The Husky Haul
Fansided

Washington Basketball Coach Hopkins is just getting started

By Bret Stuter

LAS VEGAS, NV - MARCH 07: Assistant coach Cameron Dollar (L) and head coach Mike Hopkins of the Washington Huskies look on during a first-round game of the Pac-12 basketball tournament against the Oregon State Beavers at T-Mobile Arena on March 7, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Beavers won 69-66 in overtime. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NV - MARCH 07: Assistant coach Cameron Dollar (L) and head coach Mike Hopkins of the Washington Huskies look on during a first-round game of the Pac-12 basketball tournament against the Oregon State Beavers at T-Mobile Arena on March 7, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Beavers won 69-66 in overtime. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 4
Next
LAS VEGAS – AUGUST 14: Actor William Shatner, who played the character Capt. James T. Kirk in the original Star Trek series and films, speaks at the Star Trek convention at the Las Vegas Hilton August 14, 2005 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS – AUGUST 14: Actor William Shatner, who played the character Capt. James T. Kirk in the original Star Trek series and films, speaks at the Star Trek convention at the Las Vegas Hilton August 14, 2005 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) /

Hopkins beat the Kobayashi Maru

It very much paralled the Star Trek Kobayashi Maru test. Star Trek Captain James T. Kirk faced the no-win scenario. The task as to respond to the distress signal of a freighter, the USS Kobayashi Maru. Ignore the signal, and fail by ignoring the moral and command obligations to help others in distress. Respond, and end up surrounded by enemy Klingon battle cruisers.

That led to the unavoidalble outcome – perish against overwhelming odds. It was the no-win scenario designed to test how officers would react to a no-win situation. Kirk defeated the test by reprogramming the scenario.

Nine-win situation

That is what Coach Hopkins faced when he arrived. Fail at any one point, and the Washington Basketball team would struggle to improve.  Succeed, and the most optimistic projects set the team’s ceiling at .500.  That translates into a 15 or 16 win year.  And coming off of a nine-win season, 15 wins certainly appeared to be progress.  16 wins felt like the best anyone could hope for.

They are currently 21-12 and still going. It was not only the quick decision to commit 100 percent to the new coach which aided the team’s quick turn around, but the man they hired. He arrived with great knowledge and tenacity. It was that tenacity which instilled the possibility of defeating then-undefeated Kansas University into the minds of his players.  He did not see limits in his players. He saw their potential. And then, he worked with each to realize their full potential.

Home/Basketball