Grizzlies select Tony Wroten 1st round(25th overall)

By Kshell

The Memphis Grizzlies who have made the NBA playoffs the last two seasons selected Tony Wroten from the Washington Huskies with the 25th pick overall in the 2012 NBA draft. Wroten's selection was a historical selection for the Huskies program as Terrence Ross was selected earlier in the day marking the first time in Huskies history they had two first round picks in the same NBA draft. For Lorenzo Romar this is a good day for the program for the future of recruiting. Wroten is the sixth Husky taken in the first round and ninth Husky overall to be drafted in the Romar era. Wroten like Spencer Hawes who was taken 10th in the 2007 NBA draft was only with the Huskies for one season. Also like Hawes, Wroten will have never played in the NCAA tournament. Despite winning the conference regular season title and featuring two future first round picks the Huskies failed to make the NCAA tournament. Wroten along with Ross were both named first team all conference and for Wroten he was the first freshman to be named that in school history. Wroten also won freshman of the year for the conference as he was up for player of the year in the conference.

Tony Wroten Jr has been a legend in the northwest well before he ever landed on U-Dub campus. Wroten's dad Tony Wroten Senior was a tight end on the Don James Rose Bowl teams of the early 1980's. Wroten's cousin Nate Robinson was the first guy selected in the first round for the Huskies in the Romar era. In high school at Garfield High Wroten was the #1 overall player in the nation as a freshman and sophomore. Then he blew out his ACL playing football his junior year missing that entire season. When he committed to the Huskies heading into his senior year he was a four star recruit but after playing he was upgraded to a five star. Then as a freshman for the Huskies in 35 games he came off the bench for his first eight games of the year before starting the final 27 games. Wroten averaged 16.0 PPG, 5.0 RPG and 3.7 APG. The reason he fell was because he shot only 44.3% from the field, 16.1% on three pointers and 58.3% on free throws with 3.8 turnovers a game. Wroten would make spectacular dunks and drives while breaking your heart with the basics. The Oregon State game summed up his brief Washington career in a nutshell. He carried the team down the stretch scoring 29 points but with the game on the line down by one he missed four straight free throws as the Huskies lost. That game ultimately cost them the NCAA tournament. In the NIT Wroten didn't play well either only averaging 10.5 PPG, 5.2 RPG and 4.2 APG. Wroten is one of those guys who will make a bigger impact with the Huskies in the NBA as him playing well will give the Huskies program more of a spotlight to hopefully land the next Wroten.

Wroten and Isaiah Thomas were supposed to play together this year but Thomas bolted to the NBA. Thomas fell to the second round only to see himself finish 7th in the NBA rookie of the year voting while being second team all rookie team. Not bad for the last pick in the draft. While Wroten is more talented than Thomas he wasn't quite as polished as Thomas was by the time he left the Huskies. Regardless of how their careers turn out Thomas will have left a mark at Washington while Wroten just wasn't the same. Even Ross who was only here two years at least had his moments in the Pac-10 tournament championship and against UNC in the NCAA tournament. He also came up big on the final four NIT run. With Wroten just like with Hawes you will always feel like there is a huge gaping hole in their UW legacy. Sure they might go onto to be great NBA players but a guy like Jon Brockman who is barely hanging on in the NBA will always have a special spot in Huskies fans hearts over Hawes and Wroten.

From Lorenzo Romar who won Pac-12 coach of the year this was a bittersweet day. First time in school history the Huskies produced two first round picks. So when you win a conference title, have two first round picks plus the coach of the year you would think this was a special year. Instead this team missed the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2008 as they made history being the first BCS conference champion to miss the NCAA tournament. For Ross, every UW fan expected him to go as he was ready and Romar even acknowledged that. For Wroten you are disappointed as he left with major unfinished business. This draft was loaded while next year is supposed to be extremely weak meaning had he stayed another year he'd be a top 10 pick which means more money later on. Plus you'd think after the way his Pac-12 career ended with the miss free throws against Oregon State and then his season ended shooting 4-16 with zero assists in the NIT overtime loss to Minnesota he would have came back. I won't vault someone for wanting to be a millionaire this year but the program will be hurting. With Wroten the Huskies would have been the conference favorites instead they'll be lucky to make the NIT.

So this day was historical for the Huskies and hopefully Romar can turn this history into landing some major recruits. After seeing Wroten and Hawes though should we even be excited to land these one and done type of talents? Sure they look good as they add to your NBA alumni status but far as the program goes both years were huge letdowns. For Wroten though he is going to a good team who has made the playoffs the last two seasons. He can learn how to be a team player as he fits in to find his niche. After a while hopefully he cuts down on his turnovers, improves his free throw shooting and developes something that resembles a jumper so he can be a successful guy who lasts in the NBA. Wroten was a wonderful talent and there was no freshman I enjoyed watching more than him as he "Wow'd!" me so many times. At the end of the day with Wroten you will always feel like there was something more he could have given this program. The reality is his best gift can be notority so the Huskies can land the next big time recruit and this time hope that guy can do what Hawes and Wroten couldn't do. Hopefully that guy can finally lead UW to the promise land until then we'll always wonder what could have 2013 been with Wroten as a sophomore and Ross as a junior. At least they made Huskies history right?

Huskies rally from 13 down to defeat Cougs 59-55 for season sweep!

By Kshell

The Washington Huskies(20-8,13-3) led by freshman Tony Wroten scoring a game high 21 points rallied from 13 points down to once again shock their cross state rivals Washington State Cougars(14-14,6-10) for the season sweep. The Huskies remain tied for first place in the Pac-12 with this comeback victory over the Cougars which marked the second time this year the Huskies trailed by over 10 points against the Cougars with 10 minutes to go and won. Free throw shooting was the story this game and it was the Huskies who shot well making 15-19 free throws in the second half while the Cougars made only 6-20 at the line in the second half. The Huskies have now won four games in a row and 9 out of 10 games overall. On a night when Terrence Ross fouled out scoring just two points the Huskies found a way to win the game. Trailing 47-34 with a little over 10 minutes left in the game the Huskies appeared headed towards a disappointing loss. Instead the Huskies went on a 13-0 run to tie the game and saw their junior point guard Abdul Gaddy take over down the stretch scoring six straight points for the Huskies. This was a total team effort for the Huskies as they won their 20th game for the fourth straight season for the first time in program history. In the previous five seasons Lorenzo Romar has won 20 games or more his team has made the NCAA tournament.

The game started off well for the Huskies as they sprinted out to a quick 6-0 lead over the Cougars who were playing in front of their home crowd for the last time this season. After that the Cougars responded with a 14-0 run to go up 14-6 over the Huskies as the Cougars started to smell the upset. The Huskies would respond with an 8-0 run of their own as Wroten ended the run with a layup then C.J. Wilcox hit back to back three pointers to tie it up at 14. Wilcox would hit two more three pointers to give the Huskies a 20-18 lead. Trailing 28-26 before halftime Wroten tied it up with 10 seconds to go in the half with a layup.

The numbers weren't pretty for either team. For the Cougars they shot just 8-30(26.7%) from the field, 1-11(9.1%) from three point range but made 11-12(91.7%) from free throws and out rebounded the Huskies 26-16 including 10 offensive rebounds. They were led by Brock Motum who scored 10 points but made just 4-11 shots while grabbing four rebounds. Marcus Capers scored six points on two for three shooting with four rebounds and three assists. Abe Lodwick scored two points with five rebounds.

