Here's to You, Quincy Pondexter
Posted Jan. 9 at 7:00 am by Damon Agnos
Not long ago, Seth Kolloen wrote an article defending Quincy Pondexter and setting straight the player's greedy critics. Pondexter, he noted, has put up numbers quite similar to those of Husky favorite Bobby Jones. The only difference is that Pondexter came in with high expectations. He's mostly right, though there was good reason for initial expectations to be higher with the stronger, more explosive, and more polished QP.
Since his ballyhooed arrival at Montlake, Pondexter's gone from peacock to dray horse,
from open-court dervish to in-the-paint banger. We get a lot of him backing down his defender, like a boxer winning with body shots, until he gets within range to jump over the guy and shoot a short jumper. He still wants to spin left before he even starts driving right, makes the occasional dumb pass, is indecisive, and frustrates those who expect confident, fluid play from such a gifted athlete.
But I'm here to celebrate Pondexter, not bury him. The disappointment and frustration of Husky fans was likely experienced by him tenfold, and sometimes I wonder if the resulting scar tissue has permanently constrained his range of motion. Whatever the source of his inhibition, he seems only momentarily able to move freely and on instinct, always returning quickly to a more premeditated mode of play. He's sort of a Sisyphus—with QP, it's always almost.
The great thing is, he appears to be enjoying it. All the hype after the Wazzu game was on Brockman and how the big senior finally got his win against the Cougs. But during the game, it was Pondexter getting religion, screaming and jumping and pumping his arms.
Last night against Stanford was the same. Pondexter plays defense like Venoy Overton, crashes the boards like Jon Brockman, and doesn't seem to give a damn whether he gets any shots. It's like the game is the perfect therapy for the disappointments resulting from the game. Any guy who can watch his hoop dreams slowly slipping away, muster the energy to play harder than the less-talented but more-together multitudes surrounding him, and then enjoy it selflessly and with verve is something to behold. Keep up the good work, Quincy.
Comments
Pondexter's success has certainly been the story of the first half of the Huskies season, and whether they make the tourney likely hinges on that success continuing. But while Pondexter indeed came in with higher expectations than BJ, he cursed himself by actually living up to those high expectations during the first half of his freshman year, prompting many to wonder whether he'd be a one-and-done player. The rest, of course, has been ugly history, until this year, when Pondexter, as you observe, has turned into a more smash-mouth player. The irony is, that sort of game is not going to translate well to the NBA for a wiry 6'7" athlete. But that's not Husky fans' concern right now.
Posted Jan. 9 at 9:53 am by SeelyI'm liking the new QP much better than the underachieving old one, but Bobby Jones? Please. Like you said, he plays defense like Venoy Overton, not Compton's finest. Bobby Jones had more handles than a Samsonite store.
Posted Jan. 9 at 10:43 am by Keegan