The New Old Justin Dentmon

A charming young reader of the blog informed me yesterday that I had been neglecting college basketball--a shocking revelation, as college basketball, specifically UW basketball, is one of my very favorite pastimes.

Dan Raley of the P-I gives me an excuse to rectify things with a profile of the man who--until Richie Sexson started playing--was Seattle's most-maligned athlete of 2007, Justin Dentmon. If I had a parrot near my TV, I guarantee it would've been saying "Goddamnit, Dentmon!" by the middle of February.

Dentmon's got a three-pronged plan for restoring his basketball reputation, reports Raley:

1) Visualize success: "Dentmon was handed a highlight tape of his previous successes, as a heady freshman and as most valuable player of the Basketball Travelers Classic to open last season, and told to watch it. He still does."

2) Get in shape: Dentmon was reportedly 20 pounds overweight at the start of last season. This season, "he set personal bests during spring drills, encouraged by the coaching staff to lead by example."

3) Practice, practice, practice: "Instead of playing video games in his free time, he heads for Edmundson Pavilion late at night, usually alone. A janitor or security guard lets him in. Basketballs are kept in the players' locker room for this reason. He'll shoot until 1 or 2 a.m."

The Huskies need 2006 Dentmon back--not just to cut down on turnovers but to provide the pressure defense that was a key of the NCAA Tourney teams.

Dentmon and the rest of the Huskies (sans freshmen, who aren't yet eligible) start practicing next week to prepare for their trip to Greece, which begins August 27.
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/cbasketball/327097_umen10.html