For the Huskies they shot miserable as well making 11-30(36.7%) of their field goals, 4-12(33.3%) on three pointers and just two for five(40.0%) on free throws. They were led by C.J. Wilcox off the bench with 12 points making all four of his three point attempts. Tony Wroten scored 10 points on 4-11 shooting with three rebounds and three assists. Aziz N'Diaye scored four points on two for three shooting with three rebounds but also had three fouls. Terrence Ross was held scoreless missing all three field goals as he had three fouls as well. In the second half Ross would immediately pick up his fourth foul and the Huskies were in trouble early.

In the second half after Ross immediately had to sit with his fourth foul it appeared the game was getting away from the Huskies as the Cougars went on a 12-0 run to lead 45-32 which included a Huskies technical foul. Leading 47-34 with about 10 minutes left the Huskies appeared dead. That is when the comeback started to take place as Wroten kept driving to the hole. Gaddy threw a beautiful alley-oop to Ross to pull within 47-40. Wroten would have a three point play and then N'Diaye would as well. Darnell Gant would sink a free throw which tied the score at 47 as the Huskies went on a 13-0 run to tie it up. Trailing 52-50 Gaddy had a layup to tie up the score. Gaddy then drove to the hole drawing a foul sinking both free throws giving the Huskies a 54-52 lead with 3:43 left. After the Cougars had tied it up Gaddy again would have the goahead layup to give the Huskies a 56-54 lead with 2:13 left in the game. After Reggie Moore made one of two free throws then Tony Wroten made one of two free throws the Cougars had the ball trailing 57-55 with 24 seconds left. Ken Bone designed the play for Patrick Simon to shoot the goahead three pointer. Simon who hadn't played all game long and has made just one field goal in the calender year of 2012. Simon would air ball the corner three pointer which was wide open. Wilcox would sink both free throws to give the Huskies a 59-55 lead with 10 seconds left. Simon would then miss another three pointer as time had expired. The Huskies had stormed back to defeat the Cougars once again. Dating back to last year this is the third straight win for the Huskies against the Cougars and all three games the Cougars had double digit leads.

For the Cougars this loss has to sting as this was their national championship game. Sitting at 14-14 now and 6-10 in conference play with two games left on the road where they are just 1-6 on the road in conference play doesn't look good for the Cougars. The Cougars twice this year had the Huskies right where they wanted them and just couldn't finish the deal. The Cougars for the game shot 18-52(34.6%) from the field, a dreadful 2-18(11.1%) from three point range and a miserable 17-32(53.1%) from free throws including 6-20(30.0%) in the second half. Despite outrebounding the Huskies 38-33 with 12 offensive rebounds the Cougars they couldn't pull this one out. They were led by the conferences leading scorer in conference games Brock Motum who had to work for his 17 points shooting just 7-19 from the field, making one of four from three point range and two for four at the free throw line. Motum did grab eight rebounds and had three block shots. Marcus Capers had a terrific game for the Cougars scoring 14 points on six for seven shooting but was two for five on free throws. Capers did  have six rebounds, five assists, a steal and a block shot. Abe Lodwick scored eight points and grabbed nine rebounds before fouling out. Reggie Moore struggled scoring just four points missing all six field goals. He was also just four for eight on free throws with six assists but four turnovers. The Cougars after defeating the Huskies seven straight from 2006-08 have now lost seven out of nine since then. This will also be the fourth straight season barring a Pac-12 tournament championship win where the Cougars will be left out of the NCAA tournament.

For the Huskies this was a real gut check win on the road in a hostile environment. They had shot poorly, saw their best player foul out scoring only two points while their best big man fouled out as well as he also fought foul trouble in the first half. The Huskies won this game because they simply have too many weapons when you shut down one weapon another emerges. The Huskies won despite shooting 19-53(35.8%) from the field, 4-17(23.5%) on three point range but did make 17-24(70.8%) from the free throw line. They were led by Tony Wroten who scored 21 points on 6-18 shooting but made 9-12 from the free throw line. Wroten also added six rebounds, five assists and two steals. C.J. Wilcox scored 16 points off the bench on five for nine shooting including four for seven on three pointers while sinking both free throws. Wilcox also added five rebounds and a steal. Abdul Gaddy scored 10 points on three for nine shooting missing all four three point shots but was four for five at the free throw line. Gaddy had four assists and two steals as well. Aziz N'Diaye scored seven points on three for six shooting making his only free throw attempts while grabbing seven rebounds with a block shot before fouling out. Darnell Gant started for the second straight game scoring three points on one for three shooting and made just one for four on free throws but did have seven rebounds while playing good defense on Motum holding him to 7-19 shooting. Terrence Ross struggled having his worst game of the season scoring just two points on one for five shooting missing all three of his three point attempts before fouling out in just 21 minutes. For the Huskies this was a big win on the road as their hopes of winning a Pac-12 regular season championship remain alive and well.

For the second time this year the Huskies survived the Cougars as they stormed back from a double digit lead. The Huskies will now head down to L.A. hoping to take care of business with the sweep which would clinch at the worst a Co- Pac-12 championship in the regular season. The Cougars once again prove to be a hard matchup for the Huskies playing them tough defensively holding them to under 30 points in the first half once again. The Huskies are simply more battle tested than the Cougars as this year they win the close games. The Huskies are now 12-4 in games decided by 10 points or less and 5-3 in games decided by five points or less. Despite being such a young team the Huskies win the close games and after starting off 0-5 away from home the Huskies have since won five of six games on the road. This was a huge win for the Huskies who have came around as a team this season which has been fun to witness.

Observations:

- Shooting slump? What shooting slump? C.J. Wilcox who had been in a shooting slump before the Arizona State game has now had three straight solid games. Wilcox carried the Huskies in the first half drilling all four three point field goal attempts. In fact Wilcox was the only Husky to hit a three pointer as the Huskies were 0-10 outside of Wilcox from three point range. Wilcox who missed the first meeting was pivotal in this game in scoring 16 points with four three pointers.

Wilcox is averaging 13.8 PPG on the year shooting 42.4% from the field and 41.3% on three pointers making 2.3 a game. After making just one three pointer in his first four games back from injury he has now made at least two three pointers in five straight games. During that five game stretch(Huskies 4-1) Wilcox has hit 12-30(40.0%) from three point range which is an average of 2.4 a game while scoring 13.6 points per game so Wilcox is basically back to playing like he has before his injury. With a healthy Wilcox that gives the Huskies three scorers who are capable of carrying them at long stretches throughout the game which most teams in the conference simply don't have. The Huskies survived Wilcox's injury going 2-1 but that one loss was a 69-66 loss at home to California Golden Bears who own tiebreaker due to that. The good news is if they meet again Wilcox is back and healthy.

- Every Romar team who has made the NCAA tournament has had a slumping player emerge down the stretch which leads into a big season the following year. This year that appears to be Aziz N'Diaye and Abdul Gaddy who are both juniors. Gaddy who is a five-star recruit has been a bust to date but lately has been playing solid. He still isn't shooting very well but he is being more agressive attacking the hole. In the last two games he has attempted 11 free throws while going four straight games prior to that with zero free throw attempts. Today's game Gaddy scored six straight points for the Huskies down the stretch including the go ahead field goal to give the Huskies the lead for good.

In his last four games since the disaster in Eugene Gaddy is averaging 7.5 ppg and 5.5 APG to just 1.8 TO's which for a five star recruit isn't very good. Considering where Gaddy was at the start of the year if he continues to put up those numbers while shooting slightly better the Huskies will continue to win games. It has been nice to see Gaddy being more agressive and driving to the hole. Like Wroten he shouldn't ever shoot a three pointer as he is shooting just 29.9% on three pointers for the year. He has made just 3-17(17.6%) in his last nine games on three pointers but has made 9-11(81.8%) on free throws last two games. Gaddy needs to continue to drive to the hole for the Huskies to be successful.

