Thomas hits buzzer beater as Huskies repeat as Pac-10 champions 77-75 over Wildcats!

By Kshell

With the game tied at 75-75 the Washington Huskies decided not to call timeout. Instead the Huskies asked co-captain Isaiah Thomas to deliver once again. At Staples Center Thomas did what Kobe Bryant has done in that same stadium many of times. Thomas dribbled down the clock stepped back and hit a buzzer beater to give the Washington Huskies(23-10,11-7) a 77-75 overtime victory over the #16 Arizona Wildcats(27-7,14-4) to repeat as Pac-10 tournament champions. Just like when these teams played in Seattle Thomas was the star of the game. Thomas scored 28 points, dished out seven assists, grabbed five rebounds and played all but two possessions in three days for the Huskies. Just like the previous meeting this game came down to the wire once again. Momentum had swung so many times this game the difference was Thomas was determined. Thomas became the first player since Sean Elliot to win back to back tournament MVP awards. Now the Huskies are riding high and guaranteed a trip to the NCAA tournament.

The first half was played at a fast pace which favors both teams. The Huskies were led by Thomas who carried the team on his back to keep them in the game. The Arizona Wildcats built a nine point lead but the Huskies would rally to trail by a score of 36-33. The Wildcats shot 13-27(48.1%) from the field but unlike last game were just 4-11(36.4%) from three point range. The Wildcats also struggled at free throws making just 6-11(54.5%). Pac-10 player of the year Derrick Williams led the Wildcats with seven points on two for three shooting with four rebounds. The Huskies had shot 12-28(42.9%) from the field and 5-11(45.4%) from three point range. The Huskies had outrebounded the Wildcats 13-11 as well.

The Huskies were led by Thomas who scored 19 points on six for nine shooting, including three for four from three point range and was perfect in four free throw attempts. Without Thomas the Huskies would have been blown out. The Huskies next leading scorer was Scott Suggs who scored five points on two for five shooting including a three. The Huskies received solid play from big man Aziz N'Diaye who scored just two points on one for three shooting but did have five rebounds while playing tough defense. Thomas needed more help from his teammates which he would receive in the second half.

The second half would feature plenty of momentum swings which would escalate this game to instant classic status. Thomas teammates would decide to step up like Terrence Ross who scored 12 points in the second half/overtime. The Huskies would receive nine points from Matthew Bryan-Amaning as well as he was held scoreless in the first half. The Huskies had built up a six point lead but would then miss six straight free throws which has been their downfall for years now. Then the game looked lost for the Huskies trailing 63-59 with under 40 seconds left. After a miss Thomas drilled a three pointer to pull within 63-62. The Huskies instead of fouling immediately decided to try and press which burned them. Suggs fouled Williams after he had already made the bucket, Williams then hit the free throw which everyone thought iced the game at 66-62. The Huskies freshman would step up huge as Ross would drill a three pointer to cut the lead to 66-65. After two made free throws the Huskies had the ball down three. Thomas sliced through the lane which the Wildcats collapsed on him and he kicked it out to an open C.J. Wilcox who was also scoreless in the first half drilled the three pointer to tie the game. Wilcox scored nine points in the second half. The Huskies had somehow sent the game to overtime.

Then in overtime the Huskies the freshman continued to hit as Ross and Wilcox hit buckets to give the Huskies a 73-70 lead. Then with the Huskies overcoming Bryan-Amaning fouling out on a suspect call the Huskies were clinging to a 75-72 lead. Then Kevin Parrom hit a three pointer to tie the score up at 75-75. Many thinking we would be heading for another overtime but Thomas who probably knew he had maybe one last possession in him. Thomas waved off Romar for the timeout and was going to win it himself. Thomas drove to the top of the key, stopped faded back and swished the bucket with no time left. The first buzzer beater for the Huskies since 2000 when Senque Carey hit the game winner at California. For Thomas he cemented his legacy at Washington forever much like Quincy Pondexter did last year against Marquette.

