University of Washington

TM 2000-01 Men’s Basketball November 29, 2000 MEDIA RELATIONS: (206) 543–2230 FAX: (206) 543–5000 CONTACT: Dan Lepse INTERNET: www.gohuskies.com

UW Visits Wichita State Thur., Nov. 30—UW at Wichita State, 7:00 pm CST (5:00 pm Pacific Time) Levitt Arena (10,527); Wichita, Kansas for First Away Game Sat., Dec. 2—UW at Gonzaga, 5:00 pm PST (Fox Sports Net Northwest TV) Huskies Begin Two-Game Martin Centre/The Kennel (4,000); Spokane, Wash. Road Trip on Thursday The Washington Huskies (2-1) hit the road for the first time this season, traveling to Wichita State (2-0) for a game on Thursday, Nov. 30. Tip-off is 7 p.m. Central Time (5 p.m. Pacific Senior forward Will Perkins has double- Time) at Levitt Arena. Washington defeated the Shockers 61-47 last season in Seattle to doubles in all three games. No UW player even the all-time series at 2-2. The Huskies conclude their brief two-game road trip on had a double-double last season. Saturday at Gonzaga. Tip-off is 5 p.m. Pacific Time for the game that will be televised live on Fox Sports Net Northwest. The game will be played on the Gonzaga campus at the Martin The Huskies had a 6-9 record at enemy Centre, also known as the Kennel. The Zags have a stunning 105-9 record over the last nine arenas last season, posting a better road seasons in games played at the 4,000-seat Kennel. Washington returns home next week to record than home mark for the third time host Saint Louis on Tuesday, Dec. 5 at 8 p.m. ever and the first time since 1965. UW had a 4-9 record last year at KeyArena. The Season So Far: Washington capped a three-game homestand Tuesday with a 94- 63 victory over Portland State. UW registered its most points in its last 67 games and its Bob Bender coached his 200th Husky largest margin of victory (31 points) in 61 games. The Huskies returned to their on-campus game on Nov. 21. Only Hec Edmundson venue in triumphant fashion on Saturday (Nov. 25), defeating New Mexico State 81-77. (683), Marv Harshman (392) and Tippy Washington played all of its home games last season, and this year’s season opener, at Dye (247) coached more games at UW. KeyArena in downtown Seattle. UW opened the season with a 73-61 loss to Texas-El Paso 2001 UW Schedule & Results (Nov. 21). The season-opening, three-game homestand was a welcome change for the Huskies who were on the road for the first 22 days of the 1999-2000 season. They played (2–1, 0-0 in Pac-10) their first six games on the road last season and didn’t play in Seattle until Dec. 13. Nov. 21 UTEP (@KeyArena) L 61–73 Washington won both of its exhibition games this season, rallying for an 83-81 overtime Nov. 25 New Mexico State W 81–77 victory at Seattle Pacific (Nov. 10) before beating Brewster Packing 84-80 (Nov. 14). Nov. 28 Portland State W 94–63 Nov. 30 at Wichita State 5:00 pm TV/Radio Coverage: There is no television coverage of Thursday’s game. Saturday’s Dec. 2 at Gonzaga (Fox NW) 5:00 pm game at Gonzaga will be broadcast live at 5 p.m. on Fox Sports Net Northwest. Rich Waltz Dec.5 Saint Louis (Fox NW) 8:00 pm calls the action with color commentary from Dave Harshman. All Husky men’s basketball Dec. 16 at Florida International 4:30 pm games are broadcast live on KOMO Radio (AM 1000) and its affiliates by play-by-play Dec. 20-22 at Puerto Rico Holiday Classic announcer Bob Rondeau. The radio broadcasts can be accessed via the internet at: http:/ Dec. 20 at American-Puerto Rico 3:30 pm /www.audionet.com/schools/washington/ Dec. 21 vs. Alabama or N. Iowa 10:30 am/3:30 pm Projected Husky Starting Lineup: Dec. 22 TBA TBA Washington Huskies (2–1, 0–0 in Pacific-10 Conference) Dec. 28 UC Irvine 7:00 pm Dec. 30 San Diego 2:00 pm Pos.-No. Name Hgt. Wgt. Yr. Hometown Points Rebs. Jan. 4 • at UCLA 7:30 pm F — 1 Will Perkins 6-8 195 Sr. Omaha, Neb. 13.3 10.7 Jan. 6 • at USC 7:00 pm F — 21 Greg Clark 6-7 225 Sr. San Diego, Calif. 