University of Washington Official Athletic Site - Men's Basketball
 Huskies against Stanford and Cal this week. |
Huskies are 10-0 at home this season.
February 16, 1999
Outlook: The Washington Huskies (15-8, 8-5) put their perfect home record to the test on Thursday, Feb. 18 against seventh-ranked Stanford (20-5, 10-2). Tip-off is 7:30 p.m. at Edmundson Pavilion. Washington's 10-0 home record includes upsets of then 11th-ranked New Mexico, No. 11 UCLA and No. 10 Arizona. They beat three ranked teams for only the second season since 1984. The 1997 squad also upset three ranked foes. No Husky team has beaten four ranked opponents during the same season since 1952. No UW team has beaten two Top-10 foes during the same season since 1975. Washington had a five-game winning streak halted on Saturday with a 94-81 setback at Oregon. The UW won eight of its last 10 games to rally from an 0-3 start in Pacific-10 Conference play and improve its league ledger to 8-5. Washington is tied with UCLA for third place in the Pac-10 standings. Stanford leads the conference by one game over Arizona. Following the Stanford game, the Huskies entertain California (14-8, 5-7) on Saturday, Feb. 20 at 3 p.m.
High-Ranking Foes: Washington has not beaten a team ranked as high as No. 7 since a 62-60 upset of No. 7 Arizona on Jan. 16, 1992. The UW has a 59-162 record in all-time meetings with ranked opponents, including a 15-47 mark during the 1990s. The Huskies are 3-3 this season against ranked foes, defeating No. 11 New Mexico 70-61 at Seattle's KeyArena, No. 11 UCLA 93-83 and No. 10 Arizona 90-84 at Edmundson Pavilion. They lost 69-48 to No. 1 Connecticut in Chicago, 88-86 at No. 8 Arizona and 67-60 at No. 3 Stanford. Washington has a 24-95 all-time record against Top-10 foes and is 4-22 during the '90s. The Huskies lost 11 consecutive meetings with Top-10 teams before beating No 10 Arizona on Feb. 6.
TV/Radio Coverage: Thursday's game against Stanford will be televised live at 7:30 p.m. on Fox Sports Net. Barry Tompkins calls the action with color commentary from George Raveling. Saturday's game against California will air live on Fox Sports Net at 3 p.m. with the same announcing crew. 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 (158-85 in Pacific-10 Conference)
Pos. No. Name Hgt. Wgt. Yr. Hometown Points Rebs.
F 33 Chris Walcott 6-8 215 Jr. Bellevue, Wash. 6.3 3.2
C 50 Todd MacCulloch 7-0 280 Sr. Winnipeg, Manitoba 19.1 11.5
G 5 Deon Luton 6-5 205 Jr. Del City, Okla. 14.9 2.1
G 3 Senque Carey 6-3 200 Fr. East Palo Alto, Calif. 9.7 3.2
G 24 Donald Watts 6-4 200 Sr. Kirkland, Wash. 12.3 3.4
If Washington Wins . . .
Fast Fact
The Stanford Series: Stanford holds a 54-53 edge in the all-time series that began in 1916. The Cardinal won this year's first meeting 67-60 on Jan. 23 at Maples Pavilion.
The Cardinal swept the season series last year and has won the last three encounters with Washington.
The Cardinal won nine of the last 11 meetings.
Washington has a 38-14 advantage against the Cardinal in Seattle. Stanford's last visit to Edmundson Pavilion was a memorable one as the then undefeated and fifth-ranked Cardinal beat the Huskies 74-72 on a last-second 3-pointer by Kris Weems on Jan. 24, 1998.
13th-year Coach Mike Montgomery has an 18-8 mark against Washington.
Sixth-year UW Coach Bob Bender has a 2-9 record against the Cardinal.
