2nd ranked Michigan State beats11th Washington in third place game 76-71

By Kshell

The #11 Washington Huskies(3-2) drop another close contest to an elite program like #2 Michigan State(4-1) 76-71 in the Maui Invitational. This tournament was a chance for the Huskies to make a name for themselves across the country instead they are left flying home wondering what if? The Huskies blew a 44-34 halftime lead as the three point shot disappeared for the second straight game. In a close contest once again the Huskies just couldn't come up with that big shot to give them that big win.

The Huskies just like yesterday against Kentucky started off slow in the first half. The Huskies found themselves trailing 20-11 before going on a run ignited by Senior Co-Captain Justin Holiday who stole a pass for a layup, made another bucket then had a dunk plus free throw and the Huskies tied the score up at 22-22. The Huskies would continue to go on their run with Darnell Gant hitting another three pointer while scoring seven points in the first half. Then Isaiah Thomas would lead the Huskies with 10 points in the first half as the Huskies forced 16 turnovers on Michigan State. The Huskies took a commanding 44-34 lead at halftime as it was looking like they were finally going to get a win over an elite program. Well that is why we play two halves and unfortunately for Huskies fans the second half was a disaster.

The second half the Spartans wasted no time cutting into the Huskies lead cutting it to 46-42. The teams traded baskets back and forth after that. A turning point was when Washington was up 50-49 and Isaiah Thomas was fouled shooting a three pointer but made just one free throw, the Spartans then hit a three pointer to take the lead. The game would go back and forth as Justin Holiday hit a three pointer to give the Huskies their final lead of the game 64-62 with about five minutes to go in the game. At the end of the day Michigan State hit some huge shots including a three pointer by Durrell Summers to give the Spartans a 72-68 lead. After Isaiah Thomas scored a layup to cut the lead to 72-70 the Huskies turned up the defense and forced a turnover. The Huskies were down by two with just 24 seconds remaining after a timeout had 13 seconds. The game then came down to Matthew Bryan-Amaning who was fouled with 13 seconds to go. Bryan-Amaning sank the first free throw but then he missed the second free throw. Michigan State made both free throws and the Huskies game basically ended when C.J. Wilcox who had played just three minutes all game and playing for the first time all second half air balled a three pointer. The Huskies would leave Maui 1-2 with two games they let slip away.

Now the Huskies must find a way to regroup. That shouldn't be a problem as the Huskies came out and battled Michigan State. The facts are the Huskies lost to two really good teams in the last 24 hours. Another fact is that the Huskies continue to struggle against top notch competition. The Huskies still haven't beaten a non conference ranked opponent on a road game or neutral court since November of 2004 when the Huskies won the Great Alaska Shootout. Ever since then the Huskies have mostly been blown out or find ways to lose. The Huskies unfortunately because the Pac-10 is viewed as being weak won't get another chance until March. The Huskies season is far from over in fact it has just begun but these last 24 hours was a big missed opportunity.

Observations:

- Although Abdul Gaddy didn't play great today I like it better when he is in the game. Gaddy finished with just eight points and one assist but there is a flow to our offense. While with Overton and Thomas on the court at the same time it turns into street ball and non stop erratic play.

- When is Matthew Bryan-Amaning finally going to step his game up? I know statistically he had a good game with 5-10 shooting,5-7 FT's with with 15 points and six rebounds. My eyes say otherwise as he missed five close range shots and still isn't a presence in the paint unlike Aziz N'Diaye. I don't get why Romar didn't play N'Diaye more than just 15 minutes where he had five rebounds. N'Diaye isn't a great scorer but he forces teams to shoot from the outside.

- Where has the three point shot gone? The Huskies were 42-89 from three point range first three days. The last two games they have been just 9 of 32(28%). Instead of hitting on average 14 three pointers a game the Huskies hit just 4.5 a game the last two days. The Huskies must find a way to get points and not become reliant on fast break points or three point shots.

