Huskies Can't Win Because They Can't Shoot
A few games into the season, Washington basketball coach Mike Hopkins was feeling giddy when he turned to a stranger and impulsively asked him, "What do you think of my team?"
The honest answer: Not sure you have enough 3-point shooters you can rely on under pressure.
Hopkins nodded his head but looked amused by this assessment.
Three months later, the Huskies have shown a number of flaws, with their defensive shortcoming rightfully disturbing.
Mostly, they can't shoot.
Hopkins' beaten-down and inaccurate team (12-15 overall, 2-12 Pac-12) faces the California Bears (11-15, 5-8) on Saturday at 3 p.m. at Alaska Airlines Arena.
The Huskies have lost nine consecutive games -- the second most in school history and four short of the record -- and this might be their best chance at victory over the remaining games.
Yet, as freshman guard Marcus Tsohonis said this week, "We've got to put the ball in the bucket."
The Huskies come off a horrid 4-for 24 performance against Stanford from 3-point range, their 14th game in which they've shot 28.6 percent or worse. The 16.7-percent showing against the Cardinal was their second-most inept outing of the season, surpassed only by an 0-for-11 shutout against Montana.
They've hit just 32.5 percent from beyond the arc throughout the season. Opponents figured this out and began to double-team freshman big man Isaiah Stewart at all times, daring the others to launch jumpers.
People continually ask why these guys in purple shirts keep fading down the stretch, but there's really no mystery to it.
They can't shoot.
This was the case when Quade Green was eligible, though he gave the Huskies some relief at times.
RaeQuan Battle has a pretty shot, but it doesn't go in.
Jaden McDaniels entertains the masses with his high-arching 3-pointers, but they don't drop at crunch time.
The others guys toss up a lot of airballs and bricks.
Hopkins cites his team's three major shortcomings as zone defense, offensive rebounding and turnovers.
That might be part of the problem.
It's shooting, shooting and shooting.
