Huskies first ever major conference champion left out of NCAA tournament!

By Kshell

History was made on selection Sunday as the Washington Huskies(21-10,14-4) became the first ever major conference champion snubbed from the NCAA tournament. Despite winning their conference California Golden Bears along with Colorado Buffaloes(who won the automatic bid) are the only Pac-12 schools heading to the big dance. The Big East sent nine teams while the Pac-12 couldn't even send their champion. For Lorenzo Romar who won the coach of the year this is a major blow. The Huskies were trying to reach the NCAA tournament for the first time in school history four straight years. Despite winning the conference title the Huskies will now be forced to play in the NIT on Tuesday at 7 p.m. against UT-Arlington.

For the Huskies this is an opportunity to grow as a team and use as fuel for next season. Some teams have done well in the NIT in the past and used that for the following season. The Huskies were awarded the #1 seed in the NIT and will play the UT-Arlington Mavericks(24-8,15-1) who like the Huskies won their conference regular season. The Mavericks are led by guard LaMarcus Reed III who averages 17.8 PPG while making 1.9 three pointers a game. For the Huskies senior Darnell Gant this wasn't the ending he wanted for his career who will now be forced to play his final home games in the NIT. Gant was trying to become the first ever Husky to reach the NCAA tournament four years in a row. Instead Gant will end his career playing in the NIT. Gant is the only senior on the team so if Terrence Ross and Tony Wroten decide to come back this experience could help them in the tournament. Most likely this experience will help them exit easier.

Last year the Washington State Cougars made the NIT as the #2 seed starring Klay Thompson. In fact the Cougars made the NIT final four before getting blown out 75-44 to eventual NIT champions Witchita State(who is now in the NCAA tournament). The Cougars thought that experience would be good for them as they had no seniors on their team. Little did they know that was to be the final four games of Klay Thompson and DeAngelo Casto's career with the Cougars. During that NIT Thompson scored 25 points in the opening round game with a win over Long Beach State(now in the NCAA tournament). He followed that up with 21 points in a win over Oklahoma State. Then scored 17 points in an overtime win over Northwestern(who the Huskies could face in the second round). In his final game in a Cougars uniform Thompson in front of the big stage of Madison Square Garden scored only six points on 1-10 shooting. That poor performance didn't hurt Thompson at all as he still bolted to the NBA where is now seen bashing on Mike Leach's football program. The Cougars used that NIT Final Four momentum to go 15-16 this year and be in the CBI. The point is the momentum doesn't matter if your two best players leave the program which is what could very well happen to the Huskies. This NIT just gives both Ross and Wroten a chance at redemption to leave early. The Cougars weren't mad at Thompson at all for failing to reach the NCAA tournament in three years instead they proudly hung up their final four NIT banner.

For many Husky fans their final image of Tony Wroten won't be of him scoring 29 points against the Oregon State Beavers. It won't be of him averaging 16.7 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 3.6 APG and 1.9 steals per game. Instead it will be of him missing four straight free throws with the Huskies trailing by one point. If he makes just two of those free throws the Huskies are preparing for an NCAA tournament game. Regardless of what happens in the NIT if Wroten fails to come back that will be his legacy. As for Terrence Ross people won't remember him being named first team or even being snubbed for player of the year. It will be his no show act against the Beavers and drawing a costly offensive foul. I think Ross should leave early much like Thompson last year he has nothing else to prove. While Wroten needs to cut down on his turnovers(3.9 per game) and work on free throw shooting(57.6%). His outside shot in general needs work if Wroten comes back the Huskies should make it back to the NCAA tournament next season.

The Huskies didn't get the results they wanted today and perhaps they were indeed snubbed. That still doesn't change the fact they lost an Oregon State club headed to the CBI and an UCLA club who wasn't good enough to be selected by the NIT. Win one of those two games they are probably in right now. Just win two of those games against eventual NCAA tournament teams South Dakota State, Saint Louis, Duke and Marquette and the Huskies are dancing. Too many missed opportunities late and early in the season doomed the Huskies season this year. Romar now has reached just one sweet 16 in the last six seasons since Brandon Roy graduated. The program appears to have peaked in the 2005 and 2006 era with Roy, Nate Robinson and Will Conroy. Romar is recruiting at a better clip now than he was then yet the results aren't coming in. For a team featuring Wroten and Ross the season wasn't supposed to end in the NIT. Now the Huskies will just have to make due with a big situation and play the season out. For many Husky fans the season has already ended when they lost to Oregon State in the Pac-12 tournament.

Golden State Warriors select Klay Thompson with the 11th pick

By Kshell

The Golden State Warriors who are now being coached by Mark Jackson selected Washington State Cougars shooting guard Klay Thompson with the 11th pick overall in the 2011 NBA Draft. Thompson is only the second Cougar in their schools history to be a first round pick. The first since Don Collins was picked in the first round in the 1980 draft. This is a big moment for those in Pullman. Thompson who is a good shooter and solid all around player who will fit in nicely for the Warriors. Thompson will get tons of open looks with Stephen Curry and if they choose to keep him Monte Ellis as well. Thompson is a three year player for the Cougars and easily the most talented Cougar they have seen in decades. Thompson leaves behind an interesting legacy with the Cougars that produced some stats but not enough wins. Winning in college doesn't mean much though when it comes to playing in the NBA.

While at the Cougars Thompson never played in the NCAA tournament in his three years. He came to Washington State as the Cougars had made the NCAA tournament in back to back seasons. Thompson in his freshman year at WSU averaged 12.5 points a game, 4.2 rebounds and 1.9 assists. He shot 42.1% from the field, 41.2% from three pointers and 90.3% from free throws. The Cougars went 17-16 but lost in the first round of the NIT tournament. As a sophomore Thompson saw himself make the first team all pac-10 team averaging 19.6 PPG, 5.1 rebounds, and 2.3 assists. He shot 41.2% from the field, 36.4% from three pointers and 80.1% from free throws. The Cougars as a team went just 16-15 and failed to make any tournaments. As a junior Thompson was money for the Cougars averaging 21.6 PPG, 5.2 rebounds and 3.7 assists. He shot 43.6% from the field, 39.8% from three's and 83.8% from free throws. Thompson finally defeated the Washington Huskies as well twice even and scored 43 points against the Huskies in a Pac-10 tournament loss. Thompson led the Cougars to a 22-13 record which saw the Cougars finish in the NIT final four. Although Thompson never went to the NCAA tournament or finished in the top half of the Pac-10 standings he came to play for the Cougars. Thompson is also following in his father's footsteps as well.

