Game of the Week- Thursday

Welcome to the inaugural installment of our bi-weekly “Game of the Week” segment. In this space we will highlight one marquee matchup in each Thursday and Saturday (or Sunday) set of games.

So, which game wins this week’s title of “Thursday Game of the Week”? Well, this one was obvious: #25 Arizona (15-3, 4-1) at #20 Washington (13-4, 5-1). Perhaps the biggest conference match-up of the year takes place Thursday at Hec Edmundson Pavilion, pitting the conference preseason poll’s number one and number two ranked teams against each other. And thus far, both teams have lived up to their rankings through the first three weeks of the conference season.

When looking at these two teams, the first thing you notice is the offensive capabilities of each team. Led by junior guard Isaiah Thomas’s emergence as one of the nation’s top point guards, Washington boasts the second-highest scoring offense in the nation at 87.1 points per game.  However, Thomas has plenty of help. Down on the block, senior forward Matthew Bryan-Amaning has evolved as a top post player in the conference. In just 26.4 minutes per game, Bryan-Amaning averages 15.2 points and a team-high 7.7 rebounds per game. Out on the wing, senior Justin Holiday has undergone one of the greater transformations throughout the entire conference. Until the end of the 2009-2010 season, the California native and brother of former UCLA star and current Philadelphia 76er Jrue Holiday was known almost primarily as a non-shooter who excelled on the defensive side of the ball. That is not the case any longer. Holiday maintains a 52.6 field goal percentage, 44.6 three-point percentage and averages 12.4 points per game. His emergence on the offensive end has been a significant reason for Washington’s rise to number 20 in the Top 25.

Arizona is no slouch on offense either. The Wildcats come into the game averaging 77.7 points per game- good enough for 34^th in the nation. Sophomore forward phenom Derrick Williams accounts for more than a quarter of his team’s scoring, checking in at 19.7 points per game. His contributions are not limited to scoring, however. The potential NBA lottery pick also chips in a team-high 7.3 rebounds per game in addition to going to the free-throw line more than any other player in the country. But, as with Thomas at UW, Williams is not the only threat for the Wildcats. Alongside Williams, sophomore forward Solomon Hill gives Arizona one of the top frontcourts in the Pac-10. And when the guards, such as Kyle Fogg and Lamont “MoMo” Jones are hitting shots, Arizona can be an offensive juggernaut. In all, the Wildcats’ prowess on both the offensive and defensive end has helped earn them a Top 25 ranking.

KEY PLAYERS

Isaiah Thomas- the talented 5’9 guard is coming off one of the best performances in recent UW history with 27 points, 13 assists and four rebounds in a 92-71 win over Cal.

Derrick Williams- the reigning Pac-10 Player of the Week dominated in-state rival Arizona State to the tune of 31 points and 10 rebounds.

WHAT TO WATCH FOR

One area that may play a difference in this game is the emergence of another back-court option for UW. Starting guard Abdul Gaddy was lost for the year after tearing his ACL earlier this month. Junior Scott Suggs got the start against Cal and head coach Lorenzo Romar said Suggs may get the start again Thursday, with senior Venoy Overton coming off the bench. Will the back-court find its groove early like they did against Cal, or struggle to find any rhythm reminiscent of its first conference loss Thursday to Stanford? The answer may very well decide the outcome and the claim to sole possession of first play in the conference. 

Compiled by Neil Stover