Time to start winning away from Hec Ed

We've had our share of games we should have won, could have one and didn't win on the road. We're coming off of two tough losses, but I finally feel like we're starting to see what this team could be - an awesome rebounding team that routinely gets more scoring opportunites than it's opponent. A team that can beat anyone if it's shooters get hot and don't turn the ball over. We are always stronger inside than the opposition, which is not a bad place to start when you are building a giant slayer.

It's do or die time for this Husky team. Standing at 16-8 with a 6-8 Pac 10 record, we are still in a position to get into the big dance. A strong finish in Pac 10 play (meaning winning 3 of the next 4) plus making the semifinals of the Pac 10 tournament would probably be enough to propel us to a #10 seed. Making the Pac 10 tourney finals would mean a 21-10 record (including 5 losses by less than 4 points or in overtime) a .500+ record in one of the toughest conferences in the country, and a hot streak, which the tournament likes to see at the end of a team's season. I think the committee will give us a pass on the Bay Area swing when our best player was so ill he could barely play.

We have two more games on the road - Oregon State tonight and Oregon on Saturday. If we can win those, the door is wide open. Plus, a victory at Oregon means that some local ducks will owe me TWO (count 'em) TWO dinners. And if you don't think they are nervous, think about this: Since Oregon came into Hec Ed as the 7th ranked team in the nation with an 18-1 record, they have gone 2-6. I ask you, my humble reader to refer back to my original post predicting the ducks demise. Ernesto, Ernesto, Ernesto...