University of Washington Official Athletic Site - Men's Basketball
 making his final home appearance against Washington State. |
Huskies celebrate Hec Edmundson Pavilion.
March 2, 1999
Fast Facts
Washington won 765 games at Edmundson Pavilion, more than any other NCAA team in its current arena.
Todd MacCulloch is the only Pac-10 player averaging a double-double with 18.5 points and 11.9 rebounds.
vs. Washington State
Sat., March 6--UW ; 3:00 p.m. PST
Edmundson Pavilion (7,900);
Seattle, Wash.
The Washington Huskies (16-11, 9-8) conclude the regular season on Saturday, March 6 against Washington State at 3 p.m. That marks the final Husky game in Edmundson Pavilion before a one-year renovation begins. The UW will play at Seattle's KeyArena during the 1999-2000 season. Washington lost 72-71 in Spokane in this year's first meeting with Washington State. The Huskies seek to stop a two-game losing streak after being swept in Los Angeles by USC (70-57) and 15th-ranked UCLA (79-62). Despite those losses, the Huskies have won nine of their last 14 games to rally from an 0-3 start in Pacific-10 Conference play and improve their league ledger to 9-8. Washington is fourth in the Pac-10 standings and can clinch its second straight fourth-place finish with a win on Saturday. The Huskies are aiming for their fourth consecutive postseason berth after National Invitation Tournament appearances in 1996 and 1997 and an NCAA bid in 1998. Washington participated in four straight postseason tournaments only once before, earning NCAA bids in 1984, '85 and '86 and an NIT berth in 1987. On Sunday, March 7, the Huskies discover their 1999 postseason fate with the airing of the NCAA Tournament selection show on CBS at 3:30 p.m. PST. If they do not receive one of 34 at-large NCAA berths, NIT pairing will be announced Sunday evening.
TV/Radio Coverage: Saturday's game against Washington State will not be televised. 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/
Pacific-10 Conference Standings
(As of March 2) Pac-10 Pct. Overall
1. Stanford 14-2 .875 24-5
2. Arizona 11-5 .688 20-6
UCLA 11-5 .688 21-7
4. Washington 9-8 .529 16-11
5. California 7-9 .438 16-10
Oregon 7-9 .438 15-10
7. USC 6-10 .375 14-11
Arizona State 6-10 .375 14-14
Oregon State 6-10 .375 12-13
10. Wash. State 4-13 .235 10-18
Probable Husky Starting Lineup:
Washington Huskies (16-11, 9-8 in Pacific-10 Conference) Pos.No. Name Ht. Wgt. Yr. Hometown Pts. Rebs. F -- 42 Thalo Green 6-6 210 So. Salem, Ore. 3.7 2.1 C -- 50 Todd MacCulloch 7-0 280 Sr. Winnipeg, Manitoba 18.5 11.9 G -- 5 Deon Luton 6-5 205 Jr. Del City, Okla. 14.3 2.0 G -- 3 Senque Carey 6-3 200 Fr. East Palo Alto, Calif. 9.1 3.1 G -- 24 Donald Watts 6-4 200 Sr. Kirkland, Wash. 12.5 3.7
Hec Ed Finale: On Saturday, March 6, the Washington men's basketball team plays its final game at Hec Edmundson Pavilion in its current configuration. The Pavilion will undergo a renovation beginning in March that is scheduled to conclude during the fall of 2000. The seating capacity will be increased from the current 7,900 total to a configuration of 10,000. The support pillars that obstruct views in the upper levels will be removed. The 1999 season marks the 72nd year UW basketball teams have competed in the building, a tenure that enabled the Husky men to compile more wins in the Pavilion (745) than any other team in the nation has won in its current arena. The Huskies will play next season at KeyArena and return to the restored Pavilion for the 2000-01 season. Hec Edmundson Pavilion was built in 1927 and dedicated on Dec. 27, 1927.
If Washington Wins . . .
