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LOCATION: Seattle, WA
CONFERENCE: Pacific-10
LAST SEASON: 17-12
CONFERENCE RECORD: 10-8 (4th)
STARTERS LOST/RETURNING: 2/3
NICKNAME: Huskies
COLORS: Purple & Gold
HOMECOURT: Key Arena (17,072)
COACH: Bob Bender (Duke '80)
record at school 85-84 (6 years)
career record 145-141 (10 years)
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ASSISTANTS: Byron Boudreaux (Tulsa '87)
Eric Hughes (Cal State-Hayward '89)
Jason Hamilton (Washington '97)
TEAM WINS: (last 5 years) 9-16-17-20-17
RPI (last 5 years) 142-92-84-35-33
1998-99 FINISH: Lost in NCAA first round.
ESPN.com Clubhouse
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The Huskies' version of the kids' game, "Where's Waldo?" has an unlikely and unfortunate twist. There is no satisfying answer to the question coach Bob Bender knows inevitably will surface over and over early this season. "That's certainly one of the things we'll find ourselves doing, looking around and saying, "Where's Todd?" Todd, of course, is Todd MacCulloch, Washington's 7-foot, 280-pound gift on loan from Winnipeg, Manitoba, who graduated last spring and was drafted by the NBA's Philadelphia 76ers. During his four years, MacCulloch evolved from a little-known Canadian prospect to the centerpiece of the Huskies' attack. His career numbers -- 1,734 points, 975 rebounds and 142 blocked shots -- rank among the top three in Washington history. But his greater value was found in the club's victory total. Washington won 70 games during MacCulloch's active career, compared to 39 for the previous four years. The Huskies also reached the NCAA Tournament the last two years after a 12-year absence. Bender hopes that is MacCulloch's lasting legacy. "Our guys are used to winning, and there's a mindset that's hopefully there," Bender said. "The question is whether physically we can get it done." The Huskies will have to get it done without two key starters, senior guard Donald Watts having departed along with MacCulloch. Watts averaged 13.1 ppg last season, meaning that he and MacCulloch combined for 42 percent of the club's scoring.
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Blue Ribbon Analysis |
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BACKCOURT C BENCH/DEPTH C+
FRONTCOURT C INTANGIBLES C
As Bob Bender suggested, the Huskies are a bit tough to read. A solid perimeter is in place, depth isn't bad and the roster is filled with players who have become accustomed to winning.
Just as important, the program now seems on solid footing. Bender rebuffed offers to coach elsewhere after the 1997 and 1998 seasons and seems comfortable and established in Seattle. If this isn't a rebuilding year at Washington, it certainly will be a stepping stone beyond the Todd MacCulloch era. And there are too many questions for the transition to be entirely without potholes.
The Huskies lack the scoring that MacCulloch and Watts provided, and their inside game will be dramatically different. There are serious questions about their rebounding ability.
Can guard Senque Carey continue to develop into a steady and productive player without the same veteran help alongside him? Can guard Deon Luton expand his game to remain effective with greater defensive attention focused on him?
The Huskies will try to compensate with greater defensive pressure and a faster tempo on offense. They hope to be a formidable opponent by the time the Pac-10 season gets under way.
Of the goal to reach the NCAA Tournament for a third straight season, Bender said, "It's a realistic one, but one that will not be easy."
