Among the many positive takeaways from last night's Husky game, there was to me one that overrode and outshone all others: Josh Vazquez.
Wow! This kid's got game--big time!
After DeCuire said this was the point guard he always wanted, the one who could break his very own assist record at Montana, I have to confess that through the first few games, I was not seeing it. He started against Stanford but looked hesitant and tentative, passing up open shot after open shot. Often, bringing the ball upcourt, he was looking back toward the bench for instruction. Even against two NAIA opponents, he did not stand out. It was very much my impression that Timmy was emerging as the starting point guard, while we would be in for a long, painful transition by Vazquez to the college game.
Nope! Against the best most athletic team we've seen this year, Vazquez had a breakout game, showing us cat-like quickness, tight handle, passing ability (his no-look pass was Timmy-esque without the mustard), and of course, shooting ability. No matter he got blocked once on a trey, his stroke is a thing of beauty. And while I know the college game will continue to be rocky for a true freshman, nonetheless, what I saw last night was delightfully illuminating, a sign for us Montana fans as bright as all the lights of Las Vegas.
But also...
Eddy Egun. I'm falling in love with this kid. It started last year with all his crazy antics as a cheerleader from the bench, a kid making the best he could of a redshirt year. And last night, after that Husky had slammed a ball into Pridgett's chest, Egun was the first there to defend him, right up in the face of the opponent. You always look for signs of character in a player, and Eddy has it.
Game too. He was a spark when we desperately needed one toward the end of the first half. (In fact, I think he should have started the second half.) But look at the rest of his game: A team-high tying six rebounds, together with three assists. Not to mention his energy and athleticism.
Mack Anderson: Look, we have not done him any favors. Had it not been for Akoh's injury last year, and the fact that none of the other bigs this staff recruited really panned out, Mack would have had the redshirt year he so critically needed. And this too: If in life, character is destiny, in basketball, anatomy is definitely destiny. I'd hoped Mack would come back at 220 or 230 pounds, but that his not his body type, as so many of you have pointed out. On top of which, he has NO complimentary big to take the pressure off him down low. Kyle Owens will be a fabulous player for us, but he still has a high school body. DCH is proving he can rebound at this level, but at 6'5" he's not yet a major post presence. Until we get Mack some help, he's going to remain a 209 pound kid battling all the bigger, stronger post players opponents will throw at us this year. For this I don't blame Mack; he is what he is. I blame a staff that has successfully recruited only one other big in six years.
Last Night's Officiating: Over the past decade, we've taken on several Pac12 opponents: USC, UCLA, Stanford, Cal, Oregon, Washington. And in those games I would say we've been "homered" the one game we played at USC (where we outscored them from the field) and almost EVERY time we play in Seattle. I recall vividly a foul they called on Brian Qvale that knocked us out of a game up there a few years ago, but last night remains our "closing argument." That was just nuts. Even the Washington announcers commented on it.
Most especially: The technical on Pridgett. Anytime there's a melee, and the refs go to the monitor, they're looking for the instigator, the guy who started it all. I've never seen it any different through the hundreds of pro and college games I have watched. And the Washington kid was clearly the instigator, jamming the ball right to Sayeed's chest. The announcers immediately said, "Yup. That's a technical." It was most assuredly NOT a "double-T."
Sadly, that was turning point, because it added a fourth foul to our best scorer, who would soon foul out, and stopped whatever momentum we had at that point. So: Ladies and gentlemen of the jury. If the foul disparity did not convince you, I point you to this one specific call, made with deliberation, after visual evidence, of the incredible bias of this officiating crew. I ask that you put them away for one year, in a minimum-security prison, watching re-runs of Charles Barkley playing golf!
In sum: This game was as hopeful for us as the Montana Tech game was discouraging.
And: P.S. Did any of you spot Kyle Owens's Mom sitting behind the Montana bench? If you didn't, you missed the woman I now call "Mrs. Universe."
Wow! This kid's got game--big time!
After DeCuire said this was the point guard he always wanted, the one who could break his very own assist record at Montana, I have to confess that through the first few games, I was not seeing it. He started against Stanford but looked hesitant and tentative, passing up open shot after open shot. Often, bringing the ball upcourt, he was looking back toward the bench for instruction. Even against two NAIA opponents, he did not stand out. It was very much my impression that Timmy was emerging as the starting point guard, while we would be in for a long, painful transition by Vazquez to the college game.
Nope! Against the best most athletic team we've seen this year, Vazquez had a breakout game, showing us cat-like quickness, tight handle, passing ability (his no-look pass was Timmy-esque without the mustard), and of course, shooting ability. No matter he got blocked once on a trey, his stroke is a thing of beauty. And while I know the college game will continue to be rocky for a true freshman, nonetheless, what I saw last night was delightfully illuminating, a sign for us Montana fans as bright as all the lights of Las Vegas.
But also...
Eddy Egun. I'm falling in love with this kid. It started last year with all his crazy antics as a cheerleader from the bench, a kid making the best he could of a redshirt year. And last night, after that Husky had slammed a ball into Pridgett's chest, Egun was the first there to defend him, right up in the face of the opponent. You always look for signs of character in a player, and Eddy has it.
Game too. He was a spark when we desperately needed one toward the end of the first half. (In fact, I think he should have started the second half.) But look at the rest of his game: A team-high tying six rebounds, together with three assists. Not to mention his energy and athleticism.
Mack Anderson: Look, we have not done him any favors. Had it not been for Akoh's injury last year, and the fact that none of the other bigs this staff recruited really panned out, Mack would have had the redshirt year he so critically needed. And this too: If in life, character is destiny, in basketball, anatomy is definitely destiny. I'd hoped Mack would come back at 220 or 230 pounds, but that his not his body type, as so many of you have pointed out. On top of which, he has NO complimentary big to take the pressure off him down low. Kyle Owens will be a fabulous player for us, but he still has a high school body. DCH is proving he can rebound at this level, but at 6'5" he's not yet a major post presence. Until we get Mack some help, he's going to remain a 209 pound kid battling all the bigger, stronger post players opponents will throw at us this year. For this I don't blame Mack; he is what he is. I blame a staff that has successfully recruited only one other big in six years.
Last Night's Officiating: Over the past decade, we've taken on several Pac12 opponents: USC, UCLA, Stanford, Cal, Oregon, Washington. And in those games I would say we've been "homered" the one game we played at USC (where we outscored them from the field) and almost EVERY time we play in Seattle. I recall vividly a foul they called on Brian Qvale that knocked us out of a game up there a few years ago, but last night remains our "closing argument." That was just nuts. Even the Washington announcers commented on it.
Most especially: The technical on Pridgett. Anytime there's a melee, and the refs go to the monitor, they're looking for the instigator, the guy who started it all. I've never seen it any different through the hundreds of pro and college games I have watched. And the Washington kid was clearly the instigator, jamming the ball right to Sayeed's chest. The announcers immediately said, "Yup. That's a technical." It was most assuredly NOT a "double-T."
Sadly, that was turning point, because it added a fourth foul to our best scorer, who would soon foul out, and stopped whatever momentum we had at that point. So: Ladies and gentlemen of the jury. If the foul disparity did not convince you, I point you to this one specific call, made with deliberation, after visual evidence, of the incredible bias of this officiating crew. I ask that you put them away for one year, in a minimum-security prison, watching re-runs of Charles Barkley playing golf!
In sum: This game was as hopeful for us as the Montana Tech game was discouraging.
And: P.S. Did any of you spot Kyle Owens's Mom sitting behind the Montana bench? If you didn't, you missed the woman I now call "Mrs. Universe."
