Wily Low - AP

The game came down to a game saving block yet again, but this time it went to the Huskies and it was without a doubt a solid block. Nick Johnson flew in after the block and flushed a dunk and it appeared that Arizona may have tied it up, but the replay clearly showed time had expired and UW won it after Tony Wroten swatted away the potential game tying shot.

The Huskies could have put this game out of reach sooner, but several big missed free throws allowed UA to tie the game at 67 with just a few seconds left on the clock. At one point, the Huskies held an 11 point lead, but let it bleed away with critical turnovers and a silly 5 second call on an inbounds play. Despite their struggles, the crowd, and the foul differential (22 to 13 with four UW players sitting at 4 fouls, while no UA player had more than 3), the Huskies were able to get the win in front of a national audience. This is quickly becoming one of the most exciting rivalries in the league, and nation if you ask me, as the past 4 games have all been thrilling in their own ways.

This win was huge as the Huskies jumped into first place in the conference with a 7-2 record. Both Cal and Oregon play their instate rivals tomorrow and can retie for first place with wins. Out of those two, Oregon has a better chance of winning due to the sub-stellar play of OSU as of late. Stanford has been solid thus far and could give Cal problems on Sunday. The sweep over the Arizona schools, on the road, is going to have big implications for conference standings as UA is a strong home team that will be tough to beat.

Solomon Hill single-handedly kept Arizona in the game with a massive 28 point 11 rebound night, shooting 9 free throws and sinking 8 as well as draining both of his 3-point jumpers. Hill only missed one shot all night and finished 9 of 10 from the field. Jesse Perry did his part as well making 13 points and grabbing a game high 12 rebounds. Hill and Perry were the only Wildcats in double digit scoring.

Four Huskies hit double digit points and all made strong arguments for MVP of the game. Wroten scored a team high 17 points, right around his average, Aziz N’Diaye played a huge game scoring 12 points and grabbing a team high 8 rebounds, 5 offensive, C.J. Wilcox came off the bench and drained 15 points with some nice drives in the lane, and Terrence Ross put up 16 points and 7 boards.

The other four Huskies combined for a less than acceptable 9 points. All four went 1-3 from the field. They did manage to combine for an important 11 rebounds.

Aziz N’Diaye used his size advantage to take it to the hole early on and found immediate success against the much smaller Wildcat frontcourt. N’Diaye was able to extend over the defenders for some nice looking post moves and hook shots. The Dawgs recognized the advantage and fed him the ball more often than in the past. While N’Diaye’s offensive talents are still improving, the difference between this year and last is very noticeable and much needed. Aziz finished 6-11 from the field, but missed all 3 free throw attempts.

C.J. Wilcox looked solid on the court, finished inside the paint when his outside shot wasn’t falling. Wilcox hit 6 of 10 from the field and was only 1 of 3 from outside the arc. Wilcox nearly cost the Dawgs the game with a missed front end of a 1-and-1 with the Dawgs only up 3 points. The Wildcats came down and sank a game tying 3-pointer. Wilcox took care of business in the last 15 seconds, hitting a pair of free throws following the expected foul. Wilcox had 5 boards and a pair of assists as well as turnovers. Not his greatest night, but following over two weeks of missed practices and games, Wilcox knocked some of his rust off and played big when we needed him.

Terrence Ross had another amazing second half, hitting some big 3-pointers down the stretch to extend the Husky lead. Like Wilcox, Ross missed the front end of a critical 1-and-1 situation that nearly cost the Dawgs the win. Still, Ross had an impressive stat stuffing night with 7 boards, 2 assists, 3 steals, 3 blocks, and 3 turnovers. Ross put together a much better game and did some work in both halves rather than just in the second. That being said, Ross was still much better in the last 20 than the first 20 minutes. Ross let his impact be felt defensively more than offensively as his blocks were humongous and provided the Dawgs with some nice transition opportunities.

