Pondexter plays final home tilt

UW Hoops: Part of heralded 2006 class, Huskies star reflects on what might've been

DON RUIZ; Staff writer | • Published February 20, 2010

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When Washington senior Quincy Pondexter is introduced at Hec Edmundson Pavilion for the final time tonight, he will have the spotlight to himself.

One by one, members of Washington’s highly regarded freshman class of 2006 slipped away early: Spencer Hawes to the NBA draft after his freshman season, Phil Nelson to Portland State after his freshman season, Adrian Oliver early in his sophomore season to San Jose State.

That left Pondexter alone to shoulder the high hopes that had come on letter-of-intent day when he signed out of San Joaquin Memorial High School in Fresno, Calif. It leaves him alone now as the only senior to lead the Huskies through what appears to be a season of disappointment.

And when introduced just before UW’s 6 p.m. tipoff against UCLA, Pondexter again will be alone – except for his memories and thoughts of what might have been.

“I miss Spencer Hawes,” Pondexter said Friday. “He’s still one of my good friends; I’m real proud of him. I miss Adrian Oliver. He’s really a good basketball player. He’s a piece that I know we could really use right now. ... And Phil Nelson, just as good.

“When you come into college with those guys and have a common bond and a feeling of coming in together and get grouped together; and when you break up, it’s tough. It’s like one of those rock bands that break up and they go solo. Some have success, some just fall off, and they all have their own stories at the end of the day.”

All four recruits were ranked in the top 25 nationally at their positions. That kind of quality arriving on the heels of back-to-back Sweet 16 appearances led to dreams of a dynasty.

But instead of Final Fours, Pondexter sat home in the 2007 postseason, suffered a one-and-done disappointment in the 2008 CBI, and was eliminated by Purdue in the second round of the 2009 NCAA tournament.

That’s enough underachievement that when asked about the highlight of his rapidly ending UW career, Pondexter still looks ahead.

“I haven’t had mine yet,” he said. “I measure everything by winning, so there hasn’t really been a moment that sticks out so far. Hopefully, I’ll get one in the next few weeks.”

As the Huskies prepare for their rematch with the Bruins tonight, the stakes seem devalued.

When the Pacific-10 Conference schedule was released, a late-season UCLA-UW match held so much promise that ESPN scheduled Hec Ed as the site of its “College Gameday,” and booked the game as its prime-time telecast.

But tonight UCLA will take the court with a losing record: 12-13. And Washington’s loss to USC on Thursday seemed to snuff any hopes of an at-large NCAA tournament invitation.

UW gameday

UCLA (12-13 overall, 7-6 PAC-10) AT WASHINGTON (17-9, 7-7)

Tipoff: 6 p.m., Hec Edmundson Pavilion

TV: ESPN. Radio: 950-AM.

Series: UCLA leads 91-36 overall and 31-29 in Seattle. The Bruins won, 62-61, in L.A. on Jan. 21.

Statistical leaders: For UCLA – G Michael Roll, 13.9 ppg and 3.6 apg; F Tyler Honeycutt, 6.2. For UW – F Quincy Pondexter, 20.3 ppg and 8.1 rpg; G Venoy Overton, 3.4 apg.

Scouting report: This is Washington’s last home game of the regular season, and the final Hec Ed appearance for senior Quincy Pondexter, who will be honored before the game. After this, UW goes on the road for three games. ... UCLA leads the Pac-10 in assists, but is last in free-throw percentage. Individually, Roll leads in 3-point field-goal percentage.

Next: 7 p.m. Feb. 27, at Wash-ington State, Pullman.

Don Ruiz, staff writer