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Husky Hoops: UW vs Arizona (Dec 2) Postponed As UW Has Internal Program COVID Issues
ChillyDawg
Member Posts: 1,469
So much for the UW's opening game in the PAC 12 conference for 2021-22. Mike Hopkins gets a reprieve The UCLA game (Dec 5) will most likely be rescheduled as well as the Gonzaga game (Dec 12) as the COVID protocols usually take about 10 days to be formally rectified depending on the situation. as the game will be rescheduled for a later date yet to be disclosed. Still lots of news around the team to digest.
SB Nation https://www.azdesertswarm.com/basketball/2021/12/1/22813138/arizona-wildcats-mens-basketball-washington-huskies-covid-canceled-pac12-forfeit-tommy-lloyd-mckale
Go Huskies https://gohuskies.com/news/2021/11/30/mens-basketball-huskies-open-pac-12-play-in-the-desert-against-no-11-arizona.aspx
Seattle Times https://www.seattletimes.com/sports/uw-husky-basketball/husky-mens-basketball-team-prepares-for-big-challenge-in-no-11-arizona-to-open-pac-12-play/
Seattle Times https://www.seattletimes.com/sports/uw-husky-basketball/pac-12-mens-basketball-power-rankings-where-do-uw-wsu-stand-as-conference-play-begins/
UWDawgPound https://www.uwdawgpound.com/2021/12/1/22812097/arizona-mens-basketball-insider-previews-the-washington-arizona-game-uw-huskies-koloko-ltommy-lloyd
AZ Desert Storm https://www.azdesertswarm.com/basketball/2021/12/1/22811517/arizona-wildcats-mens-basketball-washington-huskies-prewview-interview-terrell-brown-mike-hopkins
PAC 12 Power Poll
1. UCLA (6-1)
Comment: Loads of attention will soon turn to the duel with North Carolina in the middle of the month. But before that, the Bruins have two conference games and a difficult trip to Marquette, which has beaten Illinois.
2. USC (6-0)
Comment: So much for being a basketball school.
3. Arizona (6-0)
Comment: The Wildcats’ perfect start has caused expectations to soar for Year One under Tommy Lloyd. Which is fine, as long as the roster is prepared to handle them.
4. Colorado (6-1/1-0)
Comment: The Buffs had five players in double figures for the conference opener against Stanford, but it’s really six because Elijah Parquet’s contributions on defense are always akin to a double-digit scoring game.
5. Washington State (5-1)
Comment: Just when we thought the Cougars were beyond the bad losses, along comes 30% shooting and a collapse against Eastern Washington. (WSU was outscored by 17 in the second half. Yikes.)
6. Utah (5-1)
Comment: How good are the Utes? Their home date Sunday against Cal might be more revealing than the conference opener at USC. When playing at home, top-tier teams should handle bottom-tier teams.
7. Oregon (4-3)
Comment: The Ducks aren’t stuck so deep in the muck that they cannot recover in time to salvage an NCAA at-large bid. But you can see too deep from here. They need a trajectory change, fast.
8. Arizona State (2-5)
Comment: Such is the state of play at the bottom of the conference that we didn’t find occasion to drop a team that went 0-3 for the week.
9. Stanford (4-3/0-1)
Comment: Best win thus far is against Valparaiso, unless it’s against San Jose State. Either way, the Cardinal has yet to record a victory worth recording.
10. Cal (3-4)
Comment: Combine the win over Fresno State with a close loss to Seton Hall, and the Bears are halfway to semi-competent. Progress is progress.
11. Washington (4-4)
Comment: First comes Arizona, then comes UCLA, then Gonzaga — all in a 10-day stretch straight out of the Inferno. If the Huskies are within 15 points at the buzzer in any of them, we’ll be surprised.
12. Oregon State (1-6)
Comment: We see you working the system, Beavers, saving up all your energy for four days in March at T-Mobile Arena. Smart. Very smart.
