UW president Mark Emmert on Friday announced the members of a search advisory committee that will help him select the school’s next athletic director.

The job came open over the winter when Emmert and athletic director Todd Turner decided Turner should leave the post.

The position involves oversight of 23 men’s and women’s sports at the university.

In this interim period, the job is being handled by Scott Woodward, who has neither campaigned for the full-time job nor ruled out interest.

The committee will identify a small number of finalists from which Emmert will make his selection.

The chairperson will be Lizabeth “Betsy” Wilson, dean of UW libraries.

Other committee members are: Brooke Anderson, UW track student-athlete; John Connors, member, Tyee Board of Advisors; Professor J. Patrick Dobel, Daniel J. Evans School of Public Affairs; Professor Roland E. (Pete) Dukes, Department of Accounting; Lesle Gallimore, head coach, women's soccer; Anne Gittinger, member, Tyee Board of Advisors; Eric Godfrey, vice provost, student life; Professor Christine Ingebritsen, Scandinavian Studies; Sheila Edwards Lange, vice president for minority affairs and vice provost for diversity; Professor David Lovell, Psychosocial and Community Health; Carol S. Niccolls, special counsel to the president; Lorenzo Romar, head coach, men's basketball; and Edward Taylor, vice provost and dean for undergraduate academic affairs.

UW is conducting an open search for a new public address announcer for football games.

The athletic department has begun accepting applications and plans to have the new announcer at the microphone for the spring football game on April 26.

Since 1949, the Huskies have had just two in-stadium voices: Wendell Broyles and Lou Gellermann, who resigned last season.

Details are available at theGoHuskies.com Web site.

UW quarterback Jake Locker has agreed to play baseball this summer with the Bellingham Bells of the West Coast Collegiate Baseball League.

Here's the story from today's paper.

"Jake is such a great competitor and I completely support his decision to play baseball this summer," UW coach Tyrone Willingham said in a statement released by UW. "He has always had, and will continue to have, a positive commitment to our program and to his teammates. That will not change. I don't believe that playing baseball this summer will have a negative impact on his development as a football player.

"One of the great things about our program is that we are continually adding great competitors. Having players, such as Jake, who have a high degree of competitiveness is such a critical component in our development of a championship program.

"I am excited about Jake's involvement in baseball this summer and I know it will be a great complement to his development as a football player and as a person."

(Willinghman himself was who football/baseball guy at Michigan, and in fact was a second-team all-Big Ten Conference selection in centerfield.)

Bells' general manager Dave Lewis -- former general manager of the Tacoma Rainiers -- says that Locker got UW's blessing to do this, and that Locker has made it clear that if Huskies duties and Bells duties conflict, that his responsibilities to the Huskies come first. For example, he may not travel to all Bells road games, etc., if he is working with his receivers at UW, and so on.

Here is the release put out by the Bells:

University of Washington quarterback and Ferndale High School star Jake Locker has signed a contract to play baseball with the West Coast Collegiate Baseball League’s Bellingham Bells during the 2008 season, Bells General Manager Dave Lewis announced today.

The Bellingham Bells are a member of the West Coast Collegiate Baseball League, a wood bat summer baseball league, and play their home games at Joe Martin Field in Bellingham, Washington.

“We are extremely excited to have Jake on the team,” Lewis stated. “Not only is he is a great athlete who will bring his skills to our talented roster, but he is another great local addition to the team. Head Coach Brandon Newell has done a great job of bringing in local players.”

Locker joins his cousin Brady Locker and several other Whatcom and Skagit County natives on the Bells 2008 roster, which will be released in the coming weeks.

Newell added, “Jake fits well with our philosophy of winning with local players. We have taken advantage of the hotbed this area has become for baseball talent by bringing in players from the area.”
As a baseball player at Ferndale High School, Locker was named the Washington State 3A Most Valuable Player following his senior year, and was named to the All-State Team as a pitcher and outfielder. Locker joins Brady Locker (Ferndale), Matt Argyropoulos (Mark Morris), and Jordan Chambers (Sehome), as Washington All-State
players on the Bells roster.

Locker was awarded the Pac Ten Conference Freshman of the year following his outstanding 2007 football season. He established the modern record for rushing yards by a quarterback by amassing 986 yards in his redshirt freshman year.

“I am excited to play baseball this Summer,” Locker said. “There are a lot of exciting things happening with the Bells and I am going to have fun being a part of it all.”

I'll be having my weekly conversation with Dave "The Groz" Grosby at 2:35 today on KJR, 950-AM. That should be just a few minutes after the Huskies end today's practice at Haas Pavilion on the Cal campus, so we should have something fresh to talk about on the eve of what could prove to be the single most important game on the UW schedule.

The conversation also will be streamed over the Internet.

The Huskies' sinking season, now just one game over .500, is taking on some frustrating almost no matter what the result.

Naturally, players and fans are frustrated when they don't seem to play with top effectiveness and energy, as was the case last week against Arizona State. But a win like the one over UCLA and the near miss like last night's at Stanford also take on their own kind of frustration because they show how good UW can be ... but seldom is.

How does the No. 9 team in the Pac-10 play that close to the No. 8 team in the country?

Lorenzo Romar: It’s frustrating, but we made our bed. We’re playing I think our best basketball right now. But you look at our last six games, we’ve had a couple where we’ve not brought it like we should, but I think for the most part the last half dozen games we played a brand of basketball where if we would have been doing that from day one we’d be in the upper half of this conference. But it is what it is, and we only have a couple of games left we have to try to maintain this and do a little bit of a better job because we didn’t come up with the win.

Jon Brockman: As much as it stinks losing, if we could have played this well in a couple of other games when we didn’t have the right energy and didn’t come to play, our record would be a lot different. As much as it hurts losing, at the same times we’ve got to say, all right, that’s how we want to play. For the most part we did a pretty dang good job of what we tried to come out and do.

Huskies played well, but the Maples Pavilion losing streak grows to 15 games.

If anything, they played so well it was almost frustrating. If a team can beat UCLA and then play this well on the floor of the No. 8 team in the nation, what are they doing one game above .500 and in ninth place in the Pac-10?

The Huskies are frustrated about that too, but to their credit, they know they can only blame themselves. And several did.

Here is my game story, here is a version from the San Jose Mercury News, and a few highlights for you skimmers:

Star of the game: Stanford 7-footer Brook Lopez led all scorers with 21 points. He also led the Cardinal with seven rebounds and blocked four shots.

Key stats: Washington shot 53 percent from the field against the Pac-10’s top-ranked defense. … However, the Huskies gave away nine points on the foul line, hitting 7-of-16 (44 percent). … UW out-rebounded Stanford, 37-28. … Stanford blocked nine shots.
Key run: Stanford jumped to a 10 point lead in the first five minutes. The Huskies had to run uphill the rest of the way, and they never quite caught up.

Observations: This was the second consecutive game in which the Huskies never led and were never tied. UW hasn’t led since the Feb. 21 win over Arizona. ... Washington hasn’t swept a Bay Area trip since 1985. … UW senior Tim Morris began his career at Stanford. He was booed every time he touched the ball. Morris was limited to two points, but those came on an emphatic breakaway dunk. … Former Husky Todd MacCulloch attended the game. MacCulloch is now a broadcast analyst with the Philadelphia 76ers, who are in the Bay Area for a game tonight with the Golden State Warriors.

Quotable: “They’re going to block a couple, and they always do against anyone they play. You just have to keep going back at them. I missed way too many chippies that I should have had. But they do do a good job of mixing things up down low and causing havoc down there.” – Brockman, on continuing to attack Stanford despite all the blocked shots.

Next: 3 p.m. Saturday, at California, Haas Pavilion, Berkeley, Calif.

The Huskies are hanging very tough. They're going hard to Brockman right now, and he's coming through.

Washington has made this a competitive game.

A Joe Wolfinger 3-pointer a couple of minutes ago pulled UW to within four.

Now it's Stanford 52, UW 47 with just under 13 minutes left.

The Huskies fell behind by double digits in the first 10 minutes, but they played the Cardinal evenly after that and then drew closer on a Justin Dentmon 3-pointer just before the buzzer.

Brook Lopez leads Stanford with 13 points.

Quincy Pondexter -- played before some family that came up from his hometown of Fresno -- leads UW with nine points and lots of energy. Jon Brockman has eight points and eight rebounds.

Washington has out-rebounded the Cardinal, 17-15; but Stanford has out-shot the Huskies: 55 percent to 47 percent.

Stanford has six blocks, Washington has one.

Bad start for the Dawgs. Just over four minutes have been played, and Stanford is up 11-3. And ominously, neither Lopez has scored yet.

Meanwhile, the Stanford crowd was booing Tim Morris every time he touched the ball. But coach Lorenzo Romar yanked Morris to the bench after a clunker of a 3-point try.

They just opened Maples Pavilion to the Stanford students, and one -- just one -- is offering a screaming rant, apparently at Tim Morris, who transfered from Stanford to UW.

Meanwhile, at least one friendlier face is expected in the house tonight: former Husky Todd MacCulloch, who is now a broadcast analyst with the Philadelphia 76ers, who are in the Bay Area for a game Friday against the Warriors.

A reminder: No TV tonight.

The Huskies get a replay of one of their toughest games of the season, vs. Stanford, but tonight it's at Maples Pavilion, where UW has lost 14 straight games.

Here's the preview story from today's newspaper. And here's a look from The Stanford Daily, which calls the game the lowest-profile left on the Cardinal's schedule.

Tonight will mark on the second time that UW guard Tim Morris has ever been inside the visitor's locker room at Maples. Morris played his first two seasons at Stanford, and says he only went in there once -- picking up some drinks that were stored there during the off-season.

He'll be back tonight, and says hes looking forward to it.

"A lot of emotions came out (when Stanford played at UW), becasue I got to see the guys from when I was there ... " he said. "It will be fun."

He said special fun will be visiting with his sister, Tiffany, who is a student there.

He also says he hopes to get some advance hint from her regarding whether the Stanford student section plans to pick on him.

Tipoff is 7 p.m. There's no local TV.

With their postseason hopes hanging by a thread, the Huskies fly out tonight for what has proven to be their historically toughest road trip.

Washington hasn't won at Stanford since the 1992-92 season, and has swept the Bay Area trip only once -- in 1985. They have swept every other Pac-10 road trip at least twice over that period.

Here's an early look at the opener against Stanford.

WASHINGTON (15-13 OVERALL, 6-9 PAC-10)
AT NO. 8 STANFORD (22-4, 11-3)
7 p.m. Thursday, Maples Pavilion, Stanford, Calif.
TV: None.
Radio: 950-AM

Series: Stanford leads 68-59, including 14 in a row at Maples Pavilion. The Cardinal won the previous meeting this season, 65-51, in Seattle.

Statistical leaders: For UW, F Jon Brockman, 17.8 ppg and 11.8 rpg; G Venoy Overton, 3.3 apg. For Stanford, F Brook Lopez, 18.9 ppg and 8 rpg; G Mitch Johnson, 4.6 apg.

Scouting report: UW hasn’t won in Maples Pavilion since Jan. 30, 1993. … Stanford leads the Pac-10 in field goal percentage defense, rebounding margin, defensive rebounds and blocked shots. The Cardinal ranks second in scoring margin and 3-point field goal defense. Individually, Stanford guard Mitch Johnson of Seattle ranks second in assists per game and third in assists/turnover ratio. Robin Lopez ranks second in blocked shots. … The UW bench has outscored the opponent’s reserves for 13 straight games by an average of 26-10. … Stanford is the only Pac-10 team to have sold out every home game. The average home attendance of 7,331 represents 101.3 percent of Maples Pavilion’s seating capacity. The Cardinal is 14-1 at home this season, one win short of the school record.

Next: 3 p.m. Saturday, at California, Haas Pavilion, Berkeley, Calif.; FSN.

The annual Purple and Gold spring football game will be a centerpiece of "Washington Weekend" at UW, April 24-26.

Some of the sports components are still coming together, but there will be a lot going on on the upper campus, as well.

Here is a schedule of some of those events.

By the way, there had been some talk that the spring game might be televised this season, as it was occasionally in the '90s. That apparently won't happen. The only way to get an early look at these Dawgs will be to attend. The game will be played on the afternoon of April 26. More details soon.

Meanwhile, here's ESPN's quick look at the Pac-10 heading into spring.

Longtime Tacoma-area resident and former assistant football coach at UW and UPS Myles Corrigan died Sunday at the age of 64.

He had coached under Don James on the Huskies' 1991 national championship team.

Most recently, he had been working as director of men’s ministries at Life Center. He also was planning to work next fall with the Life Christian High School football team, where his son, Todd, is head coach.

Here is a link to a brief article from the Life Center web site.

And here is a piece of an article written by The News Tribune's Doug Pacey just two weeks ago:

Living Life Christian football
One of its own will continue to lead the Life Christian Academy football team.

Todd Corrigan, a 2000 graduate of Life Christian, was named the Eagles’ coach last month.

“I played football on the first team we had here,” said Corrigan, who has been an assistant for two seasons and a teacher at the school for three years. “The fact that it’s my alma mater and football is my passion is why I wanted this. There’s no better place to be than at Life Christian.”

Corrigan replaces Ross Hjelseth, who retired after leading the Eagles to the Class 2B state semifinals and an 11-3 record in 2007. Hjelseth had been Life Christian’s only coach since the school opened its doors in 1994.

Corrigan said his father, Myles, will be his offensive coordinator. Myles Corrigan was tight ends coach at the University of Washington from 1985 to ’93.

