Super Bowl Update

By Kshell

With the Stanford Cardinal upsetting the California Golden Bears 75-70 that clinched an outright Pac-12 championship for the Washington Huskies! The Huskies who win the conference with a 14-4 record have now won just their second outright conference title since 1953(the other was in 2009). Counting conference tournament titles Lorenzo Romar has now won five conference championships and has won four in a row. Some may say the Huskies backed into this title and that is complete garbage. The Huskies earned this title by going 14-4 while the California Golden Bears went 13-5. Both teams were tied at 10-3 the difference is the Huskies finished 4-1 while the Golden Bears finished 3-2. This team has grown up a lot from going 5-5 and with winning the conference regular season the Huskies have punched their ticket into March Madness.

The Huskies failing to take care of business yesterday meant they had to become huge Stanford fans today. The Cardinal led the entire game over the Golden Bears by as many as 15 points. The Bears pulled within 72-70 and Stanford then had an impressive series. The Cardinal made one of two free throws, got the rebound, made one of two free throws, got the rebound then made one of two free throws extending their lead to five and wasting 25 seconds on the clock. This loss not only gives the Huskies the championship outright but probably cost Jorge Gutierrez the conference player of the year award as well. The California Golden Bears were going for their second outright conference title in the last three years after not winning one since 1959. This was a crushing loss for the Bears having lost to their rival Stanford a team that Mike Montgomery had coached for so long.

For the Huskies Darnell Gant he will have now won his fourth conference championship which has never been done before. Abdul Gaddy, Aziz N'Diaye, C.J. Wilcox, and Terrence Ross have now all won multiple conference championships and their first regular season title. While freshman Tony Wroten, Desmond Simmons and Shawn Kemp Jr. receive a championship in their first season. I think with this Cal loss that puts Terrence Ross as the favorite to take home conference player of the year. For the year Ross is averaging 15.3 PPG, 6.6 RPG, 1.3 steals, and 0.9 blocks. He is shooting 45.4% from the field, 36.2% on three pointers making 1.8 a game and 74.7% on free throws. If Ross wins he will be the second Husky to take home that award in the Romar era. The other being Brandon Roy as Nate Robinson, Isaiah Thomas, Jon Brockman and Quincy Pondexter all fell just short. I also think Tony Wroten will run away with the Pac-12 freshman of the year. This year Wroten is averaging 16.3 PPG, 4.9 RPG and 3.7 APG. He is also averaging 2.0 steals per game while shooting 45.0% from the field. The Wroten-Ross combo is a big reason why the Huskies are the conference champions.

This team was picked to finish fourth preseason having lost first-team all conference guys Isaiah Thomas and Matthew Bryan-Amaning. They also lost all defensive selections in Justin Holiday and Venoy Overton as well. This team started one freshman in Wroten and another in Simmons part-time. This team matured a lot and some will say they backed into a title or this is the weakest Pac-12 ever which is partly true. Just like the 2010 NFC West championship banner hangs up with the 2005 banner this banner will be hanging up at Hec Ed. The Huskies season has been pretty good so far and it was nice to see them rewarded today. Now the Huskies have some work to do as they'll take on either the Oregon State Beavers or Washington State Cougars next Thursday in the Pac-12 tournament. The Huskies at least now know they'll be dancing in March.

By Kshell

The Washington Huskies(18-8,11-3) remain tied for first place with a 77-69 win over the struggling Arizona State Sun Devils(8-18, 4-10). The Huskies saw four guys score in double figures as they used a 17-2 run towards the end of the first half to build a 44-26 lead over the Sun Devils. In the second half the Huskies simply coasted to the victory as they remain tied for first place in the Pac-12. The Huskies were led once again by Terrence Ross scoring 18 points and Tony Wroten recording six steals for the Huskies. The Huskies this Saturday take on the Arizona Wildcats as they go for the first season sweep of the state of Arizona since 2004(5-0 against that state). The Huskies have just one home game left after defeating the Sun Devils once again.

In the first half the game started off as a shootout as Ross hit his first two shots but Jonathan Gilling of the Sun Devils hit two three pointers to give the Sun Devils a 6-5 lead. The Huskies would go on a 6-0 run to lead 11-6. After the Sun Devils tied the game up at 13 the Huskies would go on a 10-3 run to lead 23-16. Leading 27-22 the Huskies would go on an 8-0 run to lead 35-22 which they continued that run to stretch it out to 17-2 leading 44-24 before the Sun Devils made a basket before halftime. The Huskies took a 44-26 lead into halftime over the Sun Devils. The Sun Devils had shot just 11-29(37.9%) from the field, 2-11(18.2%) from three point range. Their leading scorer was Jonathan Gilling who scored six points on two for five shooting all were three point shots.

For the Huskies they shot 19-32(59.4%) from the field, four for nine(44.4%) from three point range. They were led by senior Darnell Gant who scored nine points off the bench on three for five shooting including a three pointer while also grabbing five rebounds. C.J.Wilcox off the bench scored nine points on four for five shooting making a three pointer while having two assists. Tony Wroten scored eight points on four for six shooting with three rebounds. Terrence Ross scored seven points on three for nine shooting including a three pointer. Aziz N'Diaye scored six points on three for five shooting. Abdul Gaddy scored three points making his only shot which was a three but had five assists. The Huskies put the game away in the first half but would just cruise in the second half.

