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<< Previous   of   Next >>   ADVERTISEMENT   ADDITIONAL ITEMS • University of Washington athletics (External Link)   CONTACT THE HERALD Report scores and results to 425-339-3470 or 1-866-6-SCORES (Call after 4:30 p.m.) E-mail information including items for Tuesday's Communities Sports Roundup and Thursday's Outdoor Calendar, to sports@heraldnet.com Kevin Brown, Sports Editor kbrown@heraldnet.com   Published: Sunday, February 3, 2008 What's the problem with the Huskies? By John Sleeper, Herald Writer SEATTLE -- In this lost weekend for the Washington Huskies, it's difficult to know where to begin and even more difficult to find solutions. Head-scratching defeats at home to Stanford and Cal have left this team wondering about itself, which is a good thing if it leads to players and coaches taking a good look at themselves. The bad news is that the answers might not be anything they have an ability to control. How can they wake up underachieving veterans? How can they make the rookies grow up? And how 'bout those free throws? What's wrong with these guys? On Thursday against the Cardinal, we were asked to accept the answer that they brought neither energy nor excitement. Never mind that they were playing on their home court in front of 9,373 fans. Never mind that an upset and a repeat against Cal could have done wonders for both their morale, their placement in the standings and their possibilities for the postseason. Not excited to play? What's wrong with these guys? On Saturday, Washington brought energy but left too many other things in the locker room. Intelligence. Toughness. A 22-7 run by Cal was all the Golden Bears needed to wipe away all the good things Washington did in the first half. Give the Huskies credit for making a game of it late, but the damage was done. "I think in the second half, we were almost playing as if we just wanted to hold on instead of doing what we were doing in the first half," said junior forward Jon Brockman, limited to 24 minutes against Stanford because of foul trouble and a foul groin pull. "Then they took the lead and our enthusiasm went down a little bit. That little three or four-minute period in the second half cost us the game." Good teams withstand opponents' runs, especially on their home court. It's not as if this group is devoid of talent. Many in the country would love to have this roster. Again: What's wrong with these guys? The team ranked No. 319 in free throw percentage of 328 teams in this big, beautiful nation didn't disappoint Saturday. The Huskies were 8-for-18 from the line in a game they lost by four. Shooting around before Thursday's game, Brockman made 82 of 100. Before the Cal game, he was 85 of 100. During games in this lost weekend, Brockman, a legitimate candidate for conference Player of the Year, was 6-for-15. Artem Wallace, who had a career game Saturday with 17 points and 10 rebounds, was 1-for-5 Saturday. Thankfully, he didn't have an attempt Thursday. "Artem Wallace and Matthew Bryan-Amaning are the only two who struggle at the line when we're practicing," UW coach Lorenzo Romar said. "No one else struggles at the line except in a game and that's the most important time, obviously. You've got to be mentally tough to make it." What's wrong with these guys? Halfway through the Pac-10 season, Washington is 3-6 in the conference, 12-10 overall. Nothing would be better than to give the young players bonus practices via a postseason tournament, either the NCAAs or the NIT. Well, kiss the NCAAs adieu. And the way it looks now, even the NIT seems beyond reach. Yet, Romar said all hope is not lost. He mentioned Arizona State, two weeks ago a surprise threat for the Pac-10 title. The Sun Devils are in the middle of the pack. Same with Oregon. He mentioned Arizona, which emerged from the catacombs and is now a strong contender. He mentioned Cal, left for dead until this weekend's sweep of the Washington schools. The point: The Pac-10's only constant is change. "We have to rally up," he said. That's what Romar is reduced to: He is forced to use other programs as examples of what's possible. Because this season, his own defies solutions. Sports columnist John Sleeper: sleeper@heraldnet.com. For Sleeper[`]s blog, "Dangling Participles," go to www.heraldnet.com/danglingparticiples.

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