IN THIS ISSUE
Nov./Dec. 2017
From The Athletic Director’s Desk . . . . 2 Hopkins, Wynn: New Dawgs Lead The Pack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 10 Questions With ... Broadcaster Tony Castricone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 UW Men forging family bonds entering 2017-18. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Donor Appreciation Dinner . . . . . . . . . . 25 The Shot ... Indelible Images. . . . . . . . . 28
Mackenzie Wieburg
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GOHUSKIES VOLUME 11 / ISSUE 4 / NOV./DEC. 2017
For Information on Advertising, Please Call Scott Boone at (206) 221-3071. GoHuskies Magazine is published seven times a year by Washington IMG Sports Marketing, in conjunction with the University of Washington Athletic Department.
GOHUSKIES MAGAZINE Washington IMG Sports Marketing 3910 Montlake Boulevard – Box 354070 Seattle, WA 98195
All material produced in this publication is the property of IMG College and shall not be reproduced in whole or in part without permission from IMG College and the University of Washington Athletic Department. Please send all address changes to the attention of Tyee Club at University of Washington; Box 354070; 202 Graves Building; Seattle, WA 98195-4070 or by email at huskies@uw.edu. EDITOR Brian Beaky
FROM THE ATHLETIC DIRECTOR’S DESK
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ractice has begun in earnest for our men’s and women’s basketball teams, and it is going to be an exciting year in Alaska Airlines Arena. I have been watching our teams play, and the intensity that they and their coaches bring to each and every drill and scrimmage foreshadows what promises to be an exciting season. We have been so impressed with the coaching staff of both teams; they have rolled up their sleeves and gotten straight to work since arriving on campus last spring, exhibiting their passion for the game and their commitment to providing our student-athletes with the skills to be fine basketball players, students and citizens. As these young men and women come together as teams and gain experience, I am confident that they will give their all and compete with pride in every game. Part of what makes Husky Hoops so exciting is the enthusiastic commitment that you, our fans and season-ticket holders, have for our teams. Your passionate support of our new coaching staff and our student-athletes will directly impact their success — come fill the stands with purple and gold and show them what basketball in Seattle is all about! We invite you to also fill the Arena for the GymDawgs under second-year head coach Elise Ray; their break-out season last
Jennifer Cohen
year culminated in an appearance at the NCAA Championships for the first time in 19 years! With 11 returners this year, the GymDawgs will be an exciting team to watch. As always, thanks for everything that you do for our programs, and I can’t wait to see you in the gym. GO HUSKIES!
WRITERS David Krueger PHOTOGRAPHERS Matthew Lipsen (cover), Don Jedlovec, Jonathan Moore, Red Box Photography, UW Athletics ADVERTISING
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Football & Men’s Basketball Flagship Radio Station: KOMO Newsradio AM 1000 & FM 97.7
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TWO GREAT SCHOOLS ONE GREAT TRADITION The Apple Cup is a Washington tradition and one of the great rivalries in all of college sports. Whether you’re cheering for the Dawgs or screaming for the Cougs, Boeing is proud to be the title sponsor of this annual matchup between two great competitors.
NEW
DAWGS BRING NEW TRICKS First-year coaches
Mike Hopkins and
Jody Wynn
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BY DAVID KRUEGER
here are going to be a couple new faces around
Montlake this season. But for the first time in a while, those new faces will be at the end of the bench, instead of on the court. Two first-year coaches will be patrolling the sidelines for the Dawgs, as Mike Hopkins and Jody Wynn take over the Huskies' men’s and women’s programs. The new coaches find their teams in different situations with their own unique challenges, but Hopkins and Wynn have the same goal when it comes to their programs: pride and competitiveness.
