University of Washington Official Athletic Site - Men's Basketball
 questionable to play inThursday's game. |
Notes on the upcoming men's basketball game.
December 22, 1998
UW vs. New Mexico
12 noon PST (1:00 p.m. MST)
Key Arena (17,072); Seattle, Wash. (Fox Sports Net)
The Washington Huskies (5-3) close out pre-Christmas play with a meeting against 11th-ranked (AP) New Mexico (8-0) on Thursday, Dec. 24. Tip-off is noon Pacific Time (1 p.m. Mountain Time) at Key Arena in Seattle. This is the first game ever for the Huskies at the Seattle Sonics' home court. Key Arena will serve as the Huskies' home venue next season while Edmundson Pavilion goes through a rennovation. New Mexico, one of five undefeated teams in the national rankings, is playing on the road for the first time this season.
Instant Replay: Washington halted a three-game losing streak on Saturday with a 73-53 victory over New Mexico State. That was the first UW home game since the season-opening 70-63 win over UNC Wilmington on Nov. 16. The Huskies lost 82-71 at Gonzaga on Dec. 8. They suffered a 69-61 setback at Boise State on Dec. 5, giving BSU a school-record 17-game home winning streak. UW lost 69-48 to top-ranked Connecticut on Dec. 1 at the Great Eight Classic in Chicago. That loss halted a four-game season-opening winning streak that culminated with a 76-60 triumph over Georgia Tech in the championship of the Big Island Invitational in Hilo, Hawai'i. Washington posted a 20-10 record last season, earning its first NCAA Tournament berth since 1986. The Huskies advanced to the Sweet 16 with victories over Xavier (69-68) and Richmond (81-66).
Contrasting Schedules: These two teams have drastically different early-season schedules. The Lobos are venturing away from Albuquerque for the first time this season after playing eight straight home games. Washington has logged over 8,000 miles and didn't play at home for over a month during a grueling six-game road trip. The Huskies played New Mexico State Saturday at Edmundson Pavilion, its first home date in 32 days after a 70-63 victory against UNC Wilmington on Nov. 16. The Huskies have won 38 of their last 46 games in Seattle.
Probable Husky Starting Lineup:
Washington Huskies (5-3, 0-0 in Pacific-10 Conference)
Pos. No. Name Hgt. Wgt. Yr. Hometown Points Rebs.
F - 33 Chris Walcott 6-8 215 Jr. Bellevue, Wash. 7.8 3.6
C - 50 Todd MacCulloch 7-0 280 Sr. Winnipeg, Manitoba 18.0 10.5
G - 3 Senque Carey 6-3 200 Fr. East Palo Alto, Ca. 3.9 1.4
G - 5 Deon Luton 6-5 205 Jr. Del City, Okla. 13.3 1.1
G - 23 Michael Johnson 6-4 200 So. Seattle, Wash. 5.0 1.8
Watts Shortage: Senior guard Donald Watts sprained his right ankle at Boise State (Dec. 5) and missed the last two games. Watts is questionable for Thursday's game against New Mexico. Michael Johnson assumed Watts' starting spot during the last two games, averaging 3.5 points and 1.5 assists. Prior to the ankle injury Watts made 41 consecutive starts and missed only one outing in his four-year career, playing 91 of 92 possible games. He was sidelined against Stanford on Feb. 22, 1997 with a sprained left ankle. Watts is the Huskies' third-leading scorer (7.8 ppg). He usually defends the opponent's top offensive threat. Boise State's Roberto Bergersen tallied 28 of his 32 points after Watts left the game with 5:41 left in the first half. During the 12 minutes Watts was on the floor UW had a 20-16 advantage. The Huskies were outscored 53-41 when he was on the bench at Boise.
