Husky Men's Basketball Blog

I’m still not worried.

Yes, the Dawgs let another big lead get away, and yes they got home-towned a little bit. They went into a hostile environment and got beat. They lost on the road to the 11th ranked team in the country. Let’s put this into a little bit of perspective here. On the same night, Wake Forest (fifth in the country) got beat by Georgia Tech (21st in the country).

Instead of focusing on the negatives, (like 34 three-point attempts and getting to the foul line half as may times as Arizona) let’s look at the positives. Brandon Roy was incredible - 15 points, 9 boards and 7 assists? Is it possible to have a better all-around game? Also, the Huskies didn’t exactly wilt under pressure. Arizona shot 40 free throws, and made 38. 38! If Arizona only goes to the line 30 times, and makes 28, the Huskies win. Let’s not forget to give credit where credit is due. Lute Olson had his team prepared with their 1-3-1 zone, and it took UW out of their offense.

I’m not making excuses for the Huskies. They should have had an answer for the zone, and should not have jacked up 34 threes. That’s unbelievable, especially when they have two of the top players in the country when it comes to slashing to the hoop (Roy and Nate Robinson). They got in foul trouble very early in the game, I think that Arizona was shooting free throws with 11 minutes to go in the first half. Jamaal Williams may as well have been on a milk carton because he just didn’t show up. Talented big men like Channing Frye clearly give him trouble.

But again, this isn’t the end of the world. The Huskies are 16-3. Arizona still has to come to Seattle at the end of February. If you think the Huskies will let the memory of this loss get away from them before that, think again. Keep in mind, at this time last year, the Huskies were 8-8 overall, and 3-5 in the conference. This is a poised and talented Husky team. Now that Brandon Roy is back and healthy, they are only going to get better.

So, let’s recap. What’s good: 16-3 record, top 20 ranking, healthy team that is going to get better. What’s bad: Exactly, what’s bad?