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NEW DAWGS “The first two or three months, I said it was (like) a form of speed dating. They’ve got to make important decisions based on their life and their career in the month or two before school ends,” Hopkins says. “We spent a lot of time on the court together and workouts in the morning and training, getting to chance to get to know who I am and the vision of our program.” Hopkins takes over a men’s team that has struggled in recent years, while Wynn will lead a Husky squad that is coming off three of its best seasons. The two were eager to get to the University of Washington and work with their new players. “There’s certainly going to be some growing pains, because it’s all new,” Wynn notes. “It’s new for myself. With the players, it’s certainly new for them, as well. We have some pretty good talent on this team that have just really bought in from day one and are working really, really hard to create their own identity. There’s going to be a whole lot of passion.” PAGE 6
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his will be the first season since 2002 that the Husky men will be breaking in a new coach. Hopkins, the 19th coach in UW’s history, is a veteran coach who was an assistant at Syracuse for 22 seasons. He helped lead the Orange to 16 NCAA tournament appearances, four Final Fours and the 2003 National Championship. Hopkins was also on the coaching staff for USA Basketball when it won gold medals at the 2012 London and 2016 Rio Olympic Games. Despite coming from the opposite side of the country, his past success gave the new UW coach instant credibility with his players. “He’s coming in with his approach and his culture and I’m fully bought in,” says junior guard David Crisp. “He’s been on a winning program, so he knows what it takes, what it looks like.” The Huskies will be without last year’s leading scorer Markelle Fultz, who went No. 1 GoHUSKIES
overall in the 2017 NBA Draft. Also gone are forwards Malik Dime and Matthew Atewe. But, the Huskies restocked with talent from both coasts. Guards Jaylen Nowell, who led Seattle’s Garfield High School for four years, and former O’Dea star Michael Carter III, should make an immediate impact for UW. Also making the trip to Montlake are a pair of forwards from New York. Hameir Wright, at 6-foot-9, was the 2017 Gatorade New York Player of the Year. His new teammate, the 6-foot-6 Nahziah Carter, is a shooting guard/small forward that is known for his scoring ability. Carter is also the nephew of music mogul Jay-Z. The new Huskies have joined the old guard as Hopkins has instilled a “tougher together” mentality with the Dawgs, who are ready to hit the court and prove last year’s losing record was a fluke. “Individually, across the board, we’re all bought into the team,” says junior Matisse Thybulle. “Guys have set aside their own personal agendas and we’re all just putting everything into this team because we realize … that we’re stronger together.” “It’s (very) different,” Crisp adds, “but the stuff he’s coming in and showing us, the culture he’s brought in, everybody’s buying in and I think we’re definitely heading in the right direction.” Players describe Hopkins as a little intense. That intensity was on full display during a recent press conference with local reporters that saw Hopkins bang the table and yell, “Go Dawgs!” as he recounted the story of how freshman Jaylen Nowell recommitted to Washington after Hopkins was hired as coach. “It’s so intense. And everyone else is so intense that if you aren’t up to that level, you kind of get left behind,” Thybulle says. “His intensity is contagious. It brings everyone up to a higher standard. At first, it was kind of hard because we were like, ‘OK, when is this dude going to calm down?’ But, it’s just what we do now.”
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Junior Hannah Johnson (right) says Wynn "has brought a lot of heart, grit and passion."
NEW DAWGS GOING FOR GRIT
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ynn also has the reputation as a competitor. While Hopkins was quickly talking to recruits upon taking the UW job, Wynn found herself fielding calls from Husky players: specifically, Hannah Johnson, her new junior forward. “She just introduced herself,” Wynn says. “I said, ‘I know who you are. I’ve been to several of your high school games and had a chance to watch you play a little bit.’ We just talked. We learned about who each other was.” Johnson said she left the conversation, which lasted 45 minutes to an hour, pleased with the attitude of her new coach, UW’s first new coach in four years. “We just have the same mindset, same mentality, same goals and same philosophies,” Johnson says. "We’re excited. We’re ready to compete. She’s a competitor. Coach Jody is a fighter. She has brought in a lot of heart already (and) grit, passion. So, we’re excited. The transition has been pretty smooth.” Wynn, who has over 20 years of collegiate coaching experience, said her first goal was to simply get to know her team. The new Husky coach comes to Seattle from Long Beach State, where she posted three-consecutive 20-win seasons, won the Big West Conference tournament championship and took the school to the NCAA tournament in 2017 for the first time in 25 years. “Change is hard and it’s hard on everybody. We’re all kind of going through this together,” Wynn says. “We wanted to get to know each other as young women and how we could be role models and mentors for them through this transition.” Sophomore forward Mai-Loni Henson says that Wynn and Johnson are incredibly similar on the court. She says that, much like Hopkins, Wynn’s enthusiasm is contagious. “The energy that they have and the passion that they have; they both just kind of bounce off of each other,” Henson says. “Hannah’s getting intense and Coach Jody will get intense. It’s reciprocal.”
