SEATTLE
As Matisse Thybulle walked to the bench after fouling out late in Washington’s 64-55 victory over Colorado, the sellout crowd inside Alaska Airlines Arena climbed to its feet to give him a standing ovation.
Minutes after the game ended, Thybulle shared a long embrace with head coach Mike Hopkins on the sideline. Then, after a television interview, Thybulle jogged off the court to another standing ovation, this one from the dozens of students still lingering in the stands. As he headed toward the tunnel, Thybulle raised his hands in acknowledgment.
Thybulle, a semifinalist for the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year, earned the extra attention with another eye-popping stat line: 17 points, six steals, five blocks and three rebounds … all in just 24 minutes.
With Thybulle leading the way, the Huskies clinched at least a share of the Pac-12 regular season championship. They can claim the title outright with a win over Cal on Thursday.
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Thybulle’s teammates seem to be running out of words to describe his performances. His numbers against Colorado had fellow senior Dominic Green scrambling for adjectives.
“If I would say anything,” Green said finally, “I would say that’s ridiculously impressive. Sometimes, I’m running back and I’m like, ‘Where’s everybody at?’ I would just see him with the ball out of nowhere and I’m like, ‘Oh.’ That’s starting to get a little normal, you know.”
But what’s normal for Thybulle isn’t normal for other players, so Hopkins has to look outside the box for people to compare him to. In the past, he’s been Spiderman, the boogeyman. After Saturday’s game, Hopkins likened him to Carl Lewis for his steal and ensuing sprint down the floor to collect the ball for a dunk. There was some David Copperfield in there, too, Hopkins said.
Sometimes, he’s just magic.
“You don’t know where he’s at,” Hopkins said. “He goes invisible and then he’s behind you. You just don’t know where he’s at. He’s incredible. He’s got a gift. He does something better than anybody does in the country.
“He had a great offensive game tonight, too. He’s just a heck of a player…. Defensively, he wears different cloth out there.”
University of Washington guard Matisse Thybulle (4) reacts after forcing a turnover in the second half. The Washington Huskies played the Colorado Buffaloes in a NCAA basketball game at Her Edmundson Pavilion in Seattle, Wash., on Saturday, Feb. 23, 2019.Joshua Bessex
University of Washington guard Jaylen Nowell (5) loses the ball in the second half. The Washington Huskies played the Colorado Buffaloes in a NCAA basketball game at Her Edmundson Pavilion in Seattle, Wash., on Saturday, Feb. 23, 2019.Joshua Bessex
University of Washington head coach Mike Hopkins coaches the players during a break in the action. The Washington Huskies played the Colorado Buffaloes in a NCAA basketball game at Her Edmundson Pavilion in Seattle, Wash., on Saturday, Feb. 23, 2019.Joshua Bessex
University of Washington guard Jaylen Nowell (5) puts up shot in the first half. The Washington Huskies played the Colorado Buffaloes in a NCAA basketball game at Her Edmundson Pavilion in Seattle, Wash., on Saturday, Feb. 23, 2019.Joshua Bessex
University of Washington forward Sam Timmins (33) pulls down a rebound in the second half. The Washington Huskies played the Colorado Buffaloes in a NCAA basketball game at Her Edmundson Pavilion in Seattle, Wash., on Saturday, Feb. 23, 2019.Joshua Bessex
University of Washington forward Noah Dickerson (15) gets a steal in the second half. The Washington Huskies played the Colorado Buffaloes in a NCAA basketball game at Her Edmundson Pavilion in Seattle, Wash., on Saturday, Feb. 23, 2019.Joshua Bessex
University of Washington guard David Crisp (1) folds Colorado’s Evan Battey (21) in the second half. The Washington Huskies played the Colorado Buffaloes in a NCAA basketball game at Her Edmundson Pavilion in Seattle, Wash., on Saturday, Feb. 23, 2019.Joshua Bessex
University of Washington forward Sam Timmins (33) looks to pass in the first half. The Washington Huskies played the Colorado Buffaloes in a NCAA basketball game at Her Edmundson Pavilion in Seattle, Wash., on Saturday, Feb. 23, 2019.Joshua Bessex
University of Washington guard Jamal Bey (0) and University of Washington guard David Crisp (1) try to steal the ball from Colorado’s McKinley Wright in the first half. The Washington Huskies played the Colorado Buffaloes in a NCAA basketball game at Her Edmundson Pavilion in Seattle, Wash., on Saturday, Feb. 23, 2019.Joshua Bessex
Colorado players McKinley Wright (25) and Tyler Bey (1) get tangled up going for a rebound in the first half. The Washington Huskies played the Colorado Buffaloes in a NCAA basketball game at Her Edmundson Pavilion in Seattle, Wash., on Saturday, Feb. 23, 2019.Joshua Bessex
Colorado’s Tyler Bey (1) dunks in the second half. The Washington Huskies played the Colorado Buffaloes in a NCAA basketball game at Her Edmundson Pavilion in Seattle, Wash., on Saturday, Feb. 23, 2019.Joshua Bessex
The Dawg Pack yells out to Colorado players during the game. The Washington Huskies played the Colorado Buffaloes in a NCAA basketball game at Her Edmundson Pavilion in Seattle, Wash., on Saturday, Feb. 23, 2019.Joshua Bessex
