Loyola Marymount @ Washington preview
Alaska Airlines Arena at Hec Edmundson Pavilion
Washington is coming off a split of a grueling stretch, upending then-No. 2 Kansas 74-65 in Kansas City, Mo., on Dec. 6 before falling to No. 13 Gonzaga 97-70 at home four nights later. The Huskies have since had a week off as they prepare for their final three nonconference contests – all at home – starting with Sunday’s date with Loyola Marymount.
Against Gonzaga, Washington shot 47.3 percent from the field and did a decent job taking care of the ball with 12 turnovers. However, the Huskies hit only 11-of-19 free throws and were outrebounded 40-27 while allowing the visitors to grab 13 offensive boards. Protecting the glass remains a concern as Washington adjusts to playing the extended 2-3 zone defense new coach Mike Hopkins has brought with him from his two decades at Syracuse. “That’s what we’ve been working on – it’s rebounding and making sure we can get back and rebound out of our defense, even if we’re extended on the 3-point line,” Hopkins said at a news conference Friday.
TV: 6 p.m. ET, Pac-12 Network
ABOUT LOYOLA MARYMOUNT (5-4): The Lions, of the West Coast Conference, had dropped two straight and three of four before beating visiting Cal State Northridge 74-57 on Dec. 9, meaning they’ll have had eight days off prior to Sunday’s game. Guard James Batemon, a transfer from North Dakota State, had a game-high 25 points, including a career-high four 3-pointers, against Northridge and is pacing the team with 16.9 points and 4.8 assists per outing. Eli Scott, a 6-foot-5 forward, is averaging 13.7 points and a team-most 8.0 rebounds while swingman Steven Haney (11.1 points) is a third player averaging double figures for the Lions, who have been strong on the offensive glass, ranking seventh nationally with 14.8 offensive rebounds per contest, but have struggled taking care of the ball with 143 turnovers to only 130 assists.
ABOUT WASHINGTON (7-3): Freshman guard Jaylen Nowell is the Huskies’ leading scorer at 17.1 points, but he has struggled of late, averaging 12.0 points over his last four outings and was taken out of the starting lineup and moved into the sixth-man role for the contest against Gonzaga. Forward Noah Dickerson (16.2 points) and guards David Crisp (13.2) and Matisse Thybulle (11.4) also are averaging double figures while Crisp, Tybulle and Nowell all are averaging at least 2.6 assists. The 6-foot-8 Dickerson is averaging a team-most 8.2 rebounds for Washington, which owns a plus-2.3 average rebound margin.
TIP-INS
1. Washington holds a 4-1 lead in the series, but Sunday’s game will be the first meeting since 2005.
2. The Huskies are tied for 31st nationally with 8.6 steals per game and rank in the top 30 in both free throw attempts (268) and free throws made (187).
3. Haney has accounted for 20 of the Lions’ 57 3-pointers so far and ranks sixth in school history with 155 total treys in two-plus seasons.
PREDICTION: Washington 81, Loyola Marymount 74