University of Washington Official Athletic Site - Men's Basketball
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Huskies meet third Top-10 opponent in four games.
Feb. 3, 1998
Thurs., Feb. 5 - UW at #4 Arizona, 5:30 p.m. PST (No TV)
McKale Center (14,489); Tucson, Ariz.
Sat., Feb. 7 - UW at Arizona State, 7:30 p.m. PST (FX TV)
University Activity Center (14,733); Tempe, Ariz.
The Washington Huskies (13-5, 6-3) conclude a four-game road trip this week in Arizona. Washington encounters its third top-10 opponent in the last four games, playing at fourth-ranked Arizona (19-3, 9-0) on Thursday, Feb. 5 at 5:30 p.m. Pacific Time (6:30 MST). The UW lost 12 of its last 13 games at McKale Center. An 80-79 overtime win in 1996 halted an 11-game losing streak at Arizona. The Wildcats won 110-91 on Jan. 10 in Seattle. The Huskies have a 2-30 all-time record against defending NCAA champions, defeating Louisville 69-54 on Nov. 29,1986 and Oregon 39-31 on Jan. 19, 1940. Washington brings a four-game winning streak into the meeting with Arizona State (14-8, 4-6) on Saturday, Feb. 7 at 7:30 p.m. PST.
Road Warriors: Washington has already matched last year's total of five road victories, including three in Pac-10 play. The last time a Husky team posted more road wins was in 1986 with six Pac-10 and nine overall triumphs. The Huskies defeated USC101-86 on Thursday, giving them their first three-game road winning streak since 1986. The UW won at Oregon and Oregon State in mid-January to record their first Pac-10 road sweep since 1987, dating back 41 pairs of road games.
Pac-10 Play: Washington completed the first half of its conference schedule with a 6-3 record, matching the mark of the 1996 squad. The last time a UW team had a better first-half Pac-10 record was when the 1986 team was 7-2.
Steady Improvement: Washington's overall and Pac-10 records have improved each of the previous four seasons under Coach Bob Bender.
Year Overall Pac-10 (Place) Non-Conf. 1994 5-22 3-15 (9th) 2-7 1995 10-17 6-12 (7th, tie) 4-5 1996 16-12 9-9 (5th, tie) 7-2 1997 17-11 10-8 (6th) 7-2
Television / Radio: Thursday's game at Arizona will not be televised. The Washington game at Arizona State will be televised live on FX, Saturday, Feb. 7 at 7:30 p.m. Pacific Time with Barry Tompkins and Dan Belluomini. All Washington men's basketball games are broadcast live on KOMO Radio (AM 1000) and its affiliates by play-by-play announcer Bob Rondeau. The radio broadcasts can be accessed via the internet at: http://www.audionet.com/schools/washington/
Probable Husky Starting Lineup: Washington Huskies (13-5, 6-3 in Pacific-10 Conference) Pos.-No. Name Hgt. Wgt. Yr. Hometown Pts. Rebs. F -22 Patrick Femerling 7-1 255 Jr. Dusseldorf, Germany 6.3 7.0 C -50 Todd MacCulloch 7-0 280 Jr. Winnipeg, Manitoba 18.7 9.7 G - 4 Deon Luton 6-4 200 So. Del City, Okla. 16.1 2.6 G - 5 Jan Wooten 5-10 185 Sr. Elizabeth, N.J. 5.3 1.8 G -24 Donald Watts 6-4 200 Jr. Kirkland, Wash. 17.6 3.7
Notable: Todd MacCulloch (18.7), Donald Watts (17.6) and Deon Luton (16.1) are the first three teammates in Husky history to average 16-points or more concurrently. They account for 66-percent of the team's offense and are the second-highest scoring trio in Husky history, trailing only the 1972 group of Steve Hawes (21.7), Charles Dudley (16.5) and Louie Nelson (15.1) who averaged 53.3 points.
If Washington Wins . . .
