While Louisville, Michigan, Syracuse and Wichita State are welcomed to Atlanta (where the playas play….Ludacris anyone????) as the final four teams in the 2013 madness of March, a number of individuals from the West Coast—not headed to the “Dirty South”—are making career-impacting decisions.

While there are still a few Canadians left in the remaining quartet (Noel Jones – Syracuse, Nik Stauskas – Michigan, Nick Wiggins and Chadrack Lufile – Wichita State), they are all from the Eastern provinces.  Payton Siva, Louisville’s starting point guard, is the lone representative from the Pacific side of North America.

With just over two months until David Stern makes his final NBA draft announcements and handshakes, there is a handful of pro prospects hailing from BC, Washington and Oregon, not to mention players from within the Pac-12 Conference who will no doubt be part of the final draft class that Stern will welcome across the stage.

Northwest NBA PROspects

1.  Shabazz Muhammad

After the release of the story detailing how Ron Holmes planned to make his son a superstar baller, it is surprising that the 6’6″ freshman wasn’t surgically attached to a basketball in the womb.

Not really a “Northwest” player, out of all the players in the PAC-12, Shabazz has the highest ceiling and is the odds-on favorite to be a part of the lottery group.

Kelly Olynyk saw his draft stock rise drastically during the 212-13 season.

2.  Kelly Olynyk

An intriguing story in his own right, Kelly Olynyk took many by surprise this season after red-shirting during his “to-be” junior year.

A seven-footer who has the ability to face the basket and shoot with range, Olynyk has drawn comparisons to solid NBA players such as Luis Scola, Andrea Bargnani and Spencer Hawes.  With the way that the NBA has changed its game, with centers no longer lumbering bulky plods (shout out to Bryant Reeves), the BC native has the ability to run in transition, put the ball on the floor, play with his back to the basket and sink the mid-range J.

Considering that at the beginning of the season Olynyk wasn’t even a blip on the draft boards, the fact that he is set to be a late lottery, mid first round pick is a huge feat for what potentially can be a solid NBA career.

3.  C.J. Wilcox

Wilcox saw a statistical improvement in his junior year, but that could heavily be attributed to the fact that the Huskies lacked a secondary source of scoring.  Odds are high that Wilcox will enter the draft this year, but the thought is that unlike Terrence Ross, he will not end up hearing his name called during the first thirty picks.

Considering the lack of star power in the Washington 2013 recruiting class, it doesn’t look like Wilcox’s stock is going to get any higher next season.

4 & 5.  Eric Moreland and Devon Collier

A 6’10″ sophomore, Eric Moreland far and away led the Beavers in rebounding in back-to-back seasons averaging 10.6 boards this year while chipping in 9.4 points per game.  Devon Collier, on the other hand, provided more of a scoring touch with 12.6 points, down slightly from his sophomore season.

Both players will probably find themselves selected mid to deep in the second round and may be better off returning to OSU for another season.

Some might argue that with the Beavers’ lack of success the past few seasons, Moreland and Collier would be better off even if they spent a year or two developing in the D League.

6.  Mike Moser

Following his freshman year in UCLA, the Portland native found his last two seasons in Vegas playing for the Runnin’ Rebels.  Right now, reports have Mike Moser transferring to play for Lorenzo Romar and the Washington Huskies, which could play a big role in Wilcox’s decision.

Moser still has the opportunity to test the NBA waters should he not sign with an agent.  After a season in which injuries and Anthony Bennett impacted his role with the Rebels, Moser at best would join Wilcox, Moreland and Collier in the second round.

7.  Peyton Siva

He could very well capture an NCAA championship ring in his second trip to the last weekend of the tournament, but Siva, like those immediately above him, will struggle to get out of the second round.

At best a late, late first round pick, Siva may not be the most athletic point guard, but his experience, intelligence and leadership are hard to match.

8-10.  Brock Motum, Tony Woods and Arsalan Kazemi

One has the stats, the other has the size and the third has the hustle.  Combined, they would make a lottery pick.  Individually, they will struggle to hear their names being called even among the second round selections.

All three will probably find their way on to a summer league roster, but from odds are, these three seniors will end up overseas.

