Nelson ready to make impact

The Huskies haven't had a shooter in this mold since Tre Simmons was around here a couple seasons ago. Long and lean, guys like Simmons or Washington freshman Phillip Nelson are hard to come by. Why?

They've got range that makes your head spin. Just ask fellow freshman and summer roommate Adrian Oliver about Nelson's prowess: "When he's on, he's a deadly shooter." "Just to be a pure shooter, that's hard to find."

At 6-foot-7, 209 pounds, Nelson ("I hate that they measure you in bare feet. We don't play with our bare feet.), would be considered a bit of a match-up difficulty on the perimeter. Taking a shooting guard or small forward out to the NBA 3-point line -- or beyond – is commonplace for the shooting guard from McNary High School in Keizer, Ore. "He's a pretty amazing athlete," said Class of 2008 prospect Brendan Ingebritsen of Mead High School in Spokane.

Nelson, ranked 61st in Rivals' Class of 2006, picked Washington over Georgia Tech and Gonzaga (Oklahoma State and Texas also were interested). After taking an official visit Sept. 23 to Washington, he committed two days later.

Now on campus, Nelson can hardly wait for the 2006-07 to begin – so his smooth stroke can help silence the critics. "I expect big things," he said. "Coach Romar is going to do everything he can (to get us ready). "We'll be good."

Currently, Nelson is showing off his shooting talents to teammates during daily pickup games at Bank of America Arena – and having a blast doing so. "This team is fun – on and off the court," he said. "It's a lot better than high school."

Nelson has three areas he's looking to improve this summer: "Quickness -- with my feet, better D and to be stronger." Not blessed with super athleticism or speed, Nelson still gets his shot off in every fashion imaginable and from every spot on the floor.

An ability to penetrate and handle contact in the lane would make him even more of a threat. And, if he can put to rest the old adage that pure shooters tend to not play a lick of defense, Nelson will be something else for the Huskies.

For now, that something else in Nelson's mind is Washington point guard Justin Dentmon – who continues to dazzle teammates this summer with his constant improvement seemingly by the day. "I knew he was good," Nelson said. "But I didn't know he was that good."

One guy Nelson was fully aware of was former Husky Bobby Jones, who was chosen as the 37th pick in the NBA Draft last week. "No one expected Bobby to go," he said. "We did. Bobby's one of the best defenders you'll see."

If you can envision Nelson to be as good of a shooter as Jones was a defender, then you're starting to catch on to his acumen from long-range. On a team with junior shooters (zone-buster Ryan Appleby and left-hand stroker Joel Smith), a freshman stands out due to his length right away.

Perhaps someday, Nelson will stand out for another reason. Being one of the greatest 3-point shooters in Husky history isn't unreasonable.