Tony Wroten gets my MVP vote tonight. Not only did he swat the game winning block, but Wroten drilled an insane 3-pointer after Ross bobbled the ball. With only 3 seconds on the clock, Wroten grabbed up the loose ball, turned and dribble around his man and pulled up for a 30 footer that crashed through the net. Unbelievable. The shot was almost a bad thing for Wroten and the Dawgs as Wroten got a little too cocky and started to play overexcited, shooting a poor 3-pointer and turning the ball over in the paint. Wroten quickly gained his composure back after the turnover and returned to playing more mature basketball. Wroten went 5-7 from the foul line, but finished a rather poor 5-18 from the field. Many of his shots were inside where he tried to muscle through a lot of contact that wasn’t being called (see the foul differential). My bet is Wroten gets Player of the Week once more and gives one more reason why he should get Freshman of the Year and possibly Player of the Year. Wroten averaged just under 20 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 4 assists per game this week and helped seal a much needed road sweep.

The rest of the Dawgs played somewhat underwhelming. Abdul Gaddy had the biggest impact, picking up 3 assists early in the first half and finishing with 5 on the night with only 1 turnover. Gaddy managed only 2 points and was not aggressive offensively. His 4 fouls certainly limited how hard he could go to the hoop and defend, but I thought Gaddy had a favorable match-up that could have been exploited more often. Darnell Gant and Desmond Simmons provided some defensive sparks and grabbed 4 boards a piece. Simmons drilled a wide open 3-pointer in the starting minutes to help the Huskies jump out to a 7 point lead. Austin Sefarian-Jenkins played only 6 minutes, but gave N’Diaye a breather and gave out some heavy fouls. Kevin Parrom tried to shove ASJ after a foul, but the big man didn’t move an inch and Parrom seemed to realize his mistake shortly after.

What Needed Improvement:

• Free Throws - When the fouls aren’t going your way, you have to hit the few you are given. The Huskies were miserable form the line, hitting only 7 of their 16 attempts. In tight games, especially on the road, foul shots are critical. As I said in the pregame, we were not going to get many calls and I was proven right. The Dawgs did not capitalize on their opportunities and it nearly cost them the game. The Huskies MUST improve their foul shooting or risk another close game slipping away.
• Ball Control - Down the stretch, the Huskies got sloppy with the ball and play calls leading to unnecessary and unforced turnovers that allowed UA to fight their way back into the game. 13 turnovers were committed, 5 by Wroten (though I believe the officials should have called a foul instead of traveling on at least one of those plays). The Dawgs need to take better care of the ball and limit themselves to 10 or less per game. The 13 turnovers led to 17 points by the Wildcats.

What Was Good:

• Inside Presence - The Huskies posted a 34 to 28 point advantage inside, led by N’Diaye and Wroten who crashed the glass and the lane. Wilcox provided the spark inside during the second half and Ross showed himself to be an extreme athlete once more with some impressive moves on the block.
• Rebounding - One of the biggest keys to UW’s win was offensive rebounding. The Huskies posted 16 offensive boards (36 total) that led to 17 second chance points, crushing UA’s 8 second chance points. When our shots weren’t dropping, we got up high and gathered the ball for the easy put back. UA did manage 35 boards behind the strong efforts of Hill and Perry, but it just wasn’t enough. Six Huskies posted 4 or more rebounds, while Hill and Perry were the only Wildcats with more than 3 rebounds.

Final Thoughts:

Finally we played in a big road game and came out the victors. Solid defense forced 15 turnovers and held the ‘Cats to 42% shooting from the field (not great, but solid enough) and 30% from deep (again, not great, but good enough). The Huskies put together some big stops early in both halves to put the Wildcats in some deep holes that proved too difficult to climb out of. The Wildcats went into half with a 3 point lead following a controversial dunk that appeared to be offensive goaltending.

The Huskies overcame sloppy play and put together a strong enough effort to pull out the win. I would say the Dawgs played about 30 minutes of tough basketball, the other 10 minutes led to the Wildcats coming back from 7 and 11 point deficits.

Big, big win and while I understand the Pac-12 is “weak” this year, anyone watching the game has to admit it was exciting. These two teams have provided some of the best basketball in the nation these past two seasons and I suspect this will continue for several more years as the programs have really begun to make this game into a huge event with everyone giving all they have to offer. This will be huge when it comes to building our players’ mental attitude about big games and road games and should really give these guys a taste of how sweet a big time win is.

Hopefully this is the turning point that allows us to start crushing teams with our superior athleticism and talent. Romar, now is your time to get us rolling. The momentum is here, the talent is here, now it comes down to execution and chemistry. Get it done, boys.

Go Dawgs!

