Mike Hopkins credits Langston Wilson for giving Washington a chance vs. Utah

The Washington Huskies struggled during its 86-61 loss to the Utah Utes. After the game, head coach Mike Hopkins credited forward Langston Wilson for even giving the Huskies a chance against Utah.

As Hopkins explained, Wilson was able to give Washington a boost, despite only playing nine minutes during the game.

“Unbelievable,” Mike Hopkins. “We were looking at, I don’t know, we were looking for energy. We just didn’t have the energy and he came in and changed the game, got the offensive dunk, he got a couple blocks.”

Wilson had three rebounds and two points. More important than any statistics, though, were the energy and defensive intensity that he brought to the game.

“That’s what we were missing. We were missing that pop and that spark and he gave it to us–gave us a chance.”

Mike Hopkins explained that once you’re losing, you need to find a way to win. That’s where the press defense comes into play. It can either force turnovers and lead to a comeback, or if the team handles the press like Utah did, it can create a blowout.

“You know, just trying to get a chance and at the end, the only way, it’s like one of those things when it’s like 12 or 14. If you’re going to win, you’ve got to press, get a chance to lose by this or a chance to come back and win like we did last year, and they did a really good job handling our pressure and scoring off of it.”

With the loss, Washington fell to 12-9 on the season. The Huskies will look to bounce back against Arizona State on Thursday.

The Washington athletic department on USC and UCLA leaving the PAC-12

In 2022, USC and UCLA announced that they would leave the PAC-12 for the Big Ten. This was a massive shakeup for the sport, which can affect numerous programs, including Washington. After the announced move, Washington’s athletic department released a statement about the move.

“We are disappointed by the news that UCLA and USC are leaving the PAC-12, a conference with such rich tradition and history. We have been in close contact with our leadership and peers in the PAC-12 and are working together to examine options and opportunities,” the statement read.

“The University of Washington has a distinguished record of success at the highest levels, in and out of competition, and is in a strong position as we process this development. We are confident that we will continue to increase the strength of our athletic programs and the success and well-being of our student-athletes.”