For the Huskies they finished the game with a repeat Pac-10 championship. The Huskies also beat the top two teams in the Pac-10 four out of five games. The only loss was by a single point as well. The Huskies for the game shot 30-66(45.5%) from the field, 9-25(36.0%) from three point range and outrebounded the Wildcats 37-27. The picture to the right says a thousand words. Thomas was the ultimate warrior this tournament having sat out a combined two possessions in three straight days. Thomas finished as the tournament MVP for the second straight year. Thomas finished the game with 28 points on 10-16 shooting from the field and four for seven from three pointers. Thomas also had seven assists which set a Pac-10 tournament record with 30 assists. Thomas grabbed five rebounds and recorded two steals. He also carried his team in the first half and then with the game on the line Thomas hit the game winning shot as the Huskies showed once again they play their best ball in March. The key was in the second half Thomas received help from his teammates.

For the Huskies you had the freshman step up once again. Led by first team all tournament team Terrence Ross scored 16 points on 7-13 shooting including two for five from three point range. The next leading scorer was Matthew Bryan-Amaning who scored nine points on 3-10 shooting as he fouled out in 24 minutes. C.J. Wilcox added nine points on four for nine shooting including the three pointer to send the game into overtime. The Huskies received good play from their big men off the bench as Darnell Gant scored six points while hitting a three pointer and recorded eight rebounds with two block shots. Aziz N'Diaye showed his value today scoring four points on two for four shooting but pulled down seven rebounds in just 18 minutes. Thomas carried the team in the first half but like always it was a total team effort to win this Pac-10 championship.

Overall the Huskies have just won their second straight Pac-10 tournament championship and third overall. Since 2005 the Huskies have won four Pac-10 championships if you count their 2008-09 regular season title. The Huskies are 23-10 on the year with six of those losses coming by five points or less. The Huskies went 2-0 in that scenario this tournament so if they can solve the close game problems they could go on a run. The Huskies clinched their third straight trip to the NCAA tournament with this big win. The Huskies also proved that you can't ever count them out ever as this is the second straight year they entered the Pac-10 tournament as the third seed and walked away with the title. The Huskies will wait tomorrow to see who they play and where. At least the Huskies know they are going to the tournament which this time last week nobody would have predicted this. The Huskies are now in the NCAA tournament and once you are there anything can happen. If Thomas plays like he did this tournament the Huskies will be a tough team to beat.

Observations:

- Thomas is the tournament MVP which was the most obvious choice since name Charlie Sheen the craziest man in hollywood. Thomas put on an MVP performance and has ended his slump greatly. Thomas scored when the team needed him to like he showed in the first half. He dished the ball to open teammates all week including a great assist to Wilcox to tie the game up. Then like Pondexter last year with the game on the line he stepped it up and nailed the game winning shot.

For the tournament Thomas averaged 19.7 points per game, 10.0 APG, 3.3 RPG, and 2.7 steals a game. Thomas shot 20-40(50.0%) from the field including 8-16(50.0%) from three point range. Thomas also played all but two possessions in three days. Thomas averaged 41.0 minutes a game considering college basketball is only 40 minutes long that is incredible. Thomas proved why he is a winner. Thomas has destroyed the Wildcats this year averaging 20.7 points per game and 9.0 assists per game. He is shooting 21-37(56.8%) from the field and 6-12(50.0%) from three point range. Since he has came to UW he has only won a Pac-10 regular season title as a freshman, then his sophomore and junior year won back to back Pac-10 tournament titles. Thomas also cemented his legacy as a Husky legend and if he comes back next year he'll be the all-time leading scorer and assist man in Huskies history.

- What a roller coaster ride for freshman Terrence Ross this season. Ross who played a combined four minutes in the last home series of the year against the L.A. schools found himself starting this week. Not only that but Ross found himself on the all tournament team unlike with such studs like Klay Thompson, Derrick Williams and of course Isaiah Thomas. Ross came up big for the Huskies all three games. Today Ross finished 16 points with 12 of them coming in the second half. Ross can shoot the three ball and slash to the hole for easy dunks. He is going to be a special player for the Huskies down the road.