Former Husky Bobby Jones today signed a 10-day contract that gets him back in the NBA with the Houston Rockets.

Here is the Rockets' release.

Coach Tyrone Willingham's Washington Huskies will begin spring football practice on Thursday, April 3, and conclude with the annual spring game Saturday, April 26.

Not a lot of news from coach Lorenzo Romar today. The biggest news, I guess, is that freshman Justin Holiday will not be available against Stanford and Cal this week, as he is still limited by his ankle and knee sprains. It was hoped that Holiday might return this week, but now it looks like the season-ending WSU game instead.

Romar also said he expects the lineup to remain the same, that he doesn't think his team's 14-game losing streak at Maples Pavilion will having anything to do with the result Thursday, and that he assumes Stanford-transfer Tim Morris will have some emotions about returning to his former home court.

Looking back at the loss to Arizona State, he said he thought both execution and effort could have been better.

Finally he said he hasn't spent any time figuring the math needed for winning records or moving out of the first-day bracket in the Pac-10 tournament, etc. Full focus, he said, is on the here and now of preparing for Stanford.

The final tip-off time of the UW regular season has been set, as the Huskies will tipoff against rival Washington State at 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 8. The game will be televised on FSN.

This week, the Huskies will be on the road to play No. 8 Stanford at 7 p.m. Thursday, no TV; and at California at 3 p.m. Saturday, on FSN.

The Huskies currently stand at 15-13 overall, meaning they'll need to win one of those games -- or make a run in the Pac-10 tournament -- to get to the .500 record they'll likely need to make even the College Basketball Invitational touranment.

As of now, the Cal game seems the most likely spot for a breakthrough, making that perhaps the biggest game of the season for the Dawgs.

I see my Associated Press men's basketball ballot was a little at odds with most of the world today. I was one of only three voters not to give my top vote to Tennessee.

Last week I had Memphis No. 1, North Carolina No. 2 and Tennessee No. 3. So this week, with Tennessee's win over Memphis, I simpled moved the Tar Heels and Vols up one spot in order. One other voter joined me in that, while one other put UCLA up top.

I also voted Washington State a little higher than the rest of the group, but I joined them in thinking it was time to get Gonzaga back up there.

Here is this week's AP poll.

And here's the ballot I sent:

1. North Carolina
2. Tennessee
3. Memphis
4. Kansas
5. UCLA
6. Duke
7. Stanford
8. Texas
9. Georgetown
10. Wisconsin
11. Indiana
12. Drake
13. Butler
14. Vanderbilt
15. Xavier
16. Michigan State
17. Notre Dame
18. Purdue
19. Connecticut
20. Washington State
21. Louisville
22. Marquette
23. Gonzaga
24. Miami (Fla.)
25. Clemson

LAST WEEK
Washington (15-13 overall, 6-9 Pac-10) split with the Arizona schools. The win over the Wildcats put the Huskies in realistic mathematical position to get back into middle of the conference, but the loss to the Sun Devils shoved UW back into a tie for eighth with nothing but away games ahead.

SOMETHING TO BUILD ON
The Huskies once again showed that at their best they can beat good teams. Freshman point guard Venoy Overton had the best game of his young career against Arizona, flashing offense, defense and heart. Jon Brockman remained both productive and dependable with his 19th and 20th double-doubles.

SOMETHING TO WORK ON
Overton couldn’t build on his breakthrough game, and was mostly a non-factor against Arizona State. The Huskies had outside shooting troubles in both games, especially by Ryan Appleby, who was a combined 6-for-26. The tenacity the up-and-down Dawgs brought on Thursday was missing on Saturday.

THE WEEK AHEAD
The Huskies go on the road to face a pair of teams that they lost to earlier at home: Stanford and California. The Cardinal dominated the first game as thoroughly as any team pushed around UW this season. That leaves the Cal games as the Huskies’ apparent best chance at staying above .500.

POSTSEASON OUTLOOK
The Huskies’ only remaining path to the NCAA is winning the Pac-10 tournament; and they probably need to at least make the finals to interest the NIT. Even the College Basketball Invitational would likely turn away if the Huskies can’t pull an upset in one of their three remaining road games.

The Huskies trailed from first shot to final buzzer. They just didn't have i, just as they haven't too often this season when home court dried up as a significant advantage.

Here's the game story.

The Huskies ended their home season 12-6 overall, and 4-5 in the Pacific-10 Conference.

And rather than climb perhaps as high as fifth place in the conference, they remain tied for eighth and dead ahead are road games against three Pac-10 teams -- Stanford, Cal and WSU -- who beath them earlier in Seattle.

Notes:

Star of the game: Arizona State freshman James Harden led all scorers with 25 points on 7-of-11 shooting, including 3-of-5 beyond the 3-point arc. His eight rebounds also led the Sun Devils.

Key stats: Washington hit only 22 of 62 shots (35.5 percent), and was 4-of-21 (19 percent) on 3-pointers. The Huskies’ 27.3 percent shooting in the first half was their lowest of the season.

Key run: Washington never led and never pulled even. They were down by eight with about eight minutes left when the Sun Devils put it away with an 18-6 run.

Observations: The Sun Devils ended an 11-game losing streak to the Huskies. … This also was UW’s first Senior Day loss since 1996. … UW seniors Ryan Appleby and Tim Morris were recognized before the game. Appleby had 12 points, Morris three. … UW junior Jon Brockman had his 20th double-double of the season. … In the crowd was former Sonic and current Trail Blazers coach Nate McMillian, whose son Jamelle is a freshman guard for the Sun Devils.

Quotable: “Our home crowds have been great. We just weren’t able to get it done at home this year like we have in the past.” – UW coach Lorenzo Romar on the Huskies’ 4-5 home record in Pac-10 play.

Next: 7 p.m. Thursday, at Stanford, Maples Pavilion, Stanford, Calif.

The Huskies are having all kinds of trouble with the Sun Devils' zone defense, shooting only .273.

UW's top scorer is Ryan Appleby, with nine points on three threes.

ASU's James Harden leads all scorers with 11.

Former Sonics coach Nate McMillian is in the house, watching his son Jamelle, who has three points and two assists for the Sun Devils.

UW’s current run -- including their win Thursday over Arizona -- has lifted the team’s postseason chances ... probably all the way to probable.

Now standing 15-12 overall and 6-8 in the Pacific-10 Conference, the Huskies not only have become likely candidates for the inaugural College Basketball Invitational tournament, but they have moved back onto the bubble for the National Invitation Tournament. They also at least have created a path back onto the NCAA tournament bubble, although that would likely take at least one significant upset at Stanford or Washington State... or winning the Pac-10 postseason conference tournament outright.

However, a strong finish and showing in the tournament could draw an NIT bid, and the Huskies probably already are close to a lock for the CBA, which will base its selections on a demonstrated ability to beat good teams.

The Huskies have won three of the last four games -- including wins against "good teams" UCLA and Arizona -- and that has inched them forward in the Pac-10 race: from ninth place to tied with Oregon for eighth.

However, a victory over Arizona State on Saturday could bring a leap, as the Huskies open the day just a half game out of fifth.

A win today would certainly move Washington past the Sun Devils, who come into today’s game tied with Arizona and California at 6-7 in league play. But that victory also could likely slingshot the Huskies further than that, as Oregon, Arizona and California are all significant road underdogs this weekend: the Ducks play Saturday at No. 6 UCLA, the Wildcats Saturday night at Washington State and the Golden Bears on Sunday at Stanford.

It's getting interesting.

Here's my game story from the Friday paper.

Washington freshman Venoy Overton scored a career-high 19 points. He also made life difficult for Arizona freshman Jerryd Bayless, holding him to 22 points after he had topped 30 in his three previous games. The mightily harassed Bayless also committed seven turnovers, while Overton had none.

Overton quote: I could feel it. In the second half, when I was attacking, I could feel something big was happening."

Key stats: Washington missed eight of 10 first-half free throws. However, they hit a series of big ones down the stretch, finally hitting 22-of-35 on the evening (62.9 percent). … All but five of Arizona’s points came from four players: Bayless, Jawann McClellan, Jordan Hill and Chase Budinger.

Key run: In the middle of the second half, the Huskies went on a 10-1 run that stretched their lead into double-digits for the first time, 50-39. The key back-to-back buckets that ignited the crowd included a high-teardrop lob on a baseline drive by Venoy Overton, followed by a fast-break finish from Quincy Pondexter. The Wildcats actually battled back after that, cutting it to two. However, Arizona has very little depth these days, and once UW answered, the Wildcats were done.

Overton on that baseline drive: "I knew I was going to the free throw line, so I just threw up a prayer."

Observations: Late in the first half, UW senior Ryan Appleby tied Deon Luton’s career record of 212 3-pointers. A few minutes later, Appleby broke the record. … Brockman recorded his 19th double-double, most in the Pac-10. … Former UW quarterback Isaiah Stanback was in attendance.

Quote from Arizona coach Kevin O'Neill, whose team lost for the fourth time in five games: “They had a great game plan. They looked at our team and did what I would do to our team. They’ve got 10 or 11 guys that they really just keep rotating in and out. There are no consequences for them: We’ve only got one penetrating guard. It really puts us in a position out there where Jerryd is kind of stuck out there with the ball.”

The win moves the Huskies to 15-12 overall and 6-8 in the Pacific-10 Conference. Nuext up is Arizona State, who lost at WSU Thursday night, 59-47. That one will be UW's final regular season home game: 3 p.m. Saturday, FSN.

Ryan Appleby now holds the UW all-time 3-point record, sinking two in the first half, tying Deon Luton with the first, and setting a new record of 213 with the second.

Beyond that, good game.

Arizona's Jerryd Bayless has 12 points -- not quite on pace for his fourth straight 30-point game -- but he also picked up his third foul -- all offensive -- just before the half.

The Huskies once again are making things much harder on themselves by missing eight of 10 first half free throws.

The Oregonian is reporting that OSU basketball players Sean Carter and Marcel Jones will sit out tonight's game against UCLA due to their taunts and threats to UW players last week in Corvallis.

The Huskies conclude their home schedule this week Saturday, hosting Arizona State.

But first up is a visit from Arizona at 8 p.m. Thursday.

Here's is today's game preview story, primarily on UW senior guard Ryan Appleby and Arizona freshman guard Jerryd Bayless.

And a quick overview:

ARIZONA (16-9 OVERALL, 6-6 PAC-10)
AT WASHINGTON (14-12, 5-8)
8 p.m., Hec Edmundson Pavilion.
TV: FSN.
Radio: 950-AM

Series: Arizona leads 41-21 overall. The Wildcats also lead, 16-13, in Seattle, including the past two. Arizona won the earlier game this season, 84-69, in Tucson, Ariz.

Statistical leaders: For Arizona, G Jerryd Bayless, 21.1 ppg and 4.4 apg; F Jordan Hill, 8 rpg. For UW, F Jon Brockman, 17.8 ppg and 11.5 rpg; G Venoy Overton, 3.4 apg.

Scouting report: Arizona leads the Pac-10 in 3-point field goal percentage (.395), while UW is last in 3-point percentage defense (.361). … Bayless has topped 30 point in three straight games, the first Wildcat to do so. … The visitors’ bench will look different without the familiar white hair of UW coach Lute Olson, on leave due to personal reasons. Assistant Kevin O’Neill is acting head coach. … Senior guard Ryan Appleby is one 3-pointer away from Deon Luton’s UW career record of 212. … UW junior Justin Dentmon is averaging 15.8 points over the past four games and is shooting .543 over that span.

Next: 3 p.m. Saturday, vs. Arizona State, Hec Edmundson Pavilion.

The KRJ radio schedule is juggling a bit this week, and as part of the juggling I'll be having my weekly conversation with Dave "The Groz" Grosby at 2:35 today on 950-AM.

I assume the prime topic will be basketball: looking back on the Oregon split with the Corvallis incidents, and looking ahead to the Arizona visits this week and the final home games for Ryan Appleby and Tim Morris -- unless more home dates develop from a possible NIT or College Basketball Invitational bid.

The conversation also will be streamed over the Internet.

If you can stand one more look, the LA Times Kurt Streeter has a very thoughtful interview with Rick Neuheisel, looking back on the recent Seattle Times series and on what he learned -- and what he regrets -- from his handling of players while coach of the Huskies.

Washington seems on the verge of missing the NCAA tournament for the second consecutive season -- the Huskies' only paths seem at least a 4-1 finish to the regular season or winning the Pac-10 tournament.

However, their Thursday opponent -- Arizona -- also will likely also will need a solid finish to qualify, and there are extra stakes for the Wildcats: a 23-season streak of NCAA tournament appearances, that likely won't continue with anything less than a split of their remaining six games.

I wrote about that for the Wednesday paper.

Also, a couple of other notes:

Oregon State coach Kevin Mouton said Tuesday he is considering disciplinary action against his players who taunted and challenged the Huskies after a practice last week in Corvallis. UW coach Lorenzo Romar said the issue is behind him and his team.

Ryan Appleby has 211 career 3-pointers ... just one away from Deon Luton's school record. I talked to him about that today, and I'll write more about that for the Thursday paper.

The Arizona game Thursday and the Arizona State game Saturday are the last home appearances for the Huskies this season, and therefore the last Hec Ed appearances ever for seniors Appleby and Tim Morris(barring possible postseason home dates). I'll write more about this small senior class by Saturday.

UW freshman Justin Holiday (knee, ankle) is likely to miss this week’s game, but could return for the Bay Area trip next week.

And, as posted earlier, UW’s game March 1 at California will tipoff at 3 p.m. The game is not currently scheduled for TV in the Puget Sound area, although that could change.