Last Meeting: #3 Stanford 67, Washington 60 (Jan. 23, 1999; Stanford, Calif.) Arthur Lee scored 12 of his 15 points in the final 5:31, lifting third-ranked Stanford to a hard-fought 67-60 win over Washington at Maples Pavilion. The Cardinal (17-2, 7-0) beat UW for the sixth straight time at home. Washington (10-7, 3-4) turned an early nine-point deficit into a nine-point lead en route to a 29-24 halftime advantage. The Huskies went ahead 50-46 on a layin by Senque Carey with 7:32 left in the game. Lee had two steals and five points to spark an 11-1 Stanford run that produced a 57-51 lead with 3:34 remaining. Washington drew within 57-56 with 2:38 remaining before Mark Madsen hit two free throws at 1:42 and Lee contributed a steal, a 3-pointer and four free throws inside the final minute to secure the victory. Madsen totalled 20 points on 8-of-11 shooting to pace the Cardinal which also got 10 from Tim Young who played only eight second-half minutes before fouling out with 2:38 left to play. Carey finished wih 16 points to lead Washington while Todd MacCulloch contributed 14 points and 12 rebounds. Stanford hit only 3-of-12 shots from 3-point range, but held UW to 1-for-13 on treys.
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. 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. Washington plays five teams ranked in both major polls, including three of the top eight in the A.P. rankings. Second-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. 7 in the A.P. rankings. The Huskies have defeated three ranked opponents (ranking at game time listed): Arizona (10), UCLA (11) and New Mexico (11).
Strenuous Schedule: Washington's 1999 schedule is listed as the nation's sixth most difficult in the Feb. 15 Rating Percentage Index (RPI) published by the Associated Press. Five 1999 Husky opponents are ranked in the current AP poll. The 1999 UW schedule features 14 games against 1998 postseason competitors, including qualifiers from the Final Four (Stanford), Elite Eight (Arizona, UConn) and Sweet 16 (UCLA) along with NCAA teams New Mexico and Saint Louis. Following is a chart listing the Feb. 15 RPI strength-of-schedule ratings.
Rank Team Rating Rank Team Rating
1. Stanford .651 6. WASHINGTON .627
2. Duke .639 7. Michigan State .621
3. Florida State .638 8. South Carolina .617
4. Indiana .630 9. North Carolina .616
5. Iowa .628 10. Maryland .614
Notable: Senior Donald Watts has 293 career assists, needing seven more to become the fourth player in Husky history to reach the 300-assist plateau . . . Watts is averaging 4.7 assists per game during Pac-10 play, including 10 assists at Arizona (Jan. 9) that marked the first double-figure assist outing by a Husky since Chris Thompson had 10 vs. Washington State in 1997 . . . Freshman point guard Senque Carey started the last 11 games, helping the Huskies to an 8-3 record. He tallied double-figure points in 10 of those 11 games and is second on the team with 15.3 points per game during that span . . . Washington has a 14-1 record when both Todd MacCulloch and Deon Luton tally double-figure points . . . The 85-83 win over USC (Jan. 28) was the only UW win this season by fewer than six points . . . The UW is 11-2 when Deon Luton hits multiple 3-pointers. . . Washington is averaging 81.2 points per game during Pac-10 play, an 11.2-point increase from its 70.0-point non-conference scoring average . . . The Huskies 1998-99 Division I opponents have a combined 268-159 record for an impressive 63-percent winning ratio . . . Coach Bob Bender pushed his six-year Washington record above .500 for the first time with a Jan. 31 victory over UCLA and now is 83-80. He evened his overall UW record on four occasions this season, but followed with a loss each of the first three times. Bender, who opened his Husky coaching career with a 15-39 mark after two years, is 68-41 over his last four seasons.
Home Sweet Home: The Huskies play three of their final five games in Seattle where they have not lost this season. They have played only 10 of their 23 games this season at home. Washington has a perfect 10-0 record this season in Seattle, including nine wins at Edmundson Pavilion. The Huskies defeated then No. 11 New Mexico 70-61 on Dec. 24 at KeyArena. Washington has a 14-game winning streak in Seattle and won 22 of its last 24 home games. The Huskies' current 14-game home winning streak is their longest in 14 years, dating back to an 18-game winning streak that ended on Jan. 3, 1985. 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.
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).
Carey the Catalyst: Since freshman Senque Carey's inclusion in the lineup as a full-time starter on Jan. 9 at Arizona, Washington has an 8-3 record. Carey has been a catalyst for a vastly improved offense that is averaging nearly 13 points a game more with him at the helm. The team is shooting three percentage points higher and records three more assists per outing.
