SB Nation Arizona: All Posts by Kevin Cacabelos

Williams-Goss invited to USA U19 Basketball Training Camp

2013-05-22T17:37:22Z

Nigel Williams-Goss has not played a game for the Washington Huskies yet, but he's already opening eyes this summer. The incoming freshman point guard accepted an invitation to the USA U19 Basketball training camp as announced by the UW athletic department on Wednesday morning.

Williams-Goss is one of the 24 players vying for a spot on the 12-player roster. The training camp will be held from June 14-19 at the US Olypmic Traning Center in Colorado Springs, Colo. The final roster will be revealed on June 15th.

The team will be coached by Florida's Billy Donovan with Virginia's Tony Bennett and Virginia Commonwealth's Shaka Smart taking positions as assistant coaches.

Williams-Goss is considered to be the top point guard recruit from the class of 2013 in the Pac-12. He participated in the 2013 McDonald's All-American game and Jordan Brand classic this past March. The FIBA U19 World Championship takes place June 27th through July 7th in Prague, Czech Republic.

Pac-12 Basketball Recruiting: Top 5 2013 Point Guards

2013-05-22T13:00:05Z

The spring signing period is over and each Pac-12 school has completed its recruiting class of 2013. This post begins a short series of three posts covering the top five players signed at the point guard position, the following two posts will rank the top five wings and the top five big men.

5. Jahmel Taylor, 5'11, 160lbs--Los Angeles, Calif. (Pacific Hills School)---WASHINGTON HUSKIES

Expert's take:

He has a scorer's mentality, but he has a tendency to penetrate into the teeth of the defense far too much-leading to turnovers and bad shot selection. (Via: ESPN)

Breakdown:

The Huskies bring in a score first point guard who might remind some fans of former standout Justin Dentmon. Taylor is comfortable with shooting it from beyond the arc and is aggressive in attacking the basket. Taylor projects as a combo guard for the Huskies and will likely see plenty of time in the backcourt as a secondary ballhandler.

4. Malcolm Allen, 6'1, 165lbs--Las Vegas, Nev. (Centennial HS)--STANFORD CARDINAL

Expert's take:

Malcolm, like his twin brother Marcus, is a relentless competitor. Although Malcolm has a knack to score, he does a nice job of bringing the ball up through pressure and getting his team into its offense. (Via: ESPN)

Breakdown:

Malcolm is a bouncy and athletic point guard headed to Stanford with his brother Marcus. He is an unselfish player with a winning attitude. The twins will be the foundation and rock of the Cardinal perimeter in their time in Palo Alto. They won't have a hard time fitting in at Stanford – both brothers had 4.8 GPAs in high school.

3. Ikenna Iroegbu, 6'2, 190lbs--Elk Grove, Calif. (Oak HIll Academy)--WASHINGTON ST. COUGARS

Expert's take:

Iroegbu has an ideal lengthy frame with long arms and his speed and quickness are high-level. Iroegbu is a blur in transition where he literally blows by would-be defenders while attacking the basket. He exploded to the rim a number of times and converted some pull-up jump shots as well. (Via: ESPN)

Breakdown:

Ken Bone's squad will benefit from Iroegbu's presence on the roster. The Cougars lacked a true point guard last year, but will have two newcomers with experience at the position, with junior college transfer Danny Lawhorn likely seeing the majority of the minutes. Iroegbu is a top notch ball-handler but is not as polished as Lawhorn; he is a quick player that thrives in transition.

2. Sam Singer, 6'5, 185lbs--Miami, Fla. (Ransom Everglades School)--CALIFORNIA GOLDEN BEARS

Expert's take:

A heady guard who stands out with his ability to make shots but makes a variety of other contributions with his high basketball I.Q. and understanding of the game. (Via: ESPN)

Breakdown:

Singer's best strength is his shooting ability, he is an above-average three-point shooter who is also comfortable at pulling up mid-range. As a combo guard, he'll provide California Head Coach Mike Montgomery with some versatility in shaping up the future of his rotation of players. If Singer can improve his ball-handling, his size will make him an exceptional point guard. He averaged over 25 points, 10 rebounds and 7 assists this past season at Ransom Everglades School in Florida.