In the second half the Sun Devils had outscored the Huskies 43-33 as the Huskies coasted in the second half. The game was never in doubt. The Sun Devils had made the game interesting  going on a 13-2 run pulling within 56-45. The Huskies then put the game away with a 10-3 run to led 66-48. Lorenzo Romar emptied the bench and the Sun Devils scored some points at the end to make the game look closer than it was. For the Huskies this was a good win although the second half could have been better. The Huskies shot 29-59(49.2%) from the field, 8-25(32.0%) from three point range and 11-15(73.3%) on free throws. They were led by Ross who had another strong second half scoring 18 points on 7-13 shooting including four for eight from three point range. Ross also grabbed five rebounds and a steal. C.J. Wilcox scored 14 points off the bench on 6-11 shooting with two three pointers. He also had three assists, a steal and a block.  Tony Wroten scored 13 points on four for eight shooting from the field and five for eight from the free throw line. Wroten also added four rebounds, four assists and six steals. Aziz N'Diaye scored 12 points on five for nine shooting and was two for three on free throws. He also added four rebounds with a steal. Darnell Gant scored nine points on three for six shooting including a three pointer with five rebounds. Shawn Kemp Jr. scored six points on two for three shooting and swishing both free throws. He also added a block shot as well in 11 minutes. Abdul Gaddy scored three points on one for two shooting with a three pointer but added eight assists and a steal. Desmond Simmons scored two points on one for four shooting but had six rebounds including a block shot. The Huskies bench provided the boost as their bench outscored the Sun Devils 29-21 which was the difference in the score.

The Huskies took care of business on their home court which is what teams do who are looking to win a Pac-12 championship. Now comes the big test as they take on the Arizona Wildcats at home this Saturday in the final home game for Darnell Gant and possibly Terrence Ross and/or Tony Wroten. The atmosphere will be incredible for that game as the Huskies have defeated the Wildcats four straight years at home. The Huskies have now defeated the Sun Devils eight out of nine years at home with the lone Sun Devils win coming in 2008. The Huskies have dominated the Sun Devils in the Lorenzo Romar era. The second half was played sloppy and I'm sure Romar will get on his guys about that. Overall this was a great team victory as the Huskies are trying their best to keep pace with the California Golden Bears.

Observations:

- Last year when Matthew Bryan-Amaning graduated there was great concern about the Huskies post play. Many figured Darnell Gant would emerge but he hasn't as most of his points come from the outside. Insead Aziz N'Diaye has emerged into that guy. Once again scoring in double figures as he scored 12 points against the Sun Devils on five for nine shooting. N'Diaye has scored in double figures in 10 games this year out of 24. He has grabbed double figures in rebounds in six games. He's also had 13 games with at least one block shot. For the year N'Diaye is averaging 8.3 PPG, 7.5 RPG and 1.1 blocks per game while shooting 53.8% from the field. His production has almost doubled from last year despite only playing six more minutes a game. N'Diaye has been a big reason for the Huskies success this year inside and he still has one more year left with the Huskies program which is huge.

- The Huskies defense was terrific against the Sun Devils holding them to under 40.0% shooting in the first half and less than 20.0% on three point shots. Tony Wroten led the defensive charge with six steals as the Huskies had 10 steals and three blocks during the game. For Wroten he is now averaging 2.1 steals per game as he broke Justin Dentmon's record for most steals in a season for a freshman with 54. He still has four more regular season games plus one Pac-12 tournament game as well.

Another bright spot on the defense is the play of two freshman big men in Desmond Simmons and Shawn Kemp Jr. Simmons who has started 11 games(9-2 in those games) is averaging 5.0 PPG but 5.7 RPG in only 20.1 minutes not to mention 0.9 steals. As for Kemp Jr. he is averaging only 2.0 PPG, 0.8 RPG and 0.7 blocks per game but in just 7.3 minutes. In his last five games Kemp Jr. is averaging 5.0 PPG in only 10.6 minutes per game. These guys are showing a flash of their future with the Huskies. Both guys aren't lighting up the scorboard like Wroten does or like Ross or Wilcox did last year but they are providing defense which the Huskies need. Along with N'Diaye who has always been a factor in the paint the Huskies aren't as weak inside as people may think.

- Nice to see C.J. Wilcox get going last night shooting wise. Since returning from his injury Wilcox has shot over 40.0% in just two of his seven games back. In fact he is only averaging 10.0 PPG during that stretch. Wilcox against the Sun Devils though scored 14 points on 6-11 shooting from the field. Last year he had slumped from three point range for a long time then snapped out of it which the Huskies are hoping will happen soon. Since returning from his injury Wilcox is only 7-28(25.0%) from three point range. For the year Wilcox is still having a nice season scoring 13.8 points in 28.4 minutes shooting 41.6% from the field and making 2.2 three pointers a game. Wilcox has yet to hit a red hot streak like he did at the end of last season. Wilcox has shown in the past he can deliver in crunch time for the Huskies. If Wilcox can get going the Huskies can go very far in the tournament. Hopefully Wilcox starts his hot streak this Saturday against the Wildcats.

- Lorenzo Romar continues his dominance over the Sun Devils improving to 18-5 all-time against them since becoming the Huskies head coach. The Huskies are 8-2 at home against the Sun Devils, 8-2 on the road and 2-1 in the Pac-10 tournament. During Romar's first year the Sun Devils swept the Huskies since then the Huskies have won 18 out of 21 games against the Sun Devils. Unless the Huskies collapse they should finish in the top three of the conference for the seventh time in the last nine years under Romar. This team isn't your typical Romar team as they don't have that three point fire power or that intensity on defense every possession like years past. Where they make up for it is talent as Romar has never had a more talented 1-2 combo than he has now with Ross and Wroten. The next four teams the Huskies face though Romar hasn't dominated like he has the Sun Devils and Beavers the last two teams they've face. Should be interesting where the Huskies go from here.

The Huskies improve to 18-8 now which makes that 5-5 start seem like a different season ago. Nice to see the Huskies keep playing well as they strive to make the NCAA tournament for the fourth straight season for the first time in program history. If the Huskies can accomplish that feat that would be a huge moment for Romar and this program. The Huskies are tied for first place in the conference with four games to go including Arizona the big one this Saturday at home. Should the Huskies win they can make some noise although ending the season with three on the road is tough. This was a good win for the Huskies taking care of business against an inferior opponent. Hopefully the Huskies clean up their second half play this Saturday against Arizona. With four games to go the Huskies are tied for first place which at the start of the year we all would have accepted.

