Tougher Together

Washington staged a “black-out” of sorts Saturday, with the Huskies wearing black uniforms and students given free black T-Shirts with the team slogan “Tougher Together” splashed on them. (Arizona wore white uniforms in response, at the request of the Pac-12.)

The mantra adopted by new coach Mike Hopkins is plastered over all manner of items at U-Dub these days. You can even buy a black or purple hoodies with that slogan for $44.90.

But according to the Tacoma News-Tribune, the words are also the product of the Huskies having addressed the topic of social injustice. Hopkins arranged for Washington vice provost Ed Taylor to meet with his team to discuss the issues, and Taylor asked each player to select a word that is important to them.

UW guard David Crisp selected “equality,” according to the News Tribune, and expressed appreciation for the discussion.

“That’s why I love Coach Hopkins. He didn’t put a muzzle on us and say, ‘You guys don’t say nothing,’” Crisp said. “He said, ‘If you guys feel strongly about this, let’s present that. Let’s do something about it.’”

Standing O for Romar

UA associate head coach Lorenzo Romar didn’t need an introduction at Hec Edmundson Pavilion: Fans greeted him with a standing ovation as he walked on to the court during the players’ final warmups.

But he received one anyway. As the Wildcats and their coaches were being introduced, the PA announcer paused after mentioning head coach Sean Miller and assistant Mark Phelps.

“And the associate head coach, an old friend,” the announcer said. “Please welcome back the second-winningest coach in Husky basketball history, Lorenzo Romar!”

Washington then played a tribute to Romar on its video board and fans stood up to cheer him again.

Romar was 298-196 (60.3 percent) in 15 years as head coach before Washington fired him last March. He joined the Wildcats a month later.

Big news

Lorenzo Romar dominates today's Seattle Times sports section: pic.twitter.com/5IiQK4K1fW

— Bruce Pascoe (@BrucePascoe) February 3, 2018

Romar’s return dominated the top half of the Seattle Times’ sports section cover Saturday, with a both a feature story and column written about him.

Times columnist Larry Stone said Husky fans should give him a standing ovation for raising the standard of the program.

“This year’s Huskies, against all odds, now have a shot at making the NCAA Tournament,” Stone wrote. “It was Romar who made that a realistic expectation... in the Romar years, Husky fans learned how to raise their intensity to the next level.”

Winning

Seattle is not only the city where UA guard Allonzo Trier grew up, but also the city where he made his name as a basketball player.

To Romar, at least.

While attending Romar’s camps at Washington as an elementary schooler, Trier made it impossible to get out of Romar’s head.

“He was the one who handed out the awards,” Trier said. “They kept calling my name because I was winning every award. Every time I’d go sit back down, I’d come back up to get another one. He was like, ‘Why is this kid?... What the heck?’

“He kept his eye on me as I continued to play basketball. He’s kind of watched me blossom into the person I am today.”

But when Trier developed into a five-star prospect from the class of 2015, though, Romar couldn’t convince him to return to Washington.

“He always said I wished I could have coached you and I wished” he could have, Trier said. “It’s a blessing to be able to have that chance finally.”

A breather (sort of)

Having installed Kevin Sumlin as Arizona’s football coach last month, Dave Heeke is back to a normal athletic director routine that included an appearance at Saturday’s game.

If there is such a thing as normal.

“In college athletics, there’s never a normal,” Heeke said, smiling. “But I’m glad we have Kevin in place and we’re in rhythm. I’m looking forward to everything.”

The trip to Seattle was hardly filled with leisure. Heeke said he flew into Seattle earlier Saturday and planned to return on the team charter immediately after the game. The Wildcats were expected to arrive at about 3 a.m.

Dawg Pack poetry

There wasn’t a lot of love for Miller and the Wildcats in the “Dawg Pack Dirt” sheet left on every seat in the student section.

Among other things, the debriefing memo took aim (often with profane language) at Miller’s sweatiness, Trier’s positive PED test before last season and, of course, the federal investigation into college basketball that included the Wildcats.

“Arizona isn’t strictly a ‘basketball’ business at all,” it concluded.

The Dirt sheet also included a poem for Miller. It ended with this passage:

“Let’s cheer and jeer to get in his head,

“As he’ll moan and groan to Larry Scott instead.

“And yes he’ll remember this Saturday often,

“As we tamed his lame kitties in manner ill forgotten.

“He’ll question his choice to wear pure cotton,

“And remark on the day that Hec-Ed turned his team rotten.”

Quotable

“Where’s Coach Richardson? #BookHim” — sign in Washington student section

The big number

8

White wooden chairs an acrobat stacked together, and stood upside down on, during the halftime show at Hec Ed.