While St. Mary’s, Middle Tennessee, Liberty, UNC A&T, Boise State, La Salle, J Madison and Long Island University all are happier than a kid in a candy store to be part of March Madness, something still feels incredibly wrong about the “play-in” games.

Sure it gives a couple more teams and players an opportunity to participate in the greatest championship tournament ever created, but it brings the Buffalo Wild Wings commercial to life.

Now that I have that off of my chest, let’s get on to the real reason why I am here.  The 2012/13 NCAA hoops season has been a wild and crazy ride.  The PAC12 had a relatively lackluster regular season, but the conference tournament was one of the best in recent memory.

Homegrown talent either matched preseason expectations or came out of nowhere to surprise everyone.

TOP 5 NORTHWEST BIG DANCE STORIES:

1) Is the tournament committee on the West Coast wacky tobacky by seeding the Oregon Ducks as a 12 seed?

HELLO 5-12 upset pick!  Seriously, this is how much the East Coast thinks of West Coast basketball.  The Ducks captured the PAC12 title and a trio of top 25 victories (#18 UNLV, #24 UCLA, #21 UCLA).  At one point during the season, Oregon was among the top ten teams in the Div 1 ranks.

With E.J. Singler and Arsalan Kazemi up front along with freshman duo Damyean Dotson and Dominic Artis in the back, the Ducks have fire power all over the court.  Scoring…check.  Rebounding…check.  Uptempo offense…check.

Most people have Oklahoma St going deep into the Madness, but if you are going to go with an upset pick, why not take a left coast team…..GO BIG OR GO HOME!

2) West Side Represent

One year after having only a single representative in the tournament (PAC12 Champions Colorado), the conference will have four teams battling for glory.  2013 Conference champs Oregon Ducks hold down the 12th seed in the Midwest and are primed for an upset win over OK St..

Kelly Olynyk’s Gonzaga Bulldogs enter the Big Dance as a #1 seed

Arizona grabbed the 6th seed in the West and could possibly find themselves in the Regional Semifinals.  As with the Wildcats, the UCLA Bruins were given the 6th seed in the South and despite the loss of Justin Adams, have the ability to at least get past day one.The Colorado Buffaloes were rewarded with the 10th seed in the East and as with the Bruins could find themselves playing multiple games.

3) Kelly Olynyk’s Gonzaga Bulldogs enter the Big Dance as a #1 seed for the first time in school history.

No longer considered a “Cinderella”, the Bulldogs are now a team that everyone is looking to knock off.  With only two losses all season, the Bulldogs enter the tournament riding a thirteen game winning streak.

Unfortunately for some, the lack of a competitive conference schedule and two losses against ranked teams (at the time #13 Illinois Dec 8 ,85-74, #13 Butler Jan 19, 64-63) has fans questioning how many songs the Bulldogs will actually dance to this spring.

Look for the Zags to get by Southern U and last through a tough battle against Pitt….how they do against Wisconsin is the question on everyone’s minds.

4) Hidden Gems

Rio Adams (Hometown:  Seattle, Kansas Jayhawks Guard).  Adams found court time in 23 of 34 games this season, but only averaged 3.6 minutes.  Playing behind Ben McLemore, Elijah Johnson and Travis Releford has been a tough nut for Adams to crack in his freshman season, but he could play a valuable role for Coach Bill Self if Kansas is to go far.

5) One Shining Moment – Peyton Siva.

After four years at Louisville, there would be no better way to close out his collegiate career than by cutting down the nets in Atlanta.  The championship would almost then help secure Siva a spot in the June NBA Draft.  Right now Siva is on the outside of many draft boards looking in.

After a relatively quiet freshman season, Siva quickly became one of the leaders of the Louisville Cardinals.  

A two time Big East Champion, Siva has been knocked out of the field of Madness in the first round twice, before reaching the final four last season.  He may be known as a Big East legend, but no doubt Siva would like to hear his name join the other elite guards when it comes down to crossing the stage for the legendary handshake.

Hey, not too shabby having only two teams in red on my PAC12 Tournament bracket.

So now comes the big moment, not just for the Oregon Ducks and UCLA Bruins, but more importantly for me as a prognosticator.