By Kshell

Terrence Ross led the Washington Huskies(17-8,10-3) with 21 points and 13 rebounds as the Huskies swept the Oregon State Beavers(15-10,5-8) in the season series with a 75-72 win down in Corvallis. The Huskies won on the road despite shooting poorly all game long. After getting blown out the previous game against the Oregon Ducks the Huskies salvaged their road trip with a split over the Beavers. With the win the Huskies are now tied for first place with the California Golden Bears with just five games remaining in conference play. Three Huskies scored in double figures while Abdul Gaddy hit a three pointer to give the Huskies a lead which they never looked back. With the game on the line redshirt freshman Desmond Simmons sank both free throws to clinch the victory. This was a total team effort as nine guys played for the Huskies while eight of them scored. This was a gut check game for the Huskies who passed the test with a crucial road win as they prepare to head home to take on the Arizona schools who they swept on the road just two weekends ago.

In the first half it would appear that the Beavers were dominating the Huskies and outplaying the Huskies. Instead the game was tied at 31-31 apiece in a half that was pretty sloppy. With the Huskies leading 13-10 the Beavers went on a 6-0 run to take a 16-13 lead. The Huskies would respond with a mini 4-0 run to lead 17-16. Trailing 19-18 the Beavers went on another 6-0 run to lead 24-19 before Terrence Ross hit a three point late in the half to tie it up at 31. For the Beavers they shot 13-39(33.3%) from the field, one for eight(12.5%) on three pointers and what really killed them was 4-13(30.7%) from the free throw line. They were led by Jared Cunningham who scored nine points while grabbing three rebounds. He shot poorly though making just 4-13 shots. Devon Collier also scored nine points for the Beavers making all four field goals but made just one of four free throws. Ahmad Starks scored six points while grabbing five rebounds but shot 3-10 in the first half.

For the Huskies they shot miserable making just 12-45(26.7%) from the field, 3-10(30.0%) from three point range and four of seven(57.1%) on free throws. The Huskies won the rebounding war 17-12 over the Beavers. They were led by Terrence Ross scoring nine points on 4-14 shooting including a three pointer while grabbing five rebounds. C.J. Wilcox scored seven points on three for eight shooting with a three pointer. Tony Wroten struggled scoring seven points on two for nine shooting but grabbed five rebounds. Abdul Gaddy scored five points on two for five shooting making his only three point attempt. The Huskies played terrible for a half and were tied on the road a result Lorenzo Romar would take.

In the second half the game had some nice momentum plays down the stretch. With the Beavers leading 48-46 after a few missed layups on one possession for the Huskies they finally finished with a Ross tip in. Next possession Wilcox hit a three pointer to give them the lead. The Huskies would go on a 10-2 run to lead 56-50. Not to be out done the Beavers would go on a 6-0 run themselves which tied the score at 56. After being tied at 58 Gaddy drilled a three pointer for the Huskies to give them a 61-58 lead as the Huskies never looked back. With a little over two minutes to go the Huskies up 65-60 the Beavers saw Starks drill a long three pointer to cut the lead to 65-63. Ross would answer with a jumper to give the Huskies a 67-63 lead with under two minutes to go. Wilcox would hit two free throws to give the Huskies a 70-65 lead. Starks once again hit a long three pointer with 22.6 seconds left to cut the lead to 70-68. Gaddy had trouble inbounding the ball finally passed to Desmond Simmons. Simmons a 59% free throw shooter sank both free throws to give the Huskies a 72-68 lead. The Beavers would score some late buckets but after Simmons free throws that basically had iced the game as the Huskies had preserved the win and the sweep over the Beavers.

The Huskies outscored the Beavers in the second half 44-41 to earn the crucial win. For the Beavers this season had so much promise after that 10-2 start and unless they totally collapse will have their second winning season in the last 20 years. Still there was talk of making the NCAA tournament this year and after getting swept by both Washington schools at home that talk is all but dead. The Beavers were led by Cunningham who scored 23 points but made just 7-20 shots with two three pointers. Collier scored 16 points and had seven rebounds on six for eight shooting. Starks scored 14 points with seven rebounds on 6-15 shooting with two three pointers. Angus Brandt scored 12 points on six for nine shooting. Eric Moreland scored six points, grabbed nine rebounds and had five block shots for the Beavers as well. Those five players scored all but one point for the Beavers as they had zero depth in this game. Despite playing good defense on the Huskies all game long and having the Huskies play at their pace they lost the game. For the Beavers they have now lost 10 of their last 11 games to the Huskies. No team in this conference has had a more dominant run on the Beavers than the Huskies have had recently.

This was a huge win for the Huskies who won despite shooting 34.8% from the field, 5-17(29.4%) on three pointers and 24-35(68.6%) on free throws. They were led by Terrence Ross who stepped up once again in the second half. Ross scored 21 points on 7-21 shooting while making a three pointer and six of seven free throws. Ross also grabbed 13 rebounds with a steal and two block shots. C.J.Wilcox scored 17 points on 4-11 shooting with two three pointers but made seven of nine free throws. Tony Wroten scored 12 points on 4-12 shooting while making four of seven free throws. Wroten also added seven rebounds, three assists and two steals. Abdul Gaddy hit the goahead three pointer scored eight points on 3-10 shooting with two three pointers, five rebounds, four assists with two steals while having just one turnover. Aziz N'Diaye scored six points on two for three shooting but made just two of six free throws. Desmond Simmons scored four points and grabbed nine rebounds making all four free throws. Shawn Kemp Jr continues his solid play off the bench scoring five points making both field goal attempts. The Huskies a team who had no depth in a loss to California now finds themselves nine deep just like that. This was a big win for the Huskies to keep pace with those California Golden Bears.

