Lack of killer instinct costing the Huskies

It has been a frustrating year for the Washington men's basketball team. The season includes two overtime losses, a one-point loss and two four-point losses to top-15 teams. It would be easy to say that this is just the product of bad luck; a few lucky bounces here and there and the Dawgs would be 21-7 [HTML_REMOVED] 10-6 in Pac-10 play, still in the thick of the top-25 and a lock for the NCAA Tournament.

However, this season has not been the result of bad luck. There are many other factors that have separated this team from teams headed for the NCAA Tournament.

The team struggles mightily on the road. There have been cries that the Dawgs are weak at point guard, interior defense, perimeter defense and late-game scoring. It has added up to a season of inconsistency that has plagued the Dawgs and cost them so many close games.

As soon as the team was seemingly addressing its defensive problems (the Stanford game at home), in their very next game the Dawgs played terrible defense in the first half at home against Washington State.

This particular game against the Cougs was symbolic of how the Pac-10 season has gone for the Dawgs. In the first half, defensive troubles that plagued the Dawgs all year were evident again. The interior defense looked like Swiss cheese with every thunderous dunk and easy lay-up by WSU forward Ivory Clark. It seemed every loose ball went to the Cougs.

Washington State ran a slow-paced offense and still managed to score more than 40 points in the first half. When the defense finally responded in the second half, the execution on offense became the problem. Despite some poor free-throw shooting throughout the game, the Dawgs fought back to take the lead with five minutes to go.

In the last three minutes, however, the Huskies went without a field goal and the Cougars' meek offense managed to take the lead and put the game away by making their free-throws. When the game was over, Clark walked off the court at Hec Edmondson Pavilion holding up four fingers, signifying the fourth consecutive win by the Cougs in the series.

Based on talent alone, there is no way the Huskies should ever lose to Washington State. There are three potential NBA lottery picks on the roster. Granted, they are young, but this team should be more productive than 15-12 (6-10 in Pac-10 play).

The final hope of salvaging this season comes in two weeks at the Pac-10 Tournament. If the Huskies can edge out Cal and get the seventh seed, they will likely get another shot at the Cougs. Even amid the frustration over the loss to Washington State, it was evident during the game that the Huskies had all the necessary tools to beat the Cougars, and they could do it in Los Angeles in two weeks. If they are able to pull it off, they would be two wins away from an NCAA berth.

However, if Cal gets the coveted seventh seed, the Dawgs will have to face UCLA in the second round [HTML_REMOVED] which will be a much tougher task in Los Angeles. Either way, the Huskies will have to rise to the challenge in order to get a taste of March Madness.

Reach columnist Nathan Rodke at sports@thedaily.washington.edu.