University of Washington guard Matisse Thybulle (4) tries to keep a stolen pass inbounds in the first half. The Washington Huskies played the Colorado Buffaloes in a NCAA basketball game at Her Edmundson Pavilion in Seattle, Wash., on Saturday, Feb. 23, 2019.Joshua Bessex
University of Washington guard Jaylen Nowell (5) puts up shot in the first half. The Washington Huskies played the Colorado Buffaloes in a NCAA basketball game at Her Edmundson Pavilion in Seattle, Wash., on Saturday, Feb. 23, 2019.Joshua Bessex
University of Washington guard Matisse Thybulle (4) drives along the baseline looking to pass in the first half. The Washington Huskies played the Colorado Buffaloes in a NCAA basketball game at Her Edmundson Pavilion in Seattle, Wash., on Saturday, Feb. 23, 2019.Joshua Bessex
University of Washington guard Matisse Thybulle (4) steals the ball in the first half. The Washington Huskies played the Colorado Buffaloes in a NCAA basketball game at Her Edmundson Pavilion in Seattle, Wash., on Saturday, Feb. 23, 2019.Joshua Bessex
University of Washington forward Sam Timmins (33) and University of Washington guard Jamal Bey (0) go up to try and block a shot by Colorado’s. Lucas Siewert in the second half. The Washington Huskies played the Colorado Buffaloes in a NCAA basketball game at Her Edmundson Pavilion in Seattle, Wash., on Saturday, Feb. 23, 2019.Joshua Bessex
University of Washington forward Noah Dickerson (15) attempts to grab a rebound in the first half. The Washington Huskies played the Colorado Buffaloes in a NCAA basketball game at Her Edmundson Pavilion in Seattle, Wash., on Saturday, Feb. 23, 2019.Joshua Bessex
University of Washington guard Elijah Hardy (10) goes up for a dunk during warmups. The Washington Huskies played the Colorado Buffaloes in a NCAA basketball game at Her Edmundson Pavilion in Seattle, Wash., on Saturday, Feb. 23, 2019.Joshua Bessex
University of Washington guard Matisse Thybulle (4) hangs on the rims he dunks in the second half. The Washington Huskies played the Colorado Buffaloes in a NCAA basketball game at Her Edmundson Pavilion in Seattle, Wash., on Saturday, Feb. 23, 2019.Joshua Bessex
University of Washington guard David Crisp (1) puts up a shot under heavy defensive pressure from Colorado’s Eli Parquet (24) and Evan Battey (21) in the second half. The Washington Huskies played the Colorado Buffaloes in a NCAA basketball game at Her Edmundson Pavilion in Seattle, Wash., on Saturday, Feb. 23, 2019.Joshua Bessex
University of Washington guard Matisse Thybulle (4) shakes off Colorado’s McKinley Wright (25) and dunks in the second half. The Washington Huskies played the Colorado Buffaloes in a NCAA basketball game at Her Edmundson Pavilion in Seattle, Wash., on Saturday, Feb. 23, 2019.Joshua Bessex
University of Washington guard David Crisp (1) puts up shot in the second half. The Washington Huskies played the Colorado Buffaloes in a NCAA basketball game at Her Edmundson Pavilion in Seattle, Wash., on Saturday, Feb. 23, 2019.Joshua Bessex
University of Washington guard David Crisp (1) puts up a shot past Colorado’s Tyler Bey (1) in the first half. The Washington Huskies played the Colorado Buffaloes in a NCAA basketball game at Her Edmundson Pavilion in Seattle, Wash., on Saturday, Feb. 23, 2019.Joshua Bessex
University of Washington guard Matisse Thybulle (4) draws a foul against Colorado’s Tyler Bey in the second half. The Washington Huskies played the Colorado Buffaloes in a NCAA basketball game at Her Edmundson Pavilion in Seattle, Wash., on Saturday, Feb. 23, 2019.Joshua Bessex
University of Washington guard David Crisp (1) hangs on the rim as the basketball gets hyped up before the game. The Washington Huskies played the Colorado Buffaloes in a NCAA basketball game at Her Edmundson Pavilion in Seattle, Wash., on Saturday, Feb. 23, 2019.Joshua Bessex
University of Washington guard David Crisp (1) hangs on the rim as the basketball gets hyped up before the game. The Washington Huskies played the Colorado Buffaloes in a NCAA basketball game at Her Edmundson Pavilion in Seattle, Wash., on Saturday, Feb. 23, 2019.Joshua Bessex
University of Washington forward Nahziah Carter (11) stretches to grab a pass in the first half. The Washington Huskies played the Colorado Buffaloes in a NCAA basketball game at Her Edmundson Pavilion in Seattle, Wash., on Saturday, Feb. 23, 2019.Joshua Bessex
University of Washington guard David Crisp (1) drives to the hoop in the first half. The Washington Huskies played the Colorado Buffaloes in a NCAA basketball game at Her Edmundson Pavilion in Seattle, Wash., on Saturday, Feb. 23, 2019.Joshua Bessex
University of Washington guard Jaylen Nowell (5) tips in a shot by University of Washington forward Sam Timmins (33) in the first half. The Washington Huskies played the Colorado Buffaloes in a NCAA basketball game at Her Edmundson Pavilion in Seattle, Wash., on Saturday, Feb. 23, 2019.Joshua Bessex
University of Washington guard David Crisp (1) warms up before the game. The Washington Huskies played the Colorado Buffaloes in a NCAA basketball game at Her Edmundson Pavilion in Seattle, Wash., on Saturday, Feb. 23, 2019.Joshua Bessex
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