washington beat Arizona twice in the regular season.

The "dog fight" between the Huskies and Bulldogs should be great, simply because there is potential NBA talent on the floor for both teams. Expect the game to be extremely close, with both teams operating their offenses differently.

Isaiah Thomas Jr. and Trey Thompkins will steal the show.