For those who didn't know Klay Thompson's dad is Mychal Thompson. Mychal Thompson was selected as the top pick overall in the 1979 NBA draft by the Portland Trail Blazers. The Blazers passed on Larry Bird that draft but unlike their other draft disasters Thompson actually contributed for the Blazers. In seven seasons for the Blazers Thompson averaged 16.7 points per game including a high of 20.8 in his third season with the Blazers. Thompson also averaged 8.8 rebounds per game too with the Blazers. Thompson would later go on to win an NBA championship for the Los Angeles Lakers in 1987 and also play in the 1988 and 1991 NBA finals for the Lakers. If Klay Thompson has the career that his dad has then the Warriors will be glad with their draft pick. I think with Klay Thompson's shooting ability he'll be a good player for the Warriors much like how his dad was for the Blazers.

Now Thompson is going to a struggling franchise in the Golden State Warriors. Since the 1994-95 season they have made the playoffs just once which was in the 2006-07 season when they upset the #1 seeded Dallas Mavericks. Thompson as you saw in his stats is a great shooter which the Warriors need desperatly. With Thompson's size he could be a decent defender as well. Thompson will be looking to be the greatest Cougar ever in the NBA and I think he will be. For those Sonics fans looking to adopt a team I think the Warriors will be that team for those who live on the east side of the state. The Warriors being in the Bay Area some fans I'm sure will probably travel down to see Thompson play in person. I think Mark Jackson can be a good NBA head coach and Thompson I think will be very good player in this league. I don't know if he'll ever make an all-star team but he'll be a guy who plays over a decade in this league much like his father did.

In conclusion, this is a good day for the Cougars to see Thompson get drafted in the first round. When you have players drafted that high that leads to other recruits coming in. Thompson is proof that you can play all the way up in Pullman and still get noticed enough to be drafted. Truth is it doesn't matter where you play or how good your team is if you are good enough you will be noticed in this draft. Thompson is the real deal and the Warriors made the correct pick as he fits their team nicely. I'm sure the Cougar fans are pumped as they should be this is the first first rounder in 31 seasons. Thompson in his three seasons for the Cougars played terrific and now he'll get a chance to do the same in the NBA. Thompson will be a guy who lasts in the NBA for a while and the boys in Pullman will be celebrating tonight. I wish the best for Thompson and as a Husky fan I'll be happy that I'll never have to watch him torch my team again. Good luck Klay and hope the NBA treats you well.

Huskies overcome big game from Thompson to win 89-87 over Cougars!

By Kshell

The Washington Huskies(21-10,11-7) had a huge come from behind victory over their cross state rivals Washington State Cougars(19-12,9-9) 89-87 at the 2011 Pac-10 tournament. The Huskies are the defending tournament champions and just like last year they overcame a double digit deficit to win their first round game. The Huskies unlike last year when they defeated Oregon State Beavers had to win in spite of Klay Thompson's record setting performance. Thompson hit a Pac-10 tournament record eight three pointers while scoring a tournament record 43 points. The Cougars were feeling confident early as they had beaten the Huskies earlier in the year in Pullman and in Seattle. The Huskies overcame all that by having big games from their stars. They were led by last years Pac-10 tournament MVP Isaiah Thomas who scored 21 points while dishing out 11 assists. The Huskies were also helped by both freshman C.J. Wilcox and Terrence Ross. The Huskies also with this win most likely wrapped up their place in the 2011 NCAA tournament. As for the Cougars they are most likely headed to the NIT for the second time in three years.

The Huskies got off to a slow start once again. Just like the previous two meetings the Huskies found themselves trailing at halftime. The Huskies in fact have trailed in their last five Pac-10 games. The Huskies were down by early 20-9 but battled back to within 20-17. Then the Cougars went on a 10-0 run to stretch the lead to 30-17. The Huskies battled back to pull within 40-32 at halftime as Klay Thompson was proving to be too much for the Huskies. Thompson led all scorers with 18 points on 6-14 shooting including four three pointers. The Cougars shot 14-34(41.2%) from the field but just 4-15(26.7%) from three pointers. The Cougars did outrebound the Huskies 18-15. The Huskies were struggling offensively shooting 12-31(38.7%) from the field, 5-15(33.3%) from three point range. The Huskies were saved by Terrence Ross who was making his first career start. Ross scored 13 points on five for eight shooting including three three pointers.

Other notable Huskies in the first half were Matthew Bryan-Amaning who had struggled the previous two games against the Cougars. Bryan-Amaning overcame two early fouls to score eight points on three for five shooting while grabbing four rebounds. Isaiah Thomas scored five points on two for six shooting including a three pointer. Thomas did dish out six assists in the first half. Justin Holiday continued this struggles scoring just three points on one for four shooting but did pull down six rebounds. The Huskies bench was held scoreless which was pretty thin. The Huskies would respond in the second half to make the second half a barn burner.

In the second half the Huskies came out with a 10-0 to take their first second half lead of the year on the Cougars 42-40. Then after that it was was the Huskies five starters trading punches with Thompson who was a one man show in the second half for the Cougars. A key sequence took place with the Huskies up 73-67. After a Cougars three pointer, Thompson hit a three to tie up the score at 73-73. Then the Huskies freshman C.J. Wilcox drilled back to back three pointers to give the Huskies a 79-73 lead. At the end of the game with the Huskies lead 88-85 with less than 10 seconds to go Lorenzo Romar finally did the smart thing. He had the Huskies foul Reggie Moore with under five seconds left. Moore then missed the front end of the one and one but Thompson got the rebound to score his final points of the night cutting the lead to 88-87. The Cougars headcoach Ken Bone then called a timeout but the Cougars had none. Wilcox made one of two free throw's. With 0.4 seconds left the Huskies threw the ball at midcourt and hung on to an important 89-87 win to open up this tournament. Thompson finished with 43 points on 15-29 shooting and 8-14 from three point range. In the second half Thompson was 9-15 shooting and 4-6 from three pointers to score 25 points. That wasn't enough for the Cougars though as they fell to the Huskies.

