University of Washington Official Athletic Site - Men's Basketball
 Huskies against Miami of Ohio in a first round matchup of the Midwest Region. |
Men's basketball makes second straight NCAA appearance.
March 8, 1999
NCAA TournamentMidwest Region, First Round
Louisiana Superdome; New Orleans, La.
Fri., March 12#7 UW vs. #10 Miami, Ohio; Time TBA
Sun., March 14UW/Miami winner vs. #2 Utah/#15 Arkansas State winner
SEATTLE - The No. 7-seeded Washington Huskies (17-11) make their second straight NCAA Tournament appearance, their 10th overall, when they meet No. 10 seed Miami of Ohio (22-7) on Friday, March 12. The Midwest Region first-round matchup takes place at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans. The two teams met only once before, with Washington winning 80-64 on Dec. 28, 1989 in Seattle. The Huskies won 10 of their last 15 games, rallying from an 0-3 Pac-10 start to finish fourth with a 10-8 conference ledger. As a No. 11 seed in the 1998 NCAAs, Washington advanced to the Sweet 16 with wins over Xavier (69-68) and Richmond (81-66) before losing to Connecticut (75-74) on a last-second tip-in by Richard Hamilton. The UW/Miami matchup features two of the finest big men in the nation. Washington senior center Todd MacCulloch leads the NCAA in field goal shooting (66.2%) for the third consecutive season. The 7-foot Canadian ranks second nationally with 12.0 rebounds per game. The RedHawks counter with 6-8 senior forward Wally Szczerbiak, the Mid-American Conference Player of the Year.
UW in the NCAAs: Washington is making its 10th NCAA Tournament appearance, posting a 10-10 combined record in nine previous visits. The Huskies were seeded 11th in the East Region last year, beating No. 6 Xavier 69-68 in the first round and No. 14 Richmond 81-66 in the second round. The UW reached the Sweet in 1998 for the sixth time in its history, the first since 1984. Washington finished third in the 1953 Tournament, its only Final Four berth.
UW vs. the Field: The Huskies played 10 games this season against seven teams from the 64-team 1999 NCAA field, registering a combined 4-6 record in those games. The Huskies were swept by No. 2 seed Stanford (W) while splitting a pair of games with No. 4 Arizona (MW) and No. 5 UCLA (S). Against non-conference foes, the UW defeated No. 9 seed New Mexico (W) and No. 14 New Mexico State (MW) and lost to No. 1 seed Connecticut (W) and No. 10 Gonzaga (W).
TV/Radio Coverage: NCAA tournament games will be televised on CBS (KIRO, ch. 7 in Seattle). Airing decisions are made by CBS Sports. All Washington mens 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 (17-11, 10-8 in Pacific-10 Conference)
Pos.-No.Name Hgt.Wgt.Yr. Hometown Points Rebs. F 42 Thalo Green 6-6 210 So. Salem, Ore. 3.7 2.2 C 50 Todd MacCulloch 7-0 280 Sr. Winnipeg, Manitoba 19.0 12.0 G 3 Senque Carey 6-3 200 Fr. East Palo Alto, Calif. 8.9 3.1 G 5 Deon Luton 6-5 205 Jr. Del City, Okla. 14.5 2.1 G 24 Donald Watts 6-4 200 Sr. Kirkland, Wash. 12.5 3.6
Fast Facts
Washington has a 10-10 record entering its 10th NCAA Tournament.
Bob Bender participates in his 13th NCAA Tourney, his third as a head coach. He played in four and was an assistant at Duke for six.
If Washington Wins . . .
The Miami Series:
Last Meeting: Washington 80, Miami 64 (Dec. 28, 1989; Seattle) Two players registered double-doubles as Washington dealt Miami an 80-64 defeat at Edmundson Pavilion. Dion Brown tallied 20 points and 10 rebounds and Eldridge Recasner scored 16 points while dishing out 11 assists. The first half included eight ties and concluded with the Huskies clinging to a 34-32 halftime edge. Washington took the lead for good early in the second half as Brown exploded for eight points including two dunks in a 10-2 UW run. The Huskies outrebounded Miami 38-22 and had a 54% to 42% shooting advantage from the field. Doug Meekins and Quentin Youngblood also hit double-figure scoring for Washington with 14 and 10 points, respectively. Miami was led by the 18 points of Tim Stewart. David Scott hit for 13 points and Craig Michaels chipped in 12 points for Miami.