I don't usually cover the UW women's team, but I was in the line of fire of breaking news today, so I thought I'd share it here, too:

Freshman Jess McCormack has decided to leave the University of Washington women’s basketball team and return home to New Zealand.

“This just hasn’t worked out to be the right spot for me,” she said Tuesday. “It just hasn’t felt completely right this whole year, and I just want to be comfortable where I am.”

McCormack, a 6-foot-5 forward/center from Auckland, New Zealand, played in 19 games and started 14, while missing seven due to injury or illness. She averaged 7.7 points and 4.5 rebounds.

“Although a complete surprise, I do know that adjusting to college life and being so far away from home can be a challenge,” coach Tia Jackson said. “And it’s been a difficult year for Jess, having battled with numerous injuries and the distance between Seattle and her homeland. … We certainly wish Jess all the success in the world, especially in the upcoming 2008 Olympics.”

McCormack, a member of the New Zealand national team, will remain in school through the end of winter quarter. She said she might eventually return to another college program in the States.

Washington's March 1 game at Cal has been given a 3 p.m. tipoff time. However, there are no current plans for Puget Sound area TV, although UW hopes that will change.

The decision leaves the regular-season-ending game at WSU as the only remaining UW game without an assigned gametime. That will likely come next week.

LAST WEEK
Washington (14-12 overall, 5-8 Pac-10) demonstrated the up-and-down nature of its season with an up-and-down week. Thursday at Oregon, the Huskies were just a little off their game, and that was fatal in a 71-58 loss to the Ducks. UW was more focused Saturday and blew out Oregon State, 97-59.

SOMETHING TO BUILD ON
Ryan Appleby had a career-high 32 points at OSU. Justin Dentmon has been solid for three straight games. Matthew Bryan-Amaning lost his first career double-double when a scorekeeping error at OSU was corrected, but he still showed a lot with 12 points and nine rebounds. Jon Brockman notched two more double-doubles.

SOMETHING TO WORK ON
Anything short of winning out will make the NCAA and probably even the NIT a long shot. But that kind of streak can’t happen amid the kind of inconsistency this team has shown. Brockman – the most essential Husky -- has been losing minutes recently due to foul trouble. Free throws remain an adventure.

THE WEEK AHEAD
Washington returns home to face the Arizona schools, a pair of NCAA bubble teams that stand at 6-6 in conference play. First up are the Wildcats, who routed the Huskies in their earlier meeting in Tucson, 84-69. That started the four-game losing streak that created a hole the Huskies are still trying to escape.

POSTSEASON OUTLOOK
Coach Lorenzo Romar confirmed that if the inaugural College Basketball Invitational tournament extends a post-season offer, UW will accept. “I’m not one of those that is into turning extra basketball down,” he said – before noting that the Pac-10 tourney still offers a path to the Big Dance.

We're coming down to the final few ballots of the season. Here's how I voted this week:

1. Memphis
2. North Carolina
3. Tennessee
4. Kansas
5. Duke
6. UCLA
7. Butler
8. Stanford
9. Georgetown
10. Texas
11. Wisconsin
12. Indiana
13. Michigan State
14. Washington State
15. Drake
16. Texas A&M
17. Vanderbilt
18. Xavier
19. Purdue
20. Connecticut
21. Brigham Young
22. Notre Dame
23. Kansas State
24. Louisville
25. Marquette

In one change to today's UW-Oregon State game coverage, Huskies freshman Matthew Bryan-Amaning didn't get his first career double-double after all.

MBA still had a solid game, with career-highs in points and rebounds. But those will officially go into the books as 12 points and nine rebounds ... one fewer rebound than was originally credited to him.

The official scorer initially incorrectly credited Washington's No. 11 -- Bryan-Amaning -- with a rebound that was actually intended for Oregon State's No. 11 -- Rickey Claitt. The error was caught because the shot had been credited to UW's No. 22 -- Justin Holiday, who wasn't even on the trip due to knee and ankle sprains.

However, given what MBA showed yesterday, he'll get his share of double-doubles before he's through.

Here's my game story.

The big deal, of course, were the various reactions to the Friday chirping between the teams and whatever role that played in the result.

For the most part the postgame attitude was like the in-game attitude, both sides playing nice: no taunting from UW, etc.

One interesting thing, however, was OSU's denial that the second incident -- which I blogged about in a post below -- even took place. While on the UW side, several members of the traveling party said that they saw the OSU players at the hotel and they heard Marcel Jones' phone message to Joel Smith. So.

Anyway, back to the game:

Star of the game: Senior guard Ryan Appleby scored a career-high 32 points, the most by a Husky since Brandon Roy scored 35 in 2005. Appleby also set a school record with nine 3-pointers.

Key stats: UW shot 54 percent from the field while limiting OSU to 32 percent. … The Huskies out-rebounded the Beavers, 47-34. … The UW bench out-scored the OSU bench, 44-14.

Key run: Appleby was hot from the start, single-handedly outscoring OSU for almost the first 14 minutes, when he had 15 points in leading UW to a 29-12 lead.

Observations: Appleby scored his first point before the game officially began. OSU received a technical foul for being late in providing their starting lineup. Appleby missed the first technical foul shot but hit the second. Then the teams went to center court for the opening tip. … Appleby is one 3-pointer away from tying the school career record of 212. … UW’s Justin Dentmon had six assists, pushing him to 303 for his career. He is the seventh Husky to top 300 career assists. … Freshman Matthew Bryan-Amaning recorded his first career double-double with a career high 10 rebounds and matching his career high with 12 points. … Jon Brockman had his Pac-10-leading 18th double-double.

Quotable: “It is tough to play a team that hasn’t won a (Pac-10) game yet. I think there’s a little more pressure. For us to come in here and get a win like we did (Saturday) was a great showing for us.” -- Appleby

Next: 8 p.m. Thursday, Arizona, Hec Edmundson Pavilion.

Not in their house? Don't be fooled by their record?

So far, there's every indication that Oregon State talks a far better game than they play. Very little of the aparent emotion they showed leading up to this game has been evident on the court.

UW literally led from before the opening tip, as Ryan Appleby hit one technical foul shot -- apparently because OSU was late in delivering its starting lineup.

The Huskies first 39 points were provided by Ryan Appleby, Jon Brockman and Quincy Pondexter. And for about 14 minutes, Appleby by himself was outscoring OSU.

At half, Appleby leads all scorer with 15 points. Dentmon and Pondexter have 10.

Omari Johnson and Lathen Wallace have six each for the Beavers.

UW is shooting 57.6 percent, Oregon state 25 percent; and UW is dominating the boards, 25-14. That's pretty much the story.

The game hasn't been especially physical, and there have been no apparent confrontations between players.

We just got word from a UW source that there was a second incident between the Huskies and Beavers on Friday.

Apparently shortly after the trash talking at the arena (reported below), several OSU players, including Marcel Jones, went to the Huskies' hotel -- which is right across the street from the campus -- and sent a text message to at least one UW player, calling him out to the parking lot for a promised beating.

There was no parking lot meeting, but at that point UW officials decided that things had gone too far and contacted the Oregon State athletic department.

We don't know yet what steps -- if any -- the OSU officials took, but judging from the Beavers taking part in warmups right now, no players have been suspended.

The first few Huskies -- Jon Brockman, Justin Dentmon, Joel Smith and Artem Wallace -- have just taken the court of Gill Coliseum -- without incident. Even Venoy Overton, who just sort of bounded out of the locker area with a long look at the Beavers, was allowed to bound by without note.

Most of the Beavers were already working out, a few on each end, and they made room without any apparent talk or follow-up to the brief verbal sparring of yeterday.

We'll keep an eye as the afternoon moves along.

Around 1 p.m., just as the Huskies were finishing up their practice at Gill Coliseum, a few Oregon State players came up from their locker room and started yelling at them, shouting things like "Don't think you're going to come into our house and beat us," or "Don't let the record fool you," with a few profanities added in.

The incident never turned physical, and coach Lorenzo Romar got between the sides to make sure that it didn't.

Unfortunately, all of this happened just after I left the gym, so this report comes from the UW sports information staff.

Minor incident overall, but it should add a little spice at 4 p.m. today when the Pac-10's ninth and 10th place teams meet.

One other small piece of news from today, coach Lorenzo Romar said that if the Huskies' only post-season invitation comes from the inaugural College Basketball Invitational tournament, they would accept.

I'll be back talking Huskies -- primarily the up and down basketball team, I suppose -- with Dave "The Groz" Grosby at 1:35 this afternoon on KJR, 950-AM.

The conversation also will be streamed over the Internet.

After flirting a bit with the Rose Bowl and even a proposed new stadium down in Long Beach, USC has decided to remain at the LA Coliseum for the next half century.

Here is a report from the LA Daily News.

The Pac-10 schedule rotation has Washington visiting USC this season.

The Ducks pulled away early in the second half with a barrage of 3-pointers, and the Huskies never seriously threatened down the stretch.

Here's my game story from the Friday paper.

Here's also one piece of news I neglected to get into my newspaper story: the tests came back OK on Justin Holiday's knee and ankle, and he is expected to rejoin the Huskies in a week or two.

Here's a roundup of Pac-10 action from last night, including Arizona State's win over Stanford.

And finally, a quick overview from Eugene.

Star of the game: Oregon guard Bryce Taylor led the Ducks with 15 points. He also had prime defensive responsibility on Ryan Appleby, limiting him to eight points on 3-of-10 shooting.

Key stats: Oregon hit 14 3-pointers, tying the record for the most every allowed by Washington. … The Ducks out-rebounded the Huskies, 35-33. … The Huskies hit their first five free throws, but missed three of the next four.

Key run: Oregon seemed in control most of the way, but the Ducks opened the second half with a 12-2 run that settled it.
Observations: Jon Brockman recorded his league-leading 17th double-double. … UW guard Tim Morris caused a national controversy Sunday against UCLA by retaining possession by slamming the ball into a Bruins’ face. Faced with a similar situation Thursday, Morris tried to whack the ball off an opponent’s legs, missed, and the Ducks got possession. ... The Pit Crew student section booed Ryan Appleby each time he touched the ball, and they held up a few posters, but there was no notable profanity or anything else over the line. If anything, most found the Mac Court atmosphere unusually tame, perhaps due to the unusual 5:30 p.m. tip.

Quotable: “It was Valentines’ day so they were probably in the mood to share some love.” – Appleby, on the relatively mild harassment he received from the crowd.

Next: 4 p.m. Saturday, at Oregon State, Gill Coliseum, Corvallis, Ore.

Jon Brockman picked up a second foul less than five minutes in, and the Huskies had to go a long stretch without him. They hung around, but the Ducks have been playing with the lead most of the way.

The crowd is booing every time Appleby touches the ball, but they've been fully under control. However, Appleby has missed all four of his shots so far, and it seems they'll need some kind of spark to change the general course that this game has taken so far.

Brockman and Wallace have six each. Bryce Taylor and Odia Churchill lead the Ducks with nine each, including three 3-pointers by Churchill, which have hurt the Huskies.

UW is shooting 42.9 percent, Oregon 45.8 percent. Oregon is also out-rebounding the Huskies, 16-13, partly reflecting Brockman's eight minutes on the bench.

The Huskies are 0-of-7 on threes.

I've made it to Mac Court. So have the first trickle of the Pit Crew student section, and a few Huskies are out on the court warming up.

There's no telling what the students have in mind, but their first gesture was bringing in heart-shaped dog biscuits ... perhaps a Valentine's Day peace offering for Ryan Appleby. Or perhaps a small, hard projectile. We'll see.

While listening to the Ducks flagship radio station on the way in, one of the broadcasters was saying that the picking on Appleby thing has gotten old -- and maybe counterproductive, given the game he had last season -- and he hoped the Pit Crew would come up with something a little more creative. Again, we'll see

New UW assistant coach Brian White stopped by on Tuesday and met for of the media guys and put up with his first Q&A session with us.

Some highlights:

On whether he cares what position he coaches: Honestly no. I told Coach Willingham that I’ll do whatever he deems necessary that’s in the best interest of the program. And I feel very comfortable and confident that whatever the responsibilities are, I’ll perform them well, and the position he decides will be a great fit.

On his experience coaching special teams: I’ve done various phases, kickoff return, punt, and contributed in other phases, but in terms of full responsibilities, I’ve done those. I’m excited to be able to work with that unit. I think it’s a really critical phase in the game that is common thread to your team, where you’re integrating both offensive and defensive players, so it’s exciting to be able to put both phases of the team together in one unit.

His thoughts on UW as they routed Syracuse last August: My thoughts were that they had a nice offensive football team and it was excited to watch them play. Unfortunately I was on the other side of the field that day.

On getting involved in the UW job: I know members on the staff and I had visited Seattle three or four times in the past, and actually was here in 2003, Coach Neuheisel and his staff brought me up to do a clinic for them, and I really enjoyed the area, so when I knew there were some openings, I really pursued it very vigorously. I met Coach Willingham when we played them in the Rose Bowl. . . I had the good fortune of representing the University of Wisconsin at the Rose Bowl luncheon, and got to meet Coach Willingham. I’ve heard nothing but wonderful things about him from the variety of people that I know in the profession that have worked for him, so I really felt that it would be a good fit for my family, a value fit and a community and university fit.

On current staff memebers he knows: I’ve known Coach Hart and Coach Lappano and J.D. Williams. J.D. coached with my brother Chris at Cal Poly Pomona back in the mid 90s.

