Washington figures to compete for a Pac-10 title this season, and the Huskies will do so without one of the best guards in the conference for the rest of the season.
Sophomore guard Abdul Gaddy went down with a torn ACL in practice Jan. 4, and his loss will force the Huskies to adjust, which Washington is equipped to do. According to Hoopville’s Total Impact Quotient, Gaddy is the No. 8 guard in the Pac-10, with a TIQ of 10.3 points. (What is the TIQ, you ask? Check out a complete introduction.)
Gaddy is valuable for many reasons, starting with his ability to take and make good shots in addition to setting up his teammates. Gaddy shoots 50 percent from the field and 40.6 percent from three-point range. He’s also an 82 percent shooter from the free throw line. But Gaddy doesn’t hog the ball or force shots — he’s fourth on the team in shots attempted and minutes played, so he’s contributing an even amount on offense. However, he’s one of the team leaders in assists, with 3.8 per game.
In sum, Gaddy has provided the total package for coach Lorenzo Romar and the Huskies. The highly touted recruit had a rough freshman season, shooting only 41.7 percent from the field and generating almost as many turnovers (1.7 per game) as assists (2.3 per game). Gaddy’s improvement has helped make Washington one of the best teams in the country, not just the Pac-10.
Although the Huskies are only tap-dancing around the bottom of the polls, they have the efficiency ratings of a Final Four team, according to Ken Pomeroy’s ratings. Washington is impeccably balanced, with the No. 7 offense and No. 11 defense, according Pomeroy’s efficiency rankings. Can Washington continue to play at a high level without Gaddy on the court for nearly 23 minutes per game?
The rest of the team’s TIQ ratings indicate that the Huskies should be OK. Romar can turn to the No. 5 ranked guard in the Pac-10, freshman C.J. Wilcox, for more playing time. Wilcox ranks highly, with a TIQ of 10.8 points, partially because he’s a big-time scorer, putting up 8.1 points in only 14.0 minutes per game. The freshman has been sensational from long range, shooting better than 48 percent from behind the arc. The Huskies’ backcourt leaders, senior Venoy Overton (TIQ: 10.6, Position Rank: 7) and junior Isaiah Thomas (TIQ: 9.6, Position Rank: 10), also figure to step up to cover for their fallen teammate. The duo already averages a combined 21.3 points, 6.6 rebounds and 8.1 assists per game. Those numbers will likely rise between now and the end of the season.
And Romar hopes that the end of the season won’t come anytime before the first weekend of April, even without one of the Pac-10’s emerging stars.