TV/Radio: Thursday's game against New Mexico will be televised live to a national audience on Fox Sports Net beginning at noon. Barry Tompkins and George Raveling call the action. All UW men's basketball games are broadcast live on KOMO Radio (AM 1000) and its affiliates. Every radio broadcast can be accessed via the internet at: http://www.broadcast.com/sports/ncaa/washington/
The New Mexico Series:
The Last Meeting -Washington 77, New Mexico 64 (Dec. 5, 1987; Seattle): Mike Hayward amassed 28 points, helping Washington to a 77-64 win over New Mexico in the 1987-88 home opener at Edmundson Pavilion. The Huskies started the second half on a 14-6 run to expand a narrow 30-28 halftime lead to 10 and take control of the game. Washington shot 52 percent from the field, forced 26 turnovers and committed only nine personal fouls. New Mexico was whistled for 28 fouls. Starting players accounted for all 77 Husky points and all but one rebound. Tom Robinson scored 16 points, Mark West had 15, Jeff Senor finished with 10 and Eldridge Recasner chipped in eight points, five rebounds, four assists and two steals. The Lobos were paced by the 19 points and eight rebounds of Hunter Greene and 12 points and six rebounds of Rob Robbins.
High-Ranking Foes: Washington has a 56-160 record in all-time meetings with ranked opponents, including a 12-45 mark during the 1990s. The Huskies lost their only game this season against a ranked foe, falling 69-48 to No. 1 Connecticut on Dec. 1. The last Husky victory over a ranked opponent was a 69-68 decision over No. 23 Xavier on March 12 in the first round of the 1998 NCAA Tournament. The Huskies have not defeated a team ranked as high as No. 11 New Mexico since a 92-88 triumph over 10th-ranked Arizona on Feb. 2, 1997 in Seattle. Five teams on the Washington schedule are ranked among the current Top-12 in the AP poll.
Poll Patter: The Washington men's basketball is not among the Top-25 in the two major polls. The Huskies were tied in the No. 25 spot in the Dec. 14 ESPN/USA Today coaches' ratings before falling out this week. Washington dropped out of the Associated Press poll after being ranked No. 22 on Dec. 7. The Huskies opened the season in the No. 14 spot of both the Associated Press and ESPN/USA Today polls, their first preseason ranking in 14 years. The last time a Washington team received preseason mention in the AP media poll was a No. 8 ranking on Nov. 27, 1984. That is the first time the Huskies have been recognized by the AP at any juncture of the season since Dec. 30, 1984 when they were No. 15. That Marv Harshman-coached Washington team featured Detlef Schrempf and was coming off a Sweet 16 appearance in the 1984 NCAA Tournament. The Huskies were not listed in the final 1998 AP poll, but concluded the season ranked No. 24 in the ESPN/USA Today coaches' poll. Washington will play five teams in the top-25, including two of the preseason top five. Top-ranked Connecticut defeated the UW 69-48 on Dec. 1 at the Great Eight Classic in Chicago. Stanford, a Final Four qualifier with all five starters returning, is No. 6 in the Associated Press rankings. Washington meets the Cardinal on Jan. 23 at Maples Pavilion and again on Feb. 18 in Seattle. The Huskies have eight games scheduled against teams ranked in both Top-25 polls. Numerous periodicals have also projected Washington in their preseason rankings.
Publication UW No. 1 Other Pac-10
Athlon's Elite 8 Stanford UCLA (round of 32)
Basketball News 9th Duke Stanford (3), Arizona (18), Cal (20)
Blue Ribbon 13th Duke Stanford (3), Arizona (14), UCLA (17)
Lindy's 7th Stanford None
Preview Sports 18th Duke Stanford (2), Arizona (8), UCLA (10)
Sport 18th Duke Stanford (4), Arizona (9), UCLA (13)
Sports Illustrated 8th Stanford UCLA (11)
The Sporting News 27th Connecticut UCLA (4), Stanford (6), Arizona (11), Cal (23)
Street & Smith's 10th Stanford UCLA (15)
Dick Vitale's 19th Connecticut Stanford (3), Arizona (15), UCLA (18)
Steady Improvement: Washington's overall and Pac-10 records have improved each year under sixth-year Coach Bob Bender, capped by last season's 20-10 record, 11-7 Pac-10 ledger and NCAA Tournament appearance. Last year marked the third time in history that the Huskies' season record improved in four consecutive seasons. The UW improved over four straight seasons from 1941 to 1944 and from 1950 to 1953.
