Keeping Budda Baker home was critical for No. 6 Washington

SEATTLE (AP) — It's too simple of an equation to say that Budda Baker was the cause and Washington being on the cusp of a Pac-12 North title was the effect.

But it's not too far of a stretch to believe that the most impactful recruit landed by Chris Petersen since he arrived at Washington came in February 2014. That's when Baker decided to stay home with the Huskies rather than follow the lengthy parade of premier recruits from the state of Washington who decided to go out of state.

"We were very urgent. We knew he was a big time football player that could really change the direction of this program and that was job No. 1 when we first took this job was to make sure we kept a homegrown talent…