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DawgmanRadio: Tracy Ford talks NFL Mock Combine Day Feb 14, 2020

Show notes

These days, Tracy Ford has his irons in a lot of fires. He's heavily involved in 7-on-7 tournaments and putting teams together under the FSP (Ford Sports Performance) banner, and his gym is an off-season haven for high school players of all sports to help improve their speed, strength, agility, and quickness.

But one of Ford's biggest moves was getting involved in NFL combine prep. He takes 20-30 guys a year after their college careers are over and puts them through a rigorous training regime with one thought in mind: get them bigger, stronger, and faster for the NFL Combine in Indianapolis, and/or their respective Pro Days.

To that end, he puts together a mock combine roughly two weeks before the NFL Combine is held. It's a great opportunity for those attending to get one last report card before they head to Indiana. And for those pro hopefuls that didn't get an invite? It just means an early benchmark to judge where you need to focus your energies for the next six weeks before your Pro Day. They go through the normal testing (40-yard dash, 20-yard pro agility shuttle, vertical jump, etc...), and then go through a couple periods of position work.

Six former Washington players - Trey Adams, Salvon Ahmed, Hunter Bryant, Jared Hilbers, Chico McClatcher, and Benning Potoa'e - were all in attendance Friday at Starfire, but only four of them worked out. Two that are headed to Indianapolis, Ahmed and Bryant, went through the full battery of tests and drills, while the other Husky heading to Indy, Trey Adams, chose to sit out while he finalizes his preparations.

Two of the others, Hilbers and McClatchers, also went through the full workout, while Potoa'e did not work out. But all of them are scheduled to work out during Washington's Pro Day, scheduled for March 31.

Dawgman.com's Chris Fetters talked to Ford about all six Huskies, how they've done so far in their combine/pro day prep, and where he sees their futures as professional football players.

Mike Hopkins stresses a return to the foundation Feb 12, 2020

Show notes

Mike Hopkins has been in the basketball business long enough to know you can't wave a magic wand to make your troubles on the court disappear. The only way he knows how to get through the low points is to get back to the process that works. And that's exactly what he talked to the media about Tuesday as the team gets ready for their fourth Pac-12 road trip of the season, this one to the Los Angeles schools. Both games will be shown on ESPN2. They play USC at 6 pm Thursday night, and UCLA at 7 pm Saturday night.

The Huskies are 0-5 so far on the road in-conference and are currently on a six-game losing streak. These are circumstances not just unfamiliar to Hopkins, but for all the Huskies. They are all used to winning and winning a lot.

But if you look at the things that got them to a Pac-12 regular-season title last year, namely defense, those aren't things they're doing at present. Last year they led the league in defense, surrendering a little more than 62 points per game. But the last three games they've given up an average of nearly 80. That's the opposite of a Mike Hopkins defense.

He talked about that, the 'burn the boats' commitment he's asking of the players as they fight through their current struggles, and how it all comes back to him doing his job when talking about making the players better, both on and off the court.

DawgmanRadio: Fetters and Beach talk about slumping Dawgs Feb 07, 2020

Show notes

The guys from Dawgman.com - Chris Fetters and Head of Hoops Aaron Beach - come at you strong on a Friday afternoon to talk all things UW Men's Basketball.

First, we go through the walking conundrum known as Jaden McDaniels. An NBA team is going to make him very rich soon, but can he keep it together and still impact the team he's currently on? And in what ways can the freshman G/F get that done? And what do you do if you're UW Head Coach Mike Hopkins?

Then we move on to a couple of the more positive aspects of the team to date: the play of Isaiah Stewart all year, and the play of Hameir Wright during Pac-12 play.

Then it was time to really dig into the current situation and how they get out of their five-game skid. Beach talks about the fortunes of the team being on a knife-edge, and how they are finding ways to come up short this year in a way where they were able to find wins last year.

They talk about the freshmen guards - Marcus Tsohonis and RaeQuan Battle - and how they've done so far and what they're going to have to keep doing in order to push the team forward.

The enigma that is Nahziah Carter is next on the list to talk about and how he's struggled to find his groove with this lineup. But why?

And last, with a trip to Washington State next on the schedule, Fetters and Beach break down what they think has to go UW's way to get out of Pullman with a win, as well as what they might do in the Pac-12 Tournament. Beach has felt for a long time UW is the team no one wants to face in Vegas because they have the ability to beat anyone at any time.

Does he still feel that way?

Break in the action came at a great time for UW Feb 07, 2020

Show notes

The Washington Huskies had no way to know how it would work out, but the fact that they play only one game this week - and it's on a Sunday - means they've had extra time to assess what has gone wrong during their current five-game losing streak.

In other words, the break couldn't have come at a better time, and if you take Mike Hopkins' word for it, it's allowed the team to recharge their batteries, get away for a bit, come back and get prepared to finish off the rest of their season with a flourish.

Apparently it's also produced two of the best practices the Huskies have had since the end of December.

"These rivalry games are just incredible because everybody gets excited to play in a high-level arena against competition that is going to play at 110 percent going at each other," Hopkins told the media Thursday ahead of the team's travel to Pullman to face off against Washington State Sunday afternoon. Game time is 3 pm Pacific Time and will be shown on ESPNU.

"I think our biggest focus right now is just making sure we're playing our best game and we're focused on playing as one. And then competing at a level like no other. These guys have done an incredible job of doing that in practice the last couple days. It's probably been the best two practices we've had in the last month-and-a-half. That's always a positive things as coach, you see the confidence is still there and you see the belief is still there and you see the work ethic is still there and you see them wanting to get better and wanting to grow. And most importantly, understanding that there's a lot to play for. It's real. And that's what I'm so excited about."

