We’re changing the time of my weekly radio conversation with Dave Grosby on KJR, 950-AM.
Instead of our usual Thursday afternoon chat, we’ll talk this week at 1:35 p.m. Friday, which will allow us to look back at the Thursday night Arizona State game and ahead to the Arizona game on Saturday.
The conversation also will be streamed over the Internet.
FoxSports columnist Jeff Goodman includes UW among several high-hopes teams that will likely end up in the NIT rather than the NCAA.
I think it might be just a bit early to write off the Huskies entirely. They’ve dug themselves a nasty little hole. And judging from what we’ve seen so far, I think the NIT seems their most likely fate. But if they’re good enough to turn their season around, there is still time to do so.
It’s not impossible to imagine them winning four of their next five — at ASU, at Arizona, then Cal,
…Junior guard Joel Smith (foot) has been ruled unavailable for the Arizona games and Romar said he is hopeful he might be able to play next week when the Bay Area schools arrive.
However, that will leave less than a month in the regular season, and therefore Romar said he would talk with Smith about the possibilty of redshirting.
Romar also said there will be no change in the starting lineup Thursday, meaning sophomore center Artem Wallace will continue to start ahead of 7-foot freshman Spencer Hawes.
Hawes admitted that coming off the bench bothers him "a little bit." But he said he hasn’t approached Romar about it, and called it "not that big of a deal."
He also praised Wallace’s contributions.
"He’s been playing well," Hawes said. "What he brings is a little different than what I bring. It’s kind of a good contrast in what we can do. If we can both keep contributing
…Former Husky Will Conroy has signed a 10-day contract with the Memphis Grizzlies of the NBA.
Here is a report from OurSportsCentral, a site reporting on minor league sports (which I used regularly in my days covering the Tacoma Sabercats).
“To know where Will came from and to know how hard he worked and will continue to work, it’s very very exciting," coach Lorenzo Romar said. "Everytime I hear about it I just think about how many hours and days he’s put in the gym working. There are so many young players who feel like it is
…My column in tomorrow’s paper will take a look at the Pac-10 race at its mid-point. But for now, our weekly power rankings:
1 Oregon 19-2, 7-2: UW game proved Brooks’ value; WSU game proved Ducks’ heart.
2. UCLA 18-2, 7-2: Bruins had no answers once Stanford got going.
3. Washington State 17-4, 6-3: So close to being tied at the top at league mid-point.
4. Stanford 14-5, 6-3: Young players coming together ahead of schedule.
5. USC 16-6, 6-3: Tough defense was absent against Bay Area schools.
6. Arizona 14-6, 5-4: Rare dip
…Stanford forward Brook Lopez was selected Pac-10 player of the week for his contributions — 12.5 ppg and 9.5 rpg — as the Cardinal swept the Los Angeles schools last week.
Also nominated were Justin Dentmon of UW, Derrick Low of Washington State and Jordan Hill of Arizona.
Washington sophomore forward Jon Brockman has fallen off the mid-season Wooden Award watch list. Brockman is the Huskies’ leading rebounder, and he is leading them in scoring since the start of conference play.
Three Pac-10 players remain alive, however.
For details and the full list, click here.