Pacific-10 Conference Standings (Through Feb. 2)
Pac-10 Pct. Overall
1. Arizona 9-0 1.000 19-3
2. Stanford 7-2 .778 18-2
UCLA 7-2 .778 17-3
4. Washington 6-3 .667 13-5
5. Arizona State 4-5 .444 14-8
California 4-5 .444 8-9
7. Oregon 3-6 .333 8-10
USC 3-6 .333 7-12
9. Oregon State 1-8 .111 11-10
Wash. State 1-8 .111 8-12
Upsetting Arizona: Since the 1990-91 season, Washington has a 5-10 record against Arizona. Only UCLA (8) and California (6) have won as many against the Wildcats during that span. Five of the Huskies' last nine wins over ranked opponents came against Arizona. Since 1991, Washington has a 9-37 record against ranked opponents, but is 5-10 against ranked Wildcat squads. The Huskies won three of their last 27 meetings with opponents ranked in the top-10, all three wins coming against Arizona. During the 1996 season, Washington defeated a 14th-ranked Wildcat team 80-79 for its first win in Tucson since 1984. On Feb. 2, 1997 the Huskies beat No. 10 Arizona 92-88 in Seattle. Following is a list of the five Washington upsets against Arizona since 1991:
Feb. 2, 1997 UW 92 # 10 Arizona 88 Seattle, Wash. Feb. 1, 1996 UW 80 # 14 Arizona 79 ot Tucson, Ariz. Feb. 5, 1994 UW 74 # 12 Arizona 69 Seattle, Wash. Jan. 16, 1992 UW 62 # 7 Arizona 60 Seattle, Wash. Jan. 3, 1991 UW 70 # 4 Arizona 54 Seattle, Wash.
The Arizona Series:
Last Meeting: Arizona 110, Washington 91 (Jan. 10, 1988; Seattle) -- Six players scored in double figures, led by the 24 points of Michael Dickerson as fifth-ranked Arizona defeated Washington 110-91 at Edmundson Pavilion. The 110-point outburst by the Wildcats ties for the third highest total ever against the Huskies. It was the most points surrendered by a Washington team in 243 games, dating back to a 120-90 loss at Arizona State on Dec. 22, 1989. Washington had its eight-game home winning streak halted, allowing the most points ever at home. The 19-point margin marked the worst defeat at Edmundson Pavilion in 57 games, dating to a 67-46 loss to Washington State on Jan. 29, 1995. Trailing 5-2, Arizona erupted on an 18-2 run that netted a 20-5 advantage with 13:27 left in the first half. A late 11-3 surge pushed the lead to 51-31 by halftime. The Wildcats pushed the lead to as many as 34 points in the second half, shooting 82 percent (23-28) after intermission. Arizona shot 65 percent for the game (43-66). Washington hit 51-percent of its second -half shots (19-37) and 48 percent for the game (29-60). Mike Bibby tallied 20 points for Arizona followed by Miles Simon with 18, Jason Terry and Eugene Edgerson with 12 and A.J. Bramlett with 10. Arizona limited the Huskies' 7-foot duo of Todd MacCulloch (4) and Patrick Femerling (1) to five points. Donald Watts paced the Huskies with a career-high 28 points, including 13-for-13 shooting from the line. Deon Luton matched his career high with 25 points and Dan Dickau added 11.
Washington Versus Ranked Foes:
Court Report: Washington's current 79.4-point scoring pace is the school's highest since the 1976 squad averaged 80.2 points per game . . . The Huskies are shooting 49.5 percent, the best figure by a UW team since the 1985 squad set a school record of 51.7 percent . . . Donald Watts, who never had a 20-point game in two previous seasons, leads the Huskies in scoring during Pac-10 games with a 21.0-point average. Watts has a team-high nine 20-point outings . . . Deon Luton averages 19.4 points on 48 percent shooting in nine Pac-10 games, improving from 12.7 points and 31 percent in nine non-conference games . . . Todd MacCulloch is averaging 21.5 points on 70-percent shooting in Washington wins, and 11.6 and 52 percent in defeats . . . Deon Luton has accounted for over half of the team's 3-pointers, hitting 47 of Washington's 91 treys.
Wonderful Watts: Junior Donald Watts has drastically raised his level of play, ranking second on the team with 17.6 points per game. That figure is an 8.7-point improvement from last season's average of 8.9 points. He has nine 20-point games to his credit after entering the season with a career-high of 19 points. Watts is shooting 51 percent from the field (99-of-193) after hitting 22- and 36-percent, respectively during his first two years. Watts leads all Washington scorers during Pac-10 play with a 21.0-point average. He averages 9.9 free throw attempts per game in Pac-10 outings. Watts electrified Husky home crowds this season with his late-game heroics. He swished a 3-pointer at the buzzer with two opponents closely guarding him to force overtime against Saint Mary's. In the extra session, Watts hit the game-winning trey from the top of the key with 28.3 seconds remaining in the regular-season opener. He has twice tallied a career-high 28 points, against Arizona and California. In the exhibition opener against Brewster Packing, Watts lifted Washington to an 88-87 victory with a 3-pointer as time expired. Watts leads the team with 58 assists. His 316 total points are almost as many as the 324 he scored in his first two seasons combined.