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 Seattles 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.
Poll Patter: Washington played 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.
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 (1,732) and Donald Watts (1,130) were the 25th and 26th members of Washingtons century club. Junior Deon Luton became the 27th member of that elite group on Feb. 27at UCLA and now has 1,025 career points.
Frequent Flyers: The cross-country trip to New Orleans will seem like business as usual for a Washington team that criss-crossed the country twice during last years NCAA Tournament. The Huskies flew from Seattle to Washington, D.C. for two sub-regional games and returned to Seattle for one day to take final exams before flying back East to Greensboro, N.C. for the East Regional semifinal. The Huskies amassed over 8,000 miles during their first road trip this season. Washington flew to Hawaii via Los Angeles on Monday, Nov. 23. Following the three-game Big Island Invitational, the Huskies endured a 4,299-mile trip to Chicago via Los Angeles. Washington departed Hilo on Sunday evening at 12:10 a.m. Central Time and arrived in the Windy City on Monday, Nov. 30 at 12:52 p.m. Central Time. The Huskies returned to Seattle on Wednesday, Dec. 2 to complete the 10-day journey. On Friday, Dec. 4 they set out on a much shorter trip, a 399-mile flight to Boise, Idaho on Dec. 5 before their visit to Spokane to play Gonzaga. The UWreturned to Seattle on Wednesday, Dec. 9. A Dec. 19 meeting with New Mexico State was UWs first at home in 32 days, dating to the opener, Nov. 16.
Strenuous Schedule: Washingtons 1999 schedule was listed as the nations 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: Donald Watts father, Slick, played his collegiate basketball at Xavier University in New Orleans . . . Todd MacCulloch has 336 rebounds, one more than the combined total of his four best rebounding teammates . . . Washington has a 15-4 record when outshooting opponents and is 2-7 when its foe has a better field goal percentage . . . Senior Donald Watts is the fourth player in Husky history to reach the 300-assist plateau with a current career total of 307 . . . Watts averaged 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 led the Pac-10 in four categories: rebounds (12.0 rpg), blocked shots (1.6 bpg), field goal shooting (66.2%) and double-doubles (19) . . . MacCulloch is the only Pac-10 player averaging a double-double (19.0 points/12.0 rebounds). The last Washington player to average a double-double was James Edwards in 1977 (20.0 points/10.4 rebounds) . . . Freshman guard Senque Carey started the last 16 games, recording double-figure points in 11 games and averaging 12.1 points per game during that span . . . Washington has a 16-3 record when both Todd MacCulloch and Deon Luton tally double-figure points . . . The UW is 13-3 when Deon Luton hits multiple 3-pointers. . . Washington is averaging 77.4 points per game during Pac-10 play, a 7.4-point increase from its 70.0-point non-conference scoring average . . . The Huskies have 1-6 record when they score fewer than 70 points, including losses in three of their last five games.
Drastic Improvement: Senior guard Donald Watts leads all Pac-10 players in 3-point shooting, hitting treys at a 46.7-percent clip (28-60). Watts is shooting better behind the arc than he is inside. He shoots 40.9 percent (67-164) on two-point attempts and 42.4 percent (95-224) 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.
Wonderful Watts: Senior guard Donald Watts was named an honorable mention member of the 1999 All-Pac-10 team after earning the same honor in 1998. On Feb. 27 at UCLA, Watts became the fourth player in Husky history to reach the 300-assist plateau. He currently has 307 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 1,130 points. Watts has steadily increased his contributions in every category upon returning from a severe ankle injury that has limited his mobility all season. A 24-point outburst against Arizona was the only 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 18 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 14.1-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, a figure that ranks 10th among Pac-10 players.
