Washington Huskies Drop Eighth-Straight; Arizona Next
By Ben Renner
The season has come off the rails for Lorenzo Romar and the young Washington Huskies despite boasting the best college player in the country. After another home loss, this time to the Arizona State Sun Devils 83-81 last night, what changes are in store?
The Washington Huskies (9-17, 2-12 in Pac-12) are headed nowhere this season, but their unquestioned star, Markelle Fultz is likely headed to Boston after the NBA Draft. He’ll of course join fellow former UW star Isaiah Thomas (who, ironically, was the last pick of the 2011 NBA Draft) and create one of the more potent guard combos in the league outside of former Cougar Klay Thompson and Steph Curry.
I would guess, based on Fultz’s return to action from an ankle injury last night for an 83-81 loss to Arizona State at home, that head coach Lorenzo Romar plans on playing Fultz the rest of this meaningless season, and why wouldn’t he? Any win from here on out softens the potential falling of the axe in the offseason.
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Romar’s saving grace as the Washington Huskies coach in recent years, despite a six-year NCAA Tournament drought, has been his recruiting. Showcasing Fultz for the rest of this season will remind his critics and University of Washington brass of his program’s attractiveness to some of the best players in the country. The next crop of young pups to commit to Washington includes Michael Porter, Jr., of the Nathan Hale All-Star Transfer Team in Seattle, and Garfield High School’s own Daejon Davis.
Maybe I’m just an overly-cautious person, but if I was an extremely talented basketball player (I wouldn’t even categorize myself as ‘serviceable in a semi-serious pickup game) waiting to declare for the NBA Draft, I would weigh the opportunity to show my skills playing for a bad team against the possibility of injury, especially if I already hurt my ankle this year.
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Markelle Fultz won’t have long to wait around in a Washington Huskies uniform. There are four games remaining for Romar’s beleaguered crew. They face number 5 Arizona tomorrow at 5pm at home on ESPN2.