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After much indecision, it seems like the Huskies’ day

Posted by Vince

Jan. 20, 2007 2:25 p.m. • 0 comments

COUGARS’ PREGAME

It’s less than an hour before the tipoff (3; FSN; 920-AM) of the first of the two battles for bragging rights between Washington State and Washington.

Sure state college supremacy is on the line, but a win would mean more, much more, for both. (Glenn has more on his blog as well.)

For the Cougars (15-3, 4-2 in the Pac-10) a win means they stay within shouting distant of the conference’s top spot.

For the Huskies (11-6, a disappointing 1-5 in conference) a win means just that, a win. And any kind of W will do right now.

UW has yet to win a road game this season, and only recently has started to come close. So this game is a must-win for its conference title hopes (which might have already, like Elvis, left the building) and is nearly a must-win for its NCAA Tournament berth hopes.

This is, as is usually the case, a tempo game. Whomever controls the tempo (slow for WSU, quick for UW) will probably win. But, after a week off to examine tape and get ready, I’m think Washington has the advantage.

The Huskies feature two pretty mobile, polished big men in Spencer Hawes and Jon Brockman. And it’s the combination of two bigs that has caused the Coug defense trouble this season. If Hawes can pass out of the double team – and really, by the season’s 18th game he should be pretty adept at it – the Cougar rotations are going to be stretched.

If this was at Hec Ed, I would be definitive. But because it is in Pullman, I’m picking the Huskies 78-74.

Feel free to call B.S. if you want. You can just do it at home or hit the comment link. Your choice.

But don’t forget to read on. We’ll be back during the game with commentary, then afterward with a link to the game story.

From the West Side, the question from the Everett Herald is simple: Can the Huskies turn it around? They’ll have to defeat WSU and the first sellout crowd for a UW game since 1983. And, as Bob Condotta sees it, it’s about time the Apple Cup of basketball featured teams with winning records.