SB Nation https://www.azdesertswarm.com/basketball/2021/12/1/22813138/arizona-wildcats-mens-basketball-washington-huskies-covid-canceled-pac12-forfeit-tommy-lloyd-mckale
Go Huskies https://gohuskies.com/news/2021/11/30/mens-basketball-huskies-open-pac-12-play-in-the-desert-against-no-11-arizona.aspx
Seattle Times https://www.seattletimes.com/sports/uw-husky-basketball/husky-mens-basketball-team-prepares-for-big-challenge-in-no-11-arizona-to-open-pac-12-play/
Seattle Times https://www.seattletimes.com/sports/uw-husky-basketball/pac-12-mens-basketball-power-rankings-where-do-uw-wsu-stand-as-conference-play-begins/
UWDawgPound https://www.uwdawgpound.com/2021/12/1/22812097/arizona-mens-basketball-insider-previews-the-washington-arizona-game-uw-huskies-koloko-ltommy-lloyd
AZ Desert Storm https://www.azdesertswarm.com/basketball/2021/12/1/22811517/arizona-wildcats-mens-basketball-washington-huskies-prewview-interview-terrell-brown-mike-hopkins
PAC 12 Power Poll
1. UCLA (6-1)
Comment: Loads of attention will soon turn to the duel with North Carolina in the middle of the month. But before that, the Bruins have two conference games and a difficult trip to Marquette, which has beaten Illinois.
2. USC (6-0)
Comment: So much for being a basketball school.
3. Arizona (6-0)
Comment: The Wildcats’ perfect start has caused expectations to soar for Year One under Tommy Lloyd. Which is fine, as long as the roster is prepared to handle them.
4. Colorado (6-1/1-0)
Comment: The Buffs had five players in double figures for the conference opener against Stanford, but it’s really six because Elijah Parquet’s contributions on defense are always akin to a double-digit scoring game.
5. Washington State (5-1)
Comment: Just when we thought the Cougars were beyond the bad losses, along comes 30% shooting and a collapse against Eastern Washington. (WSU was outscored by 17 in the second half. Yikes.)
6. Utah (5-1)
Comment: How good are the Utes? Their home date Sunday against Cal might be more revealing than the conference opener at USC. When playing at home, top-tier teams should handle bottom-tier teams.
7. Oregon (4-3)
Comment: The Ducks aren’t stuck so deep in the muck that they cannot recover in time to salvage an NCAA at-large bid. But you can see too deep from here. They need a trajectory change, fast.
8. Arizona State (2-5)
Comment: Such is the state of play at the bottom of the conference that we didn’t find occasion to drop a team that went 0-3 for the week.
9. Stanford (4-3/0-1)
Comment: Best win thus far is against Valparaiso, unless it’s against San Jose State. Either way, the Cardinal has yet to record a victory worth recording.
10. Cal (3-4)
Comment: Combine the win over Fresno State with a close loss to Seton Hall, and the Bears are halfway to semi-competent. Progress is progress.
11. Washington (4-4)
Comment: First comes Arizona, then comes UCLA, then Gonzaga — all in a 10-day stretch straight out of the Inferno. If the Huskies are within 15 points at the buzzer in any of them, we’ll be surprised.
12. Oregon State (1-6)
Comment: We see you working the system, Beavers, saving up all your energy for four days in March at T-Mobile Arena. Smart. Very smart.
Comments
In August the Pac-12 announced that it would be reverting to standard forfeiture rules where a team unable to play a game would be given a loss in the standings and the other team a win. However, when California’s football team was unable to play USC a few weeks ago the conference allowed the game to be rescheduled. According to Matt Norlander it appears the Pac-12 will similarly attempt it with UW/Arizona. Washington is set to host #5 UCLA on Sunday and it is unclear if that game will also be postponed/cancelled.
That is John Wilner's PAC 12 basketball Power Poll. Here are some other PAC 12 Power Polls from various media heads that cover Pac 12 basketball...
SI https://www.si.com/college/washington/basketball/covid-issues-strike-husky-hoop-team-and-arizona-game-postponed
So much for the Pac-12 opener for the University of Washington men's basketball team.
