UW Women's Basketball | Kansas St. test should tell plenty about Huskies

A week ago the Washington women's basketball team and new coach Tia Jackson were radiating the kind of sunny optimism that comes with a fresh-start, anything-is-possible preseason vibe.

They now head into Saturday's regular-season opener at Kansas State (3 p.m., 1150 AM) shadowed by doubt after absorbing what Jackson likened to a brick to the head.

The big jolt? A 75-67 exhibition loss Tuesday night to Division II Seattle Pacific.

The Falcons are not exactly Our Sisters of the Double Dribble. Last season they finished 20-9 and played in their 11th straight NCAA D-II tournament.

But Saturday's opponent, Kansas State, routed a D-II school, Washburn University, 76-39 in an exhibition last week. Washburn, 29-4 last season, is ranked No. 6 in this season's USA Today/ESPN preseason D-II poll. Seattle Pacific is not in the D-II poll.

An exhibition loss to a smaller crosstown school is a disappointing regular-season sendoff for a program hoping to revive fan interest — the "buzz" as UW athletic director Todd Turner called it when he hired Jackson seven months ago.

"We're all mad at ourselves," said senior point guard Emily Florence, one of two returning starters from last season's 18-13 team. "We definitely need to make a turnaround."

Jackson, an assistant for 11 seasons, most recently at Duke, concurs. "It is a wake-up call for us," she said.

So how might this group of Huskies — six returnees, six freshmen (considered a top-15 recruiting class by two Web sites) and one transfer — respond?

The returnees:

Florence is the team's standout — tough, cagey and persistent.

A snapshot from Tuesday night's loss captures Florence's competitive essence: On her own she disrupted a 3-on-1 SPU fast break by stealing the ball, then outraced everyone downcourt where she hit a layin (and free throw). Impressive.

At 5 feet 5, she was the team's No. 2 rebounder last season and she led the Pac-10 in steals (2.19 per game).

Senior Andrea Plouffe (6-2) was a physical interior presence last season when healthy, which was not often. She missed both exhibition games due to tendinitis.

Heidi McNeill, a 6-3 junior from Oak Harbor who rarely played under former coach June Daugherty, scored in double figures in both games.

Newcomers:

Jess McCormack is a 6-5 member of the New Zealand Olympic team, though she totaled more fouls (four) than points (two) in her first exhibition. Against SPU she was twice burned by smaller players who zipped past her for layups. Kali Bennett (6-5, Ventura, Calif.) also brings size to UW's interior. But can they bring strength?

The schedule:

Not too intimidating; just four nonconference foes reached last year's NCAA tournament. Only two Top-25 opponents from outside the Pac-10 await: Ohio State and Purdue. Both travel to UW in mid-December. Gonzaga, whom the Huskies visit Monday night, was 24-10 last year.

The conference:

The Pac-10 coaches' preseason poll forecast UW to finish sixth. The media poll put Washington fifth. The Big Four — Stanford (ranked No. 7 nationally), Arizona State (No. 12), California (No. 13) and USC — appear entrenched at the top.

Stanford has two-time Pac-10 player of the year Candice Wiggins and freshman of the year Jayne Appel returning. Cal features 2007 player of the year Devanei Hampton and the Pac-10's No. 3 scorer from last year, Ashley Walker. The talent gap between elite Pac-10 teams and UW's lineup appears substantial.

Intangibles:

The players seem to like Jackson, and the 35-year-old coach, who persuaded all six Daugherty freshman recruits (including two reluctant signees) to play at UW, interacts smoothly with her players.

"I really like her," said McCormack, who appealed to be released from her letter of intent before meeting Jackson. "She's a hard-working coach, and she's laid back off the court, and that's nice. That's a good balance."

Now, can the Huskies deliver the balance of shooting, defense and interior toughness necessary to get noticed locally and nationally? We await to see what emerges from the post-exhibition gloom.

Note

• After playing at Gonzaga Monday night, UW will travel to Hawaii for three tournament games before facing Idaho at home Nov. 23.