8.3 2.7 Jan. 11 • Arizona State 7:00 pm C — 50 David Dixon 6-11 300 Jr. Houston, Texas 2.0 3.3 Jan. 13 • Arizona (Fox NW) 7:00 pm G — 23 Michael Johnson 6-4 195 Sr. Seattle, Wash. 10.3 4.3 Jan. 18 • at Oregon 7:00 pm G — 32 Bryan Brown 6-3 205 Sr. Seattle, Wash. 7.3 2.3 Jan. 20 • at Oregon State (Fox NW) 7:00 pm Hoopsters Honor CW: Like their football counterparts, the Husky basketball team is Jan. 25 • Stanford (Fox Net) 7:30 pm Jan. 27 • California 2:00 pm wearing patches on their jerseys to support senior Curtis Williams who suffered a spinal cord Feb. 3 • Washington State(Fox Net) 3:00 pm injury during an Oct. 28 football game at Stanford. The UW basketball players will display Feb. 8 • at Arizona (Fox NW) 5:30 pm the initials “CW” to honor Williams who is in a San Jose, Calif. rehabilitation center. Feb. 10 • at Arizona State (Fox Net) 5:00 pm Home Sweet Home: The Huskies returned to campus after a one-season absence, playing Feb. 15 • Oregon State 7:00 pm home games at Bank of America Arena at Hec Edmundson Pavilion. The Pavilion Feb. 17 • Oregon (Fox Net) 5:00 pm underwent a 19-month renovation from March of 1999 to November of 2000. The interior Feb. 22 • at California 7:30 pm was completely redesigned while the building’s exterior went unchanged. Despite an Feb. 24 • Stanford 5:00 pm increased seating capacity from 7,900 to approximately 10,000, the arena possesses a more Mar. 3 • at Washington State 1:00 pm intimate, basketball-only configuration. The Huskies have won 748 games in the Pavilion Mar. 8 • USC 7:00 pm since it opened on Dec. 27, 1927, more victories than any other school in its current arena. Mar. 10 • UCLA (Fox Net) 3:00 pm Washington compiled a 49-9 record in its final four seasons (1996-99) at the old Pavilion Pacific Times Listed • Pac-10 Game + Exhibition before playing last season at KeyArena in downtown Seattle during renovations. Washington Basketball (Nov. 29, 2000) 2-2

The Wichita State Series: Media Information > The all-time series between Washington and Wichita State is tied at 2-2. > The Huskies won in their only previous visit to Wichita. University of Washington Athletic Department, Box 354070 > Washington won the inaugural meeting 102-68 on Dec. 15, 1972 in Wichita. The Seattle, WA 98195-4070 Shockers posted an 87-79 overtime decision on Dec. 1, 1973 in Seattle and a 92-72 Box 354070 victory on Dec. 28, 1988 in the first round of the Palm Beach Classic in Florida. Enrollment: 34,000 (25,000 undergrad) > The Huskies won the most recent matchup, a 61-47 decision last season on Dec. 17, Founded: Nov. 4, 1861 1999 at Seattle’s KeyArena. President: Richard McCormick > The UW has a 4-4 all-time record against Missouri Valley Conference members. Director of Athletics: Barbara Hedges > Bob Bender has a 6-3 all-time coaching record against Wichita State, the first eight Colors: Purple & Gold games played while he was at Illinois State of the Missouri Valley Conference. Nickname: Huskies Head Coach: Bob Bender (8th year) The Last Meeting: UW 61, Wichita State 47 (Dec. 17, 1999; Seattle) – Senque Career Record (12th year): 157-162 Carey scored 12 points and ignited a 12-2 run to open the second half in Washington’s UW Record (8th year): 97-105 61-47 victory over Wichita State at KeyArena. Washington (4-4) extended a 31-24 2000 Record: 10-20 halftime advantage to 43-26 in the first five minutes of the second half. Carey had four 2000 Pac-10 Record: 5-13 (8th, tie) points in that stretch and capped the run with a lob pass that Deon Luton dunked. The Starters Returning / Lost: 2 / 3 Huskies never led by fewer than 11 points the rest of the game. Luton finished with 12 Lettermen Returning / Lost: 9 / 4 points for the Huskies who also got 10 from Michael Johnson. Will Perkins led a 38-30 Husky Media Relations UW rebounding margin with 10 boards. Wichita State (3-3) was led by the 24 points of Jason Perez. After a layin by Johnson with 7:00 remaining, the Huskies did not score Jim Daves, Assistant AD another field goal until Jon DeWolfe’s layin at 0:15. UW hit 8-of-10 