Ross finished the tournament averaging 15.3 points per game while shooting 19-36(52.7%) from the field and made 6-17(35.3%) from three point range. Ross provided a lift that the Huskies desperatly were lacking recently. Another freshman who had a nice week was C.J. Wilcox who averaged 13.0 points per game while shooting 13-28(46.4%) from the field including 9-20(45.0%) from three point range. Wilcox hit the biggest three of his life against the Wildcats today to send the game into overtime. The Huskies freshman carried the load along with Thomas this week in L.A. Hopefully the seniors can join them in the NCAA tournament.

- The Pac-10 player of the year Derrick Williams had another strong game. Williams finished the game with 24 points on 8-14 shooting while pulling down 11 rebounds. Williams also played 40 minutes which is quite a lot for a big man. Williams did struggle from the foul line shooting just 8-13(61.5%). Williams for the year against the Huskies has averaged 24.0 points per game with 11 rebounds a game. Williams has shot 24-45(53.3%) from the field against the Huskies.

Williams on the year normally shoots 61.7% from the field. Unlike most teams in the Pac-10 the Huskies have three quality big men on defense in Matthew Bryan-Amaning, Darnell Gant and Aziz N'Diaye. Those three big men make Williams earn each and every bucket he makes. The Huskies play a good defense on him and make him earn his points at the foul line. Although he still puts up numbers the Huskies have done a nice job this year of containing Williams.

- Big win for Lorenzo Romar goes without saying. For Romar he improves to 13-5(.722) in the Pac-10 tournament. Romar has led the Huskies to the championship game four times now where he has won his last three. The Huskies for the second straight year have underachieved in the regular season find themselves playing their best ball at the right time.

Romar has admitted this has been his toughest year coaching yet. When you break down what this team has overcame it is pretty incredible. First the team loses top reserve Elston Turner who transfered unexpectaly. Then the Terrence Jones fiasco where everyone thought he was going to Washington. Then the Huskies lost big man Tyrese Breshers for his career. Then the Huskies lost starting point guard Abdul Gaddy to injury for the rest of the year. You add in the Venoy Overton off the court issues and losing to crappy teams you can understand Romar's statement.

However as I type this the Huskies are right where they want to be. The Huskies are back in the NCAA tournament for their third straight year and sixth time in eight years. Romar has his critics and I have been critical of him in the past I'll admit. Romar made some nice adjustments this week which I'll give him credit for. He changed his starting lineup and instead of playing with other teams style the Huskies are making teams play with theirs. Also with your five best scorers out there the Huskies are no longer slumping on offense. Romar believes in his guys and they believe in him. There is a reason why nobody on that roster is surprised that they repeated as Pac-10 champions. When a coach has confidence in you no matter what happens the players respond. The players responded but Romar deserves all the credit.

All in all, the Huskies continue to amaze me. I don't know what to think of this team. Can this team crap the bed and lose next Thursday? Sure they can. Can this team finally go on a run and make the final four? Sure they can. With this team it's all about matchups and locations rather than seeds. Just remember tomorrow if you don't like the seed we would have killed to be in this spot a week ago when things looked pretty dark. The Huskies received an incredible three day stretch by Thomas that I've never seen before. Thomas knew he had no backup at all and seemed to get better as the tournament wore on. Thomas found a way to win the duel with Thompson on Thursday, hit a big shot on Friday to beat the Ducks then today did everything including hit a buzzer beater. Thomas and the two freshman carried the Huskies this week along with good play from Gant. The Huskies will need their seniors to step up next week if they expect to advance in the tournament. Just remember at least the Huskies are back in the tournament. I give Romar for changing the starting lineup once again. The Huskies are back in the dance and are Pac-10 champions once again.

