Washington Huskies: Just When You Think it Can’t Get Any Worse
By Paul Taylor
Things continue to go from bad to worse, as the Washington Huskies find new ways to lose. Is there still any hope left for the season?
We already knew it was going to be a tough game for the Washington Huskies, playing on the road against a Utah team who entered Saturday afternoon with a 16-8 record. Missing the presence of Markelle Fultz and Malik Dime only added to the challenge facing Lorenzo Romar‘s team.
Regardless, no one could have predicted Washington would go through a spell of nine minutes and 41 seconds, in which they did not score a single field goal. And yet that’s exactly what happened, as the Dawgs saw an early 18-10 advantage disappear after a stunning 34-10 run by the Utes.
It’s somewhat understandable, especially with the aforementioned absence of Fultz and Dime, but this is a team which looks lost. No matter what they try, nothing seems to be working.
As a result, Romar is well on course for his worse season since taking over as Huskies’ coach in 2002-03. Two more defeats will set a new high (low?) for him in Washington, and his worst conference single-season record of 5-13 is now under threat (currently 2-11 in the Pac-12).
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If nothing else, there were at least a couple of highlights to take away from the 85-61 loss in Utah. David Crisp had a career-high 31 points, while Noah Dickerson scored in double-digits for a fifth-straight game (18).
Certainly, Crisp isn’t going to quit, as he told Kareem Copeland of the Associated Press and the rest of the media after the game: “With all of these losses, a lot of guys would just drop their heads and just throw the towel in.
“We’ve just got to buckle down, talk to guys and tell them, ‘Don’t give up now.’ … We’re just trying to look at things we can get better at and find positives and try to get through this.”
With the Pac-12 Tournament looming, the Huskies desperately need Fultz back. However, Romar advised that the freshman remains day to day.
Romar explained how the team has had to adapt to life without their young superstar: “We have to play a little more conservative.
“When we were doing that, we were executing. We were getting great shots (and) we were taking care of the ball.”
Unfortunately, due to a combination of a lack of discipline and confidence, the Huskies couldn’t keep it going: “When we started to go off on our own a little bit, that’s when we got burned because Utah is just going to make you pay for it.
“They’re just so efficient of a team. When we turned the ball over, that led a lot to their comeback.”
As much as everyone wants to see Fultz back on the court, you have to wonder how much of an impact it will really have? This is not being negative – it’s just the reality of what we’ve seen from the Huskies as a whole, since the started their conference schedule.
At the very least, the team will continue to search for answers, in the hope of salvaging something from a nightmare season. In that respect, Romar has to be commended for attempting to remain positive.
As reported by Andrew Harvey of SportspressNW, the Huskies’ coach said: “We’re going to try to build on what we’re doing in the zone and try to believe in that. We’re going to take away from what we did tonight with offensive efficiency.”
Next: Malik Dime Suspension Easy Call to Make
Where do the Huskies go from here? Do you give them any chance for the remainder of the season, or have you already given up all hope? Share your thoughts in the comments section.