Tag: Pro Dawgs

Rome Odunze continues to impress Chicago coach Matt Eberflus

The Washington Huskies star continues to build anticipation ahead of his NFL debut.

After a record-breaking season with the Washington Huskies, Chicago Bears fans are anxiously waiting for the NFL debut of Rome Odunze. General manager Ryan Poles selected him with the No. 9 overall pick in April’s NFL draft and did an extremely impressive job building an offense that should give the Bears the ability to compete in the NFC North this season and for the foreseeable future.

Headlined by Odunze and the No. 1 overall pick, quarterback Caleb Williams, the Bears have pulled off trades for veteran receivers Keenan Allen and DJ Moore over the last two years and after Odunze’s selection, have arguably one of the best trios of pass catchers in the NFL.

As the Bears continue to prepare for the upcoming season, Odunze has been doing everything in his power both on and off the field to make sure he’s ready for his first professional campaign and has caught the eye of head coach Matt Eberflus.

“We’re giving him a lot. He’s playing multiple positions and we think he’s going to be able to handle those concepts,” Eberflus told members of the media. “The veterans are going to help him through training camp, there’s wisdom there with years and experience but I really believe he’s going to have the ability to take off because of the other players.”

“You won’t be able to hone in on one guy. If we just had him and he was the No. 1, they can do some things to him defensively but you won’t be able to do that versus our crew.”

Unsurprisingly to any Husky fan, Odunze has also picked up the playbook very quickly and has displayed his extremely high football IQ to his teammates.

“Some guys just have a knack to do it,” Eberflus said. “He’s able to process a bunch of information at the same time and take it to the field. He’s really good that way. Done a great job of making himself a great player and he’s going to continue to grow that way.”

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Kelsey Plum has a dominant week for the Las Vegas Aces

Kelsey Plum bested Caitlin Clark in their most recent as part of a dominant week for the former Husky star.

Washington Huskies legend Kelsey Plum got a chance to exact revenge on the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 WNBA draft, Caitlin Clark, for breaking her NCAA women’s basketball scoring record, which Plum set in 2017 with the Huskies.

Clark’s Indiana Fever and Plum’s Las Vegas Aces, the defending WNBA champions, met in front of the No. 5 largest crowd in WNBA history on Tuesday. Plum put on a show, posting a game-high 34 points with 6 rebounds and 5 assists while shooting 54.5 percent from three-point range as the Aces took home an 88-69 victory.

Even with her impressive performance, Plum was quick to compliment her Aces and Team USA teammate, A’ja Wilson, who posted 28 points and 9 rebounds.

“You know she really averages 28 a game, like that’s just a normal day at the office,” Plum told the media. “That’s absurd. You realize that, right? And everyone’s doubling and tripling and game-planning, and it really doesn’t matter. I think that we need to put into perspective. Just another night at the office, we take it for granted, but we’re watching one of the greatest players of all time in front of our eyes.”

Plum and Wilson continued their hot streak on Thursday in a 98-77 win over the Washington Mystics. The former Husky once again led all scorers with 28 points on an extremely efficient 10-13 shooting performance.

Through 18 games, Plum is in the midst of a stellar season. Her 18.8 points and 4.9 assists per game are both the second-highest marks of her career as the Aces sit a game out of first place in the Western Conference. She will look to continue her hot streak on Saturday as Las Vegas hits the road to take on the 4-15 Los Angeles Sparks.

Thybulle cut by Australia before Olympics in shocking move

A former Husky star will not participate in the Paris Olympics after being a surprise cut by team Australia.

There will be a slew of Huskies in Paris this summer when the Olympics get underway at the end of July, but former basketball star Matisse Thybulle won’t be among them.

On Friday, the Australian national team announced their final cuts, and coach Brian Goorjian shocked not just the Boomers, but the Australian basketball community by leaving the Portland Trailblazers guard off the roster. Thybulle played well for the Blazers last season, shooting 34.7 percent from three-point range and averaging 1.7 steals and 0.8 blocks per game.

“The exclusion of Matisse Thybulle from the Boomers team is staggering,” Jack Powell, a producer for Channel 7 in Melbourne said. “It’s incomprehensible that he misses out. Aussies deserve an explanation for this decision.”

Although littered with NBA talent, including former top-five pick Dante Exum and Charlotte Hornets guard Josh Green, the Boomers lack an elite defender, which is Thybulle’s claim to fame. During his time with the Philadelphia 76ers, he was named to the NBA’s All-Defensive second team after both the 2021 and 2022 seasons.

One of the country’s best basketball players, former No. 1 overall pick and All-NBA center Andrew Bogut, offered an explanation.

“Matisse is a real interesting one, he’s arguably the best defender on the squad,” Bogut said on the Gold Standard podcast. “One of the best in the NBA, I think the ups and downs of his shooting was a concern.”