Williams steps up huge as #12 Arizona survives 87-86 over Washington

By Kshell

In a game which featured a "white out" theme the atmosphere was electric in Tucson, Arizona. When a game lives up to the hype you have an instant classic which was the case today as Derrick Williams led the 12th ranked Arizona Wildcats(23-4,12-2) to a controversial one point victory over the Washington Huskies(18-8,10-5). This win by the Wildcats basically clinched the Pac-10 title for the Wildcats while the Huskies will have a long plane ride home wondering what could have been. The Huskies once again couldn't come through down the stretch falling to 0-5 in games decided by less than five points. Unlike last game where Thomas pulled ahead in the player of the year race, Williams probably clinched the award. Williams scored 26 points including a huge three pointer to give the Wildcats the lead and grabbed 11 rebounds. Williams also had two blocks including the game winner which had some controversy on it which I'll talk about later. Just like in games past in this rivalry the Huskies and Wildcats put on another instant classic and showed the nation the Pac-10 can play good basketball. The Huskies showed they can hang tough on the road now they need to finally win one of these games.

The Arizona Wildcats shot lights out in the first half. The Huskies simply couldn't keep up. The Wildcats led by as many as 12 points and if not for freshman C.J. Wilcox keeping the Huskies in the game the Huskies could have been blown out. The Huskies hung tough in the first half but found themselves trailing 49-40. The Wildcats shot 15-37(40.5%) from the field but an unrealistic 8-11(72.7%) from three pointers and 11-13(84.6%) from the free throw line. The Huskies didn't shoot bad though shooting 13-28(46.4%) from the field but just 3-12(25.0%) from three point range and just 11-16(68.8%) from the foul line. In the first half Williams was the star for Arizona scoring 11 points on three for eight shooting including a three pointer while grabbing seven rebounds. The Wildcats dominated the rebounds in the first half.

For the Huskies they were led by freshman C.J. Wilcox who overcame two air balls to score 11 points on four for eight shooting including hitting two three pointers. Isaiah Thomas scored eight points on two for two shooting while dishing out six assists. Matthew Bryan-Amaning scored six points on three for seven shooting and Justin Holiday scored five points on two for five shooting including a three pointer. The Huskies were getting killed on the three pointers and rebounds. In the second half they would correct that which would make for a terrific second half.

In the second half the Huskies started to penetrate the Wildcats defense. Several times Thomas or Venoy Overton would drive the rim and dish to Bryan-Amaning for an easy dunk. Bryan-Amaning scored 18 points on 9-12 shooting in the second half. Wilcox continued to be on fire scoring eight points and nailed both three point attempts. The Huskies in the second half 21-35(60.0%) from the field in the second half. The Huskies even took the lead and stretched it to four points. Then in the final two minutes the Wildcats trailing 84-82 Williams showing why he is the player of the year hit his second three pointer of the game as he scored 10 points in the final six minutes. Then Darnell Gant scored on a putback to give the Huskies a 86-85 lead with 40 seconds to go. With 24 seconds left after a Wildcats miss Solomon Hill scored the putback to give the Wildcats a 87-86 lead. After Lorenzo Romar called timeout the Huskies fed the ball to the hot hand in Bryan-Amaning which the refs called a controversial travel with three seconds to go in the game. The Wildcats failed to inbound the pass so the Huskies had one last chance. Thomas inbounded the ball to Gant who put up the shot and it was apparently blocked by Williams. The Huskies had 0.2 seconds left. That blocked looked more like a goaltending call and if it was a block there should have been 0.9 seconds left. As is the Huskies lose another close game.

The Huskies finished with a tough loss but showed once again they can hang with the best teams in hostile environments. The Huskies now must learn to win these games as they fall to 0-5 in games decided by five points or less. For the Huskies Matthew Bryan-Amaning was the star of the game scoring 24 points on 12-19(63.1%) from the field while grabbing eight rebounds. Bryan-Amaning also tied a school record with seven block shots, stole four passes and dished out four assists. Considering he was going up against a lottery pick both games this year Bryan-Amaning held his own against Williams. Once again for the fourth straight game C.J.Wilcox had a big game scoring 19 points on 7-11(63.6%) from the field and 4-8(50.0%) from three point range. Isaiah Thomas finished with just 12 points on four for nine shooting but did dish out 10 assists. Justin Holiday added 11 points on four for eight shooting. Darnell Gant making his first start since early December scored seven points on three for six shooting with seven rebounds. Venoy Overton scored six points on two for four shooting with three assists. The Huskies played a pretty good game blocking 11 shots, stealing eight passes and committing just 11 turnovers. For the game the Huskies shot 34-63(54.0%) and 13-18 from the foul line(72.2%) when you see those stats that usually results in a win. The Huskies battled and came up short nothing to be depressed about.