Shootin Luton: On Feb. 27 at UCLA, junior guard Deon Luton became the 27th player in Husky history to register 1,000 career points. He now has 1,025 points to rank 26th among all-time Huskies. Luton has amassed 20 points on nine 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 (150), 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 13-3 record this season and are 34-10 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 Washingtons 3-pointers. Luton converted 5-of-7 treys in the NCAA second-round win over Richmond. He had three 3-pointers and hit a 17-foot jumper with 11 seconds remaining that was the game-winning basket in the first-round against Xavier. Luton leads the team with 49 treys this season.
Home Sweet Home: Washington won 16 of its last 17 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 a 12-1 record this season in Seattle, including 11 wins at Edmundson Pavilion. The Huskies defeated then No. 11 New Mexico 70-61 on Dec. 24 at KeyArena.
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
Sonics & Sons: Four former Seattle SuperSonics have sons on the 1999 Washington basketball roster. The list of former NBA players (and sons) includes, Fred Brown (Bryan), Lonnie Shelton (Marlon), Slick Watts (Donald) and Paul Westphal (Michael). A graduate of Iowa, Fred Brown is the Sonics all-time leading scorer with 14,018 points. Brown played his entire 13-year NBA career in Seattle and was a 1976 all-star. Lonnie Shelton was a 1975 All-Pac-8 Conference selection at Oregon State. He played 15 NBA seasons and was a 1982 all-star. Shelton played from 1979-83 in Seattle. Brown and Shelton were members of Seattles 1979 NBA Championship squad. Slick Watts led the NBA in assists (8.1) and steals (3.2) in 1976, the first player in history to top both categories during the same season. The six-year NBA veteran played in Seattle from 1974-78. Paul Westphal was a two-time (1970 & 71) All-Pac-8 pick at USC. The five-time NBA all-star played during the 1980-81 season in Seattle and returned this summer as head coach of the Sonics.
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 16 games due to the season-ending foot injury to Dan Dickau. Carey responded with double-figure points in 11 of those games, including a season-high 19-point total at Arizona (Jan. 9) that he matched against USC (Jan. 28). He is averaging 11.2 points during Pac-10 play, including 12.1 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 teams top assister on a team-high 11 occasions this season. His 92 assists place him thsecond among all-time Washington freshman players, trailing only the 103-assist total of Eldridge Recasner (1987). Carey had a double-double at Oregon State (Feb. 11) with 18 points and 10 rebounds.
Shuffling Starters: Stability was a key to Washingtons 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 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 three games. The chart below lists the different UW lineups records.
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
1-2 Green MacCulloch Carey Luton Watts
0-1 Green MacCulloch Dickau Luton Johnson
0-2 Clark MacCulloch Dickau Luton Watts
Last Game: Washington 76, Washington State 59 (March 6, 1999; Seattle) Todd MacCulloch scored 21 of his 32 points during the first half of his final home game, lifting Washington to a 76-59 win over Washington State in the regular-season finale. It marked the final game at Hec Emundson Pavilion before a $39 million renovation to the arena, which was built in 1927. The Huskies (17-11, 10-8) clinched fourth place in the Pac-10 for the second straight season and avenged a 72-71 defeat at Washington State in early January. MacCulloch hit 8-of-10 first-half shots and all five of his free throw attempts and Deon Luton tallied 15 of his 20 points before intermission. The Huskies scored the final 13 points of the first half to take a 47-28 advantage. That lead grew to as many as 29 points in the second half. MacCulloch recorded his eighth career 30-points game and grabbed 15 rebounds for his 19th double-double of the season. Donald Watts totalled 12 points in his collegiate home finale. Kojo Mensah-Bonsu scored 11 points to lead the Cougars.
Dynamic Starting Debut: Two years had passed since sophomore Greg Clark started his last game, as a senior at San Diegos Grossmont High School. He was sidelined 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 nations 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 said after the New Mexico game. Clark started eight straight games before playing a reserve role in the last 11 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 Dickaus 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.
