Here's an idea that's bound to elate all University of Washington basketball fans: The first Washington Men's Basketball Alumni event is June 23 at Alaska Airlines Arena, and will feature a host of former UW (and current professional) stars, who will take part in a Legends Game, an Alumni Game, a Slam Dunk contest and a 3-point shootout.

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In an odd turn of events, Raphael Chillious has returned to coach under Lorenzo Romar after a one-year stay at Villanova. He was a UW assistant and a well-regarded recruiter from 2010 to 2012, then helped the Wildcats to a 20-14 record and a ninth seed in the NCAA tourney, where they lost to North Carolina.

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Marvel Keith Harshman never enjoyed a home-court advantage in life greater than the overwhelming edge he had Saturday afternoon when a few hundred of his former colleagues, players and fans gathered at, appropriately enough, “Marv Harshman Court” on the University of Washington campus, to bid farewell to a state coaching legend who passed April 12 at 95.

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Lorenzo Romar added an assistant from Iowa State,  T.J. Otzelberger,  to replace Lamont Smith, who spent a year at Washington and left for New Mexico. Otzelberger has been at Iowa State seven years, and has been an associate head coach for the Cyclones since 2010.

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C.J. Wilcox, the University of Washington's leading scorer and team MVP this past season, announced Thursday that he will return to school for the 2013-14 season rather enter his name in the NBA draft. Wilcox, a Pleasant Grove, UT., native who will be a fifth-year senior, averaged 16.8 points per game last season as he led the Huskies to their second consecutive appearance in the NIT.

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University of Washington basketball coach Lorenzo Romar Wednesday announced that high school senior Jahmel Taylor and junior college transfer Mike Anderson have signed letters of intent and will join the program this fall.

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See David Eskenazi's Wayback Machine: Marv Harshman's Athletic Life, originally published March 20, 2012

Marv Harshman, a former star athlete at Pacific Lutheran University who went on to coach college basketball in the state of Washington for four decades, passed away Friday morning at 95. A member of the Basketball Hall of Fame and State of Washington Sports Hall of Fame, Harshman in recent months had been in an assisted-living facility in Tacoma and had been in failing health.

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No one from UCLA or USC has called him, Lorenzo Romar said, nor has he had anyone speak on his behalf to the two Pac-12 Conference schools with head basketball coaching vacancies.

“It came up last year, too, and I’ve said it so many times, and I’ll say it again,” said the Huskies coach in his seasonal wrap-up press briefing Monday morning. “If Washington wants me to be here, I’m at Washington.”

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Which state's Division I men's basketball coach had the worst ending to the season: Seattle University's Cameron Dollar at 8-22, Washington's Lorenzo Romar at 18-15 and a first-round NIT exit, or Gonzaga's Mark Few, at 32-3 a serious success, yet ousted in the second round after being seeded No. 1?

Obviously, each team was operating at different levels of expectations. But they are united in major disappointments.

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Seniors Abdul Gaddy and Scott Suggs said they were excited to compete in the National Invitational Tournament. And they played like it, as Washington put together one of its more complete games of the season. But a spirited effort at the Marriott Center in Provo, UT., went unrewarded Tuesday night as Brigham Young -- no, Tyler Haws -- bounced the Huskies from the tournament and their mediocre season, 90-79.

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GAME: Washington (18-15 overall, 9-9 Pac-12) at BYU (21-11 overall, 10-6 West Coast Conference). WHEN: Tuesday, 6:30 p.m., PT, Marriott Center, Provo, UT. TYPE: National Invitation Tournament. MEETING: 19th (UW leads 10-8). STREAKS: UW L 1; BYU L 1. RANKINGS: Neither school ranked. COACHES: Lorenzo Romar, Washington; Dave Rose, Brigham Young. TV: ESPN. RADIO: KJR 950 AM

A year ago, reeling from a snub by the NCAA Tournament despite winning the Pac-12 regular-season title, Washington had a hard time embracing its appearance in the National Invitation Tournament despite its status as a top seed. This year, a Husky team that has disappointed and underachieved all season is looking actually forward to exceeding the low expectations that go with being a No. 6 seed in a 32-team field.

