UW Husky Basketball Thread

[IndyHawk]

Like the hire..The 2-3 is great when used as a switch up in certain situations..All coaches have to start somewhere

 

[Sgt. Largent]

Like the hire..The 2-3 is great when used as a switch up in certain situations..All coaches have to start somewhere

I like the hire as well.

I was hoping Cohen went outside the UW/local comfort zone and went after someone like Hopkins. By all reports, he's a tireless recruiter and will bust his ass 24/7. Exactly what this program needs.

 

[Hawkscanner]

I just got back from a physical therapy appointment and heard the news on the way there that Mike Hopkins had been hired. Like most of you I'm sure, my very first reaction was -- WHO?!? It came as a real shock to see Jen Cohen appear to hire a guy totally out of the blue -- someone with ZERO head coaching experience.

On the way back from PT, I was listening to Softy's show and heard a couple of very interesting interviews back to back regarding Mike Hopkins. There's no podcast link as of yet, as he JUST got finished doing there ... but I've got to say that after listening to these interviews I'm very intrigued and actually excited about the hire of Mike Hopkins.

The first interview I listened to was with SI's Mike Thamel, who absolutely GUSHED about Mike Hopkins and thinks Washington made a real slam dunk of a hire. Thamel said that Hopkins has been pretty much considered the best assistant coach in the country for the last 10 years or so. He said that guys who are really in the know (really in the loop) about college basketball see this as a great hire. Hopkins has been interviewed several times (including by USC) and has turned down a lot of coaching jobs. He said that he's a West Coast guy, as he's originally from Laguna Hills, California. He has been the one who has done the majority of the recruiting there at Syracuse for the past several years ... and in essence done the lion's share of the coaching. He's not taken any jobs, as he's been considered the heir apparent to Boehim for many years. So, he's basically been waiting in the wings there for him to retire. He called him an extremely energetic and passionate coach -- one who is very personable and makes good connections with players. He LOVED the hire and thinks that UW fans should give him a chance.

The second interview (which was just as intriguing) was with former Syracuse Athletic Director Daryl Gross. Gross also went on and on about how much he liked Hopkins as well. He reiterated a lot of Thamel's points and expanded upon them. He went on to again talk about Hopkin's tireless energy, enthusiasm, and passion ... and my mind immediately thought -- Pete Carroll. Well, Gross went on to talk about Pete Carroll, as he was working at USC at the time Carroll was hired by the University. In fact, he went on to take credit for USC's hiring of Pete Carroll (Softy questioned him on this at this point and he simply said, "Hey, don't take my word for it. You just ask Pete the next time you see him, OK?"). He equated Hopkins to Pete Carroll, saying that he has that exact same kind of passion and energy ... and that guys like playing for Hopkins. He went on to add that at the time Carroll was hired by USC, there were a lot of people really skeptical about that hire as well. He added some details regarding Hopkins' interview with USC and said that he was probably the one who screwed up the job for him (Gross was of course the AD at Syracuse at the time). When asked why, he said it was because he told USC (I'm paraphrasing here), "You're getting a great guy in Hopkins. In fact, in a couple of years or so, I'm going to try to hire him back from you."

Both guys couldn't say enough good things about Hopkins.

Edit to Add: After both of these interviews, Softy remarked that he'd tried, but couldn't find anyone who had anything bad/negative to say about Mike Hopkins. Softy: "Believe me if I could find someone out there who did [had something bad to say about him], I'd put him on the air. I can't find that guy."

We'll see how things eventually shake out in terms of recruiting and once the games actually start, but after listening to both of those interviews consider me as one who is pretty positive about this hire. Kudos to Jen Cohen for really doing her homework and not just making a political hire -- when doing so would have been all so easy to do.

UPDATE ... for those who are interested, KJR finally has the link posted for these interviews. They're definitely worth a listen. Good stuff ...
link to interviews:
https://www.iheart.com/show/139-Dave-Softy-Mahler/?episode_id=28051662

 

[WmHBonney]

I live 30 minutes from the SU campus.
MHop is a good hire.
Daryl Gross is a buffoon.
SU fans are sorry to see MHop go.
SU fans couldn't wait to get rid of Gross. He never should have been hired here.