The Huskies in the second half shot lights out. In the second half the Huskies shot 22-36(61.1%) from the field, 6-13(46.1%) from three point range and even made seven of nine free throws. The Huskies were led by Thomas who scored 21 points on 8-13 shooting including three for five from three point range. Thomas played every single second of this game while dishing out 11 assists and recording three steals. He looked like the first half version of Thomas. The Huskies then had 17 points from freshman Terrence Ross who didn't even play the last game. Ross score 17 points on 6-11 shooting including three three pointers. C.J. Wilcox was also huge scoring 16 points on 5-10 shooting including 5-9 from three point range. Wilcox caught fire in the second half drilling four three pointers. Matthew Bryan-Amaning exorcised his Cougar demons by scoring 16 points on 7-11 shooting while grabbing seven rebounds. Then Justin Holiday finally came on with scrappy putbacks scoring 12 points on 5-13 shooting but grabbing a game high 10 rebounds. The five Huskies starters combined to score 82 points on 31-58(53.4%) shooting from the field. Thomas and the two freshman combined to shoot 11-21(52.3%) from three point range.

Overall this was a good win for the Huskies. The Huskies overcame a big deficit and beat an opponent who historically recently has given them problems. The Huskies also needed this win for confidence as they haven't had a good win in a while. The UCLA game was good for Wilcox but nobody else. While this felt like a team win as five Huskies score in double figures. Six Huskies played more than 20 minutes as well. The Huskies most likely stamped their ticket to the dance next week. Now the Huskies have a chance to get some revenge on the Oregon Ducks who were a major part of the Huskies second half unraveling a bit. The Huskies can go on a run if Thomas plays like he did today. As I've documented before the team goes where Thomas takes them. Well for today Thomas took them far and in his Husky career the Huskies are now 5-1 in the Pac-10 tournament. This marks the first time in Lorenzo Romar's career he has won at least one Pac-10 tournament game in three consecutive seasons. The Huskies overcame a great performance by Thompson and now will advance in this Pac-10 tournament. Most importantly next week they'll be playing in the NCAA tournament.

Observations:

- Thomas was money today when the Huskies need him. Just like when Abdul Gaddy went down Thomas stepped his game up with Venoy Overton being suspended. Thomas hit some big three point shots to break out of his horrific 6-29 three point shooting slump that he was in. Thomas also dished out 11 assists.

When Thomas is dishing out assists the main guy to benefit is Bryan-Amaning who catches the ball and dunks the ball. That is why when Thomas has bad games the Huskies lose because the opponent by shutting down Thomas is taking away two first team all pac-10 players. Thomas in the second half was six for seven shooting with 16 points and five assists. Thomas won the tournament MVP last year and since Thompson is eliminated is on the short list of players who can win it this year.

- The freshman grew up today that is for sure. At the start of the year the Huskies were so deep and returned seven guys I wondered if these freshman would even make an impact. I was wrong as they have made an impact but there has been some bumps on the road. Wilcox in the middle of the season was a no show while recently as of last week Ross played just four minutes.

Today both guys starting(first time two true freshman have started since 2007) played great. First let's start with Ross who had played just four minutes the previous week. Ross wasn't rusty at all scoring 13 of his 17 points in the first half including three three pointers. He also made some terrific athletic moves on the baseline.

As for Wilcox he scored 13 of his 16 points in the second half hitting four three pointers. Wilcox made first team all freshman team while Ross was second team all freshman team. The Huskies will have a bright future with these two. For the game these two freshman combined to score 33 points on 11-21 shooting from the field and 8-16 from three point range. The freshman took turns carrying the Huskies showing that the present and future is still bright at Montlake.

- It was nice to see Matthew Bryan-Amaning break out with a good shooting performance. Partly because of Thomas penetration Bryan-Amaning was allowed to have easy looks but recently he has been missing those. In the last three games Bryan-Amaning has shot 11-33(33.3%) from the field and against the Cougars 4-19(21.1%) from the field.

Well today was a different story as Bryan-Amaning shot 7-11(63.6%) from the field. Bryan-Amaning has had better games but scoring 16 points while shooting 7-11 was big for him to regain his confidence. Bryan-Amaning recently won the most improved player award and was awarded with making first team all pac-10. He is also the only post player on the Huskies roster as Aziz N'Diaye continues to struggle. The Huskies will need more performances like this from Bryan-Amaning. Hopefully this was just the start of good things to come.

- What feels like a decade ago there was once a time when the Huskies owned Klay Thompson. Those days are of course over. Thompson prior to this year was 0-4 against the Huskies and scored just 7.3 points per game while shooting 10-47(21.2%) from the field. As Thompson is showing to the Huskies and NBA scouts he has improved greatly on offense.

After dropping a Pac-10 tournament record 43 points on the Huskies Thompson on the year against the Huskies is averaging 31.3 points per game. He is also shooting 29-60(48.3%) from the field while making 14-27(51.9%) from three point range. To say Thompson has killed the Huskies this year would be an understatement. Luckily for the Huskies by Thompson going off in Los Angeles good chance he turns pro after this year. Thompson showed he is a great scorer. On the year Thompson is averaging 22.1 points per game while shooting 44.7% from the field and 42.3% from three point range. He is also making an average of three three pointers a game so there is some weight to that. Should be interesting how Cougars fans will remember Thompson because if he leaves he will have never played in an NCAA tournament game.

- Last night on facebook and twitter in the middle of talking crap about each other's schools it suddenly stopped. That is when Huskies and Cougars fans realized there is more to life than sports. If you haven't heard by now last night Japan was hit by a bad tsunami. The images on CNN were just horrible and that stopped all sports talk.

To makes matters even worse this is spreading to Hawaii and even the Oregon coast. To my fans in Japan who are reading this, fans in Hawaii and of course those close to home my thoughts and prayers are with you guys. I hope we all realize sports is just entertainment. There are folks in Japan right now who would love to trade places with us and "suffer" with our sports teams ASAP. Keep that in mind tonight as the Huskies take on the Ducks.

- This is a hard transition after my last observation but I'll try it anyways. When the team loses I'm often seen getting on Lorenzo Romar well the team won today. I will give credit where credit is due and today Romar deserves some credit. First he didn't let the team panic when they trailed by 13 points and eight points at halftime. I also will give Romar credit because he showed he learned from previous mistakes.