Year Overall Pac-10 Place Year Overall Pac-10 Place
1994 5-22 3-15 9th 1997 17-11 10-8 6th
1995 10-17 6-12 7th, tie 1998 20-10 11-7 4th
1996 16-12 9-9 5th, tie 1999 5-3
Bender Bio: Bob Bender, who made his first NCAA Tournament appearance as head coach at Washington in 1998, has participated in the NCAA Tournament at every school with which he has been affiliated. Bender, 41, has a six-year record of 73-75 at Washington, including a 20-10 record in 1998 that marked the school's finest winning percentage since 1985. Among the 1998 Husky highlights were their first 20-win season since 1987, their first NCAA berth since 1986 and their first Sweet 16 appearance since 1984. The 1997 UW team posted a 17-11 record, capped by the Huskies' second straight National Invitation Tournament appearance. Washington's record has improved each season under Bender, including a 16-12 mark in 1996 after which he was voted the Pac-10 Coach of the Year by his peers. The UW was 5-22 in 1994 and 10-17 in 1995. His 72 victories rank fourth among all-time Washington coaches. Bender, who began his career with a four-year stint at Illinois State (1990-93), has a 10-year career record of 133-132. His Illinois State squads were 60-57, earning two Missouri Valley Conference championships, one conference tournament title and an NCAA Tournament berth in 1990. Prior to his inaugural head coaching assignment at ISU, Bender served as an assistant on Mike Krzyzewski's Duke staff (1983-89). The Blue Devils qualified for the NCAA Tournament in each of Bender's six seasons on the staff, including four trips to the Final Four. Bender is the only individual to play on two different teams in the NCAA Championship game. He was a freshman on Bobby Knight's undefeated 1976 Indiana championship team and played point guard at Duke from 1977-80, including an appearance in the 1978 title game against Kentucky.
Notable: Senior center Todd MacCulloch has 84 rebounds (10.5 rpg), nearly three times as many as any other Husky (Chris Walcott has 29 boards). MacCulloch led the team in rebounding in seven of eight games and topped all UW scorers in six outings . . . Washington possesses a much deeper bench this season with the reserves accounting for 35-percent (194-of-549) of the team's scoring. Last season's squad got only 20 percent of its points (469-of-2359) from reserves . . . Sixth-year Coach Bob Bender evened his record at Washington with the victory over Georgia Tech and is currently two games below .500. Bender, who opened his Husky coaching career with a 15-39 mark after two seasons, has a 58-36 record over his last four seasons . . . Washington became the second straight Pacific-10 Conference member to capture the Big Island Invitational (Hilo, Hi.) championship, following Stanford which parlayed a 1997 Invitational championship into a 1998 Final Four run . . . Reserve guard Andrew Moritz has played only eight minutes this season, yet he is tied for fourth on the team with two 3-pointers. Moritz hit 2-of-3 treys, leading the team at 67-percent.
Shooting Shorts: Boise State is the only opponent this season to top the 50-percent shooting plateau against Washington, hitting 56 percent (27-48) of its attempts . . . Washington limited opponents to a combined 39 percent from the field in victories (105-272) and 48 percent (82-170) in its three losses . . . Gonzaga defeated the Huskies 82-71 on Dec. 8 despite being outshot (51% - 44%). The Bulldogs became the first opponent in 22 games to lose the shooting battle but win the game against Washington. The last team to defeat the Huskies despite a lower shooting mark was Nebraska, a 67-63 NIT first-round winner on March 13, 1997.