free throws during Dan Lepse, Men’s Basketball SID that span while limiting the Shockers to only 12 points. Wichita shot only 33 percent (17- E-mail: [email protected] 52) from the field and only 26 percent (8-31) after intermission. Washington won despite Main Office Phone: (206) 543-2230 hitting only 1-of-8 treys and a sub-par 4-for-15 shooting effort from the field by Luton. Lepse Direct Phone: (206) 685-3120 The Huskies blocked eight shots, two by freshman Ben Coffee. Fax: (206) 543-5000 Bender Bio: Bob Bender has participated in the NCAA Tournament at every school Ticket Office with which he has been affiliated, including back-to-back berths with Washington in 1998 (206) 543-2200 and 1999. He has an eight-year record of 97–105 with the Huskies. The UW tied for Bank of America Arena eighth in the Pac-10 with a 5-13 record in 2000 and had a 10-20 overall record that snapped 3870 Montlake Boulevard N.E. a string of four consecutive winning seasons. In 1999, Washington was 17-12, capped Capacity (built): 10,000 (1927) by an NCAA Tournament appearance. The 1998 Huskies posted a 20-10 record that Renovated: March 1999 - Nov. 2000 marked the school’s finest winning percentage since 1985. Among the 1998 Husky Directions: Located on the southeast sec- highlights were their first 20-win season since 1987, their first NCAA berth since 1986 tion of the Washington campus and 40 minutes and their first Sweet 16 appearance since 1984. The 1997 UW team posted a 17–11 record, north of Sea-Tac Airport. From Interstate-5 take capped by the Huskies’ second straight National Invitation Tournament appearance. the Hwy. 520 exit toward Bellevue-Kirkland Washington’s record improved four straight seasons under Bender, including a 16-12 (east). Travel 1/4 mile and take the Montlake mark in 1996 after which he was voted the Pac-10 Coach of the Year. The UW was 5- Boulevard exit. At the end of the off ramp there 22 in 1994 and 10-17 in 1995. His 97 victories rank fourth among all-time Washington is a stop light at Montlake Boulevard. Turn coaches. Bender, who began his career with a four-year stint at Illinois State (1990-93), LEFT. Travel across the Montlake Bridge. Husky has a 12-year career record of 157–162. His Illinois State squads were 60-57, earning two Stadium will be visible on the RIGHT with Bank Missouri Valley Conference championships, one conference tournament title and an of America Arena visible to the north of the NCAA Tournament berth in 1990. Prior to his inaugural head coaching assignment at stadium. To access E-10, E-11 or E-12 parking ISU, Bender served as an assistant on Mike Krzyzewski’s Duke staff (1983-1989). The losts, turn RIGHT at the stoplight by the stadium Blue Devils qualified for the NCAA Tournament in each of Bender’s six seasons on the marquee. To access the Graves Building, con- staff, including four trips to the Final Four. Bender, 43, is the only individual to play on tinue through the stoplight and turn RIGHT two different teams in the NCAA Championship game. He was a freshman on Bobby immediately after the pedestrian overpass bridge. Knight’s undefeated 1976 Indiana team and played point guard at Duke from 1977-80, including an appearance in the 1978 title game against Kentucky. Internet www.gohuskies.com Coaching Staff: Bob Bender’s staff is comprised of associate head coach Byron Boudreaux along with assistant coaches Eric Hughes and Al Hairston. Boudreaux Info Connection 1-800-300-2050 begins his sixth season on the staff, his second as the associate. Hughes has been with (call 770-399-0096 for Personal ID Number) Bender during his entire seven-year tenure at UW. Hairston, a former Seattle Sonic and 3715 — UW release legendary prep coach at Seattle’s Garfield High School, begins his first season. He 3718 — UW latest game boxscore replaces Jason Hamilton who left to pursue interests outside of coaching. 1015 — Pac-10 release Weekly Bob Bender Radio Show Mondays at 6 p.m. on KOMO AM 1000 Washington Basketball (Nov. 29, 2000) 3-3-3

