Washington Huskies: 26-8, 15-3 in the Pac-12
Head coach: Mike Hopkins (2nd season)
Players to watch: Jaylen Nowell (16.2 PPG, 3.1 APG, .438 3PT%); Noah Dickerson (12.2 PPG, 7.4 RPG, .556 FG%); David Crisp (12.5 PPG, 2.8 APG)
Season recap: The Huskies began the season with a fairly difficult non-conference slate, dropping games to then-No. 11 Auburn and then-No. 13 Virginia Tech. Washington actually put up one of its strongest performances of the season in a nonconference loss against No. 1 Gonzaga; the 81-79 final score represented a very solid game played against one of the country’s best teams.
The Huskies relied on a mixed attack to get through conference play atop the Pac-12, with forwards like Noah Dickerson who did not shoot a single three all season banging it down low with the big boys, but also 6-foot-0 David Crisp stepping back beyond the arc attempting 187 shots from downtown. The Huskies favor neither a strict half court set nor a primarily transition offense, mixing it up with their variety up and down the roster.
Conference play saw Washington off to a 10-game winning streak before dropping a tough game to second-place finisher Arizona State, who has seen quite the surge in their program this year. The Huskies lost a questionable game to California, which finished last in the Pac-12, despite a 32-point performance from Crisp, but their only blemish otherwise was a 55-47 final against Oregon.
They made a decent run in their conference tournament, shimmying past Southern California and Colorado by a combined eight points, but faltered again at the hands of the Oregon Ducks, who took the Huskies down late Saturday night by a wide margin, 68-48. This game was not a true representation of what Washington can do, but it is a concern nonetheless for Huskies Nation.
How they make a run: Their stars will need to shine. Jaylen Nowell will need to continue to lead the team in scoring and pour buckets in from downtown at a high clip, and Dickerson will have to pull down quite a few on the offensive glass. Washington has a potential to make a run as an eight or nine seed but will have to be immaculate to do so.
How they falter: Very simply, they get tired. Only eight players on the roster get significant floor time, with the top six carrying most of the load. The Huskies have played a lot of close games this season, and they very well may burn out.
Get The Chronicle straight to your inbox
Signup for our weekly newsletter. Cancel at any time.