1. Nigel Williams-Goss, 6'3, 180lbs--Happy Valley, Ore. (Findlay College Prep)--WASHINGTON HUSKIES

Expert's take:

Williams-Goss has great size and skill for the point guard position. He has a high basketball IQ and his decision making is pretty solid. He always has his head up while in transition and his passing is quite good. (Via: ESPN)

Breakdown:

Washington Huskies Head Coach Lorenzo Romar nabbed a probable four-year player in Williams-Goss. The Oregon-native's game is reminiscent of former Stanford stand-out Mitch Johnson. Williams-Goss is a cerebral type of player that doesn't make mistakes. His confidence and excellent decision-making combine to make him an above-average facilitator for his teammates.

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/02/26/3254063/ransom-everglades-raiders-guard.html#storylink=cpy

Mike Moser 'likely' to transfer to Washington according to report

2013-04-05T17:11:23Z

According to a report by Jeff Goodman from CBS Sports and a tweet by ESPN's Andy Katz, UNLV's Mike Moser will "likely" transfer to Washington.

"It's almost done that he's going to transfer and play at Washington," one source said. (Via: CBS Sports)

The 6-foot-8 forward averaged 7.1 points and 6.1 rebounds per game for the Rebels this past season, but battled a mid-season injury and played out of position the majority of the season. He is still not fully recovered from a dislocated elbow injury he suffered in December.

Rice said Moser still isn’t 100 percent. He said he can’t extend his reach on rebounds as he did in the past, and often has trouble finishing plays above the rim. But that's certainly a far cry from where he was back in January, when Moser begged his way back onto the court before he was ready. (Via: ESPN)

Moser would be eligible to play right away because he is graduating from UNLV and would be participating in a graduate program at UW if he were to transfer.

Once projected as a high NBA draft pick, Moser averaged 14 points and 10.5 rebounds as a sophomore at UNLV. The Portland native played one season in the Pac-10 at UCLA under Ben Howland, but transferred to UNLV after his freshman year.

Here's a short clip of him playing against other top college players at the 2012 LeBron James Academy (he's No. 25 on White):

Aaron Gordon chooses Arizona over Washington and others

2013-04-02T16:41:18Z

Aaron Gordon announced his commitment to Arizona on Tuesday morning at the McDonald's All-American Game Media Day. Gordon chose Arizona over Washington, Oregon and Kentucky.

Gordon, a consensus five-star recruit, is likely a one-and-done player and would have had an immediate impact on UW's performance next season.

The Huskies recruiting class for 2013 is presumably complete. Romar adds Nigel Williams-Goss, Jahmel Taylor, Darin Johnson and Juco transfer Mike Anderson. Both Williams-Goss and Johnson signed their letter of intents in November, while Taylor will sign his LOI in the upcoming spring signing period beginning on April 17. Anderson is finishing up his final classes and hopes to gain admission to the UW later this year.

The Huskies were long considered the favorites for Gordon, but the team's performance this season put doubt in Washington's efforts to land him. Former Husky Eldridge Rescanser tweeted two weeks ago that a source said Gordon had committed to Arizona. Oregon, also a school in the running made it back onto Gordon's list in February. Many thought Oregon's winning season meant Gordon was putting more weight onto current on-the-court success than other factors. A source close to the Huskies coaching staff told the Seattle Times that the staff was notified last week that Gordon wouldn't be committing to the Huskies.

Several sources over the past few months have stated Romar has worked the hardest among all the other coaches in Gordon's recruitment. Gordon is an explosive high-energy player that can play both on the wing and at the power forward position. If there's any consolation for Husky fans, Gordon will likely only play one year for the Wildcats before bolting for the NBA.