Campaign 2000-01: A five-man senior class is the nucleus around which eighth-year coach Bob Bender seeks to form a winning unit. Washington finished with a 10-20 record last season, snapping a string of four consecutive winning seasons that culminated in postseason berths. The Huskies tied for eighth place in the Pacific-10 Conference with a 5-13 record. In addition to the five seniors, who collectively have played 317 career games, the roster includes four other returning lettermen (9 total), four scholarship newcomers and two walk-ons. Two primary starters return, seniors Will Perkins and Michael Johnson along with senior forward Thalo Green who has been a part-time starter for three seasons. No returning player averaged double-figure points last season. Johnson is the leading returning scorer with a 9.9-point average last year while Perkins averaged 7.8 points and a team-high 5.9 rebounds. Green averaged 6.3 points and 4.9 rebounds per game in 1999-2000. Highlighting the season is the return to the on-campus arena that has Husky hopes hovering. The 17,072-seat KeyArena in downtown Seattle never really felt like home despite an average attendance of 7,851. As a result, Washington finished with a better record in enemy arenas (6-9) than at home (4-9) last season for only the third time in school history. Returning Talent: Two starters and nine lettermen return from last year’s team, including senior guard Michael Johnson, UW’s top statistical returnee in points (9.9 ppg), assists (64), 3-pointers (34) and 3-point accuracy (34%). Forward Will Perkins led all Huskies in rebounds (5.9 rpg), field goal accuracy (48%) and blocked shots (39) last season. They are joined by forward Thalo Green who led UW in steals (35) and was second in rebounds (4.9 rpg). Juniors David Dixon and Marlon Shelton return to battle for the starting center spot. The 6-11 Dixon started twice in 2000 while the 6-10 Shelton drew four starts. Senior Bryan Brown has experience at the point guard position after playing as Senque Carey’s backup last season. With Carey’s transfer to New Mexico, Brown has the inside track on the starting role. He will be pressed by a pair of incoming freshmen point guards from Tacoma, Wash., Curtis Allen and C.J. Massingale. Expect senior swingman Greg Clark to play a major role with increased minutes. The UW’s defensive stopper should display his offensive prowess this year. Junior Grant Leep seeks to return from a knee injury that sidelined him for the final 19 games in 2000. Leep possesses a solid inside game with range out to the 3-point line. Sophomore Ben Coffee is an athletic small forward who is a capable rebounder and looks to surface as an offensive threat. Third-year walk-on Travis Duty provides depth for the guard corps. Newcomers: The Washington roster is bolstered by the addition of three scholarship recruits, including a pair of guards from Tacoma, Wash. Both Curtis Allen, from Wilson High School, and C.J. Massingale, from Mount Tahoma High School, will battle for playing time at point guard as they ranked Nos. 7 and 8 among prospects in the West at that position by Pac-West Hoops. They are the first Tacoma natives to receive scholarships from the Washington basketball team since Steve Matzen who lettered from 1977 to 1980. Allen was the state Class 4A player of the year, averaging 25.2 points and 4.0 assists per game. Massingale averaged 22 points, 8 rebounds and 6 assists to win his second straight Narrows League Bridge Division MVP award. Bolstering the frontcourt is 6-9, 270-pound DeMarcus Williams from Upland (Calif.) High School. Williams was rated the West’s No. 12 center prospect by Pac- West Hoops and was an honorable mention All-America pick by Blue Ribbon magazine. Invited walk-on freshmen Sterling Brown (Woodinville HS) and David Hudson (Rainier Beach HS) are also new to the team. Sophomore Doug Wrenn, a transfer from Connecticut, will red-shirt this season.