Sonics & Sons: Four former Seattle SuperSonics have sons on the 1999 Washington basketball roster. The list of former NBA players (and sons) includes, Fred Brown (Bryan), Lonnie Shelton (Marlon), Slick Watts (Donald) and Paul Westphal (Michael). A graduate of Iowa, Fred Brown is the Sonics' all-time leading scorer with 14,018 points. Brown played his entire 13-year NBA career in Seattle and was a 1976 all-star. Lonnie Shelton was a 1975 All-Pac-8 Conference selection at Oregon State. He played 15 NBA seasons and was a 1982 all-star. Shelton played from 1979-83 in Seattle. Brown and Shelton were members of Seattle's 1979 NBA Championship squad. Slick Watts led the NBA in assists (8.1) and steals (3.2) in 1976, the first player in history to top both categories during the same season. The six-year NBA veteran played in Seattle from 1974-78. Paul Westphal was a two-time (1970 & '71) All-Pac-8 pick at USC. The five-time NBA all-star played during the 1980-81 season in Seattle and returned this summer as head coach of the Sonics.
Last Game: Washington 73, New Mexico State 53 (Dec. 19, 1998; Seattle) - Todd MacCulloch grabbed 19 rebounds and tallied 23 points to share game-high scoring honors with teammate Deon Luton as Washington halted a three-game losing streak with a 73-53 victory over New Mexico State at Edmundson Pavilion. It was the first home game in 32 days for the Huskies who logged over 8,000 miles on a six-game road trip. Washington stretched a 29-26 halftime lead as MacCulloch scored eight points and Luton added five to fuel a 15-2 run. That early second-half surge gave UW a 44-30 advantage with 14:07 left in the game. MacCulloch hit 8-of-13 shots from the field while Luton shot 7-fot-11, including 4-of-7 accuracy from 3-point range. Eric Channing scored 17 points to lead the Aggies who also got 13 from Aaron Brodt. Dan Dickau contributed 10 points and five asists for Washington.
Three-Game Slump: A glance at the statistics ledger goes a long way in explaing Washington's recent three-game losing streak and how it was ended. The statistical difference is drastic between Washington's five victories and its three-game losing streak. The Huskies' scoring was down 13.8 points during the losing streak while opponents points were up nearly 17 points, a 30-point swing. Washington averages 7.7 fewer rebounds in losses and 6.5 more turnovers. Following is a chart comparing the statistical trends for Washington, contrasting its five victories with the three-game losing streak.
Period (UW Record) UW Points Opp. Points UW FG % Opp. FG % UW 3PT % Opp. 3pt % UW Reb. Opp. Reb. UW TO
UW Victories (5-0) 73.8 56.6 47.8 % 38.6 % 37.3 % 23.9 % 37.0 30.4 14.2
UW Losses (0-3) 60.0 73.3 44.6 % 48.2 % 20.7 % 40.0 % 29.3 35.3 20.7
Differential - 13.8 + 16.7 - 3.2 % + 9.6 % - 16.6 % + 16.1 % - 7.7 + 4.9 + 6.5
Frequent Flyers: The Huskies amassed over 8,000 miles during their last road trip. Washington flew to Hawai'i via Los Angeles on Monday, Nov. 23. Following the three-game Big Island Invitational, the Huskies endured a 4,299-mile trip to Chicago via Los Angeles. Washington departed Hilo on Sunday evening at 12:10 a.m. Central Time and arrived in the Windy City on Monday, Nov. 30 at 12:52 p.m. Central Time. The Huskies returned to Seattle on Wednesday, Dec. 2 to complete the 10-day journey. On Friday, Dec. 4 they set out on a much shorter trip, a 399-mile flight to Boise, Idaho on Dec. 5 before their visit to Spokane to play Gonzaga. The Huskies returned to Seattle on Wednesday, Dec. 9 and remain home until Jan. 2. The game on Dec. 19 was Washington's first at home in 32 days, dating to the home opener on Nov. 16.
Shootin' Luton: Junior Deon Luton was voted the Pacific-10 Conference Player of the Week on Nov. 30. He was the MVP of the Big Island Invitational after scoring 41 points on 55-percent shooting (16-29), including 46-percent 3-point accuracy (6-13). Luton was a 1998 honorable mention All-Pac-10 selection. Last year he accounted for over half (75-of-147) of Washington's 3-pointers. Luton converted 5-of-7 treys in the NCAA second-round win over Richmond. He had three 3-pointers and hit a 17-foot jumper with 11 seconds remaining that proved to be the game-winning basket in the first-round against Xavier. Luton hit a UW single-game record seven 3-pointers at USC on Jan. 29. He became the school single-season leader with 75 treys last year. Luton ranks second among all-time Huskies with 116 career 3-pointers. The Washington career record is 119 set by Eldridge Recasner (1987-90).
