Patience will return UW basketball to prominence

With the Mike Hopkins era underway for the Washington men’s basketball team, a major determinant of the Huskies’ long-term success will be patience from the fanbase and administration.

The Washington Basketball team ended the 2016-2017 season at 9-22.  As a result, Athletic Director Jen Cohen named Mike Hopkins the new men’s basketball head coach at the University of Washington. Still, the move was towards a turn to the positive, and not a temporary bandage to halt years of bleeding. Hopkins wants to build a legacy of his own in Seattle. Will he get the chance to do so?

With the Mike Hopkins era underway for the Washington men’s basketball program, a major determinant of the Huskies’ long-term success will be patience from the fanbase and administration.

Legacy

The call to any coach about to embark on his first head coach assignment, does so from a position of self-confidence and in desire to carve his own legacy into the sport.

But patience is not as easy as it sounds. When a college sport program has a tradition of winning, that is a tough addiction to break.  And with so much talent inherited from the previous coaching staff, the fans have some reason to expect results.

Demanding excellence

The University of Washington excels in both academics and athletic prowess. Still, in the past decade, fans witnessed the school’s two major sports programs – football and men’s basketball – collapse into irrelevance.

The Huskies were an afterthought in Pac-12 football for nearly 15 years. Despite a handful of warm memories thanks to Jake Locker, Keith Price, and continued Apple Cup dominance, the Washington Football team failed to enter the national conversation.  That simply left Washington fans left wanting more. And without Washington pushing to a Pac-12 championship, both USC and Oregon remained atop the conference on the west coast. Washington fans had to watch their foes compete with teams like Texas, Florida State, and Ohio State on national platforms. The Huskies’ nightmare run culminated in an 0-12 2008 season.

Football changed first

The fix for the Washington Football team arrived in the form of former Boise State head coach Chris Petersen. Cohen masterfully plucked Boise State’s beloved long-time coach from his position as the most prominent name outside the Power 5. His outstanding playcalling, recruiting, and preparation methods were noteworthy.  But when paired with the resources of a traditional Pac-12 powerhouse seated in a growing west coast metropolis — a very real threat to the dominance of Washington’s southern enemies.

Nearing the end of the fourth year of the Petersen era, Washington faithful and Seattle media are expressing disappointment with a two loss season. Washington demands excellence, and Cohen demonstrated that same expectation for the UW basketball program in March.

Patience with Romar

Similarly, the Washington basketball team struggled with declining results. As such, fans expected the front office to hold the program to the same standard of excellence. It’s no secret that Seattle is a basketball city without a professional basketball team. The Huskies are the only show in town and should be situated to claim the extensive amount of basketball talent in the city of Seattle.

Lorenzo Romar was a player’s coach. He was loved by fans and students because of his demeanor and his passion for the university. He was dedicated to creating a great basketball atmosphere at Washington and successfully established the UW as an NBA talent factory in his xx seasons as head coach.

Pedigree or accomplishments?

But atmosphere and pro talent aren’t in the DNA of Washington athletics. Winning is.

Romar was able to amass some of the most talented players in the Pac-12 on his rosters.  Still, that talent failed to translate, as the teams success dwindled each year.  Eventually, the team struggled to win more than 15 games with those rosters. On one hand his defensive game plans, in whatever form they were drawn up,  were typically shredded.  On the other hand, the offense depended on isolation drives and jumpers. As Arizona, Oregon, and UCLA matured into consistent tournament presences, Washington filtered into the bottom fourth of the conference. The patience for Romar finally ran dry after a nine win season.

Time for a cool change

When it comes to Hopkins, the patience shown for Romar is nothing but a good sign. Hopkins possesses some of the same characteristics: well-liked by players and extremely passionate for his university and fans. The difference is Hopkins’ demonstrated ability to coach great teams to great wins.

The match will not be an instant success for Hopkins and the Huskies. Growing pains are guaranteed, especially until the Hopkins-style recruits arrive on campus in the next few years, but the 2017 UW team is already showing promise. Veteran players have bought in to a new team culture and freshman players have already played meaningful minutes.

All for one…

Let’s be real. Did anyone expect freshman Jaylen Nowell to hit the floor running at a 20.4 points per game clip?  How about junior Noah Dickerson at 14.6 points and 7.8 rebounds per game? Could you have anticipated Matisse Thybulle with 12.4 points and 4.0 steals per game? Each player on the time contributes.

Next: Washington Basketball’s Coach Hopkins is on-two something!

Washington has returned to its standard of excellence and its basketball program will, eventually, rise out of irrelevancy. Hopkins is the right man for the job. All he needs now: patience.