Huskies fall to Bruins on Senior Day, Pac-12 Tournament awaits

2013-03-09T21:52:41Z

The Huskies (17-14, 9-9) failed to keep their three-game win streak alive, falling 61-54 to UCLA (23-8, 13-5) on Saturday afternoon. The Bruins' win at Hec Ed was their first since 2004. Washington led 52-48 with six minutes remaining, but failed to score until a Shawn Kemp Jr. alley-oop dunk with one minute left in the game. UCLA finished the game on a 13-2 run.

Overall, the Huskies' 19 turnovers made winning this game much easier for the Bruins. Both Abdul Gaddy and Scott Suggs turned the ball over four times – an unacceptable number from two seniors on any night. Credit Larry Drew II and UCLA's perimeter defenders, they locked up and forced a handful of turnovers. Gaddy and Andrew Andrews could not drive to the basket nor make post entry passes for much of the second half.

The last six minutes were painful to watch. There have been spurts of great Husky basketball all year long, but the team has very rarely put together a complete 40 minute masterpiece. However, this team is still capable of making a run in the Pac-12 tournament. We've seen that they can compete with every single team in this conference.

Let's jump to player bullet points:

While Suggs did turn the ball over four times, he did lead the Huskies with 14 points. Nothing magical has happened to him this late in the season, he's just starting to knock down his open shots. His shot selection is still suspect and he's still not confident putting the ball on the floor and slashing into the lane.
Kemp was 5-for-6 from the field and finished with 10 points and 2 blocks. Does anyone else think the Huskies need to start making a more concentrated effort in getting him the basketball in the post?
Gaddy is slowly getting more aggressive at knifing into the lane, but his finishing ability is not there. Four turnovers is bad.
C.J. Wilcox horrid from the field today. Shooters will have bad days, but the problem with Wilcox is his inability to make players around him better both on offense and defense when his shots are not falling. His inconsistency mirrors this team's overall inconsistency the entire season.
Aziz had an Aziz day. The Huskies want double digits rebounds from him every day and solid defense throughout the game. If he gets a double-double, it's a plus. His block in the second half was one of my favorite moments from this season. The push-ups after the block gives him major swagger points.
As for the bench, Desmond Simmons is the definition of a glue guy. Eleven rebounds with four of those being offensive boards. I love the hustle and wish Wilcox and Suggs could channel some that same energy when it came to crashing the boards.
Jernard Jarreau played like a freshman. I have loved his aggressiveness in scoring from the pinch, but he struggles to finish and is a clear liability on defense.
Andrew Andrews needs to shoot the open jumper with confidence. UCLA gave him a wide-open look and he nailed it from the right wing in the second half.

Your post-game thoughts?

Aaron Gordon recruiting: Pac-12 schools, Kentucky battle for 2013 five-star recruit

2013-03-05T17:00:07Z

Most Pac-12 teams are finished recruiting their class of 2013, however a few teams are still trying to fill one or two spots with the remaining uncommitted players left in the country. One of these uncommitted players is Aaron Gordon, a consensus five-star power forward recruit from San Jose, CA.

Pac-12 schools Arizona, Oregon, Washington along with the SEC's Kentucky are currently in Gordon's list of final four schools. He has made official visits to all four schools.

Gordon and his Archbishop Mitty teammates will begin their quest for a 2013 CIF State open division championship this Friday. Gordon will make his decision sometime after his season ends sometime in these next few weeks until the final signing deadline on May 15th.

For those that have not seen Gordon play, he is one of the most explosive players at the high school level, drawing inevitable comparisons to Blake Griffin. His athleticism is his best quality, allowing him to dunk routinely and block shots on a consistent basis on the defensive end. Also, despite being 6-8, Gordon can put the ball on the ground and attack the basket from the perimeter.

No one has any idea where Gordon is leaning, and it is quite possible Gordon himself has no favorite in mind right now.

