1 Rick Neuheisel makes his return to Husky Stadium this weekend. What do you expect to see out of Neuheisel and his UCLA team against the Dawgs?

Christian: A win. He won’t get booed too much, since there will be about 15 people there when the game ends.

Honsen: They only beat WSU 28-3 right? Huskies have a shot to win!

Ben: Statistically speaking, this game shouldn’t be pretty. The Bruins are having a bad enough year for the Dawgs to at least look competitive, though, for the first half anyway. Neuheisel’s struggling group will ultimately put up points that the Huskies won’t find a way to match.

Maks: I expect Neuheisel to gamble on some plays. *Chuckle*

2 Former Mariner second baseman Joey Cora may be in the running to be the next manager of the M’s. What do you think of a possible Cora hiring?

Christian: I’d like it, though I question how qualified he is for that position. As long as he doesn’t cry on the bench, I’d be fine with it.

Honsen: I think it could be good, because the managerial position is kind of overrated. The Mariners don’t need to hire a big-name guy; they can create one for themselves. What would really matter is whether or not the M’s surround Cora or the next Seattle manager with actual good players to manage.

Ben: Sounds like a good idea to me. Cora was always a well-loved player in Seattle and obviously he’s had success coaching with the White Sox. I just hope he doesn’t once again revert to crying — see 1995 Playoffs — if we have another horrible season.

Maks: If Cora’s hiring means seeing highlights from the 1995 ALDS all over again, I’m all over it.

3 Do you believe Isiah Thomas will be able to help put Jon Brockman and the rest of the Huskies back into to the NCAA tournament?

Christian: Yes. And what boggles my mind is how little mention there is of Thomas in season previews and such. The guy could very well be UW’s leading scorer. No conversation about Husky basketball is complete without him.

Honsen: I really want to believe that, but Spencer Hawes kind of killed my faith in Husky basketball two years ago. Until the Huskies actually make the tournament, I will hedge my high hopes.

Ben: Having gone to high school with Isaiah in Tacoma, I’ve been watching him do his thing on the court for years. The guy can bring it. He’s one of those game-changing players who is just outright exciting to watch. He will do everything in his power to get the Huskies back to the tourney.

Maks: As we saw two years ago, great players don’t always equate to much — not even an NIT invite. It’s going to take a concerted effort from the whole crew to get the Huskies where they need to go. But unlike WSU, this team is deep and has several guys in place to make plays. It’d probably also help if they stopped going all Chris Dudley at the free-throw line.

4 Since making the trade for Allen Iverson last week, the Pistons have yet to win a game. In retrospect, was this a good trade?

Christian: Don’t care. Brandon Roy is deadly, though.

Honsen: Yes, because the Pistons didn’t make this trade to win in the present. By trading away Chauncey Billups, Detroit is freeing up salary cap space — A.I. and Rasheed Wallace might leave during summer — to possibly pursue LeBron James when he hits free agency in 2010.

Ben: At this point you might say the trade was a good move for Denver and a bad one for Detroit. Really, though, it’s only been a couple games. Give A.I. some time to get acclimated to his new team and coach and you’ll find the Pistons received the dynamic scorer they were looking for.

Maks: LeBron talk aside, people need to realize Chauncey Billups was the glue for that team for close to 600 regular-season and playoff games combined. It’s going to take time for Rodney Stuckey to settle down and fill the point guard role. It’s going to take time for A.I. to feel comfortable with an even smaller scoring load to bear. Bottom line: This team still has the pieces in place to compete. As K.G. once said, “Anything is possible!” That is, unless you’re Stephon Marbury trying to get playing time in NY.