Revitalized Huskies have entered Arizona’s zone
SEATTLE – Since he took over at the University Washington three years ago, coach Lorenzo Romar has regularly cited Arizona as the Pacific-10 Conference basketball program he most wanted to emulate.
Well, just look at those rising Huskies. These days, they share a remarkable resemblance to Lute Olson’s Wildcats.
After breaking a five-year NCAA tournament absence last season, Washington (16-2, 6-1) is ranked No. 10 going into tonight’s game at No. 11 Arizona (16-3, 6-1).
In this week’s RPI ratings, the Wildcats are No. 6 and the Huskies are No. 7. It’s just another area in which Romar believes his program is approaching Arizona’s level.
“Arizona has been doing what they do for 16 or 17 years,” Romar said. “I don’t think we’ll have to wait another 16 years. If we’re able to sustain this for a few more years, then I’ll be able to say, ‘Yeah, we’ve elevated it.’ “
Washington historically wasn’t a force in the Pac-10, yielding to Arizona, Stanford and UCLA. But there’s no question the Huskies – a talented, unselfish squad – are contenders now.
They are off to their best start in 29 years, since coach Marv Harshman’s team opened the 1975-76 season 17-1. The Huskies have won 18 straight at home, the school’s longest such streak in 20 years.
“They are playing lights out. They have great depth and without a doubt they are the most athletic team in the conference, with us being second,” Olson said. “They have great quickness. We have better size. It will be a good game.”
Washington’s lineup includes athletic guard Nate Robinson, standout shooter Tre Simmons, defensive stopper Bobby Jones and steady point guard Will Conroy. Off the bench, it’s rebounder Jamaal Williams.
“Coach Romar has prepared us very well. He has given us a formula to win,” Conroy said. “It’s team chemistry. The set of guys we have, we really like each other. We really believe in each other.”
The Huskies also have Brandon Roy, who’s back after tearing a knee ligament when Washington won the Great Alaska Shootout in November, beating current Top 25 members Alabama, Oklahoma and Utah. Perhaps the team’s most versatile player, Roy was a Seattle high school star who considered going straight to the NBA. Ultimately, he picked Washington over Arizona.
“My dad said, ‘You know if you pass on Arizona and go to Washington, every time Arizona beats you, it’s going to eat at you.’ So every time I play Arizona, I’ve got a chip on my shoulder,” Roy said.
In recent years, UW fans watched talented in-state players go elsewhere. Jamal Crawford went to Michigan, Donny Marshall to Connecticut and Luke Ridnour to Oregon. Jason Terry and Michael Dickerson played for Olson.
Times are changing, though.
Four starters are from Seattle and the suburbs. In November, the Huskies landed seven heralded recruits – three key in-state players. One recruiting service listed the class No. 4 in the country.
Forward Jon Brockman from Snohomish, Wash., picked Washington over Duke, and forward Martell Webster of Seattle Prep is considered the Pac-10’s top incoming recruit and No. 5 in the nation by one scouting service.
“If we had a losing season last year, we’d still have been able to get some good players but not nearly the class we have,” Romar said. “It shows we’re headed in the right direction. People are starting to believe in us.”