On Wednesday night, the school announced that the Husky game against the 11th-ranked Arizona Wildcats in Tucson the following night has been postponed, with COVID-19 issues creating problems for Mike Hopkins' team.
The teams were supposed to tip off at 5:30 p.m. and the contest was to be broadcast on Pac-12 Networks.
This coming Sunday at noon, Washington is scheduled to host the fifth-ranked UCLA Bruins (6-1) at Alaska Airlines Arena, but it's unclear if that game will be affected by the pandemic problems now in place.
Basketball-wise, this is a Husky team that still hasn't completely found its way out of the depths following a 5-21 season. It stands 4-4, but considering the mundane teams it has faced its ledger realistically should be better than break even.
Had the Huskies gone to Tucson, they would have faced a towering Arizona team coached by Tommy Lloyd, the longtime Gonzaga assistant coach and master international recruiter.
Lloyd runs everything through 7-foot-1, 230-pound Christian Koloko of Cameroon and 6-foot-11, 245-pound Azuolas Tubelis of Lithuania, both 16-point scorers. It's been hard for anyone to stop.
Hopkins' lineup hasn't strayed at all this season from 6-foot-7 forward Emmitt Matthews Jr., 6-foot-11 center Nate Roberts; and guards in 6-foot-6 Jamal Bey, 6-foot-3 Daejon Davis and 6-foot-3 Terrell Brown Jr.
There's no indication if any of these players currently are affected by COVID-19. However, Brown, the UW's leading scorer at 21.9 points per game, was scheduled to take part in a Tuesday afternoon media session, but didn't show, with the school indicating he had a conflict.
UCLA’s basketball game against Washington on Sunday in Seattle remained in limbo after the Huskies were forced to postpone their Pac-12 Conference opener because of COVID-19 issues within their program.
One person close to the situation told The Times on Thursday that seven Washington players and coaches had tested positive for the virus, leading to the postponement of the Huskies’ game against Arizona on Thursday night.
A Washington athletic department spokesperson said he could not discuss how many members of the team and coaching staff were under COVID-19 protocols but added that the players and staff were 100% vaccinated, meaning any positive tests would involve breakthrough cases. As of Thursday afternoon, the spokesperson said, Sunday’s game remained on track to be played.
Washington played Nevada on Nov. 24, six days before Wolf Pack coach Steve Alford announced he had tested positive for COVID-19 and would isolate for 10 days. Nevada assistant coach Craig Neal did not attend the team’s 79-66 victory over Pepperdine on Tuesday after being held out because of COVID-19 protocols.
Nevada’s game against North Texas scheduled for Saturday will not be played because of COVID-19 issues within the Wolf Pack’s program, according to CBS Sports.
The game between Washington and Arizona was the first Pac-12 game to be postponed this season because of the virus. Conference officials had announced before the season that they would require teams unable to play because of virus issues to forfeit but said in a statement Wednesday night that they would work with Washington and Arizona to find a mutually agreeable date to reschedule the game.
UCLA endured several COVID-19 disruptions last season, having a game against Long Beach State twice wiped off its schedule because of virus issues involving the 49ers. The Bruins also had to play a makeup game at Oregon in March after a referee tested positive and his colleagues were placed into contact tracing shortly before the teams were scheduled to play in Eugene in late December. Several attempts to make the game up before the teams finally met in March were scratched when the Ducks had to pause basketball activities because of the virus.
After his fifth-ranked team defeated Colorado, 73-61, on Wednesday night in its Pac-12 opener, UCLA coach Mick Cronin said he hoped anyone involved with Washington’s COVID-19 situation was OK.
It is unclear when these players and coaches contracted COVID-19 and when they took their tests, but Washington played Nevada on Nov. 24 not long before that team met health and safety issues of its own. Wolfpack coach Steve Alford announced he had tested positive for COVID-19 on Nov. 30, and his team has already called off their game against North Texas scheduled for Saturday.