Cincinnati Reds option Levi Jordan to AAA Louisville

Former Washington Huskies star infielder Levi Jordan was optioned to AAA on Wednesday by the Cincinnati Reds.

After an exciting start to his MLB career, former Washington Huskies star Levi Jordan has been sent back to AAA by the Cincinnati Reds. On Wednesday, the club announced that they would be utilizing one of the options on his contract to send him back to their minor league affiliate, the Lousiville Bats, and call up outfielder Blake Dunn to take his place.

Jordan went 1 for 10 over six appearances with the Reds, where he made two starts. His first game was his best, where he went 1 for 3 with a double, a run scored, and a run batted in on a sacrifice fly.

Defensively, he played all over the diamond, making three appearances in left field, two in right field, and one at second base. That versatility could help him return to the big-league club rather quickly if manager David Bell’s squad suffers any more injuries.

Jordan has had a strong year in AAA to this point. He touts a .302 batting average and an .827 OPS with 5 home runs and 24 runs batted in over 54 games.

Ja’Lynn Polk is fighting for a starting spot in New England

Second round pick Ja’Lynn Polk is making a name for himself with the New England Patriots.

The New England Patriots could have taken Ja’Lynn Polk with the No. 34 overall pick at the beginning of the second round of the 2024 NFL draft but opted to trade back three spots with the Los Angeles Chargers and let the former Washington star fall into their laps at pick No. 37.

Since then, Polk has established himself as one of the team’s best wide receivers through rookie minicamp and OTAs. Known for his relentlessness on the field and work ethic off it, Polk is in consideration for a starting spot in rookie head coach Jerod Mayo’s system during his first year.

In an interview with ESPN’s Mike Reiss, Polk credited his rise in his first NFL offseason to that work ethic that was always on display over his three years at Washington.

“Just competing every day,” he told Reiss. “I feel like everything is always in your preparation — how you’re taking all the information we’re getting, being a pro, and putting it on the field on a consistent basis. That’s what they’re looking for.”

Polk has spent a lot of time working with New England’s No. 3 overall pick, quarterback Drake Maye and has a crowded room full of veterans to fight through, but he should be in contention for at the very least a spot on the two-deep depth chart alongside JuJu Smith-Schuster, K.J. Osborn, DeMario Douglas, and Kendrick Bourne.

He also has a former Husky staffer on his side in Tyler Hughes, who was hired as New England’s wide receivers coach after spending the 2023 season as an offensive quality control coach on Kalen DeBoer’s staff.

“He has a really great work ethic and a process that he sticks to every single day. He’s been good about that. I think his improvement has come from learning our system and playbook and how his skill set fits into that,” Hughes told Reiss.

“Like any new player coming in, you have some things you’ve done in your past that have been really good for you — you have to use those — but also have an open-minded approach and say, ‘What else can I do to improve?’ because obviously players are a little bit better and a little bit faster. He’s done a good job of saying, ‘This is what I know, this is what I need to work on,’ and he’s worked at it every day.”

Moses Wood joining Atlanta Hawks for NBA Summer League

Former Washington Huskies forward Moses Wood signed a summer league contract with the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday.

Former Washington forward Moses Wood signed a summer league deal with the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday, joining forward Keion Brooks Jr. as the second member of the 2023-24 Huskies squad to make the NBA. Brooks signed a two-way contract with the New Orleans Pelicans on Friday.

Coincidentally, the two NBA franchises to add a Husky this weekend are also the two sides of the trade that sent former Washington star Dejounte Murray to the Pelicans on Friday.

Wood started all 32 games in his lone season on Montlake, averaging 11.9 points, 4.5 rebounds, and shooting 39.6 percent from three on roughly six attempts per game. A career 40.4 percent shooter from deep, Wood is an especially adept shooter on the move, a skill that could prove valuable to an NBA franchise.

Washington was Wood’s fourth school in six years, as he also played for Tulane, UNLV, and Portland before finishing out with the Huskies. His points per game averages increased every season across those three schools before taking a small dip with Washington, whose offense primarily ran through Brooks.

Wood should have a decent shot at turning the summer league opportunity into a contract with Atlanta, who is rebuilding after trading Murray and could still move star point guard Trae Young as part of that initiative. Atlanta also took French forward Zaccharie Risacher with the No. 1 pick in this year’s NBA Draft.

NBA summer league runs from July 12 to July 22 in Las Vegas.

Keion Brooks Jr. signs with New Orleans Pelicans

After not being selected in the NBA draft, Keion Brooks Jr. will start his professional career with the New Orleans Pelicans.

After not hearing his name called in the 2024 NBA draft, former Washington Huskies star Keion Brooks Jr. signed a deal on Friday to begin his professional career with the New Orleans Pelicans. General manager Bryson Graham acquired two Washington alumni in under an hour on Friday, as Brooks’ deal was finalized shortly after the Pelicans traded for Dejounte Murray.

