SEATTLE (AP) — Washington freshman Isaiah Stewart declared for the NBA draft Wednesday after becoming a bright spot in an otherwise disappointing season for the Huskies.
Stewart was expected to leave Washington after one season even before he set foot on campus. He arrived to huge expectations that he would further Washington’s resurgence under coach Mike Hopkins but the team underachieved and suffered numerous painful close losses.
Stewart, a bruising 6-foot-9 forward, was named to the all-Pac-12 first team after averaging 16.6 points and 8.7 rebounds in the regular season, even while opposing defenses focused on stopping his interior game. Stewart also blocked 65 shots and averaged a team-high 32 minutes per game.
He is projected as a mid-to-late first-round pick in the June draft.
In a post on social media announcing his decision, Stewart wrote, “Thank you coach Hopkins for always believing in me. I can't express enough gratitude for the coaching staff that invested in my future and prepared me for the next level.”
Even with Stewart's stellar season, the Huskies finished in last place in the Pac-12 at 5-13 following the regular season. They swept the Arizona schools on the road to close out the regular season, but ended the Pac-12 campaign 1-9 in games decided by six points or less.
The Huskies lost to Arizona in the first-round of the Pac-12 tournament and finished the season 15-17 overall.
“Isaiah exemplifies everything you want from a student athlete. He wears his heart on his sleeve, in the way he plays, how he interacts with the community, our fans and everyone he comes into contact with," Hopkins said in a statement. “As a coach, you want to see your players' dreams come true. His dream of playing in the NBA is becoming a reality."
Stewart is the...
SEATTLE (AP) — Former Washington football coach Jim Lambright has died at age 77, the school announced on Sunday.
Lambright spent nearly four decades associated with the Washington program as a player, assistant coach and head coach.
“I'm deeply saddened by the news of Coach Lambright's passing. Coach Lambright is synonymous with Husky football and he gave so much to this program both as a player and coach,” Washington athletic director Jennifer Cohen said in a statement.
“My love for the University of Washington was sparked during Coach's tenure on our football staff and I'm grateful for the impact he had on so many. I'd like to extend heartfelt condolences to his family, former players, teammates and coaches.”
No cause of death was given. Lambright was arrested in 2014 and at that time his family stated he was suffering from dementia and his condition was worsening.
Lambright’s association with Washington started in 1960 after graduating from nearby Everett High School. He lettered three seasons with the Huskies from 1962-64, and earned all-Pacific Coast Conference honors in 1964 as a defensive end.
Lambright returned to Washington in 1969 to work on the coaching staff of Jim Owens. Lambright was retained by Don James when he arrived in 1975 and was promoted to defensive coordinator in 1978.
Lambright became the architect of some of the best defenses in the country during his tenure as Washington’s defensive coordinator, highlighted by the 1991 team that shared the national title with Miami.
He was promoted to head coach just before the start of the 1993 season after James abruptly retired in the wake of sanctions placed on the school by the Pac-10.
Lambright was 44-25-1 as the Huskies head coach and never had a losing record, but was fired following...
A panel of Associated Press sports writers voted in March 2020 on the top 10 men's basketball games in the history of the NCAA Tournament. They are being republished because the sport has been shut down because of the coronavirus pandemic. The following game was voted No. 3 and the following story was sent April 5, 1983.
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By DICK JOYCE
AP Sports Writer
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Lorenzo Charles' dunk shot with one second remaining fulfilled North Carolina State's impossible dream Monday night, giving the Wolfpack a 54-52 victory over top-ranked Houston for the NCAA basketball championship.
Charles, a 6-foot-7 sophomore, grabbed a 30-foot shot by Dereck Whittenburg with four seconds remaining that fell short, and stuffed it home.
The Wolfpack, champions of the Atlantic Coast Conference, became the first team to win the national championship in a season in which it lost 10 games. The old mark was nine, by Indiana in 1981.