Mistaken Identity: Todd MacCulloch worked as a volunteer at the Final Four in Seattle in April of 1995 and had autograph requests from spectators who mistook him for former 7-foot Oklahoma State center Bryant "Big Country" Reeves. "I'd take it as a compliment if my game is ever compared to his," MacCulloch remarked during the 1995 Final Four.
Century Club: Todd MacCulloch has 1,345 career points to rank No. 10 among all-time Huskies. On Feb. 5, 1998 at Arizona, he scored his 1,000th point to become the 25th player in Washington history to reach that plateau. Last week MacCulloch passed the 1,330-point total of Bruno Boin (1956-59), displacing him in the No. 10 spot. Ninth among all-time Husky scorers is Bill Hanson (1960-62) with 1,425 points.
All-Time Washington Career Scoring Leaders
No. Player (Years) Points No. Player (Years) Points
1. Chris Welp (84-87) 2073 6. Louie Nelson (71-73) 1504
2. Bob Houbregs (51-53) 1774 7. Doug Smart (57-59) 1478
3. Eldridge Recasner (87-90) 1700 8. Detlef Schrempf (82-85) 1449
4. James Edwards (74-77) 1548 9. Bill Hanson (60-62) 1425
5. Steve Hawes (70-72) 1516 10. Todd MacCulloch (96-99) 1345
Signed, Sealed, Delivered: Following are summaries of the two players who signed letters of intent to attend Washington during the early signing period in November. The late signing period rus from April 7 until May 15.
Ben Coffee-6-6, 205, guard, Portland, Ore. (Benson Tech HS)
Averaged 14.8 points and 7.5 rebounds as a junior, helping Benson Tech to state runner-up finish . . . Shot 55-percent from the field, 72-percent from the line . . . Honorable mention Street & Smith's and Blue Ribbon yearbook prep All-American . . . Third-team Orange County Register Fab-15 pick, No. 28 overall.
Will Perkins-6-9, 210, Omaha, Neb. (Omaha South HS/Iowa Western JC)
Averaged 15.5 points and 9.8 rebounds per game as a college freshman, helping Iowa Western JC to a 22-9 record . . . Shot 55-percent from the field and blocked 69 shots . . . Honorable mention Blue Ribbon yearbook JC All-American.
Provincial Playboy: A native of Winnipeg, Manitoba in Canada, Todd MacCulloch probably never dreamed his travels in the United States would take him to Playboy magazine headquarters in Chicago. He was twice selected to the Playboy All-America team. MacCulloch and nine other players on the 1999 All-America squad along with Utah Coach Rick Majerus are featured in the January 1999 issue of Playboy. The other members of the 1999 All-America team are: Elton Brand (Duke), Mateen Cleeves (Michigan State), Khalid El-Amin (Connecticut), Evan Eschmeyer (Northwestern), A.J. Guyton (Indiana), Richard Hamilton (Connecticut), B.J. McKie (South Carolina), Andre Miller (Utah) and Wally Szczerbiak (Miami, Ohio). MacCulloch was selected as a 1998 Playboy All-American and joined nine other players and Coach Lute Olson in Chicago during a photo shoot for the December 1997 issue. The other 1998 Playboy All-Americans were: Mike Bibby (Arizona), Zendon Hamilton (St. John's), Drew Hansen (Utah, scholar/athlete), Raef LaFrentz (Kansas), B.J. McKie (South Carolina), Paul Pierce (Kansas), Miles Simon (Arizona), Kenny Thomas (New Mexico) and Robert Traylor (Michigan). "It's kind of scary. You don't buy that magazine to look at someone like me," MacCulloch exclaimed of his apperance in Playboy. Featured on the December 1997 cover was another Canuck, the 1995 Miss Canada.
