The normally subdued Keion Brooks perked up a bit when the subject switched to Auburn, which is No. 23 in the AP Top 25 men’s college basketball poll.
“I’ve played Auburn probably six times in my college career,” said Brooks, a Husky forward who spent the previous three seasons at Kentucky. “I know what they are. They’re tough. They’re scrappy. Very well-coached. And they have some really good guard play.
“They’re a little bit different than they were last year when I played them, but essentially they hang their hat on defending and playing hard. It’s going to be a really good game.”
If nothing else, it’s one of the most highly anticipated home games for the Washington men’s basketball team, which has waited three years to play the Tigers. The teams meet at 6 p.m. at Alaska Airlines Arena.
After the Huskies’ 88-66 loss at Auburn in 2018, the SEC team was originally scheduled to play at UW in 2019, but the rematch was pushed back to 2020 due to a scheduling conflict and postponed again because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
At long last, Washington (9-3, 1-1 Pac-12) is set to host the Tigers (9-2), who will play for the first time in Seattle.
“To be able to get a Top 25 team here is really exciting,” coach Mike Hopkins said. “We’ll learn a lot about where we are as a team.”
Coaches are loathe to give greater significance to any game, but Hopkins admits playing Auburn in Seattle is a big deal.
How big?
It’s been eight years since the Huskies hosted a ranked nonconference opponent besides Gonzaga.
Simply put, prominent Power Five teams outside the West Coast don’t play at Edmundson Pavilion, and Hopkins knows it.
“It’s hard to get these games, and that’s why it’s such a gift in so many different ways,” Hopkins said. “Usually you’re doing home and home [agreements] or you’re playing in [nonconference tournaments], which you’re playing some of the top competition.
“To be able to get teams from the SEC or the east to come west is very hard. It’s taken us three years to get the game back here. That’s why it’s so special. We would love to have games against these quality of teams. This is where you really gauge your team. They give you great opportunity to play in the postseason. They’re fun. They’re great for the fans, and they’re great for your program.”
No. 13 San Diego State was the last ranked nonconference opponent — again not including the Zags — to play at UW on Dec. 7, 2014.
In the past 25 years, the Huskies have hosted just nine ranked nonconference opponents aside from the cross-state rival Bulldogs.
“It’s really hard,” Hopkins said when asked about scheduling nonconference games. “A lot of east teams don’t want to come out west. A lot of west [teams] don’t want to go east. It’s a hard travel during the year.
“So we’re really excited. … Seattle is a great basketball city. They know basketball. We should have great fans there, which we always do, and have great support and give us a great opportunity to learn a little bit more of who we are and where we’re at.”
During a 14-minute interview Tuesday, Hopkins used the word “opportunity” about a dozen times to describe what’s at stake for the Huskies.
Washington, which is ranked 89th in the NET and KenPom rankings, has a chance to capture its biggest wins in years. The Huskies are winless in their past 11 games against ranked teams dating to UW’s 67-64 win over No. 16 Baylor in 2019 in Anchorage, Alaska.
Hopkins is 5-16 against ranked teams with Washington, but he’s undefeated in two games against ranked nonconference teams — not including Gonzaga — west of the Mississippi River.
“I can’t stress enough how important it is having this game on our floor,” said Hopkins, who hopes a forecast of a subfreezing temperatures doesn’t spoil a purple-out planned at Edmundson Pavilion. “Come out, Dawg fans. We need you.”
Washington has averaged just 6,215 in home attendance at the 10,000-seat arena, but to be fair the slate of games — Weber State, North Florida, Utah Tech, Cal Baptist, Seattle University, Colorado, Cal Poly and Idaho State — hasn’t been overly enticing.
But Auburn is different.
The Tigers, which advanced to the NCAA tournament’s Elite Eight last season, began the season 8-0 but have lost two of their past three games, including a 74-71 loss Sunday at USC.
In their previous meeting four years ago, then-No. 25 Washington shot 55.6% from the field, but 11th-ranked Auburn forced 18 turnovers that led to 30 points.
Hopkins said its imperative the Huskies take care of the ball and match Auburn’s aggression.
“For us to put ourselves in position we’re going to have to rebound, and we’re going to have to be tough,” Hopkins said. “That’s the thing about it. You can’t let somebody be tougher than you. You better be able to match it. We’ve shown that this year, and hopefully we can bring it tomorrow night.”
These next five games will tell you everything you need to know about Washington. After Auburn, UW hosts USC and No. 13 UCLA followed by a trip to No. 5 Arizona and No. 25 Arizona State.
If the Huskies are going to snap their three-year NCAA tournament drought, then they’ll likely need to win three — or at least two — of the next five games to overcome early missteps, including a home loss to Cal Baptist and a road defeat against Oregon State.
“It gets real,” Brooks said. “You can’t talk about, you got to be about it. When those games come, we got to be disciplined, poised and just rely on our coaches, because they’re going to put us in a position to be successful. And then just go and perform.”
Rare matchup on Montlake
The Washington men’s basketball team plays No. 23 Auburn on Wednesday at Alaska Airlines Arena. In the past, 25 years the Huskies have hosted just nine nonconference ranked opponents, not including cross-state rival Gonzaga. Here’s a look.
Opponent Date Outcome
No. 13 San Diego State Dec. 7, 2014 W, 49-36
No. 10 Connecticut Dec. 22, 2013 L, 82-70
No. 19 Texas A&M Dec. 22, 2009 W, 73-64
No. 12 Pittsburgh Dec. 8, 2007 L, 75-74
No. 12 LSU Dec. 20, 2006 W, 88-72
No. 18 North Carolina St. Dec. 19, 2004 W, 68-64
No. 13 Oklahoma State Dec. 21, 1999 L, 84-72
No. 11 New Mexico State Dec. 24, 1998 W, 70-61
No. 10 Cincinnati Feb. 10, 1997 L, 82-69