- I feel like Reggie Moore and Abdul Gaddy are always going to be linked together. Had Gaddy stayed true to his committment to Arizona there is a good chance Moore is playing for the Huskies. At first Moore appeared to be the much better player after they were freshman. Now Moore appears to be sort of an egnigma for the Cougars as this year was supposed to be "his team" instead his lack of leadership has shown. Moore against the Huskies didn't make a shot in six field goal attempts while missing four of eight free throws including two straight technical fouls as the Cougars had all the momentum. Shortly after the Huskies went on a 13-0 run to tie it. Moore for the year is averaging only 9.4 PPG, 5.6 APG and 2.5 to's. He is shooting 37.6% from the field for the year as well. In seven games against the Huskies now Moore is averaging 9.6 PPG but averaging only 5.5 this year. In his career against the Huskies so far he has shot miserably making only 14-49(28.6%) from the field. Moore appears to have regressed with the Cougars and is a lightning rod for his fan base on why the Cougars continue to blow games down the stretch. Moore after a promising start to his career just like that is ending his junior season with only one year left. Moore is in danger of being like so many other players in college which was a guy who peaked as a freshman and could never quite reach that level again. Moore struggled today and Gaddy got the better of him today which if you had told me that a month ago I wouldn't have beleived you.

- A picture says a thousand words and this is Brock Motum after the Cougars once again choked to the Huskies. The Cougars are now 6-10 in games decided by 10 points or less and 3-6 in games decided by five points or less. The Cougars who are 14-14 overall but 3-10 away from home have been competitive this year just can't close games. Today was a prime example of that as they had the Huskies on the ropes. Terrence Ross was taken out of the game due to foul trouble and the Cougars were leading 47-34. The Cougars were also controlling the glass as well which was a shocker considering the last meeting. The Cougars lost due to unforced errors mainly 6-20(30.0%) at the free throw line in the second half. That is the defination of "Coug'd it" which is exactly what they did. On senior night where they had been 11-3 at home and having their rivals on the ropes this had to be a crushing defeat for the Cougars. When you lose by just four points and miss 14 freebies in the second half those are the type of losses that can destroy a team. With USC having six scholarship guys but the Cougars struggles on the road I expect them to split and go 15-15 heading into the conference tournament. The Cougars lost Klay Thompson  to the draft which hurt as they don't have a finisher on their team. Gant took away Motum leaving the Cougars with no other go to guy down the stretch. This was probably one of the more crushing defeats the Cougars basketball program has experienced in quite some years.

- In big time atmospheres Tony Wroten always seems to thrive on the pressure. Today was no different as the Huskies trailed by 13 points and Ross was out due to foul trouble. The freshman guard took it upon himself to take over the game which he did scoring 21 points, grabbing six rebounds, dishing out five assists and made 9-12 at the free throw line including seven for nine in the second half. Wroten proving why the Huskies are so dangerous because if you stop Ross you still have to worry about Wroten who is a future NBA player as well. Wroten with his size and quickness is a matchup nightmare for any team. Wroten made plays when the Huskies needed him to especially when the game appeared to have been slipping away. Wroten's play is reminding Huskies of the main he essentially replaced this season.

- There was a special guest at this game for the Huskies which was former Husky great Isaiah Thomas who is enjoying a fine season with the Sacramento Kings. Thomas this year is averaging 8.8 PPG and 2.9 APG in only 19 minutes. Since being named starter the last four games Thomas has averaged 19.5 PPG, 4.3 RPG and 6.5 APG while knocking down 2.3 three pointers a game.

For Lorenzo Romar his players always come back to the program as his program is just one big family. Thomas left early but as you can see there are no hard feelings here. Romar becomes the first Huskies coach in program history to win 20+ games four years in a row. The Huskies also have won 96 games which is tied for the most wins in a four year stretch from 1950-1953. Romar is looking to make the NCAA tournament for the seventh time in nine seasons. He also improves to 12-10(6-4 at home, 5-5 on the road and 1-1 in Pac-10 tournament) all-time against the Cougars having won seven out of the last nine after the Cougars had won seven in a row. Romar has done his best coaching job since the 2008-09 team who I felt overachieved. This team has the talent but they are so young and immature at times. I feel like Romar is headed towards his third conference coach of the year award title which he deserves.

The Huskies are inching closer and closer to the NCAA tournament. Unless the Huskies lay an egg against the outmanned USC Trojans I don't see how the Huskies miss the NCAA tournament. The Huskies are playing well and winning in ways nobody thought was possible. The three point shot isn't falling at all for the Huskies this year and especially lately. The Huskies instead are winning with defense and improvement from the free throw line. Every player in the rotation appears to have improved as the season has wore on. In the past in a hostile environment on the road the Huskies would have folded the tent down 47-34 but not these Huskies. These Huskies overcome big deficits against the Cougars and UCLA to win. These Huskies win in hostile environments in Pullman and more importantly Tucson, Arizona against the Wildcats. These Huskies have so many weapons where if one has an off game(Ross) others(Wroten and Wilcox) can pick up the slack. This is a team that nobody will want to face come NCAA tournament time. The Huskies are going to be a dangerous matchup for a high seed much like last year when they gave the 2nd seeded North Carolina Tar Heels a huge run for their morning in basically a road game. These Huskies are more talented than last year and now they are playing good fundamental basketball. Romar deserves all the credit for this teams turnaround and the NCAA tournament for the fourth straight year is starting to become a reality.

Kings select Isaiah Thomas with 60th pick in NBA draft

By Kshell

The Sacramento Kings selected Washington Huskies guard Isaiah Thomas with the last pick of the draft which was 60th overall. For Thomas he has to be regretting his decision to turn pro as he fell so far in the 2011 NBA draft. Thomas regardless of what happens in the NBA had a great career for the Huskies but the draft is often about potential. Now Thomas will try to play for the team who drafted Jon Brockman and Spencer Hawes both players who played for Lorenzo Romar. By going in the second round Thomas is only guaranteed a one year contract but at least by getting drafted he is at least guaranteed one pay day. Now Thomas will try and take his quickness to the Kings and be the new J.J. Barea as Barea proved this past year a smaller quick point guard can be successful in this league. Thomas will be going to California's state capitol and will still be wearing the purple. Now for Thomas he had one of the most successful careers in the Romar era.

When Thomas came to the Huskies they had missed the tournament two straight seasons. During his freshman year he won the Pac-10's freshman of the year and was named honorable mention all pac-10 scoring 15.5 points a game and dishing out 2.6 assists per game while shooting 41.8% from the field, 29.1% from three pointers and 68.6% from free throws. Thomas helped the Huskies win their first outright Pac-10 regular season championship since 1953. In the Pac-10 tournament that year Thomas averaged 15.5 PPG, 6.0 RPG and 1.0 steals a game. In the NCAA tournament after a slow first game where he scored just nine points but dished out five assists in the season ending loss to Purdue Thomas scored 24 points with three assists. For the NCAA tournament Thomas averaged 16.5 PPG while dishing out 4.0 assists a game.

Then as a sophomore he averaged 16.9 points and 3.2 assists per game. He shot 41.5% from the field, 32.7% from three pointers and 73.2% from free throws. Thomas was named first team all pac-10 as a sophomore and then was named Pac-10 tournament MVP. In the Pac-10 tournament Thomas averaged 16.0 PPG while drilling six three's in three games and shooting 93% from the free throw line. Thomas in the championship game against California score 16 points while playing good defense on Jerome Randle while stealing two passes. In the NCAA tournament Thomas played some of his best ball of his career. Sure he has bigger scoring games but in the tournament Thomas finally found the balance of scoring and setting up his teamates. In the 80-78 first round win over Marquette Thomas was 7-13 shooting including 3-5 from three pointers for 19 poitns with eight assists. Oh and another thing Thomas didn't once sit out that game playing all 40 minutes. In the blowout win over New Mexico Thomas added 15 points and seven assists. Finally when the Huskies were eliminated Thomas scored 13 poitns with four assists but did shoot a respectable 6-13. Thomas for the tournament averaged 15.7 PPG, dished out 5.3 APG.

