Hey Huskies, we need to talk

Dear Lorenzo Romar,

Congratulations on a successful decade of coaching basketball at the University of Washington! We would like to cordially invite you to a celebration of basketball in the state of Washington. See details below:

Who:

The two best teams in the Northwest, if not the entire West Coast. Past meetings have featured some of the best players coming out of the state of Washington: Brandon Roy battled Adam Morrison and John Brockman went toe-to-toe with Josh Hetyvelt.  Future meetings would undoubtedly continue that tradition, featuring young stars like Tony Wroten Jr. and Gary Bell Jr.

Yet more than the Bulldogs versus the Husky Dawgs and more than you, Coach Romar, versus Coach Mark Few, this event would feature student body vs. student body, alumni vs. alumni, and co-worker vs. co-worker. This series would lead to more trash talking than Oscar spits out on Sesame Street, which is what college basketball is all about.

In past years, you might have hesitated to agree to such a tough non-conference game because of the brutal nature of the competition provided by the powerhouse teams of what used to be the Pac-10. That is no longer true. This year the Pac-12 is about as soft as a bruised apple.

While the Pac-12 and the WCC are ranked ninth and 10th, respectively, in conference RPI rankings, the WCC has three teams (Saint Mary's, BYU and Gonzaga) with better RPIs than California, which leads the Pac-12 in that category. The WCC has a legitimate chance at sending more than one team to the NCAA Tournament, and the Pac-12 has a legitimate chance at sending only the conference champion to the tourney. We respect the Washington State Cougars (now there's a line that may not have ever been printed), as at least they are willing to play GU. While South Dakota State and Cal State Northridge are surely formidable foes, you could use another competitive non-conference game. 

Where:

Seattle next year. Spokane the following. Not at the Key Arena for three years in a row as UW Athletic Director Scott Woodward proposed in 2009. This request is understandable, albeit cowardly, considering that your Husky teams are traditionally about as successful on the road as a squirrel on Division street. Regardless, the Key is about as neutral as a habanero chili pepper. Alaska Airlines Arena at Hec Edmundson Pavilion one year, the McCarthey Athletic Center the next. Period.

Directions:

Get on I-90. Get off I-90.  Park.

Why:

One of the best parts of college sports is rivalry games: Duke-North Carolina, Kentucky-Louisville, Cincinnati-Xavier. A Washington-Gonzaga game has all the makings to gain such status for the following reasons: 

First, both programs have come on to the national hoops scene in the last decade. The Zags have relied on fundamental team basketball to make it to the NCAA Tournament the past 13 years, while the traditionally uber-athletic Huskies have gone to the Big Dance six of the past eight years.

Second, great fans and an amazing atmosphere.  In 2009, collegehoops.com ranked Washington and Gonzaga sixth and eighth respectively for best Student Sections in the country. As you know, the small but loud Dawg Pack is notoriously clever and relentless to opposing teams. On the east side of the mountains, the Kennel Club packs in a thousand plus students per game and there's a slight chance that a few kids might camp out for seats if the Huskies came to Spokane.

Third, conflict and tension.  Perhaps competition over the same recruits played a part in your decision to end the series in the first place, as big names like Josh Hetyvelt and Rob Sacre chose GU despite heavy courting from you and your staff.  Fear not, coach, as you have acquired a recruiting monopoly on basketball talent in the Northwest, and, outside of Gary Bell Jr., the Zags have largely resorted to Canada and Europe to fill their roster.

Fourth, a pair of quotes: A former player of yours, a guy by the name of Spencer Hawes, once told Steve Kelley of The Seattle Times: "I think a game like this is what makes college sports special. Look at the NBA, the rivalries are kind of fading. When you do have these special rivalries in college sports, it makes the games just that much more fun for everybody involved." Or, as Diamond Leung of ESPN.com asks, "[W]ouldn't it be nice if the West Coast's top two teams could settle their differences by slugging it out on the court?"