UCLA will cancel because even there are multiple false positives they got scared
In actuality there are 3 positives.
We will be fine for Gonzaga if nothing else changes.
A Washington athletic department spokesperson said he could not discuss how many members of the team and coaching staff were under COVID-19 protocols but added that the players and staff were 100% vaccinated, meaning any positive tests would involve breakthrough cases.
UWDawgPound https://www.uwdawgpound.com/2021/12/3/22816795/washington-vs-ucla-cancelled-arizon-rescheduled-huskies-basketball
INFO
UW MBB https://gohuskies.com/sports/mens-basketball
Arizona MBB https://arizonawildcats.com/sports/mens-basketball
Series History https://arizonawildcats.com/sports/mens-basketball/opponent-history/university-of-washington/167
NEWS
SI https://www.si.com/tv/college-basketball/arizona-vs-washington-ncaa-how-to-watch-online-live-stream-free-1-3-2022
Seattle Times https://www.seattletimes.com/sports/uw-husky-basketball/after-several-false-starts-uw-husky-men-will-try-to-tip-off-the-pac-12-basketball-season-at-arizona/
AZ Desert Storm https://www.azdesertswarm.com/basketball/2022/1/2/22864043/arizona-wildcats-mens-basketball-washington-huskies-2022-preview-covid-break-dalen-terry-tommy-lloyd
Arizona Wildcats Key Players:
G- Kerr Kriisa, Fr. 6’3, 180: 11.8 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 5.2 apg, 39.2% FG, 34.4% 3pt, 71.4% FT
Last season Kriisa played entirely off the ball with James Akinjo and Terrell Brown Jr. on the roster. Now as the starting point guard he has become transformed. His assist rate has nearly doubled, his turnover rate has been cut in half and his steal rate has tripled. We’ll see which of those keep up once conference play starts but he has been a wonderful distributor for Arizona. Last year 90% of his shots were 3-pointers and this year it’s 80% so he still doesn’t like to drive to the basket.
G- Dalen Terry, Fr. 6’7, 195: 6.3 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 3.8 apg, 44.9% FG, 23.8% 3pt, 80.0% FT
Similar story for Terry who was viewed as a tall point guard prospect coming out of high school and instead was a wing under Miller. Just like Kriisa his assist rate has doubled and his turnover rate has been cut in half and he also has cut way down on his 3-pt attempts (from 45% of his shots to 30%). He still doesn’t shoot a lot but he’s been a winning basketball player who keeps the ball moving and doesn’t hurt an offense.
G- Benedict Mathurin, Fr. 6’6. 210: 13.8 ppg, 6.6 rpg, 2.1 apg, 49.4% FG, 37.8% 3pt, 79.6% FT
There was speculation Mathurin would be a one and done after last year but he decided to come back and has looked like one of the best wings in the country over the last month. He can hurt you in a lot of ways and some of his closest player comps on KenPom include Khris Middleton and Allonzo Trier.
F- Azuolas Tubelis, Fr. 6’11, 245: 15.3 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 2.9 apg, 58.3% FG, 22.2% 3pt, 66.1% FT
It was immediately evident last year that Tubelis was an incredibly skilled big who could do just about everything as a true freshman. That hasn’t changed as he has seemingly leveled up and become even more dominant in the paint. He’s shooting 65% on 2-pointers while drawing 6 fouls per 40 minutes. He hasn’t done it as much this year but he can also step out and shoot the 3 at a solid but not spectacular level.
C- Christian Koloko, So. 7'1, 230: 12.8 ppg, 6.9 rpg, 3.3 bpg, 62.5% FG, 73.9% FT
Perhaps the biggest reason for Arizona’s early success has been the transformation of Koloko. Last season he was basically Aziz N’Diaye. A 7-footer who could dunk it but didn’t show much in the way of post moves while serving as an adequate shot blocker. His numbers have dipped in the last month with 3 games with 6 or fewer points in the last 5 games but he looked like an All-American center in the first month of the year.