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LOOKING AHEAD
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ynn and Hopkins face tough battles from the start. The UW men are coming off a 9-22 season and haven’t finished with a winning record in conference play since winning the Pac-12 in 2012. Hopkins, whose team was predicted to finish 10th in the preseason poll, immediately worked to implement Syracuse’s famous zone defense and build his players up as they look to turnaround their recent struggles and get the Huskies back to the top of the Pac-12. “I don’t look at the past. I’m looking at the future and what we’re going to bring as a system,” Hopkins says. “We’re all new. The staff is new. We’ve never worked with each other. The players are learning a new system. I’ve got to give them a lot of credit. They bought in, they’ve worked exceptionally hard and it looks like we’re moving in the right direction.” The UW women, meanwhile, are coming off three-consecutive NCAA tournament appearances, including the school’s first-ever Final Four in 2016. The Huskies have a good recruiting class coming in, including guard Kierra Collier and forward Khayla Rooks, but reigning Pac-12 Player of the Year Kelsey Plum, who holds the NCAA women’s all-time
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NEW DAWGS scoring record, has graduated, as has fellow senior Chantel Osahor. In all, five of UW’s six leading scorers from a season ago are gone. As a result, the Dawgs were picked to finish last in the conference. The ranking helped Wynn and the Huskies embrace an underdog mentality as they try to prove the world wrong. “For us, rankings don’t really matter,” Henson says. “It’s a preseason thing, so at the end of the day, we’ll be the underdogs and we’re just going to fight and we’re going to battle every game.” “We have nothing to lose,” Wynn adds. “We’re just working on getting better every single day and making sure that our effort and our attitude and our togetherness is as
best as it can be. Our kids are hungry.” Both Hopkins and Wynn hope Hec Ed is rocking when the Dawgs take the court this season, and are hoping Husky fans will come along for the ride. “I think the biggest thing is, 'Grow with us.' Be a part of it,” Hopkins says. “In any great college basketball environment, you’ve got a great home court and you’ve got great fans. What I’ve studied and learned about the fans is they love the University of Washington. They love the Dawgs. "I’m just excited," he continues. "If we can create what football has done to get that fan base in that gym, it could be one of the greatest places to play in college basketball. And that’s our goal.”
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10 QUESTIONS WITH... NEW “VOICE OF THE HUSKIES,” TONY CASTRICONE Why did you want to work for UW?
What sports did you play as a child?
Whenever I get asked that question, my first thought is always, “Who wouldn't want this job?" Iconic facilities, an incredibly strong brand, a program with rich tradition in both football and men’s basketball, an amazing city and an athletic department that does things the right way. That pretty much checks all the boxes right there.
I ran track and cross country in high school. I ran five half marathons after college and really loved the 13.1-mile distance, but then I ran the Marine Corps Marathon in D.C. in 2015, and it just burned me out. Full marathons are only twice as long as halves, but I swear training for them is 20 times harder.
What made you get into broadcasting? What’s your favorite sport to call? I really love both college football and college basketball. So much more than the NFL or NBA. There’s something so pure about the college games. The authenticity of the student sections, the passion of the fans, the cheerleaders, the marching bands, the togetherness of the teams, the traditions, all of it. I love the game-day experience of football, but it’s tough to beat the last 30 seconds of a one-possession basketball game, too.