If Friday night’s semi final battle against the Arizona Wildcats (66-64) is any indication of what Saturday evenings final will bring, fans of both the Bruins and Ducks are in for a treat.

For the first time since 2008, the Bruins will play for the PAC12 title.  The Ducks, as a result of their 64-45 victory over the surprising Utah Utes will have the opportunity to raise the PAC12 banner, one which they last claimed in 2007.

GAME 13 – 8:00pm #1 UCLA Bruins vs. #3 Oregon Ducks

The Bruins, battle tested from last night’s meeting with the Wildcats may come into the championship game a little fatigued, while the Ducks, as a result of their blowout against the Utes may have fresher legs.  The key words here are fresh legs, or more to the point a foot.

In the Bruins final play of the evening and one that sent them to the championship game, standout freshman guard Jordan Adams broke his right foot (specifically his fifth metatarsal.

As former coach Bobby Knight has often pointed out, the conference tournaments are a waste of time and can often lead to the misfortune of players and teams, in this case Adams and the Bruins.

The PAC12 Championship game has the makings of a great evening of hoops

The loss of Adams is a big hit for the Bruins who will now have to rely on sophomore backup Norman Powell to keep up with the Ducks freshman stud Damyean Dotson.

When you look at the two teams, one is (possibly was) favored by their backcourt as Larry Drew II and Shabazz Muhammad will have to step up their production even more in the absence of their backcourt mate.  The Ducks on the other hand counter up front with E.J. Singler, Tony Woods and Arsalan Kazemi.

The loss of Adams will be the story of the game and will heavily impact the final result.  The Bruins could play heavily inspired ball, motivated by the loss of their teammate or the Ducks could capitalize on the unfortunate injury and take advantage of a team that is not at full strength physically (and possibly mentally / emotionally).

Both teams have had their struggles in the regular season, in and out of the top 25 rankings and both team have had battles in their road to the PAC12 championship game.  UCLA scraped by both Arizona schools with a five point victory over the Sun Devils and a two pointer over the Wildcats.

The Ducks on the other hand needed overtime to defeat the Washington Huskies before a relatively easy semi final against the Utes.

With multiple story lines present on Saturday night, the PAC12 Championship game has the makings of a great evening of hoops, one that will hopefully kick start putting the conference back on the NCAA basketball map.

When all is said and done and they turn down the lights at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, look for the Ducks to be carrying the championship banner back to Oregon.

CLICK HERE CHECK OUT THE DUCKS BLOG IN OUR CLUBHOUSE TODAY AT NWSB!

Consistency seems to be the theme of my PAC12 bracket as once again the day finished with a 3-1 record.  The glitch to day 2 perfection was the Utah Utes 79-69 upset over the California Golden Bears.

On the brighter side, predictions of a close battle between the Oregon Ducks and Washington Huskies were on point as the third seeded Ducks needed overtime to knock the Huskies out of the tournament with an 80-77 victory.  

The early games saw both top seeds move on to Friday’s action as the UCLA Bruins knocked off the Arizona State Sun Devils and the Arizona Wildcats walked away with a ten point defeat of the Colorado Buffaloes 79-69.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=b1lJSh-O32s

GAME 10 – 6:00pm #1 UCLA Bruins vs. #4 Arizona Wildcats

The Bruins may have actually had an advantage when they took on the Sun Devils on Thursday night as chances were the players on Arizona State were in shock of the hideous uniforms that UCLA rocked.  Winning six of their last seven games, the Bruins are one victory shy of reaching the PAC12 final since 2008.

The Ducks needed an extra 5 minutes to finish off the Huskies last night. Tonight they get the Utes.

Shabazz Muhammad had a big second half against ASU, but it was Larry Drew II who stepped up to give the Bruins another offensive weapon that the Wildcats are going to have to focus on.

The Wildcats are hoping to extend their visit to the tournament final to a fourth straight year and will have to play lockdown defense in order to reach that goal.

This is a classic match of offense meets defense as the Bruins topped the PAC12 offensively with just over 72 points, while the Wildcats sit at 23-0 when they hold opponents to under 70 points.  The Wildcats had an easier game on Thursday night, but the wake up call the Bruins received may very well carry them onto the championship game Saturday night.