Take the starting lineup for an example. Romar thought outside the box today by starting Ross(who Romar didn't even play last game) over Aziz N'Diaye. The Cougars start basically one big guy and the rest are forwards or guards. So why start N'Diaye to get in the way? Thankfully Romar did that as the Huskies trailed by eight but Ross had 13 points so it could have been a lot worse.

Romar also at the end of the game doesn't like to foul up three with less than 10 seconds to go in the game. Today he did just that and that won the Huskies the game. By doing that he took away the chance Thompson hits another miracle three(with how he was shooting he probably hits it too) instead he made the Cougars perform under pressure. The Cougars would have to make the first free throw, miss the second free throw, get the rebound and put the ball in. Sounds a lot harder than Thompson hitting a three right? Exactly. Reggie Moore missed the first free throw and although Thompson scored on the putback it didn't matter. Those key coaching decisions by Romar won the game for the Huskies. I will gladly give him credit for when he is coaching like that.

All in all, this was a great win for the Huskies. The Huskies needed some much needed confidence. The Huskies now can't get complicent they still need to impress the tournament committee to get a good draw. The Huskies will be favored to beat the 7th seeded Oregon Ducks tonight. The Huskies have a chance to go back to the Pac-10 championship game with a win over the Ducks. If Thomas and Bryan-Amaning played like they did today the Huskies should have no problems advancing deep. The Huskies unlike last year have a thin bench due to injuries and suspensions. The Huskies will need more than just seven bench points if they expect to keep advancing. I'm glad the Huskies pulled this much needed win out for their mental sakes going forward. It was nice to see the freshman step up in a big time moment. It was especially nice to see two first team all pac-10 guys play well today. Thomas was the MVP of last year's tournament and was the MVP for the Huskies today. Now the Huskies must turn around 24 hours later to try and grab another victory. Just remember guys to enjoy the game no matter the outcome as you saw on CNN last night it could be a lot worst.

Cougars end Huskies unbeaten streak at home in shocking 80-69 win.

By Kshell

The Washington State Cougars(18-10,8-8) swept their cross state rivals the Washington Huskies(19-9,10-6) for the fourth time in six seasons. Just like the previous game the Cougars did a terrific job of defending the three point shot by the Huskies. The Cougars kept their NCAA tournament hopes alive led by Klay Thompson who scored 26 points. As for the Huskies they were led by Isaiah Thomas who scored 21 points but that wasn't enough. The Huskies at the start of the year had people talking about final fours. Now their hopes of making an NCAA tournament are definately in jeopardy. The Huskies for the second straight year will finish below where they were picked to finish in the preseason polls. The Huskies a roster full of scorers had just three guys scorer in double figures. The Cougars are the only team in college basketball to win have a winning record at Hec Ed in the last six seasons. During that span no team has beaten the Huskies more than twice at Hec Ed while the Cougars have done it four times now.

The first half featured some of the ugliest basketball you could have witnessed. Both teams looked CBI bound let alone tournament bound. The first half saw a combined 41 points, 16-61(26.2%) shooting from the field and 3-21(14.3%) shooting from three point range. This was the type of pace which favors the Cougars as the Huskies struggle in these games. After the Huskies fell behind early 11-4 they fought back to take a 15-13 lead after a Thomas layup. Then Abe Lodwick hit a three pointer to give the Cougars the lead 16-15 where the Cougars would never trail again. The Cougars took a 24-17 lead heading into halftime. The Cougars were up seven points despite shooting just 8-25(32.0%) from the field, 2-8(25.0%) from three point range but 6-7(85.7%) from the free throw line. The Cougars were led by Klay Thompson who scored eight points on two for six shooting but was three for four from free throw's. Thompson did have five turnovers in the first 10 minutes of the game.

The Huskies were lucky to have been trailing by just seven points. The Huskies shot 8-36(22.2%) from the field and just a ridiculously low 1-13(7.7%) from three point range. The Huskies only attempted two free throws missing them both. The Huskies were led at halftime by Justin Holiday with five points on two for six shooting including a three pointer. Thomas scored four points on two for seven shooting. Venoy Overton provided a spark off the bench scoring four points on two for four shooting. Matthew Bryan-Amaning was held scoreless missing all five field goal attempts. Fellow big man Aziz N'Diaye scored two points on one for five shooting. The Huskies big men just like the previous meeting were letting them down.

The second half saw an increase in the scoring but unfortunately for the Huskies it was mostly done by the Cougars. Klay Thompson scored 10 points right off the bat in the second half. In fact the Cougars stretched their lead to 21 points in the second half. Not only were the Cougars upsetting the Huskies in their own building they were destroying the Huskies. The Cougars led 60-42 when the Huskies finally went on a run. The Huskies went on a 15-4 run which saw them nail three straight three pointers on three straight possessions to cut the lead to 64-57. Then Thompson committed a foul after an Overton free throw the Huskies trailed by just six points. Then the Cougars simply put the Huskies away and clinched the win 80-69.

The Cougars were led by Thompson who scored 26 points 5-13 shooting from the field, hitting three three pointers and was 13-14 from the free throw line. Thompson also turned the ball over just once after turning the ball over five times in the first 10 minutes. DeAngelo Casto had a strong game as well scoring 20 points on 6-10 shooting and was a perfect eight for eight at the foul line. Casto also pulled down 13 rebounds including four offensive. The Cougars also received 10 points from Reggie Moore on three for nine shooting. The Cougars as a team shot 21-53(39.6%) from the field, 6-21(28.6%) from three point range but won the game at the foul line. The Cougars were an amazing 32-36(88.9%) from the free throw line.

The Huskies blew a great opportunity. After the Arizona Wildcats were swept to have the Huskies be within one game of first place the Huskies laid an egg. The Huskies had a great run in the second half but the game is 40 minutes long not five. The Huskies in the second half shot better but the damage was already done in the first 30 minutes of the game. The Huskies shot 23-68(33.8%) from the field, 8-27(29.6%) from the three point range and 15-24(62.5%) from the free throw line. When the game was within six points the Huskies were 12-20(60.0%) from the foul line while the Cougars were 19-20(95.0%) from the foul line. The Huskies just like last game outrebounded the Cougars 42-35 including 23 offensive rebounds. The Huskies just like last game couldn't take advantage.