 

[Hawk-Lock]

Good post Scanner. Pretty similar reaction from me when I heard about the hire.

Sounds like Conroy will be retained. Still working things out with a couple other assistants.

Blake Harris has been granted his release, and will restart the process of finding a school. Hop will talk to him and try to presuade him that UW is still the school for him. From my understanding, Harris was here for Romar.

From what I know, Porter Jr has not yet asked for his release, but is fully expected to at some point. Until I hear otherwise, we have a chance.

Diarra sounds open to staying.

Sounds like the two Garfiled kids, Davis and Nowell will stay.

Hop made his first offer as UW head coach yesterday, to a kid named Spencer Freedman, who plays for his alma mater, Mater Dei HS. I think we will see more players like this recruited at UW. Romar always went for length, size and athleticism. This kid doesn't look very athletic, but looks highly skilled. IMO, UW has lacked this type of player the past several years. A high IQ kid, someone like Payton Pritchard who plays for Oregon. Reminds me a little of John Stockton, but with some flash. I posted his video below. The big man in the video that Freedman is playing with is Bol Bol, expect Hop to go after him too. He is Manute Bol's son.

[youtube]NuSS9U6s0Nc[/youtube]

 

[JSeahawks]

History is not on your side:

http://www.mercurynews.com/2017/03/20/c ... e-hopkins/

 

[CPHawk]

Good post Scanner. Pretty similar reaction from me when I heard about the hire.

Sounds like Conroy will be retained. Still working things out with a couple other assistants.

Blake Harris has been granted his release, and will restart the process of finding a school. Hop will talk to him and try to presuade him that UW is still the school for him. From my understanding, Harris was here for Romar.

From what I know, Porter Jr has not yet asked for his release, but is fully expected to at some point. Until I hear otherwise, we have a chance.

Diarra sounds open to staying.

Sounds like the two Garfiled kids, Davis and Nowell will stay.

Hop made his first offer as UW head coach yesterday, to a kid named Spencer Freedman, who plays for his alma mater, Mater Dei HS. I think we will see more players like this recruited at UW. Romar always went for length, size and athleticism. This kid doesn't look very athletic, but looks highly skilled. IMO, UW has lacked this type of player the past several years. A high IQ kid, someone like Payton Pritchard who plays for Oregon. Reminds me a little of John Stockton, but with some flash. I posted his video below. The big man in the video that Freedman is playing with is Bol Bol, expect Hop to go after him too. He is Manute Bol's son.

[youtube]NuSS9U6s0Nc[/youtube]

I don't think Porter Jr has to ask for any release, since he never signed anything with UW.

 

[IndyHawk]

Good post Scanner. Pretty similar reaction from me when I heard about the hire.

Sounds like Conroy will be retained. Still working things out with a couple other assistants.

Blake Harris has been granted his release, and will restart the process of finding a school. Hop will talk to him and try to presuade him that UW is still the school for him. From my understanding, Harris was here for Romar.

From what I know, Porter Jr has not yet asked for his release, but is fully expected to at some point. Until I hear otherwise, we have a chance.

Diarra sounds open to staying.

Sounds like the two Garfiled kids, Davis and Nowell will stay.

Hop made his first offer as UW head coach yesterday, to a kid named Spencer Freedman, who plays for his alma mater, Mater Dei HS. I think we will see more players like this recruited at UW. Romar always went for length, size and athleticism. This kid doesn't look very athletic, but looks highly skilled. IMO, UW has lacked this type of player the past several years. A high IQ kid, someone like Payton Pritchard who plays for Oregon. Reminds me a little of John Stockton, but with some flash. I posted his video below. The big man in the video that Freedman is playing with is Bol Bol, expect Hop to go after him too. He is Manute Bol's son.

[youtube]NuSS9U6s0Nc[/youtube]

I like this kid ..He can see the floor really well..

 

[Hawkscanner]

History is not on your side:

http://www.mercurynews.com/2017/03/20/c ... e-hopkins/

Look ... I get it. I get the skepticism. At the same time though, 3 cases is a very small sample size - I wouldn't put a ton of stock in that. By the same token, there was a ton of criticism when Pete Carroll was hired by USC. There was a lot of, "What the heck are you guys doing hiring a guy who was fired not just once ... but TWICE in the NFL? It's clear he can't coach. What are you guys thinking?"

