One Last Ride

The Washington Husky Seniors // By Mason Kelley

By Washington Huskies

March 9^th, 2019

This is what they envisioned four years ago. This is why they came to Washington. This is where they always planned to be.

The Huskies’ four seniors didn’t arrive at this moment the way they expected, but they’re here.

Finally.

Matisse Thybulle, David Crisp, Noah Dickerson and Dominic Green wanted to be part of a group that led Washington back to the NCAA tournament.

This is their moment.

“With everything we’ve been through, the good times, the bad times, it just makes it that much sweeter we get to finish off the season the way we are,” Crisp said. “It’s been a blast, man. It’s been everything we were hoping for it to be. We’re not done yet. We’ve still got goals we set, but it feels good to know we’re right on pace.”

Washington secured its first Pac-12 regular season title since 2011-12, because this group of veterans refused to quit after opening their careers with back-to-back disappointing seasons. They stuck together through a coaching change and used last season as a spring board toward the ultimate prize, a chance to go dancing in March.

“It just shows that, if you stick to something, you can accomplish anything,” Green said. “You’ve just got to stay with it. You can’t ever give up.”

Dickerson added, “I’ve never been. Nobody on the team’s been. It will be big time for the young guys, because they’re about to see for the first time, so they’ll have something to push for every single year, because they’ve gotten a taste of it. It’s going to be great, doing something we’ve never done before.”

With that being said, there is still work to be done. This group still one home game and a trip to the Pac-12 tournament to bolster their resume. The Huskies want to finish strong, so they can build momentum toward an extended postseason run.

“It’s the funnest thing ever to come out here and the crowd is sold out,” Green said. “Being able to come out and play with your best friends every night is something I wouldn’t give up for anything.”

However, while the team is trying to savor the experience, they are so focused on living in the present, they don’t spend much time thinking about how they got here.

“The success is cool,” Thybulle said. “The accolades we’ve received are cool, but it’s a weird thing when you’re in the moment, because you’re just doing the work you have to do. Whatever success, or lack of success, will come regardless. We’re just concerned with doing our jobs. You’re just stuck in the moment. It’s hard to look too far forward. It’s hard to look back.”

So they keep moving forward. They keep working to make sure this season lasts as long as possible.

“It’s definitely going to be an experience I will remember for the rest of my life,” Crisp said. “It’s been one of the funnest times ever in my life. For us to have the season we’re having, especially with nobody expecting us to be here a few years ago, it’s been surreal.

“Seeing how live the community’s been, we’re just happy to bring Husky basketball back to where it should be.”

And, while they keep working toward their goals, they are having plenty of fun along the way. Before a recent practice, the seniors suited up in a different set of uniforms, putting on flight suits as an homage to the movie “Top Gun,” because, with the way Washington has played defense much of the year, this group relies on its “Danger Zone.”

Like the iconic poster work of the Costacos Brothers, this photo and video shoot served as a way to immortalize the contributions these four standouts have made during their time as Huskies. And, while it was certainly something they never expected to be doing, it was an opportunity to create something fun for Washington’s fans.

“I love doing all that type of stuff,” Crisp said. “It’s just another thing the game of basketball comes with. You get to do fun things. You get to make things for the fans they’ll enjoy. That’s what really makes this thing so special. You’ve got a whole community of people supporting you, cheering for you.