That may be putting it mildly. |
"We are a hard team to read," Bender said. "Most times when you only lose two starters, you wouldn't have as many questions. When the two starters are Todd MacCulloch and Donald Watts, no doubt there will be some hesitation about how good this team will be." This will be a year of change in more ways than one. The Huskies will play their home games at Key Arena -- home to the Seattle Sonics -- while 72-year-old Hec Edmundson Pavilion undergoes an interior renovation. Washington has more victories (746) in Hec Edmundson than any school in the nation in its current home facility, and is 48-9 in the building over the last four seasons. The Huskies' only foray into Key Arena produced a 70-61 victory over 11th-ranked New Mexico last season. Will the renovation of the Huskies' squad be a smooth one? That depends on the production of Washington's backcourt and the progress of its frontcourt. Bender is greeting the challenge with a smile on his face. "Everybody's going to seek a new identity," he said. "But it's also one of those times in coaching that's kind of exciting, a time when other players have to step into new roles." That's true everywhere on the court. Returning point guard Senque Carey (8.7 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 3.2 apg, .418 FG percentage, .755 FT percentage) started 18 games last year as a true freshman and has firm control of the Huskies' reins. Carey scored in double figures 11 times in a 13-game stretch at midseason, including 19 at Arizona and at home vs. UCLA. He was good enough that sophomore Dan Dickau announced he was transferring at midseason when he couldn't win back his job after being injured. But Carey hit the wall down the stretch, averaging just 2.8 points over the Huskies' final four games and shooting 25 percent over that span. "Going through the good and the bad and knowing how to deal with it makes him that much more prepared," Bender said. "He's got to be more aggressive looking to shoot this year. His knowledge is much greater, and the leadership role presents no problems for him." A key in Carey's development will be his ability to stay out of foul trouble. Bender hopes the 6-3 sophomore can provide 35-40 minutes per game for a club without another true point guard. Some of that responsibility -- when Carey is off the floor but even when he's playing -- will fall into the lap of 6-4 junior Michael Johnson (4.6 ppg, 1.7 rpg, .459 FG percentage, .324 three-point percentage, .667 FT percentage), who figures to step into Watts' shooting guard slot. "With the loss of Dan (Dickau), true ballhandlers are at a premium," Bender said. "Michael has the ability to help Senque with the ball. I know that he wants it. Michael's a piece of the puzzle that's very important for us." The Huskies will stay with a three-guard alignment, and 6-5 Deon Luton (14.3 ppg, 2.1 rpg, 2.0 apg, .439 FG percentage, .352 three-point percentage, .788 FT percentage) returns for his senior season. A former high school center, Luton has developed into an effective finisher on the break and a very real perimeter threat. Without Watts' ability to generate his own shot, the Huskies need Luton to show an ability to create off the dribble. "That's the step in his progress he's got to show this year," Bender said. "The thing that has always held him back is more the confidence in his ballhandling than his ballhandling skills. "People are going to play him at the three-point line to take away the long shot, and he's got to be able to put it on the floor and manufacture the medium-range game." Providing depth at the wings are 6-6 junior Greg Clark (3.2 ppg, 2.7 rpg) and 6-5 sophomore Grant Leep (1.3 ppg, 0.7 rpg). Clark, a transfer from Long Beach State and the younger brother of Detroit Tigers first baseman Tony Clark, will spend less time shifting from the inside to the outside. Bender likes his ability to defend on the perimeter. He wants Clark to be a more effective long-range shooter. Leep also saw versatile duty last season, including a key defensive assignment against New Mexico's burly Kenny Thomas. Likewise, the Huskies plan to let Leep focus his energies exclusively on the wing position. The program's only freshman is 6-6 wing Ben Coffee (Benson Tech/Portland, Ore.), who could see playing time at a number of positions. Coffee averaged 13.9 ppg last season for a team ranked No. 1 in Oregon much of the season. Also available in the backcourt are 6-3 junior Bryan Brown (1.6 ppg), 6-2 senior walk-on Andrew Moritz (0.9 ppg) and 6-4 sophomore walk-on Travis Duty (0.7 ppg). The Huskies won't look to feed the ball inside as consistently as they did with MacCulloch, but 6-8 senior forward Chris Walcott (5.5 ppg, 2.9 rpg, .518 FG percentage, .768 FT percentage) and 6-6 junior Thalo Green (3.7 ppg, 2.2 rpg) are expected to fill greater roles. Walcott has added muscle to his frame, but still needs to prove he can consistently stroke the mid range shot in order to keep defenses honest. Green is a sneaky left-hander who surprised opponents as a freshman but saw defenses approach him differently last season. The Huskies could go small and play Walcott and Green at the same time, but that's not Bender's first preference. Ideally, one will hold down the power forward spot with 6-10, 265-pound sophomore transfer David Dixon at the center position. Dixon averaged 10.0 ppg and 9.0 rpg last season as a freshman at Tyler JC in Texas, arriving at Washington with three years of eligibility. Bender needs him to produce now. "We'd like him to play 30 minutes a game. Physically, he's ready to do that -- he's a big, strong kid," Bender said. "Two things could limit his playing time -- foul trouble and just conditioning and fatigue. We've got to get him to push himself beyond what he might think are his limits." Bender has high hopes for 6-9, 210-pound junior forward Will Perkins, a player in the mold of ex-Husky Mark Sanford. Perkins averaged 21.8 ppg and 10.8 rpg as a sophomore last season at Iowa Western JC. "He's not going to bang, but he knows how to use his quickness and keep his feet moving," Bender said. Sophomore Marlon Shelton (0.4 ppg, 0.5 rpg in 13 games), a 6-9, 265-pounder, will get the chance to work his way into the frontcourt rotation, but also could be red-shirted if progress isn't evident.
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