COLUMBUS, Ohio – While the Washington players and staff showered and packed their bags before boarding a bus, Mike Hopkins sat in quiet contemplation inside an adjacent empty locker room at Nationwide Arena.
The pain from an 81-59 defeat to No. 1 seed North Carolina in the second round of the NCAA tournament was still fresh and raw.
And yet, the Washington coach spoke with optimism and conviction that the lopsided loss is proof that the Huskies, who finished their season at 27-9, are on the right path.
“Two years ago I made a comment that this wasn’t a rebuild this is a takeover and they kept looking at me like I was nuts,” Hopkins said.