Husky Talk: Tune in to KOMO (1000 AM) every Tuesday night at 6 p.m. for "Husky Talk," a half-hour call-in and interview show featuring head coach Bob Bender and KOMO's Bob Rondeau.
High Hopes: The Huskies return four starters and nine letterman from a team that came within one second of the Elite Eight and was ranked No. 24 in the final ESPN/USA Today poll. Returning talent represents 85-percent of the points from the 1998 team that averaged 78.7 points per game, the highest figure since 1976. The high-scoring trio of seniors Todd MacCulloch (18.6) and Donald Watts (16.9) along with junior Deon Luton (15.4) returns after combining for 50.8 points per outing last season. MacCulloch, a first-team All-Pac-10 center, led the nation in field goal shooting the last two years (67.6% in 1997, 65.0% in 1998) and is a two-time Playboy All-American. Watts and Luton were both 1998 honorable mention All-Pac-10 selections. Numerous publications have included Washington in their preseason polls, some of them projecting the Huskies as a Top-10 team.
Sweet Season: "Sweet." How better to describe a 1998 season during which Washington returned to the NCAA Tournament after a 12-year absence, advancing to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 1984? The Huskies completed the campaign with a 20-10 record, their first 20-win season since 1987. They finished fourth in the Pac-10 with an 11-7 mark. Washington garnered its first NCAA Tournament invitation since 1986 and proceeded to defeat Xavier and Richmond before a last-second loss to Connecticut. The UW improved its record during each of Coach Bob Bender's first five seasons. His inaugural team in 1994 had a 5-22 record followed by a 10-17 mark in 1995, 16-12 in 1996, 17-11 in 1997 and 20-10 last year. The improvement has been difficult due to the parellel rise of the Pacific-10 Conference which produced two of the last four NCAA champions and advanced four teams to the Sweet 16 each of the last two seasons.
Returning Talent: Four starters and nine lettermen from last year's NCAA Tournament team return. Joining that group is 6-6 sophomore forward Greg Clark who red-shirted his first year at Washington after transferring from Long Beach State. Clark was one of the West's most-recruited athletes as a player at Grossmont High School in San Diego, Calif. The Huskies boast a terrific trio of 7-foot senior center Todd MacCulloch, senior guard Donald Watts and junior guard Deon Luton. A two-time Playboy All-American, MacCulloch led the nation in field goal shooting each of the last two years (67.6% in 1997, 65.0% in 1998). He was a first-team All-Pac-10 selection while Watts and Luton received honorable mention conference acclaim. Last year's team was the highest scoring Husky outfit since 1976, averaging 78.7 points per contest. MacCulloch (18.6), Watts (16.9) and Luton (15.4) combined to average 50.8 points an outing, making them the second-highest scoring trio in Husky history behind only the 1972 group of Steve Hawes (21.7), Charles Dudley (16.5) and Louie Nelson (15.1) who averaged 53.3 points. Those three all eventually played in the NBA. Sophomore forward Thalo Green sparked a late-season surge after his insertion into the starting lineup. He replaced Patrick Femerling for the final three regular-season games and the Tournament. The Huskies responded with a 5-1 record in his starts, during which Green averaged 8.7 points and 2.7 assists. Junior Chris Walcott, a 6-8 forward, also emerged at the end of last season. He scored a career-high 14 points in the critical upset of No. 18 UCLA. Sophomore guards Dan Dickau, Michael Johnson and Bryan Brown return with a year of collegiate experience under their belts. Dickau assumed the starting point guard position vacated by Jan Wooten. Junior walk-on Andrew Moritz provides depth for the guard corps.
