Beating Arkansas Pine-Bluff and Denver isn’t going to turn any heads, but the 2-0 Washington Huskies look the part of a team that can make noise this season.
1-0
The first of those victories came Monday against UAPB when the Huskies blasted their southern foe 94-50. The Golden Lions had zero answers on either side of the floor and faced a 41-18 halftime deficit because of it. Washington’s defense was stifling, forcing UAPB to shoot 17-of-67 (25%) from the field.
Monday’s victory also saw a dazzling debut by true freshman Hannes Steinbach. The German poured in 21 points on 9-of-11 shooting, along with seven rebounds, six assists, and a steal. Leading the Dawgs in rebounds was Bryson Tucker, who pulled down 10 boards and added 12 points. Grow accustomed to the leading assist-man being J.J. Mandaquit, a high-level floor general who dished out eight assists in his debut.
The Huskies had five players score in double figures. Of that group, aside from Steinbach, Quimari Peterson’s outing may have been the most critical for the long-term outlook of this ball club. He nailed 4-of-8 shots from beyond the arc, and that trend must continue if Washington wants to keep foes from double-teaming Steinbach when he’s near the paint. Another scenario where Peterson can thrive is fast breaks, considering the athleticism of Washington’s rotational players. If he leaks out while another Dawg attacks the basket, defenders will have to make a split-second decision, and hesitation can lead to wide-open buckets.
2-0
In the Huskies’ second victory of the season, an 84-70 result, they had to make plays down the stretch, which is never a bad thing for a team still developing chemistry. Denver was much better defensively, but Steinbach had another great outing, logging 13 points, 16 rebounds, four assists, and two blocks. Mandaquit did what he does best and engineered the Husky offense, dishing out seven assists along with 11 points.
Mandaquit’s glaring weakness is that he is not a shooter. But taking those jumpers when left wide open is the only way to improve, and it helps Washington’s offense as a whole if the shot is a smart one. On Thursday, he went 1-of-3 from range after going 0-for-3 on Monday. Progress.
Outside of Franck Kepnang, who played 13 minutes, every Husky that logged double-digit minutes scored in double-figures. Petersen went 3-of-7 from three-point land while Bryson Tucker nailed 3-of-6.
Up Next
Washington has NCAA Tournament aspirations. Actually, it wants to do far more than just make the Big Dance. Saturday is an opportunity to notch a significant victory on its resume when marching into Waco to battle the Baylor Bears.
Baylor’s season debut came earlier this week in a 96-81 victory over UT Rio Grande. The Bears’ backcourt provided the scoring punch as Cameron Carr scored 28 points and Tounde Yessoufou added 24.
Although unranked to begin the season, Baylor is a high-profile opponent and an early measuring stick for a Washington program looking to flourish in its second year under Danny Sprinkle.
Washington and Baylor tip off at 5:30 p.m. Saturday on ESPN.
(YouTube TV users beware)