North Carolina State had taken time out with 44 seconds left and went into a stall in an effort to get the last shot.
The Wolfpack won their 10th game in a row to finish the season 26-10, with six of those season-ending victories by four points or less. Houston, known for its shot-blocking and explosive dunking ability, had its 26-game winning streak snapped. The Cougars finished with a 31-3 record, suffering their first loss since Dec. 16 against Virginia.
N.C. State is the second straight ACC team to win the title, following North Carolina last season.
It was against Virginia, an ACC foe, in the NCAA's West Regional championship that Charles' free throws pulled out the triumph with 23 seconds left to get North Carolina State into the Final Four.
Once again it was a pulsating comeback for the Wolfpack, something that has marked most of its games...
Kansas had kept Derrick Rose in check well into the 2008 national championship game when coach Bill Self decided it was time to change defenses against the Memphis star.
Bad idea.
“Well. They have momentum. I made mistake,” Self said while live tweeting a replay of the game recently. “Had done a good job on Derrick. Then I go box and 1 a possession. He makes a 3 to get going. I’m an idiot.”
The madness is gone this March. The coronavirus pandemic wiped out the NCAA Tournament, put sports on hold, forced millions into isolation.
But the NCAA and networks across the sports dial have infused fans with a hoops fix by rebroadcasting epic NCAA Tournament games.
Coaches and players involved in those games are adding insight and a dash of humor by live tweeting the replay action, offering fans an interactive escape from the headlines on their screens.
The outcomes of these classics are already known. The joy comes from reliving the moment through the eyes of someone who was in the middle of it.
Bill Self breaking down one of the greatest title games in NCAA history play by play? That's like Vince Gilligan dissecting the “Breaking Bad” series finale scene by scene.
“Ok from this point forward watch body language of our guys,” Self tweeted. “It’s perfect. No stooped shoulders. No pointing fingers. No head hung. Total maturity. Proudest moment of a coach.”
In a time of fear and uncertainty, there's not only a need to fill a void in a world of increasing isolation, but also to distract people from the outbreak that forced them indoors in the first place.
A fifth time watching “The Sopranos” in its entirety might help. Trying to figure out the “Game of Thrones” story lines the third time through is a possibility.
But for now, at least through...
LAS VEGAS (AP) — A long, eerie day of big news that seemed to come by the minute ended with an upset at the Pac-12 tournament.
Washington State was on the winning side and now, with the rest of the teams left in the bracket, has the bizarre task of trying to continue with no fans in the stands.
CJ Elleby scored 30 points and hit six 3-pointers, helping Washington State knock off Colorado 82-68 Wednesday night in the final Pac-12 tournament game with fans due to concerns over the coronavirus.
“We had a couple of ups and downs, but stayed the course and played one of the better games of the year,” Washington State coach Kyle Smith said.
The Pac-12 followed suit of the NCAA and other major conferences by limiting the final three days of its tournament to essential personnel only.
With a few thousand fans in the stands, the 11th-seeded Cougars (16-16) jumped on Colorado and didn't let up, quickly turning the final game of the opening round into a rout.
Elleby led the way, hitting 6 of 10 from 3-point range, with 10 rebounds, five assists and three steals.
Washington State made 10 of 21 from the 3-point arc and shut down Colorado defensively to earn a spot in Thursday's quarterfinal against No. 3 seed Arizona State in a mostly-empty arena.
“We'll have to bring our own energy,” Elleby said.
Colorado (21-11) should still be in good shape for an NCAA Tournament bid, but will enter the bracket on a five-game losing streak.
The sixth-seeded Buffaloes shot 37% and went 4 for 21 from 3-point range. McKinley Wright IV had 21 points and Tyler Bey 19.
“We've got to find who we were in the first 27 games or we'll be one and done," Colorado coach Tad Boyle said.
Colorado won the team's lone meeting 78-56 by pulling away in the second half.
The Buffaloes came out cold...