March 7-13, 2011

• Good Week — Lorenzo Romar reaches the NCAA Tournament for a UW record sixth time, and guard Isaiah Thomas plays three of the most memorable games in Pac-10 tournament history as the Huskies capture the event for the second consecutive year. Thomas becomes just the second player named Tournament MVP twice in a career.
• Bad Week –Part 1: Venoy Overton, suspended for reasons already cited, sits on the UW bench for three games of the Pac-10 tournament as TV types prattle on about his suspension and the impact it is having on the WU team. Part 2: UW running back Johri Fogerson is formally charged with resisting arrest and possession of pot.
• Sunday, March 13 –The NCAA Selection Committee slots Pac-10 tournament winner Washington, assigned a No. 7 seed, in the East Region opposite No. 10 Georgia, in Charlotte, NC. Huskies have never faced Georgia, and haven’t won an NCAA Tournament game on the east coast since 1998, when they defeated Xavier and Richmond in Washington, D.C., before falling to Connecticut.
• Saturday, March 12 — Isaiah Thomas knocks down one of the most audacious shots in Pac-10 tournament history, a 3-pointer with no time left in overtime, to give the Huskies a 77-75 win over Arizona and the Pac-10 tournament title. Thomas makes the Husky Hall of Fame with that one shot.
• Friday, March 11 — Isaiah Thomas finishes with a double-double (12 assists, 10 points) as Washington vexes Oregon 69-51 in the second round of the Pac-10 tournament in Los Angeles. “That boy put in work tonight”, says former Sonic Gary Payton. “Mark my words, he’s going to be special”. Thomas’ 12 assists tie the Pac-10 tournament record.
• Thursday, March 10– UW withstands an amazing 43-point effort by Washington State’s Klay Thompson and defeats the Cougars 89-87 in the opening round of the Pac-10 Tournament in Los Angeles. UW had lost both regular-season games to the Cougars. Thompson’s tournament-record performance not enough to combat UW’s balanced scoring.
• Wednesday, March 9 — The offensively challenged Mariners erupt for nine runs against the Los Angeles Dodgers, and the Sounders tally three goals against the Colorado Rapids, a total of 12 combined runs/goals. The song “We May Never Walk This Way Again,” pops immediately to mind.
• Tuesday, March 8– University of Washington guard Venoy Overton is suspended by Lorenzo Romar for the Pac-10 tournament after he is charged with a misdemeanor, supplying hootch to a pair of 16-year-old girls. Overton avoids the more serious charge of sexual assault, but forever ruins his reputation, ending an otherwise fine career in utter embarrassment
• Monday, March 7 — Following UW basketball players honored by the Pac-10: Matthew Bryan-Amaning, Most Improved and first-team all-conference; Isaiah Thomas, first-team All-Pac-10 for the third consecutive year; C.J. Wilcox, All-Freshman Team; Justin Holiday, honorable mention All-Defensive Team; Terrence Ross, honorable mention, All-Freshman. Thomas had a nice shot at Pac-10 Player of the Year until the Huskies faded down the stretch.

“That Was The Week That Was (TW3)” is published every Monday as part of Sportspress Northwest’s package of home-page features collectively titled, “The Rotation.”

The Rotation’s weekly schedule:

• Monday: That Was The Week That Was (TW3) — A snarky, day-by-day review of the week just ended.
• Tuesday: Wayback Machine — Sports historian David Eskenazi’s deep dive into local sports history, replete with photo eye candy.
• Wednesday: Nobody Asks But Us — We ask, and answer, fun and quirky questions nobody else is asking.
• Thursday: Water Cooler Cool — Art Thiel takes on the weekend for the benefit of the more casual fan.
• Friday: Top 5 List — The alpha and omega of Northwest sports, at least as far as we’re concerned.