2000-01 Washington Basketball Roster (* Used red-shirt season, % Will red shirt the 2000-01 season) No Name Pos Hgt Wgt Yr Exp Hometown (High School/Junior College) 00 David Hudson % G 6-0 185 Fr. HS Seattle, Wash. (Rainier Beach HS) 1 Will Perkins F 6-8 195 Sr. 1V Omaha, Neb. (Omaha South HS / Iowa Western JC) 2 DeMarcus Williams F 6-9 270 Fr. HS Upland, Calif. (Upland HS) 3 Sterling Brown G 6-4 190 Fr. HS Woodinville, Wash. (Woodinville HS) 10 C.J. Massingale G 6-3 195 Fr. HS Tacoma, Wash. (Mount Tahoma HS) 15 Doug Wrenn % F 6-6 210 So. TR Seattle, Wash. (O’Dea HS/Connecticut) 20 Curtis Allen G 6-0 160 Fr. HS Tacoma, Wash. (Wilson HS) 21 Greg Clark F 6-7 225 Sr. * 2V San Diego, Calif. (Grossmont HS / Long Beach State) 22 Travis Duty G 6-3 175 Jr. SQ Seattle, Wash. (O’Dea HS) 23 Michael Johnson G 6-4 195 Sr. 3V Seattle, Wash. (Ballard HS) 31 Grant Leep F 6-7 225 Jr. 2V Mount Vernon, Wash. (Mount Vernon HS) 32 Bryan Brown G 6-3 205 Sr. 3V Mercer Island, Wash. (Mercer Island HS) 34 Ben Coffee F 6-5 200 So. 1V Portland, Ore. (Benson Tech HS) 42 Thalo Green F 6-7 220 Sr. * 3V Salem, Ore. (South Salem HS) 44 Marlon Shelton C 6-10 270 Jr. 2V Rochester, Mich. (Rochester HS) 50 David Dixon C 6-11 300 Jr. 1V Houston, Texas (Westbury Christian HS / Tyler JC) Head Coach: Bob Bender, eighth year (Duke, 1980) Record: Overall (12 years): 157-162 (.492) Record at Washington (eight years): 97-105 (.480) Associate Head Coach: Byron Boudreaux, sixth year (Tulsa, 1987) Assistant Coaches: Eric Hughes, eighth year (Cal State Hayward, 1989), Al Hairston, first year (Washington, 1972) Washington Basketball (Nov. 29, 2000) 4-4-4-4

2001 UW Victory / Defeat Margins: Last Year’s Record after 3 games: 2–1 Last Year’s Record after 4 games: 2–2 Margins 123456789101112131415161718192021222331 UW Wins 1 1 ------UW Losses 1

Departures: Four players departed from last year’s team, including three starters and reserve guard Andrew Moritz. The biggest loss is guard Deon Luton who completed his career as the Huskies’ No. 8 all-time scorer with 1,488 points. Luton owns every UW 3-point record, including career (212), season (75) and single-game (7) treys. Forward Chris Walcott started 20 games and was a solid inside-outside presence for Washington. Senque Carey started two years at point guard before transferring during the summer to New Mexico. Carey led the team last year with 137 assists, the third-best season total in UW history. Injury Report: The status of Washington players for Thursday’s game • Will Play– Thalo Green, Played the last two games after missing the season opener and both exhibitions. Green underwent arthroscopic surgery on his left knee on Nov. 1 to remove some loose fragments. • Questionable – DeMarcus Williams, Missed last week with sore right Plantar Fascia (foot). Last UW Game: UW 94, Portland State 63 (Nov. 28, 2000; Seattle) — Will Perkins posted his third straight double-double with 11 points and 12 rebounds, helping Washington turn a one-point halftime deficit into a 94-63 rout of Portland State at Bank of America Arena. The Vikings (0-3) held UW scoreless for nearly four minutes, opening a 6-0 lead. The Huskies hit only three of their first 18 shots from the field en route to a 36-35 halftime deficit. Washington (2-1) scored the first 10 points of the second half, including four from Perkins, to take the lead for good at 45-36 with 16:51 left to play. Greg Clark scored seven of his nine points in a three- minute stretch late in the game, fueling a 13-point UW run that put the game out of reach. The 31-point margin was the Huskies’ largest in 61 games while the 94-point output was their biggest in 67 games dating to March of 1998. PSU made only 11 field goals in the second half and shot just 34-percent (25-73) for the game. The Vikings were led by the 21 points of Charles Madison. Jamaal Thomas added 14 points for PSU. Joining Perkins in double-figure scoring were Thalo Green with 14 points, Michael Johnson with 12 and Bryan Brown with 11. Double Trouble: Senior forward Will Perkins registered double-doubles in all three of Washington’s season-opening games. The Omaha, Nebraska native had 15 points and 10 rebounds against Texas-El Paso on Nov. 21 followed by a 14-point, 10-rebound performance against New Mexico State on Nov. 25 and an 11-point, 12-rebound outing against Portland State on Nov. 28. No Husky player recorded a double-double during the entire season last year. Perkins leads the team with 10.7 rebounds per game