His thoughts on UW and Seattle: I just wanted to be a part of the program. I have an 11-year-old daughter and a 9-year-old son, and I’ve done enough research on the university, been to Seattle enough to know that it was an area of the country that we would enjoy. . . . I’ve really enjoyed my experiences here and I have an understanding of the tremendous set of values that Coach Willingham has, and that’s what I want to expose myself and my family to.

UW freshman Justin Holiday won't travel with the Huskies for their games at Oregon and Oregon State, due to injuries suffered in a fall during practice on Tuesday.

Holiday, who was dianosed with a sprained his right knee and right ankle, will undergo an MRI exam on Thursday. A more detailed prognosis will be known then, but he certainly will miss at least the Ducks (Thursday) and Beavers (Saturday).

Holiday had been receiving increased playing time recently, especially as a defensive stopper.

The top topic over at UW Tuesday was the controversy from Sunday when Tim Morris retained possession for the Huskies by plunking the ball off the face of UCLA's Alfred Aboya.

In a post below I linked to some of the UCLA outlook on the story. Here's my Wednesday column on the topic. (Here's another Husky hoops story from today's paper: a deeper look at their troubles from the foul line.) And here's more of what the Huskies were saying Tuesday.

Morris on what happened: It was honestly a reaction. We were running a play where a couple of guys were cutting off. I looked and none of them were open. Coach Howland was in the way, so I couldn’t throw it deep and it was just a reaction. He was so close. I really didn’t mean to. I tried to shake his hand afterward and everything.

Morris on Aboya rejecting his handshake: Honestly, I wouldn’t have either. Somebody hits you in the face, you’re not going to want to shake their hands afterward.

Romar on the UCLA reaction: People tend to react certain ways and emotion gets kicked in. I just know Tim Morris pretty well – I’ve known him since he was 2 years old – and Tim Morris is not a gangster, he’s not a thug. Tim apologized right away. I don’t think it was a premeditated I’m-going-to-knock-this-guy’s-face-off type of pass. It’s unfortunate with what happened in that game that the concentration is there, knowing the type of kid that Tim Morris is.

Romar on whether it's OK to hit an opponent in the face to avoid a turnover: If Tim Morris would have reared back and taken aim at the guy’s face and hit him in the face, we would have had problems. Him and I would had problems. But that wasn’t what happened. If you look, there was just a little space there … it was confined area. And I even think Coach Holland had his hands up over on the side. Tim reacted. What are you thinking at that point? OK, I’ve got to stoop down on bend down maybe to hit him in the legs, maybe if he opens his legs like dodge ball I’m going to miss him. I’ve got to throw it. I know Alfred was moving a little bit and it just kind of happened. I’ll say this too: I have a whole lot of respect for UCLA and how Coach Howland runs his team. I think they do a great job. And Alfred Aboya is one of the classiest nicest players that I’ve ever met.

Romar on coach Wooden's reaction:Coach Wooden is the wisest man I’ve ever met. And I know that based on his comments he was probably upset by it. ... I’m not sure if he felt Tim did it intentionally or not and he reacted that way. … I know how Coach is, and I understand what he said.

UW freshman guard and budding defensive stopper Justin Holiday fell in practice Tuesday and suffered a sprained right knee and ankle. He will be checked out again today. His status for Thursday’s game at Oregon is undertermined.

And there was lots of other injury news in our weekly Pac-10 coaches' conference call today.

Highlights: A knee injury to Arizona’s Nic Wise will force the Wildcats to go through the stretch run of the regular season without their only true point guard. Wise might be back in time for the Pac-10 tournament. … Southern California coach Tim Floyd said that sophomore guard Daniel Hackett is definitely out this week, probably out next week and maybe out for the season with a stress fracture of his lower back. … The status of Cal’s Jerone Randle (ankle, thigh, concussion) remains uncertain for this week. … Finally, UCLA forward Luc Richard Mbah a Moute (ankle sprain) is likely to return Sunday for the Bruins’ rematch with USC.

We've already discussed the play late in the UW-UCLA game where Tim Morris retained possession for his team by throwing the ball into the face of Bruins defender Alfred Aboya.

UW says the play was defensible, and the Pac-10 says the play was legal, but not surprisingly, UCLA sees it differently ... including the Wizard of Westwood, John Wooden. Here's a story from the LA Times.

POSTSCRIPT: We asked Romar about those comments today, knowing the respect he has for Coach Wooden. Not surprisingly, Romar did not second-guess or contradict the Wizard, instead calling him "The wisest man I know." Romar also had praise for the kind of guy that Tim Morris is, and added that if he believed Morris did it intentionally, he and Morris would have a problem. Completing the praise circle, Romar also had kind words for Aboya and for UCLA coach Ben Howland.

We also got a few minutes with Morris, and I'll click back in with some of his thoughts later.

UW had a brief press conference today to let football coach Tyrone Willingham officially introduce the newest memeber of his staff, former Syracuse offensive coordinator Brian White.

I missed it because of a conflict, but here's a short overview from The Associated Press.

Yup, that's right. UW snaps a four-game losing streak by somehow knocking off the nation's No. 5 team by 10.

The Huskies were happy, of course. But there always was a thread of regret that a team able to play that well has also played poorly enough often enough to be a disappointing 13-11 overall and 4-7 in the Pac-10.

Here's the way Jon Brockman put it: “It’s great to enjoy this win, but at the same time we should all feel horrible and just sick and stupid for playing the last four games the way we played. It’s great to enjoy it, but after seeing what we can do when we really play together with intensity and have a good game, you can look back and just kick yourself.”

Some game highlights:

Star of the game: UW guard Justin Dentmon came off the bench to lead all scorers with 20 points on 7-for 12 shooting from the field. That’s his most points in conference play this season, and four points shy of his career high.

Key stats: The Huskies’ bench outscored UCLA’s 37-2. … UW out-rebounded UCLA, 44-36. … The Bruins were a season-low 1-of-16 (6.3 percent) on 3-point attempts. … UW blocked a season-high five shots. … The Bruins’ 61 points matched their lowest output of the season.

Key run: Over a 10 minute 45 second stretch late in the second half, UCLA sank only one field goal. And though the Bruins hit 12 foul shots during that time, UW increased its lead from three points to nine.

Observations: This was UW’s fourth straight home win against UCLA. … Late in the game, UW’s Tim Morris retained possession by slamming the ball out of bounds off the face of UCLA’s Alfred Aboya. Aboya didn’t accept Morris’ offered hand, and after the game coach Ben Howland complained about the play. .. The win was the 116th of Lorenzo Romar’s UW career, tying him with Bob Bender for fourth on the school list. … UW’s Jon Brockman recorded his Pac-10 leading 16th double-double. … During the game, Brockman grabbed his 800th career rebound, and Ryan Appleby sank his 200th career 3-pointer, 12 short of Deon Luton’s school record. … Spotted in the sellout crowd were former Husky football player turned martial arts fighter Bob “The Beast” Sapp; Seattle SuperSonics rookie Kevin Durant, Seahawks running back Shaun Alexander, and new UW defensive coordinator Ed Donatell.

Quotable: “I think a lot of people have shut the door on this team. We’re not going to let the door close. We’re going to keep playing. We’ve got a ton of work to do, but I think that was a glimpse of what this team could really be.” – Brockman.

Next: 5:30 p.m. Thursday, at Oregon, McArthur Court, Eugene. ... And bad news there: no Puget Sound area TV.

Venoy Overton made a turnover on the first UW possession, and he was instantly yanked to the bench.

That made clear that coach Lorenzo Romar had different expectations for this game, and through 20 minutes, those expectations are being met and exceeded.

The Huskies have only four points from Jon Brockman, but they're getting balanced help elsewhere: eight points by Dentmon and Appleby, seven from Quincy Pondexter.

Pondexter also has the play of the afternoon, a hyperathletic dunk over Lorenzo Mata-Real.

UCLA's Kevin Love had only three points, but Russell Westbrook has 10 and Josh Shipp nine.

Bottom line, though, is that the Huskies are played energized and unafraid.

Although the tougher 20 minutes are ahead.

Looking on the the crowd: Bob “The Beast” Sapp, former UW football player turned martial arts fighter; Seattlue SuperSonics star freshman Kevin Durant, Seahawks running back Shaun Alexander, and UW football coach Tyrone Willingham, along with his new defensive coordinator Ed Donatell.

We spoke a bit with UW coach Lorenzo Romar on Friday before the Huskies began practice for their Sunday game against No. 5 UCLA. The game will be shown on FSN.

Here's the preview story from today's paper. In it, Romar takes the current four-game losing streak on himself as coach ... but not just in the general the-buck-stops-here sense that coaches often use. Romar seemed genuinely perplexed about his team's tumble and seems to really believe that he hasn't yet -- but still might -- find the key to unlocking the potential of this roster. He says the team does what the coaches ask, and so he seems to believe that puts it on him to ask the right things or to ask in the right way.

"I wouldn’t put it on the players, I’d put it on me," he said. "I’ve not done a good enough job of getting us where we need to be right now. I’ve always felt with our teams that by this point we’re playing our best basketball. That’s not the case this year."

Romar admits that his team's personality sometimes seems passive, but he takes that on himself, too: "When you watch the team it probably comes across that way. But that’s what I’m saying, I’m not ready to sit here and blame this on our players. I’m taking full responsibility. I could have done a better job and need to do a better job of getting us to more than passive."

Here's an L.A. Daily News look at the Huskies' problems.

The Huskies have confirmed the hiring of Brian White as the newest member of the football staff.

"I am really excited to have such an experienced and innovative coach as Brian White join our staff," coach Tyrone Willingham said through a UW release. "He has a great background, having coached nearly every position on the offensive side of the football. And, his experience as offensive coordinator in the Big Ten and Big East conferences should really bring an added dimension to our program. I am confident that will make a positive impact with our players, coaches and staff."

Here's the press release from GoHuskies.com.

This leaves Willingham with one opening left on his staff -- probably running backs coach -- and I'm hearing that will likely be filled next week.

I'll be back talking Huskies with Dave "The Groz" Grosby at 1:35 this afternoon on KJR, 950-AM.

Recruiting, coaching, hoops ... plenty of topics as always.

The conversation also will be streamed over the Internet.

University of Washington football coach Tyrone Willingham has hired former Syracuse offensive coordinator Brian White to join his football staff.

White was fired at the end of last season after the Orange finished 114th in Division I total offense and 118th in scoring offense.

Before joining Greg Robinson’s Syracuse staff in 2006, he had spent 11 seasons at Wisconsin, including six as offensive coordinator.

Willingham has two staff openings -- running backs coach and tight ends/special teams coach.

As of now it is uncertain which opening White will fill. One source told me the decision wouldn't be made until the final hire was identified. However, another said White would handle special teams and tight ends.

Here is a link to a report on White's departure from Syracuse.

The Huskies lost their fourth straight game, their third straight at home and have fallen to 12-11 overall and 3-7 in the conference.

Here is my game story from today's paper.

With UCLA coming up next, coach Lorenzo Romar admits that this has become a time of the season where things could go south fast if the team stops believing it can win.

Meanwhile, at least 45 minutes after the game while I was writing, out walked Quincy Pondexter back onto the court for a few minutes of practice. Desperate times calling for desperate measures, I guess.

Some notes:

Star of the game: USC freshman star O.J. Mayo scored a game-high 29 points, hitting 11 of 22 shots from the field. About 13 minutes into the game, Mayo had 18 points while Washington had 16.

Key stats: USC came in as the toughest Pac-10 team to shoot against, and they held the Huskies to 36 percent accuracy. … Washington outrebounded USC, 44-29. … UW’s free throw shooting problems continued, as the Huskies hit five of 10 attempts.

Key run: Ryan Appleby tied the game with a 3-pointer early in the second half. USC answered with a 3-pointer by Dwight Lewis, and that ignited a 19-0 run that settled the game. During the stretch, Washington missed 12 straight shots.

Observations: The Huskies have lost three straight home games for the first time since the 2002-03 season. ... UW opened in a 2-3 zone defense and used it most of the way. … The win was the 300th of USC coach Tim Floyd’s college career.

Quotable: “We just played a zone team in Arizona State, so we were kind of in a rhythm with the zone. I think we did a good job of moving the ball and creating open shots.” – Mayo, on UW’s zone defense.

Next: 1:30 p.m. Sunday, vs. No. 5 UCLA, Hec Edmundson Pavilion.

Between the signing day excitement it's almost easy to forget that the Huskies have a basketball game tonight against USC. And a pretty interesting one, too, based largely on the Seattle debut of Trojans' star freshman O.J. Mayo.

Another reason for the lack of excitement about this game might be the difficult TV situation: the game is on some cable systems on Fox Sports Channel and Prime Ticket, but not on straight FSN until a delayed broadcast at 9:30.

That almost changed today as the Fox broadcast crew had a difficult time getting into Pullman today, and tentative plans were being explored to sub the USC-UW game for the UCLA-WSU game.

However, the broadcast truck made it in through an alternate route, and the Bruins-Cougs will be shown as scheduled.

Meanwhile, we'll have our usual gameday blogging schedule, starting with any pregame news... and there could be some if coach Lorenzo Romar decides to try to give a new lineup a chance to break the ongoing three-game losing streak.

After that, I'll pop in with a halftime report, and then again after the game with notes and quotes. (Which you might want to avoid if you plan to watch that delayed broadcast without knowing the result.)

We have a lot of recruiting coverage in the Thursday paper: Huskies, Cougars, Pac-10, sports other than football, you name it.

My primary stories are on the Pac-10 ... where it looks like USC may have nosed in front again. And, of course, on the Huskies, who seemed pretty happy with their 26-player haul.

