What Vacation? UW All Business in Deflating Ball State 85-64

With a young basketball team in Hawaii for the Christmas holiday, the tendency would be for Washington to be distracted and off its game, more interested in sightseeing and getting in some beach time.

Yet on Sunday night in Honolulu, the 22nd-ranked Huskies were totally focused in what they were doing and muscled their way past the Ball State Cardinals 85-64 at the Diamond Head Classic.

These guys turned in one of their most impressive outings yet, shooting it well from 3-point range, surprisingly playing more man-to-man defense than zone and winning their ninth game in 11 tries.

The Huskies play again on Monday night against host Hawaii, a 67-63 victor over UTEP, at 8 p.m. PT in another game shown on ESPN2. Washington hasn't faced the Rainbow Warriors (8-3) since 1985, and owns a 15-1 advantage in the series..

While there weren't all that many fans at Stan Sheriff Center, the Huskies wowed a national TV audience that saw 6-foot-9 freshman forward Jaden McDaniels take his turn as the team catalyst against Ball State (6-6).

The depth of his performance was staggering. McDaniels scored 11 of the UW's first 20 points and finished with a career-best 22 points. He hit on 8 of 15 shots, 4 of 7 from 3-point range, and provided 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 blocks and a steal. Of course, he was not alone.

Sophomore guard Quade Green backed him with 21 points, connecting on 7 of 8 shots, 4 of 5 from beyond the arc.

And then there was freshman forward Isaiah Stewart, who supplied his usual 19 points and 10 rounds by positioning himself inside.

"We played as well offensively as we have all year and that was a good team," UW coach Mike Hopkins said on his postgame radio show. "Offensively, the ball was moving."

McDaniels, showing himself more and more to be an NBA lottery pick, often defers to the others. Lately, he's been exerting himself more. For instance, before leaving home, he asked to change jersey numbers, from 4 to 0, simply because he wanted it. Hopkins is shown in the video addressing this wardrobe change.

Against Ball State, the big man dropped in three 3-pointers over the first seven minutes of play, shots that rained down hard on the hoop. He drove the lane. He often looked for Stewart.

McDaniels, shown in the accompanying photo against Seattle U because no images were supplied from the Diamond Head Classic, helped the Huskies hustle out to a 51-40 lead at halftime against a competitive Ball State (6-6). It was their most productive 30 minutes of the season. They shot 63 percent from 3-point range and committed just two turnovers.

After Ball State pulled within 52-49 following the break, the Huskies went on an 8-0 run and left the Cardinals well behind.

McDaniels drained a 3 late in the game and showed rare emotion, raising his right hand. He was firmly in control to the end, dribbling the ball under his basket and controlling the action until the final horn sounded.

"Everybody played unselfish," Hopkins said, obviously pleased. "I thought we were connected."