I usually joke and say getting cut from teams in high school made me need to find another way to be around sports. But, I’ve really always wanted to broadcast. My mom has old home videos of me doing sportscasts as young as seven years old.
Do you remember your first broadcast? What was it? We had this live, Friday-night, high school football television show called "Gridiron Glory" on the campus TV station. I was so nervous that my hands were shaking and I looked mortified on camera. Thank goodness YouTube didn’t exist back then, or I would totally be the “Boom Goes the Dynamite” guy.
What’s the most memorable game you’ve ever called? Gosh, so many. The 2012 New Orleans Bowl at the Superdome was my first bowl game, so that was very memorable. But, as far as amazing finishes, my favorites are all in basketball: Ohio at St. Bonaventure went four overtimes. I called Michigan’s 16-point comeback against Florida State in Puerto Rico. I was calling games at Clemson when they beat defending national champ Duke. But, I’m very confident all my most memorable games are still ahead of me.
Who are your favorite broadcasters of all-time? Vin Scully is so darn poetic and perfect. Keith Jackson’s voice just sounds like the Rose Bowl to me. Brent Musburger really knew how to hype up and narrate a huge game. But, Bob Rondeau is definitely on that list. Since I started working with Bob back in 2010, I’ve quickly learned he is truly one of the best in the business. He’s so knowledgeable, paints such a clear picture and has the voice, wit, delivery and vocabulary to polish it all off. I’ll really miss listening to him.
What are you most passionate about away from the microphone? I’m becoming a podcast and book junkie. Anything about philosophy, history, current affairs or Christian apologetics has me hooked. Also, put a nice acoustic guitar in my lap and I’ll be entertained for hours.
What’s the best thing about Seattle? To me, it’s the views. The city and the culture and the restaurants and the diversity are all awesome. But the views take my breath away. Rainier still sneaks up on me. I’m not sure it’ll ever get old.
Best TV sitcom of all time? I think you’ve gotta go by era. I absolutely loved "Cheers," so we’ll give that to the '80s. People always talk about "Friends" and "Seinfeld" in the '90s but "Frasier" was so underrated (maybe the broadcaster in me is partial to it). "The Office" wins the 2000s, hands down. "Big Bang Theory" might be the front-runner for the ‘10s. If you disagree, tweet at me @Castricone.
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Tougher Together By Brian Beaky Editor, GoHuskies Magazine
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Mike Hopkins is building a family culture at UW — and early reports are that it's working GoHUSKIES
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TougherTogether
Carlos Johnson
David Crisp
alk to the 2017-18 Husky men's basketball players, and one theme comes up over and over again: family. Junior guard Matisse Thybulle is saying it: "It's like a family. He works to make everyone feel loved and wanted every day." So is sophomore guard Carlos Johnson: "These guys make you feel like you're at home." So is freshman forward Nahziah Carter: "It's a great family." Which is good, because it means that the first and most important lesson that firstyear head coach Mike Hopkins is trying to instill is taking firm root. "They've really bought into the culture of family, unselfish action and playing together," Hopkins says. "There will be growing pains, but we are going to all grow together." It's something that caught athletic director Jen Cohen's eye even before Hopkins set foot on campus. "We were looking for somebody aligned with our university values," she said, "and the values of this city and community. And from the first time we met with Coach Hopkins, we knew he was a perfect fit. "Now, when I go to practice, the culture is just so positive," she said in a Seattle Times Q&A earlier this year. "It's so family-oriented. And these guys are really starting to believe in themselves, because they have people around them who are going to force them to." The characteristics that define a family certainly make for a good place to start building any kind of organization, sports or otherwise: Loyalty. Support. Investment. And, perhaps most crucially, a shared bond built on the knowledge that you will always have each other's backs, will push each other to improve, and will stand together through thick and thin.