Editor’s Note: We’re getting very close to the beginning of the season so it’s due time to begin our inaugural Pac-12 previews. We’ll go through them alphabetically this season, starting with Arizona. At the end, we will release of rankings. Let’s get to it.

by: Griffin Bennett

Last year’s squad made an Elite Eight run behind All-American Derrick Williams. He was a freak last season and I’m just glad that he’s gone. Those in Tucson wish he was returning because the Wildcats lost a lot of experience on the court and have a relatively young squad heading into this year. Let’s break them down at how they will look this year.

Key Losses:

Derrick Williams (19.5 ppg, 8.3 rpg) – NBA Draft

MoMo Jones (9.7 ppg, 2.3 apg) – Transfer to Iona College

Jamelle Horne (6.1 ppg, 3.1 rpg) – Graduation

Best of the Rest:

This Arizona squad isn’t left completely bare. At the guard position they return key players in guards Kyle Fogg, and Jordin Mayes. Fogg was a starter all of last season and will be a senior leader on and off the court. Mayes will look to have an increased role on the team this year but with a solid incoming freshmen class he may actually see his time decrease.

While they lose Horne and Williams at the forward positions, they still return Solomon Hill and Jesse Perry. They both are extremely active post players who can step out and make a jumper. They will now be expected move from role players into a staring role, much like that of Darnell Gant for the Huskies.

Sadly, returning junior Kevin Parrom suffered a gunshot wound last month and his return to the team is obviously in question. It sounds like he was extremely lucky to be alive and we all wish him a speedy recovery.

Some other key returners are C Kyryl Natyazhko, F Brendan Lavender, and C Alex Jacobson. 

Incoming Freshmen:

As much as this pains me to say, head coach Sean Miller has brought the Wildcat program all the way back and has/is recruiting at an elite level. Headlining Scout.com’s 4th best recruiting class is 6-3 PG Josiah Turner. The #3 overall PG in the nation is an electric athlete who is at his best when he is attacking the basket. He should be an immediate impact for the Wildcats and start at point guard from day one.

Nick Johnson is another elite recruit (#7 SG, 6-3.5) who has a high motor and is stellar on defense. He isn’t the greatest perimeter shooter but he can score from anywhere on the court.

Next up are the pair of power forwards that Sean Miller has brought in to replace Williams and Horne. Sidiki Johnson (6-8) and Angelo Chol (6-9) are two big guys that can really fill up the paint. Neither are elite scorers but both a defensive presences that have very high long term upside. They may not start this year but they will surely be a factor.

Projected Starting Lineup: 

G: Josiah Turner (Fr, 6-3)

G: Nick Johnson (Fr, 6-3.5)

G: Kyle Fogg (Sr, 6-3)

F: Solomon Hill (Jr, 6-6)

F: Jesse Perry (Sr, 6-7)

Outlook:

The Wildcats lost a lot from last year’s Elite Eight squad and it’s hard to believe that they can just reload and be as effective. Derrick Williams was such a huge part of their team and you have to assume that they take some sort of step back this year. How big of a step is the real question.

From a talent standpoint, they are easily in the Pac-12 title picture. Experience will be their number one weakness. Their title hopes will probably rest in the hands of their young freshmen guards, Josiah Turner and Nick Johnson. How quickly can they pick up the speed of the college game?

I, personally, am a huge Solomon Hill fan and I think he is one of the most underrated players in the league. Hill and Perry will need to be very aggressive on the boards in order to make up for their lack of size in the post and the loss of Williams.

They are probably ranked a little too high in the preseason polls but they certainly are a team with high title hopes. One thing is for certain; the bull’s eye is directly on their backs.

Who: #25 Arizona (15-3, 4-1) vs. #20 UW (13-4, 5-1)

When: Thursday @ 7:30

Where: Hec Ed

TV: FSN

by: Griffin Bennett

The day has come. The showdown is tonight between two ranked Pac-10 teams for the first time in two years. The trash talk is being dished on twitter and the entire West Coast will be watching. I can’t remember a more hyped January Pac-10 game than this one. The game has everything that you want: two top teams, two top players, league title battle, two rabid fan bases, electric atmosphere, and two fast offenses. Let’s hope that the game matches the hype and becomes an instant classic.