Bryan Brown 6-3, 225, Sophomore, Mercer Island, Wash. Points 5 / 5 Rebounds 2 / 2
# 32 Walk-on; Played 5 games; Mercer Island HS team won '97 state AAA title; MVP of state tourney; Father, "Downtown" Fred Brown, was a Seattle Sonic (1972-84); Brother, Terik, plays at Oregon
Senque Carey 6-3, 200, Freshman, East Palo Alto, Calif. Points 8 Rebounds 3
# 3 Made UW starting debut vs. New Mexico St.; Had 8 points vs. Georgia Tech; Two-time MVP of the West Catholic Athletic League ; Averaged 25 points, 10 rebs and 8 assists as senior at St. Francis
Greg Clark 6-6, 220, Sophomore, La Mesa, Calif. Points 11 Rebounds 7
# 21 Led UW vs. Hawaii-Hilo with 7 rebounds; Transfer from Long Beach State who was a 1998 red-shirt; Brother of Detroit Tigers 1B Tony Clark; A first-team 1996 Best in the West recruit
Dan Dickau 6-1, 180, Sophomore, Vancouver, Wash. Points 12 / 10 Rebounds 5 / 5
# 12 Started first 7 games at point; Had season-high 10 points vs. New Mexico St.; Prairie HS team lost in state AAA semifinals to Brown's Mercer Island team; Collects Pete Maravich memorabilia
Travis Duty 6-4, 175, Freshman, Seattle, Wash. Points 0 Rebounds 2
# 21 Walk-on; Played vs. New Mexico State, had 2 rebounds; Member of 1997 state champ O'Dea HS
Thalo Green 6-6, 210, Sophomore, Salem, Ore. Points 12 / 7 Rebounds 8 / 6
# 42 Started first 7 games this year; Started final 6 games in 1998, team had 5-1 record; UW is 9-4 in his 13 career starts; The 1996 Oregon Prep Player of the Year from state champ South Salem HS
Michael Johnson 6-4, 200, Sophomore, Seattle, Wash. Points 12 / 12 Rebounds 7 / 6
# 23 Started last 2 games, first UW starts; Had career-high 12 points vs. St. Louis; All-time top state prep scorer for large schools with 2,271 career points; Averaged 27.1 ppg as a high school senior
Grant Leep 6-5, 210, Freshman, Mt. Vernon. Points 10 Rebounds 6
# 31 Played 7 games; Tallied 10 points and 6 rebounds vs. Hawaii-Hilo; Two-time all-state selection who twice led his team into the semifinals; Also competed in cross country his senior prep year
Deon Luton 6-5, 205, Junior, Del City, Okla. Points 31 / 23 Rebounds 6 / 4
# 5 MVP of Big Island Invitational; Owns UW single-game (7) and season (75) 3-point records; Has 116 career treys, nearing school record of 119; HM 1998 All-Pac-10; Played center in high school
Todd MacCulloch 7-0, 280, Senior, Winnipeg, Manitoba Points 38 / 28 Rebounds 21 / 19
# 50 Two-time Playboy All-American; 1998 first-team All-Pac-10 pick; Led all NCAA field goal shooters twice, in 1997 (67.6%) and 1998 (65.0%); Has 25 career double-doubles; Had 76 points in prep game
Andrew Moritz 6-2, 175, Junior, Seattle, Wash. Points 5 / 5 Rebounds 2 / 2
# 11 Played 4 games; Hit 2-of-3 shots from 3-point range; Scored 5 points and had 2 rebounds vs. Hilo; On roster as walk-on since 1996; Prep teammate of Arizona's Jason Terry at Seattle's Franklin HS
Marlon Shelton 6-9, 265, Freshman, Rochester, Mich. Points 2 Rebounds 3
# 44 Played 6 games; Had 2 points and 3 rebounds vs. Hilo; One of four Husky players whose father played for Seattle Sonics; Father Lonnie played at Oregon State and was a 10-year NBA player
Chris Walcott 6-8, 215, Junior, Bellevue, Wash. Points 18 / 18 Rebounds 10 / 7
# 33 Started vs. New Mexico State; Second on team in rebounds (3.6); Tallied career-high 18 points at Gonzaga; 1996 walk-on now on scholarship; Led Sammamish to 1995 Wash. state prep title game
Donald Watts 6-4, 200, Senior, Kirkland, Wash. Points 28 / 15 Rebounds 8 / 4
# 24 Missed last 2 games with sprained right ankle; Honorable mention All-Pac-10 pick in 1998; The 1995 Washington prep player of the year; Son of NBA star Slick Watts (Sonics 1973-78)
Michael Westphal 6-2, 175, Freshman, Scottsdale, Ariz. Points 0 Rebounds 0
# 14 May red-shirt this season; Invited walk-on; One of four Huskies whose father played for Seattle Sonics; Father, Paul played at USC and was a 12-year NBA veteran; Paul is Sonics' head coach
Jajuan Winesberry 6-7, 220, Sophomore, Steilacoom, Wash. Points 0 Rebounds 0
# 20 Earned roster spot during walk-on tryouts on Oct. 20; Prepped at Steilacoom (Wash.) High School
Departures: Only three players from last year's team did not return, including starting point guard Jan Wooten who averaged 5.7 points and 2.7 assists per game in 1998. Another point guard, Chris Thompson, has used up his eligibility and will join the Husky staff as a student assistant coach. Patrick Femerling, a 7-1 center averaged 5.7 points and ranked second on the team with 6.1 rebounds per game. He decided to forego his senior season and signed in July with a team from Berling of the professional league in his native Germany.