This wasn't a pretty win by any means but this was a win which is all that matters. The Huskies are now tied for first place in the Pac-12 with five games left in the regular season. With the conference struggling this year nothing is guaranteed far as NCAA tournament berths go. The margain for error is very small for the Huskies as they must keep winnning despite finishing the season with three in a row on the road. The Huskies will play their final home games this week to honor the lone senior Darnell Gant against the Arizona schools. On senior night particularly will be a huge game against the Arizona Wildcats a team they have defeated four straight times at home. The Huskies continued their dominance over the Beavers who haven't been to the NCAA tournament since 1990 when they won the conference with former Sonics great Gary Payton.

Observations:

- You often hear the saying "the sky is the limit" on player X. When it comes to Terrence Ross that saying is 100% true as he is always leaving you with wanting more. Ross shot poorly today making just 7-21 shots and one for five at the three point line. The sign of a good player is what does he do when his shot isn't falling? Well Ross showed he is NBA in grabbing 13 rebounds including five offensive and blocking two shots. He also made six of seven free throws and once again stepped up his game in the second half scoring 12 points. Why Ross fails to show up in the first half of every game has been a huge mystery. Ross being a future NBA lottery pick if not this year clouds fans judgement on the season he is having. He is having a first team all conference season and could backdoor his way into conference MVP but he should be doing so much more.

For the season Ross is averaging 15.1 PPG, 7.0 RPG, 1.1 steals, and 1.1 blocks. He is shooting 44.2% from the field, 36.4% from three point range knocking down 1.8 three pointers a game and 75.0% on free throws too. His shooting percentages are about the same as last year and his points per minute are about the same too. The difference is he is getting more steals per minute, more rebounds per minute and blocks. He is pulling a Quincy Pondexter in where he is becoming a complete player who is filling up the box score. He is averaging 7.5 rebounds per game, 1.3 steals and 1.1 blocks all in conference play. Ross has became a complete player which means there is a good chance that Darnell Gant isn't the only one playing in his final game as a Husky this weekend at home.

- Lorenzo Romar continues his dominance over the Beavers improving to 16-5 all-time against them. Romar was swept against the Beavers his first year at Montlake and has since won 16 of 19 games including 10 of his past 11. He is also 8-1 against Craig Robinson the current Beavers coach. Romar is 9-1 at home against the Beavers, 6-4 on the road against the Beavers and 1-0 against them in the Pac-10 tournament. This was your typical grind it out win as the Huskies shot poorly. This year the Huskies don't have the shooters like they have had in the past so they are learning to win in different ways. They have overcame injuries to Scott Suggs for the season and to C.J. Wilcox who basically missed four games. Romar believe it or not is in line to win Pac-12 coach of the year but this conference is so scrambled at that top with four other teams besides the Huskies that could easily change. One thing that hasn't changed is Romar owning the Oregon State Beavers.

This conference comes down to just five teams fighting for three spots in my opinion. California, Washington, Colorado, Oregon and Arizona are the only schools who are realistically in the NCAA tournament talk. Of those five teams four of them will get a first round bye in the Pac-12 tournament meaning one of them will have to win four games in four days. That isn't impossible by any means seeing how UCONN did that just last year winning five games in five days. I feel like the Pac-12 regular season champion and of course the tournament champion(automatic bid) will make the NCAA's. Leaving the other three fighting for one spot. The Huskies will be favored to win their remaining five games starting this Thursday at home against a school they have historically dominated in the Romar era in Arizona State. This team is starting to come together despite that horrible loss in Eugene. Now the Huskies will try to finish up their home schedule and send Darnell Gant out like the winner that he is. This year has been a rollercoaster and I have a feeling we'll have some more ups and downs before this year is over. For the Huskies whenever they are playing the Beavers that is almost always an up on the rollercoaster.

By Kshell

The Washington Huskies(16-8, 9-3) team bus arrived to Mathew Knight arena 45 minutes late due to a traffic accident. Unfortunately for Husky fans the team decided to not show up at all as the Oregon Ducks(17-7,8-4) destroyed the Huskies 82-57. The game was over from the opening tip as the Ducks started the game off leading 11-2. The Ducks shot extremely well making 56.4% of their field goals and 53.8% on three pointers. The Ducks also had four guys in double figures. While the Huskies shot just 36.4% from the field and 12.5% from three point range with only two guys in double figures. The Huskies who came into this game having won five games in a row and were in sole possession of first place regressed this game. The Huskies went back to their old habits of acting as if they didn't want to be at the gym. This is the second straight year the Huskies have lost at Oregon after winning the previous two seasons down in Eugene. Now the Huskies will hope to avoid what happened last year when they were swept in Oregon which ultimately cost them a chance at a Pac-10 regular season title. With this loss the Huskies are now tied with California for first place in the Pac-12 standings.

The first half was a disaster for the Huskies who were getting ran out of the gym from the opening tip. The Ducks sprinted out to an 11-2 lead and didn't look back. The Ducks eventually led 49-26 at halftime over the Huskies. In the first half the Ducks made 18-29(62.1%) from the field, six of eight(75.0%) from three point range and 7-11(63.6%) from free throws. They outrebounded the Huskies 21-16 and outscored the Huskies 12-0 on fastbreak points. They were led by Garrett Sim who scored 13 points on five for eight shooting including three for three on three pointers. He also added five assists. E.J. Singler scored nine points on two for four shooting including a three pointer and made all four free throws while grabbing six rebounds. Devoe Joseph who struggled in the first meeting scored nine points on four for six shooting with a three pointer. Carlos Emory scored six points on two for two shooting and two for three at the free throw line. He added five rebounds as well.

For the Huskies they shot a disasterous 10-33(30.3%) from the field, one for eight(12.5%) from three point range and 5-13(38.4%) from the free throw line. Their leading scorer was Desmond Simmons who scored five points on two for three shooting while making his lone free throw attempt. He also had four rebounds as well. Tony Wroten scored four point missing all three of his shots while going four for eight at the foul line with three rebounds and two assists. Aziz N'Diaye scored just four points on only two for six shooting missing all four free throws but did grab four rebounds. Terrence Ross continued his poor first half play this season scored just four points on two for eight shooting missing all three three point attempts.

