SEATTLE — University of Washington men’s basketball player Quincy Pondexter has a little bit of a different relationship with his personal trainer than most people would.
First all, the senior forward calls his trainer up at odd hours, requesting to meet him at the gym at a moment’s notice. Then there’s the actual workout, which often involves the trainer tinkering with Pondexter’s jump shot.
It would seem a strange person to turn to when looking to improve your game, but Pondexter’s trainer is no ordinary weights-and-cardio guy. It’s Ryan Appleby, the school’s most prolific 3-point shooter of all time.
Appleby, a former Stanwood High and UW star who now works as a personal trainer, has been helping Pondexter get ready for his senior season.
“I give him a lot of credit,” Pondexter said Wednesday. “He works out with me whenever I want. I can call him at awkward times.
“We’ve worked on a lot of ball-handling. He’s an expert at ball-handling and shooting. When we work out, he makes me feel like I’m the worst player ever. That’s helped me a lot. We do workouts that I’m not used to. It may make me look nasty, but it’s really helped me be a better player.”
Of course, the top of Appleby’s resume has to do with his prowess as a shooter. He’s helped alter the shooting motion of Pondexter, a 6-foot-6 swingman who is garnering attention as a possible all-Pac-10 player.
“I used to tip the ball on my forehead, and now it’s more in front,” Pondexter said of his new shooting motion. “It’s a lot of mechanical things. It’s really gone in a lot more frequently, so I’m happy with it.”
Freshman hazing
McDonald’s All-America Abdul Gaddy isn’t getting much preferential treatment as he prepares for his freshman season at UW.
Head coach Lorenzo Romar has yet to name Gaddy the starting point guard, and that’s the way the Tacoma native likes it.
“Being a McDonald’s All-American is a great honor, but I’m just trying to come in here and fit in with the team,” Gaddy said. “I’m not coming in expecting to be a starter. I know I have to work for my position.”
Romar has been impressed with the freshman’s thirst for coaching, and he can’t be too disappointed if Gaddy takes a while to shine at practices. During informal sessions with fellow Huskies, the star freshman has had to match up against one of the nation’s best on-ball defenders in junior Venoy Overton.
“He’s a pest,” Gaddy said. “That’s what he is; that’s what he does. He talks a lot of mess. He’s a great defender. I would say he’s probably the top defender in the country.”
The freshman phenom knows he’ll be better for it in the long run.
“I feel like if I can control the offense and score with Venoy guarding me, that makes it a lot easier with anybody else guarding me,” Gaddy said. “Venoy’s all up in you: scratching, biting. He’s real physical for his size. It just makes it easier for when I face someone else.”
Target on their backs
As the defending Pac-10 champion and a likely inclusion in most preseason Top 25 polls, UW won’t be able to enter the season under the radar.
“A bull’s eye (is) on our back coming off the championship season,” Romar said. “Whatever the case may be, this is an entirely new year. As far as we’re concerned, we’re not going out there approaching anything like something’s going to be handed to us. We’ve got to start from scratch.”
Star guard Isaiah Thomas said that the national ranking doesn’t mean anything yet.
“First and foremost, we’ve got to defend the Pac-10 championship,” he said. “We won it last year, and I feel like we can do it again.”
Loose balls
Romar said that forward Justin Holiday, who is recovering from hernia surgery, has been shooting free throws and could be cleared to practice “in the next few weeks.” … Forward Tyreese Breshers is the only other player who might not be at 100 percent when practice officially begins Saturday. Breshers missed all of last season with shin and knee injuries and is being eased back into action. “He’s awfully close,” Romar said. “He’s good enough to go in there and play games.” UW’s first game is Nov. 4, an exhibition against Central Washington. … The Huskies will be featured in an ESPN version of “Midnight Madness” on Friday night, although the practice will be held a few hours short of its title. The session, which is open to the public, is scheduled to begin shortly after the UW volleyball team finishes its 6 p.m. match against UCLA.
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