SEATTLE — Sometimes, getting lost can be a good thing.
For Washington forward Quincy Pondexter, getting lost in a basketball game is the best thing the junior can do. It’s what Pondexter has done when he’s had his best game as a Husky, and something he’s trying to do more consistently this year.
“I can sense that sometimes,” Pondexter said. “It feels good to come out and just enjoy basketball. That’s the whole thing, just let all the other things go, let everything loose, just let my hair out and play.”
When Pondexter can get lost in a game and play loose, he’s one of the Huskies most dangerous weapons, but other times in his career, he’s been known to disappear in a game instead of get lost in it.
On Saturday, Pondexter had 16 points and 12 rebounds, both game highs, in Washington’s win over Pacific. Now he hopes he can keep that feeling going when the Huskies host Oklahoma State on Thursday.
“It feels great playing like that,” he said. “It’s hard to get back to that point, because you’re so tense with a lot of things going on in your life and it’s hard to just get back to going out and playing. I think I found out the key to that success now and I hope it carries over.”
Washington coach Lorenzo Romar has said many times that Pondexter is his own toughest critic. The 6-foot-6 junior constantly puts in extra hours of training after games and early in the morning, working to the point that coaches sometimes have to tell him to ease up a bit. But that hard work was partially responsible for what Pondexter and the Huskies hope was a breakout game.
“I was so pleased with what Quincy did, because what he did he can do in any game,” Romar said. “He just went and played the game and took what the game gave him, and sometimes imposed his will on the game. … He just did a lot of things that are transferable in any game, and that’s why it’s such a positive.”
Breshers progressing: Romar said that Tyreese Breshers is now able to practice in half-court situations, and hopefully will be able to stretch out to full-court workouts in the next week to week and a half. Breshers, a 6-7 freshman forward, is recovering from offseason shin surgery. Romar said Breshers still could help the team this year if he gets healthy, but it is also possible Breshers could redshirt.
Still missing: The Huskies were the worst free-throw shooting team in the country last season, and are struggling again this year, making just 59.3 percent of their attempts.
Romar said he still has hope his team can shoot better, but that he also is willing to look at ways to compensate if the Huskies keep missing.
“I’ll never give up on it, but I think you do have to make provisions,” he said. “I think it’s good that we’re a good offensive rebounding team. Sometimes at the foul line maybe you stunt to anticipate the basketball coming off and you put yourself in the best position to rebound it. There are certain things you may do to compensate for it, but I’m not one to give up and just say, ‘Throw in the towel, we haven’t shot them well.’”
Herald Writer John Boyle: jboyle@heraldnet.com. For more on UW sports, check out the Huskies blog at heraldnet.com /huskiesblog
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