Arizona 101:

Derrick Williams is good. Really good. He is the only Wildcat that averages double-digit points (19.7) while also leading his team in rebounds (7.3), blocks (.8), and steals (1.1). The 6’9″ power forward does everything really well, including shooting free throws (77%) and even three’s (17-24). The biggest myth is that you need to shut down Williams in order to beat Arizona. In their three loses this year, Williams is averaging 18.7 points and 5.3 rebounds. If anything, the true key is to box out Williams and make sure he doesn’t get any offensive rebounds. Derrick is too good of a player to be able to shut him down offensively. He is going to get his points no matter how you defend him, so the Huskies strategy should be to crash the boards and limit their possessions while making sure another scorer doesn’t light up the board.

Much like the Huskies, the Wildcats have extreme depth. They have 10 players that average 10+ minutes per game, and seven players that average 5+ points per game. With all of the attention being on Williams, Solomon Hill has risen be the second leading scorer (8.5) and rebounder (4.7). Williams’ double teams have opened up the paint for the sophomore, Hill.

Next, you have to focus on the guards. Kyle Fogg (7.8 ppg, 2.6 apg) and Lamont Jones (7.7 ppg, 2.4 apg) are just average players. They have terrible assist/turnover ratios and are horrendous from the three-point range as they are shooting 30%. The Husky guards should have no problem guarding them and if Venoy can get the calls, he could destroy.

Like I said, the Wildcats are deep. The best of the rest include Jamelle Horne, Kevin Parrom, Jordin Mayes, Brendon Lavender, Jesse Perry, and Kyryl Natyazhko. Horne, Mayes, Parrom, and Lavender are their three-point shooters, but Jamelle Horne is their sniper. He is the player that can get the hottest and shouldn’t ever be given an open look. Natyazhko is a 6’11″ forward that can clog the lane and can be an effective defender at times.

Starting Line-up:

PG: Lamont Jones – 6’0″

SG: Kyle Fogg – 6’3″

SF: Jesse Perry – 6’7″

PF: Solomon Hill – 6’6″

C: Derrick Williams – 6’8″

Keys to Victory:

• Rebounding – More-so then ever, the Dawgs have to limit Williams on the boards and win this battle. I will almost guarantee a victory if they win the battle down low.
• Three-Pointers – Both shooting and defending. The Dawgs have to limit open looks from the Wildcats, while making their own. They can’t have an off night if they hope to win.
• Points off Turnovers – The Huskies defense needs to create turnovers and turn them into fast break points. The Wildcats will want to run more offensive sets, and the Huskies high-speed offense comes from their defense. They need to have 20+ points off of turnovers to lock-up a victory.
• Ross, Wilcox, and Suggs – The Dawgs need 2 of the 3 to have good nights. Both from three-range and passing or defense, they need to show up and deliver on the big stage. I have a gut feeling that Ross will rise to the occasion.

Prediction:

I predicted wins over Kentucky, Michigan State, and Texas A+M but this game has me thinking twice. Can Isaiah replicate his recent success? Can MBA actually limit Williams? Will everything click on the same night? Even if some of those are no’s, the Huskies are still the better team. The key player in this game is Justin Holiday. He is better than any wing that Arizona has on the roster and is a difference maker on both side of the ball. Holiday for the win. Huskies win, 84-80. Bow Down.

by: Griffin Bennett

I couldn’t sleep last night at all. I kept tossing and turning while I thought about Thursday night’s match-up against #25 Arizona. Even though I predicted a loss in this game in my preview piece during the pre-season, a loss would seem like the end of the world. Don’t kid yourself, this is (and will be) the hardest home game the Huskies have this year. Arizona knows that they have to steal it if they are going to win the Pac-10, and they have the underdog mentality. Derrick Williams will be the best player the Huskies will play this year, too. With all due respect to Klay Thompson, He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named, Brandon Knight, and Kalin Lucas, Williams is superior.

There’s no question that it will be tough game, but how tough? How does this game compare with others against ranked teams at home? I always seem to remember the losses more than the wins. I think it’s a Husky thing. Here are the home games against ranked opponents from the last 3 years.