In the second half the Ducks outscored the Huskies 33-31 to hang on for the blowout win over the Huskies 82-57. For the Ducks they shot 31-55(56.4%) from the field, 7-13(53.8%) from three point range and 13-23(56.5%) from the free throw line. They also outrebounded the Huskies 39-34. The Ducks were led by Emory who scored 16 points on seven for eight shooting with eight rebounds. The Ducks saw Sim, Singler and Joseph all score 13 points as well. For the Ducks this was a huge win as they put them one game from the Pac-12 lead behind the Huskies and California. Had the Ducks lost they would have been three games behind the Huskies not to mention the Huskies would have had tiebreaker. This win keeps their conference title games alive along with their NCAA tournament hopes alive. As for the team they defeated the Washington Huskies have to go back to the drawing board.

This was an embarassing loss for a team who is competing for a conference title. This is too late in the year for the Huskies to experience a type of loss like this yet here we are with a blowout loss. The Huskies offense never showed up as they shot just 24-66(36.4%) from the field, 2-16(12.5%) from three point range and 7-18(38.9%) from the free throw line which is embarassing. They were led by Tony Wroten who scored 14 points on 4-10 shooting and 6-13 shooting from the free throw line. Wroten had four steals, four assists, three rebounds but six turnovers. C.J. Wilcox shooting slump continues since he has came back from injury scoring only 10 points on 4-13 shooting making two of seven from three point range with six rebounds. Terrence Ross also under perfromed scored just eight points on 4-12 shooting missing four three point attempts but added five rebounds. Desmond Simmons the only guy who played well had eight points and seven rebounds. Aziz N'Diaye scored six points and four rebounds. Darnell Gant scored just four points with just two rebounds off the bench. Shawn Kemp Jr also scored four points as well. The Huskies didn't play a good game at all as Lorenzo Romar has to once again go back to the drawing board as his immature team simply doesn't get it.

This Huskies team needs to eventually take this season seriously. Romar also has to stop being so in love with his veterans. Abdul Gaddy played the most minutes this game having played 36 of a possible 40 minutes. In those 36 minutes Gaddy scored just two points while dishing out one assist. Romar needs to realize that Wroten, Wilcox and Ross need to be on the court together all at once for the majority of the time which means less Gaddy. If this team is ever going to achieve what they need to achieve this season Romar has to pull the plug on the Gaddy experiment and bring him off the bench. If Romar continues to start Gaddy the Huskies could be playing in the NIT. In 32 career conference games all of which he has started Gaddy has scored in double figures just five times while scoring four points or less 16 times.

The Huskies let the Ducks back in the conference title race and failed to put them down. Instead the Huskies will now be in a win or go home mode the rest of the season. Due to the conference being weak and a terrible showing in the nonconference season the Huskies can't afford to drop too many more games if any. This was a terrible loss and Romar must once again get his young team focused on the prize. The Ducks embarassed the Huskies for the second straight year down Eugene.  Now the Huskies are hoping to avoid losing back to back games down in Corvallis for the first time since 2002 and 2003 season. The Huskies had owned the state of Oregon but having lost three games in a row in the state after winning five times have changed. The NCAA tournament is still within reach but Romar must make the necessary changes it takes or the tournament won't happen this year.

By Kshell

The Washington Huskies(16-7,9-2) continue their recent winning ways running their winning streak to five games in a row after destroying the USC Trojans(6-18,1-10) 69-41. The Huskies have won eight of their last nine games as their defense has vastly improve during that stretch. The Huskies saw 11 guys score a bucket for them tonight and they outrebounded the Trojans 49-16 as the Trojans who have just six players on scholarship once again were simply outmatched. The Huskies needed a win like this as their last three wins prior to this one were won by single digits including two at the buzzer. The Huskies were led by freshman Tony Wroten who played injured but scored 13 points, dished out eight assists and grabbed six rebounds all while committing just one turnover. The Huskies dominated the glass led by Terrence Ross who scored 10 points while pulling down 14 rebounds which ties a career high. His 14 rebounds were only two rebounds shy of the entire Trojans team who only had 16. This was a total team win as all 10 active scholarship players(plus Austin Seferian-Jenkins who is on a football scholarship) scored for the Huskies as Lorenzo Romar was able to play his young bench. For Romar this was a big win as the Trojans had won the last two in Seattle including three out of four in Seattle as well. The Huskies with that win are still in sole possession of first place which after getting destroyed by South Dakota State at home earlier in the year didn't at all seem possible.

The first half featured plenty of missed shots by both teams. After the Trojans began the game leading 7-4 the Huskies went on a 9-0 run which was capped at 15-2 to lead 19-9. The Huskies would lead at halftime 29-19 over the struggling Trojans. The Trojans shot 9-34(26.5%) from the field while missing all nine three point attempts and making just one of four free throws. They were led by Garrett Jackson who scored 12 of their 19 points on 6-11 shooting. While Maurice Jones had just two points on one for eight shooting and Greg Allen was held scoreless missing all six shots including five from three point range. The Huskies shot 12-35(34.3%) from the field but made just 2-13(15.4%) from three point range and three of six from free throws. The Huskies led due to outrebounding the Trojans 22-11 including 7-2 on offensive rebounds. The Huskies were led by Tony Wroten who scored nine points on three for seven shooting and three for four on free throws. He also had three assists and three rebounds. Darnell Gant provided eight points on three for six shooting including two three pointers. Shawn Kemp Jr. once again added a spark off the bench scoring six points making all three of his shots including a nice alley-oop dunk. Terrence Ross struggled shooting scoring just two points on one for five shooting but had eight rebounds.  The Huskies would put the Trojans away in the second half.

