No. 4 Arizona Basketball ends road trip against Washington

Returning to action after winning five straight, No. 4 Arizona Basketball (21-2, 11-1) will cap off their road trip against Pac-12 foe, the Washington Huskies (13-9, 8-4). 

After coming off a big win over Washington State on Thursday evening, Arizona Basketball returns to action on Saturday afternoon as they resume play against the Washington Huskies.

The last time these two teams met, the Wildcats came away with the big win down in Tucson; however, that was over a month ago, and the Huskies have come a long way since then.

Coming into this game, Arizona enters this one winner’s of five straight games, hoping to cap a big road trip in the Pacific Northwest.

The Wildcats are considered the favorites in this one, and rightfully so, Arizona is the deeper and more talented team that should give them the advantage over the Huskies; however, nothing is ever guaranteed, and we still expect Washington to give the Cats the advantage.

Hopefully, Tommy Lloyd will have his boys ready to go once again and ready to compete as they play their sixth game in just a week and a half.

Getting to Know the details of Arizona Basketball’s opponent, the Washington Huskies.

Team: Washington Huskies

Conference: Pac-12 Conference

2020-21 Record: Finishing the year with a 5-21 (4-16) record in 2020-21, the Huskies ended their season with four-straight losses including a First Round loss in the conference tournament to Utah.

Head Coach: Mike Hopkins entering his 5th season with the Huskies, Hopkins has compiled an 81-69 (42–43) record after previously coaching at Syracuse for nine games in 2014-15, going 4-5 in that stretch.

Keys to the Game:

Protect the Basketball – A constant them from this team this year is protecting the basketball. Arizona plays at a fast pace, averaging 75.8 possessions per game, and naturally, there are going to be turnovers.

However, Arizona is averaging 13.9 turnovers per game, and against Washington State, the Wildcats ended their evening with 18, despite winning by double-digits.

As a team, the Huskies are active on defense, averaging 9.0 steals per game, and forcing teams to 17.0 turnovers per game. Against Washington, the Wildcats will need to protect and take care of the basketball if they are going to win.

Defend the Three – Arizona started great on Thursday, holding the Cougars to zero made three-pointers in the first half, however, Wazzu started to find its rhythm in the second half, connecting on eight of 20 attempts.

Against the Huskies, UW is not the greatest shooting team from outside; however, this is a team that averages 31.8 percent from the beyond the arc on an average of 20.7 attempts.

Arizona is going to have to keep things tight defensively if they are going to win, and that means defending the three.

Slow Down Terrell Brown – The former Wildcat has been on a roll this season, averaging 21.8 points per game as he has been a big part of the Huskies’ success. And the team goes as far as he goes.

The last time these two teams met, Brown had a big day, scoring 28 points on 10-22 shooting, and if Arizona is going to win on Saturday afternoon, they cannot afford to let him get going and find a rhythm, otherwise, this is going to be a tough game to win.

Arizona Basketball versus the Washington Huskies game information and details:

Date: Saturday, Feb. 12, 2022

Time: 4:00 P.M. MST / 3:00 P.M. PST

Location: Alaska Airlines Arena at Hec Edmundson Pavilion, Seattle, Wash. (9,268)

Spread: -14.5 Arizona (Also, don’t forget to use WynnBet to enhance your overall betting experience)

Television: Pac-12 Network

Radio: 107.5 FM (Tucson) / 1290AM (Tucson) | Arizona IMG Sports Network

Team Records:

No. 4 Arizona Wildcats (21-2, 11-1): Winners of five straight games, No. 4 Arizona Basketball is rolling, especially after wins over UCLA, USC, and Wazzu most recently. Coming into this one, the Wildcats will have another tough challenge in Seattle.

Washington Huskies (13-9, 8-4): Following their loss to Stanford last Sunday, the Huskies rebounded in a big way, throttling ASU in a 23-point win. Now Washington will have to prepare for a huge challenge as No. 4 Arizona comes to town.

Head-to-Head Record (since 1949-50): Since 1949-50, Arizona has had the upper hand in this head-to-head matchup, owning a 57-31 advantage over the Huskies.

Last Meeting vs. Arizona: The Wildcats played the Huskies in Tucson earlier in the year and came away with a big win, defeating the Huskies 95-79.

My Prediction: Arizona 81 Washington 68 – Disregard what happened between these two teams over a month ago, as coming into this one, Arizona will have a battle on their hands. The Huskies are a talented and well-coached team, and even though I think this one will be competitive, Arizona will edge out the Huskies in the final minutes of the game.