GAME 11 – 8:30pm #3 Oregon Ducks vs. #10 Utah Utes

Normally Cinderella shows up to the ball wearing a size 12, however when talking about the PAC12 Tournament, she is wearing a size 10, as the Utah Utes have knocked off the #7 seed USC Trojans and the #2 seed California Golden Bears.

Guard Jarred Dubois has been en-fuego for the Utes with 21 points against Cal and 22 in the opening game against USC.

The Ducks on the other hand needed an extra five minutes to finish off the Huskies with a three point victory.

Dropping their final regular season game to the Utes just under a week ago, the Ducks will have redemption on their minds on Friday evening.  

Even though the two teams split their regular season meetings, the Ducks are entering the second semi-final game as favorites.

With a deeper bench and fresher legs, look for Coach Altman will turn up the tempo and take advantage of a fatigued Utes squad to set up what could turn out to be a classic meeting with the Bruins on tomorrow night.

CLICK HERE CHECK OUT THE DUCKS BLOG IN OUR CLUBHOUSE TODAY AT NWSB!

At the end of day one my PAC12 bracket stands at 3-1 with only the Sun Devils 89-88 victory over the Cardinal putting a ding into perfection.  Thanks to a career high 34 points and a record setting night by a freshman in the PAC12 Tournament.

On Thursday, the top four seeds in the PAC12 will see their first on court action in Vegas taking on the winners from Wednesday night’s matchups.  

Chances are high that all the top seeds will advance without fear of an upset.

Game 5 – 12:00pm #1 UCLA Bruins vs. #9 Arizona State Sun Devils

The Bruins are going to have to cool off ASU point guard Jahii Carson after his 34 point effort against the Cardinal.  After a forty five minute game, the Sun Devils will have to dig deep in the tank in order to get by a well rested and determined Bruins squad.  A neutral site rubber match from the their regular season split, the Bruins know what the Sun Devils are capable of, not only from their squeaker against Stanford, but also from their head to head meetings.

Even though they each won at home, Arizona State outplayed UCLA both times. Look for this to be the game of the day on Thursday with the Bruins pulling out a nail biter.

Game 6 – 2:30pm #4 Arizona Wildcats vs. #5 Colorado Buffaloes

The #18 nationally ranked Wildcats enter their first game of the tournament on a bit of a roller coaster ride as they grabbed a fifteen point victory over the Sun Devils, but also dropped the previous two games to UCLA and USC.

Pac-12 Tourney – Day 2 Matchups

The Buffaloes held onto a six point first half lead against the Oregon State Beavers to advance to the second round of the tournament.  This meeting will serve as the rubber match between the two schools as they each captured a home court victory during the regular season.  Look for the Wildcats to take advantage of the Buffaloes having to play back to back games.

On paper Arizona should move on to play Friday, but not without Colorado putting up a fight.

Game 7 – 6:00pm #2 California Golden Bears vs. #10 Utah Utes

Fresh of being awarded the PAC12 Player of the Year, Allen Crabbe and the Bears face a Utes team that they edged in Utah but crushed in California.

With Coach Krystkowiak throwing a number of junk defenses against USC, the Bears will have to patiently attack a variety of sets with more than just Crabbe.

Winning seven of their last eight games, the Bears are possibly the hottest team entering the tournament and regardless of how well they do in Vegas, will have a good chance of being part of March Madness.

Game 8 – 8:30pm #3 Oregon Ducks vs. #6 Washington Huskies

When the final game of the time began on Wednesday, who would have bet that Scott Suggs would have been the Huskies leading scorer with 19 points in their 64-62 victory over in state rival, the Washington State Cougars.

Day two brings the Dawgs a second straight battle against a northwest school as the Oregon Ducks look to get back on track heading into the NCAA Tournament.

Losing three of their last five games, the Ducks fell out of the top ranks, but should be a lock for Selection Sunday.  

The Huskies on the other hand have won five of their last seven and will take the momentum of Wednesdays battle into what will be another chapter of their rivalry.