After the Trojans mini run to pull within 29-23 the Huskies would go on a 9-0 run to extend the lead to 38-23. With the Trojans still hanging around trailing 44-33 the Huskies put the game away going on an 18-0 run to lead 62-33 before eventually winning 69-41 to remain in first place. The Huskies outscored the Trojans 40-22 in the second half. They held the Trojans to 17-59(28.8%) shooting from the field, 1-16(6.2%) from three point range and 6-13(46.2%) from free throws. The Trojans were led by Jackson who scored 15 points on 7-14 shooting. Allen continued his miserable shooting scoring just five points on 2-13 shooting including 1-10 from three point range.

As for the Huskies they shot 28-58(48.3%) from the field but just 2-14(14.3%) from three point range and 11-18(61.1%) from free throws. The Huskies outrebounded the Trojans 49-16 and had 14 offensive rebounds. They were led by Wroten who scored 13 points on five for nine shooting while making three of four free throws. Wroten also added eight assists, six rebounds with only one turnover. Terrence Ross scored 10 points on three for nine shooting making all four free throws. He also added 14 rebounds, two steals and a block shot. Aziz N'Diaye scored nine points with five rebounds including a block shot. Darnell Gant scored eight points with seven rebounds including two three pointers. Abdul Gaddy scored six points but had six assists with three rebounds. Shawn Kemp Jr. scored six points off the bench for the Huskies. Austin Seferian-Jenkins scored five points with three rebounds as the Huskies improve to 5-0 in games he has played in. C.J. Wilcox scored just four points but added two block shots. Martin Bruenig also scored four points with a block shot as well. The Huskies reserves outscored the Trojans reserves 29-0 as they won by 28 points overall.

The Huskies basketball program is heading in the right direction defeating the Trojans by the amount that they did. They are winning the close games and now blowing out the bad opponents. Not since the 2003-04 season have I seen a Romar team evolve like this during the season. The Huskies have so many ways of beating you while earlier in the year it was only one way. Today the Huskies didn't shoot well at all yet still won by 28 points. They will face a big challenge going on the road to the Oregon schools which Romar in his career has had great success with but last year saw his team get swept which derailed their season. This current Huskies team has the talent and are finally seeing their depth improve as more players are starting to step up which can only help them get better as a team down the stretch.

Observations:

- The Huskies shot just 2-14 from three point range yet won by 28 points. The reason was they dominated the glass 49-16 including 27-5 in the second half. Terrence Ross who didn't have a good game scoring wise had just 10 points but did tie a career high with 14 rebounds. Usually in the past the Trojans were the much more physical team than the Huskies. This year that wasn't the case. The Trojans leading rebounder had just five rebounds while the Huskies saw Ross pull down 14, Darnell Gant pull down seven, Tony Wroten pull down six, and Aziz N'Diaye pull down five. The Huskies in the Romar years have always been a good rebounding team regardless if they have a stud rebounder like Jon Brockman or not. The Huskies showed in this game and in a few other games that they will out work you for those rebounds which will turn poor shooting performances into victories.

- Heading into this game there was a 50/50 chance that Tony Wroten would even play. Well Wroten did play and in my opinion played one of his best games of his career. Wroten let the game come to him for once as he scored 13 points on five for nine shooting while dishing out eight assists and grabbing six rebounds. He also made three of four free throws while committing just one turnover. Wroten played a calm game for once. In the last three games Wroten is now shooting 13-16(81.2%) from the free throw line so hopefully that problem is over. For the year Wroten is averaging 16.7 PPG, 4.7 RPG and 3.5 APG with 1.8 steals as well. Wroten is the runaway for freshman of the year in the Pac-12. Wroten should see himself as the first Huskies player ever named to the first team all Pac-12 team as a freshman. Wroten will most likely see freshman all-american status as well. Wroten is having the best freshman season for a Huskies player since Isaiah Thomas led the Huskies to a Pac-10 regular season title during the 2008-09 season.

- This was a big win for Romar defeating the Trojans. The Trojans had won two in a row in Seattle and three out of four in Seattle. The Trojans had also defeated the Huskies six of the last 10 games in the last five years. Even with all that Romar still leads the Trojans 12-7 as he dominated the series early like the Huskies dominated the scoreboard tonight. For Romar this team is kind of bucking the trend which he has set. Usually Romar teams who are successful have terrific upperclassman play and if they don't they struggle. Why this team reminds me of the 2003-04 team which was full of youngsters like this team is. That team also had some bad losses in the non conference season but went on a run in the Pac-10. This team is doing the same as Romar tighten his rotation  a bit but is slowly extending that rotation as Seferian-Jenkins has joined the team plus Kemp Jr has played well this week giving the Huskies a spark. Romar appears to be pulling the right strings as this team went from underachievers to possibly slight overachievers in the same season.

The Huskies did what every team does who wants to win a conference regular season championship. They found a way to blow out an opponent when they didn't shoot particularly well. The Huskies played championship defense making the Trojans go one and done several times while extending their own possessions with second chance opportunities with 14 offensive rebounds. This was a total team effort as 11 guys scored and 11 guys pulled down a rebound. The Huskies were able to rest some key guys while some youngsters got a chance to score. The Huskies saw their freshman score 32 points led by Wroten scoring a team high 13 points. This team is in sole possession of first place which is the latest in the season they have been in first place since winning the conference back in 2008-09. This program has won a regular season championship then back to back conference tournament championships the last three seasons. With the way this group is playing right now look for another conference championship banner to be hanging up in the rafters soon.

By Kshell

The Washington Huskies(15-7, 8-2) found themselves trailing at home by 10 points to the UCLA Bruins(12-10, 5-5) who were looking to win for the first time in Seattle since 2004. That is when Terrence Ross carried the Huskies down the stretch as the Huskies outscored the Bruins 16-4 to end the game. Ross scoring 10 of those points to score a team high 22 points for the Huskies to extend their streak over the Bruins. More importantly for Lorenzo Romar's team is the fact his Huskies are in first place after winning back to back games on ESPN at the buzzer. Both times his team came up with a huge defensive stop to prevent overtime as the Huskies have now won four games in a row and seven of their last eight games. This game the Huskies overcame the injury to Tony Wroten and foul trouble to Aziz N'Diaye. This team is starting to come around and finally play like a team who will be dancing come March.

