2011-2012 Preview: Talking Washington Basketball With Mark Knight

In preparation for the start of the 2011-2012 regular season on November 7, we’re beginning a series here on Busting Brackets where we talk with other writers about their team. You can check out all of our pieces in the series by clicking here. We kick things off by talking to Mark Knight of TheHuskyHaul.com, who discusses Washington’s chances this season in the wide open Pac-12.

Busting Brackets: I guess it would be fair to say that youth will be the theme of this year’s team, right?

Mark: There are only 2 returning seniors from last season and one will be missing the next 8-12 weeks after having foot surgery. They have 8 players on their roster that have never played college basketball before; one is a red-shirt from last season (Desmond Simmons), another is a walk-on (Alex Wegner), the other 6 compromise the 2011 recruiting class. There will be some early bumps in the road but the talent and the depth on this team is incredible. UW has about 9 starters. Brendan Sherrer is also a senior on the team but is not on scholarship.

BB: Obviously Abdul Gaddy is gonna have to be the one to replace Isaiah Thomas’ production. Gaddy’s coming off of an ACL injury and needs to have a big year for the Huskies to succeed. His freshman season was underwhelming, but do you think he turns potential into big-time production this season?

Mark: Last year, Gaddy was poised to have a HUGE year until he injured his ACL. He had one game, against Virginia where he scored 12 points and had 10 assists. This is playing alongside Isaiah Thomas. Abdul Gaddy since then has been doing the only thing he can do with an injured ACL, putting up shots. His goal over the summer was to put up 18,000 jump shots. He did that and more and he looks even better than he did before getting injured last year. He is going to have an amazing year.

He will also be sharing the load with 5-star incoming PG in Tony Wroten Jr. who is seen as a potential one and done prospect. He is a game-changer, the balance between these two point guards will be intriguing to watch.

BB: Most expect Terrence Ross to be the go-to guy on the wing this year. Explain what makes Ross’ game so good for those who haven’t seen him play a lot.

Mark: He is extremely athletic and is the type that you may see in a few years jumping over cars on TV. His jumping ability is almost unfathomable. Coach Lorenzo Romar described him this way a few days ago, “You can count on one hand how many guys that can shoot from the perimeter and at the same time be able to take it inside and score easily. Terrence Ross is one of those guys.”

BB: Who will be the “glue” guy for this team this season? We know about the top players, but which role player could be the unsung hero for the Huskies?

Mark: Darnell Gant, the last remaining senior (Scott Suggs is out for half the season with a fractured foot), has been working on his leadership skills all season. He has seen it all over his time at UW, he is the first red-shirt senior in Coach Romar’s tenure at UW. He has been to multiple Pac-10 championships, NCAA tournaments, he was even here when they traveled to Madison Square Garden a few years ago. His experience will be invaluable for a young but talented team.

BB: Now let’s talk where Washington fits into the Pac-12 race. This is a four-team race between Washington, Arizona, Cal, and UCLA, isn’t it?

Mark: Yes. UCLA is the safest pick with the least unknowns. Arizona and Washington are both going to be relying on a lot of star freshman talent. Cal has returned a good amount of their starters but there isn’t a huge wow factor there. They could be the most ready to go out of the gate.

BB: So if you had to pick today, where do the Huskies finish in the standings?

Mark: Second, behind UCLA in the regular season. However, somehow, someway UW finds ways to win the Pac-10(12) tournament. Look for this to happen again. As for top 5 in the Pac-12 regular season- UCLA, UW, Arizona, Cal, Oregon.

BB: Alright, let’s wrap it up with the big picture here. The Huskies were bounced in the second round last season. Would anything less than a Sweet 16 berth be a disappointment?

Mark: Many fans would say yes to that question. You could rationalize it by saying the team is young but the fan-base is looking for at least the Sweet 16 but they hoping this may be the year to break through the Elite 8.

A huge thanks to Mark for joining us. Be sure to check out TheHuskyHaul.com for all your Washington Huskies needs, and you can follow him on Twitter at @HuskyHaul.

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