As a junior is when Thomas changed his game due to injuries at the point guard position and distractions off the court. Thomas had to run the point as he once again named first team all pac-10 averaging 16.8 points per game and 6.1 assists a game. He shot 44.5% from the field, 34.9% from three pointers and 71.9% from free throws. Once again he was named Pac-10 tournament MVP hitting the game winning shot against the Arizona Wildcats in the championship game. For the tournament Thomas averaged 19.7 points per game, 10.0 APG, 3.3 RPG, and 2.7 steals a game. Thomas shot 20-40(50.0%) from the field including 8-16(50.0%) from three point range. Thomas also played all but two possessions in three days. Thomas averaged 41.0 minutes a game considering college basketball is only 40 minutes long that is incredible. In the NCAA tournament he averaged 15.5 points per game and 7.5 assists per game as the Huskies were bounced in the second round. Thomas had he came back would have been the all-time scoring leader and assist man in Huskies history.

For the Huskies in the Romar era the draft has been kind to them. This is the sixth year in the last seven drafts Romar has seen one of his players drafted. In the 2005 draft Nate Robinson was a first round pick, in 2006 Brandon Roy who to date has been the best Husky in the NBA was a lotto pick while Bobby Jones was a second rounder that same draft. In 2007 Spencer Hawes was a lottery pick then in 2009 Jon Brockman like Hawes ended up with the Kings in the second round. Last year Quincy Pondexter was picked in the first round and now Thomas was picked in the second round. Judging by the talent on the roster in Terrence Ross, C.J. Wilcox, Abdul Gaddy and of course Tony Wroten the Huskies will have more guys in the draft. This is good for recruiting that Romar can tell kids that if you play for him you'll get a good education at Washington and play in the NBA. Hopefully Thomas like those guys can make a stamp in the NBA. If Thomas does what he did at Washington especially this last year he should make an NBA roster.

The Kings are a team in bit of turmoil like the Sonics the NBA is trying to steal that team from the great fans of Sacramento. Despite the Kings being loyal fans the NBA showed in Seattle they don't care about the fans and will hold the city hostage. Thomas is going to a team who already has Tyreke Evans and DeMarcus Cousins. The Kings also drafted college player of the year Jimmer Fredette from BYU who is a shoot first point guard. I think Thomas can crack this roster as the Kings aren't very good winning just 24 games last year. Thomas took a chance by leaving early and he has no time to feel sorry for himself. He needs to move forward and make the best of this situation. The Kings who gave Hawes and Brockman a chance will hope Thomas helps them out as well. Thomas at least remains on the west coast so his family and friends can still watch him play.

In conclusion, this day was bittersweet for Huskies fans. I'm happy Thomas was drafted but sad he had to wait so long. Regardless of his career I'll never forget that he gave it his all for the Huskies. Just like Brockman as a Husky hard to argue too many players that were better than him. Thomas was two-time first team all pac-10 and two-time Pac-10 tournament MVP while leading the Huskies to three NCAA tournament appearances. Thomas is tied with Mike Jensen for most career NCAA tournament starts with seven. Had Thomas came back he could have been a legend and he obviously received bad advice. Hopefully the fans are supportive of him and not "I told you so" towards Thomas. Thomas is chasing his lifelong dream and at least he has the guts to chase his dream. While most of us including myself never put ourselves in a risky position to flat chase our dreams Thomas did. I hope the best for Thomas as I know he'll be capable enough to play in the NBA. Husky nation will be rooting on Thomas and I'll never forget all the great moments he gave me as a fan.

Huskies season ends in heartbreak to Tar Heels 86-83 in round of 32

By Kshell

The Washington Huskies(24-11,11-7) season comes to a disappointing end to the second seeded North Carolina Tar Heels(28-7,14-2) 86-83. The Huskies had high hopes to begin the year which you can read here. There was talks of Final Fours and this being finally the year. Instead the Huskies fail to reach the sweet 16. The Huskies lost a close game to a tough opponent in which was basically a road game. The Huskies blew an 11 point lead and never trailed by more than two points until two minutes left in the game. Due to costly decision making down the stretch the Huskies season is over. The Tar Heels were led by Tyler Zeller who scored 23 points and Harrison Barnes who scored 22 points. The Huskies were led by freshman Terrence Ross who scored 19 points. The Huskies bench once again was the strength outscoring the Tar Heels bench 41-5 but the Tar Heels starters overcame that by scoring 81 points to the Huskies 42. In the end the season will be viewed as a disappointment to some fans while others are just happy to make the tournament. The Huskies played hard and came out on fire to start the game.

The first half was a high scoring run and gun half for both teams. The Huskies were trailing 15-14 went on a 12-0 run to lead 26-15 over the second seeded Tar Heels. The Tar Heels then responded to even take the lead. Both teams fought back and forth in the first half ultimately ending with the Huskies taking a 45-44 halftime lead over the Tar Heels. The Tar Heels were led Harrison Barnes who scored 14 points on 6-10 shooting including two three's. Tyler Zeller scored 12 points on four for eight shooting and was perfect from his four free throw attempts. The Tar Heels shot 16-36(44.4%) from the field and made three for eight three pointers. The Heels also shot 9-13(69.2%) from the foul line. The Huskies were actually out playing the Tar Heels most of the half.

For the Huskies they were led by freshman Terrence Ross. Ross who didn't score in his first tournament game came out with 12 points on four for five shooting including two three pointers. Matthew Bryan-Amaning scored eight points on four for eight shooting with seven rebounds. Darnell Gant scored six points hitting two three pointers. Isaiah Thomas slumped scoring just four points on two for eight shooting but had three assists. Aziz N'Diaye who was inserted back in the lineup dominated the glass. N'Diaye scored two points but grabbed eight rebounds. The Huskies shot 18-40(45.0%) from the field, 6-13(46.2%) from three point range and were perfect in their three free throws. The Huskies dominated the glass 24-15 despite the Tar Heels height advantage. The Tar Heels in the second started to dominate the paint and closed the gap on the rebounds.

In the second half saw both teams take turns having momentum. The Huskies led 74-69 with under six minutes to go. The Huskies then had a 76-73 lead which saw the Tar Heels go on a 7-0 run to take a 80-76 lead. After a crucial N'Diaye putback to pull the Huskies within 80-78 the Tar Heels went up six with under two minutes to go. After a Huskies bucket to pull within 84-80 with under 30 seconds left Thomas found a wide open Scott Suggs who drilled the three pointer to pull the Huskies within 84-83. The Huskies then fouled Kendall Marshall who was going to shoot a one and one free throw. Marshall missed the free throw and the Huskies got the rebound. Instead of calling their last timeout the Huskies let Venoy Overton take the ball to the hoop as he got his lay up swatted with 10 seconds. Fighting for the rebound the ball went out of bounds with seven seconds remaining. Justin Holiday's inbound pass was tipped and Dexter Strickland was then fouled. He made both free throws to give the Tar Heels an 86-83 lead. Once again Overton made a poor decision as he was expectating a Tar Heel to foul him he threw up a half court shot with 1.2 seconds on the clock. The Huskies caught a break as the ball went off a Tar Heel. So with 0.5 seconds left the Huskies inbounded the ball to Thomas for three and he missed it. The shot could have been called goaltending but on the review Thomas foot was on the line so it didn't matter. The Huskies lost 86-83 ending their season short of expectations.