In the first half the Huskies got off to a nice start up 6-2 led by Aziz N'Diaye scoring the first four points for the Huskies. The Bruins responded by going on a 12-3 run to lead 14-9. Which the Huskies would then respond with a 10-2 run to go up 19-16. Later in the half the Huskies would go on a 7-0 run to lead 28-24. Trailing 34-33 right before halftime Terrence Ross hit an impossible shot to give the Huskies a 35-34 lead at halftime.  The Bruins made only 15-36(41.7%) of their field goals while missing all three three point attempts. They were kept in the game by Kentwood High School star Joshua Smith who scored 14 points off the bench on five for six shooting while making four of five free throws. The Wear twins stepped up as well as David Wear scored eight on four for seven shooting with four rebounds while Travis Wear had six points on 3-10 shooting with seven rebounds.

For the Huskies they shot well in the first half making 15-30(50.0%) from the field and two for four on three pointers. The Huskies were killed by 10 turnovers giving the Bruins too many chances. They were led by senior Darnell Gant who scored 10 points on four for five shooting including two three pointers. Abdul Gaddy scored six points on two for four shooting making two three point plays the old fasion way. Tony Wroten scored five points on two for five shooting making his lone free throw. He also added three rebounds and two assists but had four turnovers. Aziz N'Diaye scored four points on two for three shooting while grabbing five rebounds but had two quick fouls. That allowed Shawn Kemp Jr to earn some minutes as he scored four points on two dunks that reminded fans of his father Shawn Kemp plus he also grabbed two rebounds. Terrence Ross like he has in the past struggled in the first half scored just four points on two for four shooting. Like he has all season long he saved his best for the second half.

The second half was a game of runs as the Bruins led 54-47 as the Huskies went on a mini 4-0 run to pull within 54-51. The Bruins would go on a 9-2 run at that point as Lazeric Jones would drill three straight three pointers to give the Bruins a 63-53 lead as Hec Ed was quiet.  Trailing 65-55 the Huskies started to attack the Bruins by going to the free throw line as C.J. Wilcox hit four straight free throws as well as Terrence Ross. The Huskies had gone on a 6-0 run with just free throws pulling within 65-61 as Romar pulled the hurting Wroten who was too hurt to continue. Ross went down and drilled a three pointer as the Huskies pulled within 65-64. Ross would hit a reverse layup to give the Huskies a 66-65 lead over the Bruins. The Huskies then forced a steal as Gant finished the play off with a dunk as the Huskies lead 68-65 capping a 13-0 run. The Bruins finally scored to pull within 68-67 that is when Ross hit a three pointer with a man on him to give the Huskies a 71-67 lead as the Huskies had just gone on a 16-2 run. After a Bruins bucket the Huskies put the ball in Ross hands once more and for the first time all second half he missed after making his first seven shots in the second half. The Bruins had the ball with less than 20 seconds left with one timeout elected to play it out. Norman Powell who had scored just two points up until then tried a floater with three seconds to go on the baseline but the ball rimmed out as Smith tried to put it back in Ross poked the ball out of his hands in mid air as the Huskies held on for the 71-69 victory.

The Bruins lost the game despite a career game from sophomore Joshua Smith who scored 24 points on 9-13 shooting while making 6-10 free throws with nine rebounds. Lazeric Jones scored 11 points on 3-12 shooting but made 3-5 on three pointers. David Wear finished with 10 points on five for six shooting with four rebounds while his brother Travis scored eight points on just 4-15 shooting with eight rebounds.

For the Huskies they were led by Ross who scored 22 points on 9-12 shooting with two three pointers, four rebounds, a steal and two blocks. Ross scored 18 in the second half on seven for eight shooting. Tony Wroten who played hurt all game scored 13 points on 4-11 shooting but was a perfect five for five on free throws. Wroten also added five rebounds, two assists and a steal but had five turnovers. Darnell Gant off the bench scored 12 points on five for nine shooting with two three pointers with two steals and a block. Aziz N'Diaye who fought foul trouble all game long scored seven points on three for four shooting with 11 rebounds. Abdul Gaddy scored seven points on two for five shooting while making three of four free throws. He also had five assists but had four turnovers as well. C.J. Wilcox scored six points on one for four shooting but was perfect on four free throw attempts. Shawn Kemp Jr. off the bench scored four points on two for three shooting in 11 minutes. The Huskies as a team shot 26-50(52.0%) from the field, 4-10(40.0%) on three pointers but made 15-20(75.0%) on free throws which proved to be the difference.

This was a big win for the Huskies as they continued their dominance over the Bruins .The Huskies have now won eight straight at home against the Bruins(three final four teams in that stretch) and four games overall in a row against the Bruins. Since 1997 the Huskies are 13-3 at home against the Bruins as well as Seattle is becoming a giant thorn to the Bruins. This is two years in a row where the Bruins had the Huskies beat until someone caught on fire for the Huskies in the second half. Last year that was Wilcox this year it was Ross who had done the same thing against the Washington State Cougars. This team is now winning these close games and winning it with defense as their defense prevailed at  the buzzer against the two best programs in the conferece on ESPN both games. This was a huge win for Romar's team who now sits in first place all by themselves.

Observations:

- Aziz N'Diaye really had to battle this game not only against a motivated five-star talent in Josh Smith but more importantly foul trouble. N'Diaye began the game with four quick points but finished with only seven points. N'Diaye did record 11 rebounds and I noticed when he was in there Smith wasn't running wild. When N'Diaye had to site Smith was going off on Gant, Austin Seferian-Jenkins, Desmond Simmons and Kemp Jr as well. N'Diaye is a tough defender and this year on offense can score around the basket unlike last year.