Hot Shots: The Huskies are shooting 49.5 percent as a team with three starters hitting better than 50-percent of their shots. Todd MacCulloch, who led the nation last season at 67.6 percent, leads the current squad at 66.2 percent while Patrick Femerling is shooting 51.7 percent and Donald Watts 51.3. The UW is shooting 51.18 percent in Pac-10 play and 41 percent on 3-pointers while scoring 85.4 points per game in conference outings. Washington was the nation's seventh-most improved field goal shooting squad in 1997, converting 48.3-percent of its shots as a unit to rank second in the Pac-10. That figure was a 4.72% improvement from the 1996 season. The 1996 Huskies ranked seventh among Pac-10 teams (43.6 percent) after ranking last in 1995 (41.7) and 1994 (40.8). Last year's team shot better than any UW unit since 1989 (49.2%). The Huskies shot better than 50 percent during 11 games last year, one more than in Bob Bender's first three UW seasons combined. Washington won nine of 10 games this season when shooting better than 50 percent from the field.
Shootin' Luton: Sophomore Deon Luton has accounted for over half (49-of-96) of Washington's 3-pointers, including 37 treys over the last 11 games. Luton hit a school single-game record seven 3-pointers at USC on Jan. 29, eclipsing the standard of six established by Greg Hill in 1986. He already ranks third among all-time Huskies with 75 career 3-pointers. He has heated up recently, averaging 20.0 points per game in the last 10 outings with six 20-point performances and a career-high 31-point outburst at USC. In those 10 games, Luton is shooting 49 percent from the field (76-155) and 43 percent (33-77) from 3-point range. Prior to the last 10 games, Luton shot 27 percent (28-104) from the field and 30 percent (16-53) on 3-pointers. Luton ranks third on the team with 51 assists, already surpassing his total of 31 assists from last season. He has 14 double-figure games and led all Washington scorers during five games this season.
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.
Climbing the Charts: Todd MacCulloch recorded his fifth career 30-point game on Jan. 15 with 31 points against Oregon. Only three other players have had as many as five 30-point performances during a Washington career. Following is the list of all-time Husky 30-point leaders: 1-Bob Houbregs (1951-53) 13; 2-Steve Hawes (1970-72) 6; 3 (tie)-Todd MacCulloch and Louie Nelson (1971-73) 5.
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 selected as a 1998 Playboy All-American and joined nine other players and Coach Lute Olson in a photo shoot for the December 1997 issue. The other Playboy All-Americans are: 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 cover was another Canuck, the 1995 Miss Canada.
Big Mac: Junior 7-foot center Todd MacCulloch led the nation in field goal shooting last season at 67.6 percent (163-241). He is currently shooting 66.2 percent (139-210) from the field to rank No. 2 nationally. MacCulloch outplayed Brad "Big Continent" Millard of Saint Mary's in the season opener, amassing 20 points and 14 rebounds to 11 points and six boards for Millard. MacCulloch scored a career-best 38 points last year at James Madison, a figure that was the eighth-highest scoring game in Husky history and the most since Chris Welp had 40 against UCLA in 1986. He hit the game-winning layup as time expired at Portland this year to cap a 33-point performance. Against Arizona State, MacCulloch amassed 30 points and a career-high 21 rebounds. He had 31 points and 15 rebounds at Oregon on Jan. 15. That was MacCulloch's third 30-point outing this season. He is one of only three players to register two 20-rebound performances during a Washington career. He has 17 career double-doubles with eight of them coming this season. MacCulloch was named the Pac-10 Player of the Week on Dec. 1 and Jan. 19. He is the fourth Husky to earn multiple Pac-10 weekly honors. MacCulloch joins Chris Welp as the only Huskies honored twice in the same season by the conference. Welp, who garnered three career Pac-10 weekly awards, won twice in 1986.