Most experts think Kentucky is not a valid option for Gordon because of their current depth at the power forward position. Five-star power forward recruit Marcus Lee and three-star forward recruit Derek Willis have both already signed their LOIs to Kentucky. The Wildcats will also likely return current sophomore Kyle Wiltjer at the power forward position. Assuming at least three Wildcats bolt for the draft (Nerlens Noel, Alex Polythress, Archie Goodwin,Willie Cauley-Stein), Kentucky will have around eight scholarships to give out.

Currently the Wildcats five LOIs signed and one verbal commitment from Dakari Johnson, putting the Wildcats at exactly 11 spots if four players declare for the NBA draft. Amazingly, the Wildcats are reportedly still involved in the recruitments of two players ranked ahead of Gordon; small forward Andrew Wiggins and power forward Julius Randle. Right now, Gordon's potential contribution to Kentucky is up in the air. If Randle chooses the Wildcats and if either Polythress or Cauley-Stein decided to stay, Gordon probably will look to stay on the west coast.

Let's move on to the three Pac-12 schools.

Arizona is a winning program and as Gordon states in this video interview, Miller has a reputation of improving the jump shots of his players. Like Kentucky, Arizona has a log jam at the power forward position. Sophomore Angelo Chol and freshmen Grant Jerrett and Brandon Ashley will all return to the team next season. While Gordon will certainly see playing time as a freshman, the presence of three established talents at Arizona naturally decreases the amount of his playing time.

Oregon is an interesting case because the Ducks snuck back into Gordon's list last month after he had previously trimmed it to Arizona, Washington and Kentucky last November. How did Oregon get back onto his list? The Ducks are winning with a 23-6 record and have a likely at-large bid into the NCAA tournament. Oregon Head Coach Dana Altman made an in-home visit with Gordon in February.

The Ducks currently have two power forwards signed (Jordan Bell and Cristiano Felicio) along with current freshmen Arik Armstead and Ben Carter on the roster. Unlike Arizona, Gordon would likely immediately start and have significant playing time as a Duck.

As for Washington, the Huskies have long been regarded as the favorite to land Gordon. The Huskies will have four power forward types next season, but none of them have close to the amount of talent that Aaron Gordon has. If it counts for anything, Huskies Head Coach Lorenzo Romar attended high school with Ed Gordon, Aaron's father. However, unlike Oregon and Arizona, the Huskies have come up short in the win column this past season. Winning is clearly a factor in Gordon's decision-making process as made evident in Oregon's resurfacing as a possible destination.

With all this said, where will Gordon end up? While Gordon claims he doesn't care too much about current depth on a potential school's roster, Arizona and Kentucky will make it more difficult for Gordon to have a big impact right away. If he's looking to "stand out" he may be better off at Oregon and Washington, the two schools who I think his decision will come down to.

For Gordon, he'll have to weigh what he wants more: making an immediate impact or winning right away. These two things are not exclusive, but at Oregon he'd be joining a situation where the team would be more equipped to win immediately.

At Washington, he'd be the best player on the team from day one. As a likely one-and-done player, Washington and Coach Romar have also proven to be a program that can get guys into the NBA (see: Spencer Hawes, Jon Brockman, Terrence Ross, Tony Wroten, etc.). If it's between Washington and Oregon, the Huskies would probably be the favorite just because they have always been on Gordon's list as opposed to Oregon coming on late.

Nigel Williams-Goss named to McDonald's All-American game

2013-02-15T01:46:50Z

I'm lovin' it. This basketball season is not going the way Husky fans want it to go, but there is some good news every now and then. Incoming Husky Nigel Williams-Goss was named to the McDonald's All-American game earlier today.

This is the fourth future Husky in recent memory to participate in this game, current Husky Abdul Gaddy played in 2009, Spencer Hawes in 2006 and Jon Brockman in 2005.

