Nine Reasons To Attend The Huskies' NIT First Round Game Wednesday
March 13, 2018 | Men's Basketball
SEATTLE – Washington Men's Basketball welcomes Boise State to Alaska Airlines Arena for a first-round game as part of the 2018 National Invitation Tournament on Wednesday, March 14. Tip-off is set for 7:00 PM (PT), and tickets start at just $12. Below are nine reasons why you won't want to miss a minute of the action.
1. Postseason basketball is back at Alaska Airlines Arena.
Washington earned its first postseason berth since the NIT in 2016 and will be making its ninth NIT appearance in program history. The Huskies are 5-1 at home in NIT games and have advanced to the semifinals once (2012).
2. First-year head coach Mike Hopkins, the 2018 Pac-12 Conference Coach of the Year, has engineered an amazing turnaround on Montlake.
Behind Hopkins' leadership, UW earned its first 20-win season since 2011-12, finishing with a 20-12 record. The Huskies went 9-22 last year, and its 11-win improvement is the biggest jump overall since 1936-37 to 1937-38 when the Dawgs went from 15-11 to 29-7 the following year. Washington also posted its biggest jump in conference play in program history, improving from 2-16 in Pac-12 play last season to 10-8 this year. Hopkins is also one of just seven first-year coaches in this season's NCAA and NIT fields to take a team to the postseason that did not earn a bid last year.
3. The home court environment in Hec Ed is second to none.
You simply must come to a game to experience the environment in Alaska Airlines Arena. During the regular season, three games reached a full capacity of 10,000 fans while two others surpassed 9,000 – the most in one season since 2011-12. The Dawg Pack has been incredible this season, creating an intimidating environment for the Huskies' opponents. With an exciting intro sequence and raucous crowd of Husky fans, television does not do Hec Ed Pavilion justice.
4. It's another chance to see Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year Matisse Thybulle anchor the Huskies' zone defense.
Hopkins installed a zone defense for the Huskies in his first year at the helm, which made UW very difficult to score on. The approach allowed junior guard Matisse Thybulle to flourish, as he was named the Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year, the first time a Husky has received that honor. He has a program record 93 steals on the season to go along with 46 blocks. Not only does he disrupt the opponents' offense, but over half of Thybulle's steals get turned into points for the Dawgs on the other end of the court.
5. Junior forward Noah Dickerson is one of the best big men on the West Coast.
Dickerson has cemented his status as one of the most talented post players on the West Coast thanks to his stellar play this season. He is averaging 15.4 points per game and 8.4 rebounds per game while shooting 57-percent from the field and 79-percent from the free throw line. He has had seven 20-point games so far this season, including four in Pac-12 play. He went off for 28 points and 22 rebounds against Eastern Washington back in November, not only setting career highs in both stats but recording the most rebounds by a Husky since Feb. 26, 1972 (Steve Hawes vs. Stanford).
6. The Huskies boast two 1,000-point scorers.
Dickerson and junior guard David Crisp have both scored over 1,000 points in their college careers. Dickerson passed the 1,000-point mark against Oregon State back on February 10, while Crisp reached the plateau versus California on February 24.
7. The future is bright thanks to UW's impact freshmen.
UW fields four freshmen on its roster, all of which play a role in the Huskies' game plan. Local product Jaylen Nowell leads Washington in scoring with an average of 15.8 points per game. The Dawgs' go-to player in crunch time, he was named to the Pac-12 All-Freshmen Team and was also tabbed an All-Pac-12 Honorable Mention selection. Forward Hameir Wright has emerged down the stretch as a key cog in Washington's zone defense, while forward Nahziah Carter and guard Michael Carter III serve important roles coming off the bench. The group's play this season has Husky fans excited about the years to come.
Also, this dunk by Carter needs no explanation.
8. You'll get a first-hand look at some experimental rules changes.
The 2018 NIT will feature some experimental rules changes that will be in effect on Wednesday night. The game will be divided into four 10-minute quarters as opposed to two 20-minute halves, and teams will shoot two free throws beginning with the fifth foul of each quarter. The shot clock will reset to 20 seconds after an offensive rebound instead of the full 30 seconds, while the three-point line will be extended to match the distance used by FIBA for international competition and the free throw lane will be widened to be consistent with the width used in the NBA.