Fabulous Freshman: Freshman point guard Senque Carey has thrived under difficult circumstances. Carey was thrust into the starting point guard role for the last 11 games due to the season-ending foot injury to Dan Dickau. Carey responded with double-figure points in 10 of the last 11 games, including a season-high 19-point total at Arizona (Jan. 9) that he matched against USC (Jan. 28). He is averaging 13.5 points during Pac-10 play, including 15.3 as a starter. Carey led the Huskies in scoring three times and was the team's top assister on a team-high 10 occasions this season. His 80 assists already place him third among all-time Washington freshman players. Carey had a double-double at Oregon State (Feb. 11) with 18 points and 10 rebounds.
Shootin' Luton: Junior Deon Luton has 962 career points and needs 38 more to become the 27th player in Husky history to reach the 1,000-point plateau. Luton has amassed 20 points in eight of his last 16 outings, including a season-high 27-point output against Arizona State (Feb. 6). He holds every Washington school 3-point shooting record. Luton hit three 3-pointers at Washington State (Jan. 3) to break the Husky career record of 119 treys established by Eldridge Recasner (1987-90). Luton owns Washington career (144), single-season (75 in 1998) and single-game (7) 3-point records. He hit seven treys at USC on Jan. 29, 1998. The Huskies have an 11-2 record this season and are 32-9 during his career when Luton hits more than one 3-point basket. Luton was named the Pac-10 Player of the Week on Feb. 8 for the second time this season after averaging 23.5 points on 65-percent shooting, including 7-of-10 from 3-point range, in a home sweep of the Arizona schools. He scored a season-high 27 points in a 93-85 win over Arizona State and led a 90-84 upset of No. 10 Arizona with 20 points. Luton also was named the Player of the Week on Nov. 30 and is only the third Husky to earn the weekly Pac-10 honor twice in the same season. He joins Chris Welp (1986) and Todd MacCulloch (1998). Luton was the MVP of the Big Island Invitational. 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 was the game-winning basket in the first-round against Xavier. Luton has 43 treys this season, over twice as many as any other Husky. Wonderful Watts: Senior guard Donald Watts has 293 career assists and needs seven more to become the fourth player in Husky history to reach the 300-assist plateau. Watts scored a season-high 24 points on Feb. 4 against Arizona to become the 26th player in Husky history to surpass the career 1,000-point plateau. He currently ranks No. 21 among all-time Huskies with 1,064 points. Watts has steadily increased his contributions in every category upon returning from a severe ankle injury. The 24-point outburst against Arizona was the first 20-point outing of the season for Watts who had 13 such performances last year. He led the team in scoring for the first game this season, a feat he accomplished 11 times in 1998. Watts started the last 11 games after missing nearly a month with a sprained right ankle suffered in the first half at Boise State on Dec. 5. He missed four games. Prior to the injury Watts made 41 consecutive starts and missed only one outing in his four-year career, playing 91 of 92 possible games. He is the Huskies' third-leading scorer (12.0 ppg), and boasts a 14.4-point scoring average in Pac-10 games. Watts contributed 14 points, six rebounds and five assists at Washington State (Jan. 3) in his return from the near month-long absence. He tallied 18 points and 10 assists at Arizona (Jan. 9), the first double-digit assist game by a Husky since Chris Thompson had 10 against Washington State on Feb. 15, 1997. Watts has a team-leading average of 3.9 assists per game and led the team on nine occasions. He usually defends the opponent's top offensive threat. Boise State's Roberto Bergersen tallied 28 of his 32 points after Watts departed with 5:41 left in the first half.
Snake-Bit: The last-second 88-86 loss at Arizona on Jan. 9 was the latest in a recent string of heart-breaking, buzzer-beaters against the Huskies. Washington lost two games in the final seconds during the opening week of Pac-10 play and suffered three last-second losses to Top-10 teams in the past year.
Date Score Location
Jan. 9, 1999 #8 Arizona 88, UW 86 Tucson, Ariz.
Richard Jefferson puts back missed Jason Terry 3-pointer at the buzzer
Jan. 3, 1999 Washington State 72, UW 71 Pullman, Wash.