Last Game: UCLA 105, Washington 94 (Jan. 31, 1998; Los Angeles, Calif.) -- Kris Johnson scored 16 of his 26 points in the first half during which eighth-ranked UCLA took advantage of Washington center Todd MacCulloch's absence en route to a 105-94 victory at Pauley Pavilion. The Bruins defeated Washington for the 10th straight time and the 12th time at home. MacCulloch made all five of his first-half shots before drawing his second foul at 14:52 with UCLA leading 13-11. He sat out the rest of the half and UCLA immediately went on a 25-9 runon its way to a 52-34 halftime advantage. The Bruins shot 64 percent (23-36) in the first half, including 4-of-8 from 3-point range. The margin grew to as many as 30 points at 82-52 with 11:12 left in the game before the Huskies rallied to cut the lead to seven on three occassions. Washington closed to within 97-90 on a jumper by Michael Johnson with 1:38 remaining, but UCLA converted 6-of-8 free throws to secure the win. MacCulloch finished with 26 points and 13 rebounds as the Huskies outscored UCLA 67-62 during the 23 minutes he played. The Bruins posted a 43-27 scoring margin over the 17 minutes MacCulloch was on the bench. Deon Luton tallied 18 points and Donald Wats added 15 for the Huskies. Toby Bailey had 22 points for UCLA hich also got 17 from Baron Davis and 16 from both J.R. Henderson and Jelani McCoy.
Femerling Returns: Junior forward Patrick Femerling rejoined the team Dec. 7 and scored 13 points with five rebounds at Brigham Young on Dec. 9. He missed the previous four games while playing with the German National Team. Femerling was supposed to return for the Dec. 6 game at Oklahoma State, but a concussion suffered in the final game for Germany prevented him from making his scheduled flight from Europe. The 7-foot-1 center/forward registered eight points, six rebounds and four blocks in the opener against Saint Mary's before immediately leaving en route to Dusseldorf, Germany. He participated for the Germans in three qualifying games for the 1999 European Championships. The European Championhips are a critical part of Germany's process to qualify for the 2000 Summer Olympic Games. Femerling previously participated with the German Nationals in exhibition games during the summer of 1996 against Lithuania and Yugoslavia. He was joined on the German National Team by 7-foot center Chris Welp who played at Washington from 1984 to 1987 and amassed a school-record 2,073 career points. The German nationals defeated Bulgaria and Belgium, but lost to Slovenia. Femerling averages 6.3 points per game on 52-percent shooting for the Huskies. He ranks second on the team with 7.0 rebounds per game, including three double-digit performances.
This is the Army Mr. Femerling: During the summer of 1996, Patrick Femerling performed his mandatory military service as a German citizen. He spent a 10-week tour of duty with the German Army. Part of that time, Fermerling went through manuevers in his sneakers because no size-16 army boots were available.
Husky Happenings: On Thursday at USC, fifth-year Coach Bob Bender posted his 61st win at Washington to tie Andy Russo (1986-89) in fourth place among all-time UW coaches . . . Deon Luton had seven 3-pointers at USC to break the Washington single-game record of six established by Greg Hill in 1986 . . . The Huskies hit 14 treys at USC, eclipsing the previous school single-game standard of 12 set at Washington State in 1996 . . . Todd MacCulloch moved into second place last week on the Washington career blocked shots list with 82. The school record is 186 blocks set by Chris Welp (1984-87) . . . Patrick Femerling is tied for fifth with Mark Sanford (1995-97) on the blocks list with 66 . . . The Huskies have a 12-0 record this season in games when they post a better field goal percentage than the opposition. Last year's Washington team was 15-0 when outshooting opponents. The Huskies won the last 29 games in which their field goal percentage was superior, dating to a loss at Stanford on Feb. 24, 1996 . . . The Huskies have not lost a game this season in which they led at halftime, winning all 10 such contests . . . Washington amassed 101 points Thursday at USC, the 21st 100-point game in school history. It was the first 100-point performance under Coach Bob Bender and the first time the UW reached the century mark in 153 games dating to a 130-67 win over Chico State on Dec. 1, 1992 . . . Patrick Femerling is averaging 7.8 rebounds in Pac-10 games with three double-digit efforts . . . Washington defeated four teams that played in last year's NCAA Tournament with wins over Saint Mary's, Old Dominion, California and USC . . . The Huskies have used only two different starting lineups all season and the current lineup has started the last 12 games . . . Todd MacCulloch (7), Donald Watts (6) and Deon Luton (5) are the only players to lead the Huskies in scoring during a game this season.
Successful in Seattle: The Huskies have an 8-2 home record and have won 20 of their last 25 games in Seattle. Their only home defeats came against Arizona and Stanford, both ranked No. 5 at the time of the game. Washington has a 5-2 road record. The UW averages 81.3 points at Edmundson Pavilion, 6.6 more than their 74.7-point road production. The UW outshoots opponents 49.3-percent to 46.5 at home.
