Oliver's challenge
Spartan guard faces former team
Ryan Buchan
Issue date: 11/19/09 Section: Sports
Spartan shooting guard Adrian Oliver returns to Seattle on Friday, reuniting with his former team and coach Lorenzo Romar, when SJSU faces the Washington Huskies.
"He turned me into a man," Oliver said of Romar. "My first year was my first year away from home. … I turned to him as a father figure"
Romar said he tries to stay in contact with Oliver and went to watch him play against Boise State last year.
"It goes beyond the game of basketball," Romar said. "I pull for him."
Oliver said he has nothing to prove against his former team.
"You can't think like that," he said. "I feel like our team has something to prove first and foremost. I am not going out there and playing with revenge or nothing like that. That is not my mind-set, but our team does have something to prove."
Quincy Pondexter, the Huskies second leading scorer, was one of the players Oliver said he was closest with.
"My roommate was Quincy when I was down there, so we were kind of closer than any body else," Oliver said. "He came in with my same draft class. Just getting up there talking to him would be nice, but we are there to do a job."
Romar said he expects the former Husky to play well Friday night.
"I think he is going to come out as an assassin," he said. "I know him well enough to know he is going to be on the top of his game."
Oliver played 37 games for the Huskies from 2006-2007, starting 13 and averaging 4.5 points per game.
"I thought if he was patient, things would work out well for him," Romar said. "When it was all said and done, I wish the best for him. The main thing is he is close to home now. He is so close to his family."
Oliver said he left Washington to be closer to his family in Modesto and take care of some issues at home.
He transferred to SJSU in Dec.. 2007 and played his first game as a Spartan on Dec. 20, 2008 against Northern Colorado, scoring 27 points.
The Huskies come into the game with a 3-0 record, a No.14 ranking in the AP poll after defeating Portland State 111-55 on Sunday.
"They have blasted a couple of teams that are quality teams," said SJSU head basketball coach George Nessman. "They are very, very hard to beat up in Washington. … Obviously it is a big challenge. We are excited about it.
That is how you catch your teeth as a team, you go up against the top 20 teams and get in there and battle. And that is what we are looking forward too."
The Spartans played their first game on Monday, winning 89-63 against William Jessup.
The Huskies had 8,236 fans at their last home game while the Spartans drew a crowd of 1,399.
"The 'Dawg Pack' is still one of the best (student sections) in the nation," Oliver said. "When I was there, I fed off their energy. I just want to tell the other guys not to pay attention to them and play like it is a scrimmage."
"He turned me into a man," Oliver said of Romar. "My first year was my first year away from home. … I turned to him as a father figure"
Romar said he tries to stay in contact with Oliver and went to watch him play against Boise State last year.
"It goes beyond the game of basketball," Romar said. "I pull for him."
Oliver said he has nothing to prove against his former team.
"You can't think like that," he said. "I feel like our team has something to prove first and foremost. I am not going out there and playing with revenge or nothing like that. That is not my mind-set, but our team does have something to prove."
Quincy Pondexter, the Huskies second leading scorer, was one of the players Oliver said he was closest with.
"My roommate was Quincy when I was down there, so we were kind of closer than any body else," Oliver said. "He came in with my same draft class. Just getting up there talking to him would be nice, but we are there to do a job."
Romar said he expects the former Husky to play well Friday night.
"I think he is going to come out as an assassin," he said. "I know him well enough to know he is going to be on the top of his game."
Oliver played 37 games for the Huskies from 2006-2007, starting 13 and averaging 4.5 points per game.
"I thought if he was patient, things would work out well for him," Romar said. "When it was all said and done, I wish the best for him. The main thing is he is close to home now. He is so close to his family."
Oliver said he left Washington to be closer to his family in Modesto and take care of some issues at home.
He transferred to SJSU in Dec.. 2007 and played his first game as a Spartan on Dec. 20, 2008 against Northern Colorado, scoring 27 points.
The Huskies come into the game with a 3-0 record, a No.14 ranking in the AP poll after defeating Portland State 111-55 on Sunday.
"They have blasted a couple of teams that are quality teams," said SJSU head basketball coach George Nessman. "They are very, very hard to beat up in Washington. … Obviously it is a big challenge. We are excited about it.
That is how you catch your teeth as a team, you go up against the top 20 teams and get in there and battle. And that is what we are looking forward too."
The Spartans played their first game on Monday, winning 89-63 against William Jessup.
The Huskies had 8,236 fans at their last home game while the Spartans drew a crowd of 1,399.
"The 'Dawg Pack' is still one of the best (student sections) in the nation," Oliver said. "When I was there, I fed off their energy. I just want to tell the other guys not to pay attention to them and play like it is a scrimmage."
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