Home Games Against Ranked Teams (last three years):

• Dec 8, 2007 - #9 Pitt – Lost 74-75 - Justin Dentmon hit a buzzer-beater that was waved off as it hit late. A heartbreaking loss that most Husky fans will never forget.
• Jan 5, 2008 – #4 WSU – Lost 52-56 – Tony Bennett slowed the Huskies to a stand still with Weaver, Low, and Baynes. A great gimick Coug team dominated the Huskies for a few years.
• Jan 31, 2008 – #14 Stanford – Lost 51-65 – Brook Lopez had 31 points and 13 rebounds. Enough said.
• Feb 10, 2008 – #4 UCLA – Won 71-61 – An amazing win over a Final Four team. It also contained the infamous Tim Morris pass into Aboya’s face that I re-watched 100 times.
• Jan 17,  2009 – #11 UCLA – Won 86-75 – IT’s 24 points as a freshman combined with Brockman’s 18 and 8 propelled the Huskies into first place in the Pac-10 and eventually won the league title.
• Feb 26, 2009 – #11 ASU – Won 73-70 OT – Justin Dentmon’s 12 points in overtime propelled the Huskies farther into the Pac-10 lead, instead of being only a half game up on the rest of the league. A huge victory that changed the tide in the Dawgs favor.

Other than the fact that the Huskies didn’t play a single ranked team at home last year (2009-10), the Huskies are on a three-game winning streak against ranked teams at home. That means that no player on the current roster has lost to a ranked team at home. Most Husky fans also agree that this year’s team is the best version of the last 3 years. Looking at that list has made me relax a little. Playing the #25 team at home with an improved Husky squad should be easier than all of those games. Then why am I still nervous?

What a loss would mean:

I know I shouldn’t write such things, but I needed to feed my curiosity. What if they lose? Would the Huskies’ title hopes be over before February?

If the Wildcats win, their league record would be 5-1, while UW’s would be 5-2. The Wildcats would gain a key road victory over a top 3 Pac-10 team and sole possession of first place. The Huskies would fall only to a presumed tie of second place with Stanford/UCLA. Would that be the end of the world? Hardly.

The Wildcats have already had 2 of the 3 easiest weeks on the Pac-10 schedule: AT the Oregon’s, and HOME against the Bay Area schools. They also played their rivalry game at home against ASU. Other than playing the Oregon’s at HOME, they have had the easiest schedule so far. While a victory over UW would be huge for them, they still have to play the LA schools twice, Washington’s once more at home, and ASU in Tempe. I would expect AT LEAST two losses for the Wildcats in those remaining bouts, not to mention a tough road game against WSU on Saturday.

For the Huskies, they already have TWO key road wins against the LA schools, while still having the Bay Area and LA schools coming to Montlake. The Dawgs would have an easier schedule, but would probably need to upset Zona at home if Arizona doesn’t stumble too much. Would they be down? Yes. Would they be out? Not at all.

A loss wouldn’t be close to the end of the road, but the battle would be uphill. Let’s hope us Dawg fans don’t have to worry about it. A win would just mean that the Dawgs are one step closer to the title. Bow Down.

When: Thursday, 7:30 PM

Where: Hec Edmundson Pavilion

Huskies 101: UW won both of its games last week at home, against Seattle U. (123-76) and Washington State (92-64).

This is game #2 of the Huskies’ “Ten and Your In” portion of the season. The task is no easy feat, but it’s nearly impossible to argue that the Huskies wouldn’t earn an NCAA bid — conference champs or not — if they can win the final ten games on their schedule. So far, so good.

Quincy Pondexter has scored 23 or more points in five of his last six games, and averages 20.1 ppg, 8.1 rpg, and shoots 43.2% on 3-pt. FG.

Projected lineup: G – Abdul Gaddy, G – Isaiah Thomas, F – Justin Holiday, F – Quincy Pondexter, F – Tyreese Breshers

Last time out: The Wildcats destroyed the Huskies, 87-70, at the McKale Center.

The Wildcats shot 50% from the field, 8-17 from deep, and had six players in double figures. The Dawgs had no answer for Jamelle Horne (22 points, six rebounds, two steals).

Quincy Pondexter had one of his worst games (7 points, only five FGAs); Elston Turner had one of his best (12 points, 3-6 on 3-pt. FG)

Wildcats 101: Winners of their last four games, Arizona is the hottest team in the Pac-10. The Wildcats are fresh off a character-building home win over Cal (76-72) on Sunday.

Nic Wise (16 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 3.8 apg) is the team’s senior leader, but freshman Derrick Williams (15.9 ppg, 7.3 rpg, 57.4 FG%) is making a strong case that he’s the team’s best player.

