Lorenzo Romar isn't anywhere close to being on the hot seat but last nights basketball game against Washington State was the kind of game that gets coaches fired. The Huskies blew any chance they had of winning the Pac 10 championship losing on their home court to the Cougars.
The Huskies came out flat and stayed flat the entire evening. They couldn't shoot, play defense, or get the ball inside effectively to their big men. UW only shot 33.8% from the field and turned the ball over 16 times. The game was a complete implosion of ineptitude.
Romar commented that his team hadn't played like that all season but I beg to differ. This was the same team that lost three in a row to WSU, Oregon, and Oregon State. Perhaps they played worst in this contest but the foundation was laid in those three terrible losses.
Things really haven't clicked for this team this season. They blew big games against big name opponents in Maui to open the season. They lost PG Abdul Gaddy to a season ending injury early in the conference season and they had the distraction of one of the teams key players being investigated sexual assault.
This team really doesn't have an emotional leader. They don't have a consistent inside threat. MBA was simply terrible. The Cougars went right at him and he didn't have any answers. He couldn't pass out of the post and he did a terrible job finishing high percentage shots.
Live by the three and die by the three. That is exactly what this team has become. Heading into March that is a pretty terrible and lonely plase to be. Drive the ball inside, get fouled, and miss your free throws. That is what this team is currently all about. This simply isn't a tournament level team.
I love Lorenzo Romar and how he brought back the program from one of the lowest points in its history. I think he misses Cameron Dollar (SU) and Ken Bone (WSU). This team doesn't play as smart and hard with those two former assistants missing from the bench.
Washington now needs to scrap to get to an NCAA tournament that was all but guaranteed to them at the start of the season. Remember the whispers of Elite Eight and Final Four? Now they have been replaced with Bubble Team and NIT.
The Huskies need to sweep the LA schools later this week and get to the final round of the Pac 10 Tournament of they want to go dancing. The talent is obviously there to do that. The question is whether they have the heart and mental make up to get it done.