University of Washington Official Athletic Site - Men's Basketball
 the Huskies host Portland Dec. 30. |
Men's hoops hosts Pilots at Edmundson Pavilion.
December 28, 1998
WASHINGTON HUSKIES (6-3) vs.
PORTLAND PILOTS (6-4)
Wed., Dec. 30 - 7:00 p.m. PST
Edmundson Pavilion - Seattle, Wash.
The Washington Huskies (6-3) close out their non-conference schedule on Wednesday, Dec. 30 when they entertain the Portland Pilots (6-4). Tip-off is 7 p.m. at Edmundson Pavilion. Washington seeks to finish the non-conference season with seven wins for the fourth straight season. Reaching the seven-victory plateau in non-conference play would be a greater achievement this season as the Huskies schedule has been difficult. Washington dealt 11th-ranked New Mexico its first defeat, a 70-61 decision on Thursday. Other UW wins of note include triumphs over Saint Louis and Georgia Tech which both had impressive results last week. Georgia Tech toppled seventh-ranked North Carolina and Saint Louis upset No. 13 Kansas.
Fast Facts
Deon Luton has 116 career 3-pointers, three shy of Eldridge Recasners UW record of 119 set from 1987-90.
Todd MacCulloch has 98 rebounds (10.9 rpg), over three times as many boards as any other Husky.
Washington's 1999 schedule features 14 games against 1998 postseason competitors. Included are games against competitors from the 1998 Final Four (Stanford), Elite Eight (Arizona, UConn) and Sweet 16 (UCLA) along with NCAA teams New Mexico and Saint Louis.
Sun., Jan. 3 - UW at Washington State; 2:00 p.m. PST
Spokane Arena (12,000); Spokane, Wash. (Fox Sports Net TV)
Instant Replay: The Huskies celebrated Christmas eve with a 70-61 win over 11th-ranked New Mexico, dealing the Lobos their fist loss of the season. Washington halted a three-game losing streak on Dec. 19 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, Hawaii. 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).
Probable Husky Starting Lineup:
Washington Huskies (63, 00 in Pacific-10 Conference)
Pos.-No. Name Hgt. Wgt. Yr. Hometown Points Rebs.
F 21 Greg Clark 6-6 220 So. La Mesa, Calif. 4.2 2.8
F 33 Chris Walcott 6-8 215 Jr. Bellevue, Wash. 7.3 3.6
C 50 Todd MacCulloch 7-0 280 Sr. Winnipeg, Manitoba 18.3 10.9
G 5 Deon Luton 6-5 205 Jr. Del City, Okla. 14.2 1.1
G 12 Dan Dickau 6-1 180 So. Vancouver, Wash. 3.8 3.0
Watts Shortage: Senior guard Donald Watts sprained his right ankle at Boise State (Dec. 5) and missed the last three games. Watts is questionable for Wednesdays game against Portland. 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 opponents top offensive threat. Boise States 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: Wednesdays game against Portland will not be televised. Sundays game at Washington State will be televised live on Fox Sports Net beginning at 2 p.m. Barry Tompkins and Dan Belluomini call the action. All UW mens basketball games are broadcast live on KOMO Radio (AM 1000) and its affiliates by play-by-play announcer Bob Rondeau. Every radio broadcast can be accessed via the internet at: http://www.broadcast.com/sports/ncaa/washington/
The Portland Series:
The Last Meeting: Washington 70, Portland 68 (Dec. 3, 1997; Portland, Ore.)Todd MacCulloch scored 21 of his 33 points in the second half, capped by the game-winning layup as time expired in Washingtons 70-68 victory over Portland at the Chiles Center. MacCulloch sank two free throws with 55 seconds left in the game to tie the score at 68-68. Portlands Chivo Anderson missed a shot and Washington rebounded with 0:02 on the clock. Chris Thompson in-bounded a three-quarter court pass into the key to MacCulloch who missed his first attempt before tipping back the game-winner at the buzzer. The Huskies shot 53 percent (27-51) paced by MacCulloch who converted 12-of-15 shots from the field. He grabbed 11 rebounds to register a double-double. Trailing 58-51 with 9:11 remaining, MacCulloch scored every point during a critical 10-2 Washington run that netted a 61-60 edge with 5:48 to go. Chivo Anderson scored 10 of his 14 points in the first half, leading the Pilots to a 36-31 halftime advantage. Philip Dejworek led Portland with 16 points. Deon Luton tallied 11 points for the Huskies who also got 10 from Donald Watts.
