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Beginning Monday, June 21st,
2004 CHN began unveiling 144 Team previews in 144 Days. CHN ranked the
nations top 144 teams, and is unveiling one per day leading up until the
opening day of the 2004-05 Season.
Bookmark the
144 Teams in 144 Days home page, and check back
each day to see which team is previewed next.
#24 Washington Huskies
Pac 10
2003-04: 19-12, 12-6, 2nd
2003-04 postseason: NCAA
By
Joel Welser
 All
five starters return to Seattle, including the triple guard threat of Nate
Robinson, Will Conroy and Brandon Roy. Those three combined for 38.4 points
per game and should only get better this season. The Huskies got hot late
in the season winning 14 of their last 17 heading into the NCAA Tournament
where they lost a thriller against UAB.
Who’s Out: The backcourt
loses a little bit of depth with the departure of Curtis Allen. The 6-0
guard played in all 31 games averaging 4.9 points, 1.5 rebounds and 1.5
assists. His minutes decreased last year with the depth of the Huskies
backcourt. Besides the starting three of Robinson, Conroy and Roy, Tre
Simmons is a dynamic threat off the bench. With the loss of Allen, the
depth gets a little shaky after that. Walk-ons Brandon Burmeister and Alex
Johnson could see a little more time off the bench if injuries strike the
Huskies. Center Anthony Washington isn’t returning to Lorenzo Romar’s
squad. As a sophomore, Washington averaged 10.0 minutes in 27 games,
putting up 3.3 points and 2.1 rebounds per contest.
Who’s In: With Bobby Jones,
Mike Jensen and Hakeem Rollins returning to the frontcourt, newcomers Joel
Smith and Jamaal Williams will have to take a role off the bench. Smith, a
6-5 small forward is an explosive athlete with a lot of energy. It’ll be
tough to find minutes for the freshman with such a deep lineup, but at the
least, Smith will add even more depth to the squad. After two years at New
Mexico and redshirting last year, Jamaal Williams is ready to play in
Seattle. Williams scored 11.3 points and grabbed 5.1 rebounds two years ago
for New Mexico. He’s only 6-6, but plays much taller. He’s a solid
rebounder and can rack up some points. Walk-on Matt Fletcher redshirted
last year after playing a couple seasons at the Junior College level. The
6-7 forward is a decent rebounder, but isn’t expected to see many minutes.
Incoming freshman center Zach Johnson will redshirt this year to recover
from knee injuries.
Who to Watch: If you didn’t
get the chance to see Nate Robinson last year, he’s giving you another
chance. Robinson flirted with the NBA and impressed many with his
performance at the Chicago pre-draft camp. But he opted to return for his
junior season to try and lead the Huskies back to the big dance. Robinson
is only 5-9 and really isn’t even a true point guard. He was third on the
team with 2.7 assists per game last year. The former UW cornerback is one
of the quickest players in college basketball and uses that ability to get
to the basket. Last year he led the Huskies with 13.2 points per game. The
Seattle native is a great hustle player who will chase down any loose ball
he can find, and he usually gets it. On the defensive end, Robinson uses
his quickness to harass opponents and get steals.
Projected Conference Rank:
If Robinson can remain a spark and the entire team continues to play well
together, then Washington can compete for the top spot in the Pac-10.
They’ll have some stumbles and run into some problems, but such a deep
lineup should get the Huskies 2nd place in the conference and
another trip to the big dance.
Projected Post-season
Tournament: NCAA
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Team #25 ,
Team #23
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Email Joel Welser:
jwelser_chn@ameritech.net
Chat About CHN's Top #144
Ranking:
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