9. Husky Men's Basketball is a mood.
1. Postseason basketball is back at Alaska Airlines Arena.
Washington earned its first postseason berth since the NIT in 2016 and will be making its ninth NIT appearance in program history. The Huskies are 5-1 at home in NIT games and have advanced to the semifinals once (2012).
2. First-year head coach Mike Hopkins, the 2018 Pac-12 Conference Coach of the Year, has engineered an amazing turnaround on Montlake.
Behind Hopkins' leadership, UW earned its first 20-win season since 2011-12, finishing with a 20-12 record. The Huskies went 9-22 last year, and its 11-win improvement is the biggest jump overall since 1936-37 to 1937-38 when the Dawgs went from 15-11 to 29-7 the following year. Washington also posted its biggest jump in conference play in program history, improving from 2-16 in Pac-12 play last season to 10-8 this year. Hopkins is also one of just seven first-year coaches in this season's NCAA and NIT fields to take a team to the postseason that did not earn a bid last year.
3. The home court environment in Hec Ed is second to none.
You simply must come to a game to experience the environment in Alaska Airlines Arena. During the regular season, three games reached a full capacity of 10,000 fans while two others surpassed 9,000 – the most in one season since 2011-12. The Dawg Pack has been incredible this season, creating an intimidating environment for the Huskies' opponents. With an exciting intro sequence and raucous crowd of Husky fans, television does not do Hec Ed Pavilion justice.
4. It's another chance to see Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year Matisse Thybulle anchor the Huskies' zone defense.
Hopkins installed a zone defense for the Huskies in his first year at the helm, which made UW very difficult to score on. The approach allowed junior guard Matisse Thybulle to flourish, as he was named the Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year, the first time a Husky has received that honor. He has a program record 93 steals on the season to go along with 46 blocks. Not only does he disrupt the opponents' offense, but over half of Thybulle's steals get turned into points for the Dawgs on the other end of the court.
5. Junior forward Noah Dickerson is one of the best big men on the West Coast.
Dickerson has cemented his status as one of the most talented post players on the West Coast thanks to his stellar play this season. He is averaging 15.4 points per game and 8.4 rebounds per game while shooting 57-percent from the field and 79-percent from the free throw line. He has had seven 20-point games so far this season, including four in Pac-12 play. He went off for 28 points and 22 rebounds against Eastern Washington back in November, not only setting career highs in both stats but recording the most rebounds by a Husky since Feb. 26, 1972 (Steve Hawes vs. Stanford).
6. The Huskies boast two 1,000-point scorers.
Dickerson and junior guard David Crisp have both scored over 1,000 points in their college careers. Dickerson passed the 1,000-point mark against Oregon State back on February 10, while Crisp reached the plateau versus California on February 24.
7. The future is bright thanks to UW's impact freshmen.
UW fields four freshmen on its roster, all of which play a role in the Huskies' game plan. Local product Jaylen Nowell leads Washington in scoring with an average of 15.8 points per game. The Dawgs' go-to player in crunch time, he was named to the Pac-12 All-Freshmen Team and was also tabbed an All-Pac-12 Honorable Mention selection. Forward Hameir Wright has emerged down the stretch as a key cog in Washington's zone defense, while forward Nahziah Carter and guard Michael Carter III serve important roles coming off the bench. The group's play this season has Husky fans excited about the years to come.
Also, this dunk by Carter needs no explanation.
REPLAY.
— Washington Men's Basketball (@UW_MBB) February 24, 2018
THIS.
DUNK.
??????#TougherTogether#SCTop10 pic.twitter.com/BsATc6adIq
8. You'll get a first-hand look at some experimental rules changes.
The 2018 NIT will feature some experimental rules changes that will be in effect on Wednesday night. The game will be divided into four 10-minute quarters as opposed to two 20-minute halves, and teams will shoot two free throws beginning with the fifth foul of each quarter. The shot clock will reset to 20 seconds after an offensive rebound instead of the full 30 seconds, while the three-point line will be extended to match the distance used by FIBA for international competition and the free throw lane will be widened to be consistent with the width used in the NBA.
9. Husky Men's Basketball is a mood.
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/ Men's BasketballSteinbach GOT IT 🗑️😮💨
Thursday, March 12
DAWGS 🔥
Thursday, March 12
We'll take this one 💨
Thursday, March 12
Steinbach ➕ Peterson 3️⃣🔥
Thursday, March 12
