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It's almost February, the time to make a postseason push in college hoops, and the thrill-seeking Washington men's basketball team is back in a familiar place.

The hole.

The Huskies must love it there. Surely, their coaches would prefer they find another dwelling place, but for the third consecutive year, here is Washington, digging for the right to play meaningful games come March.

This time a year ago, the Huskies were about to lose three straight road games and fall from the Top 25 to the NCAA tournament bubble. Of course, they recovered and wound up one play from beating North Carolina and advancing to the Sweet 16. This time two years ago, they were coming off a 26-point loss at USC, went into desperation mode with a 12-7 record and 3-5 mark in conference play and wound up making it to the Sweet 16.

Now, they're 12-7 again, albeit with a much more encouraging 5-2 record in the Pac-12. If you're not a worrywart, the natural inclination is to think coach Lorenzo Romar's team will peak at the right time again and make another dramatic turnaround.

The Huskies have been through worse and outlasted the drama. But for certain, they haven't been through this.

If the Huskies make a run this season, they must do so with a team lacking ideal perimeter depth and relying heavily on star underclassmen Terrence Ross and Tony Wroten Jr.

All of Romar's six NCAA tournament teams have prospered differently, but the common traits have been pressure man-to-man defense, balanced scoring and a fast-paced attack that requires at least decent depth. If this team becomes Romar's seventh NCAA qualifier, it will be his most abnormal one. But it could also be among the most rewarding because the team is being forced to win in a different manner.

The Huskies are used to forcing opponents into high-possession, high-octane games that allow them to display their athleticism on both ends of the floor and wear down teams. While that's still a goal, the Huskies — who now have, essentially, a seven-man rotation with C.J. Wilcox battling an injured hip — must pick and choose their spots.

It means switching defenses throughout the game.

It means, on the offensive end, learning to be more efficient and doing a better job of making sure that their best players are put in the best position to thrive. Usually, the Huskies can expect four or five players to lead them in scoring in any game. Right now, much of the scoring burden is on Ross and Wroten, and much of the playmaking is on Abdul Gaddy. And senior forward Darnell Gant is carrying a heavier offensive load than normal.

The Huskies' margin for error is the smallest it has been since Romar rebuilt the program.

"It's been very difficult because it definitely affects the length of time you can play with intensity," Romar said. "When we play guys, we expect maximum effort, and that's why we substitute frequently. It's sort of a tag-team approach to play 40 minutes all out. This year, as we've lost some depth with C.J. and (Scott) Suggs out, there's a tendency to pace yourself a little more. That makes it more difficult to play exactly the way you want to play."

I asked Romar if it's more satisfying or displeasing to win a different way.

"I think it's a little bit of both," Romar said. "If we had the depth, you wonder, where could we be? We're 2-1 without C.J., so maybe we dodged a bullet. It could be worse, but we know what we could be. And what we want to be. And we're not there."

The coach isn't making excuses, just adjustments. Even with a thin rotation, the Huskies still have two future NBA players in Ross and Wroten. Their situation isn't ideal, but they should be better. Romar can get more from this Huskies team. He will just have to do it differently.

Will the Huskies get out of the hole? Well, they've done it before. But not like this.

"When you're digging yourselves out of a hole, there's not a whole lot you can focus on except digging out of the hole," Romar said. "We're digging fast, but we're not out of the woods yet."

Exiting the hole will require consistency amid unfamiliarity. The Huskies always seem to find their way. Now, the challenge is to find a different way.

Jerry Brewer: 206-464-2277 or jbrewer@seattletimes.com.

On Twitter @Jerry_Brewer