Spend any time at all around the University of Washington men’s basketball team and you can predict what words players will say before they say them.
For example, ask about their Pacific-10 Conference Tournament opener tonight against UCLA, which beat the Huskies in their two previous meetings this season.
“Gotta be payback,” UW guard Brandon Roy said. “We’re hungry to beat them anyway, but we have a lot to play for.”
That would be a berth in the NCAA tournament, which appears to hang on Washington’s performance. The further the Huskies advance into the Pac-10 tournament, the greater the likelihood the NCAA Selection Committee will look past their 5-8 record to begin the season. Also, a couple of victories would lower Washington’s hefty Ratings Percentage Index (RPI) of 77, which is the source of worry to anyone connected with purple and gold.
“We need to keep winning,” UW coach Lorenzo Romar said. “We’d love to take the decision out of the committee’s hands.”
That, of course, likely would mean a repeat victory over Stanford, which Washington knocked out of the unbeaten ranks and off the top of the national rankings Saturday with a 75-62 victory. Second-seeded Washington and top-seed Stanford would meet in Saturday’s title game, barring upsets.
But first things first.
Under new coach Ben Howland, the seventh-seed Bruins appeared rejuvenated after a 9-3 start, including 5-0 in the Pac-10.
Since then, UCLA lost 13 of its last 15, with its only victories coming against Washington and Cal, both at home.
One of the most galling losses came at Arizona State, a game in which the Bruins had a seven-point lead with a minute left in regulation, only to lose 74-62 in overtime.
At USC, the Bruins twice had a five-point lead in overtime and the ball, but managed to lose, 78-77.
On Saturday, the Bruins led with 17 seconds remaining at Oregon, but lost, 60-59.
“It’s a combination of things,” Howland said. “It was a long year throughout the regular season. We’ve had a number of opportunities to win some close games.”
Two wins came against Washington, an 86-84 overtime victory in Seattle and an 80-75 win at Pauley Pavilion.
Much of the problem for the Huskies has been UCLA’s size in the backcourt. Cedric Bozeman, at 6-foot-5, and Trevor Ariza, at 6-7, both are quick and athletic enough to keep up with Washington’s guards.
“They’re much bigger than we are and longer than we are,” Romar said. “They can get to our shots and bother our shots. That’s what they’ve done in the past. They reach over us on the boards. That’s part of the problem.”
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