Time running low for Dawgs to ‘click’
SEATTLE – Lorenzo Romar is waiting for the “click,” when his young Washington squad figures out how to win close games and takes off on a winning streak displaying its full talent.
That click had better come soon, like perhaps Thursday when Washington hosts No. 7 Oregon. Otherwise, the NCAA tournament will become a fleeting hope and the only postseason Washington will be playing for is the NIT.
“You’re looking for a breakthrough somewhere and we’ve been looking for one the past few games,” the coach said. “Maybe at home things can change.”
Washington (11-7, 1-6 Pac-10 Conference) plays five of its next seven games at home, beginning Thursday against the Ducks, trying to regain the form that propelled the Huskies to a 10-1 start and had them firmly planted in the Top 25.
A month ago, the Huskies were basking after a dominating 16-point win over then-No. 12 LSU – their most impressive victory. Since then, a combination of inexperience, a difficult schedule to start conference play and significant injuries has left the Huskies reeling, dropping six of their first seven games to open the conference slate.
Their only conference win was an unimpressive 64-53 over Arizona State, the only winless team in the loaded league. And the low point came last Saturday when rival Washington State handed the Huskies a 28-point whacking in Pullman, the Cougars’ largest victory over Washington in series history.
“It is a bit shocking. Especially playing AAU games we rarely ever lost, or on our high school team, especially league games,” freshman Quincy Pondexter said. “But I know we have the ability to turn it around with this team.”
Compounding the Huskies’ inexperience is injury. Freshman center Spencer Hawes missed last Saturday’s game at Washington State with a sprained ankle and is still recovering from a virus that took 20 pounds off his 7-foot frame.
Jon Brockman played through a shoulder injury, Pondexter has knee, ankle and back ailments and junior Joel Smith is still a week away in his rehabilitation from a stress fracture in his right foot.
All involved understand there isn’t much time remaining to reverse the losing trend. Since 1978, when the conference expanded to 10 schools, no Pac-10 team has reached the NCAA tournament with a .500 record in conference play. Washington would need to go 9-2 in its final 11 conference games to ensure itself of a winning record in the Pac-10.
Impossible? No, not considering that the Huskies three years ago started Pac-10 play 0-5, then won 12 of the next 13 conference games and got into the NCAA tournament. But that was a team with far more experience than this year’s squad, and with games at Oregon and Arizona, and home games against UCLA and Washington State remaining, it makes a similar turnaround less likely.