The Huskies lose a tough close game despite shooting 33-72(45.8%) from the field and 10-19(52.6%) from three point range. The Huskies were even perfect on seven free throw attempts. Despite giving up the size advantage the Huskies outrebounded the Tar Heels 38-33 including 13 offensive rebounds. In the end that wasn't enough for the Huskies as the Tar Heels were led by their five starters who scored 81 points. Led by Zeller with 23 and Barnes with 22. Marshall scored 13 points while dishing out 14 assists. For the Huskies they were led by Ross who scored 19 points on 7-10 shooting including three three pointers and six rebounds. Bryan-Amaning finished his career with 14 points on 7-14 shooting with eight rebounds. Thomas scored just 12 points on 5-15 shooting but did have eight assists. C.J.Wilcox came alive in the second half to score 11 points on four for nine shooting including three three's. Scott Suggs added eight points on two three pointers. Gant scored six points and six rebounds. Overton finished his career with five points and two assists. Justin Holiday continued his shooting slump scoring just four points on two for six shooting. Then N'Diaye provided a lift scoring four points on two for three shooting with 11 rebounds including five offensive. The Huskies played a good game but five bad minutes down the stretch can offset 35 great minutes which is the sad reality of sports.

Overall the Huskies played a good but they just simply lost to the better team. The Huskies now you could argue if they had taken care of business in the regular season they wouldn't be in this position. As for the game itself it was a clean game which the Huskies battled hard. Now the cold reality is three guys on this Huskies team will never wear that Huskies uniform again. The Huskies will be returning six guys from this team along with Abdul Gaddy and Tony Wroten coming in should be in a position to make some noise next season. As for this year the year that started off with so much promise including at one time a top 10 ranking is over suddenly. Nobody would have accepted a round 32 loss at the start of the year or even three weeks ago. The Huskies didn't achieve their goals and now must always wonder what could have been?

Observations:

- Years from now people will look back at this game as an instant classic. Unfortunately for Huskies fans they seem to be on the wrong side of those games. In this game you'll notice a young freshman who kept his team in it. No I'm not talking about Harrison Barnes who played great I might add.

Instead I'm talking about Terrence Ross. Ross who showed you why he is still a freshman at times but also showed how the sky is the limit for him. Given the situation of the game and the opponent I'd say this was Ross finest game of his freshman year. Ross started off hot in Pac-10 play averaging 16.0 points per game in his first four games. Then Ross like most freshman hit a wall. It was so bad he played four minutes against UCLA the second to last regular season game then didn't play against USC. Ross rebounded by averaging 15.3 PPG in the Pac-10 tournament being named first team all tournament team.

Then Ross took a big step backwards scoring zero points on 0-5 shooting in 10 lousy minutes against the Georgia Bulldogs. Ross found himself removed from the starting lineup today. Ross hit his first three point attempt in the first half. Ross, unlike Wilcox who can catch fire at any moment, you know what you are getting. Typically with Ross you can tell the game he will have in the first five minutes. Well today Ross grabbed six rebounds and made some nice athletic moves. He also showed he is a good shooter as well. Ross finished the year averaging 8.0 PPG while shooting 44.3% from the field, 35.2% from three's and 75.8% from free throw's. The future is bright with Ross and Wilcox being only freshman.

- The picture to my right is of Thomas giving support to teammate Justin Holiday who made a costly mistake on the inbound pass. Holiday has gone MIA the last seven games. Holiday who worked so hard to improve his scoring all year long. In the team's first 28 games Holiday averaged 11.9 PPG, shot 124-249(49.8%) from the field and 46-115(40.0%) from three point range. As you can see Holiday made great strides in his career but then in the last seven games he reverted back to how he was early in his junior season.

In Holiday's final seven games in a Huskies uniform he averaged just 4.9 PPG while shooting 14-48(29.1%) from the field and was 1-16(6.3%) from three point range. In four of those games Holiday played over 30 minutes despite slumping so badly. One can question why Holiday was even on the floor with those numbers down the stretch. I openly question that as well since as you can see Holiday has been an offensive liability. It is truly a shame Holiday's career ended the way it did. Hopefully the fans can remember the good he did for this school.

- Venoy Overton's career ends with two costly mistakes. Overton played just 12 minutes while scoring five points on one for three shooting. Romar smartly didn't play Overton much instead playing his three wings of Ross, Wilcox and Suggs. Yet with the season on the line on the two most important possessions the season was decided by Overton. Even Overton himself questioned that move after the game.

I'll talk about both plays and one play wasn't Overton's fault in my opinion. Down by one with 17 seconds left Overton chose to push the ball which I hated the decision. Even if he makes the bucket the Tar Heels still have 10 seconds to score the game winning shot. Now some may say Lorenzo Romar trusted his senior to make the right decision but that is just stupid. What makes Overton so great and so frustrating is how reckless he plays. Having said that with the game on the line you don't want that. Romar should have taken a timeout and put the ball in Thomas hands to let him decide the season.

On the half court shot Overton messed up big time. Up three with less than five seconds to go the Huskies expected the Tar Heels to foul them. Overton hoping they would foul him as he threw up that desperation three to earn three free throw's. What Overton should have done is not worry about them fouling him. Overton should have pushed the ball up court and quickly find a shooter. If they foul him simply make the first free throw then miss the second for a tip in or tip out three for the win. Once again remember this was after a made free throw why Overton brought the ball up the court instead of their best player and decision maker Thomas is a bit mind boggling. Once again hopefully the fans remember all the good that Overton did because like Holiday he didn't end his career on a high note at all.

- Pretty amazing the Huskies only lost by three points with Isaiah Thomas shooting 5-15 making zero three pointers. Thomas had just 12 points but did dish out eight assists. Most people figured if the Huskies were to win Thomas would have to have a big game which he didn't. Even with Thomas struggles you have to wonder why wasn't the ball in his hands with the game on the line. I know technically he took the last shot of the season but that was a catch and shoot situation.

Thomas the final time he brought the ball up faked a three and dished to an open Suggs who drilled the three to pull within one. Unlike last week where Romar put the ball in Thomas hands to win the game he elected to go with Overton. That decision fans will debate all offseason as they should. Thomas made great strides as an overall great player. Thomas was once again named first team all pac-10 finished his year averaging 16.8 PPG on 44.5% shooting from the field and 34.9% from three point range. The most important part is Thomas averaged 6.1 assists on the year the highest since Will Conroy averaged 6.5 assists in the 2004-05 season.

- Lorenzo Romar is a good coach for the Washington Huskies. That has been established with taking the team to the tournament in six of his eight seasons. He has a winning tournament record too at 8-6. He has won the Pac-10 tournament three times and the regular season once. He has also failed to take that next step in this program. It is becoming more painfully obvious he might not ever be able to take that step.

Now I felt for the first 35 minutes Romar coached great. There wasn't many stupid plays, the rotation was just fine. Then in the last five minutes just basic fundamental plays the Huskies couldn't make. The two Overton plays, Holiday inbound, Ross getting his pocket picked, having both Overton and Holiday on the court, etc. This seems to be a theme in the Romar era on tough losses that the Huskies don't lose because the other team beat them. They are losing by making stupid decisions late in games. This isn't to take away from North Carolina at all they were the better team playing basically a home game.

