Just a few days after the Huskies got blown out at Auburn, they returned home and beat San Diego, 66-63.
Here are my quick takeaways from the game……
1. Huskies get a much needed win
After a brutal loss at Auburn, any win is a good win. Even it’s a narrow win against a non power five conference team.Washington held off an experienced San Diego team thanks to two free throws by Jaylen Nowell with 25.4 seconds left to play to give UW a 66-63 lead. After a missed San Diego 3-pointer at the buzzer the Huskies could finally get their sigh of relief.
It wasn’t pretty but a win like this is what the Huskies need. They are not playing very good basketball at the moment, so anytime you can win games while doing that, it’s very big.
2. San Diego got into the middle of UW’s zone too easily
When playing zone you have to give up something and UW tends to give up the middle and limit teams’ 3-point attempts. But tonight the Huskies made it too easy for San Diego to get inside. San Diego was able to shoot 47 percent from the field and a lot of their wide open shots came down to getting in the middle of the zone. UW did hold San Diego to 63 points but a lot of that had to do with the tempo of the game. UW also turned San Diego over 18 times so maybe I’m just being a little hard on them. It’s early in the season but UW’s zone can and will be better going forward.
3. Huskies still trying to find their identity on offense
Through three games, Washington has not been very good on the offensive end. Too much 1-on-1 and not enough ball movement seems to be the issue. Tonight, UW shot just 41.1 percent from the field and 26.3 percent from 3-point range. In order for this team to be at it’s best, Washington must get the ball moving. When UW’s offense stalled last year, ball movement seemed to be part of the issue. Again, it’s only been three games and I would expect them to improve especially with such an experienced team.
4. Jaylen Nowell and Noah Dickerson need to takeover
In order for Washington to be at their best, Jaylen Nowell and Noah Dickerson must score a lot. Tonight, Nowell scored 18 while Dickerson chipped in 16 points. These are two of the most talented offensive players in the Pac-12 and when UW needs a bucket it will likely be one of these two that are taking the shot. When Dickerson and Nowell combine for 40 or more points, Washington will be extremely hard to beat this season.