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 85-83. 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 70-44 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 . . . 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 . . .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 41.3 percent from the field in 17 victories (446-1081) 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 Washingtons Greg Clark.
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).
30-Point Club: Todd MacCulloch recorded his eighth career 30-point game in the regular-season finale on March 6 in Seattle. He totalled 32 points on 12-for-17 shooting against Washington State. That was his second 30-point performance of the season after hitting for 31 on 13-for-14 shooting at California on Jan. 21. MacCulloch had 31 points in the second-round 1998 NCAA Tournament game on against Richmond. Only one other player has registered as many as eight 30-point performances during a Washington career. Bob Houbregs (1951-53) is the school record holder with 13 career 30-point games. UW Career 30-Point Game Leaders: 1. Bob Houbregs (1951-53) 13. 2. Todd MacCulloch (1996-99) 8.
Hec Ed Finale: On Saturday, March 6, the Washington mens basketball team played 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 (746) 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.
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 Benders first five seasons. His inaugural team in 1994 had a 522 record followed by a 1017 mark in 1995, 1612 in 1996, 1711 in 1997 and 20-10 last year. The improvement has been difficult due to the parellel rise of the Pacific-10 Conference which produced two of the last four NCAA champions and advanced four teams to the Sweet 16 each of the last two seasons.
Departures: Only three players from last years team did not return, including starting point guard Jan Wooten who averaged 5.7 points and 2.7 assists per game in 1998. Another point guard, Chris Thompson, has used up his eligibility and will join the Husky staff as a student assistant coach. Patrick Femerling, a 7-1 center averaged 5.7 points and ranked second on the team with 6.1 rebounds per game. He decided to forego his senior season and signed in July with a team from Berling of the professional league in his native Germany.
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 Coffee6-6, 205, guard, Portland, Ore. (Benson Tech HS) Averaged 14.8 points and 7.5 rebounds as a junior, helping Benson Tech to state runner-up finish . . . Shot 55-percent from the field, 72-percent from the line . . . Honorable mention Street & Smiths and Blue Ribbon yearbook prep All-American . . . Third-team Orange County Register Fab-15 pick, No. 28 overall.
Will Perkins6-9, 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.
The Utah Series:
Last Meeting: Utah 71, Washington 62 (Dec. 5, 1989; Seattle) Josh Grant amassed 30 points, including 5-of-6 shooting from 3-point range, to lead Utah to a 71-62 win over Washington at Edmundson Pavilion. Grant scored 19 points before intermission, including the Utes first five and last eight points of the half. Utah held a 33-25 halftime advantage. Dion Brown scored eight of his 14 points during a 13-5 Washington run to start the second half , tying the score at 38-38 with 14 minutes to play. Utah responded immediately with a 17-3 run to put the game away. Walter Watts and Grant each scored 7 points during the run. Watts finished with 13 points. Keith Chapman pitched in 12 points and nine rebounds for Utah. Eldridge Recasner had a team-high 18 points for the Huskies.
The Arkansas State Series:
Steady Improvement: Washingtons overall and Pac-10 records improved four consetive years under sixth-year Coach Bob Bender, capped by last seasons 20-10 record, 11-7 Pac-10 ledger and NCAA Tournament appearance. Last year marked the third time in history that the Huskies season record improved in four consecutive seasons. The UW improved over four straight seasons from 1941 to 1944 and from 1950 to 1953.