Newcomers: The Washington roster is bolstered by the addition of three scholarship freshman recruits and two invited walk-ons. The Huskies signed one player at each position, inking 6-3 guard Senque Carey and 6-5 forward Grant Leep in the early period last November and 6-9 center Marlon Shelton during June. A native of East Palo Alto, Calif., Carey prepped at St. Francis High School. He averaged nearly 25 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists as a senior, helping the team to a 25-8 record and a runner-up finish in the Northern California championships. He was named the 1998 regional Player of the Year and was twice voted MVP of the West Catholic Athletic League. Carey was rated 15th in the Long Beach Press Best in the West poll. Leep hails from the same Mount Vernon (Wash.) High School that produced Mark Hendrickson, a two-time All-Pac-10 performer from Washington State. Leep averaged 17.3 points as a senior and earned all-state accolades. He led his team to the state semifinals each of his final two years. Shelton is the son of former NBA and Oregon State standout Lonnie Shelton. Marlon posted 12-point, 11-rebound and 4-blocked shot per game averages as a senior at Rochester (Mich.) High School. He has an 88-inch (7-4) wingspan and will fill the backup center role vacated by Patrick Femerling. Joining the team as an invited walk-on is freshman Michael Westphal, the son of current Seattle Sonic coach and former NBA all-star Paul Westphal. Michael totalled 15 points and six rebounds per game at Chaparral High School in Scottsdale, Ariz. Freshman Brian Kovacevich, a 6-10 center from Fife (Wash.) High School, also joined the team as an invited walk-on. A field of 16 Husky hopefuls (15 legitimate contenders plus local KING TV sportscaster Gaard Swanson) participated in the sixth-annual Washington walk-on tryouts on Oct. 22 at Edmundson Pavilion. Two players earned roster spots with their performances during the open tryouts, sophomore Jajuan Winesbury, a 6-7 forward from Steilacoom (Wash.) High School and freshman Travis Duty, a 6-4 guard from Seattle's O'Dea High School.
Pac-10 Pride: In each of the last two seasons the Pacific-10 Conference advanced four teams to the Sweet 16, more than any other league. Arizona, Stanford and UCLA, which reached the last two rounds of 16, were joined last spring by Washington and by California in 1997. Two of the last four national champions came from the Pac-10 (UCLA in 1995, Arizona in 1997).
Husky Tickets: Good seats are available for all Washington home games on a season and invidual game basis. Reserved seats for men's basketball games are $14. General admission tickets, which go on sale the Monday preceding each game, are $6 with high school, senior citizen and child tickets available for $3. The first 500 UW students are allowed in free. Also offered is a family plan ticket (1 adult, 4 children or 2 adults, 3 children) for $13. Call the Husky Ticket Office (206 - 543-2200) for information. Individual game reserved tickets will also be available for sale through all TicketMaster outlets over the phone (206) 628-0888 or via the internet at www.ticketmaster.com.
