Lorenzo Romar is downplaying the talent and potential of his Washington Huskies basketball team. Yes, they lost all-time leading rebounder Jon Brockman along with productive guard Justin Dentmon, but the Huskies are deep and have three able incoming freshman that make Washington a Top 25 team this year.
The Huskies have the type of depth that can compete with the perennial power programs. What's more, Washington is three deep at nearly every position, and that type of competition sparks potential transfers. But the Huskies lost only one player, little-used center Joe Wolfinger, in the offseason. So this loaded roster -- featuring Pac-10 freshman of the year Isaiah Thomas and vastly improved swingman Quincy Pondexter -- is ready.
The NBA Draft started with a no-brainer -- Blake Griffin going No. 1 overall to the Los Angeles Clippers. Then, the fun happened, with Memphis taking Hasheem Thabeet and the Timberwolves' vexing decision to horde as many point guards as they could. A few other teams lucked out when players dropped down the board and into their laps. Check out the grades for the Western Conference after the jump.
With only one lottery pick (Washington), there isn't a lot of draft buzz around the Southeast Division. The Orlando Magic, who reached the NBA Finals, don't have any picks, and the Miami Heat, who lost in the first round of the playoffs, have only picks in the second round.
Washington Wizards
Picks: No. 5 (first round), No. 33 (second round). Needs: After such a disastrous season, they need one of those Obama Stimulus giveaways. They need a quality big man who can rebound, but they also need help on the perimeter so that Gilbert Arenas can limit his minutes and avoid getting hurt again. They need depth, and most importantly, they need some durability because there were too many guys sitting out too many games last season.
The upheaval at USC and constant defections at UCLA may have sent conference supremacy north.
The NBA draft's early entries have one month to return to school (June 15), but it doesn't appear any of the Pac-10 entries are coming back. Six underclassmen -- USC's DeMar DeRozan and Taj Gibson, UCLA's Jrue Holiday, the Arizona duo of Jordan Hill and Chase Budinger and Arizona State's James Harden -- will participate in the draft combine beginning May 28 in Chicago, and none are likely to return to their schools. Even Holiday, a projected late first-rounder, is reportedly close to hiring an agent and remaining in the draft.
The few weeks after the NCAA Basketball season concludes are traditionally chock full of player movement announcements -- new recruits, transfers, entry entrants into the NBA draft, etc. This year has been no exception, but there is a trend gaining more steam. Having a collegiate basketball player become a football player isn't a new thing. Antonio Gates is an All-Pro tight end who didn't play a snap of college football, for example.
Still, the movement from football to basketball seems to be increasing in recent weeks. It makes sense, considering the speed, quickness and agility needed in both. For post players in basketball, they've become accustomed to a physical game anyway, and have the necessary strength-athleticism combo for a position like tight end. Here are four currently considering the shift:
For the second consecutive game, the Purdue Boilermakers looked like they were going to cruise to an easy victory. For the second consecutive game, however, they allowed their opposition to creep back into the game and make things a little too interesting.
You have to give the Huskies credit, as they battled back into the game behind the inside-outside duo of Jon Brockman and Isaiah Thomas. Purdue, though, held off the furious comeback bid by Washington, and ended up winning a game in which it never trailed.
The NCAA tournament is just one day away, so FanHouse writers and editors got together to talk over each region. The Midwest Region got the ball rolling, followed by the East. The South looks like it could go to the top seeds, but what about the West? Here is the last installment of our NCAA FanHouse Roundtables.
Chris Burke: Unlike the other three regions, where it's the top seeds' bracket to lose, UConn may not have the same stranglehold over things due to Jerome Dyson's injury. The Huskies have lost two straight and are just 4-3 since Dyson hurt his knee, so they look, to me, like the most vulnerable of all the No. 1 seeds. It doesn't help that, after the first round, they may not have another easy game. The other six teams in the top-half of this bracket can be considered threats, from Washington right on down to Mississippi State and Northern Iowa.
It wasn't very pretty, but the Washington Huskies did what they hoped to do: Sweep the Arizona schools and assure the program at least a share of the Pac-10 regular season championship for the first time in nearly a quarter century.
Washington took down Arizona State on Thursday 73-70 in Seattle, and today had the Wildcats come to town in desperate need of one more big win to assure they'd be returning to the NCAA tournament for the 25th straight time. The Wildcats dominated in the first half on the back of Jordan Hill and Chase Budinger, but an injury to Hill in the second half and foul trouble for the 'Cats allowed the Huskies to pull away and take it 83-78.
Being a Seattle sports fan isn't easy recently. The Mariners spent a lot of money to lose 100 games. The Seahawks were awful and let the Cardinals -- of all teams -- take the NFC West and go to the Super Bowl. The University of Washington's football was the worst its bad since, well, seemingly ever.
And then there's that whole deal about the Sonics. Talk about your all-time kicks to the crotch.
But there is a sign that things could be changing in the Emerald City. The University of Washington is competitive in college basketball once again.
Lorenzo Romar is downplaying the talent and potential of his Washington Huskies basketball team. Yes, they lost all-time leading rebounder Jon Brockman along with productive guard Justin Dentmon, but the Huskies are deep and have three able incoming freshman that make Washington a Top 25 team this year.
The NBA Draft started with a no-brainer -- 
The upheaval at USC and constant defections at UCLA may have sent conference supremacy north.
The few weeks after the NCAA Basketball season concludes are traditionally chock full of player movement announcements -- new recruits, transfers, entry entrants into the NBA draft, etc. This year has been no exception, but there is a trend gaining more steam. Having a collegiate basketball player become a football player isn't a new thing. 
For the second consecutive game, the Purdue Boilermakers looked like they were going to cruise to an easy victory. For the second consecutive game, however, they allowed their opposition to creep back into the game and make things a little too interesting.
The NCAA tournament is just one day away, so FanHouse writers and editors got together to talk over each region. The 
It wasn't very pretty, but the Washington Huskies did what they hoped to do: Sweep the Arizona schools and assure the program at least a share of the Pac-10 regular season championship for the first time in nearly a quarter century. 
Being a Seattle sports fan isn't easy recently. The Mariners spent a lot of money to lose 100 games. The Seahawks were awful and let the Cardinals -- of all teams -- take the NFC West and go to the Super Bowl. The University of Washington's football was the worst its bad since, well, seemingly ever.