Year Overall Pac-10 Place Year Overall Pac-10 Place 1994 522 315 9th 1997 1711 108 6th 1995 1017 612 7th, tie 1998 2010 117 4th 1996 1612 99 5th, tie 1999 1711 108 4th
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 8583 at Washington, including a 20-10 record in 1998 that marked the schools finest winning percentage since 1985. Among the 1998 Husky highlights were their first 20-win season since 1987, their first NCAA berth since 1986 and their first Sweet 16 appearance since 1984. The 1997 UW team posted a 1711 record, capped by the Huskies second straight National Invitation Tournament appearance. Washingtons record has improved each season under Bender, including a 16-12 mark in 1996 after which he was voted the Pac-10 Coach of the Year by his peers. The UW was 5-22 in 1994 and 10-17 in 1995. His 85 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 145140. His Illinois State squads were 60-57, earning two Missouri Valley Conference championships, one conference tournament title and an NCAA Tournament berth in 1990. Prior to his inaugural head coaching assignment at ISU, Bender served as an assistant on Mike Krzyzewskis Duke staff (1983-89). The Blue Devils qualified for the NCAA Tournament in each of Benders six seasons on the staff, including four trips to the Final Four. Bender is the only individual to play on two different teams in the NCAA Championship game. He was a freshman on Bobby Knights undefeated 1976 Indiana championship team and played point guard at Duke from 1977-80, including an appearance in the 1978 title game against Kentucky.
Associated Press Poll (3/1/99)
No. Team Record Last Week
1. Duke (71) 291 1
2. Michigan State (1) 264 3
3. Connecticut 252 4
4. Auburn 262 2
5. Maryland 254 5
6. Stanford 245 6
7. Cincinnati 254 9
8. Utah 244 12
9. Miami, Fla. 215 11
10. St. John's 237 8
11. Ohio State 227 10
12. UCLA 217 15
13. Arizona 206 7
14. Kentucky 228 13
15. North Carolina 228 14
16. College of Charleston 282 17
17. Indiana 229 20
18. Tennessee 207 nr
19. Wisconsin 218 16
20. Iowa 188 18
21. Florida 197 19
22. Arkansas 209 nr
23. Minnesota 179 nr
24. Missouri 207 nr
25. New Mexico 227 21
ESPN/USA Today Poll (3/8/99)
No. Team Record Last Week
1. Duke (30) 321 1
2. Michigan State 294 2
3. Connecticut 282 3
4. Auburn 273 4
5. Maryland 265 5
6. Utah 274 8
7. Stanford 256 6
8. St. Johns 258 9
9. Cincinnati 265 7
10. Arizona 226 11
11. Kentucky 258 14
12. Miami, Florida 226 10
13. North Carolina 249 15
14. Ohio State 238 12
15. UCLA 228 13
16. College of Charleston 282 16
17. Wisconsin 229 18
18. Indiana 2210 17
19. Arkansas 2210 nr
20. Iowa 189 19
21. Syracuse 2111 20
22. Kansas 229 nr
23. Texas 1912 22
24. New Mexico 248 21
25. Florida 208 23
Washington Week-by-Week
Date AP ESPN/USA
Preseason 14 14
Nov. 15 14 14
Nov. 23 16 16
Nov. 30 15 14
Dec. 7 22 17
Dec. 14 (38) 25 tie
Dec. 21 (44) (28)
Dec. 28 (33) (28)
Jan. 4 (42) (35)
Jan. 11 no votes (46)
Jan. 18 no votes (37)
Jan. 25 no votes (41)
Feb. 1 (40) (48)
Feb. 8 (26) (30)
Feb. 15 (27) (30)
Feb. 22 (28) (40)
March 1 no votes (43)
March 8 n/a (45)
1999 UW Record When
Ahead at Halftime 15-2
Behind at Halftime 2-9
Overtime Games 1-0
Three-Point or less Final Margin 1-2
FG % is above 50 % 7-1
FG % is exactly 50 % 1-2
FG % is below 50 % 9-8
Opponent FG % is above 50% 0-3
Opponent FG % is below 50% 17-8
