Washington vs. Stanford Preview
PALO ALTO, CA (AP) – Hoping to overcome some recent adversity off the court, Washington will try to keep its perfect Pac-10 record intact on the court.
That task could prove difficult for the No. 17 Huskies against a stingy Stanford team Thursday night at Maples Pavilion.
Washington coach Lorenzo Romar said Tuesday that the school is aware of a police investigation “about an allegation in regards to one of our student-athletes.” He didn’t give many details beyond that, but is counting on his team to persevere.
Current college basketball odds and oddsmakers from online sports book SBGGlobal.com have made Washington -8 point spread favorites for Thursday’s game against Stanford. Current college basketball public betting information shows that 54% of more than 108 bets for this game have been placed on Washington -8.
“It’s something that is ongoing and hopefully you talk with your team and you have a relationship with your team enough when something happens you’re prepared somewhat to deal with it,” Romar said.
“We haven’t covered everything. There are some situations that arise in sports and family situations that you just hadn’t happened to you before, for the first time and you have to deal with that.”
On the court, the Huskies (12-3, 4-0) are averaging a conference-best 88.9 points per game, and have already matched a school record by reaching 100 five times this season, including a 103-72 victory over Oregon State on Saturday.
Matthew Bryan-Amaning continued his hot play, scoring 24 while matching a career-high with 15 rebounds. The senior forward is averaging 19.0 points and 10.3 rebounds during Washington’s perfect start in the Pac-10 – its best since beginning 6-0 during the 1983-84 season.
The Huskies have won 11 straight conference games dating to last season, including three wins in the Pac-10 tournament. It’s their longest such streak since the league expanded to become the Pac-10 in 1978.
“Everyone looks at the way we have been scoring, and that’s because we run,” Bryan-Amaning said. “But the only reason we run is we get stops. Contest the shot, rebound and push it.”
Washington, which recorded nine steals and a season-high 10 blocks against the Beavers, has held opponents to 35.3-percent shooting during a season-best six-game winning streak.
Freshman guard Terrence Ross has started to blossom off the bench, averaging 16.0 points in his last four games after scoring 5.5 per contest over his first 11.
Washington is unbeaten at home but has stumbled elsewhere, dropping three of its last five road or neutral site games while averaging 69.4 points. Those struggles could continue against Stanford (9-5, 2-1), which has limited opponents to 53.7 points per game during a 7-0 start at home.
Washington has won six straight in this series, including its only two road wins against Stanford in the past 17 years, but Romar is still wary of playing at Maples.
“For us, Maples Pavilion has kind of been like a long time ago what Boston Garden was for the Celtics against the Lakers – when they said the leprechaun was knocking balls off the rim and stuff like that,” Romar told the Huskies’ official website.
Stanford is coming off a 67-57 loss at Arizona on Sunday, pushed back a day due to Saturday’s mass shooting in Tucson.
Jeremy Green, who leads the team with 15.9 points per game, is 7 of 24 from the field in his last two games. The junior guard could be in for another long night against Washington, which limited him to 26.8-percent shooting in three meetings last season.
Since scoring a season-low two points in the home opener, Green is averaging 19.7 at Maples Pavilion.
Bet On Washington vs. Stanford Odds
Want More From TheSpread.com? Follow us on Twitter and Facebook or Subscribe to Our News Feeds!