Poll Patter: Washington plays five teams ranked in both major polls, including four of the top 13 in the current Associated Press rankings. Third-ranked Connecticut was ranked No. 1 when it beat the UW 69-48 on Dec. 1 at the Great Eight Classic in Chicago. Stanford, a Final Four qualifier with all five starters returning, is No. 6 in the A.P. rankings, UCLA is No. 12 and Arizona is No. 13. The Huskies have defeated three ranked opponents (ranking at game time listed): Arizona (10), UCLA (11) and New Mexico (11). 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 A.P. poll after being ranked No. 22 on Dec. 7. The Huskies opened the season in the No. 14 spot of both the A.P. 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 showing in the 1984 NCAAs.
The Washington State Series:
Last Meeting: Washington State 72, Washington 71 (Jan. 3, 1999; Spokane, Wash.) -- Jan-Michael Thomas made his only basket, a 3-pointer, with 3.3 seconds remaining to give Washington State a 72-71 victory over Washington in the conference opener for both teams at the Spokane Arena. Thomas, who averaged 14.7 points entering the game, was limited to two free throws until the game-winning trey that capped a 12-3 Cougar run over the final five minutes. Donald Watts caught a 75-foot pass from UW teammate Senque Carey on the ensuing inbounds play, but fumbled the ball out of bounds without getting off a shot. Washington (7-4, 0-1) jumped out to an early 7-0 lead behind two 3-pointers by Deon Luton who finished with a game-high 23 points. Washington State (7-5, 1-0) rallied to take a 41-38 halftime advantage. That lead expanded to 49-44 before Watts scored 11 points to fuel a 24-11 run that put the Huskies ahead 68-60 with 5:08 left in the game. Luton hit a jumper with 7:40 remaining that was the final UW field goal. The Cougars were led by the 19 points and 10 rebounds of Kojo Mensah-Bonsu and 14 points of Mike Bush. Watts, who returned after missing four games with a sprained ankle, scored 13 of his 14 points in the second half and contributed five assists. Todd MacCulloch played only 10 minutes before fouling out, finishing with two points and four rebounds.
High-Ranking Foes: The Huskies have defeated three ranked teams for only the second season in 15 years. The 1997 squad was the only other UW team to upset three ranked teams since 1984. The last time Washington defeated more than three ranked opponents during the same season was when the 1952 squad beat four ranked foes. Washington has a 59-164 record in all-time meetings with ranked opponents, including a 15-49 mark during the 1990s. The Huskies are 3-5 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, 67-60 at No. 3 Stanford, 79-62 at No. 15 UCLA and 89-57 at home against No. 7 Stanford.
1,000-Point Producers: For the first time in its history, a Washington team has three 1,000-point scorers playing simultaneously. Seniors Todd MacCulloch (1,700) and Donald Watts (1,118) were the 25th and 26th members of Washington's century club. Junior Deon Luton joined that elite group on Saturday at UCLA, increasing his career total to 1,005 points to become the 27th player in Husky history to reach the 1,000-point plateau.
Drastic Improvement: Senior guard Donald Watts leads all Pac-10 players in 3-point shooting, hitting treys at a 45.6-percent clip (26-57). In fact, Watts is shooting better behind the arc than he is inside. He is shooting 41.5 percent (66-159) on two-point attempts and 42.6 percent (92-216) overall on field goals. The terrific trey shooting is a remarkable improvement for Watts who hit only 19-percent of his 3-pointers as a freshman in 1996, and 31 percent each of the last two seasons.
Strenuous Schedule: Washington's 1999 schedule is listed as the nation's third most difficult in the Feb. 28 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. 28 RPI strength-of-schedule ratings.