The Huskies were led by Isaiah Thomas who scored 21 points on 8-16 shooting including three three's but was just two for six from the foul line. Thomas dished out five assists in the loss. The next leading scorer was Matthew Bryan-Amaning who scored 14 points on 3-11 shooting but was eight for nine from the foul line. Bryan-Amaning did add 10 rebounds including four offensive. Justin Holiday finished with 11 points on 4-11 shooting including three three pointers with five assists. Aziz N'Diaye added six points on three for eight shooting and nine rebounds. Venoy Overton scored eight points on three for seven shooting including a three pointer. Ultimately the Huskies didn't get enough from an already thin roster that has seen two starters go down to injury.

The Huskies once again must dig themselves out of a hole they have created for themselves. For the first time all year the reality has to hit that the NCAA tournament isn't a guarantee which seems stunning. The Huskies active roster has played a combined 29 NCAA tournament games including 13 starts so there is plenty of experience on this roster. The Huskies thought they had a special season going into the year and they still could. For the second straight year it appears the Huskies backs will be against the wall for the NCAA tournament. Last year's run was nice but many forget how much they underachieved throughout the season. Now this year's group seems determine to follow that same pace but what if they don't win the Pac-10 tournament? A season which saw them ranked in the top 10 could go down the drains. What could hurt the Huskies even more is if somehow the Cougars make the NCAA tournament over them. The Huskies have two regular season games left at home against two teams who are better than Stanford, Oregon State, Oregon and Washington State you know teams who have given the Huskies fives losses already.

Observations:

- Remember when the Huskies owned Klay Thompson? yes feels like a lifetime ago doesn't it? Thompson in his first four games against the Huskies shot 10-47(21.2%) while scoring just 29 points(7.3 PPG) which were all four losses. Well now Thompson has turned that around this year scoring 51 points(25.5 PPG) while shooting 14-31(45.1%) from the field. Thompson has turned it around against the Huskies. As a Huskies fan knowing that he is a Junior I hope he goes off to end the year so he can leave early.

The scary thing for the Huskies and well for the rest of the Pac-10 is if Thompson comes back. The Cougars start four juniors and one sophomore. If Thompson were to come back they would be on the short list of favorites next year to win the Pac-10 championship. Pretty funny how things change in a short time. This is the same Cougars team that lost to Stanford at home, lost to Arizona State but can sweep the Huskies. Thompson has two home games left to prove his legacy at WSU. If the Cougars win both games they'll be 10-8 with some impressive wins. If the Cougars sweep they might have to just win one Pac-10 tournament game and they'll be going to the NCAA tournament for the third time in five years.

- Matthew Bryan-Amaning for whatever reason has struggled this year against the Cougars. On the year Bryan-Amaning is 4-19(21.0%)from the field against the Cougars. Bryan-Amaning is averaging just 10.0 PPG but 10.5 rebounds a game. This is by far the team that has given Bryan-Amaning the most trouble.

At one point it appeared to be a mental thing for Bryan-Amaning as he was missing easy layups that he is capable of making. I'll give him credit for hustling down the court and blocking shots. He was strong on the rebounds again he just had a bad game. He also logged the most minutes playing in 36 minutes. Unlike games in the past Bryan-Amaning brought the effort just couldn't hit such easy buckets while Castro got the better end of the matchup.

- Isaiah Thomas played a good second half but in the first half he was terrible. Thomas in the second half did shoot six for nine with 17 points including three three pointers. For the game Thomas finished 8-16 with 21 points hitting three three pointers and dishing out five assists. He was also two for six from the free throw line.

Thomas in the last four games has shot 12-25(48.0%) from the free throw line. Thomas who is a career 71.2% free throw shooter needs to start knocking down these FREE throws. He attacks the paint so much and he needs to make teams pay for fouling him. He is too good of a shooter to be shooting that terrible from the foul line. Free throw's has been a problem for the Huskies the last couple of years. Makes you wonder if they even practice free throw's during the practices.

- For the Lorenzo Romar critics out there this loss put more fuel to the fire. Romar in the last six years is 4-9 against the Cougars despite outrecruiting them each and every single year. This year really hurt as Romar was swept by Ken Bone who was his assistent when the Huskies were the #1 seed in the 2004-05 season. Bone many believe was the offensive geru for Romar. Romar has also lost assistent Cameron Dollar who the Huskies just defeated on Tuesday. That is the price of being a successful program other schools will snatch up your assistents. Romar has a losing record against just one Pac-10 team which is the Cougars he is now 9-10 against the Cougars.

The blueprint has been set on how to defeat the Huskies. Run a good zone and you will defeat the Huskies. Romar has done a lot of good things at Washington while he's been the coach. One thing Romar hasn't done a good job of is running a half court offense. He needs to find an offensive geru to help him out. Remember Phil Jackson who has won 11 championships needed Tex Winter to help him run the triangle offense. If Jackson needs an offensive geru than anyone can. The Huskies struggle against teams who run a good zone, slow the game down, and still can't hit their free throws. If the Huskies ever wish to go that next level Romar must swallow his pride and admit he needs help on offense.

All in all, the team takes on the personality of the leaders of the team. Two years ago Jon Brockman was that leader and everyone knew that. That team wasn't the most talented team but they overachieved to win the Pac-10 regular season championship. They were are a hard working tough team who won the close games. Last year the leader was Quincy Pondexter who may have worked even harder than Brockman. Pondexter busted his butt to improve as a player from freshman year to senior year and carried the Huskies. He took the Huskies on his back and even hit the game winning shot in the first round of the NCAA tournament. Now the leaders are all cocky. The upperclassman spend most of their time on twitter and flexing than practicing the fundamentals. These Huskies would rather look good first then win second. The Huskies need to realize that fundamentals is why the Cougars have defeated them 9 out of 13 times. The Huskies need to take a look in the mirror and less on their blackberries or iPhone. These Huskies need to get to work and they need to realize they can't afford to lose another game. One more loss and their NCAA tournament hopes could be dashed. We'll see who is going to step up on this team and be the leader. As of right now I see no leadership at all which isn't a trait of Romar teams. Romar teams always have the Seniors step up as the leaders but this group has shown no leadership. Hopefully somebody steps up and becomes a leader before this season goes down in flames.