The media spoke with Hopkins and Isaiah Stewart to get a feel for how the break has benefitted the team and what they need to do to get back to winning ways.

DawgmanRadio - Tsohonis, Wright, and Hopkins after ASU loss Feb 02, 2020

Show notes

Here's the post-game audio from Washington freshman guard Marcus Tsohonis, who made his first start of the season, Hameir Wright who chipped in 14 points, and UW Head Coach Mike Hopkinsafter UW suffered their fifth-straight loss, 87-83, to Arizona State Saturday night at Alaska Airlines Arena.

DawgmanRadio: Battle, Carter, Hopkins speak after loss to Arizona Jan 31, 2020

Show notes

Post-Game audio from freshman sharpshooter RaeQuan Battle, who led Washington in scoring with a career-high 14 points, junior guard Nahziah Carter, and UW head coach Mike Hopkins after Washington's 75-72 last-second loss to Arizona at Alaska Airlines Arena. It's the fourth-straight loss for the Huskies, the first time that's happened in the Hopkins era.

Hopkins trying to keep things positive despite recent struggles Jan 30, 2020

Show notes

Washington's 76-62 loss at Colorado Saturday meant the Huskies' third loss in a row, and their path toward the Pac-12 Tournament doesn't get any easier Thursday as they host Arizona (13-6, 3-3).

The Huskies never lost more than one game in a row all of last year, but this year? It's happened three times in just the last nine games. Ever since losing in Honolulu on Christmas to Houston in the Diamond Head Classic championship game, it's basically been a snowball rolling dead downhill.

And Mike Hopkins has never lost more than three games in a row since becoming Washington's head coach nearly three years ago.

"A lot of close losses definitely takes a toll on your mentally," junior forward Hameir Wright told the media on Wednesday as the Huskies prepared to host the Wildcats. "So we're getting uptight, overthinking a lot of things. So (Hopkins') message to us and having fun is just playing the game that we all know how to play."

Fun was definitely the operative word for Hopkins, as he talked about shorter practices and positivity as a couple of tactics he's currently employing while searching for answers to get the team out of this slump.

DawgmanRadio - Looking at UW commits in the Final Top247 Jan 28, 2020

Show notes

On Tuesday, 247 released its final Top247 for the 2020 recruiting class and Washington had nine players on the list. Several fell, a couple rose and two stayed the same as they were.

Why did players like Sav'ell Smalls and Sam Adams fall in the rankings as far as they did?

That is the question Husky fans are wondering after seeing the big drops for both of those local players and that's a complicated answer, but Dawgman's Kim Grinolds and Scott Eklund give their thoughts on why that happened as well as looking at why players like Ethan Garbers and Rome Odunze both had significant improvements on their overall rankings.

They also talk about the final week before National Signing Day and talk about which players are left on the board and how things could wrap up as well as the K.J. Costello rumors that are floating around that he is on campus today meeting with the Husky coaching staff.

To listen to the 31-minute podcast, click on the audio link above.

DawgmanRadio: Last big official visit weekend of 2020 class Jan 25, 2020

Show notes

It's the final push toward the finish line of the 2020 recruiting cycle for the Washington Husky coaching staff and they have 10 visitors on campus this weekend.

Dawgman.com's Scott Eklund and Kim Grinolds go through each of the prospects that are there, including the four scholarship athletes and the six walk-on candidates. They also give a quick preview of what is in store over the next week and a half before National Letter-of-Intent day, which is on February 5, and what to look forward to with regards to the 2021 recruiting class which includes profiles of targeted prospects, something we've already started to do, recruiting lists of top prospects who are on Washington's recruiting board for each position group among other things.

To listen to the 26-minute podcast, click on the audio link above.

Hopkins laments late-game meltdowns Jan 22, 2020

Show notes

Remember these numbers: 4, 2, 6, 3, and 3. Those numbers represent the margins in Washington's last five losses, starting with their 75-71 loss in Honolulu to Houston in the Championship game of the Diamond Head Classic.

The Huskies are 2-4 in league play, but those four losses are by a combined 14 points. Whether it's missed shots, missed free throws, turnovers, or defensive frailty in the final five minutes, UW has suffered a little bit of everything and have found multiple ways to give games away.

"I remember Oregon State, at Oregon State our first year," Mike Hopkins recalled Tuesday as the Huskies continued their preparations for games at Utah Thursday night and at Colorado on Saturday. "We're up 13 with 7 minutes to go. We've got the best defensive player on planet Earth in Matisse Thybulle. They make 6 of their last 8 threes in Matisse's area and we ended up losing. (Stevie) Thompson ends up making a three-pointer at the buzzer or whatever it was in overtime. Did it twice to us that year. Those were the experiences, because I remember the next time we played 'em last year at Oregon State we reminded 'em. We were up the same and it was like 'don't forget!', and Matisse is like I ain't forgetting. Now Spider Man, his senses become a little bit more...that goes back to learning and understanding.

"This isn't going to do anything to a guy like Payton Pritchard next time if we get another next time. (Stanford guard) Daejon Davis, first time you get him late in the clock...now it's like we aren't going to let him. We never put anything to chance, regardless of if it's a high-level shot or no. That's part of the growing experience, that's part of the ups and downs of winning and losing. The key for the team for me is, keep believing. We're right there. Sometimes you've got to take two steps back to take a step forward. We've got to keep moving forward. We've got to keep learning, we've got to keep growing and we've got to keep competing."

Hopkins recited some staggering numbers: in the last five minutes of Pac-12 games, teams are shooting 72 percent from two and 8-11 from the three-point line.

"The numbers late, we have to pick it up, we have to be more aware," Hopkins said. "That's when we're blocking shots and we're active through 30 minutes of the game, that last five minutes when the games are on the line, that's when it needs to be elevated. That goes back to experience."

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