Pac-10 Hoops: Washington Returns To Relevance

Coming off a stellar three-year run of basketball which included an appearance in the Sweet 16 in 2005 and the electric play of future NBA first round draft picks Nate Robinson, Brandon Roy and Spencer Hawes, the Washington Huskies hit a bump in the road last year.

Washington struggled to a 16-17 finish and a first-round loss in the College Basketball Invitational tournament.

But with the recent turmoil and turnover within the ranks of the Pacific 10 Conference heavyweights, Washington could surprise some teams this year and make a run at the NCAA Tournament.

Arizona lost top recruit Brandon Jennings to an overseas team in addition to coaching legend Lute Olson stepping down due to health reasons. The ensuing coaching drama caused prized recruit Abdul Gaddy (13th-ranked 2009 prospect by Rivals.com and Tacoma, Wash., native) to drop Arizona and commit to Washington.

While Arizona is unstable, Stanford's cupboard is more bare than last year after losing twins Brook and Robin Lopez to the NBA and coach Trent Johnson to LSU. Ex-Duke assistant and new Cardinal head man Johnny Dawkins might have his hands full.

New Cal coach Mike Montgomery inherits a team that returns just two starters and has to make up for the loss of big gun Ryan Anderson to the NBA. USC will have to overcome the loss of O.J. Mayo (although stud freshman Demar DeRozan will likely ease the pain). Washington State won't be the same without the graduated Derrick Lowe.

Although UCLA is the conference favorite—even without Kevin Love, who bolted for the NBA—remember, Washington knocked off the then No. 5 Bruins last year in Seattle.

All this transition could open the door for the Huskies. Washington returns big man Jon Brockman, who was recently named to the 2008-09 John R. Wooden Award Preseason Top 50 and averaged 17 points per game and 11 rebounds per game last year.

Washington also brings back guards Quincy Pondexter (9.9 ppg) and Justin Dentmon (9.8 ppg).

But the wild card is Tacoma native and freshman guard Isaiah Thomas. In 2006, as a junior at Curtis High School, the 5-foot-8 gunslinger went for a Washington state high school state tournament record 51 points in a game on his way to averaging a record 34.4 points per tournament game.

Thomas committed to Washington, but left the state his senior year for a prep school in Connecticut to get his grades in order and fine-tune his game.

He showed that improvement in his college debut with the Huskies, torching Western Washington Nov. 6 in Seattle for 27 points on 9-of-12 shooting from the field.

Count Western Washington coach Brad Jackson as a believer of Thomas' skills.

"He creates so many things for you on offense," Jackson told Seattle-area media after the Huskies rolled to a 105-85 win. "It's like guarding air. He's there, and then he's not there. He will be a great addition to their ball club."

While Western Washington isn't Oregon or Washington State, and although Thomas might not have quite the impact Carmelo Anthony had on Syracuse in leading the Orange to a title, he will generate some passion in a city hungry for wins.

A solid season this year could set the table next year for another strong run in the tournament as Gaddy and Clarence Trent (Rivals.com 143rd-ranked Class of 2009) join the fold.