- The Huskies struggle against the elite opponents out of conference. The Huskies have found a way to be the elite of the Pac-10 but must find a way to be an elite team in the country. The Huskies have lost over the years to such powerful programs as Lousiville, UCONN, Syracuse, Pittsburgh twice, Kansas, Florida, West Virginia, Kentucky and now Michigan State. The Huskies if they want to get to that elite level must start winning these games not just competing.

- Isaiah Thomas had a horrible 24 hour stretch scoring just 13 points on 4-11 shooting. Thomas has shot 8-25(32.0%) from the field including 1-7(14.3%) from three point range and hitting just 9-17(52.9%) from the free throw line. Overall a poor shooting two days for Thomas against two elite teams. Unfortunately for Thomas and the rest of the team this was their last chance until March to make a statement nationally.

All in all, the Huskies must keep things in perspective. They can still win the Pac-10 championship which is the goal, they can still make the sweet 16 which is always the goal as well. The Huskies must improve on their half court offense which has been the biggest weakness of Lorenzo Romar. Romar is a great recruiter and his players develop really well but his lack of a half court offense all these years has killed the Huskies in games like today. The Huskies will get a week off before they play Long Beach State then they will get a rematch against Texas Tech on Saturday December 4th. The Huskies have a long ways to go before they reach elite status.

9th ranked Kentucky Wildcats win grudge match over 11th Washington Huskies 74-67

By Kshell

In game that had an NCAA Tournament feel to it due to the bad blood over the Terrence Jones recruitment saw #9 Kentucky Wildcats(4-0) defeat the #11 Washington Huskies(3-1) 74-67 in a back and forth game. This game was a rough game with plenty of tension on both sides but at the end of the day the Wildcats rebounding was to much for the Huskies out rebounding the Huskies 45-32 including 17 offensive rebounds. The Huskies three point shooting which has been hot all season long was missing today shooting just three for 17(17.6%) on the game. Take away Darnell Gant who had hit just one three pointer in his entire career before today the Huskies were one for 15(6.6%). Freshman Brandon Knight proved to be to much for the Huskies scoring 24 points on 10 for 17 shooting. The Huskies must regroup in time for tomorrow's third place game against #2 Michigan State. The Huskies will be kicking themselves tonight knowing they let a winnable game slip through their hands.

The Huskies ran into a buzz saw right off the bat after being up 6-2 the Wildcats went on a 18-0 run that seemed to last a lifetime. The Wildcats early on were looking like they were going to win in a blowout as they were up 20-6 and with Knight scoring nine points. That is when Lorenzo Romar pulled Matthew Bryan-Amaning for red shirt sophomore transfer Aziz N'Diaye who sparked a run without scoring a single bucket. N'Diaye changed the game by blocking shots in the paint which led to quick Washington scores. N'Diaye was also grabbing rebounds and along with Darnell Gant hitting two three pointers the Huskies had pulled within 23-22. The Huskies in fact led at halftime 35-34 after trailing by 14 points. At halftime Gant who had scored a career high with 10 points was the Huskies leading scorer. Isaiah Thomas was just one for six and Matthew Bryan-Amaning was just two for eight shooting at halftime. The second half would provide the same story as the Wildcats would pull away.

In the second half the Huskies could never find that three point shot. The Huskies would only hit one three pointer in the second half. The Huskies also couldn't get anything from their two best players Isaiah Thomas and Matthew Bryan-Amaning who were combined 7-25(28.0%) from the field, 6-12(50.0%) from free throws while committing seven turnovers in combined 51 minutes of play. The game had some crucial turning points like when the Huskies called timeout down by five then Venoy Overton who is a senior committed a terrible foul against Kentucky. The play was reviewed but the call was correct, Kentucky would hit both free throws and then retain possession so the Huskies would be down by nine. With the game tied at 52-52 Isaiah Thomas was fouled and missed both free throws, a couple of other times Thomas was wide open for three and couldn't knock it down. At the end of the day the Huskies couldn't hit the shots while Kentucky got several second chance points in the 74-67 win.