Thompson leads Cougars to 87-80 upset win over 18th ranked Huskies

By Kshell

The Washington State Cougars(15-6,5-4) finally got that much needed big win under Ken Bone. The Cougars defeated cross state rival #18 Washington Huskies(15-5,7-2) 87-80 in front of a raucous crowd at Friel Court in Pullman. For the first time for any player on the Cougars roster they finally defeated the Huskies. Klay Thompson lead the Cougars with 25 points which is a far cry from his previous four games where he scored just 29 points total. I documented his struggles right here the other night against the Huskies. He turned those struggles around against the Huskies and it was the Huskies who struggled against the Cougars. The Cougars won a very important game to keep their NCAA tournament hopes alive. As for the Huskies they remain in first place in the Pac-10 at the conclusion of the first half of the Pac-10 schedule.

In the first half the Huskies got plenty of help from their role players. The Huskies were attacking the zone against the Cougars. At one point the Huskies had hit 5-11 from three point range to extend their lead to 37-33. That would be the last lead the Huskies would hold. The Cougars would start playing lockdown defense on the Huskies and go on a run going up 45-41. Before the half ended Isaiah Thomas drove to the hole and was knocked down by DeAngelo Casto with 0.3 seconds left. Thomas would sink both free throws to pull the Huskies within two points trailing 45-43. That play was important as Casto picked up his third foul of the half. The Cougars led by Klay Thompson finally scored in double figures against the Huskies had 11 points on 5-10 shooting, Casto had 11 points on five for nine shooting and grabbed five rebounds, and newcomer Faisal Aden had 10 poitns on 4-10 shooting including two three pointers.


The Huskies were led by their role players in the first half as their two stars struggled. Isaiah Thomas who didn't hold back when dissing on the city of Pullman also missed all seven field goal attempts in the first half scoring just four points. Matthew Bryan-Amaning also struggled scoring just four points while missing four of six free throws. The Huskies were bailed out by Darnell Gant who scored nine points on three for four shooting including a three poitner. Gant also had three rebounds and three assists off the bench. The Huskies also had Scott Suggs who scored seven points on three for four shooting including a three and Terrence Ross who scored eight points on three for seven shooting including two threes help lead the Huskies. Justin Holiday scored seven points with four rebounds but shot just one for five from three point range.

It was hard to imagine the Huskies only being down two points with Isaiah Thomas and Matthew Bryan-Amaning shooting a combined 1-12 in the first half. The Cougars were also shooting 47.2% from the field compared to the Huskies 40.5% from the field. The Huskies were in the game due to 20 rebounds to only nine by the Cougars. The Huskies owned the glass with seven offensive rebounds. The Huskies were poised to have a big second half unfortunately the Cougars had other plans.


The second half began well for the Huskies. With Thomas driving to the rim constantly Casto picked up his fourth foul and Thompson picked up his third foul. The Cougars had to sit their two best players. That is when everyone figured a big run was going to happen. The problem for the Huskies is it was the Cougars who went on the run going on a 10-1 run to take a 55-44 lead. The Huskies would often pull within four or five points but could never get a key stop to pull any closer. Whenever the Huskies would cut the lead down the Cougars would often hit a wide open three point shot or get a bucket plus the foul. The Cougars finally inserted their two stars Thompson and Casto to put the game away. The Cougars had upset the Huskies 87-80 and the fans stormed the court like they had just won the national championship.

For the Cougars nobody on this roster had ever beaten the Huskies. This is easily the biggest win of the Ken Bone era who used to be a former Huskies assistent coach. Klay Thompson who had struggled in the past finally shined in his fifth carer game against the Huskies. Thompson scored 25 points on 9-18 shooting including hitting three three pointers. Thompson also added four assists and five steals to lead the Cougars upset. He received help from his teammates as well. Reggie Moore from Rainier Beach scored 18 points on four for eight shooting while Faisal Aden scored 15 points on 6-17 shooting. The Cougars shot 30-62(48.4%) from the field and 8-17 from downtown(47.1%). The only thing the Cougars did wrong was from the free throw line shooting 19-30(63.3%) but the Cougars made up for it with good team ball. The Cougars had an amazing 18 assists on their 30 made field goal attempts with just 12 turnovers. The Cougars also had 13 steals and three blocks on the day. Not often you brag about a team's defense when they allow 80 points but the Cougars defense did an exceptional job against the Huskies.


For the Huskies they have to be wondering how they lost this game. The Huskies had a great size advantage on the Cougars and dominated the glass outrebounding the Cougars 44-28 including 14 offensive rebounds. The Cougars main big man DeAngelo Casto sat most of the second half before fouling out having played just 21 minutes. The Huskies also had the Cougars in the double bonus with 10 minutes to go in the game. The Huskies were actually making their free throws too this game shooting 15-17(88.2%) in the second half on free throws. You would have thought the Huskies would have pounded the ball inside to Matthew Bryan-Amaning but instead the Huskies shot 31 three point field goal attempts making just 11.

The Huskies couldn't and especially Bryan-Amaning couldn't take advantage of their size. Bryan-Amaning who has been terrific in Pac-10 play this season finished just one for eight shooting for six points but did grab 11 rebounds. The Huskies decided to settle for three point shots as Isiah Thomas was the only one driving the lane. Thomas missed his first 10 field goals before finally hitting his last three shots. Thomas finished 3-13 with 19 points and five assists. Thomas was also 11 for 12 from free throws and did make two three pointers. Thomas also had seven turnovers on the game as he played 37 minutes at the point. The other main Husky scoring option didn't play very well either in Justin Holiday who finished with 16 points but just 4-12 shooting including 2-7 on three point shots. Holiday did collect a career high 12 rebounds including five offensive. Unlike the previous four games against Thompson he struggled to slow down Thompson today. The role players for the Huskies shined with Terrence Ross scoring 14 points on 5 for 10 shooting including four for eight on three pointers, Scott Suggs scored 12 points on 5-12 shooting in 35 minutes made just two for seven from three point range and Darnell Gant finished with nine points with a season high seven rebounds. The Huskies got great efforts from their bench but when your three stars combined to shoot 8-33(24.2%) from the field that is hard to win.