Projected lineup: G – Nic Wise, G – Kevin Parrom, G – Kyle Fogg, F – Jamelle Horne, F – Derrick Williams

The Huskies will win if: The Huskies will win if they play the way they have at home, where they’ve looked like a team that could beat (nearly) anyone in the country.

The Dawgs will win if Quincy and our bigs can contain the potent Wildcat frontcourt of Horne and Williams. The two combined for 34 points last time the teams played, compared to 15 total for Pondexter, Tyreese Breshers, Matthew Bryan-Amaning, and Darnell Gant, combined.

The Huskies will lose if: The Huskies will lose if they don’t focus on defense. The Dawgs only turned it over nine times, and shot a (semi-) respectable 44.2% last time. We just had no answer for Arizona on the defensive end.

The Dawgs will lose if theydon’t get something going from the outside. UW shot 5-17 from 3-pt. range the last time the teams met, and must do better this time around.

A humble suggestion: It’s not his favorite move — and maybe we’re so good at home we don’t need to — but what about double-teaming the post in a more “official” sense, as opposed to the flawed help defense the Huskies regularly run. I’d like to see our guys in the post get some more help possession-to-possession and try to keep Arizona taking lower-percentage outside shots. It’s unlikely they’ll find the hot streak from outside they did against us in Tucson.

Prediction: If we can win this, we’ll be in a good place going into Saturday’s game vs. ASU, with a chance to sweep our four-game homestand. I believe this is our toughest home game remaining (USC included) and truly could go either way. . .

But, I’m picking the Huskies in a high-scoring affair. The Oregon fluke aside, how can you pick against these guys at Hec Ed? 90-86, Dawgs.

Wily Low / AP

Quick bright spot: There’s a lot of talent on this team. We’re only four games into the Pac-10 season and there’s time to right the ship. That said, anyone who tells you the ship is on course right now is full of baloney.

Three straight losses to three unspectacular teams. I’d say I’m baffled, but I’m not. When many of your wins come in unspectacular fashion at the expense of smaller conference schools, is it any wonder that similarly ho-hum efforts against Pac-10 teams may not end well?

Really, the Huskies haven’t necessarily performed worse in their five losses than in many of their 10 wins. The competition has just been better in the games we’ve lost.

I was hoping, as we were playing just a notch above teams like Montana and San Jose State, that stronger competition would bring out the best in these Dawgs. So far, it’s been the exact opposite, and what we’re seeing is that this team’s “second gear” is either very difficult to conjure up, or simply non-existent.

Here’s some more thoughts after watching the Huskies get thrashed by Arizona:

I don’t expect too much out of FSN’s game coverage which is very much hit-or-miss. But, Dave Sitton and Corey Williams just sounded unprepared tonight. They mispronounced Pondexter for the entire first half (“Poindexter”) and consistently called players by the wrong names, a sure sign they didn’t do enough prep for the game.

I did hear one interesting point, though. Williams mentioned that the harder you make Quincy Pondexter work on defense, the less potent he tends to look on offense. It’ll be interesting to see whether this trend continues through the Pac-10 season, but certainly looked to be the case this weekend as Quincy contended with a host of tough defensive assignments, looking generally anemic on the offensive end.

Quincy just looked dazed Sunday. I get the sense that, as the team’s lone senior, he’s having a tough time with the harsh reality that, try as he might, this team may not be a championship-level squad. As the team’s leader, though, if he can’t bring the energy night in, night out, they definitely won’t be dancing in March.

Speaking of dancing: Since his one-night stint in the Nutcracker ballet on December 24th, Pondexter is averaging 14.8 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 1.0 assists — all below his season averages.

MBA’s confidence is really low right now, and it’s tough to watch. He’s a sensitive kid and I don’t get the sense that he’s going to be very productive at all if Coach is indeed now committed to Tyreese Breshers as the main scoring option in the post. Sad, because, as we all know, the raw material is there, but he hasn’t been able to show it in his play consistently.

Anyone else think Venoy Overton isn’t as effective on the defensive end this year? Looks to me like he’s having a lot more trouble keeping guys in front of him.

I try to measure how bad things are going for a team by how many straight wins it would take to change the entire atmosphere to something positive. Right now, I’m saying four.

If you watched Sunday’s game without any way to see the score, I think it would’ve looked like a 35-point win for Arizona. The Huskies allowed a very mediocre team to look like worldbeaters.