If the nightcap on Wednesday is any indication of what the Huskies are capable of at this point in the season, the Ducks will have a battle on their hands, one which the heart says they will lose, but the mind says they will win.

The calm before the storm is over…almost.

After many hours of blood, sweat and tears, for those who sit outside of the top 25 rankings, now is a second chance to make a first impression.  

Outside of the Arizona Wildcats and the UCLA Bruins, who are nestled in the ranks of the elite, the rest of the PAC-12 has struggled this year overall and unless they capture the PAC-12 tournament crown, they will either be N.I.T, C.B.I or S.O.L.  bound.

MGM GRAND LAS VEGAS, NV

TOP FOUR SEEDS RECEIVE A BYE TO THURSDAY

(#1 – UCLA, #2 – California, #3 – Oregon, #4 – Arizona)

*Predicted winners in italics*

GAME 1 – 12:00pm

#8 Stanford Cardinal vs. #9 Arizona State Sun Devils (Winner vs. UCLA)

Both teams finished with identical 9-9 PAC12 records, however it is the Sun Devils who enter the tournament in a mild slump, losing four straight.

The Cardinal on the other hand won their final two games and hold a victory over ASU from their conference schedule, albeit by only three points.

Flip a coin on this one, either way the victor will face a near certain “L” in the second round.

GAME 2 – 2:30pm

# 5 Colorado Buffaloes vs. # 12 Oregon State Beavers (Winner vs. Arizona)

There will be no 5-12 upset in the PAC12 tournament, Cinderella will have to wait for the Big Dance to make an appearance.

Along with the WSU Cougars, the Beavers were the gooey stuff at the bottom of the PAC12 barrel this season, taking another step backwards losing three more games than they did last year (finishing 4-14).

The Beavers have pretty much hit rock bottom and now can begin the process of rebuilding their program, as the only direction that they can go is up.

GAME 3 – 6:00pm

#7 University of Southern California Trojans vs. #10 Utah Utes (Winner vs. California)

USC played out a better regular season than most expected, finishing with a 9-9 conference record.

The Utes on the other hand played pretty much on par with pre-season predictions at 5-13.

Right now the lower seed is entering the tournament on a high note with a pair of convincing victories over the Beavers and the (at the time 19th ranked) Oregon Ducks.

On paper USC should continue their season, but every tournament needs an upset and this could be it.

GAME 4 – 8:30pm

#6 Washington Huskies vs. #11 Washington State Cougars (Winner vs. Oregon)

The Huskies have had their way with the Cougars this season (who hasn’t!).

Even though the Brock Motum led squad has had a strong end to the season with a pair of victories over USC and UCLA, they had far more valleys than peaks this season, including a nine game losing streak.

While the Dawgs record was nothing to bark at (9-9 compared to 4-14), they are entering the tournament winning four of their final six games.  

Chances of either team winning the “chip” are less than minimal, so for fans of both schools, this match up of the “Apple Cup” can and will be their own version of March Madness.

Look for Lorenzo Romar’s team to extract some redemption after last years disappointing tournament outting and advance to a second round meeting with the Ducks.

The most talked about commodity on the Canucks trade list over the past year and a half has been Roberto Luongo and that could very well be justifiable with the emergence of Cory Schneider (it still appears as though keeping Bobby Lu around for the duration of this season is the Canucks best move).

However, Vancouver may have another hot ticket to add to the list, one Ryan Kesler.

Now before Canuck diehards get their jockstraps all bunched up, hear me out. Kesler is more valuable to the Canucks in trade than he is to them on the ice.

This train of thought is along the same lines as Mark Cuban stating that the Lakers should amnesty Kobe after this season. Freakin’ absurd, but yet somewhat makes sense when you break it down.

How can you justify this?

Everyone who is a Canucks fan is probably in agreement that Ryan Kesler is the new Trevor Linden, at least on the ice and in the locker room (honestly, few could match the off ice presence that Linden has given to the city).

Like with Linden, trading Kesler could come back to haunt the club, but for a team whose playoff window is quickly closing, if they move Kesler now, they could bring in one or two young pieces that could help maybe not immediately but in the near future.