The Huskies must come to grips with reality that they won't win the Pac-10 regular season title. The Huskies played a close game and could have easily been blown out given that the Wildcats haven't lost a game at home all year. The Huskies have now lost by a combined two points to two top 15 teams(Texas A & M and Arizona) on the road. The Huskies have proven they can play with anyone in the country now they need to prove they can beat those teams. Hard to be to upset with this loss which the game came down the final possession which in Seattle they call goaltending and the Huskies win. The Huskies won't be playing a true road game rest of the year and won't face a hostile crowd until possibly Pac-10 tournament(semifinal matchup with UCLA potentially). The Huskies are playing well as a team and with Overton and Wilcox appearing to have turned the corner the Huskies should be fine. If the Huskies win out they'll take second place in the conference which means for the fifth time in the last eight years the Huskies will have finished in the top two in the conference.

Observations:

- Once again Matthew Bryan-Amaning played a really good game. Yet the same fan base who will get upset if you don't say Jake Locker is the greatest quarterback of all-time in Huskies history will continue to bash on Bryan-Amaning I simply don't get it. Does Bryan-Amaning miss some easy shots? Probably but he is still shooting close to 60.0% on the year and played perhaps his best game of his career.

Bryan-Amaning who was going up against Derrick Williams who will be a top five lottery pick in this years draft had another good game against Williams. Bryan-Amaning finished with 24 points, 8 rebounds, 7 blocks, 4 steals and 4 assists. Look at those numbers again before you rag on Bryan-Amaning. Against Williams this year the best big man he has faced all year Bryan-Amaning in two games averaged 21.0 PPG, 7.5 RPG and 5.0 blocks per game. He also shot 19-32(59.4%) from the field against Williams. Williams against the Huskies this year has averaged 24.0 PPG, 11.0 RPG and 1.0 BPG while shooting 16-31(51.6%) from the field. So Williams is slighty getting the better of the matchup and considering he is a lottery pick Bryan-Amaning is doing just fine in this matchup.

- Once again C.J. Wilcox appears to be finally healthy or over the freshman wall. Whatever it is this makes the Huskies a dangerous team going forward. If you are going to be a three point shooting team you need Wilcox to be that guy. Wilcox and Scott Suggs I have no problem with jacking up a bunch of threes because they are shooters. Wilcox kept the Huskies in this game with his shooting scoring 19 points one shy of a career high and easily his best Pac-10 game.

Wilcox in the past four games is averaging 14.8 points per game. He is shooting 20-37(54.0%) from the field and shooting 14-31(45.1%) from three point range during this four game stretch. As you have noticed Wilcox on two point shots is a perfect six for six. He is starting to drive a little bit and pull up for the easy two point shot. He has hit 44 three pointers already and considering he had a 11 game stretch where he made just five three pointers that is pretty impressive. When Suggs returns the Huskies will have two great three point shooters which should open up drives by Thomas and Overton.

- The officiating in this game was downright horrible. I didn't want to blame the refs and by no way am I blaming the refs but star treatment towards Derrick Williams was ridiculous. Williams played 35 minutes and didn't record a single foul despite being a big guy who bangs inside. I'm sure the argument will be "well they let the kids play". Not exactly since Aziz N'Diaye had four fouls, Darnell Gant had four fouls and Matthew Bryan-Amaning had three fouls. Williams went to the foul line nine times while Bryan-Amaning despite attempting 19 field goal attempts which are all short range didn't shoot a single free throw.

The final three seconds also said a lot about the refs. After all game the Huskies getting bodied they called a suspect traveling call on Bryan-Amaning. Then the non goal tending call on Gant from the Williams block. If you are letting the kids play then don't call a suspect traveling call on Bryan-Amaning. Like I said the refs didn't lose the game for the Huskies but it sure felt like the Huskies were robbed. Oh by the way the Huskies shot just two free throws in the entire second half.