So, if you’re Coach Romar, what do you do? I’m struggling to think of a drastic change that makes sense. On the other hand, these guys are a few bounces away from being 0-4 (The six-point Oregon State win was hardly convincing, considering the Beavers lost at home by 51 to Seattle U. a week later.)

Here’s a few minor suggestions:

On the defensive end, I’d like to see some more full court pressure, and then a zone that we can drop into as a “change-up” at times. If we’re going to start two freshman and a 5’8″ shooting guard, there’s going to be nights when an exclusively man-to-man defense puts us at a disadvantage.

On the other side of the ball: our four true “bigs” (MBA, Breshers, Darnell Gant, Clarence Trent) only account for 21% of our points, and we need more out of those two spots. Let’s officially make Quincy the “4″ and ask him to play a bit closer to the rim. Quincy’s a physical specimen, and in the smaller-than-usual Pac-10, he’s a perfectly adequate power forward. This will allow us to play to our strengths, potentially putting three scoring options on the floor along with Pondexter.

Also, 6’6″ Quincy might be our best rebounder. If last night is any indication (Arizona outrebounded UW, 40-23), a rededication to the boards may well be in order anyway.

What do you think? Let me know your thoughts in the comments section!

Thanks for coming!

The Least You Should Know:

The Huskies were behind wire-to-wire, cutting the deficit to two early in the second half, but spending much of the game behind by 10 or more points.

Quincy Pondexter had his second straight poor performance, finishing with seven points and three rebounds.

Washington had no answers on the defensive end: Arizona shot 50% for the game, 8-17 from three-point range, and had six players in double figures.

The Narrative:

After consecutive double-digit losses, the Washington Huskies crucially needed a strong performance against Arizona to salvage anything at all from the early part of their season.

Instead, Washington heads back home with plenty of questions, as they had no answer at all for the hot-shooting Arizona Wildcats, who defeated Washington, 87-70, on Sunday afternoon.

The Wildcats scored the game’s first eight points and never looked back. In building a 37-27 lead, Arizona held the Huskies’ two leading scorers, Quincy Pondexter and Isaiah Thomas, to zero points in the first half.

Elston Turner was the Huskies’ only bright spot early on, scoring 11 of his 12 points in the first half, during which the team shot only 33% from the field.

The Huskies started the second half on an 8-0 run, playing their best 90 seconds of basketball all weekend. They cut the lead to two points, 37-35, on a three-pointer by Thomas with 18:33 remaining in the game.

After that bucket by Thomas, Wildcat head coach Sean Miller called a timeout, and Arizona methodically built their lead from there. The Huskies were never within 10 points in the game’s final 12 minutes.

While point guard Venoy Overton was the favorite target of the Arizona State crowd on Friday evening, freshman Abdul Gaddy was the recipient of the fans’ enmity at the McHale Center Sunday. Gaddy originally committed to play at Arizona before changing his mind and going to UW.

Despite being booed each time he touched the ball, Gaddy scored his career-high Sunday, finishing with 13 points on 5-7 shooting.

After being held scoreless in the first half, Thomas finished strong with 18 points, five rebounds, and five assists.

The Huskies return home for a visit from the Bay Area schools this weekend, with Stanford coming in on Thursday, and Cal returning for a rematch of last year’s triple-overtime thriller on Saturday.

Analysis and Observations:

The first half was the flattest I’ve seen the Huskies all season. On Friday, against the Sun Devils, at least you could blame ASU’s deliberate approach for lulling the Huskies to sleep. Tonight, I have no idea why they came out and looked like they were sleepwalking.

Abdul Gaddy scored 13 tonight and looked in control, but it felt a bit as if he was looking for his shot to quiet the crowd. He finished with only one assist and three turnovers on a night when it may have been better to get his teammates involved more.

Husky of the Game: Isaiah Thomas. 18 points, five boards, five assists. Say what you will about IT, but he doesn’t hang his head when the Huskies get behind.

I think it’s safe to say that the Huskies are vulnerable on defense after getting throttled on that end of the floor for three straight games by three very different offenses.

Tyreese Breshers has to find a way to stay on the floor. He’s picked up at least three fouls in eight games so far this season. Since he’s the only reliable scoring option the Huskies have in the post, it’d be nice to see him able to play more than 12-13 minutes a night.