And the rest (of course) is history.

It's not about how you start ... it's how you finish.

I'm not saying Mike Hopkins is going to be the next Mike Krzyzewski or anything. I'm just saying I'm willing to give the guy a chance. I'm willing to give him 5 years or so before I start to truly judge him. Just relax ... sit back ... and let his body of work speak for itself. I'm just hoping that most fans will be willing to do the same.

 

[Hawk-Lock]

He got introduced today, you can see it here. Fast forward to around the 7:30 mark.

https://www.periscope.tv/w/1kvJpnaedjaKE

As expected, MPJ has asked for his release. The report that said he never signed was just a rumor. He still has UW on his list, but chances of him staying are small. My guess is he follows his father, which will likely be Missouri. I think Hop has made it clear he wants guys who want to be here. I think he's focusing on keeping the two Garfield kids, which is much more realistic than keeping MPJ.

 

[Hawkscanner]

He got introduced today, you can see it here. Fast forward to around the 7:30 mark.

https://www.periscope.tv/w/1kvJpnaedjaKE

As expected, MPJ has asked for his release. The report that said he never signed was just a rumor. He still has UW on his list, but chances of him staying are small. My guess is he follows his father, which will likely be Missouri. I think Hop has made it clear he wants guys who want to be here. I think he's focusing on keeping the two Garfield kids, which is much more realistic than keeping MPJ.

I just got through watching the interview. Thanks for posting this. My immediate gut reaction after hearing Mike Hopkins speak is "WOW!" What I'm going to say here isn't logical. It isn't based upon any raw data, stats, numbers, etc. -- or any of that stuff that we as fans usually point to and debate about. BUT ... in listening to this interview with Coach Hopkins -- my mind IMMEDIATELY flashed back to Pete Carroll's very first official press conference right after he was hired by the Seahawks. In listening to Coach Hopkins speak, the amazing passion ... the energy ... the overwhelming positivity ... the determination ... the hard nosed, gritty mentality that it's clear that he possesses -- I felt like I was listening to Pete Carroll. This guy is a motivator, one heck of a salesman -- and you can tell that he truly loves coaching and honestly cares about young people. I just feel with all of the guys out there who endorse Mike Hopkins (from legendary coaches like Coach K to former NBA players) -- he is going to be successful in drawing young talented players who want to play for this guy. I just have a funny gut feeling, that the University of Washington just made a momentous game changing hire here. I feel like this is a move that we're going to be pointing back to years from now and saying, "That was the start of a real golden era in Husky Basketball."

 

[Sgt. Largent]

I have no idea if this was intentional, but Porter Jr being interviewed by KING 5 right after Hopkin's press conference left a bad taste in my mouth.

I like that Hopkins hasn't spoken to the Porters yet. No program should be beholden to any one player or family.

Good luck to Missouri next year, I'm sure they'll be really good. But after all these one and done's are gone, hopefully Hopkins will have built the UW into the perennial top of the Pac 12 school that we all know it can be.

 

[Hawkfan77]

I have no idea if this was intentional, but Porter Jr being interviewed by KING 5 right after Hopkin's press conference left a bad taste in my mouth.

I like that Hopkins hasn't spoken to the Porters yet. No program should be beholden to any one player or family.

Good luck to Missouri next year, I'm sure they'll be really good. But after all these one and done's are gone, hopefully Hopkins will have built the UW into the perennial top of the Pac 12 school that we all know it can be.

Putting a call into the number 1 player in the country that's currently committed to your school is common courtesy. That's not being beholden to anyone. Giving him the cold shoulder is odd in my opinion. It's absolute ludicrous to think that Porter Jr wouldn't have a huge impact where ever he goes. Hell its been over 10 years and Hopkins makes a point to mention Carmelo Anothony...

 

[Tical21]

I'll be honest, I don't want anything to do with the Porters. Just going to stunt our growth and take minutes from kids that could help us win if they develop.

Interesting that Porter hasn't taken the Missouri gig. Supposedly, he is waiting to see what happens to Romar. Lorenzo might find himself in a nice situation if Michael Porter comes as a package deal.

 

[Sgt. Largent]

I have no idea if this was intentional, but Porter Jr being interviewed by KING 5 right after Hopkin's press conference left a bad taste in my mouth.