and is second in scoring with a 13.3-point average. Last year, he led the Huskies in rebounds (5.9 rpg), field goal percentage (47.9%) and blocked shots (39). He is currently shooting 57-percent (17-30) from the field. Hair Raising Experience: Senior forward Thalo Green avoided the barber’s shears for 16 months before taking his place in the chair at the Montlake Cut barbershop on July 12, 2000. Green had his hair cut for the first time since March of 1999 and donated his hair to the Wigs for Kids, a national, non-profit organization that solicits donations in an effort to provide relief for children in situations of hair loss. Hair donations are woven into wigs and given to children affected by hair loss due to chemotherapy, burns and other medical conditions. “I’m in a position, playing basketball at Washington, to give exposure and promote the Wigs for Kids program,” Green explains. “I decided to grow my hair out throughout the whole season and try to raise awareness for the program. It seemed like the perfect opportunity to do something good for a good cause.” Green regularly drew taunts from spectators at opposing arenas last season as his curly, red hair frequently flopped into his eyes and eventually required a headband to control it. That shaggy coif was in stark contrast to his sophomore season in 1998-99 when Green’s head was almost completely shaven. Sonics & Sons: Two former Seattle SuperSonics have sons on the 2000-01 Washington basketball roster. The list of former NBA players (and sons) includes, Fred Brown (Bryan) and Lonnie Shelton (Marlon). A graduate of Iowa, Fred Brown is the Sonics’ all- time leading scorer with 14,018 points. Brown played his entire 13-year NBA career in Seattle and was a 1976 all-star. Lonnie Shelton was a 1975 All-Pac-8 Conference selection at Oregon State. He played 15 NBA seasons and was a 1982 all-star. Shelton played from 1979-83 in Seattle. Brown and Shelton were members of Seattle’s 1979 NBA Championship squad. Two other former sons of Sonics were on the team in 1999, Donald Watts (father Slick) was a four-year letterman and walk-on Michael Westphal (father Paul) transferred after his freshman year to Bellevue (Wash.) Community College. An additional tie to the Sonics is first-year Husky assistant coach Al Hairston who played with Seattle’s NBA team in 1969 and 1970. Husky Tickets: Good seats are available for all Washington home games, including season tickets and other special packages. New this season is the Pepsi “Fun for Four” Family Pack for quartets of all ages. Get four general admission game tickets, four Pepsi drinks and four hot dogs for only $25. Reserved seats for individual Husky games are $16 while general admission seats are $6 for adults and $3 for high school students, senior citizens and children. University of Washington students with current student identification can purchase individual game tickets for $3 or buy a student season pass for $30 that is also good for women’s games. Visit the Husky Ticket Office, located in the Graves Building, or call (206-543-2200) for information. Individual game reserved tickets will also be available for sale through all TicketMaster outlets, phone centers (206-628-0888) or via the internet at www.ticketmaster.com. Washington Basketball (Nov. 29, 2000) 5-5-5-5-5 The Gonzaga Series: > Washington owns a 28-8 lead in the all-time series despite losing in the last two meetings with Gonzaga. > The Huskies have registered an 11-5 record against the Zags in Spokane. > Gonzaga won the last two encounters, defeating UW 76-66 last season (Dec. 13, 1999) in Seattle and 82-71 on Dec. 8, 1998 at the Spokane Arena. > Washington has a 48-11 all-time record against West Coast Conference teams. > Starting at point guard for the Zags is junior Dan Dickau, a transfer from Washington. Dickau transferred following the 1998- 99 season and sat out last year as a red-shirt. He was a member of two UW NCAA Tournament teams. > Second-year Gonzaga coach Mark Few won last year in his first head coaching stint against the Huskies. > In his eighth season at Washington, Bob Bender has a 2-2 coaching record against Gonzaga. The Last Meeting: #22 Gonzaga 76, UW 66 (Dec. 13, 1999; Seattle) – Matt Santangelo scored five of his 14 points in the decisive 11-0 second-half run, leading 22nd-ranked Gonzaga to a 76-66 win over Washington in the Huskies’ home opener at KeyArena. The Bulldogs (6-2) won their second straight game over Washington (3-4). Gonzaga