Pac-10 Losses Become the Washington Huskies' Gain

With a Saturday victory over Arizona, the Washington Huskies completed their journey from “nearly worst” to first.

The win clinched no less than a share of the Pac 10 regular season crown, after the program finished last season near the bottom of the conference.

It’s that feel good story that’s always popular in sports. At least, that’s how it appears at a glance.

But when you take a gander at these Huskies, and those of the year prior, there isn’t much difference. When you conduct a thorough search of the Pac 10, there you’ll see the answer for how Washington bettered their preseason projections to become the leader of the conference.

The Pac 10 underwent a major overhaul in the period between last season’s end and the current season’s beginning.

This brought about more change and shifts in power than seen in any other conference. The shake up weakened favorites, and breathed new life into the underdog. But as the creatures of habit that we’ve come to be, we failed to recognize or acknowledge the impact on future standings.

In the 2008 NBA draft, six of the first 15 picks were players from the Pac 10, including three of the first five.

In all, 12 conference players were selected to play in NBA gymnasiums, and only two programs were granted exit immunity.

Washington and Oregon State were the only Pac 10 schools not represented in last year’s draft, and likewise, it’s the Huskies and Beavers that showed the most improvement from one calendar year to the next.

UCLA, who once had a stranglehold on the conference, is missing Kevin Love, Russell Westbrook, and Luc Richard Mbah a Moute from the previous roster.

Stanford lost the Lopez Twins, and USC is without O.J. Mayo.

Jerryd Bayless (AZ), Ryan Anderson (Cal), and Malik Hairston (Cal) are all gone.

The Huskies were 16-16 (7-11, Pac 10) after the 2008 conference tournament, and fell under .500 with a loss to Valparaiso in the CBI tourney.

They’ve rebounded to a recent record of 22-7 (13-4), and own a share of the Pac 10 championship.

But a more telling tale is their record against ranked opponents, with Washington posting a 3-3 mark this year, compared to 2-8 last season.

They only improved by one victory, and played four less opponents in the AP top 25.

The fewer opponents are not a result of scheduling, but a reflection of the conference’s power decline, and having fewer ranked programs than the year before.

These barking dogs didn’t rise to the top with a sudden surge of skill. They’ve merely benefited from Pac 10 losses that crippled the powers around them. 

As a result, the same Huskies team that didn’t qualify for the NCAA tournament a year ago, will easily gain entry in this year’s basketball festival. 

But like others from the weakened Pac, don’t expect them to dance for long.

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