And for all the potentially damaging stuff that's trickled out since the season ended in Hawaii -- no bowl, the question about coach Tyrone Willingham's future, the staff shakeup, the Todd Turner departure, the Seattle Times series -- none of that seemed to chase off any of the recruits. And so there it sits, certainly ranking in the top half of the Pac-10 and in the top 25 nationally.

"This year had a lot of special hurdles to it," Willingham said. "This was probably an unusual year at the conclusion of the season. But I think it’s one of those things in life that they tell you if it doesn’t kill you it will make you stronger, and I think our program became stronger."

Here are a few other interesting things Willingham talked about Wednesday:

On what positions seem ripe for freshmen to get playing time: You start with a huge loss in our receiver group. Just about all of our veteran players are gone in that area, so ... some of those guys will walk on campus and be No. 2 from day one. It allows them much greater opportunity.

On signing no junior college players: In terms of making your investment, you like to make your investment in high school players because there’s probably a greater chance to have them in your program, to grow them and develop them and have that commitment that you need in a program.

On recruiting against UCLA's Rick Neuheisel: We know and respect him. He is a good recruiter and he does a wonderful job. I think that in the years to come that will be a factor.

On the advantage of recruiting against a brand-new staff at Washington State: This is a real situation that changed hands, so it does take time usually to get your feet on the ground. In this case, the coach was local in a sense, so that made his process probably a lot quicker. But it does slow things down just a little.

On this year's in-state talent: I think it was stronger than some of the other years, probably deeper. I think there have been some really good players each year in the state of Washington. But I think if you went down the list, the depth this year in the state was probably a lot deeper.

On tight end Kavario Middleton: I think Kavario has a tremendous advantage in size over most of the guys we’ve recruited in the past. He’s about an inch, inch and a half, taller than most and probably a little heaver. Yet he has excellent mobility, wonderful hands from his basketball career. He has a lot of the tools that you look for in a tight end. Now it’s just a matter of making the adjustment to college football, understanding collegiate defenses, offensive responsibilities, and we think he’ll do well.

On offensive line recruit Terence Thomas: When you talk about big you’re really talking about Terence. Terence stands 6-7, some would say 6-8. So that is a big man. The way we have described him is he is a skinny individual at 300 to 312 pounds, so it is exciting to get him in the program. Obviously when you get offensive linemen that size one thing that you always say from a defensive standpoint is when they’re big like that it’s difficult to run around them. You have to run a wide path around them, so that’s always helpful for our backs.

On defensive end Everrette Thompson: Everrette is exciting. Everrette really fills a void that we have in a sense, because I think you’re always looking for big aggressive defensive-end type players. And I think he matches that for us.

On defensive lineman Senio Kelemete: I’m excited because that is a wonderful combination – Senio and Everrette – that you can maybe place at your defensive end. To that two guys with that kind of power and speed, that is exciting.

On finding two quarterbacks brave enough to sign on with a school that already has Jake Locker: It was a hurdle because I do think most young men out there recognize the ability that Jake possesses. But I do think that at the same time our coaching staff has been very clear that our goal is to play the best players.

On judging the class:
There are two benchmarks. There is the one I call a “paper benchmark,” and that is the one you talk about today. Obviously on paper the class looks good. Those of you out there who rank them and rate them, you’ve rated them pretty high. So by that benchmark, it’s a wonderful class. Then the other benchmark is what they do when they’re done: What’s they’re record look like. And to the coaches, that’s the benchmark that really matters. Can we as coaches take and develop these guys, make them better than they are now. And can they be driven, be motivated and be the championship caliber team that we want, desire and hope.

All of the expected future Huskies apparently have signed in as expected.

We'll be getting some time with coach Tyrone Willingham in the mid-afternoon, and I'll report back after that.

Meanwhile, here is the university's release:

SEATTLE – A total of 26 student-athletes have signed national letters of intent or financial aid agreements to enroll at the University of Washington and play football for the Huskies, head coach Tyrone Willingham announced today.

All 26 signees were high school seniors during the 2007 season. Each student-athlete in the group will be expected to participate in the 2008 season, while one (Chris Polk) enrolled for the start of the winter quarter in January and is currently enrolled at the UW.

Of the players in this year's recruiting class, 12 hail from Washington, nine are from California and one each come from Hawaii, Idaho, Arizona, Oregon and Louisiana.

"I’ve very pleased with this group of young men," said Willingham. "I think our coaching staff and our players did a great job in terms of addressing the needs of our team and in terms of getting so many standout student-athletes from here in the state of Washington. I’m looking forward to getting this group on campus in the fall and preparing for the 2008 season.”

Following its season opener Aug. 30 at Oregon, Washington will return to Seattle for three consecutive home games against BYU (Sept. 6), Oklahoma (Sept. 13) and Stanford. The Huskies will also play Oregon State, Notre Dame, Arizona State and UCLA during its seven-game home schedule. Away contests include games at Arizona, USC, Washington State and California.

Deposits for new season tickets are currently being accepted through the Husky Athletic Ticket Office by calling (206) 543-2200 or online through GoHuskies.com. Season ticket renewal forms were recently distributed through the mail an
d are due for return by early March.

Here is the list of the new Huskies, and a biographical sketch of each, again provided by UW:

Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Hometown (High School)
Dominique Blackman QB 6-5 250 Carson, Calif. (Carson HS)
Demitrius Bronson RB 5-10 215 Kent, Wash. (Kentwood HS)
Cody Bruns WR 5-11 168 Prosser, Wash. (Prosser HS)
Allen Carroll OL 6-4 300 Oakland, Calif. (McClymonds HS)
Terrance Dailey RB 5-10 194 Vacaville, Calif. (Vacaville HS)
Johri Fogerson RB 6-2 190 Kent, Wash. (O’Dea HS)
David Freeman RB 5-7 190 Inglewood, Calif. (Inglewood HS)
Justin Glenn CB 5-11 185 Mukilteo, Wash. (Kamiak HS)
Anthony Gobern CB 6-0 176 Fair Oaks, Calif. (Del Campo HS)
Mykenna Ikehara OL 6-3 291 Mililani, Hawai’i (Kamehameha HS)
Jermaine Kearse WR 6-1 180 Lakewood, Wash. (Lakes HS)
Senio Kelemete DL 6-4 260 Seattle, Wash. (Evergreen HS)
Luther Leonard QB 6-2 193 Seattle, Wash. (Evergreen HS)
Adam Long CB 5-10 168 Los Angeles, Calif. (St. Bernard HS)
Kurt Mangum LB 6-2 240 Chandler, Ariz. (Chandler HS)
Kavario Middleton TE 6-5 255 Lakewood, Wash. (Lakes HS)
Craig Noble DL 6-3 300 Los Angeles, Calif. (Taft HS)
Chris Polk WR 5-11 200 Highland, Calif. (Redlands East Valley HS)
Jordan Polk WR 5-8 161 Portland, Ore. (Lincoln HS)
Bradly Roussel LB 5-11 207 Baton Rouge, La. (Redemptorist HS)
Drew Schaefer OL 6-5 275 Sammamish, Wash. (Eastlake HS)
Alameda Ta’amu DL 6-2 348 Kent, Wash. (Rainier Beach HS)
Vince Taylor S 6-2 198 Issaquah, Wash. (Eastside Catholic HS)
Terence Thomas OL 6-8 305 Caldwell, Idaho (Caldwell HS)
Everrette Thompson DE 6-6 255 Renton, Wash. (Kennedy HS)
Greg Walker S 5-11 198 Bellflower, Calif. (St. Bernard HS)

Dominique Blackman QB 6-5, 250 Carson, Calif. (Carson HS)
Left-handed quarterback led Carson to an 11-3 overall record and a 5-0 Marine League record as a senior … team made it to the CIF Los Angeles City Section championship game before falling to Birmingham … earned second-team All-City as a senior … named to PrepStar’s “Dream Team” as the nation’s No. 112 overall prospect … the No. 80 recruit in the Far West region by Superprep … rated the No. 70 recruit in California by Scout.com, which also ranked him the No. 58 quarterback in the country … Rivals.com rated him the No. 95 recruit in California and the No. 27 “pro-style” QB in the nation … as a junior, completed 123-of-215 attempts for 1,673 yards and 14 touchdowns … also ran for eight TDs as a junior in 2006 …led Colts to a 9-4 overall record and helped them advance to the City Section semifinals as a junior … named second-team All-City as a junior … transferred to Carson from Gardena High prior to his junior year … also played basketball at Carson … played under football coach Michael Christensen at Carson.

Demitrius Bronson RB 5-10, 215 Kent, Wash. (Kentwood HS)
Finished high school career with 3,810 rushing yards … was averaging more than 200 yards per game as a senior before suffering an ankle injury … still finished his final prep season with 1,450 yards rushing … selected the South Puget Sound League’s 4A Co-Offensive Back of the Year and a first-team all-league running back … named a “red chip” prospect by the Seattle Times … an Associated Press 4A all-state honorable mention selection … member of the Seattle Times’ “Star Times” team … named all-West Region by PrepStar … made the Tacoma News-Tribune’s “Northwest Nuggets” honorable mention … one of 14 running backs listed on the News-Tribune’s Western 100 … rated as the No. 11 recruit in Washington and the No. 59 running back in the country by Scout.com … ranked as the state of Washington’s No. 13 football recruit and as the nation’s No. 39 running back by Rivals.com … rated the No. 13 recruit in the state by Superprep … as a junior, ran for 1,437 yards and 14 touchdowns, earning first-team All-South Puget Sound League honors … as a sophomore, rushed for 1,045 yards over 10 games, earning All-SPLS first-team accolades … also ran the 100 meters, 200 meters, 400 meters and various relays on the Conquerors track team … top times through the spring of 2007 included 11.14 in the 100, 22.74 in the 200 and 51.94 in the 400 … older brother, John, was a standout defensive lineman at Kent-Meridian before playing college ball at Penn State and in the NFL with the Arizona Cardinals … sister Leitawsha played basketball and is now a shotputter at Morgan State … played football under coach Rex Norris at Kentwood.

Cody Bruns WR 5-11, 168 Prosser, Wash. (Prosser HS)
One of the most prolific receivers in high school history, Bruns set numerous state records during his career … finished career having caught 310 passes for 5,178 yards and 72 touchdowns, all state records … had already set the state record for receiving TDs prior to his senior season … his receptions and yardage totals ranked No. 2 in the nation all-time for 11-man football while his TD total ranked third all-time … as a senior led, the Mustangs to a 14-0 record and a 2A state championship with 90 receptions for 1,443 yards and 19 touchdowns … team was ranked No. 19 in the nation by maxpreps.com … honored as the state’s Associated Press 2A player of the year as a senior … also a unanimous selection on the AP’s 2A all-state first team … named to the Seattle Times all-state team … named a “red chip” prospect by the Seattle Times … made the Tacoma News-Tribune’s “Northwest Nuggets” honorable mention … a member of the News-Tribune’s Western 100 … named all-West Region by PrepStar … ranked the No. 9 recruit in the state by Superprep … the state of Washington’s No. 14 football recruit, according to Rivals.com … rated the No. 7 player in Washington, the No. 38 wideout in the country and the No. 233 overall player in the nation by Scout.com … in a game vs. Othello, caught seven passes for 222 yards, including a 99-yard touchdown reception … as a junior, led the nation with 109 receptions, good for a state-record 1,891 yards and 28 touchdowns … named Mid-Valley League co-offensive player of the year, Seattle Times all-state first team, Associated Press 2A all-state first-team and Tri-City Herald all-area as a junior … had four double-digit reception games and three 200-yard games as a junior, when the Mustangs went 12-1 overall and 9-0 in league play … as a sophomore in 2005, caught 98 passes for 1,647 yards and 23 scores despite sitting out two games due to injury … Mustangs went 13-2 and 6-0 in the league his sophomore year … also plays basketball … played for coach Tom Moore.

Allen Carroll OL 6-4, 300 Oakland, Calif. (McClymonds HS)
Played offensive tackle at McClymonds … named to PrepStar’s “Dream Team” as the No. 87 overall prospect in the nation … named the No. 2 prospect in the East Bay in the Contra Costa Times’ 2008 “Cream of the Crop” survey … earned All-Metro first-team honors from the San Francisco Chronicle … named second-team all-state by CalHiSports … played in the Under Armour All-America High School game in Orlando following his senior season … Superprep rated him the No. 61 prospect in the Far West region … Rivals.com ranked him the No. 39 football recruit in California and the No. 16 guard in the country … Scout.com tabbed him the No. 55 player in California and the No. 27 guard in the U.S. … helped the Warriors to a remarkable season in 2007 … after starting the year 0-5, the Warriors went on to win their third straight Silver Bowl, the CIF Oakland Section championship … it was also McClymonds’ fifth straight Silver Bowl appearance … finished the 2007 season 5-6-1, beating Castlemont, 8-7, in the Silver Bowl … teamed with current Husky Willie Griffin to help the Warriors to the Oakland championships in 2005 and 2006 … McClymonds beat San Francisco champ Lincoln High, 78-37, in the inaugural TransBay championship game in 2006 … Warriors went 10-2-1 in 2006 and finished with the No. 4 ranking in Division III North in CalHiSports rankings … earned first-team all-state underclassmen and first-team all-league honors as a junior … also plays basketball at McClymonds … played football for coach Eric Culberson Jr.