Poll Patter: Washington is not listed among the Top-25 in the two major polls. The Huskies were tied for the No. 25 spot in the Dec. 14 ESPN/USA Today coaches ratings before falling out last 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. This was 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. 5 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 also projected Washington in their preseason rankings.
Publication UW No. 1 Other Pac-10
Athlons 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)
Lindys 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 & Smiths 10th Stanford UCLA (15)
Dick Vitales 19th Connecticut Stanford (3), Arizona (15), UCLA (18)
Notable: Senior center Todd MacCulloch has 98 rebounds (10.9 rpg), nearly three times as many as any other Husky (Chris Walcott has 32 boards). MacCulloch led the team in rebounding in eight of nine games and topped all UW scorers in six outings . . . Washington possesses a much deeper bench this season with the reserves accounting for 33-percent (206-of-619) of the teams scoring. Last seasons 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 one game below .500. Bender, who opened his Husky coaching career with a 15-39 mark after two seasons, has a 59-36 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 hit 2-of-3 treys, leading the team at 67-percent . . . 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 40 percent from the field in victories (130-326) and 48 percent (82-170) in its three losses . . . The Huskies limited New Mexico to 61 points, over 30 points below the 92.4-point scoring average the Lobos brought into the game. Lobo forward Lamont Long, who entered the game ranked No. 7 nationally in scoring at 24.1 points per game, was held scoreless by Washingtons Greg Clark.
The Washington State Series:
The Last Meeting: Washington 70, Washington State 51 (Mar. 7, 1998; Pullman, Wash.) Donald Watts led all scorers with 21 points and Deon Luton tallied six of his 11 points during the decisive stretch right after halftime of Washingtons 70-51 victory over Washington State. The win, the fourth straight over WSU, gave the Huskies 18 wins for the first time since 1987 and 11 Pac-10 triumphs for the first time since 1986. Washington clinched fourth place, its best conference finish since the 1987 squad placed third. The Huskies extended a 35-30 halftime advantage, opening the second half with a 13-3 run. Lutons six points fueled the run that he capped with a dunk at 13:36 that put the UW ahead 48-33. The Huskies clamped down on defense in the second half, holding Washington State to only 21 points, a season low for a Husky opponent. Thalo Green had his third straight double-figure outing with 12 points for the UW which also got 11 from Jan Wooten. Washington shot 50 percent (27-54) while limiting WSU to 36-percent (21-58). Carlos Daniel capped his Cougar career with 15 points and 13 rebounds. Steve Slotemaker added 10 for WSU.
Last Game: Washington 70, New Mexico 61 (Dec. 24, 1998; Seattle) Deon Luton scored 12 of his 22 points inside the final seven minutes as Washington dealt 11th-ranked New Mexico its first loss of the season, a 70-61 decision at KeyArena. Luton failed to convert a 3-pointer in 11 attempts and missed 14 of his first 16 shots. He recovered to make his final five shots and added two free throws, accounting for 12 straight Husky points. New Mexico (8-1) rallied from a 39-29 halftime deficit as back-to-back 3-pointers by John Robinson gave the Lobos a 53-52 edge with 9:36 left in the game. Todd MacCulloch began a 10-point Washington (6-3) run with consecutive baskets that preceded Lutons 12-point streak. MacCulloch was 9-of-9 from the field, finishing with 21 points and 14 rebounds. Kenny Thomas scored 26 points to lead the Lobos who also got 12 apiece from Robinson and Greg Davis. New Mexico forward Lamont Long, who entered the game ranked seventh nationally with a 24.1-point average, was held scoreless. In his first collegiate start Greg Clark guarded Long and contributed nine points, seven rebounds, four assists and three steals. The Lobos, one of seven undefeated teams entering the game, were held more than 30 points below their scoring average of 92.4 points per game.
