Huskies Fall Again, Romar’s Seat Warms

With yet another loss last night, the Huskies need a miracle to play for a National Championship. Meanwhile, Lorenzo Romar appears headed for the hotseat.

Normally, I’m not a glass-half-empty kind of guy. I strive to see the upside. I root for my teams until the final whistle, the final game, the final at-bat, shot, pass, whatever. But, with their 78-75 loss at Hec Ed last night to California, the Huskies’ postseason hopes appear to be quashed, or at least relegated to a possible NIT berth. The Huskies fell to 7-7 in the Pac-12 and 15-11 overall. They have yet to find their “signature win,” the game that serves as the pillar of their Selection Sunday resume.

The Huskies have now dropped four straight and talk of canning coach Lorenzo Romar has started in Montlake.

Fans are getting anxious. And it’s hard to blame them after the Huskies started unexpectedly strong this season and succeeded in getting everyone’s hopes up. Still, even with the excellent recruiting Romar has done during his long tenure with Washington, it’s been five years since the Huskies have participated in March Madness.

Romar is a master of recruiting, especially in the Seattle area, a hotbed of hoops talent. Head down to open gym night at Rainier Community Center* if you don’t believe me, or take in a Rainier Beach High School basketball game. This year’s squad, while young, is laden with local talent. Romar has simply struggled to get his team over the hump. They lost to Cal at home because they still can’t shoot. The Huskies shot 28 percent in the second half and went 25 of 38 from the line. That’s unacceptable in a close, must-win game at home. For the Bears, it was their second win on the road this season.