The Huskies also didn't take care of the ball enough to win as well. The Huskies turned the ball over 24 times to just 12 assists. The Huskies shot miserable too making just 23-62(37.1%) from the field and 11-31(35.5%) from threes. The Huskies did make 23-29(79.3%) from their free throws the lone positive of the game. The Huskies failed to take advantage of the Cougars foul trouble and go inside. The Huskies didn't play their best ball at all but only lost by seven points on the road.

All in all this will be a tough loss to swallow for the Huskies. Lorenzo Romar I'm sure didn't draw up a gameplan that including half the field goal attempts to be three point shots. The Huskies often times gave up easy threes and could never hit that open three point shot to make things interesting. The Huskies still went 7-2 in the first half of the Pac-10 season and are tied for first place. The Huskies must learn from this loss and use this loss to their advantage. This win is also dangerous for the Cougars as they reacted as if they won the National Championship. Still plenty of work to be done in Pullman as the Cougars are scratching and clawing their way into the NCAA tournament. Should be a fun second half of the season just remember Cougar fans you still have to come to Hec Ed where the Huskies have lost just three times the past three seasons.

Observations:
- I'll never understand why the Huskies didn't try to go inside. I know Bryan-Amaning was off but the Huskies were in the double bonus. The Cougars already lacking size had Casto on the bench whole second half yet the Huskies let the Cougars off the hook.

Thomas despite playing poorly was the only one who drove to the rim to draw those fouls. The Huskies with 10 minutes to go would get two free throws which they were making tonight everytime the Cougars fouled them didn't take advantage. Instead the Huskies settled for three point shots which of course nobody found a hot streak. The Huskies began the game 5-11 from three point shots but finished ice cold connecting on just 6-20 from beyond the arc.

This seems to be a trend for the Huskies in their losses this year which is jack up threes, get no assists while turning the ball over like crazy. Against Kentucky the Huskies shot 3-13(23.1%) from three point range while turning the ball over 14 times to just nine assists. Against Michigan State the Huskies shot 6-15(40.0%) from three point range while turning the ball over 15 times to just 13 assists. Against Texas A & M the Huskies shot 6-22(27.3%) from three point range, turned the ball over 20 times to just 11 assists. Against Stanford the Huskies shot 8-26(30.8%) from three point range with 14 turnovers to just 11 assists. Then today the Huskies shot 11-31(35.5%) from three point range, with 24 turnovers to just 12 assists.

If you add it all up in the Huskies five losses on the year they are shooting just 34-107(31.8%) from three point range. The Huskies in their defeats have turned the ball over 87 times to just 56 assists which is easy to see why the Huskies lost those games. When you aren't taking care of the ball and jacking up three makes it very difficult to win the game.



- Thomas didn't play his best game today that is pretty safe to say. He missed his first 10 field goal attempts of the game including some easy layups. He also turned the ball over seven times today. He also never quit playing hard which is expected of him.

Thomas despite all that drove the lane hard. He basically fouled out Casto and was a big reason why Thompson had to sit so long. Thomas was also 11-12(91.7%) from the free throw line today. Thomas was the only one being agressive and going to the hole. While his teammates were busy jacking up three point shots, Thomas was driving to set up his teammates who ultimately let him down today.

Thomas also needs help badly at the point guard position. He played 37 minutes while mostly running the point. With Abdul Gaddy being injured for the season and Venoy Overton being a no show his Senior year it is all on Thomas. Having a healthy Gaddy would have been nice in a game like today. A taller guard who can dribble the ball and shoot the three point shot. Instead Thomas had to play 37 minutes and Suggs played 35 minutes who also had five turnovers. Thomas needs help or some team in March who is more athletic than the Cougars will put a bigger guy on Thomas. The Cougars put Klay Thompson on Thomas at first and it appeared to have worked.

Overall back to the drawing board for the Huskies. Both the Huskies and Cougars have completed the hardest parts of their schedule since the California road trip is over. For the Huskies they have five games at home plus four on the road(three of which are the bottom feeders of the Pac-10). The Huskies will only be an underdog in one more regular season game rest of the way. That game will be at Arizona on February 19th which will play a big part in who wins the Pac-10 championship. As for the Cougars they sit at 5-4 in conference trying to make the NCAA tournament for the first time in the Klay Thompson era. The Cougars will have a tougher second half since they are only 1-3 in Pac-10 play on the road while still having to go to Arizona and Washington. The Cougars have a great chance this week in Oregon to gain some road confidence.

In conclusion the Huskies don't need to press any panic buttons. The Huskies are still the most talented team and experienced team in the conference. The Huskies are tied for first place and are in great shape going forward. The Huskies are in a position to play in the March Madness NCAA tournament for the third straight season. The Huskies however must stop jacking up three point shots all the time and run an offense. The Huskies have to take care of the ball as they are averaging over 17 turnovers a game in their losses. I think the Huskies should be able to go on a five game winning streak which should put them at 12-2 in the conference heading into the showdown game at Arizona. After that game the Huskies close out with three home games in a row. So as the Cougars celebrated today like they won the NCAA championship they must remember it is the Huskies who still remain in first place. It is the Huskies not the Cougars who control their own destiny to win the Pac-10 championship. Also memo to the Cougars you still have a return trip to Seattle on February 27th. I'm sure the Huskies will remember the way your fans behaved tonight. Isaiah Thomas already stated he is taking mental notes so beware of the dawgpack my Cougar friends.

Apple Cup preview on the hardwood!

By Kshell

The #18 Washington Huskies(15-4,7-1) travel to Pullman this Sunday to take on the Washington State Cougars(14-6,4-4) in a very important Pac-10 game for both teams. This game is important for both teams for two very different reasons. For the Washington Huskies this game is important to keep their one game lead over the Arizona Wildcats. The Huskies are seeking their second conference championship in three seasons. For the Cougars this game is important to keep their NCAA tournament hopes alive. The Cougars have missed the NCAA tournament the past two seasons. The Huskies head into this rivalry with a four game winning streak over the Cougars which features players who have plenty of experience in this big game.



