The Washington Huskies may be without the services of Justin Holiday, the team’s best defender, as they open the Pac-10 Tournament in Los Angeles against the Washington State Cougars on Thursday. Holiday, who suffered a head injury in the Huskies regular season finale against the USC Trojans, is a game-time decision for Thursday’s game. Washington is sitting on the bubble, and may need at least one Pac-10 Tournament win to secure a spot in the NCAA Tournament.
Lorenzo Romar updated the status of Holiday at his weekly press conference on Tuesday. While Holiday’s status is unclear, Romar is hopeful he’ll be able to give it a go on Thursday. The report comes from Christian Caple, of The Seattle PI, on Twitter.
Holiday could be game-time decision on Thursday. Romar on Holiday: “My thinking is that he’ll play.”
Holiday is the Huskies’ best defender, and would likely draw the task of guarding Klay Thompson on Thursday. In 2011, he improved on the offensive end of the floor, as well, posting a 120 ORtg with a 56.5 effective field goal percentage. Losing his services would force Romar to explore other options on the perimeter, with C.J. Wilcox, Terrence Ross and Scott Suggs both options to share the minutes Holiday would’ve used.
We’ll be back with updates on Holiday’s availability and the loss of guard Venoy Overton, suspended after being charged with furnishing alcohol to a minor, as more becomes available. For more on the tournament, check out our 2011 Pac-10 Tournament StoryStream. To connect with Washington fans, visit SB Nation’s UW Dawg Pound.