The Huskies are in a weird spot with Romar they truly are. Some fans and a certain KJR host seem to think he can do no wrong and are just happy with making the NCAA tournament. Those fans adjust expectations as the season goes on. Other fans know this program can do so much more with all that talent in the Seattle/Tacoma area. Romar is a great program builder as typically all his seniors get better. Only Mike Jensen and Venoy Overton appeared to have taken a step back throughout their careers. The Huskies need to land a big time recruit. I'm not talking about a player either I'm talking about scouting the country for an X's and O's geru at some D-2 or D-3 school. Ken Bone was a head coach at Seattle Pacific for 14 years and he left to Washington knowing he could move on from there. The question comes down to will Romar finally admit he needs help on offense or will the Huskies simply accept being a top tier team in a weak conference?

All in all this loss was probably the second toughest in the Romar era. I don't think any loss will top that Uconn game in 2006 but if there was a game this was it. This loss became even more depressing as 11th seeded Marquette(same team UW beat last year in tournament) upset 3rd seeded Syracuse. So the Huskies most likely would have been the favorites in a sweet 16 game instead their season is over. The Huskies future appears very bright but after seeing them underachieve in the regular season the last two years can you trust them?

The Huskies had to play basically a road game because they lost to Washington State twice, Oregon, Oregon State and Stanford. Win at worst four of those games the Huskies would have a 28-10 record going into this game and most likely would have been in Tucson. Instead for the second straight year the Huskies lost seven conference games in a weak conference. The Pac-10 has sent just three teams out of 48 teams to the sweet 16 the last three years. There is no excuse to lose that many games in a crappy conference like that. The Huskies if they wish to advance in the tournament must take care of the regular season. Look at North Carolina they won the ACC regular season and now their path to elite 8 looks pretty good. Win in the regular season and you obviously get rewarded with easier opponents and are closer to home. The Huskies hopefully next year finally play up to their capabilities. As for this year well it wasn't a failure but it wasn't a success either. I guess there is always next year which is the typical Seattle saying unfortunately.

Huskies win NCAA first game over Bulldogs 68-65

By Kshell

The 7th seeded Washington Huskies(24-10,11-7) survived a late rally by the 10th seeded Georgia Bulldogs(21-12,9-7) to win 68-65 in the first game of the NCAA tournament. The Huskies also set school history making this the first time they have won an NCAA tournament game three years in a row. The Huskies were once again led by Pac-10 tournament MVP Isaiah Thomas who scored 19 points while dishing out seven assists. The Huskies also received a big boost from their bench as the Huskies reserves outscored the Bulldogs reserves 28-0. The Huskies overcame a big game by Trey Thompkins who scored 26 points and grabbed 11 rebounds. The Huskies also overcame an early seven point deficit to the Bulldogs. The Huskies with this win have now won at least one tournament game in Lorenzo Romar's last five appearances in the NCAA tournament. The Huskies also won on the east coast for the first time in over a decade. The Huskies took care of business which is all you want in the tournament.

The first half saw the Huskies struggle making their shots. The Huskies found themselves trailing 23-16 after the Bulldogs went on a 9-0 run. The season was in danger of ending if the Bulldogs had went on another run. Instead the Huskies closed the half out on a 12-5 run led by Thomas attacking the hole and setting up his teammates. Despite being dominated in the first half the Huskies rallied to tie it at 28-28 at halftime. The Bulldogs had shot 11-27(40.7%) from the field and made three of six three pointers. They were led by Thompkins who scored 15 points on six for eight shooting with six rebounds. The Huskies had shot 12-38(31.6%) from the field and a disasterous 2-14(14.3%) from three point range. The Huskies were led by Scott Suggs who scored seven points on three for seven shooting with a three pointer. Matthew Bryan-Amaning added six points on three for seven shooting with four rebounds. Thomas scored just four points on two for eight shooting but had four assists. The Huskies bench outscored the Bulldogs 14-0.

In the second half the Huskies after giving up the lead went on a 12-2 run to go up 40-32. The Huskies the rest of the half led by Thomas controlled the half being up by 8-10 points the entire half. The Huskies also shot better shooting 14-22(63.6%) and made two for four from three point range. The Huskies also were 10-12(83.3%) from the free throw line in the second half. The Bulldogs did make the game interesting trailing by 10 inside two minutes the Huskies tried to give the game away. With turnovers, dumb fouls and missed free throws the Huskies found themselves up just two points with 3.7 seconds left. Freshman C.J. Wilcox hit the first free throw to put the Huskies up three. Wilcox missed the second free throw which was rebounded by Jeremy Price who threw an outlet pass which was broken up by Thomas. Thomas leaped up like Nate Robinson to deflect the pass forcing the Bulldogs to take a tough three point shot which was missed. The Huskies had survived to win the tournament game over the Bulldogs. The Bulldogs were led by Thompkins who scored 26 points on 11-14 shooting including two three pointers and 11 rebounds.

The Huskies were led by Isaiah Thomas once again. Thomas finished 6-14 shooting but a perfect seven for seven at the foul line. Thomas scored 19 points and dished out seven assists. The Huskies received great team scoring today as their bench outscored the Bulldogs 28-0. Leading the reserves was Scott Suggs who scored 10 points on four for seven shooting including two three's. Matthew Bryan-Amaning is still struggling scoring just eight points on three for eight shooting with just six rebounds. Darnell Gant who made the start this game overcame two quick fouls to score seven points on three for five shooting including a three. Then the Huskies had Justin Holiday, Aziz N'Diaye, Venoy Overton and C.J. Wilcox all score six points. The Huskies for the game shot 12-14(85.7%) from the foul line for the game. For the Huskies it was business as usual winning an NCAA tournament game. This is the fourth win for the Huskies in the last three years.

Overall the Huskies won an NCAA tournament game but that wasn't the goal. The goal heading into the year wasn't to win just one tournament game. The Huskies will now take on the University of North Carolina Tar Heels on Sunday. The Huskies took care of business when they had to in the second half to stretch the lead. That was mainly because of Thomas who scored 15 points in the second half on four for six shooting. Thomas was electric in the second half and then saved the game with his defense at the end. The Huskies won't have much time to enjoy this win. In just 36 hours after the game the Huskies will be taking on North Carolina. The opportunity the Huskies have in this game will be huge. Just don't forget to enjoy this win for at least a day.

Observations:

- Thomas playing in his sixth career tournament game was big once again. After a slow start Thomas finished with 19 points and seven assists. In the process Thomas passed Huskies Honks Eldridge Recasner for sixth all-time in Huskies history in points. Thomas is just 35 points away from fifth place so if the Huskies were to win on Sunday he could pass it this year.

Thomas in the NCAA tournament has played pretty well scoring in double figures in five straight games. For the tournament Thomas is averaging 16.5 points per game on 34-85(40.0%) from the field. He has also averaged 5.7 assists per game. Thomas isn't a player who freezes up in big games. Thomas along with Matthew Bryan-Amaning, Venoy Overton, Darnell Gant and Justin Holiday will tie Brandon Roy, Mike Jensen and Bobby Jones in playing in their seventh tournament game this Sunday. That will be a Huskies record for most tournament games played.

- The Huskies defense played really well after trailing early on 23-16. Thompkins scored 26 of the Bulldogs 65 points. The Huskies in the second half denied Thompkins the ball in long stretches at a time. The Huskies had six steals. Thomas and Holiday each had two steals while Bryan-Amaning and Terrence Ross each had a steal.

The stats are a bit skewed since the Huskies fell apart in the final two minutes. In the first 18 minutes of that half the Huskies really put the pressure on the Bulldogs. The defense pressure is what got the Huskies back into the game and then gave them the nice lead in the second half. The Huskies will need to apply that same pressure to North Carolina who played sloppy yet still scored 102 points. The Huskies won the Pac-10 tournament because they shot lights out. They won due to their great defensive play.

