Washington needs better effort, apparently

Maybe we now have a hint as to why a talented Washington team, a team that some thought would be a top 15 team during the preseason, has been struggling this season.

After the first weekend of Pac-10 play, the Huskies are just 10-3 with losses to Texas Tech on the road, Georgetown in Anaheim, and Oregon at home. While none of those three games could necessarily "bad" losses, they aren't exactly what you would expect from a top 15 team.

They also don't tell the entire story.

Isaiah Thomas and Washington may be lacking effort and focus this season.
(photo credit: Dawgman)

Washington has not exactly looked dominant in their 10 wins, either. They only beat Wright State by five; Montana by four; San Jose State by ten; Oregon State by six. Wins are wins, but Washington was a team thought to have the potential to make a Final Four run.

Take a look at this column from Steve Kelley of the Seattle Times. Now, I do agree with some of what Kelley says, but I would usually write it off considering he said

Instead of getting a second-round game against a team like Butler in a place like Spokane, they could draw Purdue in the Bradley Center in Milwaukee on the tournament's first day.

Yeah, Washington isn't going to be playing Purdue in the first round under any circumstances.

But Kelley may be right.

Take a look at what Quincy Pondexter, a senior on the Washington team and the Huskies leading scorer, had to say after the loss to Oregon:

"I do sense that sometimes. I guess because I don't have that .. with me I'm just ... I don't know how to explain it. ... (sigh) ... Oh man. ... It's one of those things where I'm not like most of those guys. We all have different personalities on this team. I wouldn't say it's a problem or anything, but that's how those guys are. They carry a chip on their shoulders. With some of them like Venoy. He has a lot of intensity and that's his character.

"Maybe we got a little bit ahead of ourselves in the cocky standpoint. We need to be a lot better on the court before we try to have a flamboyant style."

(Have you talked to them about that at all?) "You cant ... It's their personality. It's not necessarily them. I think a lot of teams have the same feeling. A lot of guys are just different. Right now I know the next game they won't be that same attitude because we did lose to Oregon. We're going to come out working a lot harder, more of a business-like attitude and play a lot better."

Washington has some problems, don't get me wrong. They lack some size on the interior; they aren't playing any defense; Abdul Gaddy does not have the athleticism necessary to make him an elite player.

But its tough to argue with the fact that the Huskies have simply not been playing all that hard this season. And Kelley is right, at times they have looked pretty apathetic on the court.

Washington has the tools on their roster to put a product on the floor capable of winning the Pac-10 and reaching the second weekend of the dance.

The issue is whether or not the Huskies are going to utilize those tools.

And until we stops seeing quotes like this and tweets like this, that is a serious issue.

(Big time h/t to CHJ)