Washington @ Washington St. preview

Last Meeting ( Jan 5, 2019 ) Washington St. 67, Washington 85

Washington has had a week off to recharge after suffering its first loss in Pac-12 play at Arizona State. The Huskies, who hold a comfortable 2.5-game lead over second place Utah with just seven games remaining, travel to the Palouse on Saturday to face in-state rival Washington State.

Huskies coach Mike Hopkins said the time off following the 75-63 loss to the Sun Devils was welcomed with starters Matisse Thybulle and Hameir Wright and key reserve Dominic Green all battling flu-like symptoms and senior forward Noah Dickerson hampered by a sore right ankle. Wright, who missed both games in Arizona due to illness, and Dickerson, who came off the bench in both contests, are expected to be back in the starting lineup against the Cougars who come in off their first road sweep of the Arizona schools in 10 seasons. "Part of the response was to get them healthy and get them rest, get them refocused on what we had to be able to do," Hopkins told the Tacoma News Tribune. "A big part of this thing -- it doesn't matter offense, defense -- is your energy levels. That was going to be a big part of getting these guys healthy." The Huskies swept their Apple Cup rivals last season and have won three in a row over the Cougars including a 85-67 victory on Jan. 5 in Seattle.

TV: 8 p.m. ET, ESPNU

ABOUT WASHINGTON (19-5, 10-1 Pac-12): Dickerson had team highs of 18 points and eight rebounds despite playing just 18 minutes off the bench at Arizona State while nursing the sore ankle, which he said felt in the 80-85 percent range Thursday. Sophomore guard Jaylen Nowell leads the team in scoring (16.4 points per game) and assists (3.4) while also shooting 44.9 percent from 3-point range while Dickerson (12.8 points) and senior guard David Crisp (12.4), who leads the team with a 15.8 average in Pac-12 play, also are averaging double figures. The 6-5 Thybulle, the reigning Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year, is averaging 9.7 points and leads the NCAA with an average of 3.29 steals per game.

ABOUT WASHINGTON STATE (10-14, 3-8): Senior forward Robert Franks, who missed the first meeting this season with a hip contusion, was named the Pac-12 Player of the Week and Oscar Robertson National Player of the Week following the desert sweep of the Arizona schools, averaging 32.5 points, 10.5 rebounds and 2.5 blocks in the two wins while also connecting on 12-of-18 3-pointers. Franks leads the Pac-12 in scoring (22.6) and also is grabbing a team best 7.7 rebounds per contest. Freshman forward CJ Elleby also is averaging in double figures (15.5 points) and came within an assist of a triple-double in the win at Arizona State, finishing with 10 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists.

TIP-INS

1. Washington ranks No. 2 in the nation in blocked shots (6.0 per game) and is 12th in steals (9.0).

2. Thybulle, the active Division I career leader in steals with 284, has had six or more steals in a game nine times.

3. Washington State hasn't won three consecutive Pac-12 games since winning at Cal and Washington and at home against Oregon in January of 2015.

PREDICTION: Washington 78, Washington State 73