- Nice win for Lorenzo Romar as he improves to 8-5(8-6 overall) as Huskies head coach in the NCAA tournament. Romar once again changed the starting lineup starting Darnell Gant in place of C.J. Wilcox to defend the Bulldogs size. Romar also played Venoy Overton more minutes than Scott Suggs, C.J. Wilcox and Terrence Ross. Romar isn't afraid of being second guessed and made some head scratching moves that worked well.

The Huskies also won because of the trademark for Romar teams which is good defense and hustle. The Huskies shot terrible from three point range. The Huskies due to choking at the end against the Bulldogs have now won three straight games by five points or less after losing their first six. Romar has an experience tournament team which features five guys playing in their seventh tournament game and another guy playing in his sixth game this Sunday against North Carolina. Romar is the only coach to lead the Huskies to the NCAA tournament three years in a row has done that now twice. Well Romar is the first Huskies coach to win an NCAA tournament game three years in a row.

All in all the Huskies were favored and won the game they were supposed to win. In the NCAA tournament it doesn't matter how you look just as long as you advance. The Huskies have some area's to clean up as does North Carolina. The Huskies after playing in this gym should start having their shots fall. The Huskies also won a game in which they couldn't shoot well and only Thomas scored more than 11 points. This was a total team effort as eight guys scored over six points. Now the Huskies should enjoy this win as they set history winning a tournament game three years in a row. The Huskies will have a chance to achieve their biggest win in the last 50 years for this program. The Huskies have a chance to beat a historic program in their backyard. Just don't forget to enjoy this win is all. The upperclassman have done a great job leaving their mark at the University of Washington. It would be nice if they could provide the biggest victory of the Lorenzo Romar era this sunday.

All-time Huskies team in the Romar era

By Kshell

As the Washington Huskies prepare for their sixth NCAA appearance in the last eight years in the Lorenzo Romar era I came up with an idea. Instead of putting you to sleep with yet another preview of the game between the Huskies and the Georgia Bulldogs I figured I would do something else. Over the years Romar has produced some great talent and I started to think how about I do an all-time team. Just like with most Romar teams you'll see my roster consists of mostly guards. On my 12 man roster I include eight Huskies who were first team all Pac-10 and four guys guys who made Pac-10 honorable mention. This team will include four guys who were drafted in the NBA first round, seven guys who have played in the NBA not counting two active players. Just like with any list I'm sure there will be some controversy. I have two active players in fact in my starting lineup so here is my list.

Starting Five:

G- Isaiah Thomas(2008-present):

Now that Thomas has became a point guard he is the obvious choice here. Thomas in just three years may have accomplished more than any other player in the Romar era. Thomas has won the freshman of the year, made two first team all Pac-10 teams plus an honorable mention. He has also won a Pac-10 regular season championship and won two Pac-10 tournament championships. Thomas was named MVP in those two Pac-10 championship wins as well.

Thomas in his career at UW has averaged 16.4 PPG, 3.9 APG and 3.5 RPG while making 1.6 three pointers a game. Thomas for his career is averaging 1.2 steals a game as well. As a freshman Thomas averaged 15.5 PPG while dishing out 2.6 APG. Thomas started 34 of 35 games as he was named freshman of the year. As a sophomore Thomas started all 36 games averaging 16.9 PPG and dishing out 3.2 assists. Thomas was named first team all pac-10 that year. Then this year his junior year Thomas again making all 33 starts has averaged 16.8 PPG while dishing out 6.0 assists per game. Once again Thomas was named first team all pac-10. For his career Thomas needs just 10 points to be 6th all-time on the Huskies scoring list. Just 53 points to be 5th all-time. If Thomas comes back for his senior year he will be the all-time leading scorer in Huskies history and in assists as he averaged 6.0 APG this season. Pretty easy choice putting Thomas in this starting five.

G-Brandon Roy(2003-2006):

Another obvious selection here picking Brandon Roy. Roy while at Washington was part of three NCAA tournament teams, including back to back sweet 16 teams. Roy was twice named honorable mention all pac-10 then as senior he won Pac-10 player of the year. Roy was also unanimously chosen as a first team all-american. Roy is the only Romar player to win Pac-10 player of the year and be a first team all-american.

What many forget is that the Huskies didn't receive a freshman or junior year from Roy basically. Due to SAT scores Roy was limited as a freshman playing just 13 games that year. As a sophomore Roy averaged 12.9 points per game, led the team in rebounding with 5.3 and was second in assists with 3.3. As a junior Roy got hurt in the great Alaska shootout and was the best 6th man in the country. Roy averaged 12.8 PPG, 5.0 RPG and 2.2 APG. As a senior Roy blew up and carried the Huskies on his back to the sweet 16 where the Huskies were a few plays from an elite eight appearance. In that year Roy averaged 20.2 PPG, 5.6 RPG and led the team with 4.1 APG. Roy that year shot 50.8% from the field, 40.2% from three point range and 81.0% from free throws. Roy ended up being picked seventh overall in the draft. That is the highest any Romar player has ever been drafted.

F-Quincy Pondexter(2006-2010):

Nobody in the Romar era has quite had the career like Quincy Pondexter has had. This was a big time five star recruit who was a total bust at the end of his sophomore season. Then as a junior Pondexter became an all-around player and was big in the NCAA tournament. Then as a senior Pondexter carried the Huskies and won a Pac-10 record player of the week award five times. Pondexter also hit the game winning shot with 1.7 seconds left to beat Marquette in the first round of the 2010 NCAA tournament. Pondexter developed in a great forward while at Washington.

Pondexter as a freshman was third on the team in scoring but slowed down in Pac-10 play. Pondexter made 22 starts that year and averaged 10.7 ppg but wasn't an all around player at all. As a sophomore Pondexter took a step backwards starting just nine games while averaging 9.9 points per game. As a junior Pondexter led the team in scoring in the NCAA tournament and for the season averaged 12.1 points per game and 5.9 RPG. Then as a senior Pondexter broke out being named first team all pac-10 and probably should have won player of the year. Pondexter averaged 19.3 PPG and led the team in rebounding with 7.4 RPG. Pondexter also shot 52.8% from the field, 35.3% from three point range and 82.7% from free throws. Pondexter finished his Husky career as the third all-time leading scorer. Pondexter would be drafted in the first round of the NBA draft.

F-Jon Brockman(2005-2009):

When Jon Brockman came to Washington he was a heralded recruit having played in the McDonalds All-American game. Brockman made his stamp immediately for the Huskies. As a freshman Brockman made 32 of 33 starts on a sweet 16 team and was named first team all freshman team. Then as a sophomore Brockman was named first team all pac-10. As a junior they changed the team from 10 guys to five so Brockman was second team all pac-10 in the toughest field ever for all pac-10 teams. Then as a senior Brockman led the Huskies to their first Pac-10 regular season championship outright since 1953. Brockman of course was named first team all pac-10. When you think of Brockman you think of hard worker and tough rebounder.

Brockman could very well be the greatest power forward in Huskies history. As a freshman Brockman averaged 8.4 PPG and 6.5 RPG while making 32 starts. As a sophomore Brockman averaged 14.2 PPG and led the Pac-10 with 9.6 RPG. As a junior Brockman led the team in scoring with a 17.8 average and Pac-10 in rebounding once again with a 11.6 average. Then as a senior Brockman averaged 14.9 points per game and once again led the Pac-10 in rebounds with a 11.5 average. Brockman was a three year captain, made two first team all pac-10 selections, and made 129 starts out of 131 games. Brockman is also the all-time leading rebounder in Huskies history and is second all-time in scoring. Brockman would be drafted in the second round of the NBA draft.