Williams-Goss will be playing with some great players on the West team, including Duke-bound Jabari Parker and future Kentucky Wildcat Andrew Harrison. Also on the West squad is Aaron Gordon, one of the two undeclared players on both the West and East teams' rosters. Along with Washington, Oregon, Arizona and Kentucky make up Gordon's final four schools.

Williams-Goss is looking like more and more of a steal for coach Lorenzo Romar and his staff. Along with averaging 18 points, 7.5 assists and 5.5 rebounds per game, he's also the consummate leader for the No. 1 team in team in the country, Findlay Prep. Williams-Goss and company are 27-0 this season.

Nobody works harder than Nigel," Findlay Prep coach Todd Simon said. "He has earned everything he has received. He has done it the old-fashioned way of rolling up his sleeves. (Via: Las Vegas Sun)

Williams-Goss will also be participating in the Jordan Brand Classic game on April 13th.

The McDonald's All-American game takes place on April 3rd at 6:30 p.m.

Pac-12 Basketball Recruiting 2013: Part 2, Where each team stands now

2013-02-12T15:00:02Z

Is your team already out of the running for an NCAA tournament bid? Maybe taking a closer look at your incoming freshmen for next season will give you hope. Continuing from part 1 of our Pac-12 basketball 2013 recruiting roundup, part 2 covers the other six teams in the league.

Stanford Cardinal

Commits: PG Malcolm Allen, SG Marcus Allen, C Schuyler Rimmer

Lowdown: Stanford is getting its first set of twins since the Lopez brothers. Twin brothers Malcolm and Marcus Allen are two solid talents players with Marcus being a little more highly-regarded because of his scoring ability. Malcolm Allen at the point guard position is more of a distributor. Rimmer is a 6'10, 235lb center that head coach Johnny Dawkins thinks can turn into a valuable inside-outside threat for the Cardinal. Rimmer made his decision before the start of his senior season, he originally was committed to Florida prior to his September verbal commitment to Stanford.

Still in the hunt: N/A

UCLA Bruins

Commits: SG Zach Lavine, SG Allerik Freeman, SF Noah Allen

Lowdown: Lavine is one of the purest high school scorers in the country. The 6'4 guard from Bothell, Wash. is a little on the lanky side, but once he bulks up will be a solid contributor at the next level for the Bruins. Lavine picked the Bruins over Washington, Louisville and Gonzaga. Freeman comes out of the powerhouse Findlay Prep. The shooting guard prospect can play at the wing as well because of his above average upper-body strength. The Bruins' third commitment comes from Noah Allen, a 6'6" wing who contains slashing ability and a decent jump shot.

Still in the hunt: The Bruins have one scholarship left, but will probably have an additional spot open, assuming Shabazz Muhammad declares for the NBA draft once the season is over. Ben Howland is looking for some depth at the point guard position to replace the graduating Larry Drew. Philadelphia point guard Rysheed Jordan visited UCLA in December and has the Bruins in his final three along with St. John's and Temple. UCLA also has an offer out to Emmanuel Owootoah, a 5'10 guard out of Kentucky. Power forward Gavin Schilling has UCLA in his final four along with Michigan State, Minnesota and Villanova. He made an official visit to UCLA last weekend.

USC Trojans

Commits: Kendal Yancy-Harris, Julian Jacobs, Kahlil Dukes, Roschon Prince, Nikola Jovanovic

Lowdown: The Trojans welcome in a large class of five freshmen next season. Harris is a combo guard who has exceptional scoring ability and a knack for making plays in the paint. Jacobs is another scoring point guard. At 6'3" he is an explosive player off the dribble and overall has good vision as a passer. Rounding out the backcourt prospects, Kahlil Dukes is an undersized two-guard at 5'11. Dukes is a relentless scorer and just has a knack for putting the ball in the basket whether it be at the rim or a three-point jump shot.