Outshooting Opponent 15-4
Outshot by Opponent 2-7
Outrebounding Opponent 11-3
Rebounding equals Opponent 1-1
Outrebounded by Opponent 5-7
Less Turnovers than Opponent 8-2
Turnovers equal Opponent 0-1
More Turnovers than Opponent 9-8
Bench outscores Opponent 7-4
Bench outscored by Opponent 10-7
UW Scores 4049 Points 0-1
UW Scores 5059 Points 0-2
UW Scores 6069 Points 1-3
UW Scores 7079 Points 6-3
UW Scores 8089 Points 7-2
UW Scores 90-99 Points 3-0
Opponent Scores 4049 Points 1-0
Opponent Scores 5059 Points 3-0
Opponent Scores 6069 Points 6-3
Opponent Scores 7079 Points 3-3
Opponent Scores 8089 Points 4-3
Opponent Scores 9099 Points 0-2
Todd Tidbits: Todd MacCulloch ranks second nationally with 12.0 rebounds per game, trailing only Dartmouths Ian McGinnis (12.2) . . . MacCullochs Pac-10 leading 336 rebounds are over three times more than any other Husky (Senque Carey is second with 88 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 13 of his last 15 outings, and leads the Pac-10 with 19. 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 Feb. 27 at UCLA, he matched the 1,700-point total of Eldridge Recasner (1987-90). MacCulloch holds the No. 3 spot among UW career scorers with a current total of 1,732 points. Bob Houbregs (1951-53) is Washingtons 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) 1732 8. Doug Smart (57-59) 1478
4. 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 966 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) 966 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. Id 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. Johns), Drew Hansen (Utah, scholar/athlete), Raef LaFrentz (Kansas), B.J. McKie (South Carolina), Paul Pierce (Kansas), Miles Simon (Arizona), Kenny Thomas (New Mexico) and Robert Traylor (Michigan). Its kind of scary. You dont buy that magazine to look at someone like me, MacCulloch said of his Playboy apperance. Featured on the December 1997 cover was another Canuck, Miss Canada 1995.
Todd MacCulloch
Wooden Award Candidate
Husky senior Todd Big Mac MacCulloch is one of 30 candidates for the John R. Wooden Award honoring the college basketball Player of the Year. The winner will be announced April 2.
MacCulloch was named to the 1998 All-Pac-10 team last year after ranking fourth among conference scoring leaders (18.6) and second in rebounds (9.7). He led the nation in field goal accuracy in 1998 for the second straight season, hitting 65.0 percent of his shots. He topped all NCAA players in 1997 at 67.6 percent.
MacCulloch is the eighth player in NCAA history to lead the nation in field goal accuracy more than once, the sixth to do so in consecutive seasons.
He ranked No. 7 among NCAA career field goal shooters, entering the 1999 season at 66.4 percent. He is bidding this year to join Ohio State's Jerry Lucas (1960-62), the only three-time NCAA field goal percentage leader.
The 7-foot Canadian led all Pac-10 players with 15 double-doubles in 1998, including a 31-point, 18-rebound performance in an NCAA second-round victory over Richmond. He was named to the 10-player Playboy magazine All-America squad in both 1998 and 1999.
MacCulloch ranks No. 2 among all-time Huskies with eight 30-point games. His 33 games of 20 points rank third at UW.
He has 43 career double-doubles, including 19 this season.
