I’m going to be out on vacation for the next couple of weeks, and therefore new entries to this blog are likely to slow significantly, if not stop.

However, I wanted to post something here so that you guys could continue to discuss any Huskies topics in the comments section below … sort of turning this blog post into a message board.

So, please feel free to do so … in the respectful, non-trash-talking atmosphere that has generally been the norm in our blog discussions.

One early topic might be discussion on the post below: Do you

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Mark Schlabach takes an early (hyper-early, really) shot at predicting the coming season’s bowl pairings. And his early take is that the Huskies will sit home again.

Schlabach predicts Georgia vs. Ohio State in the BCS title game.

He sees USC headed for the Rose Bowl, apparently as Pac-10 champs, and Arizona State in the Holiday, as the apparent Pac-10 runners-up.

I don’t have any problem with either of those picks, but he puts Oregon State third and Sun Bowl bound. I’m not convinced the Huskies go bowling this season, but from this distance I think they’ve

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The Bellingham Bells rolled into Bremerton on Monday, but centerfielder Jake Locker was not with them.

True to his word to put UW football ahead of Bells baseball, Locker was with his college teammates as the Huskies began their limited summer workouts.

Also present was center Juan Garcia, whose leg injury continues to improve encouragingly through the early stages of rehab.

ESPN’s Dan Gottlieb lists Washington among the school’s that shouldn’t be underrated when the 2008-09 men’s basketball season rolls around.

Gottlieb thinks the Huskies’ down cycle in hoops may be about to ends, and that UW could reach as high as No. 2 in the Pac-10 next season.

Here’s his take on the Dawgs:

&bull Washington has gone through a down cycle after a 1-seed a couple of years ago. The Huskies didn’t even make the NCAA tournament last season. But with the Pac-10 set to be down and the Huskies bringing back eight of their top

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Jake Locker went 3-for-5 including his first home run of the season Thursday in the Bellingham Bells‘ win over Moses Lake.

Locker also had a single and a double, leaving him a triple away from the cycle.

On the season, the UW quarterback is currently hitting .333.

The Pac-10 is once again doing a preseason football poll of its beat reporters, and my deadline is coming up next Wednesday.



That gives me time to float my first thoughts past you guys, knowing you’ll weigh in in time for me to reassess before sending my final pick.

So, here’s the first draft:



1. USC – They lose a lot, including their quarterback. But this is USC, and I’ll need to see some hint of a stumble before predicting a fall.

2. Arizona State – I’m tempted to move them

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NBA decision day for college players passed Monday. In the key moves involving Pac-10 late-deciders:

Arizona’s Chase Budinger has decided to stay in school.

While UCLA’s Luc Richard Mbah a Moute and Cal’s Ryan Anderson have decided to go pro.

With the dust now clear, I would think that UCLA and Arizona will be generally rated ahead of UW for the coming men’s basketball season. However, I don’t see how Cal — without Anderson — avoids falling behind the veteran Huskies.

The Oklahoma State Cowboys will visit Hec Ed this Dec. 4 as UW’s portion of the Pac-10/Big 12 Hardwood Series.

The Huskies visited Stillwater last season, and this is the return visit.

Here’s the release from the Pac-10:

The Pacific-10 and Big 12 Conferences have announced the dates and matchups for the 2008 Big 12/Pac-10 Hardwood Series. The series is in its second year after beginning competition during the 2007-08 season.

The majority of the games are scheduled for Dec. 4-7, with three taking place outside the four-day series window.

Each matchup is a return

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