The Kentucky Wildcats bigs stepped it up inside and that was the difference in the game. Freshman Terrence Jones who I'm sure you have all heard about by now so I won't talk about him anymore had 16 points on 4 for 13 shooting but had 17 rebounds. The other big Josh Harrellson added nine points and 14 rebounds including seven offensive rebounds. Outside of Aziz N'Diaye who collected 10 rebounds and Justin Holiday who grabbed seven rebounds just got no rebounding at all. Starting center Matthew Bryan-Amaning had just two rebounds all game. The Wildcats Brandon Knight score 24 points on 10 for 17 shooting but committed eight turnovers. He still won the battle against Isaiah Thomas who scored just 13 points on 4 for 14 shooting including 5 for 10 at the foul line.

The Washington Huskies had very few players step up today. Aziz N'Diaye was the player of the game with five points, 10 rebounds and five block shots. Darnell Gant who got in foul trouble in the second half hardly played but he provided a spark for the Huskies in the first half with 10 points as well as Justin Holiday who finished with 11 points, seven rebounds, two blocks and two steals. Both Gant and Holiday played good defense holding Terrence Jones to 4 of 13 shooting.

The Huskies won't have much time to lick their wounds. Tomorrow in the third place game at the Maui Invitational the Huskies will face the #2 Michigan State Spartans at 2 p.m. PT on ESPN 2. The Huskies will have another tough test and must prove they can finally win these games. Not since 2005 when the Huskies were a #1 seed have the Huskies proven they can beat a good opponent away from Hec Ed in a non conference showdown. It is one thing to compete but it is another thing to finally close the deal. Win or lose this wasn't going to change the Huskies season come March but it would be nice to finally win against nationally known programs. The Huskies will get a chance tomorrow but must get better play from their top two players to have any chance.

Observations:

- I'll start with the positive which is Aziz N'Diaye. I kept hearing how he was a difference maker on defense but I was resistant. After seeing Aziz I'm confident by the end of the year he will be our best big man and could end up starting over Matthew Bryan-Amaning if he keeps this up. Aziz now has 10 blocks in four games while grabbing 30 rebounds in four games. His scoring will increase as the season continues and when he is in the game nobody drives the paint.

- Yesterday I bragged up the Huskies three point shooting and everyone was off tonight. Thomas was 0-4, Holiday 0-1, Suggs 0-2, Gaddy 0-1, Wilcox 1-2 and Ross didn't attempt a three pointer. The Huskies hopefully tomorrow will shoot better than 3 for 17.

- Matthew Bryan-Amaning was not productive today as he shot 3 for 11 while committing five turnovers and grabbing just two rebounds in two rebounds. This Maui Invitational he has been pretty unproductive. In 22 minutes he personally wasted 13 possessions with missed shots and turnovers. Just because Bryan-Amaning has the ball down low doesn't mean he has to shoot it every single time.

- Venoy Overton still doesn't look 100% yet. He was getting burned often in the first half by Brandon Knight but he did play well in the second half. Overton ended up with eight points and two steals. Overton still had a horrible time to lose his composure, he may have been frustrated but he can't lose his composure like that. Overton plays with a ton of emotion and was getting hit hard most of the game but still has to overcome that.

- Romar has to trust Abdul Gaddy more at the end of games. He played well on defense and was smooth today scoring eight points, four assists to two turnovers and three steals. The team does best when he has the ball there seems to be a calmness about it when he has the ball. With Overton and Thomas it's non stop driving to the hole and expected to be bailed out by calls. With Gaddy there is a smoothness in his game that I'm liking a lot.

- Justin Holiday and Darnell Gant both had great games. Both were asked to guard Terrence Jones who will be a top five pick in next years NBA draft. Gant showed why he is valuable he can play good defense on future lottery picks(James Harden) while continuing to hit the jumper. Holiday has improved a ton where whenever he made a jumper I would jump off my couch now I expect over 10 points a game from him. These two guys are in year four in this program have improved a ton since they day they arrived on campus.