The Arizona State Series:
Last Meeting: Washington 92, Arizona State 70 (Jan. 8, 1998; Seattle) -- Todd MacCulloch erupted for 10 of his 30 points inside the final six minutes of the first half and hauled down a career-high 21 rebounds in Washington's 92-70 triumph over Arizona State at Edmundson Pavilion. Washington won its fourth straight game over ASU for the first time since 1987. MacCulloch hit 14-of-22 field goals en route to his second 30-point performance of the season and the fourth of his career. Only six other players have four or more 30-point efforts in a Washington career. The 7-foot junior center registered the second 20-rebound outing of his career, one of only three Huskies to accomplish that feat during their careers. The score was tied 24-24 before MacCulloch scored on a put back with 5:41 left in the half that ignited a 23-8 Washington run. MacCulloch's 10 points during the run helped the Huskies to a commanding 47-32 halftime advantage. The Sun Devils drew within 68-58 on a layin by Eddie House with 8:37 remaining, but Washington responded with a 13-2 surge to secure the outcome. Patrick Femerling posted his first career double-double with 11 points and 12 rebounds for the Huskies who had a 56-37 advantage on the boards. Deon Luton added 17 points for Washington which also got 10 from Donald Watts. The Sun Devils were led by the 16 points of Mike Batiste. Jeremy Veal was limited to 14 points, six below his average, and Eddie House had 11 points. Ahlon Lewis distributed nine assists for Arizona State.
Last Meeting in Tempe: Washington 72, Arizona State 69 (Feb. 27, 1997; Tempe, Ariz.) -- Jamie Booker scored 10 of his 13 points inside the final five minutes and made the decisive play with a steal and three-point play that lifted Washington to a 72-69 victory over Arizona State at the University Activity Center. It was the first Husky win in Tempe since 1988, halting a nine-game losing skid at ASU. Washington trailed 69-67 before Booker stole an inbounds pass near the Husky basket and was fouled by Mike Batiste while making a layup. The subsequent free throw put the Huskies ahead 70-69 with eight seconds left in the game. Patrick Femerling rebounded an ASU miss and converted two free throws with one second remaining for the final margin. The Sun Devils, who trailed 38-34 at halftime, scored eight unanswered points to go ahead 57-54 with 5:23 remaining. Booker started the late Husky surge with two free throws at 5:00 and later hit a 3-pointer with 1:47 left to trim the deficit to 65-64. Deon Luton scored 17 points, including 5-of-7 shooting from 3-point range, to lead Washington which also got 14 points from Todd MacCulloch. Mark Sanford scored 13 points and led a 43-25 Husky rebound advantage with 14 caroms. Jeremy Veal poured in a career-high 31 points for ASU, eclipsing his previous best of 30 established in Seattle during the first meeting with Washington. Rodger Farrington added 12 points and Batiste had 11 for the Sun Devils.
Signed, Sealed, Delivered: Following are summaries of the three high school seniors who signed letters of intent to attend Washington next year.
Doug Wrenn--6-7 forward, Seattle, Wash. (O'Dea HS)
Rated among the
national top-20 by numerous publications . . . Helped O'Dea to the 1997
Washington state title, averaging 17 points per game . . . Ranked No. 4 in Best
in the West poll.
Senque Carey--6-4 guard, Redwood City, Calif. (St. Francis HS)
Averaged 26 points, 12.7 rebounds and 7.8 assists per game as a junior . . .
Helped St. Francis to a 26-3 record . . . Ranked 96th nationally, No. 20 among
point guards by Clark Francis in Hoop Scoop.
Grant Leep--6-7 forward, Mount Vernon, Wash. (Mount Vernon HS)
Averaged 18.2 points and 8.5 points as a junior, helping Mount Vernon to state
runner-up finish . . . Honorable mention Street & Smith's All-American.
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.
Meet the Press: Bob Bender conducts weekly media gatherings every Tuesday at 10 a.m. in the basketball meeting area (room 221) located on the second floor of the Graves Building which is directly north of Edmundson Pavilion.
Washington Player Briefs (As of Jan. 30, 1998):
#32 Bryan Brown 6-3, 225, Freshman, Mercer Island, Wash.