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 Seattles 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.
Dynamic Starting Debut: Two years had passed since sophomore Greg Clark started his last game, as a senior at San Diegos Grossmont High School. He was sidelined his freshman season at Long Beach State before sitting out last year at Washington as a red shirt. Clark made his collegiate starting debut on Dec. 24 against No. 11 New Mexico and helped the Huskies to a 70-61 win. The 6-6 swingman displayed the offensive prowess he was known for as a prep All-American, amassing nine points, seven rebounds and four assists. It was on the defensive end that Clark was most spectacular, making three steals while shutting down leading Lobo scorer Lamont Long. One of the nations leading scorers, Long entered the game averaging 24.1 ponts and did not score while being limited to three shots in 40 minutes. We have enough scorers. I want to take the role as the leading defensive player, Clark remarked after the New Mexico game.
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 Washingtons 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. Id 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 1,366 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) 1366
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. Johns), 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). Its kind of scary. You dont 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. 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 runs 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 & Smiths 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.
Frequent Flyers: The Huskies amassed over 8,000 miles during their last road trip. Washington flew to Hawaii 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 Washingtons first at home in 32 days, dating to the home opener on Nov. 16.
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 Benders first five seasons. His inaugural team in 1994 had a 522 record followed by a 1017 mark in 1995, 1612 in 1996, 1711 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 years 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 Wests 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 years 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.
Departures: Only three players from last years 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 Seattles ODea 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).
Associated Press Poll (12/28/98)
No. Team Record Last Week
1. Connecticut (63) 9-0 1
2. Duke (6) 11-1 2
3. Cincinnati (2) 11-0 4
4. Maryland 13-1 5
5. Stanford 8-2 6
6. Arizona 6-0 8
7. Kentucky 10-3 3
8. Indiana 11-2 10
9. North Carolina 12-2 7
10. UCLA 7-2 12
11. Purdue 12-2 9
12. St. John's 10-2 14
13. Michigan State 8-3 15
14. Clemson 11-1 16
15. New Mexico 8-1 11
16. Minnesota 8-1 17
17. Auburn 11-0 18
18. Kansas 8-3 13
19. Wisconsin 12-1 20
20. Arkansas 9-2 19
21. Iowa 9-1 21
22. Syracuse 8-3 22
23. Pittsburgh 8-4 24
24. Texas Christian 10-2 nr
25. Oklahoma State 7-3 25
ESPN/USA Today Poll (12/28/98)
No. Team Record Last Week
1. Connecticut (22) 9-0 1
2. Duke (6) 11-1 2
3. Cincinnati (2) 11-0 3
4. Maryland 13-1 5
5. Stanford 8-2 7
6. Kentucky 10-3 4
7. Arizona 6-0 9
8. Purdue 12-2 8
9. North Carolina 12-2 6
10. Indiana 11-2 10
11. UCLA 7-2 12
12. St. Johns 10-2 15
13. Michigan State 8-3 14
14. Kansas 8-3 11
15. Auburn 11-0 17
16. Clemson 11-1 16
17. New Mexico 8-1 13
18. Minnesota 8-1 18
19. Arkansas 9-2 20
20. Wisconsin 12-1 23
21. Oklahoma State 7-3 19
22. Syracuse 8-3 21
23. Pittsburgh 8-4 22
24. Iowa 9-1 25
25. Temple 6-4 24
Washington Week-by-Week
Date AP ESPN/USA
Preseason 14 14
Nov. 15 14 14
Nov. 23 16 16
Nov. 30 15 14
Dec. 7 22 17
Dec. 14 (38) 25 tie
Dec. 21 (44) (28)
Dec. 28 (33) (28)
1999 UW Record When
Ahead at Halftime 60
Behind at Halftime 03
Overtime Games 00
Three-Point or less Final Margin 00
FG % is above 50 % 11
FG % is exactly 50 % 01
FG % is below 50 % 51