Rank Team Rating Rank Team Rating 1. Florida State .642 6. North Carolina .618 2. Stanford .631 7. Iowa .616 3. WASHINGTON .625 8. Michigan State .615 4. Duke .624 9. South Carolina .607 5. Michigan .621 10. Maryland .606
Notable: The Huskies have 1-6 record when they score fewer than 70 points, including losses in three of their last four games . . . Washington has a 14-4 record when outshooting opponents and is 2-7 when its foe has a better field goal percentage . . . Senior Donald Watts increased his career total to 303 assists, becoming the fourth player in Husky history to reach the 300-assist plateau . . . Watts is averaging 4.2 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 . . . Senior center Todd MacCulloch leads the Pac-10 in three categories: rebounds (11.9 rpg), blocked shots (1.59 bpg) and field goal shooting (66.0%) . . . MacCulloch is the only Pac-10 player averaging a double-double (18.5 points/11.9 rebounds). The last Washington player to average a double-double was James Edwards in 1977 (20.0 points/10.4 rebounds) . . . Sophomore guard Michael Johnson has five double-figure scoring games this season, including a pair of 11-point performances in back-to-back games against Stanford and California. The Huskies have a 4-1 record when Johnson records double-digit points . . . Freshman guard Senque Carey started the last 15 games, recording double-figure points in 11 games and averaging 12.4 points per game during that span . . . Washington has a 15-3 record when both Todd MacCulloch and Deon Luton tally double-figure points . . . The UW is 12-3 when Deon Luton hits multiple 3-pointers. . . Washington is averaging 77.5 points per game during Pac-10 play, a nearly eight-point increase from its 70.0-point non-conference scoring average.
Home Sweet Home: Washington has won 15 of its last 16 home games. The Huskies suffered their only home loss of the season on Feb. 18, an 89-57 setback against Stanford that snapped a 14-game home winning streak that was their longest in 14 years, dating to an 18-game stretch that ended on Jan. 3, 1985. Washington has an 11-1 record this season in Seattle, including 10 wins at Edmundson Pavilion. The Huskies defeated then No. 11 New Mexico 70-61 on Dec. 24 at KeyArena.
Shootin' Luton: On Saturday at UCLA, junior guard Deon Luton became the 27th player in Husky history to register 1,000 career points. He now has 1,005 points. Luton has amassed 20 points on eight occasions this season, 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 (148), 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 a 12-3 record this season and are 33-10 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 47 treys this season, nearly twice as many as any other Husky.
Wonderful Watts: On Saturday at UCLA, senior guard Donald Watts became the fourth player in Husky history to reach the 300-assist plateau. He currently has 303 career assists. 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. 18 among all-time Huskies with 1,118 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 three times this season, a feat he accomplished 11 times in 1998. Watts started the last 17 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 (12.5 ppg), and boasts a 14.2-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 3.7 assists per game and led the team on 10 occasions.
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.
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
Carey the Catalyst: Freshman point guard Senque Carey has thrived under difficult circumstances. Carey was thrust into the starting point guard role for the last 15 games due to the season-ending foot injury to Dan Dickau. Carey responded with double-figure points in 11 of the last 15 games, including a season-high 19-point total at Arizona (Jan. 9) that he matched against USC (Jan. 28). He is averaging 11.6 points during Pac-10 play, including 12.7 as a starter. Carey has been a catalyst for a vastly improved offense that is averaging eight more points a game with him at the helm. Carey led the Huskies in scoring three times and was the team's top assister on a team-high 10 occasions this season. His 87 assists 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.
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 eight different starting lineups this season and only two players have started every game (Deon Luton & Todd MacCulloch). The lineup of Thalo Green, Todd MacCulloch, Senque Carey, Deon Luton and Donald Watts started for the last two games, losing both. The following chart lists the records of different UW starting units.
Record Forward Center Guard Guard Guard
2-0 Walcott MacCulloch Dickau Luton Clark
1-0 Walcott MacCulloch Carey Luton Johnson
6-3 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 Green MacCulloch Carey Luton Watts
0-2 Clark MacCulloch Dickau Luton Watts
Last Game: UCLA 79, Washington 62 (Feb. 27, 1999; Los Angeles) --Earl Watson led five double-figure scorers with 18 points and JaRon Rush added 12 points and 15 rebounds for 15th-ranked UCLA in a 79-62 win over Washington at Pauley Pavilion. The Bruins (21-7, 11-5) led the entire game, extending a 12-11 edge with a nine-point run. The Huskies (16-11, 9-8) were held scoreless for nearly four minutes, enabling UCLA to take a 21-11 lead with eight minutes left until halftime. Watson scored 11 first-half points and Rush added nine en route to a 36-25 halftime margin. The lead grew to as many as 21 points before Washingon rallied to within 59-51 on a 3-pointer by Bryan Brown with 5:46 left in the game. UCLA scored seven straight to repel the rally. Donald Watts scored 14 points to lead the Huskies who also got 10 each from Todd MacCulloch and Deon Luton. MacCulloch, who only attempted five shots and made four, grabbed 13 rebounds. Baron Davis tallied 14 points for the Bruins while Jerome Moiso had 11 and Travis Reed 10. The Bruins converted a season-high 29 Washington turnovers into 25 points. The Huskies shot 40 percent (21-53), but limited UCLA to 39-percent shooting (29-74), including 1-of-13 fon treys.
