March 24, 2010
SYRACUSE, N.Y. - After arriving at its team hotel last night, the Washington Husky basketball team is ready for a day full of preparation for tomorrow's NCAA regional semifinal matchup against West Virginia.
All times listed Eastern 10:30 p.m. - The team enjoyed an awesome Italian dinner at Asti Caffe in the Little Italy section of Syracuse. It seemed the plates of appetizers, salads and entrees were never-ending! The Huskies were provided a special upstairs dining room for the entire party. Downstairs, the CBS and Westwood One Radio producers and announce teams were enjoying a meal as well. Word is that assistant coach Raphael Chillious was friends with the owners. Makes sense considering the excellent service and great food. When the team arrived, the Celtics were playing the Nuggets on the plasma tv, so everyone got a chance to watch Nate Robinson play for his new team. Upon return to the hotel, the team took a quick break then gathered for a film session before retiring for the evening. 7:05 p.m. - Couple of quick links: Read the quotes from today's UW press conference by clicking here. And, check out this video piece that features the Huskies by CBS. The Washington players and coaches will be heading to dinner soon, then more film and get some rest. 3:41 p.m. - We've had a few questions that, hopefully, we can answer here. 1) The NCAA reveals the officials for tomorrow's game 60 minutes prior to game time. They distribute a pre-game sheet to the media that includes expected starters as well as the names of the officials. 2) The game time for Saturday's East Regional final will be set sometime after the conclusion of the semifinal games. CBS needs to know the geographic location of the teams in order to provide maximum coverage in desirable time zones. 3) The team will most likely return to Seattle via charter as soon after its final game in Syracuse. 4) Should the Huskies advance, Final Four ticket information will be posted on GoHuskies.com as soon as it is available. 3:30 p.m. - A new practice photo gallery is now published. Thanks to Syracuse-based photographer Kevin Colton for providing the images. 2:30 p.m. - The team is currently conducting a more formal practice at the Carmelo K. Anthony Basketball Center on the Syracuse campus. 2:20 p.m. - Audio from today's press conference is now available for download and will be on iTunes later today. Click the following links to download Coach Romar's press conference or the players' press conference. For other downloadable audio or to access the UW athletics iTunes page, visit the GoHuskies.com Podcast site. 2:10 p.m. - The Huskies finished their open practice and completed their mandatory press availability. The NCAA requires the head coach to conduct a 15-minute press conference. Afterward, three players take the stage. Matthew Bryan-Amaning, Quincy Pondexter and Isaiah Thomas represented Washington. During the entire 30-minute period, the team locker room is open to the media and every player and assistant coach is available for interviews. Coach Romar then conducted individual interviews with CBS-TV and Westwood One Radio for tomorrow's game broadcasts. The five UW starters (Bryan-Amaning, Gaddy, Holiday, Pondexter and Thomas) took part in a CBS still photo shoot in uniform 12:02 p.m. - The Dawgs have taken the court for its 50-minute open practice session. The CBS announce team of Dick Enberg and Jay Bilas is in the house, as is the Westwood One radio crew of Ian Eagle and P.J. Carlisimo. A few oter media outlets are hanging around and there are about 200 fans watching practice. 11:48 p.m. - The Carrier Dome is open to the public and ready for Washington's noon practice. The Huskies arrived at the Dome about 45 minutes ago and is currently watching a NCAA-mandated video tape that outlines the organization's anti-gambling initiatives. The team woke around 9 a.m. then enjoyed a team breakfast in the hotel before leaving for the Dome. The weather in Syracuse isn't bad. The sun is shining and the temperature is in the low 50's. There is a little wind outside, but as we learned a couple of years ago when the football team played here, there is little to no wind inside the Carrier Dome. Certainly the environment inside the Dome is different that what the Huskies are used to. The building is cavernous - essentially fitting a basketball court into one end zone of the football field.. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