For the Cougars the experience in this Apple Cup series hasn't been very kind to them. The Cougars don't have a single player on their current roster who has ever beaten the Huskies. In fact their best players have typically had poor games against the Washington Huskies. The Cougars are led by super Junior Klay Thompson who is having a monster season. Thompson this year is averaging 22.2 points per game, 5.5 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game while shooting 46.2% from the field. He is also averaging 1.9 steals a game and 1.1 blocks per game. There is a reason why Thompson's name often comes up for Pac-10 player of the year talk. Thompson has been terrific as a Cougar but in the apple cup he has been dreadful. Thompson has scored just 29 points(7.3 points per game) while shooting 10-47(21.2%) from the field. For the Cougars to pull off the upset and keep their tourney hopes alive they must get a better game out of Thompson. Thompson is the only Cougar who has struggled against the Huskies.

No Cougar on this current roster has tasted success against the Huskies. DeAngelo Casto had a big game against the Huskies in a 59-52 loss in Pullman last season. Casto in that game scored 19 points and grabbed six rebounds while shooting 8-16 from the field. That was a good game for Casto unfortunately for him in his previous three apple cups he scored just 14 points(4.7 points per game) while grabbing just two rebounds a game. Marcus Capers in his freshman year didn't score a single point against the Huskies. As a sophomore he scored just 11 points while shooting 4-13(30.7%) in two games. Another Cougar who struggles was Reggie Moore who being from Seattle didn't make Lorenzo Romar regret not recruiting him. Moore in his first apple cup in Seattle scored 13 points on three for nine shooting but also turned the ball over eight times. In the rematch in Pullman Moore shot one for eight while scoring eight points but once again turned the ball over four times. The Cougars are trying to reverse a trend from the past two seasons against the Huskies who feature the same prominent players.



For the Huskies who have enjoyed great success over the Cougars the last two years have seen some major stars graduate. No longer is Jon Brockman, Justin Dentmon and Quincy Pondexter around to help dominate the Cougars. It was only just two years ago the Huskies had to defeat their own demons snapping a seven game losing streak to the Cougars which spanned three years. The Huskies still feature plenty of older guys who have played plenty of games against the Cougars. This Huskies roster is an experienced group which features three Seniors and three Juniors. The Huskies will have three players making their apple cup debut but for the most part this is a veteran group.


The Husky who has had the most success against the Cougars is Isaiah Thomas who has success against everyone. Thomas like Thompson is a Pac-10 player of the year candidate averaging 16.9 points per game, dishing out 5.8 assists and grabbing 3.9 rebounds a game. Thomas is shooting 46.4% from the field on the year while getting 1.4 steals a game. Thomas in Pac-10 play has been lights out though averaging 18.5 points per game while dishing out 8.4 assists per game. Thomas has also shot 45-94(47.8%) from the field which shows he is having better shot selection. Thomas is playing his best ball of his career and against the Cougars has destroyed them in the past. In four career games which are all wins Thomas has scored 66 points(16.5 per game) while shooting 20-48(41.7%) from the field. Last year in Pullman Thomas scored 22 points on 7-15 shooting to help the Huskies keep their lead against the Cougars and prevent a second half collapse. Although they play different positions Thomas has emerged over Thompson in the four apple cup meetings which could play a role in determing the conference player of the year.



Other Huskies have had some success against the Cougars in a single game but overall not much success. Matthew Bryan-Amaning who started his great play last year had a big game in Pullman. Bryan-Amaning scored 17 points and grabbed 12 rebounds while shooting 8-11 from the floor. Bryan-Amaning against the Cougars in Seattle which the Huskies won 92-64 scored nine points on four for six shooting. He out played Casto both games last season and has played great so far this year. Bryan-Amaning is averaging 16.2 points per game while grabbing 7.7 rebounds a game. He is also shooting 58.9% from the floor while blocking 1.4 shots a game. In Pac-10 play Bryan-Amaning has simply been dominating averaging 19.3 points per game, 9.4 rebounds per game, and 1.5 blocks per game. He is also shooting 62 for 101(61.4%) from the field in Pac-10 play. Whoever wins the Bryan-Amaning/Casto matchup could determine the winner on Sunday.

Two other Huskies have had mixed results when playing the Cougars. First of all is Justin Holiday who has scored just 11 points (2.8 points per game) in the last four games against the Cougars which isn't good. Then you factor in Holiday wasn't much of a scorer before this season and that makes sense. Holiday also in the blowout game in Seattle grabbed 10 rebounds. As a sophomore he shot a perfect three for three against the Cougars helping the Huskies capture the Pac-10 championship. Holiday is a big reason why Klay Thompson has struggled so much. Another player is Venoy Overton who against the Cougars in Seattle had six points and seven assists last year and was a big reason for Reggie Moore turning the ball over eight times. Overton was huge in the Huskies 67-60 win over the Cougars two years ago that clinched the Pac-10 regular season title scoring 14 poitns on three for five shooting. The Huskies need more from Overton and Holiday if they expect to win in a tough hostile environment.



Lorenzo Romar will be facing off with good friend Ken Bone who Romar has never lost to. Romar is 5-0(3-0 when Bone was at Portland State, 2-0 at WSU) all-time against Ken Bone. Romar has seen this rivalry have it's ups and downs. While at Washington Romar 9-8 all-time against the Cougars. Romar is currently on a four game winning streak against the Cougars after suffering seven straight losses to the Cougars which was coming off a four game winning streak against the Cougars. In fact these teams haven't split a season series since Romar's first year in 2002-03 season. Typically one team has the upper hand for a few years at a time.

This game is pretty important for both teams. For the Cougars a possible NCAA tournament berth is at stake. For the Huskies a possible Pac-10 championship is on the line. If the Huskies win Sunday at Pullman it would appear they would be favored in eight of their remaining nine games by a big margain. Also you have the individual wars between Isaiah Thomas against Klay Thompson who are both going for best player in the conference. Both players have given the other team bulletin board material. First Thompson said Derrick Williams is the best player in the conference over Thomas. Thomas later in the week dissed on Pullman wondering why anyone would ever go there. I'm sure Pullman will lay into Thomas and Overton on Sunday. Then you have the big man battle between Matthew Bryan-Amaning and DeAngelo Casto. All these matchups between two pretty good teams. You can tell this isn't football anymore as both teams haven plenty to play for. Just remember there is a rematch in Seattle which should be fun. The atmosphere will be great in Pullman this Sunday. This game is a huge game for both teams for two very different reasons.