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.
Court Report: 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 84-83. 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 69-44 over his last four seasons . . . The 85-83 win over USC (Jan. 28) was the only UW win this season by fewer than six points . . . The 89-57 defeat against Stanford was the second-worst loss ever by a Bob Bender-coached Washington team. It was the Huskies' largest margin of defeat since a 95-62 loss at Arizona on March 3, 1994 . . . 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 41.7 percent from the field in 16 victories (424-1017) and 46.0 percent (318-692) in its 11 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.
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 10 outings.
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.
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).
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 5-22 record followed by a 10-17 mark in 1995, 16-12 in 1996, 17-11 in 1997 and 20-10 last year. The improvement has been difficult due to the parellel rise of the Pacific-10 Conference which produced two of the last four NCAA champions and advanced four teams to the Sweet 16 each of the last two seasons.
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.
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.
Signed, Sealed, Delivered: Following are summaries of the two players who signed letters of intent to attend Washington during the early signing period in November. The late signing period rus from April 7 until May 15.
- Ben Coffee--6-6, 205, guard, Portland, Ore. (Benson Tech HS)
Averaged 14.8 points and 7.5 rebounds as a junior, helping Benson Tech to state runner-up finish . . . Shot 55-percent from the field, 72-percent from the line . . . Honorable mention Street & Smith's and Blue Ribbon yearbook prep All-American . . . Third-team Orange County Register Fab-15 pick, No. 28 overall.
- Will Perkins--6-9, 210, Omaha, Neb. (Omaha South HS/Iowa Western JC)
Averaged 15.5 points and 9.8 rebounds per game as a college freshman, helping Iowa Western JC to a 22-9 record . . . Shot 55-percent from the field and blocked 69 shots . . . Honorable mention Blue Ribbon yearbook JC All-American.
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.
Season Recap:
Steady Improvement: Washington's overall and Pac-10 records improved four consetive years 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 16-11 9-8
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 84-83 at Washington, including a 20-10 record in 1998 that marked the school's finest winning percentage since 1985. Among the 1998 Husky highlights were their first 20-win season since 1987, their first NCAA berth since 1986 and their first Sweet 16 appearance since 1984. The 1997 UW team posted a 17-11 record, capped by the Huskies' second straight National Invitation Tournament appearance. Washington's record has improved each season under Bender, including a 16-12 mark in 1996 after which he was voted the Pac-10 Coach of the Year by his peers. The UW was 5-22 in 1994 and 10-17 in 1995. His 84 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 144-140. 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 Tidbits: Todd MacCulloch ranks second nationally with 11.9 rebounds per game, trailing only Dartmouth's Ian McGinnis (12.2) . . . MacCulloch's Pac-10 leading 321 rebounds are over three times more than any other Husky (Senque Carey is second with 84 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 12 of his last 14 outings, and leads the Pac-10 with 18. He is the only Pac-10 player averaging a double-double.
Century Club: Todd MacCulloch is the fourth player in Husky history to score 1,700 career points. On Saturday at UCLA, he matched the 1,700-point total of Eldridge Recasner (1987-90), tying him for the No. 3 spot among UW career scorers with a current total of 1,700 points. Bob Houbregs (1951-53) is Washington's second all-time leading scorer with 1,774 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. Todd MacCulloch (96-99) 1700 8. Doug Smart (57-59) 1478 tie Eldridge Recasner (87-90)1700 9. Detlef Schrempf (82-85)1449 5. James Edwards (74-77) 1548 10. Bill Hanson (60-62) 1425
Board Member: Todd MacCulloch became the sixth player in Husky history to reach the 900-rebound plateau with a 10-board outing against Stanford on Feb. 18. He is currently in the No. 5 spot among Washington career rebounders with a total of 951 caroms. Fourth among UW rebounders is Bob Houbregs (1951-51) with 971 career boards.
