Washington Basketball: 2019-20 season review of the Huskies

2019-2020 Highs and Lows

The Huskies, more than most Power-Five schools last year, had quite a few ups and downs. A 10-2 start and a real signature win to kick off the campaign eventually led to a nine-game losing streak in conference play, perfectly encapsulating just how wild a year it was out on Montlake.

Win over Baylor in season opener

The Huskies kicked off the campaign with a wild 67-64 win over Baylor in the Armed Forces Classic in Anchorage, Alaska. Baylor was ranked No. 16 at the time, but the win aged like wine as Baylor steadily climbed in the rankings, eventually claiming the No. 1 spot for the majority of the season as they ran through the BIG-12 and finished with a 26-4 record.

UW was down as many as 16, but an impressive performance from Nahziah Carter (23 points, 4-6 from downtown) helped set the stage for the comeback, and UW’s two freshmen announced their presence in a major way.

Stewart finished with 15 points and seven rebounds while McDaniels had 18 points, eight rebounds, four blocks and three assists in one of his most well-rounded games of the year.

Nine-game conference losing streak

UW’s hot streak continued to begin the year, as they were at one point 10-2 with losses to a good Tennessee squad and an even better Gonzaga squad, appearing to position themselves for a chance at the PAC-12 title.

Then, things very quickly unraveled. A 2-3 start to conference play was ugly, especially with losses to Stanford and Cal, but things got even worse after that. From January 17 until February 21, Washington lost nine straight games in PAC-12 play. only two of those losses (No. 8 Oregon and No. 23 Colorado) came to ranked teams, as they fell to pedestrian squads like Utah, Stanford and in-state rival Washington State.

It was a disastrously ugly stint in the season and had many questioning the motivation of the two freshmen forwards and the coaching of Mike Hopkins. Things got a little better, but this streak is, sadly, what will define the 2019-2020 Washington Huskies.

Back-to-back wins over Arizona schools

UW finally broke their losing streak to Cal, another bottom feeder in the PAC-12, thumping them 87-52 to get over the hump. They then followed that up with a loss to the Cougars, ending the season winless against their bitter rivals.

However, they bounced back from that with two nice wins over Arizona State and Arizona, two big-time wins that helped salvage an ugly conference season and cooled Hopkins’ seat, at least for now.

Carter once again dropped 23 in the win over Arizona State, and McDaniels dropped 16 and six despite coming off the bench. McDaniels was the hero again against Arizona, dropping 20 with six boards and three blocks – also off the bench. It seems Hop’s decision to bench his star freshman paid off – and this pair of wins helped get UW back on track heading into the (eventually canceled) PAC-12 tournament.

Quade Green suspension

The nine-game losing streak UW endured was in part thanks to starting point guard Quade Green, who rendered himself academically ineligible after the fall semester. Green’s last game of the season was on January 5 against USC, and he finished the year averaging 11.6 points and 5.3 assists per game on a blistering 44.7 percent shooting from downtown in 15 games.

The Huskies went 4-13 without him.

Green is expected back next season, and the junior guard from Kentucky will once again be a big part of UW’s offensive attack and their zone defense. While Hopkins and the freshmen drew a lot of the ire during the streak, Green’s absence was a huge factor – and one UW really needs to avoid enduring again next year.