UW Wraps Up Non-Conference Action Against Utah Valley
The Huskies (5-4, 0-1 Pac-12) play their final non-conference game of 2021-22 when they host Utah Valley (8-3) at Alaska Airlines Arena on Tuesday, Dec. 21 at 6:00 p.m. It will mark the first time the two teams have ever faced each other.
The Pac-12 Network will carry the action with Rich Waltz and Eldridge Recasner on the call. Tony Castricone and Jason Hamilton will call the action on the Husky Sports Network, locally on Sports Radio KJR-AM 950.
Fans are encouraged to bring gently used or new coats to the entrances of the arena where they will be gathered and donated to individuals and families in need in the Seattle area.
• Notable: UW returned to action after a three week layoff and took down cross-town rival Seattle U on Saturday, 64-58, for the Huskies' 17th-straight win in the series ... Both Jamal Bey and Terrell Brown Jr. enter Tuesday's game having play 97 career games. They will join Daejon Davis (113) and Emmitt Matthews Jr. (101) in the century club ... Davis had a career high six steals vs. Seattle and now leads the Pac-12 with 2.2 steals per game. Brown ranks second in the league with 2.0 spg ... Matthews recorded just his second career double-double (17 points/11 rebounds) on Saturday against Seattle U ... Brown currently leads the Pac-12 and ranks 7th nationally in scoring at 21.2 points per game. In nine games he has 191 points, already surpassing the 190 he had in 26 games with Arizona in 2020-21 ... Brown needs 55 points to reach 1,500 for his career (1,445 through 97 games) ... Brown has scored 136 of his 191 points in the second half (71.2%) ... Brown is the only Husky to reach double-digit points in all nine games. He has scored 20+ points in five games, and 30+ in two, including a career-high 32 vs. South Dakota State. He has eclipsed double-digits 54 times in 97 career game, 20-plus 30 times and 30-plus six times.
• Coach Hopkins (73-64 at UW/5th Year): Head Coach Mike Hopkins is in his fifth year at Washington, and fifth as a head coach after becoming the 19th head coach in UW history. During his 22 years as an assistant at Syracuse, Hopkins was a part of teams that reached the NCAA Tournament 16 times including the 2003 National Championship, four Final Fours, five Elite Eights and 10 Sweet 16s along with four NIT berths. Syracuse never dipped below a 55.0 percent record while Hopkins was on staff. Hopkins is a two-time Pac-12 Coach of the Year, winning the honor in each of his first two seasons with the Huskies as he led UW to back-to-back 20 win seasons with postseason appearances each year. (2018 NIT, 2019 NCAA Second Round).
• The Team: The Huskies have two returning starters from 2020-21, Jamal Bey and Nate Roberts. Bey is the Huskies leading returning scorer at 10.3 points per game and shot a Pac-12 leading 50.8% from three-point range. The Huskies added four transfers from Division I schools -- Terrell Brown Jr. (Arizona), Daejon Davis (Stanford), PJ Fuller (TCU) and Emmitt Matthews Jr. (West Virginia) -- that bring with them 12 years of high-level playing experience. Combined, the foursome who all hail from the Seattle/Tacoma area, entered the year having played in 336 games (256 starts), scored 3,238 points, grabbed 1,295 rebounds and dished out 964 assists. Brown enters the year with 1,254 points in three seasons (1 at Arizona, 2 at Seattle U) and Davis 1,064 career points and 429 assists.
• Signing Day: The Huskies added 6-7 forward Tyler Lindhardt (Seattle, Wash./King's HS) and 6-2 Keyon Menifield Jr. (Mount Morris, Mich./Phoenix [Ariz.] Prep) to the roster for 2022-23. Lindhardt is the No. 1 rated player in the state of Washington and averaged 21.8 ppg, 12.3 rp and 3.5 apg as a sophomore. Menifield played four years at Beecher HS in Flint, Mich. and was the Michigan Division 3 POY in 2021 after averaging 26 ppg, 9.3 apg, 6.6 spg and 4.7 rpg. He is currently enrolled at Phoenix Prep.
• NBA Connections: Not only are there nine former Huskies currently active in the NBA, but there are two former players on the Huskies' coaching staff with NBA experience. Seventh-year coach Will Conroy spent part of four seasons in the NBA, while first-year coach Quincy Pondexter just wrapped up a nine-year career in 2019. Isaiah Thomas became the ninth former Husky to join a NBA roster when the Los Angeles Lakers signed him to a 10-day contract on Dec. 17. The following nine players are currently on NBA rosters: Markelle Fultz (Orlando Magic), Justin Holiday (Indiana Pacers), Jaden McDaniels (Minnesota Timberwolves), Dejounte Murray (San Antonio Spurs), Jaylen Nowell (Minnesota Timberwolves), Terrence Ross (Orlando Magic), Isaiah Stewart (Detroit Pistons), Isaiah Thomas (LA Lakers) and Matisse Thybulle (Philadelphia 76ers). Additionally, Marquese Chriss began the 2021 season with the Portland Trailblazers.