Walk-on; Mercer Island HS team won 1997 state AAA title; MVP of the 1997 state tournament; Father, "Downtown" Fred Brown, was a Seattle Sonic (1972-84); Brother, Terik, plays at Oregon
# 3 Greg Clark 6-6, 220, Sophomore, La Mesa, Calif.
Transfer from Long Beach State who will red-shirt; Injured and did not play as a freshman for the 49ers; Brother of Detroit Tigers 1B Tony Clark; A first-team 1996 Best in the West recruit
#12 Dan Dickau 6-0, 170, Freshman, Vancouver, Wash.
Had career-high 11 points vs. Arizona; No. 11 Best in West recruit; Prairie HS team lost in state AAA semifinals to Brown's Mercer Island team; Collects Pete Maravich memorabilia
#22 Patrick Femerling 7-1, 255, Junior, Dusseldorf, Germany
Double-double (11/12) vs. ASU; Missed 4 games playing with German Nationals; Had 13 points at BYU in his return; Toured with Germany in 1996, played vs. Arvydas Sabonis & Vlade Divac
#42 Thalo Green 6-6, 215, RS-Freshman, Salem, Ore.
Had 8 rebounds at USC; Scored 10 points at Oklahoma State, BYU and UCLA; Injury red-shirt in 1997 played 1 game; 1996 Oregon Prep Player of the Year from state champ South Salem HS
#23 Michael Johnson 6-4, 195, Freshman, Seattle, Wash.
Had 10 points vs. Boise State; Grabbed 7 boards against WSU; All-time top state prep scorer for large schools with 2,271 career points; No. 14 Best in the West recruit; Scored 27.1 ppg as a senior
#4 Deon Luton 6-4, 200, Sophomore, Del City, Okla.
Career-hi 31 points at USC; Had 20-plus points 6 of last 10 games; Has 49 of team's 96 treys; Distributed 51 assists after having 31 all last year; Had UW record 22 points last year in debut
#50 Todd MacCulloch 7-0, 280, Junior, Winnipeg, Manitoba
Has 5 career 30-point games; Had 30 pts./21 rebs. vs. ASU; Playboy All-American; Led NCAA in shooting (67.6 %); 38 points in 1997 game were 8th most in UW history; Had 76 points in prep game
#11 Andrew Moritz 6-1, 165, Sophomore, Seattle, Wash.
Played 5 games; Scored 2 points vs. Old Dominion; Played 5 games in 1996; Earned roster spot at walk-on tryouts in 1996; Prep teammate of Arizona's Jason Terry at Seattle's Franklin HS
#14 Chris Thompson 6-1, 185, Senior, Edmonds, Wash.
Career-hi 6 rebounds at Oregon State; Had 10 assists vs. WSU in 1997, the sixth double-digit effort by a UW player in the 1990s; Started first 15 games in 1997; Second on 1997 team with 95 assists
#20 David Verschueren 6-4, 220, Junior, Issaquah, Wash.
Played 2 games; Earned roster spot during walk-on tryouts on Oct. 20; Memboer of Husky baseball team last year as a left-handed pitcher; Lettered in prep baseball, basketball, football and tennis
#33 Chris Walcott 6-7, 210, Sophomore, Bellevue, Wash.
Sprained right ankle vs. Arizona; Had double-double vs. Boise St.; Averaged 7.4 boards in 5 starts; Earned scholarship after walking on in 1996; Led Sammamish to 1995 Wash. state prep title game
#24 Donald Watts 6-4, 200, Junior, Kirkland, Wash.
Has nine 20-point games; Career-hi 28 points vs. Arizona & Cal; Hit winning trey vs. St. Mary's; The 1995 Washington prep player of the year; Son of NBA star Slick Watts (Sonics 1973-78)
#5 Jan Wooten 5-10, 185, Senior, Elizabeth, N.J.
Averaged 6.3 assists over last 3 games; Amassed 12 points, 8 assists and 0 turnovers against #5 Stanford; Played with Brevin Knight on AAU team and vs. Stephon Marbury in high school
Bender Bio: Bob Bender, 40, begins his fifth season as head coach at Washington after starting his career with a four-year stint at Illinois State (1990-93). He has a 61-67 record at Washington, including a 17-11 record in 1997 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. Bender's nine-year career record stands at 121-124. Illinois State was 61-57 under Bender, earning two Missouri Valley Conference championships, one conference tournament title and an NCAA Tournament berth in 1990. Prior to his head coaching debut, Bender served as an assistant on Mike Krzyzewski's Duke staff from 1983 through 1989. 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.