This year N'Diaye is averaging 8.3 PPG, 8.2 RPG and 1.3 blocks per game with 0.5 steals per game. N'Diaye is also shooting 53.8% from the floor as well. His free throw shooting has been horrid lately making only 3-22 from the foul line. N'Diaye who isn't a good free throw shooter is better than that. The Huskies need him to at least be halfway decent so they can throw him the ball more. This year with those 11 rebounds that is the sixth time this year N'Diaye has grabbed double digit rebounds. So far in Pac-12 play N'Diaye is averaging 8.4 PPG, 7.4 RPG and 0.7 blocks per game. With N'Diaye in the middle the Huskies have a guy who can change the game defensively in the paint which they've never had in the Romar era.

-  Senior Darnell Gant who grew up in Bruins country this has to feel extra sweet for him. Gant in the first half carried the Huskies scoring 10 of 12 points including two three pointers as the offense struggled. Gant stretches the floor well his shooting ability and does set good screens. One major flaw in Gant's game is his rebounding and this game he had just one rebound. Gant has to become a better rebounder going forward. Gant has never been one of the best players on the Huskies but is a nice glue guy for the program. He is looking to become the first every Husky to have played in the NCAA tournament all four years. So far Gant has played in seven NCAA tournament games and eight Pac-10 tournament games in his career. He is one of the few guys on this roster who has been battle tested.

For the season now Gant is averaging career highs in points and rebounds. He is averaging 7.7 PPG and 4.7 RPG. He is shooting 48.8% from the field and 35.6% on three pointers making 0.7 per game. In Pac-12 play Gant is averaging 6.6 PPG and 3.9 RPG which he needs to step it up. Gant is the lone senior and the only guy who is battle tested on this roster. The Huskies will need more from him going forward if they wish to make him the first ever player to have played in four NCAA tournaments with the Huskies.

- This was a great game for the Tony Wroten haters as Romar pulled him and the Huskies went on to win with Wroten sitting on the bench. Wroten also played hurt and still scored 13 points in this game including making all five of his free throw attempts. In fact Wroten has made 10-12 from the free throw line in the last two games so hopefully the Pac-12's leader in free throw attempts is starting to improve a little bit on making them. Wroten is still having a productive season that should earn him first team all conference at the end of the year. Wroten is averaging 16.9 PPG, 4.6 RPG, 3.3 APG and 1.9 steals per game while shooting 47.7% from the field. In Pac-12 play Wroten is averaging 17.2 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 4.1 APG and 2.2 steals per game. As you can see in conference play he has stepped his game up in every statistical category. If Wroten can shoot his free throws like he has the last two games he could be unstoppable.

- From a pure talent standpoint Terrence Ross might be the most talented player Romar has ever had including Brandon Roy. Ross can drive to the hole, blow by you for an alley oop dunk, record key blocks and has a really nice shot. Ross this year has been an enigma at times in that he disappears in the first half almost every game. Yet in that same game he seems to catch fire in the second half. Ross is averaging 18.0 PPG in his last four home games.....in the second half alone. This game was no different after scoring just four points on two for four shooting Ross scored 18 points on seven for eight shooting with two three pointers in the second half. Ross really bailed the Huskies out this game with Wilcox having an off night and Wroten hurt that left it up to Ross who took over down the stretch. During that 16-2 run Ross scored 10 points for the Huskies to lead them to this crucial win.

For the season now Ross is averaging 15.4 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 1.1 steals per game and 1.1 blocks per game. He is shooting 45.8% from the field, 39.4% on three pointers making 2.0 three pointers a game and 72.1% on free throws. Ross is having a first team all conference type of season but he is capable of being first team All-American if he just would play like he does in the second half for an entire game. In Pac-12 play Ross is averaging 16.1 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 1.4 steals and 1.1 blocks. He is also making 2.2 three pointers a game. Like Wroten in conference play he has stepped up his game. With Ross, Wroten and Wilcox the Huskies have three guys who are capable of going off on you at any moment.

- For Lorenzo Romar the former UCLA assistent this has to be a very satisfying win. This was his 500th career game as a head coach in his college career. Romar also improves to 11-9 all-time against the Bruins and considering he lost his four games to them that is really impressive. The Bruins are a basketball powerhouse while the Huskies simply aren't. During that stretch the Bruins went to three straight final fours and yet Romar has the upperhand. The past two games had to be satisfying for Romar to see his young team finally get it together to beat two elite programs in Arizona and UCLA on ESPN. These were big time wins for this Huskies program and both wins were close wins as well for the Huskies a team who typically struggles in the close games. The Huskies are now 3-3 in games decided by five points or less after winning these last two games.

For the Huskies who now sit atop the conference at 8-2 with all the hostile road trips out of the way the Huskies team who is on a run can continue this run. This season reminds me a mixture of the 2003-04 season and 2009-2010 season where it took a while for this team to get going but once it did they didn't look back at all. Romar has a very talented squad and he has them playing at the level that his tournament teams always tend to play. For Romar to be at Washington for 10 years and to have a winning record against both Arizona and UCLA is incredible and unthinkable before his arrival to Montlake.

The Huskies season has turned around as Romar is finally allowing his stars to take over games. This game was a great example of that as Ross was the only guy to shoot final three minutes minutes Gant's breakaway dunk. The Huskies basketball program has accomplished a lot but they have never reached the NCAA tournament four years in a row. With wins over Arizona and UCLA this team is inching closer towards that goal. For these young Huskies to overcome blowing a huge lead against Arizona to win and now make a huge comeback to defeat the Bruins is a confidence builder for sure. For Ross who saved the day hopefully he can finally play a complete game so this team can become unbeatable especially in this conference. For the Huskies this is now four wins in a row and four wins in a row against mighty UCLA as well.