Jan-Michael Thomas hits deep 3-pointer with 3.3 seconds remaining
March 19, 1998 #6 Connecticut 75, UW 74 Greensboro, N.C. (NCAA tournament)
Richard Hamilton puts back his own miss at the buzzer in East Region semi
Jan. 24, 1998 #5 Stanford 74, UW 72 Seattle, Wash.
Kris Weems weaves through UW defenders in backcourt and hits trey at buzzer
Century Club: Washington has never had three 1,000-point scorers playing during the same season. That could soon change. Seniors Todd MacCulloch (1640) and Donald Watts (1064) are the 25th and 26th members of Washington's century club. Junior Deon Luton has 962 career points and should soon become the 27th player in Husky history to reach the 1,000-point plateau. Those three would be the first trio of Washington 1,000-point scorers to play simultaneously.
Last Game: Oregon 94, Washington 81 (Feb. 13, 1999; Eugene, Ore.) Darius Wright led five double-figure scorers with 17 points, including two straight fastbreak baskets that keyed Oregon's 94-81 win over Washington at McArthur Court. Washington (15-8, 8-5) had its five-game winning streak stopped despite the 26-point, 12-rebound performance of Todd MacCulloch. The Ducks (13-9, 5-8) raced out to an 11-2 lead inside the opening three minutes. Washington took only one brief first-half lead and trailed 44-42 at halftime. The Huskies scored the first four points after halftime and claimed its final lead at 53-52 with 17:12 remaining. Oregon staged a 15-3 surge, sparked by six points from Wright who had back-to-back layups off the break, to take a 68-56 margin with 13:20 left to play. Washington never drew closer than seven points the rest of the game. Smith grabbed 10 boards to lead a 42-37 Duck rebound advantage. Smith hit both of his trey attempts for Oregon which shot 10-for-20 from 3-point range. Terik Brown tallied 14 points, Yasir Rosemond added 11 and Mike Carson had 10 for the Ducks. Donald Watts and Senque each scored 18 points for Washington which shot only 40 percent (24-60) and registered a season-low nine assists.
The California Series:
Last Meeting: Washington 87, California 73 (Jan. 21, 1999; Oakland, Calif.) Todd MacCulloch missed only one shot while amassing 31 points and 17 rebounds in Washington's 87-73 victory over California at the New Arena in Oakland. MacCulloch missed his first shot before connecting on his final 13 attempts en route to the seventh 30-point game of his career. Washington (10-6, 3-3) led for much of the first half as MacCulloch tallied 22 points before intermission. Califonria (11-5, 2-4) claimed a 36-34 halftime edge on a jumper by Geno Carlisle at the buzzer. The Huskies took control in the second half as Senque Carey and Deon Luton, held scoreless in the first half, scored 13 and 12 points, respectively. Five players tallied double-figure points for the UW, including Donald Watts with 13 and Chris Walcott with 11. Thomas Kilgore came off the bench to tallly a team-high 19 points for the Golden Bears who also got 13 from Francisco Elson and 12 from Michael Gill. Washington shot 54 percent (27-50) while limiting Cal to 41 percent (30-74). The Golden Bears hit only one 3-pointer in 11 attempts while Washington converted 5-of-10. 30-Point Club: Todd MacCulloch recorded his seventh career 30-point game on Jan. 21 with 31 points at California. That was his first 30-point performance of the season. He had 31 points in the second-round NCAA Tournament game on March 14 against Richmond. Only one other player has registered as many as seven 30-point performances during a Washington career. Bob Houbregs (1951-53) is the school record holder with 13 games of 30-or-more points. All-Time Washington 30-Point Game Leaders: 1. Bob Houbregs (1951-53) 13. 2. Todd MacCulloch (1996-99) 6.
