A clash with Utah is all that sits between Washington and the program’s second deep dive into Big Ten conference play. Husky Nation entered this season with higher expectations than previous years, let alone last year’s headache of a campaign, but hopefulness has shifted to worry.
Early December was promising for the Huskies. A close loss to the Bruins stung, but the response was impressive, as they secured an upset victory over USC on the road. Then the Dawgs blasted Southern Utah on Montlake and suddenly looked like a team that would rattle off at least four straight wins with Seattle U and San Diego up next on the schedule.
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On paper, this was a stretch that UW should’ve dominated. But the games are played on hardwood for a reason. After falling to Seattle U last season, the Redhawks stunned the Huskies yet again, picking up a 70-66 victory.
Lovers of the three-pointer have probably avoided watching UW this season due to the putrid shooting splits from beyond the arc. The collision at Climate Pledge Arena was even more painful to watch. UW went just 1-of-15 from range while Seattle U went 3-of-22.
Yes, fans in attendance watched a basketball game where the teams combined to go 4-of-37 from three-point range. Quimari Peterson scored the only two bench points for the Huskies in that game, but he also struggled to a tune of 1-8 shooting from the field.
Perhaps the most eye-opening part of Washington’s loss is that early-season concerns still linger. Early in the season against Baylor, Washington’s offense looked stagnant and limited in the half-court setting, yet it’s the pace head coach Danny Sprinkle seems to prefer.
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While depth is certainly an issue, the Huskies often look like a team that’d be better suited playing up-tempo. It’s much easier to hide the fatal flaw of being unable to shoot when constantly pushing and utilizing athleticism to put constant pressure on an opponent on both ends of the floor. This could even lead to easier looks from beyond the arc as players love to leak out to the perimeter when running off-ball during a fast break.
The good news? The loss to Seattle U didn’t have a lingering effect, which is always a concern in college sports’ businessman era where players or their advisors seem to look for the next opportunity as early as possible. Washington blasted San Diego by thirty on Dec. 22, its most recent outing. Hannes Steinbach gave NBA Scouts more reasons to drool, putting up 21 points and 14 rebounds.
If you’re looking for reasons to be hopeful, the roster makeup gives you that. Washington has a likely first-rounder in Steinbach.
Meanwhile, Serbian big Nikola Dzepina doesn’t have that same buzz, but clearly has the approval of Washington’s staff. He played just five minutes in his debut against SUU, then 20 against USD. In the blowout win, he went just 1-5 from three. Does that look bad on the statsheet? Yes. But a big man doesn’t take that many shots from beyond the arc unless instructed by coaches to find his rhythm.
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If he does, the Huskies might too. Of course, actually being able to dance is a whole different challenge, and Sprinkle’s group has work to do if UW is to receive a ticket to this year’s madness.
Keeping up with the B1G
Nebraska — 12–0 (2–0)
Michigan — 11–0 (2–0)
Michigan State — 11–1 (2–0)
Purdue — 11–1 (2–0)
UCLA — 10–3 (2–0)
Illinois — 9–3 (1–1)
Washington — 8–4 (1–1)
Minnesota — 7–5 (1–1)
USC — 12–1 (1–1)
Iowa — 10–2 (1–1)
Indiana — 10–3 (1–1)
Ohio State — 9–3 (1–1)
Wisconsin — 8–4 (1–1)
Penn State — 8–4 (0–2)
Northwestern — 7–5 (0–2)
Maryland — 6–6 (0–2)
Oregon — 6–6 (0–2)
Rutgers — 6–6 (0–2)
