Huskies

During a joint press conference Tuesday afternoon, Aaron Gordon and Nick Johnson announced they’re leaving Arizona and entering the NBA draft. Gordon, a 6-9 freshman forward, is considered a lottery pick while Johnson, a 6-3 guard, is projected as a second-round pick. Coach Sean Miller said he ‘whole heartedly’ supports their decision. Miller also announced freshman…

It’s hardly a surprise, but Arizona freshman Aaron Gordon is expected to announce he’s leaving the Wildcats and turning pro. Citing an unnamed source, Marc J. Spears at Yahoo Sports wrote the 6-9, 210-pound forward will enter the 2014 NBA draft. Gordon is expected to hold a press conference today. Meanwhile, Arizona junior Nick Johnson,…

We’re counting down the end of the Pac-12 season with a daily look at each of the postseason awards. Today: Player of the Year PLAYER OF THE YEAR Nick Johnson, Arizona: Not only is he the best player on the Pac-12′s best team, the 6-3 junior guard is arguably the most versatile, the most productive and…

We’re counting down the end of the Pac-12 season with a daily look at each of the postseason awards. Today: Coach of the Year COACH OF THE YEAR Sean Miller, Arizona: Receiving 10 of a possible 12 first-place in a preseason media poll, the Wildcats were the runaway favorites to win the Pac-12 regular-season title. They…

We’re counting down the end of the Pac-12 season with a daily look at each of the postseason awards. Today: Freshman of the Year FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR Aaron Gordon, Arizona: During a preseason poll at Pac-12 Media Day in October, 10 of the 12 coaches who responded picked Gordon to win the conference’s Freshman of…

We’re counting down the end of the Pac-12 season with a daily look at each of the postseason awards. Today: All-Freshmen team ALL-FRESHMEN TEAM Aaron Gordon, Fr., Arizona: Heralded as one of the top freshmen in the country, the former McDonald’s All-American lived up to the hype. The 6-9 forward is first in the conference among…

We’re counting down the end of the Pac-12 season with a daily look at each of the postseason awards. Today: All-Defensive team ALL-DEFENSIVE TEAM Jordan Bachynski, Sr. Arizona State: The 7-2 center has turned shot blocking into an art form. He leads the nation with 123 blocks (4.2 pg). In the first three seasons of his…

Arizona has been a little shaky since losing sophomore star forward Brandon Ashley on Feb. 1 during a 60-58 loss at California. The Wildcats posted a 3-1 record in the next four games, which included two overtime wins and a two-point victory at home over Oregon. However, following a dominating 88-61 win at Colorado, Arizona…

The road to a national championship just got lot tougher for Arizona, which lost forward Brandon Ashley for the rest of the season after he suffered a broken foot in Saturday’s defeat at California. The 6-10 sophomore averaged 11.5 points and 5.8 rebounds in 22 games. Standout freshman Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, who is averaging 8.0 rebounds and…

University of Arizona forward Rondae Hollis-Jefferson (23) tangles with Washington forward Perris Blackwell (2) in the battle for a rebound in the second half of their Pac-12 game at McKale Center, Saturday, January 4, 2014, Tucson, Ariz. Photo by Kelly Presnell / Arizona Daily Star

If Arizona is the truly best team in the country – and the Wildcats have the No. 1 ranking and 15-0 unbeaten record to support that claim – then what does Saturday’s 71-62 defeat say about Washington?

A week ago naysayers practically buried the Huskies after wrapping up an uninspiring nonconference season. Few people – if any – gave UW much of a chance at a successful run through the Pac-12.

And now?

What are reasonable expectations for the Huskies, who return home after a Pac-12 opening road trip with a 1-1 record in the conference and 9-5 overall?

— A winning record?
— A top half of the conference finish?
— A postseason berth?
— A NCAA tournament berth?