- The main reason the Wildcats won the game was because of rebounding. The normally good rebounding Huskies were outrebounded 35-22 including the Wildcats grabbing 16 offensive rebounds. Williams also wrapped up the Pac-10 player of the year award.

When the game was on the line Williams came up huge scoring 10 points including a three pointer. He also had the block that ultimately won the Wildcats the Pac-10 regular season title. This will be Arizona's first Pac-10 regular season championship since the 2004-2005 season which saw the Wildcats go to the elite 8.

The Sophomore forward on the year is averaging 19.7 points per game, 8.1 rebounds a game and shooting 63.1% from the field. He was also 2-2 from three's against the Huskies which was no accident. He is 27-40(67.5%) on the year from three point range. In Pac-10 play he is 14-21(66.7%) from three point range. So him shooting open three's isn't just some regular big guy shooting from the outside. This is why Williams will be a lottery pick because he is such a good scorer. He is the best player in the conference and is on the Pac-10 championship team. Open and shut case Derrick Williams will be the Pac-10 player of the year and should be.

- Whenever you lose a close game the first person to be second guessed is almost always the coach. In this game I won't second guess Lorenzo Romar although the Huskies fall to 0-5 in games decided by five points or less and 1-7 in games by 10 points or less.

However if you look at Romar's record in such games he is 28-26(.518) in games by five points or less and is 65-54(.546) in games decided by 10 points or less. Obviously those records aren't great but they aren't as bad as most would think. Before this year no Romar NCAA tournament team had ever had a losing record in these close games. So obviously this year is the exception and not the rule. Last year the Huskies were 4-2 in games decided by five points or less and 10-4 in games by 10 points or less.

The reason the Huskies don't win close games this year isn't because of Romar more so they don't have a go to guy. For an example when Brandon Roy was a Junior and Senior the Huskies were 12-2(.857) in games by five points or less and 22-8(.733) in games by 10 points or less. However the Huskies are just 11-20(.354) in five points or less and 35-34(.507) in games by 10 points or less. Romar didn't suddenly forget how to coach games down the stretch but he didn't recruit a player who be that go to guy. Quincy Pondexter was last year which is why the Huskies did well in those close games. This year they don't have that guy hopefully next year Terrence Ross or Tony Wroten who are both big guards can be that go to guy.

All in all the Huskies played a good tough game on the road and came up short again. The Huskies will finish the year with a game at Seattle University which will see plenty of Purple at Key Arena. Then the Huskies will close the year out with three straight home games. Unless the Huskies fall apart for the third straight year they'll be playing in the NCAA tournament. The Huskies are starting to come together as a team and the only concern is finding a go to guy. The Huskies can still take second place in the conference which wasn't the goal but still better than last year. The Huskies will be in good shape and this loss proved that the Pac-10 is back and the Huskies are starting to play well as a team. I'm not a believer in moral victories but the Huskies showed a lot more in losing than they had the previous three losses. The Huskies will be fine and this season will ultimately be judge based on what they do in March whether that is fair or not. The Huskies must learn to win these close games if they want to reach their first elite 8 under Lorenzo Romar.

Thomas leads #20 Huskies over #25 Wildcats 85-68

By Kshell

Isaiah Thomas recorded another double-double in a battle for first place in the Pac-10. The #20 Washington Huskies(14-4,6-1) defeated the Arizona Wildcats(15-4,4-2) for the fourth straight year in a big Pac-10 battle 85-68. The Huskies were once again led by their big three players of Isaiah Thomas who scored 22 points and dished out 10 assists, Justin Holiday who also scored 22 points and Matthew Bryan-Amaning who scored 18 points and grabbed seven rebounds. The Huskies overcame poor free throw shooting with great defense and some hustle. Along with some ESPN highlight dunks the Huskies showed once again why they are 45-3 in their last 48 home games.