Meet the Press: Bob Bender conducts weekly media meetings 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. Instant Replay: Washington had a five-game winning streak stopped on Saturday with a 94-81 setback at Oregon. The Huskies spoiled Oregon State's perfect 10-0 home record, winning 82-69 in Corvallis (Feb. 11). Washington won its 14th consecutive home game, capping a perfect four-game homestand with a 93-85 win over Arizona State (Feb. 6) after upsetting 10th-ranked Arizona 90-84 (Feb. 4). That was the first UW win over a Top-10 foe in its last 12 tries, dating to a 92-88 win over No. 10 Arizona on Feb. 2, 1997, and the second straight win over a ranked foe as UW dispatched No. 11 UCLA 93-83 (Jan. 31). Washington opened the homestand with an 85-83 win over USC (Jan. 28). The Huskies earned a split in the Bay Area, defeating California 87-73 (Jan. 21) behind the 31-point, 17-rebound performance of Todd MacCulloch before suffering a 67-60 setback at No. 3 Stanford (Jan. 23). The Huskies swept the home series from the Oregon schools for the third straight season, posting an 86-76 overtime decision over Oregon (Jan. 16) and a 70-50 triumph against Oregon State (Jan. 14) that halted a three-game losing streak. They were beaten 88-86 on a last-second shot at No. 8 Arizona (Jan. 9), lost 96-72 at Arizona State (Jan. 7) and 72-71 at Washington State (Jan. 3). Washington capped its fourth consecutive seven-win non-conference season Dec. 30 with an 81-72 win over Portland. The Huskies upset 11th-ranked New Mexico 70-61 (Dec. 24), 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 (Dec. 8) after suffering a 69-61 setback at Boise State (Dec. 5) that gave BSU a school-record 17-game home winning streak. UW lost 69-48 to top-ranked Connecticut (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 title game 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 wins over Xavier (69-68) and Richmond (81-66).
Shuffling Starters: Stability was a key to Washington's Sweet 16 surge last year. Four players started every game in 1998 (Deon Luton, Todd MacCulloch, Donald Watts & Jan Wooten). The remaining spot was filled by three players, giving the Huskies only three different starting lineups all season. Washington has already used seven different starting lineups this season and only two players have started every game (Deon Luton & Todd MacCulloch). The lineup of Chris Walcott, Todd MacCulloch, Senque Carey, Deon Luton and Donald Watts started the last seven games, winning five of them. The following chart lists the records of different UW units.
Record Forward Center Guard Guard Guard
2-0 Walcott MacCulloch Dickau Luton Clark
1-0 Walcott MacCulloch Carey Luton Johnson
5-2 Walcott MacCulloch Carey Luton Watts
3-1 Clark MacCulloch Carey Luton Watts
4-2 Green MacCulloch Dickau Luton Watts
0-1 Green MacCulloch Dickau Luton Johnson
0-2 Clark MacCulloch Dickau Luton Watts
Dynamic Starting Debut: Two years had passed since sophomore Greg Clark started his last game, as a senior at San Diego's Grossmont High School. He was sidelined with a dislocated left shoulder 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. He made three steals while shutting down Lamont Long, one of the nation's leading scorers who entered the game averaging 24.1 points, without a point 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. Clark started eight straight games before playing a reserve role in the last seven outings.
Court Report: Washington was the second straight Pac-10 team to capture the Big Island Invitational (Hilo, Hi.) championship, following Stanford which parlayed a 1997 Invitational championship into a 1998 Final Four run . . . Washington limited opponents to a combined 41.9 percent from the field in 15 victories (397-948) and 46.9 percent (223-475) in its eight 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 (24.1 ppg), played 40 minutes and was held scoreless by Washington's Greg Clark.
Frequent Flyers: The Huskies amassed over 8,000 miles during their first road trip this season. 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 UW's first at home in 32 days, dating to the home opener, Nov. 16.
Dickau OW!: Sophomore point guard Dan Dickau had surgery on Jan. 15 to repair a fracture on his left heel (calcaneus bone) that was discovered by x-rays on Jan. 13. He is out for the season. Dickau broke the navicular bone on top of his left foot during the summer that sidelined him from July to October. A bone spur that developed in that location was removed during the Jan. 15 surgery. Dickau started 11 games this year, averaging 4.6 points and a then team-high 34 assists. A seven-point performance in a last-second, 88-86 loss at No. 8 Arizona on Jan. 9 appears to be Dickau's final appearance of the 1999 season. He averaged 3.6 points per game last year and was an honorable mention All-Pac-10 freshman selection. Dickau was the 1997 Washington Class AAA prep Player of the Year out of Prairie High School in Vancouver. I feel bad for Dan because no one has woked harder to help this team have success, said Coach Bob Bender.