All-Time Washington Career Rebounding Leaders
No. Player (Years) Rebounds No. Player (Years) Rebounds 1. Doug Smart (57-59) 1051 6. Steve Hawes (70-72) 945 2. Doug McClary (51-53) 997 7. 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. Todd MacCulloch (96-99) 951 10. Ed Corell (61-63) 768
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.
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.
Washington Player Briefs
(As of March 2, 1999):
UW Career / Season High Totals Listed
Bryan Brown 6-3, 225, Sophomore, Mercer Island, Wash. Points 9 / 9 Rebounds 2 / 2
# 32 Had 9 points at UCLA; 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 19 Rebounds 10
# 3 Started last 15 games, 16 total starts; Had 19 points at Arizona & vs. USC; Averaged 11.6 points in Pac-10 play; 2-time MVP of West Catholic Athletic League; Averaged 25 points as senior at St. Francis HS
Greg Clark 6-6, 220, Sophomore, La Mesa, Calif. Points 11 Rebounds 8
# 21 Started 8 games; Held New Mexico's Lamont Long (24.1 ppg) scoreless; Long Beach State transfer; 1998 UW 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 / 11 Rebounds 5 / 5
# 12 Out for the season since Jan. 13 with broken left heel; Started 11 games; Prairie HS team lost in state AAA semifinals to Bryan Brown's Mercer Island team; Collects Pete Maravich memorabilia
Travis Duty 6-4, 175, Freshman, Seattle, Wash. Points 2 Rebounds 2
# 22 Walk-on; Played 3 games; Scored 2 points vs.Cal ifornia; Member of 1997 state champ O'Dea HS
Thalo Green 6-6, 210, Sophomore, Salem, Ore. Points 12 / 8 Rebounds 8 / 6
# 42 Started 9 games; Had 3 stitches on left eye after ASU game and 10 head stitches vs. Portland; Team had 5-1 record in his 1998 starts; 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; Has 5 double-digit point games; Career-hi 12 points vs. St. Louis & Oregon St.; All-time top Washington state prep scorer for large schools with 2,271 career points; Averaged 27.1 ppg as a prep senior
Grant Leep 6-5, 210, Freshman, Mt. Vernon. Points 10 Rebounds 6
# 31 Played 20 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 / 27 Rebounds 6 / 6
# 5 Had 8 20-point games; 2-time Pac-10 Player of Week; Holds UW 3-point records for career (148), season (75) and game (7); MVP of Big Island Invite; Hon. mention '98 All-Pac-10; A high school center
Todd MacCulloch 7-0, 280, Senior, Winnipeg, Manitoba Points 38 / 31 Rebounds 21 / 21
# 50 Has 42 career double-doubles, 18 this year; 2-time Playboy All-American; 1998 first-team All-Pac-10; Led NCAA field goal shooters in 1997 (67.6%) and 1998 (65.0%); Had 76 points in prep game
Andrew Moritz 6-2, 175, Junior, Seattle, Wash. Points 5 / 5 Rebounds 2 / 2
# 11 Played 11 games; Hit 2-of-3 shots from 3-point range; Scored 5 points and had 2 rebounds vs. Hilo; On roster as walk-on since 1996; Prep teammate of Arizona's Jason Terry at Seattle's Franklin HS
Marlon Shelton 6-9, 265, Freshman, Rochester, Mich. Points 2 Rebounds 3
# 44 Played 12 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 Scoreless 2 of last 4 games; Started 12 games; Has 5 double-figure games; 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 / 24 Rebounds 8 / 7
# 24 Has season-high 24 points vs. Arizona; Missed 4 games with right ankle sprain; 1998 Honorable mention All-Pac-10 pick; The 1995 Washington prep player of the year; Son of NBA star Slick Watts
Michael Westphal 6-2, 175, Freshman, Scottsdale, Ariz. Points 0 Rebounds 0
# 14 Will 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
