From 2005-11, a seven-season period in which Arizona had four head basketball coaches, Washington appeared to be the emerging power in the Pac-12.
Lorenzo Romar’s club went 166-73, better than Arizona’s 156-83. The Huskies played in three Sweet 16s and were so taken with Romar that they gave him a 10-year, $18 million contract in 2010.
Given Seattle’s history as a recruiting hot spot, I would’ve wagered that Washington and the personable Romar had a chance to join Arizona as one of the league’s top two basketball schools, and an elite national power.
But it didn’t happen. Entering Sunday’s game at McKale Center, Washington is just 79-72 with no NCAA Tournament appearances the last five seasons. The Huskies last sold out a game at 10,000-seat Alaska Airlines Arena when they played UA in 2012, and averaged just 6,784 last season.
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Washington’s stagnation is a testament to the work Sean Miller has done to revive Arizona’s fragile basketball program eight years ago.
