WASHINGTON HUSKIES
Coach: Lorenzo Romar | Record: 27-6
Overview:
Yes America, there was life left in this program
after the departure of Nate Robinson and Co. from a
team that won the Pac-10 tourney, secured a No. 1
seed in the NCAA Tournment and pushed its way into
the Sweet Sixteen. Head coach Lorenzo Romar's
high-octane squad led the Pac-10 in scoring for the
second consecutive season, as well as rebound margin
(7.1 a contest, which ranks ninth nationally).
Potential Difference Maker: Nagged by
injuries for much of last season, Brandon Roy was
still the team's third leading scorer. This season,
he's fulfilled his great promise by leading the team
in scoring (19.6 ppg), ranking first in the Pac-10
in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.82) and fifth in the
league in steals (1.3 a game). His kind of
versatility puts pressure on the opposition at both
ends and makes him a threat to make a big play at
any moment.
On Offense: It’s not real sophisticated. They
run motion and Roy makes plays.
On Defense: Pressure in the halfcourt, with a
little trapping. They swarm the basket and rebound
it well.
Strength: Roy. He might be the most complete
player in college basketball. He can beat you with
his offense, like Adam Morrison and J.J. Redick, but
he can also lock you up defensively. He just doesn’t
get the hype those other guys get. They can create
matchup problems on the offensive end.
Weakness: Point guard Justin Dentmon is just
a freshmen and he is often on the bench in crunch
time. Roy and Ryan Appleby have had to fill that
void of late. That could become a major factor for
the Huskies.
Key to Success: Rebounding. If they out-board
you, they will beat you. They do such a great job of
attacking the basket when the shot goes up.
How to Beat Them: Handle their pressure. You
cannot turn the ball over and expect to play with
them. You need to limit them on the glass. They are
too good to keep off the boards, but you can’t let
them dominate. And slow down Roy. He is going to
score, but you want to try and limit his touches and
make him work to get his points.