Opponent FG % is above 50% 01
Opponent FG % is below 50% 62
Outshooting Opponent 41
Outshot by Opponent 22
Outrebounding Opponent 41
Rebounding equals Opponent 10
Outrebounded by Opponent 12
Less Turnovers than Opponent 52
More Turnovers than Opponent 11
Bench outscores Opponent 41
Bench outscored by Opponent 22
UW Scores 4049 Points 01
UW Scores 5059 Points 00
UW Scores 6069 Points 11
UW Scores 7079 Points 41
UW Scores 8089 Points 10
Opponent Scores 4049 Points 10
Opponent Scores 5059 Points 10
Opponent Scores 6069 Points 42
Opponent Scores 7079 Points 00
Opponent Scores 8089 Points 01
Steady Improvement: Washingtons overall and Pac-10 records have improved each year under sixth-year Coach Bob Bender, capped by last seasons 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 522 315 9th 1997 1711 108 6th
1995 1017 612 7th, tie 1998 2010 117 4th
1996 1612 99 5th, tie 1999 63
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 7475 at Washington, including a 20-10 record in 1998 that marked the schools 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 1711 record, capped by the Huskies second straight National Invitation Tournament appearance. Washingtons 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 74 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 134132. 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 Krzyzewskis Duke staff (1983-89). The Blue Devils qualified for the NCAA Tournament in each of Benders 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 Knights undefeated 1976 Indiana championship team and played point guard at Duke from 1977-80, including an appearance in the 1978 title game against Kentucky.
Magnificent MacCulloch Husky senior Todd Big Mac MacCulloch was named to the 1998 All-Pac-10 team last year after ranking fourth among conference scoring leaders (18.6) and second in rebounds (9.7). He led the nation in field goal accuracy in 1998 for the second straight season, hitting 65.0 percent of his shots. He topped all NCAA players in 1997 at 67.6 percent.
MacCulloch is the eighth player in NCAA history to lead the nation in field goal accuracy more than once, the sixth to do so in consecutive seasons.
He ranks No. 7 among NCAA career field goal shooters, entering the 1999 season at 66.4 percent. He is bidding this year to join Ohio State's Jerry Lucas (1960-62), the only three-time NCAA field goal perentage leader.
The 7-foot Canadian led all Pac-10 players with 15 double-doubles in 1998, including a 31-point, 18-rebound performance in an NCAA second-round victory over Richmond. He was named to the 10-player Playboy magazine All-America squad in both 1998 and 1999.
MacCulloch ranks No. 2 among all-time Huskies with six 30-point games. He is tied with Detlef Schrempf for fifth with 24 games of 20 or more points.
He has 28 career double-doubles with 15 of them coming last season and four this year. He had a 23-point, 19-rebound effort against New Mexico State.
Washington Player Briefs (As of Dec. 28, 1998):
UW Career / Season High Totals Listed
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 4
# 3 UW starting debut vs. New Mexico St.; Had 8 points vs. Georgia Tech & New Mexico; 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 Started vs. New Mexico, held Lamont Long (24.1 ppg) scoreless; 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 8 of 9 games at point; Had season-high 10 points vs. New Mexico St.; Prairie HS team lost in state AAA semifinals to Browns 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 ODea 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 twice, vs. Gonzaga & New Mexico St.; 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 8 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 28 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 Arizonas Jason Terry at Seattles 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 last 2 games; 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 3 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