Brooks, who averaged 19.4 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 1 block per game over his two years in Seattle, should have a great opportunity to make the roster this fall. Star forward Brandon Ingram is reportedly on the trade block as Graham has to navigate around the salary cap and if he’s moved, that would free up plenty of minutes on the wing in New Orleans.

Even if Ingram doesn’t get traded, Brooks could still make the roster with a strong showing at the NBA Summer League, which begins on July 12 in Las Vegas.

One thing that could set him apart from other prospects looking to make the team is his three-point shooting. During his final year on Montlake, he shot a career-best 38 percent from distance which could make him a valuable asset at the professional level.

When combined with his athleticism and experience, Brooks should be a quality candidate to make the roster.

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Dejounte Murray traded from Atlanta to New Orleans

A former Washington star was involved in the first blockbuster trade of the NBA offseason.

Former Washington Huskies star Dejounte Murray has been a hot commodity on the trade block for a while and on Friday afternoon, he learned that he would be on the move for the second time in his NBA career.

ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported that the 2021 All-Star guard is headed to the New Orleans Pelicans to star alongside Zion Williamson in exchange for two first-round picks, center Larry Nance Jr., and guard Dyson Daniels.

Murray should anchor the Pelicans’ backcourt alongside CJ McConnell and the 2017-18 honoree on the NBA’s All-Defensive Second Team brings a strong presence that should be very valuable to coach Willie Green. After being swept by the Oklahoma City Thunder in the first round, the former Husky could help the Pelicans compete in a loaded Western Conference.

He’s coming off a season where he averaged a career-high 22.5 points per game alongside Trae Young while also carrying a personal best 52.8 effective field goal percentage. Entering the first year of a four-year, $120 million extension that he had initially signed with Atlanta, Murray gives the Pelicans an extremely valuable piece to build around who is also under team control for the foreseeable future.

Former Husky Levi Jordan could hang around with the Cincinnati Reds

Former Washington Huskies star Levi Jordan is getting his shot in the major leagues.

Former Washington Huskies standout Levi Jordan got his shot on Monday when the Cincinnati Reds called him up to join the ranks of the MLB. The Reds selected Jordan in the Rule 5 draft over the offseason from the Chicago Cubs and sent him to play for their AAA affiliate, the Louisville Bats.

So far this season, Jordan has batted .302 with 5 home runs, 10 doubles, and six stolen bases in 54 games with the Bats. While he has primarily acted as a utility player in Louisville, manning second and third base in the field, along with center and left field, he will be in right field for the Reds in place of the injured TJ Friedl and mostly face left-handed pitchers.

The Puyallup, Washington native was a walk-on for the Huskies in 2015 after being part of an undefeated state championship team at Puyallup High School during his senior year. Once on Montlake, he quickly established himself as one of the best infielders in the Pac-12, making just 2 errors in 206 chances during his freshman season.

He covered second base his during his first three years on the team before taking over at shortstop for his senior year.

During his time at Washington he was credited as an All-Pac-12 Honorable Mention in 2016 and 2017 before being named to the All-Pac-12 Team in 2018. He really impressed at the plate during his final season, slugging 8 home runs and 17 doubles while holding a .305 as the Huskies made a run to the College World Series, which also led to the Cubs selecting him with the No. 878 overall pick.

Jordan played in 210 games and had 710 at bats, which both inside the top five in school history. If he can display the defensive versatility and consistency at the plate that he did in college, he could make it tough to send him back to Triple-A.

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Michael Penix signs rookie contract with Atlanta Falcons

Former Washington star Michael Penix Jr. signed his rookie contract with the Atlanta Falcons on Tuesday.

After being selected with the No. 8 overall pick in April’s NFL draft, former Washington Huskies star Michael Penix Jr. got his first professional payday on Monday when he signed his rookie contract with the Atlanta Falcons.

It’s estimated to be worth $22.8 million by OverTheCap.com, which carries a $4.8 million cap hit this season. As a first-round pick, Penix’s contract also includes a fifth-year team option that general manager Terry Fontenot and the Falcons can decide on before the 2027 season.

“Very excited about [the first round of the NFL draft], about the outcome and being able to add Michael Penix Jr.,” Fontenot said. “When you can add a high-caliber player like that, with his intangibles, those tools, he’s a winner. Very, very excited. You don’t pass up that opportunity.”

“This was something that I’d been dreaming of since I was a kid,” Penix said. “So, to be able to be in this position, I’m blessed. That’s all that I can say, I’m blessed. I had no idea, but I know that everything happens for a reason and I’m super excited to be able to be a part of the organization and I can’t wait to go make an impact.”

Early on at minicamp and OTA’s, Penix appears to have made an impression on coach Raheem Morris, but it will be extremely difficult for him to unseat Kirk Cousins, who has $100 million guaranteed to him over the next two seasons.

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