Here’s how

Two years ago, RK17 was without a doubt the Vancouver Canucks best player, no questions asked.  Untradeable. Untouchable. The second coming of what they hoped Todd Bertuzzi was going to be.

Is it time for the Canucks to start entertaining offers for Kesler? (Photo nhl.com)

Since that time it appears as though Kesler and fans have started to see a decline in his production.

In 2009-10, Kesler notched a career high 75 points in 82 games and everyone attached to the NHL one way or another had him pegged to be the one to carry the torch for Vancouver for the next five to seven years.

2010-11 was pretty much a mirror image of the previous season with 72 points, while dressing for every game on the schedule and once again confirming his elite status to the team with a career high 41 goals.

Last season, Kesler dressed in 77 of the Canucks games, but appeared to be a shell of the expectation that many had set for him.

Sure he had just come off of off-season labrum surgery and yes there is little doubt that he returned to the line up too early, but like with D12 and the Lakers, sometimes you just have to either man up to the expectations or man up to the fact that despite your best intent, that you are just not ready to perform.

The rumors have been swirling

If Trevor Linden can get traded, anybody can (Photo: nhl.com)

Over the last year or two Kesler has been rumored to be moved for anyone from Bobby Ryan to Rick Nash to a couple of promising youngsters to draft picks.

Let’s face it, trading elite franchise players is no longer forbidden (look at Dany Heatley, Mike Richards, Wayne Gretzky)

Does Kesler currently have value to the Canucks, no doubt.

Does he currently have value to the rest of the league, for sure.

Damaged goods?

Even though he has now come off of shoulder surgery in which he was on the shelf since May, the Canucks could move him for some valued pieces in return.

When you start to take note of Kesler’s health record as of late, it may be better to cut losses now and move him in order to be proactive for the future, rather than reactive.

At 28 years old, with multiple surgeries behind him, Kesler isn’t getting any younger and healing wounds is only going to take more time.

Yes he has a cap friendly contract, and yes he has been a Selke winner or contender for the past handful of seasons, but when you look at valuable trade commodities, Luongo isn’t the only attractive piece that the Canucks can dangle.

‘Nucks sure weren’t winning with him this year

Since Kesler returned to the Canucks lineup on February 15th, the team went 2-5 (including 2 SO losses), prior to that the team had posted a winning record…coincidence?  Maybe. Maybe not.

It would be hard to plant the losses solely on #17 but the fact is the team had learned how to play somewhat successfully without him.

While Kesler possesses a No Trade Clause, so too does Luongo and that hasn’t stopped Mike Gillis and the Canucks from entertaining moving their former captain and number 1 goaltender this season or next.

If the right package becomes available, it may be wise for the Canucks front office to open their minds to moving another franchise cornerstone in order to start reloading (not rebuilding) for the future.

CLICK HERE CHECK OUT THE VANCOUVER CANUCKS CLUBHOUSE TODAY ON NWSB!

It appears as though I gave the Washington Huskies a little more credit than what they were worth last month as I had them finishing at 8-7 overall.

Not too shabby, considering in reality they were 7-8.

While I had Lorenzo Romar’s team taking a pair of W’s from ASU, and a victory over the Beavers called correctly, the Dawgs left me hanging in a disappointing loss to the USC Trojans.

Currently sitting two games above .500 on the season, and 7-8 overall in the PAC 12, the Huskies are holding down the eighth seed in the conference, one game back of the Arizona State Sun Devils and a half game up on the Stanford Cardinal.

With one week and three games remaining on the docket, the Huskies are going to have step up in order to make sure that not only do they have a winning conference record this year, but also a winning season overall.

March 3 vs. WSU Cougars

The Huskies kicked off their conference schedule with a five point victory against the Cougars back on January 5th.

Since that time, the Cougars have gone 2-12 which is good news for the home team. Nothing like kicking a team when they are down.

What would make this game more appealing to two struggling teams is if it were to be their final game of the season, as at least bragging rights would be on the line.

Considering that the Huskies are 100-35 at home all time against the Cougars, it is a safe bet that the home team will add another positive notch to that tally.

Can the Huskies finish on a high note this year? (Photo: Google)

*Record 8-8

March 6 vs. USC TROJANS

Out of the two California teams that the Huskies faced last month, one would have figured that the Trojans would have been the easier match of the pair.

