Washington Huskies
Pac-12 (21-10, 14-4)
The Huskies stayed on the heels of the Cal Bears all season for first place in the Pac-12. Lorenzo Romar has recruited well lately and gotten some talent to Seattle. The Huskies are one of the better rebounding teams in the country, and they try to win with defense. They’ve had some losses that make you wonder how strong of a team this is. They are very young and learning as they go. Tony Wroten and Abdul Gaddy lead a talented starting lineup.
Big Wins: 12/31 Oregon (76-60), 1/21 Stanford (76-63), 1/28 at Arizona (69-67)
Bad Losses: 12/2 at Nevada (73-76), 12/18 South Dakota State (73-92), 3/3 at UCLA (69-75)
Coach: Lorenzo Romar (10 seasons at Washington)
Why They Can Surprise:
This team has some talent and can score some points. At 74.9 points per game, they are a higher scoring team than most. More importantly, the Huskies are one of the best rebounding clubs in the entire country. They ranked 9th in rebounding at season’s end. Five Washington players average over four rebounds per game. The Huskies don’t give many second chance opportunities to their opponents and create as many possessions as possible with their work on the glass. Romar generally plays about eight guys per game. Washington has the ability to go fairly deep on their bench, allowing more rest for their starters.
Why They Can Disappoint:
Despite the scoring talent on this team and their deep bench, their production beyond their top three point scorers is limited. Gaddy is the fourth leading scorer at 8.1 points per game. This team is also poor at shooting from the outside. They shoot threes at 34.0 percent and only make about six per game. Going deep in the tournament usually requires hitting big shots from beyond the arc, and that could stifle a run for the Huskies. They have also had some losses on their schedule that does not instill confidence in their ability to win big games. Losses to St. Louis and South Dakota State by double-digits are mind-boggling. Stringing together multiple wins against strong teams over the course of a weekend seems like a tough task for Washington.
Probable Starters:
Abdul Gaddy, Junior, Guard, 8.1 ppg, 5.0 apg
Terrance Ross, Sophomore, Guard, 15.3 ppg, 1.4 apg, 6.5 rpg
Tony Wroten, Freshman, Guard, 16.7 ppg, 3.6 apg, 5.0 rpg
Darnell Gant, Senior, Forward, 7.1 ppg, 5.2 rpg
Aziz N’Diaye, Junior, Center, 8.0 ppg, 7.6 rpg, 1.1 bpg
Key Roleplayers:
C.J. Wilcox, Sophomore, Guard, 14.0 ppg, 1.1 apg
Austin Seferian-Jenkins, Freshman, Forward, 0.9 ppg, 2.1 rpg
Shawn Kemp, Jr., Freshman, Forward, 1.7 ppg
Desmond Simmons, Freshman, Forward, 4.4 ppg, 5.2 rpg
By the Numbers:
Scoring Offense: 74.9 (34th in nation, 2nd in conference)
Scoring Defense: 69.5 (237, 10)
Field-Goal Percentage: 44.6 (120, 8)
Field-Goal Defense: 42.0 (121, 5)
Three-Point Field Goals Per Game: 5.9 (190, 6)
Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage: 34.0 (177, 9)
Free-Throw Percentage: 61.8 (320, 11)
Rebound Margin: 5.3 (31, 2)
Assists Per Game: 13.2 (141, 7)
Turnovers Per Game: 13.3 (151, 6)
Last Five Postseason Appearances:
Washington 2011 NCAA Round of 64 win over Georgia
Washington 2011 NCAA Round of 32 loss to North Carolina
Washington 2010 NCAA Round of 64 win over Marquette
Washington 2010 NCAA Round of 32 win over New Mexico
Washington 2010 NCAA Regional Semifinal loss to West Virginia
Washington 2009 NCAA Round of 64 win over Mississippi State
Washington 2009 NCAA Round of 32 loss to Purdue
Washington 2008 CBI First Round loss to Valparaiso
Washington 2006 NCAA Round of 64 win over Utah State
Washington 2006 NCAA Round of 32 win over Illinois
Washington 2006 NCAA Regional Semifinal loss to Connecticut
*all team stats through 3/4
See All Men’s Basketball Postseason Capsules