The Huskies in the first half traded runs with the Wildcats the entire half. The Huskies would have a 10 point lead only to see the Wildcats cut it to two points in a matter of minutes. Some first half highlights saw Isaiah Thomas at the top of the drive to the hole and lob up a high pass where Matthew Bryan-Amaning threw down a hard dunk to tie the score up at 4-4. Then later in the game once again Thomas drove and threw an alley oop to Venoy Overton who threw it down to give the Huskies a 30-20 lead. That dunk had the Huskies dawg pack going crazy. Arizona would rally from that to see themselves only trail 36-31 at halftime.

At halftime the Huskies were led by Thomas who had 12 points on four for seven shooting including two for three from three point range. Thomas also had four assists but was just two for six from the free throw line. Justin Holiday hit his first five shots of the game in socring 12 points on five for six shooting and was two for two from the foul line. The Huskies led by the big man duo of Aziz N'Diaye and Darnell Gant along with help from Bryan-Amaning held Arizona superstar Derrick Williams to just seven points on two for seven shooting from the field. The Huskies shot 13-29(44.8%) from the field but only 3-10(30%) from three point range and an awful 8-12(66.7%) from the free throw line.



In the second half saw both big men wake up. The Wildcats Williams started the second half scoring six points in a row while Bryan-Amaning had scored eight straight for the Huskies. The second half saw the Wildcats grab their first lead of the game at 44-43. That is when the Huskies started to turn up the heat on defense which featured some key plays. The turning point in the game was when the Huskies were up 56-50, Darnell Gant had turned the ball over but hustled down the court to get a huge rejection. Then to save the ball Thomas dove into the stands to save the pass. After he finally got back he brought the ball up and then fired a pass to Gant for an open three pointer which he drilled to give the Huskies a 59-50 lead. After an Arizona timeout the dawg pack was going nuts. Then the dagger in the game was with the Huskies up 70-61 with four minutes to go Holiday hit a three pointer to go up 73-61. At that point the Wildcats basically gave up and the Huskies rolled to an 85-68 win.



The Huskies prevailed once again at home by double figures. Under Lorenzo Romar the Huskies have the toughest home court advantage in the entire Pac-10. Including this year the Huskies have lost just two home games or less in seven of the last eight seasons. The Huskies were led by Isaiah Thomas who scored 22 points on 7-12 shooting including hitting two for three from three point range. Thomas who missed his first four three throws would end up making his last six. Thomas would once again show off his passing skills with 10 assists to just one turnover. He was helped out by Justin Holiday who added 22 points on 8-11 shooting while hitting two threes and was four for five from free throws. After a slow first half Matthew Bryan-Amaning ended up with 18 points on 7-13 shooting with seven rebounds and three blocks.

The Huskies also had great games from role players that doesn't show up in the box score. Starting center Aziz N'Diaye played a career high 27 minutes and while he only scored two points he did grab a team high eight rebounds and had a block. He also contained Derrick Williams. Darnell Gant was another unsung hero scoring just three points but added six rebounds and two block shots. Venoy Overton broke out of his slump scoring seven points and three assists on three for five shooting. Freshman Terrence Ross made just one shot but ended up with eight points by being agressive and making five of six from the foul line. The Huskies despite shooting 7-23(30.4%) from three point range and 20-31(64.5%) from the free line recorded a very important win.

The Huskies held onto homecourt and showed the rest of the conference beating them at home will be difficult. With the way Isaiah Thomas is playing the Huskies looks very unstoppable at times. With better shooting from either the three point line or free line the Huskies would have won by over 20 rather easily. As is Romar has his most balanced team he has ever had. This team features great guard play and good play from the bigs. Today was a battle for who was the best player in the Pac-10 and Thomas clearly won that battle. Thomas once again accounted for over half the Huskies points today through his points and assists. Romar has finally found the right rotation it appears and the Huskies are rolling.

Observations:


- When Romar signed Aziz N'Diaye it wasn't for run and gun teams. It was for big physical teams like Arizona, UCLA and USC. Although N'Diaye doesn't have great offensive stats on the year his impact defensively has been incredible.

