Washington Basketball 2017-2018 Schedule

After late game heroics sealed a victory for the Washington Basketball team, the season awaits. Who will the team play and when?

The 1-0 Washington Basketball team are now officially on their way to the 2017-2018 season. Last night’s exhibition game was a thriller, and the outcome has the Huskies in a better place today.

For all the analysis, bravado, concerns, and trepidation, the training wheels are off now.  The Washington Huskies did win a close game, but there is plenty to clean up in the gym now.  The Huskies need to clean up their perimeter defense, and figure out how Saint Martin’s shooting guard was able to put up 32 points in a losing effort.

The Washington basketball court has undergone a makeover in the offseason. The new court design is very picturesque and impressive.

For now, the season just one week away. But the team put up a gutsy performance in exhibition, and we’ll cover that in full in an upcoming article.  But for this review, we are taking a quick look at the Washington Basketball schedule this season, and sprinkling in some month by month analysis.

Let’s get started.

November kicks off new season schedule

November will likely find the Washington Basketball team streaking at times.  The team appears in one exhibition game to be far more cohesive.  For now, the defensive aspect of the 2-3 zone defense is very much a work in progress.  And it will continue to be throughout the month.

Since the team is still learning, I can project a 4-3 record for the month.  Of course, game analysis will follow.

Friday, Nov. 10 – UW vs. Belmont – 7 p.m. / Pac-12 Networks WA
Sunday, Nov. 12 – UW vs. Eastern Washington – 5 p.m. / Pac-12 Networks
Thursday, Nov. 16 – UW vs. Providence – 6:30 p.m. / ESPN2 – at Madison Square Garden (2k Sports Classic
Friday, Nov. 17 – UW vs. Virginia Tech/Saint Louis – 2/4 p.m./ ESPN2- at Madison Square Garden (2K Sports Classic)
Friday, Nov., 24 – UW vs. Seattle U – 12 p.m. / Pac-12 Networks
Sunday, Nov. 26 – UW vs. UC Davis – 5 p.m. / Pac-12 Networks
Tuesday, Nov. 28 – UW vs. Kennesaw State – 6 p.m. / Pac-12 Networks

In the end, the team will slowly improve, but it won’t be a straight line. There will be some mental breakdowns, and likely a surprise win and a surprise loss. But the team will improve over time.

December is Dawg Eat Dawg month

Competition heats up for the Washington Huskies as the temperatures cool off.  The team runs into two powerhouse teams in Kansas and Gonzaga this month, and will definitely give the team great feedback as to how good the program has progressed.

Expect to see a stingier defense this month at times as the players begin to understand their roles and responsibilities.  Once more, I project a 4-3 record in this month. That brings the team to 8-6.

Sunday, Dec. 3 – UW vs. Nebraska Omaha – 4 p.m. / Pac-12 Networks
Wednesday, Dec. 6 – UW vs. Kansas – 6 p.m. / ESPN2 – in Kansas City, Mo. (Sprint Center)
Sunday, Dec. 10 – UW vs. Gonzaga – 5 p.m. / Pac-12 Networks

Sunday, Dec. 17 – UW vs. Loyola Marymount – 3 p.m. / Pac-12 Networks
Tuesday, Dec. 19 – UW vs. Bethune-Cookman – 7 p.m. / Pac-12 Networks WA
Friday, Dec. 22 – UW vs. Montana – 8 p.m. / Pac-12 Networks

Friday, Dec. 29 – UW at USC – 7:30 p.m. / Pac-12 Networks
Sunday, Dec. 31 – UW at UCLA – 5 p.m. / Pac-12 Networks

After Christmas, the Washington Basketball team enters the Pac-12 competition. This will be the first occasion for Coach Hopkins to experience conference play.  Likewise, this will mark the first time Pac-12 teams face Hopkins.

January is a new year

The month of January 2018 begins the new calendar year, but also marks the difficult phase of a new semester colliding with collegiate athletics.  As a result, the month will only have six games scheduled.

The “new to Pac-12” continues as Coach Hopkins plays into the heart of the Pac-12 schedule. In fact, he will face the Washington State Cougars twice this month. Look for four wins for the Huskies in January

Saturday, Jan. 6 – UW at Washington State – 1 p.m. / Pac-12 Networks

Thursday, Jan. 11 – California at UW – 8 p.m. / Pac-12 Networks
Saturday, Jan. 13 – Stanford at UW – 5 p.m. / Pac-12 Networks

Thursday, Jan. 18 – UW at Utah – 7 p.m. / Pac-12 Networks
Saturday, Jan. 20 – UW at Colorado – 3 p.m. / Pac-12 Networks

Sunday, Jan. 28 – Washington State at UW – 5 p.m. / ESPNU

While the Pac-12 is very competitive in Men’s Basketball, the Huskies will find some wins this month.  In fact, the team will emerge from the month with a 12-8 record.

You will love February valentines

As the team enters February 2018, they will be playing some of their best basketball.  They will need all that and more, as the competition increases as well.   By this time, the team enters February with a 4-4 conference record, and a 12-8 overall record.

But the Pac-12 won’t cut the Washington Basketball team any breaks. The competition toughens, and the team emerges with just a 3-5 record for the month.

Thursday, Feb. 1 – Arizona State at UW – 8 p.m. / Pac-12 Networks
Saturday, Feb. 3 – Arizona at UW – 7:30 p.m. / Pac-12 Networks

Thursday, Feb. 8 – UW at Oregon – 7 p.m. / FS1
Saturday, Feb. 10 – UW at Oregon State – 7 p.m. / ESPNU

Thursday, Feb. 15 – Utah at UW – 6 p.m. / Pac-12 Networks
Saturday, Feb. 17 – Colorado at UW – 5 p.m. / Pac-12 Networks

Thursday, Feb. 22 – UW at Stanford – 6 p.m. / Pac-12 Networks
Saturday, Feb. 24 – UW at California – 1:30 p.m. / Pac-12 Networks

Still, the team is 15-13 by month’s end.

Marching to the Pac-12 championship

At 15-13 entering March 2018, the Washington Basketball team will end up the season at .500.  While I would love to state the team does better, I can’t at this early juncture. But a .500 season after a devastating 9-22 run last year is a significant improvement.

Thursday March 1 – Oregon State at UW – 8 p.m. / ESPN2
Saturday, March 3 – Oregon at UW – 12/2/4 p.m. / Pac-12 Networks WA

The team will then find it’s way to the first round of the Pac-12 playoffs.  Depending on that first contest, the Huskies could find an early out, or could play on to round two.  Now, this is not a true basketball powerhouse. But the team has enough talent to surprise a team or two if it all comes together.

Next: How will Washington basketball team handle Coach Hopkins?

In the end, this is a good test for a new team. But the Washington Basketball team is a very talented and focused group of young men.  With the coaching change, the passion of the team has been stoked to red hot. Will that translate onto the court?  Stranger things have happened.