ASU Basketball: 2019 Pac-12 Week 3 Power Rankings
By Trevor Booth
5. Washington Huskies
Picked to finish third in the Pac-12 preseason media poll, Washington’s first three games didn’t go as planned.
After cruising past Western Kentucky in its season opener, Washington was throttled by Auburn 88-66. Granted, the Tigers are among the strongest teams in the nation, but losing by 22 is disheartening.
Against sneaky mid-major opponent San Diego, the Huskies struggled to find their stride, defeating the Toreros by three. UW only shot about 41 percent from the field, but escaped on the backs of strong performances from guard Jaylen Nowell and forward Noah Dickerson.
It wasn’t until the following game where Washington started playing like a team some thought could compete for a top-four finish in the Pac-12.
The Huskies didn’t have much trouble to open the TCL Vancouver Showcase, handling winless Santa Clara 82-68 for a first round victory.
Leading the charge for UW was Nowell with 32 points. As a sophomore, he’s earned Pac-12 Player of the Week honors, averaging 20.8 points per game on the young season.
Coming into the year, many expected a Mike Hopkins-led team to be among the top defenses in the country, and the reputation was accurate against the Broncos.
Washington finished the game with seven blocks compared to Santa Clara’s one. On the defensive end, the Huskies outrebounded the Broncos 27 to 20.
In spite of early mixed results, Washington is 4-1 with three consecutive wins and an opportunity to win one more before returning to Seattle.
On Tuesday, Washington squeaked by SEC foe Texas A&M 71-67. UW concludes the tournament tonight against Minnesota, a 4-0 team wins over Omaha, Utah, A&M and Santa Clara to start the season.
– Field