Terrance Dailey RB 5-10, 194 Vacaville, Calif. (Vacaville HS)
Led Vacaville to a 10-2 overall record as a senior, when the Bulldogs made it to the quarterfinals of the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section playoffs … rushed for 1,741 yards and 28 touchdowns as a senior, when he earned first-team all-league and Monticello Empire League co-back of the year … named all-West Region by PrepStar … ranked the No. 59 player in the Far West region by SuperPrep … ranked as the No. 53 recruit in California and the No. 70 running back in the country by Scout.com … named to the All-Sac-Joaquin Section first team as a junior and senior … played for the North in the Sac-Joaquin all-star game … rushed for 2,334 yards and 26 touchdowns as a junior … had six games with 200 or more yards in 2006 … led Vacaville to CIF Sac-Joaquin Section title as a junior, when his team beat Merced, 37-36, in the championship game … team finished 13-1 and won the Monticello Empire League … earned Sacramento Bee All-Metro first-team honors as a junior … also a standout hurdler on the Bulldogs’ track team … played under coach Mike Papadopoulos at Vacaville.

Johri Fogerson RB 6-2, 190 Kent, Wash. (O’Dea HS)
Honored as the Associated Press state player of the year for all classifications as a senior in 2007 … played tailback and safety for the Irish … rushed for 2,545 yards and 36 touchdowns as a senior tailback … led team to a 13-1 record and a run to the 3A state championship game, where O’Dea fell to Skyline … ran for 297 yards and four touchdowns in the 3A state championship game … averaged 11 yards per carry … also played safety and returned kicks … a unanimous selection to the 3A all-state team at running back following his senior year … Co-Offensive MVP of the Metro League’s Mountain Division along with fellow UW signee Vince Taylor …first-team all-league at running back and safety … selected to the Seattle Times all-state first team and named the Times’ state player of the year … named a “red chip” prospect by the Seattle Times … member of the Seattle Times’ “Star Times” team … the Seattle Post-Intelligencer’s offensive MVP for the area … made the Tacoma News-Tribune’s “Northwest Nuggets” honorable mention … earned a spot on the News-Tribune’s Western 100 team … Superprep’s No. 11 prospect in the state of Washington … named the No. 18 recruit in Washington and the No. 72 safety in the country by Scout.com … ranked by Rivals.com as the No. 62 “athlete” recruit in the nation and the No. 12 prospect in the state … helped team to the state quarterfinals as a sophomore and junior, playing alongside current Husky Quinton Richardson … named first-team All-Metro as a safety and second-team as a running back as a sophomore and again as a junior … likely to be a four-year letterman in football, basketball and track & field … father, Chris, was an all-area basketball player at Garfield High … also related to two prominent former Huskies: nephew of Ron “Cookie” Jackson, a standout tailback in the early 1980s, and Nate Robinson a star on the Husky football and basketball teams and currently a member of the NBA’s New York Knicks … mother, Monique Avery, is a UW alumna … played football for coach Monte Kohler at O’Dea.

David Freeman RB 5-7, 190 Inglewood, Calif. (Inglewood HS)
Missed several games at the start of his senior season due to injury … also played cornerback at Inglewood … named all-West Region by PrepStar … prior to the start of the 2007 season, was rated as the No. 10 tailback in the state of California by Scout.com … in a win over Hawthorne his senior season, rushed for 270 yards and three touchdowns on 16 carries … listed as the No. 134 player in the Far West region by Superprep … earned all-league and all-area and All-CIF Southern Section Western Division as a junior at Inglewood … rushed for over 1,600 yards and scored 21 touchdowns as a junior in 2006 … led team to a 7-3 record in 2006 … also runs the 100 and 200 meters on the Sentinels track team … played football for head coach Charles Mincy and assistant coach Donald Jones, both former All-Pac-10 players at Washington.

Justin Glenn CB 5-11, 185 Mukilteo, Wash. (Kamiak HS)
Notched five interceptions on defense and rushed for 1,056 yards and 20 touchdowns as a running back … led Knights to a 7-3 overall record in 2007 … made the Seattle Times all-state team as a senior in 2007 … selected to the All-WesCo Conference first-team as a defensive back and to the second team as a running back … named a “red chip” prospect by the Seattle Times … member of the Seattle Times’ “Star Times” team … made the Tacoma News-Tribune’s “Northwest Nuggets” honorable mention … also made the News-Tribune’s Western 100 list … earned first-team all-area as a defensive back and second-team as a running back from the Everett Herald … named all-West Region by PrepStar … the state of Washington’s No. 8 prospect and the nation’s No. 31 cornerback, according to Rivals.com … Scout.com’s No. 12 recruit in the state of Washington and No. 33 corner in the country … ranked the No. 12 recruit in the state by Superprep … helped Kamiak to an 8-2 record as a junior in 2006 … rushed for 556 yards (about six yards per carry) and had 535 return yards in 2006, his junior season ... earned first-team all-league as a returner and second-team as a defensive back as a junior … in a 2006 game vs. Shorewood, scored touchdowns on an 83-yard kickoff return, a 31-yard rush and a 41-yard punt return while also notching a 22-yard interception return to set up another score … earned honorable mention all-league as a sophomore … also plays basketball at Kamiak, where he’s one of the team’s top scorers … played for coach Daniel Mack.

Anthony Gobern CB 6-0, 176 Fair Oaks, Calif. (Del Campo HS)
Played running back and defensive back for the Cougars … rushed for 938 yards on 83 carries, good for an average of 11.3 yards per carry … earned first-team All-Metro honors from the Sacramento Bee … named all-West Region by PrepStar … listed as the No. 108 prospect in the Far West by Superprep … named third-team all-state by CalHiSports … ranked the No. 93 recruit in California and the No. 85 cornerback in the nation by Scout.com … led team to a 9-3 overall record his senior season … team made it to the semifinals of the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section … All-Capital League and honorable mention All-Metro defensive back as a junior in 2006 … 72 tackles, seven interceptions and four fumble recoveries as a junior, when he also rushed for 846 yards and 13 scores … helped team to an 11-2 overall record and a trip to the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section championship … team beat Pioneer 21-14 in the final … earned all-league as a defensive back in 2005 … also an outstanding sprinter on the track team … top times as a junior included a 10.97 in the 100 meters and a 22.64 in the 200 meters … played football for coach Mike Dimino.

Mykenna Ikehara OL 6-3, 291 Mililani, Hawai’i (Kamehameha HS)
Standout on both the offensive and defensive lines for Kamehameha … team finished the 2007 season ranked fifth in the state of Hawai’i … named first-team all-state by both the Honolulu Advertiser and the Honolulu Star-Bulletin as a senior … also first-team All-ILH (Interscholastic League of Honolulu) in 2007 … played in the HUB Classic Senior Bowl game at Aloha Stadium … one of only three players from Hawai’i on the Tacoma News-Tribune’s Western 100 team … the state of Hawai’i’s No. 6 football recruit, according to Rivals.com … Rivals also rated him as the No. 63 offensive guard in the country … Scout.com rated him the No. 6 prospect in Hawai’i and the No. 35 offensive guard in the nation … listed as the No. 65 player in the Far West region by Superprep … helped Warriors to an 8-3 record his junior year and and 8-4 mark his sophomore year …earned second-team All-ILH as a junior … an outstanding wrestler who won the ILH championship as a junior in 2007 … brother, Kazden, is a wrestler at the Air Force Academy … played football for coach William Souza.

Jermaine Kearse WR 6-1, 180 Lakewood, Wash. (Lakes HS)
Named PrepStar and Superprep All-America … caught 54 passes for 903 yards and eight scores as a senior … along with fellow UW signee Kavario Middleton, led Lakes to a 10-1 record as a senior in 2007 … helped team to a total record of 30-4 over his three seasons, including three trips to the state tournament … named his league’s defensive MVP with 89 tackles, six interceptions and two blocked kicks … played in the U.S. Army All-American game … named to the 3A all-state first team by the Associated Press … made the Seattle Times all-state team as a defensive back … one of just four Washingtonians who picked up votes in the Long Beach Press-Telegram “Best in the West” rankings … one of only six players named a “blue chip” prospect by the Seattle Times … one of only nine players named a “Northwest Nugget” by the Tacoma News-Tribune, which also placed him on its Western 100 team … the state of Washington’s No. 5 football recruit, according to Rivals.com, which also rated him the No. 72 receiver in the nation … Scout.com ranked him the No. 4 recruit in the state, the No. 32 receiver in the nation, and the No. 180 prospect in the country … listed by Superprep as the No. 37 wideout in the country and the No. 7 recruit in the state of Washington … totaled 3,500 yards and 39 touchdowns during his high school career … as a junior, earned all-league honors as a safety and kick returner, helping the Lancers to a 9-2 record … team went 11-1 his sophomore season, making it to the state quarterfinals … a key member of the basketball team at Lakes … a standout on the track team as well … took second in the triple jump (45 feet, 6.5 inches) and was part of a third-place 4x100 relay team at the state championship meet as a junior in 2007 … earned all-league honors in track … coached in both football and track & field by Dave Miller.

Senio Kelemete DL 6-4, 260 Seattle, Wash. (Evergreen HS)
Led Evergreen to a 9-2 record as a senior in 2007 … helped lead the Wolverines to the state playoffs for the first time since since 2001 … teammate of fellow UW signee Luther Leonard … honored as the Seamount League’s Lineman of the Year on both offense and defense as a senior … named All-America by Superprep, which ranked him the No. 40 offensive lineman in the country … named to the 3A all-state first team by the Associated Press and to the Seattle Times All-State team … named a “red chip” prospect by the Seattle Times … member of the Seattle Times’ “Star Times” team … one of only nine players named a “Northwest Nugget” by the Tacoma News-Tribune … a member of the News-Tribune’s Western 100 team … named all-West Region as an offensive lineman by PrepStar … the No. 193 overall recruit in the nation, No. 19 offensive tackle in the country and the No. 5 prospect in the state, according to Scout.com … the No. 11 football recruit in Washington state, according to Rivals.com, which also called him the No. 45 offensive tackle in the nation … Superprep’s No. 6 recruit in the state … earned first-team all-league as both and offensive and defensive lineman as a junior in 2006, when the team went 8-2 … a four-year starter on the varsity … also a wrestler and discus thrower for the Wolverines … won the Seamount League discus title in 2007 … participated in the state wresting tournament as a junior … played football for coach Shaun Tarantola at Evergreen.

Luther Leonard QB 6-2, 193 Seattle, Wash. (Evergreen HS)
Led Evergreen to a 9-2 record as a senior in 2007 … played quarterback and defensive back … took Wolverines to the playoffs in two straight seasons … teammate of fellow UW signee Senio Kelemete … as a senior, won a share of the Seamount League championship, the Wolverine’s first league title since 2001 … completed 94-of-155 passes for 1,709 yards and 20 touchdowns with only five interceptions as a senior … chosen as the All-Seamount League’s first-team quarterback … named a “red chip” prospect by the Seattle Times … rated the No. 16 recruit in Washington by Scout.com … the state of Washington’s No. 15 football prospect and the nation’s No. 23 “dual-threat” quarterback, according to Rivals.com … tabbed the No. 26 recruit in the state by Superprep … in a 2007 win over Highline, completed 13-of-16 passes for 335 yards and five touchdowns, all of which came in the first half … in his senior season opener vs. Nathan Hale, threw for 242 yards and three TDs on 8-of-15 passing … earned second-team all-league as a junior quarterback … helped team to an 8-2 record his junior year, a year after the team had gone 3-7 … also earned all-league honors as a sophomore … played under coach Shaun Tarantola.

Adam Long CB 5-10, 168 Los Angeles, Calif. (St. Bernard HS)
Led team to an 8-5 overall record and a 4-1 Del Rey League mark as a senior … teamed with fellow UW recruit Greg Walker … advanced to the semifinals of the CIF Southern Section Northwest Division playoffs, beating Morro Bay 48-45 in double overtime to make it to the semis … rushed for 212 yards and four touchdowns in that win over Morro Bay … played running back and cornerback for the Vikings … named to the CIF Southern Section All-Northwest Division first team as a senior … ranked the No. 85 recruit in the state of California and the No. 50 cornerback in the nation by Rivals.com … also a standout sprinter on the track team … finished third in the state in the 200 meters as a junior with a time of 21.20 … won the 2007 CIF Southern Section Division I title in the 100 meters with a time of 10.53 … also won the 200 in that same meet … played for coach Greg Dixon at St. Bernard.

Kurt Mangum LB 6-2, 240 Chandler, Ariz. (Chandler HS)
As a senior, notched 140 tackles with two interceptions and four sacks … helped Wolves to a 7-4 record … played in the Offense-Defense All-America Game in the Orange Bowl following his senior season … ranked as the state of Arizona’s No. 21 prospect by Rivals.com … ranked the No. 49 middle linebacker in the country by Scout.com … moved to Arizona from Michigan prior to his junior year of high school … as a junior, played at Hamilton High in Chandler, helping the Huskies to a 13-1 record and the 5A state championship … notched 67 tackles and seven sacks as a junior, when he played defensive end … great uncle is Pro Football Hall of Famer Gale Sayers … father, Kurt, played football at Minnesota … played football for coach Jim Ewan at Chandler.

