Washington Huskies: Can They Still Save Their Season?
By Paul Taylor
Washington Huskies: Can They Still Save Their Season?
It’s an understatement to say things aren’t looking too good right now for the Washington Huskies basketball team. Five straight losses has the “Dawgs” in a precarious position, with their hopes of qualifying for the postseason fading fast.
More from Emerald City Swagger
- Seattle Seahawks: To rest or not to rest, that is the question
- Washington State Football: What you need to know for 2018 Alamo Bowl
- Washington Basketball: 3 takeaways from Huskies win over Sacramento St.
- Seattle Seahawks: 12s still waiting to exhale
- Seattle Seahawks: 4 Takeaways from 26-23 Loss to the 49ers
Things looked so good less than two months ago, with the Huskies sitting pretty at 11-0. However, nine losses in 12 games – including the aforementioned five consecutive defeats – has severely eroded the confidence of Lorenzo Romar‘s players.
Unfortunately for the Huskies, all but one of their losses have come in conference play. As such, their 3-8 record (14-9 overall) has them currently sitting in 11th place in the Pac-12 Standings.
So what happened? As Percy Allen of The Seattle Times reported, the loss of forward Jernard Jarreau and center Robert Upshaw hasn’t helped.
Jarreau has been out for eight games with a knee injury, although interestingly the Huskies coped well initially, winning three straight before the current five game losing skid. Upshaw being kicked off the team certainly wasn’t part of the master plan either.
Dec 22, 2014; Seattle, WA, USA; Washington Huskies forward Jernard Jarreau (21) grabs a rebound against the Tulane Green Wave during the first half at Alaska Airlines Arena. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports
Another aspect is a defense that has suffered repeated mental collapses. Romar used the term “defensive slippage”, recently, when referencing the Huskies lack of consistency on the defensive side the rock.
One final factor to consider is Washington’s long-range ability, or lack thereof. As Allen pointed out, the team is shooting just 31.1% from behind the three-point line.
With seven games to go, the Huskies still aren’t completely out of it, but they will likely have to win all of their remaining contests to have a realistic chance of qualifying for March Madness. Tonight’s contest at Alaska Airlines Arena against the number seven ranked Arizona Wildcats, will give us a better indication of what to expect heading forward.
A win against a nationally-ranked opponent could galvanize Romar’s troops. However, a loss will likely have them leaning more towards the upcoming Pac-12 tournament, where the winner is guaranteed entry into the postseason.