Loyalty. Support. Investment. And, perhaps most crucially, a shared bond built on the knowledge that you will always have each other's backs, will push each other to improve, and will stand together through thick and thin. Continued on page 19 PAGE 16
Noah Dickerson
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TougherTogether
It's these qualities that may well come to define a Mike Hopkins team — and, if so, then the Huskies have plenty of reasons to be optimistic. "One of the things I keep going back to is, 'It doesn't matter — get better,'" he says. "I try to inspire them, and make them believe in what they can be. But you can't do it all alone, you have to do it together. I've never been around a great team that had a bunch of individuals. That was the great thing about Carmelo Anthony (whom Hopkins coached at Syracuse when Anthony led the Orangemen to the 2003 NCAA title) — he was all about team. And he was a winner. We are stronger together, and we are tougher together." That's the same philosophy that Hopkins applied for 22 years as an assistant at Syracuse, where he helped head coach Jim Boeheim develop a culture of family and toughness that led the 'Cuse to 21 postseason berths, 16 NCAA Tournament appearances, 10 Sweet 16s, five Elite Eights, four Final Fours and the aforementioned national championship in 2003. When Hopkins says that this family-first focus
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The Huskies return four of their top-five scorers from last season, including David Crisp (right), Noah Dickerson (top, left) and Carlos Johnson (top, right). GoHUSKIES
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TougherTogether
Matisse Thybulle will ultimately bear fruit for the Huskies, he's speaking from experience. "That's what I had at Syracuse," he says. "It was a family. And that's what we're creating here at Washington." If Hopkins is the father figure, then Cameron Dollar and Will Conroy — the former a longtime assistant coach under Lorenzo Romar and the former head coach at Seattle U, and the latter the gritty point guard at the heart of Romar's most dynamic teams — are like two beloved uncles, familiar faces there to guide the next generation of the "family"
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along. Dave Rice, meanwhile — a veteran of staffs at UNLV and Nevada, among others — is the cool older cousin, the one with all the answers and the tricks up his sleeve. "Coach Dollar has been a great addition in terms of just grittiness and toughness; he's like the number-one guy for it," Thybulle says. "That's the ultimate tough dude. And Coach Rice is our offensive guru; he knows basketball better than anybody on the team. And he can explain it to you in a way that you'll understand." In the modern-day, one-and-done college basketball world, Thybulle, despite be-
ing just a third-year junior, is practically a grizzled old man, as are fellow juniors David Crisp and Noah Dickerson. Along with sophomore guard Carlos Johnson, the quartet of returning starters form the veteran core of the team. And, like an older brother, each will be called upon to model the behaviors and buy-in that Hopkins is looking for from his new Husky family, especially as he brings in youngsters like Garfield High School's Jaylen Nowell and a pair of (like Hopkins) New Yorkto-Seattle transplants, freshmen Hameir Wright and Nahziah Carter. "The young guys are still learning on the go, but the thing I'm excited about is that even when they struggle with it, they want to learn more and they want to get it," Hopkins says. "Like anything, you've got to start by crawling, and then you've got to walk, and then you've got to run, and then you've got to sprint." In other words — it's a family that, like any, is still growing, developing, and becoming what it will one day be. Just a few months into his adopted Husky family, Carter says that the end re-
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TougherTogether sult — that perfectly functioning unit which gives each other the strength and foundation to reach for goals beyond those they could achieve without that support — is not as far as away as some fans might think. "Me and the guys hang out every day, before practice, after practice, on the weekends when we don't have practice," he says. "It's just a brotherhood. We've all got each other's backs, and it feels like they've known me my whole life. That's how close we are. "It's exciting," he continues. "I have the utmost faith in all of us, in all of our guys and our coaching staff. Even if you aren't having a good day, or have an attitude, they're going to push you to make sure that you become the person that you want to be, and that you fulfill your potential. They believe in you. "Now, I'm just excited to see what we can do."
