The Huskies (13-4, 4-0) continued to state their case that they are the class of the Pac-12 with their sixth win in a row. Behind 22 points from Jaylen Nowell, they earned an 80 to 64 decision over Stanford that snapped a 3 game losing streak to the Cardinal.
Keys to the Game
Welcome Home Daejon
The Garfield product and former Washington signee who got out of his letter-of-intent when Lorenzo Romar was fired was ineffective in his second return to Seattle. Davis went just 1-7 from the field, dished out just 2 assist (he averages about 5) and turned the ball over 5 times. In Stanford’s two wins over Washington last year Daejon Davis averaged 10 points, 7.5 rebounds and 7 assist. This caused many Washington fans to lament a playmaker who got away, Thursday he looked very ordinary.
It’s all about the ball.
In the Huskies win over Utah they had only 8 turnovers and they did even better Thursday with just 6. As often the case this season, the Huskies lost the rebounding battle (26 to 34) but they evened the tables by forcing 18 Stanford turnovers and turning them into 24 points. The Huskies also had 8 steals and 7 blocks creating several fast break opportunities.
Are the Huskies better without Noah Dickerson on the court?
A fairer question to Dickerson is, “Do the Huskies play better with four guards/wings?” Due to fouls and ineffectiveness Dickerson played just 11 minutes. It’s worth noting he played only 20 and 22 respectively in the past two games. Yes, he’s a great low post scorer but the team moves the ball better and plays with much greater fluidity with these more athletic lineups.
On to the player grades.
Dickerson – 5 – Dickerson got into foul trouble early. He finished with just 3 points and 2 rebounds. It’s hard to argue with the results when the team is winning but against more physical teams they will need his scoring in the paint.
Wright – 5.5 – Wright looked really good early scoring 5 points in the first half but seemed to give way to Sam Timmins in the 2nd. He came into the game just 4-28 from beyond the arc so it was encouraging to see him hit a 3-pointer.
Thybulle – 8 – Thybulle dealt with foul trouble picking up his 4th with 8 minutes to go in the second half, he played just 23 minutes. When he was on the court he was a menace with 8 points and 5 steals including the Huskies’ first points on a thunderous dunk.
Crisp – 7 – Crisp came into the game on fire hitting 12 of 18 3-pointers against WSU, Utah and Colorado. He cooled quite a bit Thursday going just 4 of 13 from the floor (0-3 beyond the arc). One thing you have to appreciate is that when Crisp shot wasn’t falling (he was 1-8 in the first half), he started getting to the rim. Crisp went 3 for 5 from the field in the 2nd half and didn’t turn the ball over once. Crisp will always be a streaky shooter but it’s encouraging to see him play within himself and never stoop to being a liability.
Nowell – 9 –Whenever it seemed like Stanford wanted to climb back into the game Nowell seemed to get to the rim or hit a mid-range bull-up. He finished with 22 points (9 of 19) and 5 rebounds with only 1 turnover. The Huskies got a slight scare when Nowell went to the locker room in the first half but he came right back out and played well.
Carter – 9 – Carter was again a catalyst off the bench. He had one layup driving where he euro-stepped a defender at the free throw line and kissed the ball off the glass driving to his left. He finished with 13 points but most impressively was 6 of 7 from the field with the one miss a 3-pointer. If the Pac-12 had a sixth man of the year award, Carter would be the early favorite.
Green – 7 – Green continues to be a calming influence off the bench. He converted 3 of 4 3-point attempts on his way to 11 points. He also had 2 blocks, 2 rebounds and 2 assist.
Timmins – 8 – I think one of the most exciting aspects of this season is watching Timmins develop confidence. He missed his first two free throws of the game making him 0-9 on the season, but after that he nailed four in a row with his last bouncing straight up off the rim and then back down through the net. Walking back down the court he had a huge grin on his face. The big man continues to improve defensively, he had 2 blocks and 2 steals to go with his 4 rebounds.
Bey, Q. Bernard, J. Crandall, E. Hardy & R. Lundeen – NR – None played more than 3 minutes but Hardy had an impressive blow-by and left hand layup that he kissed high off the glass to avoid a block. The fact the Huskies were even in a position to empty the bench is always a good sign.
Final outlook
The Huskies scored only 4 points in the first 5.5 minutes and it looked like it would be a slug fest but Stanford couldn’t keep up. With Arizona losing to Oregon the Huskies temporarily sit all-alone at the top of the conference (Oregon State was down 11 to Arizona State late in the 2nd half at press). With woeful California (5-12, 0-5) coming off a 23 point loss to WSU, the Huskies have a chance to get to 5-0 in the conference before they face the Oregon schools next week. The Huskies next win will be their 1,000th all time at Hec-Ed/Alaska Airlines Arena.