Maybe it was the fact that Washington was deflated from a two point loss to the Bruins only a couple days prior.

Yeah, that’s it, that’s the reason I’m going with.

An interesting note from the last time the two teams met is the fact that only seven players saw the floor for the Huskies, whereas the Trojans went ten deep.  The Huskies will be coming into this on a high note after defeating the Cougars three days prior to the meeting (hopefully).

* Record 9-8

March 9 vs. UCLA BRUINS

Conference record wise, the young Bruins are about where many figured them to be, near the top. Nationally, many more predicted that UCLA would rank among the top 25, something which they are not.

If the Huskies are going to have a sniff of a chance to get to the PAC 12 championship game, they will more than likely have to go through the Bruins.

What better way to send a message than by grabbing an upset victory in the final home game of the season.

Whereas their last meeting came down to a buzzer beater, this time the Huskies hope that a nationally televised affair will be the extra motivation they need in order to make sure that a slim victory goes in their favor.

* Record 10-8

Honestly, with the way the Huskies have played this season, does anyone really think that this team could finish the season 3-0?

Chances are it wouldn’t completely surprise fans as the team does in fact have the talent and make up to finish the 2012-13 season on a small run.

Out of the games against top tier talent this season only their February 20th game against the Arizona Wildcats was completely lopsided.  

Other than that, the Huskies have shown that they are capable of running with any team that they have played.

A few favorable whistles and a couple of home court bounces on the rim and the Washington Huskies could in fact salvage what has been a disappointing season.

CLICK HERE TO CHECK OUT THE HUSKIES CLUBHOUSE PAGE AT NWSPORTSBEAT!

Name: Brenden Dillon
Position:  Defenseman
Team:  Dallas Stars
Number: 4
Height:  6’3″  Weight:  228lbs
Shoots:  Left
Birthplace:  New Westminster, BC
Acquired:  Free Agent Entry Level Contract March 1, 2011

He may have taken the long road to get there, but for Brenden Dillon, the road to Big D has started to pay off as a key member of the future for the Dallas Stars blue line.

Before lacing up his NHL skates, Dillon’s journey started in the Pacific Junior Hockey League as a member of the Hope Icebreakers (now Mission City Outlaws), where his 31 points in 45 games was enough to impress the coaching staff of the Seattle Thunderbirds of the Western Hockey League.

Brenden Dillon took a long path to the NHL, and he’s taking advantage of it (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Jonathan Hayward)

However it wasn’t Dillon’s first impression that left a mark as the then fifteen year old was overlooked in the WHL’s bantam draft.  Two years, seven inches and a couple of sandbags heavier, he signed on to join the Thunderbirds defense.  After four years in the Emerald City, three of which finished with modest defenseman-like stats of 11, 10 and 14 points, his final season finished with a bang, tallying 59 points (8 goals, 51 assists) in 72 games.

With the big leagues in his sights, Dillon would find himself on the short end of the stick, as once again his name was absent from the draft board, this time it would be the 30 teams from the National Hockey League that left him hanging.  While his NHL dreams would have to wait, Dillon’s 2010-11 season with the Thunderbirds did not go completely unnoticed as the Dallas Stars AHL affiliate the Texas Stars offered an entry level contract and the opportunity to dress for the final sixteen games of that same season, which included a six game playoff run.

Returning to the Stars the next season for 76 games, Dillon showed he was indeed ready and capable of playing in the big league as his 29 points earned him a one game visit to Big D in the final game of the season to tempt his taste buds and play with his emotions just a little more.

After six years of work in the WHL and AHL, the 2012-13 season finally brought the now 6’3″, 230lb Surrey native to his ultimate destination.  On January 19, 2013, Dillon finally found his name stitched on the back of the Dallas Stars jersey and a full time spot on the active team roster.

While he did not find his name on any scoring sheets for his first seven games, Dillon had finally reached his destination and was receiving a decent share of minutes, averaging 17 mins a game.  February 1 was Dillon’s official coming out party as he recorded a “Gordie Howe hat trick” in the Stars 4-3 shoot out  victory over the Phoenix Coyotes.