Injury Update:
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
1999 UW Record When
Ahead at Halftime 13-2
Behind at Halftime 2-6
Overtime Games 1-0
Three-Point or less Final Margin 1-2
FG % is above 50 % 6-1
FG % is exactly 50 % 1-2
FG % is below 50 % 8-5
Opponent FG % is above 50% 0-2
Opponent FG % is below 50% 15-6
Outshooting Opponent 13-3
Outshot by Opponent 2-5
Outrebounding Opponent 9-2
Rebounding equals Opponent 1-0
Outrebounded by Opponent 5-6
Less Turnovers than Opponent 8-2
Turnovers equal Opponent 0-1
More Turnovers than Opponent 7-5
Bench outscores Opponent 7-4
Bench outscored by Opponent 8-4
UW Scores 4049 Points 0-1
UW Scores 5059 Points 0-0
UW Scores 6069 Points 1-2
UW Scores 7079 Points 5-3
UW Scores 8089 Points 6-2
UW Scores 90-99 Points 3-0
Opponent Scores 4049 Points 1-0
Opponent Scores 5059 Points 2-0
Opponent Scores 6069 Points 5-3
Opponent Scores 7079 Points 3-1
Opponent Scores 8089 Points 4-2
Opponent Scores 9099 Points 0-2
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 15-8 8-5
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 8380 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 1711 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 83 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 143137. 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.
Todd MacCulloch (Wooden Award Candidate)
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 became the seventh player in Husky history to score 1,500 points with a 31-point outing at Cal on Jan. 21. On Jan. 31, he vaulted ahead of the 1,548-point total of James Edwards (1974-77) and into the No. 4 spot among UW career scorers with a current total of 1,640 points. Eldridge Recasner (1987-90) is third with 1,700 points. All-Time Washington Career Scoring Leaders
No. Player (Years) Points No. Player (Years) Points
1. Chris Welp (84-87) 2073 6. Steve Hawes (70-72) 1516
2. Bob Houbregs (51-53) 1774 7. Louie Nelson (71-73) 1504
3. Eldridge Recasner (87-90) 1700 8. Doug Smart (57-59) 1478
4. Todd MacCulloch (96-99) 1640 9. Detlef Schrempf (82-85) 1449
5. James Edwards (74-77) 1548 10. Bill Hanson (60-62) 1425
Board Member: Todd MacCulloch became the eighth player in Husky history to reach the 800-rebound plateau with a 17-board outing at California on Jan. 21. Thursday he moved ahead of the 876-rebound total of Dean Parsons (1952-55) and into the No. 6 spot among Washington career rebounders with a current total of 894 caroms. Fifth among UW rebounders is Steve Hawes (1970-72) with 945.
All-Time Washington Career Rebounding Leaders
No. Player (Years) Rebounds No. Player (Years) Rebounds
1. Doug Smart (57-59) 1051 7. Todd MacCulloch (96-99) 894
2. Doug McClary (51-53) 997 6. Dean Parsons (52-55) 876
3. Chris Welp (84-87) 995 8. Bruno Boin (56-59) 832
4. Bob Houbregs (51-53) 971 9. James Edwards (74-77) 792
5. Steve Hawes (70-72) 945 10. Ed Corell (61-63) 768
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 said of his Playboy apperance. Featured on the December 1997 cover was another Canuck, Miss Canada 1995.
Todd Tidbits: Todd MacCulloch ranks No. 2 nationally with 11.5 rebounds per game, trailing only Ian McGinnis of Dartmouth (12.3 rpg) . . . MacCulloch's Pac-10 leading 264 rebounds are over three times more than any other Husky (Senque Carey and Chris Walcott are second with 73 boards) . . . Todd MacCulloch posted his third career 20-20 on Jan. 31, amassing 26 points and 21 rebounds against UCLA . . . MacCulloch has double-doubles in eight of his last nine outings, and leads the Pac-10 lead with 14 double-doubles this season.