Well the Huskies took a loss today but it's not the end of the world. The Huskies must continue to prove they can play in these games and most importantly win these games. After the Huskies play in this tournament they won't face a teams this good again until the NCAA tournament. If the Huskies wish to get over that sweet 16 hump they must prove to themselves they can win games like tonight. Tomorrow against Michigan State provides another great opportunity for this program to make a statement nationally.

11th ranked Washington Huskies runs Bennett's Cavaliers out of the gym 106-63

By Kshell

When a team is truly a great team it often doesn't matter who the opponent is they are playing. Today was the case as the 11th ranked Washington Huskies(3-0) blew out the Virginia Cavaliers(2-2) 106-63 which was never a game. The Huskies led at halftime 55-31 and were to much for the Cavaliers hitting 17 of 26(65.4%) from three point range. The Huskies showed off their versatility today with 11 guys scoring and seven different guys hitting at least one three pointer. The Huskies showed today they can beat you inside and outside while still playing great defense. The Huskies passed the first test of round one in the Maui Invitational today. The Huskies have no time to celebrate as they take on 9th ranked Kentucky Wildcats who feature Terrence Jones. First I'll talk about this game and there was plenty to talk about.

Unlike previous years the Huskies left no doubt as to who was the better team early on. The Huskies in previous years under Lorenzo Romar have had problems in the non conference schedule but today they buried the Cavaliers from the start. The Huskies started off by draining their first eight three pointers they attempted in the half. The Huskies after leading 16-13 went on a 21-4 run which saw red shirt freshman C.J. Wilcox drain back to back three pointers to put the game away early. The Huskies also had great play from Isaiah Thomas who scored 14 points in the first half helping the Huskies take the lead 55-31 at halftime. The Huskies Matthew Bryan-Amaning received two quick fouls but unlike years past the Huskies had someone who can come in Aziz N'Diaye who changed the game. The Cavaliers were no longer scoring inside and were forced to shoot from the outside. The Cavaliers also had eight turnovers in the first seven minutes of the game as the Huskies ran and ran. The Huskies didn't let up at all in the second half either.



The Huskies continued their hot shooting in the second half hitting 9 of 17(52.9%) from three pointers. The Huskies outscored the Cavaliers 51-32 in the second half to beat a Tony Bennett coached team 106-63. For those who remember Bennett coached at Washington State and began his career going 5-0 against Romar but has now lost three in a row. The Huskies for the game shot 58% and 65.4% from three point range while holding the Cavaliers to 37.9% shooting and 25% from three pointers. The Huskies also out rebounded the Cavaliers 38-33 while forcing 17 turnovers where as the Huskies had just nine turnovers. The Huskies also shared the ball with 22 assists as 11 different players scored including nine guys scoring seven points or more. It was a total team effort as the Huskies won 106-63 as the Huskies are a very deep team this season.

The Huskies were led by Isaiah Thomas who scored 18 points, grabbed six rebounds, dished out four assists and shot 7 for 11 including three for five from three point range. The next leading scoring was red shirt freshman C.J. Wilcox who scored a career high to date 17 points in just 15 minutes on six for nine shooting including four of six from three pointers. Wilcox also added four assists. Other stars were Justin Holiday who added 11 points, nine rebounds and six steals. Abdul Gaddy continues to show his improvement scoring 12 points on six of nine shooting while dishing out six assists to just one turnover. Freshman Terrence Ross added 12 points on four of five shooting from three point land. Yes indeed it was a balanced performance from these Huskies. Tomorrow they'll have a true test against Kentucky and Terrence Jones.