Kavario Middleton TE 6-5, 255 Lakewood, Wash. (Lakes HS)
A Parade Magazine All-American … listed as the nation’s No. 33 player and No. 4 tight end by Superprep, which named him All-America … a member of PrepStar’s “Dream Team” … only Washingtonian to make the Long Beach Press-Telegram “Best in the West” first team, which listed him as the No. 9 recruit in the west … member of the Orange County Register’s “Fab 15” as one of the top 15 recruits in the west … rated as the nation’s No. 92 overall prospect by PrepStar … rated the No. 57 football recruit in the nation by Rivals.com … along with fellow UW signee Jermaine Kearse, led Lakes to a 10-1 record as a senior in 2007 … caught 45 passes for 503 yards and eight scores as a senior … posted 115 tackles, 18 pass deflections and 10 sacks as a defensive end … teamed with fellow UW signee Jermaine Kearse … played in the U.S. Army All-American game … named an Associated Press first-team 3A all-state pick as both a tight end and defensive lineman … named to the Seattle Times all-state team as a tight end … one of only six players named a “blue chip” prospect by the Seattle Times … one of only nine players named a “Northwest Nugget” by the Tacoma News-Tribune … also named to the News-Tribune’s Western 100 … ranked as the No. 1 prospect in the state by Scout.com … ranked as the nation’s No. 29 overall prospect and No. 3 tight end by Scout.com … the state of Washington’s No. 1 football recruit, according to Superprep and Rivals.com, which also ranked him as the No. 4 “weakside defensive end” in the country … as a junior, caught 34 passes for 412 yards and six TDs … Lancers went 9-2 his junior year … team went 11-1 his sophomore season, when he was a second-team all-league selection on both sides of the ball … earned first-team 3A all-state honors for basketball as a junior after the 2006-07 season, when the Lancers finished fifth in the state … played football for coach Dave Miller.

Craig Noble DL 6-3, 300 Los Angeles, Calif. (Taft HS)
A standout defensive and offensive lineman at Taft … in 2007, named first-team All-CIF Los Angeles City Section as an offensive lineman and L.A. Daily News all-area as a defensive lineman … the Daily News ranked him as the No. 2 defensive player in the area … named all-West Region as an offensive lineman by PrepStar … ranked as the No. 34 player in the Far West region by Superprep … received votes in the Long Beach Press-Telegram’s “Best in the West” … named to the Tacoma News-Tribune’s Western 100 … rated the No. 42 football recruit in California and the No. 40 defensive tackle in the nation by Rivals.com … Scout.com ranked him No. 31 player in California, the No. 17 defensive tackle in the country and the No. 266 overall prospect in the country … posted 75 tackles and nine sacks as a senior … led Toreadors to an 8-4 overall record and a 4-1 league mark in 2007 … team advanced to the quarterfinals of the City Section playoffs … earned All-City Section, all-league and all-area honors as a junior in 2006 … team went 6-5 overall, but 4-1 in the league to advance to the City Section playoffs … coached by Matt Kerstetter.

Chris Polk WR 5-11, 200 Highland, Calif. (Redlands East Valley HS)
Enrolled at the UW in January for the start of the winter, 2008, quarter … named a PrepStar All-American at running back following senior season … a Superprep All-America pick as the nation’s No. 7 running back and the No. 14 overall prospect in the Far West region … one of 14 running backs listed on the Tacoma News-Tribune’s Western 100 … member of the Orange County Register’s “Fab 15” second team … rated as the No. 18 football recruit in California, the No. 4 “all-purpose back” in the country and the No. 139 overall prospect in the nation by Rivals.com … ranked the nation’s No. 99 overall prospect by Scout.com … as a senior, rushed for 2,561 yards and 29 touchdowns while catching 18 balls for 314 yards and five TDs, playing primarily tailback … led team to a 12-1 overall record and the Inland Division semifinals … had a game as a senior in which he rushed for 214 yards on only five carries … in a 28-27 win over Miller, rushed for 259 yards and three TDs on 25 carries … in the first round of the Inland Division playoffs, rushed for 331 yards and four scores on 26 carries as REV beat Murrietta Valley, 60-53 … scored the winning touchdown on a 51-yard run with two minutes to play … averaged 10.9 yards per carry as a senior … scored 68 touchdowns over his career … named the San Bernardino County Player of the Year by both the San Bernardino Sun and the Riverside Press-Enterprise … named a first-team all-state selection by CalHiSports as a running back/wide receiver … earned first-team All-CIF Southern Section Inland Division … as a junior, caught 62 passes for 1,167 yards and 12 touchdowns, playing alongside fellow Huskies Ronnie Fouch and Marquis Persley (both one year older) … a cousin of fellow freshman-to-be Jordan Polk … played for coach Kurt Bruich.

Jordan Polk WR 5-8, 161 Portland, Ore. (Lincoln HS)
Earned first-team 6A all-state as a senior at Lincoln … as a senior, led his league and was second in the state of Oregon with 1,209 receiving yards and 72 receptions … 19 receiving TDs were the most in the state (6A) in 2007… one of only two running backs to make the Long Beach Press-Telegram’s “Best in the West” … named all-West Region by PrepStar … made the Tacoma News-Tribune’s “Northwest Nuggets” honorable mention … a member of the News-Tribune’s Western 100 squad … ranked the No. 4 recruit in the state of Oregon by Rivals.com and the No. 3 prospect in his state by Superprep … ranked the No. 6 recruit in Oregon and the No. 89 wide receiver in the nation by Scout.com … as a junior, averaged more than 31 yards per catch with 45 receptions for 1,435 yards and 16 touchdowns … earned second-team 6A all-state and first-team all-league as a junior … played on the varsity during the state playoffs as a sophomore, when the Cardinals advanced to the state championship game … helped team to a 6-6 record as a senior and 8-2 mark as a junior … also an outstanding basketball player and sprinter on the track team … as a point guard, led basketball team to league title as a junior … won the district championship in the 100 meters and ran a 10.8 at the 2007 state track meet … won the 100 and 200 meters at the league meet as a sophomore … won the 100, 200, 4x100 and long jump at the Oregon Junior Olympics meet in 2006 … as a junior, was a finalist for the Oregon state prep athlete of the year, which was won by current UCLA basketball star Kevin Love … a cousin of fellow Husky classmate Chris Polk … played football for coach Chad Carlson at Lincoln.

Bradly Roussel LB 5-11, 207 Baton Rouge, La. (Redemptorist HS)
A two-time all-state selection at Redemptorist … helped team to a 12-2 record the 3A state semifinals as a senior … a three-time All-District 8 3A selection … two-time all-Metro … tallied 109 tackles five sacks as a senior … ranked by Scout.com as the No. 35 linebacker in the nation and the No. 27 recruit in the state of Louisiana … garnered the exact same rankings from Rivals.com (No. 35 linebacker in the country, No. 27 linebacker in his state) … named the No. 28 player in Louisiana by Superprep … eanred all-Southeast Region honors from PrepStar magazine … one of four linebackers to make the Baton Rouge Advocate’s list of “blue chip” prospects from the state of Louisiana … as a junior, tallied 91 tackles, including 12 for a loss and four sacks, earning all-state from the coaches as well as all-district honors … as a sophomore, credited with 141 tackles, including 14 tackles for loss and five sacks … led Wolves to the Class 3A state championship his sophomore season, earning honorable mention 3A all-state from the Louisiana Sports Writers Association and all-district … the 2005 championship team went 13-1, opening the season with a loss to Notre Dame High, the team they beat in the title game … played for coach Guy Mistretta.

Drew Schaefer OL 6-5, 275 Sammamish, Wash. (Eastlake HS)
Selected to the all-state team by the Seattle Times … first-team All-KingCo 4A offensive tackle … named a “red chip” prospect by the Seattle Times … an Associated Press 4A all-state honorable mention selection … member of the Seattle Times’ “Star Times” team … earned a spot on the Seattle Post-Intelligencer’s all-area team … made the Tacoma News-Tribune’s “Northwest Nuggets” honorable mention … also earned a spot on the News-Tribune’s Western 100 list … named all-West Region by PrepStar … ranked the No. 10 recruit in the state by Superprep … the state’s No. 9 recruit and the country’s No. 32 offensive tackle, according to Scout.com … ranked as Washington state’s No. 10 prospect and as the No. 39 offensive tackle in the country by Rivals.com … helped lead the Wolves to the quarterfinals of the 4A state playoffs as a junior and senior … team finished 10-2 overall in 2007, his senior year … first-team All-KingCo as both an offensive and defensive lineman as a junior, when the Wolves finished the season 9-3 … started on both lines as a sophomore in 2005, when Eastlake went 8-2 … also a standout basketball player at Eastlake … played for coach Gene Dales.

Alameda Ta’amu DL 6-2, 348 Kent, Wash. (Rainier Beach HS)
Named a Parade All-American … honored as the Metro League’s Sound Division Player of the Year and Lineman of the Year, an honor he won three times … earned honorable mention in the Long Beach Press-Telegram’s “Best of the West” poll … chosen to play in the Offense-Defense All-America Game in the Orange Bowl in Miami after his senior year … first-team all-league on both sides of the ball … as a defensive lineman, recorded 58 tackles and 10 sacks his senior year … named to the 3A all-state first team by the Associated Press … selected to the Seattle Times all-state team … a two-time member of that paper’s “Star-Times” team … also named to the Seattle Post-Intelligencer’s all-area team in both 2006 and 2007 … he was the only junior to make the P-I team in 2006 … one of only six players named a “blue chip” prospect by the Seattle Times … one of only nine players named a “Northwest Nugget” by the Tacoma News-Tribune … also a member of the News-Tribune’s Western 100 list … named all-West Region by PrepStar … named the state’s No. 3 recruit, the nation’s No. 7 offensive guard and the No. 130 overall recruit in the nation by Scout.com … the No. 4 football recruit in Washington and No. 15 guard in the country, according to Rivals.com … ranked as the state’s No. 5 recruit by Superprep … as a junior, named the Metro League Sound Division Lineman of the Year and Defensive MVP … earned Associated Press 3A first-team all-state on the offensive line and honorable mention all-state on the defensive side as a junior, when he notched eight sacks … also earned first-team all-state from the Seattle Times … helped lead Vikings to the state playoffs first round in 2006 and to the semifinals in 2005, his sophomore year … team went 7-4 overall and 5-0 in its league in 2006 … placed third in the state and won the Metro League title in the shotput as a junior … as a sophomore in 2005, named the Metro League Sound Division Lineman of the Year and first-team all-league on both the offensive and defensive lines … also played basketball … played football for coach Mark Haley at Rainier Beach.

Vince Taylor S 6-2, 198 Issaquah, Wash. (Eastside Catholic HS)
Co-Offensive MVP of the Metro League’s Mountain Division along with fellow UW signee Johri Fogerson as a senior in 2007 … helped Crusaders to a 8-2 record in 2007 and a 9-3 mark as a junior in 2006 … as a senior, had back-to-back games in which he recorded 100 yards rushing and 100 yards receiving … first-team All-Metro League Mountain Division selection as a wide receiver and as a defensive back … also a standout returner … named to the 3A all-state first team by the Associated Press … also named to the Seattle Times all-state team as a defensive back ... earned a spot on the Tacoma News-Tribune’s Western 100 team … named a “red chip” prospect by the Seattle Times … member of the Seattle Times’ “Star Times” team … named an all-West Region wide receiver by PrepStar … the state of Washington’s No. 9 football recruit and the nation’s No. 65 wide receiver, according to Rivals.com … Scout.com’s No. 14 recruit in Washington and No. 64 safety in the nation … ranked the No. 14 recruit in the state by Superprep … made the Tacoma News-Tribune’s “Northwest Nuggets” honorable mention … earned first-team All-Metro as a receiver and second-team as a defensive end after his junior season in 2006 … as a junior, had an 84-yard reception and a 96-yard kickoff return in the same game ... helped Crusaders to the state quarterfinals as a junior in 2006, their first time to the quarters since 1995 … earned second-team All-Metro as a wide receiver and as a defensive end as a sophomore in 2005 … a standout on the basketball team … on the basketball court, earned all-tournament honors in December, 2007, at the BCC Holiday Classic … honorable mention all-league as a junior and third-team all-league as sophomore hoopster … played football for coach Bill Marsh.

Terence Thomas OL 6-8, 305 Caldwell, Idaho (Caldwell HS)
Played only his senior season at Caldwell, the alma mater of former Husky quarterback Cody Pickett … previously attended Homedale High before transferring to nearby Caldwell … earned 5A all-state first team honors as a senior … rated as Idaho’s No. 2 football prospect by Rivals.com and Scout.com, the latter of which also tabbed him the No. 68 offensive tackle in the nation … listed as the No. 35 player in the “Midlands” by Superprep magazine … was a starter on the varsity since the fourth game of his freshman season … two-time all-league selection (once at Homedale and once at Caldwell) … second-team All-Idaho selection as a junior at Homedale ... one of only three three-star players in the state of Idaho, according to Scout.com (there were no four- or five-star picks) … also a standout shotputter and discus thrower who has participated in the Junior Olympic program … played football for coach Matt Strong at Caldwell.

Everrette Thompson DE 6-6, 255 Renton, Wash. (Kennedy HS)
Named an All-American by PrepStar and Superprep magazines … helped Kennedy to a co-league championship his senior year … credited with 60 tackles, including 17 sacks, as a senior … selected to play in the Offense-Defense All-America Game in Miami following his senior year … named to the 3A all-state first team as a defensive lineman by the Associated Press … also made the Seattle Times all-state team … selected to the All-Seamount League first team as a tight end and as a defensive lineman as a senior … one of just four Washingtonians who picked up votes in the Long Beach Press-Telegram “Best in the West” rankings … member of the Orange County Register’s “Fab 15” second team … one of only six players named a “blue chip” prospect by the Seattle Times … one of only nine players named a “Northwest Nugget” by the Tacoma News-Tribune … also made the News-Tribune’s Western 100 rankings … member of the Seattle Times’ “Star Times” team and the Seattle Post-Intelligencer all-area team … as a junior, teaming with current Husky Nate Williams, helped the Lancers to the state championship game, where they fell in overtime … earned first-team all-league at tight end and defensive end as a junior … also made the state semifinals as a sophomore … rated the nation’s No. 13 defensive lineman by Superprep … listed by Scout.com, Superprep and Rivals.com as the No. 2 overall prospect in the state of Washington … Scout named him the No. 122 overall prospect and the No. 12 defensive end in the country … Rivals also rated him the No. 10 “weakside defensive end” and the No. 176 overall prospect in the nation … also played basketball at Kennedy … played football at Kennedy for coach Bob Bourgette.

