Growing Can Be Painful Third-Year UW Coach Sees Improvement In His Huskies

One of the benefits of rebuilding, third-year University of Washington men’s basketball coach Bob Bender reasons, is never having to contend with overconfidence.

That’s true, Bender believes, even when the opponent is Eastern Washington University, winner of just six games the previous season.

“It’s not a problem for us,” Bender assured Monday, sounding confident, but hardly cocky, heading into tonight’s 7:05 season-opener at Eastern. “We only won nine.”

Which was better than five, the number of wins the Huskies posted the previous season, their first under the 38-year-old Bender. From 5-22 in 1994 to 9-18 last season, Washington is making the kind of steady progress Eastern hopes to emulate.

“We’re getting closer to being the type of tempo team we want to be,” said Bender, the former Duke assistant and Illinois State head coach. “We’ve been a very consistent defensive team, but we haven’t always capitalized on the turnovers. This group has shown an ability to do that better.

“We haven’t changed a whole lot as far as our philosophy - man-to-man defense and motion offense,” Bender added. “What will change is some of the lineups. We do have depth and we do have size.”

Knocked around last season by more physical teams in the Pacific-10 Conference, the Huskies have secured frontcourt help for 6-foot-9, 260-pound senior center Mike Amos.

Joining Amos, who averaged 9.2 points and 4.6 rebounds before sitting out the final nine games with a stubborn ankle injury, will be sophomore Alex Lopez (6-10, 250), redshirt freshman Todd MacCulloch (7-0, 265) and true freshman Patrick Femerling (7-2, 225).

MacCulloch returned to practice last week after undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery Nov. 9. If necessary, he can play tonight.

Amos, who missed UW’s 67-57 exhibition win over the Townsville (Australia) Suns because of the ankle, and sophomore Jason Hartman will start in the frontcourt against Eastern. Senior Bryant Boston, junior Jamie Booker and senior Jason Hamilton will comprise Bender’s three-guard rotation.

Mark Sanford (14.5 ppg, 5.7 rpg), the Pac-10’s leading freshman scorer last year, also returns.

“They’re probably one of the better defensive teams we’ll face this year,” EWU coach Steve Aggers said. “Having Jason Hamilton and Bryant Boston is a great guard combination. When you add the big guys, they’re a really good team.

“They’re probably a tough team for us to match up with with our ballhandling weakness. We’ve got to do a good job of reading defenses and handling their pressure.”

Rideout update

Eastern Washington captain and starting off-guard D’mitri Rideout was suspended by Aggers for Sunday’s season-opener at Washington State for his alleged role in a Thanksgiving night altercation with his girlfriend, an EWU official said.

“They were at a party and there was a disagreement and it appears there was an altercation between the two of them,” said EWU public safety director Ron Sperber, whose office is investigating the case. “He was apprehended and taken down to jail and subsequently posted bail.”

Rideout is expected to rejoin the team for tonight’s game.

Sperber said the investigation should be completed by today. It is standard practice for evidence collected by Sperber’s office to be turned over to the county prosecutor, who determines whether charges will be brought.

UW-EWU notes

The Huskies won four of their final nine games last season, but their most significant victory may have been a Dec. 30 upset of Michigan. … Boston needs seven steals to set UW’s career record. … Tonight’s game marks the second straight season the Huskies have opened against EWU. UW defeated the Eagles 64-48 at Hec Edmundson Pavilion on Nov. 25, 1994. … After playing Eastern, UW faces Jackson State, Idaho and Kansas State, where Aggers was an assistant last season. … EWU starting center Melvin Lewis, who missed the Eagles’ 90-58 loss at WSU on Sunday, remains under suspension pending an NCAA investigation into an allegedly bogus correspondence course he took in junior college.

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MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: TIP-OFF Washington opens its season at Reese Court tonight in Cheney, facing Eastern Washington at 7:05. Radio: KSBN 1230, 6:40 p.m.