Individual UW Superlatives
DoubleDoubles (points & rebounds)
Todd MacCulloch 19
Senque Carey 1
Donald Watts (points/assists) 1
DoubleFigure Points
Todd MacCulloch 25
Deon Luton 22
Donald Watts 20
Senque Carey 11
Chris Walcott 5
Michael Johnson 5
Dan Dickau 2
Greg Clark 1
Grant Leep 1
30Point Game
Todd MacCulloch 2
20Point Game
Todd MacCulloch 16
Deon Luton 9
Donald Watts 1
DoubleFigure Rebounds
Todd MacCulloch 20
Senque Carey 1
20Rebound Game
Todd MacCulloch 1
2020 (points & rebounds)
Todd MacCulloch 1
UW Leading Scorer (ties included)
Todd MacCulloch 16
Deon Luton 6
Senque Carey 3
Donald Watts 3
UW Top Rebounder (ties included )
Todd MacCulloch 25
Senque Carey 2
Greg Clark 1
Dan Dickau 1
Thalo Green 1
Donald Watts 1
UW Top Assister (ties included)
Senque Carey 11
Donald Watts 10
Dan Dickau 6
Deon Luton 4
Bryan Brown 1
Greg Clark 1
Thalo Green 1
Todd MacCulloch 1
Where Washington Ranks in the Pac-10 Statistics (Regular Season Stats Only)
TEAM
(per game averages listed)
Scoring 74.8 5th
Scoring Margin + 2.9 7th
Field Goal Percent 47.7 1st
3-Point Percent 34.3 5th
Rebounding 35.8 8th
Scoring Defense 71.9 7th
Free Throw Percent 66.6 7th
Opponent Field Goal % 43.1 8th
Opponent 3-Point % 31.6 3rd
Opponent Rebounds 34.6 4th
Rebound Margin + 1.2 7th
Assists 15.5 6th
Turnover Margin - 2.29 9th
Offensive Rebounds 10.6 10th
3-Pointers Made 4.8 9th
Blocked Shots 3.3 6th
Steals 6.6 7th
Assist/Turnover Ratio 0.94 5th
Defensive Rebounds 25.2 5th
INDIVIDUAL
Scoring
Todd MacCulloch 19.0 2nd
Deon Luton 14.5 11th
Rebounds
Todd MacCulloch 12.0 1st
Field Goal Percentage
Todd MacCulloch 66.2 1st
Blocks
Todd MacCulloch 1.61 1st
Assists
Donald Watts 3.71 10th
3-Point Percentage
Donald Watts 46.7 1st
Free Throw Percentage
Deon Luton 80.0 8th
Double-Doubles
Todd MacCulloch 19 1st
Washington Player Briefs (As of March 8, 1999): UW Career / Season High Totals Listed
Bryan Brown 63, 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 63, 200, Freshman, East Palo Alto, Calif. Points 19 Rebounds 10
# 3 Started last 16 games, 17 total starts; Had 19 points at Arizona & vs. USC; Averaged 11.2 points in Pac-10 play; 2-time MVP of West Catholic Athletic League; Averaged 25 points as senior at St. Francis HS
Greg Clark 66, 220, Sophomore, La Mesa, Calif. Points 11 Rebounds 8
# 21 Started 8 games; Held New Mexicos 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 61, 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 Browns Mercer Island team; Collects Pete Maravich memorabilia
Travis Duty 64, 175, Freshman, Seattle, Wash. Points 2 Rebounds 2
# 22 Walk-on; Played 3 games; Scored 2 points vs.California; Member of 1997 state champ ODea HS
Thalo Green 66, 210, Sophomore, Salem, Ore. Points 12 / 8 Rebounds 8 / 6
# 42 Started 10 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 Player of the Year from state champ South Salem HS
Michael Johnson 64, 200, Sophomore, Seattle, Wash. Points 12 / 12 Rebounds 7 / 6
# 23 Started twice; Has 5 double-digit point games; Career-high 12 points vs. St. Louis & Ore. 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 65, 210, Freshman, Mt. Vernon. Points 10 Rebounds 6
# 31 Played 21 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 65, 205, Junior, Del City, Okla. Points 31 / 27 Rebounds 6 / 6
# 5 Had 9 20-point games; 2-time Pac-10 Player of Week; Holds UW 3-point records for career (150), season (75) and game (7); MVP of Big Island Invite; Hon. mention 98 All-Pac-10; A high school center
Todd MacCulloch 70, 280, Senior, Winnipeg, Manitoba Points 38 / 32 Rebounds 21 / 21
# 50 Has 43 career double-doubles, 19 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 62, 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 Arizonas Jason Terry at Seattles Franklin HS
Marlon Shelton 69, 265, Freshman, Rochester, Mich. Points 2 Rebounds 3
# 44 Played 13 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 68, 215, Junior, Bellevue, Wash. Points 18 / 18 Rebounds 10 / 7
# 33 Team has 9-3 record in his 12 starts; 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 64, 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 62, 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 67, 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