Greg Walker S 5-11, 198 Bellflower, Calif. (St. Bernard HS)
Helped guide team to an 8-5 overall record and a 4-1 Del Rey League mark as a senior … teamed with fellow UW recruit Adam Long … helped the Vikings to the semifinals of the CIF Southern Section Northwest Division playoffs … beat Morro Bay, 48-45, in double OT to get to the semis … was a linebacker and running back at St. Bernard … posted 120 tackles, five sacks and two interceptions as a senior … earned all-league, all-area and All-CIF in 2007 … named to the medium-sized school all-state team by CalHiSports … ranked as the nation’s No. 98 safety by Scout.com … earned all-league honors as a junior, notching 68 tackles … also pitched and caught for the baseball team … played for coach Greg Dixon at St. Bernard.

The GoHuskies.com Web site is keeping a current list as those football letters of intent arrive on campus. Here's the latest.

UW fans' aren't likely to suddenly decide that they loved last week's Seattle Times series after all. But at least one of their concerns appears to have been groundless. By all indications, the series on scandals during the Rick Neuheisel era has had no affect on this season's recruiting class, which could end up in the top 10 nationally when letters of intent come in Wednesday.

"I think there’s probably fans of other schools reading it and they think it might do that," said Brandon Huffman, West regional recruiting manager for Scout. "But it’s not affecting Washington, and it certainly hasn’t affected UCLA’s recruiting class. Both UCLA and Washington have Top 10 classes on Scout right now and they’re the top two classes in the Pac-10, and both have been adding commitments."

Mike Farrell, national recruiting analyst from Rivals, agreed: "You’ve got to figure those kids were 10 or 11 years old (in the Neuheisel era). Kids have very short memories. They are willing to put the past behind them a little more than us older folks, who sort of hold on to things. I think if Washington were on probation or something like that, then I think it would be a different story. But they have the same right as everybody else to go to a bowl game, and Tyrone Willingham is a straight shooter, a very well respected coach. … (The series) hasn’t affected the kids to my knowledge. They certainly haven’t lost anybody. And they certainly wouldn’t think about something like that that happened so long ago. For them, that’s a long time ago."

As of Tuesday, Scout projected Alabama with the nation’s No. 1 class, UCLA first in the Pac-10 and eighth nationally, followed by Washington 10th nationally, Arizona State at 14th nationally and USC 17th but likely to rise on the basis of a few late deciders.

Rivals lists Florida No. 1 nationally, USC atop the Pac-10 and 10th nationally, followed by UCLA at 12th and Washington at 19th.

Expected to top Washington’s class Wednesday are tight end Kavario Middleton of Lakewood, defensive end Everrette Thompson of Burien, offensive lineman Alameda Ta’amu of Seattle, and running back/receiver Chris Polk and offensive lineman Allen Carroll of California.

“The key was the in-state guys, and then they could go grab some out-of-state guys like Chris Polk – who was committed to USC for almost a year and then decided in December to flip to Washington,” Huffman said. “It’s going to most likely end up a Top 10 class nationally. They did a good job of spreading out both sides of the ball. They did a pretty good job of (filling) positions of need. I would say this is certainly the best class in eight or nine years, maybe going back to (Rick) Neuheisel’s class of 2001 that had Reggie Williams and Charles Frederick in it.”

By most reports, ASU, Oregon and California are ranked in the upper or lower middle of the league, with Arizona, Stanford, Oregon State and Washington State toward the bottom.

Meanwhile, in the other big Huskies news of the day, here is the link to our coverage of UW's plea in Olympia for Husky Stadium renovation funding.

Not surprisingly, California sophomore forward Ryan Anderson was selected as Pac-10 player of the week after averaging 30 points and 13 rebounds in leading the Golden Bears in a weekend sweep at Washington State and Washington.

Here's the Pac-10 release.

UCLA forward Luc Richard Mbah a Moute won't travel to the Northwest this week due to an ankle injury.

Here is the report from the LA Daily News.

Mbah a Moute averaged nine points and 5.1 rebounds for the Bruins. He had 17 points and three rebounds in the previous meeting against the Huskies.

The schedule gets no easier for the Huskies this week, especially in a season where Hec Ed seems to have lost its old magic.

The LA schools visit this weekend, including a rare Sunday visit by UCLA. First up, however, is Southern California, which comes in Thursday.

Here's an LA Times look at the visit from the USC point of view.

Here's is a link to this week's Associated Press men's basketball poll, and here is the ballot I cast.

1. Memphis
2. North Carolina
3. Duke
4. Kansas
5. UCLA
6. Georgetown
7. Tennessee
8. Michigan State
9. Butler
10. Wisconsin
11. Indiana
12. Stanford
13. Marquette
14. Drake
15. Texas A&M
16. Texas
17. Washington State
18. Kansas State
19. Mississippi
20. Vanderbilt
21. Pittsburgh
22. Xavier
23. Florida
24. Baylor
25. Connecticut

LAST WEEK
Washington (12-10 overall, 3-6 Pac-10) struck an iceberg capable of sinking the season. The Huskies came home upbeat after an encouraging split in Arizona, but a pair of losses to Stanford and California dropped them to ninth place as league play reached its midpoint. There’s a lot of catching up to do.

SOMETHING TO BUILD ON
Junior forward Artem Wallace came up big Saturday, recording his first double-double with career highs in points (17), rebounds (10) and minutes played (33). His relentless toughness could serve as an example for several teammates. Quincy Pondexter is being more aggressive, but not dependably productive.

SOMETHING TO WORK ON
Missing 10 of 18 shots from the foul line likely cost UW the Cal game, and it will cost them more if the problem continues. The Huskies had no answer for mobile big men Brook Lopez and Ryan Anderson. The brief Joe Wolfinger resurrection cooled, as he had one point and no rebounds this week.

THE WEEK AHEAD
The Huskies get a second shot at two teams they already have lost to this season: Southern California and UCLA. It may be some advantage that the Trojans visit first, because that seems the Huskies’ far better chance at snapping this losing streak before the Bruins’ visit is followed by at trip to Oregon.

POSTSEASON OUTLOOK
The Huskies are out of the NCAA tournament picture unless they can recreate the dramatic turnaround that salvaged their 2003-04 season. As of now, Washington wouldn’t make the NIT either. That leaves the inaugural College Basketball Invitational … assuming the Huskies remain above .500.

Here' is my game story of Washington's 79-75 loss to Cal.

The Huskies are 3-6 and alone in ninth place as the Pac-10 race hit its midpoint. Obviously that's ugly, but coach Lorenzo Romar pointed out how quickly certain team's fortunes have changed at times this season: ASU's quick tumble, Oregon's quick tumble, WSU's ongoing stagger, and, of course, California's resurrection on the strength of their Washington sweep.

The ongoing problem, however, is their brutal free throw shooting, which might well have cost them both the WSU and Cal games, and obviously things would look a lot differnent with two more league wins and two fewer league losses.

Everyone seems perplexed about the terrible foul shooting, swearing that the team -- except Wallace and MBA -- shoot them just fine in practice.

I'll look more at that issue during the week.

Some notes:

Star of the game: Ryan Anderson led Cal with 33 points and 17 rebounds, both game highs. That follows a 27-point, nine-rebound performance Thursday at Washington State, making the sophomore forward a solid bet for Pac-10 player of the week.

Key stats: Cal hit 14 of 16 free throws, while Washington hit eight of 18. … The Golden Bears outrebounded the Huskies 41-34, including 24-11 in the second half. ... UW forward Jon Brockman played just 24 minutes due to foul trouble and had a season-low four rebounds.

Key run: California went on a 15-5 run in the middle of the second half, with Anderson providing all 15 points.
Observations: This is the first time UW has lost consecutive home games since January 2004. … Brockman continues to be hampered by a groin injury. … Anderson’s 33 points were the most by a UW opponent since Gonzaga’s Adam Morrison scored 43 in December 2005. … UW junior Artem Wallace had his first career double-double with 17 points and 10 rebounds, both career highs.

Quotable: “We don’t run plays for me or anything like that. … If I keep rebounding, the points are going to come. I don’t really worry about it. I’m just trying to help this team win.” – Wallace, on his big night.

Next: 7 p.m. Thursday, Southern California, Hec Edmundson Pavilion.

Jon Brockman leads the Huskies with 10 points, but his minutes were limited due to picking up two quick fouls and then his third a few minutes before the half. However, Artem Wallace has stepped up as a factor under the basket with nine points ... and yes, that odd number indicates that he even hit a foul shot.

Cal's Ryan Anderson leads all scorers with 13.

Both teams are shooting under 40 percent, so the game seems there for whichever team can manage a hot streak in the second half.

That said, the Huskies played ahead almost all of the first half and have seemed generally in control so far.

It's a big one: the difference between 4-5 or 3-6 at the conference midpoint is significant.

The California Golden Bears are out on the court warming up in a mostly empty Hec Edmundson Pavilion. The only Husky on the court right now is Tim Morris, who is wearing a "Dawgs vs. Cancer" T-shirt.

Those of you who watch this game on FSN will likely notice the coaches unusually dressed too: polo shirts and tennis shoes. That's also part of the Coaches vs. Cancer cancer-awareness promotion going on this week. Since 1993, more than 500 basketball coaches have helped raise more than $30 million thanks to this promotion, according to the American Cancer Society.

As for the game, it's very close to do-or-die for each of these teams, in terms of NCAA tournament hopes. The Huskies certainly can't afford to lose a third Pac-10 home game ... and certainly not with USC and UCLA coming in next weekend.

Usual drill here: pregame news, if any; then a halftime report and postgame notes and quotes.

Now I'm heading down to watch the end of that Washington State-Stanford game, also on FSN.

2:45:(Stanford won in overtime.)

And now that the arena is filling up, I see that ever the Dawg Pack also is decked out in Dawgs vs. Cancer T-shirts.

Here's today's preview story on California vs. Washington, 3 p.m. at Hec Ed and to be shown on FSN.

Washington is a three-point favorite.

Cal center DeVon Hardin missed his team's Thursday night win over Washington State due to a viral infection that kept him in the Bay Area.

UW coach Lorenzo Romar has said he expected Hardin to be available against the Huskies on Saturday, however, the Cal sports information office confirmed late Friday that Hardin is sitting this trip out.

That's probably good news for the Huskies, even though Hardin hasn't had the dominating season many (myself included) expected of him this season ... as you can tell from this interesting criticism from the San Jose Mercury News.

Coach Lorenzo Romar said he plans no changes in the starting lineup or rotations against Cal after his team's 65-51 loss to Stanford on Thursday.

Romar believes in making changes to stop trends, not to react to single events. And he sense no particular trend with his team, even after consecutive blowout losses to Stanford and at Arizona.

In personnel news, leading scorer and rebounder Jon Brockman complained after the Stanford game of being somewhat limited by a groin injury, however he practiced today and is expected to log his usual minutes.

Meanwhile, some of the basics on the game:

CALIFORNIA (12-7 OVERALL, 3-5 PAC-10)
AT WASHINGTON (12-9, 3-5)
3 p.m. Saturday, Hec Edmundson Pavilion.
TV: FSN.
Radio: 950-AM

Series: Washington leads 73-71. The teams split last season, each winning on its home floor.

Statistical leaders: For Cal, F Ryan Anderson, 21.6 ppg and 9.6 rpg; G Jerome Randle, 4.1 apg. For UW, F Jon Brockman, 18.8 ppg and 11.6 rpg; G Venoy Overton, 3.3 apg.

Scouting report: California leads the conference with a .762 free throw percentage, while UW is last at .596. … The Golden Bears also lead the league in assists and are second in scoring offense, 3-point field goal percentage, 3-point field goals made and 3-point field goal defense. They are last in the league in steals and second to last in scoring defense and turnover margin. … Cal comes in after a 69-64 win Thursday at Washington State. The Bears haven’t swept a Pac-10 trip since February 2006, and they haven’t swept the Washington trip since 2003. … Cal center DeVon Hardin missed this trip due to a viral infection. ... Cal is 3-2 on the road. … Anderson is the Pac-10 scoring leader. He has scored in double figures in every game this season and has a 22-game streak overall. … The UW coaches will work in tennis shoes and polo shirts as part of the Coaches vs. Cancer cancer-awareness promotion.

Next: 7 p.m. Thursday, vs. Southern California, Hec Edmundson Pavilion.

I'll be back talking Huskies with Dave "The Groz" Grosby at 2:20 (moved up from 2:35) this afternoon on KJR, 950-AM.

As you may be able to tell from all those varied blog items down below, there's plenty to discuss, so wemayneed2talkrealfastlikethis.

The conversation also will be streamed over the Internet.

Lots of Husky news in the paper today.

In foootball, Ed Donatell is hired as defensive coordinator.

In basketball, the Huskies are routed by Stanford.

And in the administrative offices, Todd Turner's run as athletic director comes to an end.