Washington Basketball: 2019-20 keys for road matchup at Colorado

3. The Huskies need to find their offense

Coming into Salt Lake City, 6’9 Isaiah Stewart was the only freshman in the nation averaging over 18 points and nine rebounds per game.  Against the Utes, Stewart finished with 13 points and 7 rebounds in 32 minutes of play.

Pac-12 teams know to collapse on Stewart and the Huskies will struggle for secondary scoring.  Jaden McDaniels and Nahziah Carter are the only other Washington players scoring in double figures with 13.1 ppg and 12.6 ppg, respectively.

To make things worse for the Huskies, the Colorado Buffaloes are ranked #17 in KenPom’s defensive adjusted efficiency.  Juniors 6’7 forward Tyler Bey (cousin of Jamal Bey of the Huskies) and 6’0 McKinley Wright IV lead the way for the Buffs defense.  Colorado is ranked #72 in defensive turnover percentage, while Washington is ranked #288 in taking care of the ball.  The Huskies are averaging only 10.0 assists per game versus 14.4 turnovers in the five games since Quade Green left the lineup.

The Huskies can hope that Bey is not available for the Buffs.  He sat out the game Thursday against Washington State with a finger injury.  But that is probably just wishful thinking.  If the Huskies can come into the game and maintain a high level of energy and learn to protect a lead by showing some offensive continuity, Washington could pull off an upset in Boulder that would not have seemed as unlikely as it was at the beginning of Pac-12 play.