Roschon Prince is a prototypical 6'5 wing out of Long Beach Poly in southern California. While his perimeter skills still leave a lot to be desired, he has a motor to defend, rebound and make hustle plays. Last but not least, Nikola Jovanovic from Serbia is a 6'10 post with three-point range. Jovanovic is not the greatest defender according to scouting reports, but his size will earn him playing time early on in his time at USC.

Still in the hunt: Will USC grant releases to any of these five commits that have signed their letter of intents? Fired in mid-January, Kevin O'Neill recruited and signed this entire class, but it remains to be see if any of these five commits will try to wiggle their way out and find themselves another home before the start of next season.

Utah Utes

Commits: Brandon Miller, Parker Van Dyke, Ahmad Fields, Delon Wright, Marko Kovacevic

Lowdown: Utah-native Brandon Miller might not play next season, depending on his decision whether or not to serve an LDS mission after graduating high school. Miller is a scoring guard who led the state of Utah in scoring as a junior while simultaneously leading his team to a state championship. Van Dyke is another Utah-native scoring guard who chose the Utes over the likes of Arizona State and Utah State.

Coming in as a junior college transfer, Delon Wright, a 6-5 guard from Los Angeles, Calif. is expected to contribute right away. The brother of NBA player Dorell Wright, Delon is another combo guard at the disposal for coach Larry Krystkowiak. Last but not least, shooting guard Ahmad Fields from Washington, D.C. made a verbal commitment to Utah in early December. Fields is a lefty slasher with solid ball-handling skills. Like his counterparts, he has the ability to guard multiple positions - sense a pattern?

Rounding out the Utes class is center Marko Kovacevic. At 6-11, Utah coaches hope the Serbian can be an immediate presence in the post. Kovacevic and Wright are both transferring from junior colleges, meaning they will be immediately eligible as rising juniors next season.

Still in the hunt: N/A

Washington Huskies

Commits: Nigel-Williams Goss, Jahmel Taylor, Darin Johnson

Lowdown: Husky fans might be disappointed Coach Lorenzo Romar and his staff failed to gain commitments from both Jabari Parker and Jabari Brown, but the school's three commitments should provide for more than enough optimism. Williams-Goss is looking like a steal for the Huskies. At 6'4, Williams-Goss has exceptional court vision and a habit of making plays for his teammates. He projects as a four-year player who could potentially battle Andrew Andrews for starting point guard next season.

Jahmel Taylor provides more depth at the point guard position for Romar. At 6'0, Taylor is a little undersized, but he has a strong frame and is a relentless at scoring the basketball. He will compliment Williams-Goss well in the backcourt. Darin Johnson is a prototypical Washington prospect who can shoot the ball, dunk the ball and excel in transition.

Still in the hunt: Romar has three spots left in this recruiting class, with two open offers out to forward prospects Aaron Gordon and Lennard Freeman. Gordon is obviously the main target right now. The Huskies have been regarded as the five-star recruit's favorite throughout his recruitment, but Romar's current team is struggling and not really helping their cause to land Gordon.

This past month, Gordon added Oregon to his top three of Arizona, Kentucky and Washington. If Washington was ahead, I think Oregon and Arizona are now tied in their probability of landing Gordon. Washington looks like a wildcard school for Lennard Freeman. The 6-8 forward currently attends Oak Hill Academy and is from Washington D.C. Villanova, N.C. State and Xavier might stand out as better and closer options for Freeman.

Washington St. Cougars

Commits: Ikenna Iroegbu, Tanner Lancona, Josh Hawkinson

Lowdown: Ken Bone adds three commits, though it will be interesting to see if he'll still be coaching by the end of all their college careers. Iroegbu comes from national powerhouse Oak Hill Academy and is described as an explosive and speedy point guard. The incoming freshmen could be called on to start right away as he will be the only player listed on the roster as a point guard. Lancona is a 6-9 forward with solid shooting ability and a developing post game; he will remind Cougar fans of current standout Brock Motum.

Still in the hunt: N/A