raced to an 8-0 lead, holding UW scoreless for the opening three minutes. The Huskies rallied to take an 18-14 lead led by Deon Luton who hit his first five shots en route to a 23-point performance. Gonzaga reclaimed the lead and took a 37-33 halftime advantage on a 3-pointer by Santangelo at the buzzer. The Bulldogs broke a 47-47 tie at 14:07 in the second half with 11 unanswered points. Washington drew with 70-66 with 0:53 remaining, but Gonzaga converted all six free throws inside the final minute to seal the win. Richie Frahm scored 19 points to lead the Bulldogs who also got 11 points from Ryan Floyd. Casey Calvary grabbed 11 rebounds to spark a 41-32 Gonzaga advantage. Washington’s Senque Carey scored 11 points and Michael Johnson had 10. Signed, Sealed, Delivered: Washington received commitments during the early signing period (Nov. 8-15) from a five-man group that has been ranked among the best recruiting classes in the nation by several analysts. The signing class includes junior college standout Josh Barnard and four prominent high school recruits. Heading the list of prep players is Kentwood’s Mike Jensen who was rated by Pac-West Hoops as the top power forward in the West. A trio of players from high schools in Seattle signed with the Huskies. Those three are Jeffrey Day, from state Class AAA champion Seattle Prep, Chief Sealth’s Erroll Knight, one of the nation’s finest scoring guards, and Anthony Washington, a rising power forward prospect from Garfield. “We accomplished what we wanted to do in a very big way,” said Coach Bob Bender. “We are very proud of the fact they are all from right here in state. Every single player is a Washington player and that is our priority. We really emphasized how they could be the greatest class that we have ever had the opportunity to recruit and that coming in together would put them in position to be one of the top classes in the nation. They all are very, very talented, but collectively they’re very special.” The Huskies do not have any remaining scholarships to offer during the spring letter of intent period that runs from April 11 through May 15. Josh Barnard—6-6, 210, guard, Tacoma, Wash. (Bethel HS / Tacoma Community College) Averaged 15.1 point, 5.4 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game last year at Tacoma Community College ... Converted a school-record 49-percent of his shots from 3-point range ... Helped the Titans to a 30-4 record and fourth-place finish at the Northwest Community College tournament. Jeffrey Day—6-9, 215, forward, Seattle, Wash. (Seattle Prep HS) Averaged 13 points and eight rebounds per game as a junior last season for state champion Seattle Prep ... Rated as the West’s No. 17 ranked power forward in the Pac-West Hoops listings. Mike Jensen—6-8, 210, forward, Covington, Wash. (Kentwood HS) Washington’s Largest in 2001 The top-ranked power forward in the West by Pac-West Hoops ... Averaged 14.4 points and 10.5 rebounds last year to lead Kentwood High School to a 21-9 record and seventh- Lead ...... 33 vs. Portland State place finish at the state Class 4A tournament ... Selected among the nation’s top 100 Deficit ...... 15 vs. UTEP players in by nearly every scouting service, including a No. 66 ranking by The Sporting News. Margin of Victory ...... 31, vs. Portland State Erroll Knight—6-6, 200, guard, Seattle, Wash. (Chief Sealth HS) Margin of Defeat ...... 13 vs. UTEP The No. 2-ranked shooting guard in the West by Pac-West Hoops, rated No. 59 Halftime Lead .... 2 (30-28) vs. New Mexico State nationally among all positions by that service ... Averaged 16 points and eight rebounds Halftime Deficit ...... 9 (34-25) vs. UTEP last year at Chief Sealth High School ... Selected among the nation’s top 100 players in by nearly every scouting service, including a No. 71 ranking by The Sporting News. Deficit in Win ...... 6, vs. Portland State Anthony Washington—6-9, 220, forward, Seattle, Wash. (Garfield HS) Halftime Deficit in Win ... 1 (35-36) vs. Port. St. The ninth-rated power forward in the West by Pac-West Hoops ... Listed as the No. 100 Lead in a Loss...... 1 vs. UTEP player nationally by The Sporting News ... Emerged on the recruiting scene with stellar Halftime Lead in Loss ...... None performances during the spring and summer camp sessions ... Averaged five rebounds per game as a reserve on a senior-laden Garfield High School squad last season. UW Scoring Run ...... 13 vs. Portland State Opponent Run ...... 11, vs. UTEP