I like that Hopkins hasn't spoken to the Porters yet. No program should be beholden to any one player or family.

Good luck to Missouri next year, I'm sure they'll be really good. But after all these one and done's are gone, hopefully Hopkins will have built the UW into the perennial top of the Pac 12 school that we all know it can be.

Putting a call into the number 1 player in the country that's currently committed to your school is common courtesy. That's not being beholden to anyone. Giving him the cold shoulder is odd in my opinion. It's absolute ludicrous to think that Porter Jr wouldn't have a huge impact where ever he goes. Hell its been over 10 years and Hopkins makes a point to mention Carmelo Anothony...

I don't see it as giving him the cold shoulder. I see it as Hopkins isn't going to change the normal protocol of arriving at a new coaching position for a 17 year old kid, no matter how good he is.

I'm sure he'll reach out to the Porter family within the week. No reason to bend over backwards for a family that already appears to be gone back home to Missouri.

I admire that sort of integrity. I like Romar, but giving a dad a sweet coaching gig in order to get his sons and other players is sorta slimey to me. I understand that's the way college sports is now, but it shouldn't be.

 

[Tical21]

I have no idea if this was intentional, but Porter Jr being interviewed by KING 5 right after Hopkin's press conference left a bad taste in my mouth.

I like that Hopkins hasn't spoken to the Porters yet. No program should be beholden to any one player or family.

Good luck to Missouri next year, I'm sure they'll be really good. But after all these one and done's are gone, hopefully Hopkins will have built the UW into the perennial top of the Pac 12 school that we all know it can be.

Putting a call into the number 1 player in the country that's currently committed to your school is common courtesy. That's not being beholden to anyone. Giving him the cold shoulder is odd in my opinion. It's absolute ludicrous to think that Porter Jr wouldn't have a huge impact where ever he goes. Hell its been over 10 years and Hopkins makes a point to mention Carmelo Anothony...

I don't see it as giving him the cold shoulder. I see it as Hopkins isn't going to change the normal protocol of arriving at a new coaching position for a 17 year old kid, no matter how good he is.

I'm sure he'll reach out to the Porter family within the week. No reason to bend over backwards for a family that already appears to be gone back home to Missouri.

I admire that sort of integrity. I like Romar, but giving a dad a sweet coaching gig in order to get his sons and other players is sorta slimey to me. I understand that's the way college sports is now, but it shouldn't be.

It's a little different, slightly, because Romar is the godfather of the children and was in Porter's wedding and everything. Still a little yucky but it isn't just a random dude being brought in to get the son.

 

[Sgt. Largent]

It's a little different, slightly, because Romar is the godfather of the children and was in Porter's wedding and everything. Still a little yucky but it isn't just a random dude being brought in to get the son.

I understand. It's all about the timing, Romar didn't really care to hire his longtime buddy UNTIL his kids got really good at basketball? That's hard for me to bend to as just a coincidence.

Now low and behold Mr. Porter is rumored to be hired at Missouri?

I just hate this side of college sports.

 

[Hawk-Lock]

Nice little short documentary put together by Bobby Jones while he was at UW. I was at that game where we beat undefeated Stanford in the last game of the season. That game put Husky basketball on the map.

[youtube]0Z2rhnnrFOo[/youtube]

 

[Hawk-Lock]

Dickerson is transferring out. So is Atewe. Dickerson will be missed.

Porter Sr officially accepted the Missouri assistant job. I'd be shocked if his sons don't follow him.

It's going to be pretty ugly next year, may only win a game or two. I just hope we don't dig too big of a hole that it takes 3-4 years for Hop to dig out of.

 

[Sgt. Largent]

It's going to be pretty ugly next year, may only win a game or two. I just hope we don't dig too big of a hole that it takes 3-4 years for Hop to dig out of.

Probably, but I equate what's going on to when Peterson took over the football program and dismissed Marcus Peters, who was arguably the best player on the team at the time.

This is a good thing. Any great coach needs to come in, clean house, assemble his staff and then go recruit the kids that fit his style and brand of basketball.

Not desperately beg incoming recruits to stay committed clinging to the hope that they'll hang around for a year, including keeping parents on staff? Nah, that's not the mark of a great coach.