UW Hoops No-Brainer: Feed the Big Man

For more than two decades, the Washington basketball program has craved a big man who can score.
Not since Todd MacCulloch parked his 7-foot body in the key have they had a guy inside who could put up huge offensive numbers night after night.
They have that person now: Isaiah Stewart.
He's got shoulders that belong on a tight end. He's got a natural aggressiveness that makes him hard to guard. He understands how to position down low, has good feet and possesses a soft touch.
So what does Washington do with this gift of a post player?
In three games, the 6-foot-9 Stewart has been underutilized. He's scored 15, 16 and 14--and easily could have doubled that amount each time.
"Every time we went inside, we scored," UW coach Mike Hopkins said following a 56-46 victory over Mount St. Mary's (see video).
As they prepare to meet Maine on Tuesday night at 8 p.m., the Huskies (2-1) should try a novel approach:
Feed the big man.
Throw the ball in to him until he tires and says no more. Or the UW goes up by 20. Whichever comes first.
Take advantage of this surely one-and-done player with the elite basketball skills. Don't waste this 5-star big man. They're hard to come by.
There's no telling how long it will take for the Huskies to get another one.

Dan Raley has worked for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Atlanta Journal-Constitution and Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, as well as for MSN.com and Boeing, the latter as a global aerospace writer. His sportswriting career spans four decades and he's covered University of Washington football and basketball during much of that time. In a working capacity, he's been to the Super Bowl, the NBA Finals, the MLB playoffs, the Masters, the U.S. Open, the PGA Championship and countless Final Fours and bowl games.