As everyone has already talked about the Huskies will face off against Terrence Jones who Huskies fans envisioned would be on their team. Jones from Jefferson High School in Portland, Oregon who was teammates with Terrence Ross both had committed to Washington. Then Jones changed his mind later that night and eventually went to Kentucky. That created a ton of buzz and hostility between the two schools. Jones after putting on the Huskies hat decided to go elsewhere. Jones is probably Kentucky's best player and had he went to Washington the Huskies would be ranked in the top five right now and a final four favorite. Having said that the Huskies are still a really good team and must get over the Jones decommittment. I think the Huskies are still talented enough to get to the final four and despite what you might hear they really want to beat Terrence Jones tomorrow and the snake known as John Calipari.

Observations:

- This Huskies team has no weaknesses at all. They can beat you inside and they can beat you outside. Seven different guys including a walk-on and Darnell Gant hit three pointers today. That makes nine players out of 12 guys on the roster who have hit three pointers including eight of 10 scholarship players. The Huskies also force a ton of turnovers as they feature both Justin Holiday and Venoy Overton. The Huskies are a tough team to score on in the paint with Matthew Bryan-Ammaning and Aziz N'Diaye. The Huskies I'm sure will lose games this year even in Pac-10 play but for teams to beat Washington they'll have to play their top game.

- Abdul Gaddy is a different player this year which makes Washington dangerous. That is a fact which was missing from last season. Last year there was tons of hype surrounded by Gaddy but he disappointed with just a 3.9 PPG average. He was often a liability last season. He also was the youngest starter in all of college basketball. Gaddy this year has scored in double figures three games in a row while dishing out over five assists in all three games. Compared to last year where Gaddy had just four games where he scored over 10 points and just four games over five assists. He can drive the hole now and hit outside shots. With the emergence of Gaddy that means when Thomas sits down the Huskies still have Overton and Gaddy in the back court which is still the best back court in the Pac-10.

- The Huskies continued to have the same starting lineup the previous two games. Abdul Gaddy started at guard(12 points, 6 assists), Isaiah Thomas(18 points, 6 rebs, 4 assists), at forwards Justin Holiday(11 points, 9 rebounds, 6 steals), Darnell Gant(7 points, 4 rebounds and his first career three pointer) and in the middle Matthew Bryan-Ammaning(8 points,4 rebounds). The Bench provided 50 points with Wilcox leading the way with 17 points.




- The Huskies have great shooters. Last couple of years since Ryan Appleby graduated the Huskies haven't had much outside shooting. Now with Thomas improving his three point shot along with Gaddy and Holiday the Huskies are dangerous. The Huskies also have Scott Suggs, C.J. Wilcox and Terrence Ross who have shown they can hit three pointers as well. The Huskies on the season are 42 of 89(47.1%) from three point range. Thomas is 8 for 13(61.5%), Holiday is 5 for 11(45.4%), Ross is 6-14(42.8%), Wilcox is 9-17(52.9%),Gaddy 4-8(50.0%) and Suggs is 7-16(43.7%). As you can see the Huskies are a terrific outside shooting team shooting close to 50% as a team from three point range while having six guys shoot over 40% from threes and averaging over a three pointer a game. The Huskies have four guys who are making over two three pointers a game.

- The Huskies can beat you from the outside so they must be weak inside right? This is why the Huskies are scary they are tough inside. Matthew Bryan-Ammaning is averaging 16.7 PPG with 9.0 rebounds with two block shots. His backup Aziz N'Diaye is averaging 8.7 PPG, 6.7 RPG and 1.7 blocks per game. The Huskies can beat you inside and beat you outside there doesn't appear to be a weakness on offense.

Well the Huskies have less than 24 hours to enjoy this win and take on Kentucky. The Huskies under Romar have beat good programs in years past but have never beaten a national program like Kentucky. Kentucky is ranked in the top 10 and there a name that growing up you have heard of. This should be a good test for the Huskies to see how good they really are. This is a big game not because of the Terrence Jones story but because this is a game that features the 11th ranked team against the 9th ranked team who is a national powerhouse. This is a chance for the Huskies to tell the rest of the country they are for real this year. With the balance on this team I think the Huskies should aim higher than raising a third consecutive Pac-10 championship banner.