When Stanford and Washington last met, on Jan. 9, Washington was playing its first game without point guard Quade Green, and the Huskies faded late for a 61-55 loss.
Though Washington has tried to adjust to life without Green, who was ruled academically ineligible, it has not gone well. That’s especially true on offense, as the team has scored 67 points or fewer in nine of 11 games and won just once.
Coach Mike Hopkins’ Huskies entered that game with Stanford last month ranked 108th in offensive efficiency, and they are now 205th. Thursday night in Seattle, they face a Cardinal team that has been putting the clamps on opponents.
While Stanford enters the loser in seven of its last eight games, the team is still ranked eighth in the country in fewest points surrendered on a per-possession basis. None of those losses has been by more than 10 points, and Stanford has allowed more than 70 points in regulation only twice in this stretch.
This is a battle of two desperate teams in need of a win, and with neither offense producing anything recently, we should see a slow game with the two defenses coming to the forefront.
The play: Stanford-Washington, Under 129¹/₂.