F-Matthew Bryan-Amaning(2007-2011)

By far my most controversial pick in choosing Bryan-Amaning. First as we know over the years with Romar teams my options are pretty limited. For guards I'm snubbing someone like Nate Robinson because the Huskies are loaded at guards. Now I'm sure I could go super small and go with Thomas, Robinson, Roy, Pondexter and Brockman. I just chose to make this a real team is all. So now I'll defend my Bryan-Amaning selection which is pretty easy in my opinion. First of all I think this comes down to three choices which is Bryan-Amaning, one year of Spencer Hawes or Mike Jensen. I chose Bryan-Amaning since he was part of tournament teams and was named first team all pac-10 unlike those two.

As a freshman Bryan-Amaning hardly played and made just three starts. Bryan-Amaning averaged just 4.2 PPG and 3.2 RPG. Then as a sophomore Bryan-Amaning was a key 6th man on a Pac-10 championship team averaging 6.0 PPG and 4.0 RPG. As a junior like Pondexter the year before Bryan-Amaning took off second half. Bryan-Amaning in 25 starts averaged 8.8 PPG, 5.9 RPG and 1.5 blocks per game. Then this year Bryan-Amaning was named Pac-10's most improved player and first team all conference. Bryan-Amaning started 29 of 33 games averaged 15.5 PPG, led the team in rebounding with 8.1 rebounds a game. He also blocked 1.6 shots a game. Bryan-Amaning is just the second Huskies player ever to record 100 plus blocks and 100 plus steals in his career. Bryan-Amaning was a big part of three pac-10 championship teams and I'll take four years of Bryan-Amaning over one year of Spencer Hawes is what it came down to.

Reserves:

G-Nate Robinson(2002-2005)

My toughest guy to boot from the starting five. While at Washington Robinson put the Huskies on the map with his high flying dunks and dazzling plays. Robinson was also more than just a sideshow. He led the Huskies to two NCAA tournament appearances including in 2005 leading the Huskies to a Pac-10 tournament championsihp. The Huskies were rewarded a #1 seed for the first and only time in school history. Robinson while at Washington was named first team all Pac-10 twice. Had Robinson came back his Senior year he would have been first team all pac-10 and the Huskies could have possibly made the final four in 2006. Robinson was the first Romar player drafted in the first round.

C- Spencer Hawes(2006-07):

Spencer Hawes gave the Huskies just one year or he would be on the starting five. Hawes was a huge recruit as he played in the McDonalds All-American game. Hawes was named honorable mention all pac-10 and first team all freshman team. Hawes during his one year in Washington led the team in scoring with a 14.9 average while grabbing 6.4 rebounds a game. Hawes also blocked 1.7 shots a game. Hawes shot 53.2% from the field and 75.5% from the free throw line. Hawes was the second Romar player drafted in the NBA lottery going 10th overall to the Sacramento Kings.

F-Tre Simmons(2003-2005):

Simmons came to Washington as a transfer from Green River community college. Simmons in his first year at Washington made 12 starts in helping the Huskies reach the NCAA tournament for the first time in five years. Simmons averaged 10.8 points per game while making 1.5 three's a game at a 40.3% clip. Then as a senior Simmons was named first team all pac-10 averaging 16.0 PPG while averaging 4.8 RPG. Simmons also made 2.4 three's a game while shooting 41.7% from down town. Simmons also shot 86.8% from the free throw line while at Washington. Simmons went on to play European ball.

G- Will Conroy(2001-2005):

Will Conroy was the heart and soul of the Huskies teams in their first two NCAA tournament appearances under Lorenzo Romar. Conroy began his career as a walk-on under then coach Bob Bender. After Bender was fired Conroy had a big sophomore year under Romar averaging 12.7 PPG while dishing out 4.0 APG. As a junior in leading the Huskies to the NCAA tournament Conroy averaged 12.3 PPG and dished out 4.6 APG. Then as a senior Conroy was named honorable mention all pac-10. Conroy also was team captain for the second straight year. Conroy averaged 9.4 PPG but did lead the conference with 6.4 APG. Conroy was also named co-team MVP with Nate Robinson as the Huskies were the #1 seed in the West regional. Conroy is first all-time in school history for assists in a career and assists in a single season in 2004-05 campaign. Conroy has played some in the NBA but has mostly played NBDL.

F-Bobby Jones(2002-2006):

Bobby Jones was a three and a half year starter for the Huskies in his career. He was known for his defense and despite being forced to play the big forward he handled it well. Jones was also the very first Romar recruit and he started 14 games as a freshman. Jones as a sophomore had a breakthrough year as the Huskies made the NCAA tournament. Jones made 25 starts that season while averaging 11.2 PPG, 4.9 RPG and 1.2 steals a game. Then as a junior Jones started 33 of a possible 34 games. During that year Jones averaged 11.2 PPG, 5.6 RPG and 1.1 steals. As a senior Jones saw himself named captain and was named honorable mention all pac-10. Jones averaged 10.4 PPG, 4.9 RPG and 1.2 steals. As you can see for three years the Huskies knew what they were getting out of Bobby Jones. Jones would later be drafted in the second round. He played some in the NBA and is currently playing in Europe.

G- Justin Dentmon(2005-2009):

Justin Dentmon had an interesting career at Washington. As a freshman Dentmon started 32 of 33 games. During that year Dentmon was named first team all freshman team. Dentmon averaged 8.3 PPG, 3.8 APG and 3.5 RPG. Dentmon in his first two NCAA tournament games didn't turn the ball over once as the Huskies went to the sweet 16. The next two years saw Dentmon struggled big time. As a sophomore Dentmon was often the guy turning the ball over at the worst time or taking the shot at the worst time. Dentmon did start 27 games that year and did average 10.1 PPG, 3.6 APG and 4.0 RPG. As a junior saw Dentmon reach a personal low as he started just eight games. During that year Dentmon averaged just 9.8 PPG, 2.3 APG and 2.3 RPG. After being benched for Venoy Overton and Isaiah Thomas coming in most thought Dentmon would transfer or ride the bench. Instead Dentmon made first team all pac-10 and was named Huskies captain. Dentmon switched to shooting guard as well. Dentmon averaged 14.4 PPG, 2.5 APG, 2.7 RPG. Dentmon also made 1.8 three's a game while shooting 41.8% from three point range. Dentmon currently is in the NBDL league and even made the NBDL all-star game.

F- Jamaal Williams(2004-2006):

Jamaal Williams came to Washington as a transfer from New Mexico. Williams in his two years at Washington was the Huskies best low post scoring option. During his first year Williams averaged 9.9 PPG and shot 56.1% from the field as the Huskies made the sweet 16. Then as a senior Williams was named honorable mention all pac-10. Williams also made 22 starts that year while being second on the team in scoring with 13.8 PPG average. In his last game ever as a Husky Williams scored a career high 27 points on 12-22 shooting while grabbing a team high seven rebounds in the 98-92 loss to the Uconn Huskies. Williams played some European ball and is now currently a Huskies assistent coach.

Well that is my all-time Huskies team in the Lorenzo Romar era. Feel free to debate my selection. All 12 of my guys made all pac-10 in the Romar era. Hopefully in the next few years some guys on this current roster and recruits can make the list. Looking back you can see why the Huskies have been so successful in the Romar years. Romar has done a fine job of recruiting and developing his players. In the Romar era he had four players who had never even made an all pac-10 team make first team as a senior. Romar in fact has had six seniors make first team all pac-10 which is quite the feat in today's college basketball. So remember dawg fans as we watch our team take on the Georgia Bulldogs these guys paved the way for today. Now the current Huskies have a chance to write their own history and have future Huskies look up to them. Hope you enjoyed my list and if I missed anyone don't be afraid to let me know. In my opinion this is the best possible 12 man roster in the Romar era.