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The University of Washington doesn’t want to play Gonzaga in basketball. But if the Zags are willing, Huskies fans might accept a ride on Gonzaga’s bandwagon. It’s the only state transportation available to the NCAA tourney.

The Huskies weren't invited to the Big Dance. But the bandwagon won’t have to go far to pick up UW fans who can bear the indignity.

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LAS VEGAS – A hopeful patron watched as the ball left Andrew Andrews’ hands, hurtling toward the hoop as the final seconds ticked down around 11 p.m. Thursday night.

As the net thwacked and the rest of the crowd murmured and finalized plans to sprint for the blackjack tables, the excitable man sitting courtside thrust his arms skyward and jumped up and down in what presumably was a lonesome but jubilant display of gambling euphoria.

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GAME: Oregon (23-8 overall, 12-6 Pac-12) vs. Washington (18-14 overall, 9-9 Pac-12). WHEN: Thursday, 8:30 p.m., MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas. TYPE: Pac-12 Tournament. MEETING: 295th (Washington leads 187-107). STREAKS: UW W 1; Oregon L 2. RANKINGS: Neither school ranked. COACHES: Lorenzo Romar, Washington; Dana Altman, Oregon TV: ESPNU. RADIO: KJR 950 AM

Lorenzo Romar's Washington Huskies, who blew a 19-point second-half lead, a 15-point advantage with 8½ minutes to play, and barely repelled Washington State 64-62 in the opening round of the Pac-12 Tournament Wednesday, face a third-seeded University of Oregon team Thursday night in the second round that swept UW during the regular season.

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LAS VEGAS -- Explanations from Washington participants will be read with a “phew” connotation instead of as excuses.

There’s no getting around it. After leading by 19 points in the second half before barely escaping with a 64-62 win over Washington State in Wednesday’s opening round of the Pac-12 tournament, the Washington Huskies know they were lucky to get out with their dignity still intact.

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LAS VEGAS – It is here, in this neon-infested mecca of gambling, that the only safe bet is one based on the simple fact that most visitors will leave town lighter in their wallets and heavier in their buffet-filled bellies. This just in: All those glittering casinos on the Las Vegas Strip do not prosper by making winners out of the vast majority of bettors. The casinos bet on its guests to lose. That’s usually a wise bet.

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GAME: Washington State (13-18 overall, 4-14 Pac-12) vs. Washington (17-14 overall, 9-9 Pac-12). WHEN: Wednesday, 8:36 p.m., MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas. TYPE: Pac-12 Tournament. MEETING: 277th (Washington leads 176-100). STREAKS: UW L 1; Washington State W 2. RANKINGS: Neither school ranked. COACHES: Ken Bone, WSU; Lorenzo Romar, Washington. TV: Pac-12 Networks. RADIO: KJR 950 AM

Sixth-seeded Washington and No. 11 Washington State draw each other for the third time this season Wednesday night, this time to finish off the first day of the Pac-12 Tournament. The Huskies swept the Cougars during the regular season, but won the pair by only a combined nine points.

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The University of Washington’s C.J. Wilcox made second-team All-Pac-12 in a vote of conference coaches. The announcement Monday precedes by two days the UW's matchup with cross-state rival Washington State in the first round of the Pac-12 Tournament (Wednesday, 8:30 p.m.).

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Lorenzo Romar's Washington Huskies, seeded No. 6, will face Ken Bone's No. 11-seeded Washington State Cougars in the first round of the Pac-12 Tournament Wednesday at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. They play the 8:30 p.m. late game on the first day of the four-day event.

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With a boisterous Senior Day crowd urging them on, the Washington Huskies had a splendid opportunity to deny UCLA a share of the Pac-12 regular-season title Saturday at Alaska Airlines Arena. Instead, Washington booted away a winnable game in the final six minutes by committing too many turnovers, clanking too many free throws and failing to knock down makeable shots.

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