Currently sitting third among the Stars defenders with 6 points (3 goals, 3 assists) in 20 games and a +- of 5, Dillon has proved that while the wait was lengthy and the road may have had more bumps and turns than hoped for, it has well been worth the wait.

After what for many was a “ho-hum” NBA All-Star weekend, we quickly jump into our Marty McFly DeLorean to refresh our memories of how the Portland Trail Blazers have fared over the years.

LaMarcus Aldridge has been the latest Blazer to find his name on the Western Conference ASG roster, however despite his elite level of play during the regular season, it has yet to carry over to the best of the best weekend.  

On Sunday, the struggles continued as he managed to post only four rebounds and one assist during his time on the court.

It’s unfortunate that the rest of the NBA and it’s fans could not appreciate the talents of the Blazers heart and soul.

ASG TOP THREE

CLYDE DREXLER

(8 appearances) = In 1992 Clyde was voted by the fans as a starter for the Western Conference and he did not disappoint with an ASG career high 22 points, 9 rebounds and 6 assists in 28 minutes.

BRANDON ROY

(3 appearances) = Roy’s 2008 appearance in New Orleans ended up in a three way tie for the West leading scorer with 18 points to go along with 9 rebounds and 5 assists.

SIDNEY WICKS

(4 appearances) = Way back in the mid 70′s Wicks represented Portland in the ASG, dropping 16 points, 9 rebounds and 1 dime.

RISING STARS / ROOKIE vs. SOPHOMORE CHALLENGE

(Alvin Williams, Arvydas Sabonis, Brandon Roy, LaMarcus Aldridge, Rudy Fernandez, Greg Oden)

BRANDON ROY  

Appearing in both his first and second year in the league, Roy has been the only Blazer to do so.

As a rook, Roy struggled with the rest of his class, but the following year he teamed up with a fellow Blazer to help the sophomores to victory while posting 17 points and 7 rebounds.

LaMARCUS ALDRIDGE   

You can’t mention All-Stars and Portland without Clyde Drexler (Photo: Google)

As noted above, Aldridge has struggled to post any significant stats during the actual ASG, but he was the second leading scorer and saw the most floor time for his team when he notched 18 points, 9 rebounds and 4 assists during the 2008 Rookie/Sophomore game.

RUDY FERNANDEZ

As a starter for the Rookie squad in 2009, Fernandez dropped a solid 14 points, 4 boards and 3 helpers. The next night, Rudy represented in the Slam Dunk Contest, paying tribute to Fernando Martin.

3 POINT SHOOTOUT

(Kiki Vandeweghe, Cliff Robinson, Terry Porter, Clyde Drexler)

TERRY PORTER

A three time participant, Porter was runner up in both the 1991 and 1993 competitions.

Outscored by Craig Hodges in 91 by the score of 17-12, Porter returned to the contest two years later, only to fall short once again, this time to Mark Price.

Nailing 17 points in both the final and semi final rounds, Porter would be outdone by Price’s final round score of 18.

SKILLS CHALLENGE

DAMIAN LILLARD

Being that he is the only Blazer to participate in this contest, he automatically is the best Blazer to compete in this contest.

What makes it even THAT much sweeter is he just captured the 2013 title with a time of 29.8 and is the first rookie to hoist the trophy.

After the way he has played this season, it probably won’t be the only award the rookie claims this season.

DUNK CONTEST

(Jerome Kersey, Rudy Fernandez, Clyde Drexler)

CLYDE DREXLER

Considering the nickname “Glide” and the fact that he hailed from Phi Slamma Jamma, many fans would expect that Clyde Drexler would have been the best Trail Blazer representative in this event.

In five appearances (1984, 84, 87, 88, 89), Drexler finished eighth, seventh, fourth, and third during the epic Nique/MJ battle of 88.

With a depleted field in 89, fans hoped that it would be Drexler’s year, however the sentimental favorite Kenny “Sky” Walker would put on a emotional performance that put the final score so far out of reach that Drexler didn’t even attempt his final dunk.

CLICK HERE TO CHECK OUT THE BLAZERS BLOG IN OUR CLUBHOUSE TODAY AT NWSB!