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Arizona plays five of its remaining seven Pac-12 games at home, which is a benefit for a team that rarely loses on its own floor. But first, the Wildcats must get past the improved Huskies. Arizona destroyed Washington 99-67 when the teams met in the desert last month.
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HOW THE ARIZONA WILDCATS CAN COVER THE SPREAD
The biggest question facing the Wildcats following their home loss to Oregon last week, which also ended their 49-game home winning streak, was how would they respond after that crushing blow to the first place Ducks? They responded by getting a win over Oregon State, but it was rather unimpressive against one of the weaker teams in the Pac-12.
Now Arizona faces a Washington team it’s battling with just off the pace for the conference lead. The Wildcats certainly need to show more energy and playing on the road should allow them to retrieve that.
One area that needs shoring up is the interior defense. One would think that with the Kaleb Tarczewski and Ryan Anderson towers patrolling the paint, teams would struggle to attack the basket. Yet these two provided very little rim protection against the Oregon schools. They need to step up when the opponent attacks the basket, alter shots, and then get rebounds. While coach Sean Miller’s teams routinely score, defense doesn’t go overlooked. Improved play in the middle will slow down Washington’s assault at the hoop.
HOW THE WASHINGTON HUSKIES CAN COVER THE SPREAD
Last year’s collapse is a reminder for coach Lorenzo Romar and a few players who experienced it. They don’t want the same thing happening again. A year ago Washington was 14-4 and seemingly poised for it first Big Dance invitation since 2011. Then the unthinkable happened. The Huskies lost 11 of their next 13 games. It was an epic slide that continues to haunt the Huskies.
Senior Andrew Andrews experienced that slide and vowed to not let there be a repeat. Andrews was one of two returning scholarship players as the Huskies entered a season of uncertainty. But two months into the campaign, it’s become clear that the huskies have put all that turmoil behind them.
Andrews has blossomed into an outright star, sitting atop the Pac-12 scoring list at 21.0 points per game, a full 3.5 points per game higher than second-place Josh Scott of Colorado. Dejounte Murray leads a talented crop of freshmen that have suddenly provided hope that UW is back for good as a major player in the Pac-12.
ANALYSIS AND ODDS PREDICTION
It hasn’t been a pronounced skid and one might simply overlook it if not paying attention to the standings. But the Wildcats, by their standards are in a slump. After beating rival Arizona State on Jan. 3 to improve to 13-1, Arizona is just 4-4 over its last eight heading into the Washington trip. A win last weekend over Oregon State temporarily stopped the bleeding after the Wildcats lost at home for the first time in 50 games. A trip to the Pacific Northwest ends a stretch of seven league games in the first 11 for the Wildcats, and while the scheduled flips in their favor over the final month of the NCAAB season, winning now on the road is critical to give importance to that favorable stretch. The ridiculous play of Gabe York gives the Wildcats confidence they can win anywhere. York drained six threes against the Beavers as part of his career-best 24 points, and shoots well over 40 percent from behind the arc. He’s the kind of smooth shooter that can save games and he will provide the difference in this one.
Arizona 87, Washington 79
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