I’m not sure where the Huskies go from here. They’ve played two-and-a-half straight games of ineffective and uninspired basketball (the second half against Oregon, and the two games in Arizona) proving they’re either badly slumping or not as good as advertised. It’s hard for a team to downgrade expectations on the fly, but this may be a big week of soul-searching on Montlake.

Although the effort was there in the second half, Guys on the bench looked to be hanging their heads — not a good sign.

Since there’s no way I can look at the Huskies as a favorite on Saturday (although I think Vegas might), Thursday against Stanford is clearly a must-win for the Dawgs.

Thanks for coming!

This year’s freshman class at Arizona is kind of like the cast of “Bring it On 3” — they (Hayden Panettiere, Solange Knowles) don’t remotely resemble the original (Gabrielle Union, Kirsten Dunst), and maybe they’re not quite as hot, but still, they’re not half bad.

Once he left Xavier and took over for the Lute Olson/Kevin O’Neill combo, Coach Sean Miller put the whole recruiting class together in, like, 11 minutes after several crushing decommitments (including Abdul Gaddy, thank you) left him scrambling. Despite the group being thrown together as quickly as the Michael Jackson commemorative sparkling glove set, all five recruits were ranked in the top 25 at their position, and suddenly the ‘Cats look like a team that will be able to scratch their way up the Pac-10 standings within a couple of years.

Derrick Williams is one of the members of Miller’s Easy-Bake Oven recruiting class, having decommitted from the only school that went through more flux this off-season than Arizona: USC. I caught up with the 6’8″ forward from La Mirada, California, this week and we discussed his change of heart and a lot more.

Montlake Madness: So, tell us a little bit about Derrick Williams. Who’s the player your game most resembles?

Derrick Williams: I would say I play like Sam Young from Pitt last year. I can shoot it, dribble, post up — a little bit of everything.

MM: So, Arizona brings in one of the youngest teams in the Pac-10, but every freshman is ranked pretty high for their position. What do you think would qualify as a “good season” for the Wildcats this year?

DW: Yeah, we are real young this year, but I think that making the tournament for the 26th year in a row would be great for this year’s team.

MM: What made you choose Arizona?

DW: The opportunity to play as a freshman, and just the class that we brought in this year. I know in the next couple years we will be doing damage.

MM: Tell me about Coach Miller. What do you expect he’ll do differently from Coach O’Neill and before him, Coach Olson?

DW: I think he will bring a faster pace offensively, and just more intensity on both defense and offense – a more open style of play.

MM: So, you decommitted from USC. Tell me what led to that decision.

DW: I just didn’t feel comfortable being there anymore. Even though it was my dream school to go to since i was little, the situation just didn’t feel right.

MM: Was it Coach Floyd leaving that clinched it? Or the suspicion of potential recruiting violations at USC?

DW: I would say a little of everything. The potential violations was what capped it off.

MM: So, are you on campus now, or still at home?

DW: Yeah, I’m at campus now. We started school already.

MM: Have you been working out with teammates? As a Husky fan, Nic Wise scares me. He can really fill it up.

DW: Yeah, we’ve been working out. Nic, yeah he is real good. Seeing him on TV, and then in real life, is a lot different. He is way faster in real life.

MM: Which guy has impressed you the most in practice?

DW: i would have to say (Wildcat shooting guard) Kyle Fogg.

MM: How so?

DW: I saw him play in high school, and seeing him now, he got a lot better. Overall, he just improved a lot.

MM: What’s something a fan wouldn’t know about life as a highly sought-after recruit? I mean, that can’t be the same life as an average HS senior.

DW: Yeah, it’s real hard just finding out who is telling the truth. Because, really you’re constantly getting lied to and just have to find out who is trustworthy.

MM: Can you give me an example of being lied to? You can leave out names if you prefer.

DW: Just like promising you starting positions. Just stuff that you shouldn’t guarantee players.

MM: Is that fairly common, coaches guaranteeing starting spots to recruits?

DW: Yeah, well most of them.

MM: That’s crazy. Not cool to do that. Last question for you: I’m not sure how well you know the team, but give me a short scouting report on the Washington Huskies from your perspective.

DW: Umm… Really talented and really good 3′s and 4′s along with a couple of good point guards.

MM: Anything else you want to say?

DW: That the Wildcats are taking the Pac-10 title.

MM: Alright. Best of luck with that…

And, hey, thanks for coming!