Three positives and a negative is always a good rule of thumb when engaging in critique after the Washington Huskies 102-75 blowout of Long Beach State tonight.
So three positives for UW center Matthew Bryan-Amaning, who came off the bench instead of starting tonight:
- He showed increased energy on the offensive end coming off the bench tonight, aggressively establishing position and showing the quick feet and strength to finish that make his potential seem unlimited to the novice eye.
- He didn't miss a shot from the field, scoring his 14 points on 7-for-7 shooting.
- He showed energy on the defensive end as well with three first half blocks and a steal.
And with that said, seeing the ball being slapped out of Bryan-Amaning's hands either after a rebound or after receiving the ball in the post is both a reminder that it's early in the season and that he has a long way to go to fully attain his potential. And the fact that he had a considerably lesser impact in the second half - with four points and one rebound - is probably not exactly what Huskies coach Lorenzo Romar had in mind as a response from his senior after being removed from the starting lineup
That said, between Bryan-Amaning and CJ Wilcox - who had a team-high 20 points including 6-for-8 shooting from the three point line - the Huskies bench dominated the Long Beach State bench 44-13, not even allowing LBSU a second half field goal until the waning minutes of the second half.
But the kind of thorough beating that the Washington Huskies gave the Long Beach State 49ers tonight is starting to become somewhat routine at Hec Edmundson Pavilion.
Even the one thing that we can say that the 49ers did well - shooting 8-for-19 from the 3-point line - the Huskies just did better, outshooting Long Beach State from beyond the arc 14-for-26.
And since we probably know not to read too much into a strong game against an overwhelmed opponent after UW lost two in Maui, all eyes will probably be on Bryan-Amaning this week as Texas Tech comes into town.