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Scholarship Dinner Celebrates 20 Years of Outstanding Donor Support
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By Kimberlie Haner
wenty years ago, Marques Tuiasosopo was a true freshman taking over for an injured Brock Huard, Todd MacCulloch led the Huskies to the Sweet 16 — and the Tyee office hosted its first Donor Appreciation Scholarship event. The vision was brought to life by Tyee donor LaGayle Sosnowy, who, along her with husband, John Sosnowy, established the Sosnowy Family Endowed Tennis Scholarship, in recognition of their daughter and former Husky, Kori Sosnowy. In the two decades since, donor generosity has grown UW's endowments from approximately $5 million in 1997 to almost $70 million today. This October, we celebrated the 20th Annual Donor Appreciation Scholarship Dinner to thank Tyee Club Scholarship Endowment donors at the Don James Center in Husky Stadium. Student-athletes and coaches gathered to express their appreciation to the families who provide their athletic scholarships. Husky Stadium and Bank of America Arena public-address announcer Eric Radovich welcomed the attendees before giving way to Washington Director of Athletics Jen Cohen, who spoke about the difference that donors make in the lives of student-athletes and how important their contributions are. Following Cohen’s thoughts, two studentathletes spoke about how they have been affected by scholarships: Sam Kokoska from the women’s soccer team and Channing Nesbitt from the baseball team. They both shared experiences showing how donations from Tyee Club members have changed their lives. Kokoska talked about how her college soc-
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cer career actually began at UCLA, before she realized Washington would be a better fit. "After just one visit to Seattle, I knew that this was where I was meant to be,” Kokoska said. “I felt like I’d come home and I’m so grateful that Washington offered me a scholarship to play for the Huskies – the Pre-Title IX Husky Women’s Athletics Endowment, funded so generously by donor Mary Schutten.” In her time as a Husky, Kokoska has learned a lot about soccer, engineering and life skills. But, she said that being at Washington has taught her a lot about people as well. “I’ve learned that student-athletes like me would never get the opportunity to play the sports we love or to earn a degree from an internationally prestigious school like UW without donors who support our scholarships and so much more,” she said. Nesbitt spoke about how fortunate he was to receive a scholarship from the Myers family, sharing the many opportunities he has had thanks to their generous donations. Donors like the Myers family also helped him make connections for a summer internship. “I was hired to work with attorneys who were prepping their cases, and I even got to go to trial with them a few times,” Nesbitt said. “As a political science and economy major thinking about law school or the UW Evans School as a next step, that was an awesome experience.” Last year, Nesbitt also had the chance to represent Washington at the Black StudentAthletes Conference in Texas. That experience
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changed his outlook on the world and inspired him — and would not have been possible without Tyee Club donors. “Sports and academics and a social life are important, but there are much more important things going on in society that I care about,” Nesbitt said. “I want to be a catalyst for bringing people together on those issues. Having the opportunity to awaken my commitment to these issues by attending that conference was one of the most defining moments of my college experience.” Janice Olson, the Chair of the Tyee Board of Advisors, closed the evening by sharing the importance of community and why she gives. She and her husband, Rod Olson, established the Olson Family Scholarship Endowment for Husky Athletics to support men’s basketball. Speaking to the student-athletes in the room, she said, “In order for you to have conquered all the challenges you faced along the way to Washington, you had to have had a community to embrace and support you. Student-athletes, don’t forget the community that brought you here. Thank your generous donors tonight, for sure — but thank your own team moms and dads, too. An unexpected phone call to say thanks — not a text — can make all those long hours, painfully loud bus rides and team snacks worthwhile.”
To learn more about the UW's endowed scholarships program, visit www.UWTyeeClub.com, or call 206-543-2234.
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Photographs by RED BOX PICTURES
ONE FAMILY
New head women’s basketball coach Jody Wynn’s team gathers for a team shot. The Huskies play three home games this month in Alaska Airlines Arena at Hec Edmundson Pavilion, before the Pac-12 home opener vs. Utah on Jan. 5. Check out the full schedule and find tickets at www.GoHuskies.com. To purchase Husky Athletics photography, visit www.HUSKIESPHOTOSTORE.com
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