His performance today along with Darnell Gant against Derrick Williams shouldn't go unnoticed. Williams still scored 22 points with 11 rebounds but shot 8-15(53.3%) a far cry from his usual 64.7% from the field. N'Diaye played a career high 27 minutes and Gant played 18 minutes. Combined those two added just five points but had 14 rebounds and three block shots.

Those two doing the dirty work on Williams allowed Matthew Bryan-Amaning to stay out of foul trouble. Bryan-Amaning scored 18 points grabbed seven rebounds with three blocks. Bryan-Amaning scored 14 points in the second half and traded bucket for bucket with Williams. Bryan-Amaning showed that he is one of the elite big men in the Pac-10. When Bryan-Amaning is named first team all Pac-10 he should thank N'Diaye and Gant for doing the little things that typically go unnoticed.



- Venoy Overton for the second straight game came off the bench. Overton looked like the Overton of old which was full of passion and great energy. We can all speculate why he played poorly in the Bay Area but he played well against Arizona.

He had seven points including an amazing alley oop dunk that brought back memories of Curtis Allen to Nate Robinson ironically also against Arizona. Overton also had back to back lay ups after Arizona pulled within three points. Both layups should have been called a foul but they weren't. Overton didn't do anything stupid and played his game.

When Overton is providing that spark off the bench the Huskies are a dangerous team. The Huskies have three scorers(Thomas, Holiday and Bryan-Amaning) and a defensive specialist(N'Diaye and Gant) they now need the fifth guy to step up. Terrence Ross at times has shown he can do that. Since Scott Suggs has been starting he hasn't done that. Ultimately though Overton will be asked to finish the games so he needs to step up his play. Hopefully for Overton he can get back to playing basketball instead of worrying about other distractions.



- Isaiah Thomas is playing out of his mind right now. He is passing(10 assists, passed Nate Robinson for 9th all-time in school history), scoring(22 points on just 7-12 shooting) and hustling(six rebounds, diving out of bounds). Thomas is having a magical season while completely changing his game.

Usually when a player changes his game that is because he was playing poorly. Thomas although at times was frustrating the old Thomas was still a great player. Thomas the last two years was only freshman of the year, first team all Pac-10, honorable mention the other year and Pac-10 tournament MVP. He also was part of a Pac-10 championship regular champion as a freshman and tournament champion as a sophomore.

When Abdul Gaddy went down the Huskies needed a point guard. Thomas took over and hasn't looked back. Thomas has had at least seven assists in six straight games now. He is scoring more points than he did before while taking smarter shots. Thomas with the Huskies high pick and roll are also getting the other teams big man in foul trouble. When Williams picked up his fourth foul with 10 minutes to go in the game that was the ballgame. Against UCLA, Josh Smith fouled out due to that play as well.

When Thomas is driving to the hole the other team has some options and none of them are good. The first option is to collapse on him and force him to pass it out. The problem with that is Thomas usually finds Matthew Bryan-Amaning for an easy bucket who is shooting 58.0% from the field. The second option is collapse on Thomas while still covering Bryan-Amaning. The problem with that is Thomas can kick it to a wide open three point shooter. The Huskies have four guys besides Thomas and the injured Gaddy who make a three pointer a game. The Huskies also have five guys besides those two who shoot 35% or better from three point range. The last option is to defend Thomas straight up. Well we all know why that is bad since Thomas will blow by anyone. With Thomas playing this way I don't see the Huskies losing very many more games the rest of the year.

Ultimately all the Huskies did was win a home game in the first half of the Pac-10 season. The Huskies still have 11 more games left in Pac-10 play which we have seen shows there is plenty of basketball left to be played. Unlike previous years the Huskies haven't trapped themselves into a corner where they are forced to go on a late run just to make the NCAA tournament. The Huskies barring a total collapse which I can't see happening in this conference or with this talent will make the NCAA tournament for the third straight year. Romar will keep his guys focused but today was another example of how hustle and defense can overcome anything. The Huskies shot terrible but were still victorious due to the hustle and defense. Oh yes this guy named Isaiah Thomas helps as well. When Thomas is setting up his teammates the Huskies look almost unstoppable.