What's To Be Of Our Huskies?

Before we get into this morning’s thoughts on Husky hoops, two big hurrahs!:

Congrats to Will Conroy who’s back in the NBA after signing a 10-day contract with the Rockets.

And, super congrats to Brandon Roy who made the Western Conference All-Star Team again.

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Instead of watching a Husky game Thursday night, I was sitting there trying to figure out what the rest of this unpredictable season might hold. It really is impossible to know what to expect with these guys. But that doesn’t mean I’m not going to try. Here’s my best guess, based on what we’ve all seen, as to what’s going to happen the rest of the way.

Today: The Dawgs are 13-7, 3-5 in the Pac-10 — good for eighth place. Cal leads the league with a 5-2 record, 2 1/2 games ahead of the Dawgs.

Saturday, at home vs. Wazzu: Tight game. Huskies win.  Hopefully (14-7, 4-5) their record at at that point is good enough for sixth place.

Thursday, Feb. 4, at home vs. Arizona: I think this might be the toughest matchup in the league for the Huskies. Still, if they play with fire, the Dawgs can beat anyone at Hec Ed. Another win. (15-7, 5-5)

Saturday, Feb. 6, at home vs. ASU: I actually think this is easier than the game against the Wildcats. We’re about halfway through the Pac-10 season and nothing about Arizona State actually scares me. We’ll solve their gimmick D and run away with this one. (16-7, 6-5)

Thursday, Feb. 11, at Cal: Just can’t see how we win this one. But even staying close in this one should give the Dawgs confidence going into Saturday. This also has blowout potential for the Dawgs as Cal will look to avenge their loss at Hec Ed. (16-8, 6-6)

Saturday, Feb. 13, at Stanford: Stanford’s got a few talented players, but I don’t think we won that first game simply because we were at home. This is the Huskies first win on the road all year, coming just in time to keep their remote hopes of a conference championship alive. (17-8, 7-6)

Thursday, Feb. 18, at home, USC: Tough to imagine the Huskies beating the Trojans after the hurting they put on the Dawgs in LA. Too tough for me to imagine. The good vibes of the Stanford win evaporate in a heartbreaker, as the Dawgs pull out to an early lead only to lose a close one. (17-9, 7-7)

Saturday, Feb. 20, at home, UCLA: The Dawgs bounce back on national TV, hoping the selection committee loses all video of the Huskies on the road and chooses them solely based on their blowout win in this game. Dawg domination on Quincy’s last game at Hec Ed — if they can bounce back from the USC loss two nights before. (18-9, 8-7)

Saturday, Feb. 27, at Wazzu: Tough game. Good matchup. If WSU finds themselves in the hunt for the conference championship, watch out Huskies. I’ve seen enough from Quincy Pondexter to think there’s an extra gear he’s going to turn on as the number of games he has left ticks down to a small handful. Big — possibly season preserving — win for the Huskies in Pullman. (19-9, 9-7)

Thursday, Mar. 5, at Oregon: Call this Ernie Kent’s third-to-last game, since that’s likely what it is. The beaten-down Ducks are mired near the bottom of the Pac-10 despite a talented roster, and Kent is, literally, a lame Duck. Meanwhile, the Huskies are two games out of first with two games to go. Dawgs win. (20-9, 10-7)

Sat., Mar. 7, at Oregon State: Book your tickets and hotel rooms now. The Huskies have a chance to earn a share of the Pac-10 regular-season title if they can beat the Beavers in Corvallis and Stanford finds a way to upset Cal. I see the Dawgs winning here. Stanford, though? No way. The Huskies fall a game short and finish tied for second in the Pac-10 with Arizona State. (21-9, 11-7)

Pac-10 Tournament: I love the idea of the Dawgs coming in with so much momentum and winning the whole thing, but I really can’t see it. Maybe we win a game or two, but ASU or Cal outside of Hec Ed? Nah. I’m saying we go ‘one and done’ in LA. (22-10, 11-7)

Selection Sunday: The type of finish I described would likely leave the Dawgs as a Bubble Team. In a different year, second or third in the Pac-10 would do it. This year? I’m not so sure. My gut tells me that this team, despite gathering hopefully together on Selection Sunday, is invited to the NIT, not the NCAA.

What do you think? Am I smoking something to think we’ll only lose two more times the rest of the regular season? Should I not have faith?

Would you rather read more about our road struggles? :-) Let’s hear what you think we’ll see the rest of the way…

Thanks for coming!