Now is the most exciting time of the UW men's basketball season. Why? Simple. Right now, the Huskies are playing their best basketball of the year.

On the schedule last week, one sees two losses — against two top-10 teams, no less. But in reality, we saw two of the most complete efforts we have seen a Washington team exhibit against a quality opponent in some time against WSU and Pittsburgh.

Granted, the team still needs to learn how to make plays down the stretch and close out games if it wants anything to do with the NCAA Tournament.

But now people expect the Dawgs to perform well.

Before, mistakes were allowed under the excuse of inexperience and losses were seen as integral to the growing process.

At the beginning of the year, we never would have seen the Huskies come back from a double-digit lead against a team like the Cougars.

Now we expect the Huskies to win every game they play.

Road trip to the Oregon schools? A sweep — a feat that looks easier than ever with the Ducks 2-6 in their last eight games — would make the UW 8-8 in conference play, if you believe it.

Closing the season out with the L.A. schools? Looks eerily similar to the 2003-2004 season, when Washington hosted No. 1 Stanford on national television to prove how good Husky basketball really is.

Then comes the Pac-10 Tournament, which is always a crapshoot. With the conference as strong as it is, no team can be ruled out. With Washington healthy and playing its best ball of the season, it has as good a chance as anyone.

In fact, if I were a betting man, I'd put money down right now on the Huskies making the Pac-10 Tournament championship game, but I'll have to see a couple more games before I predict a win.

And as long as the conference tournament winner gets an automatic bid to the Dance, ignore any publication that credits any upcoming contest as a must-win.

Yes, it is truly the most exciting time of the season.

What has been the difference in the team? Easy: the defense.

Last week, I saw the Huskies get stops — a lot of them. Stops when they needed them, stops when they didn't. Most importantly, it was all stops that they earned. The fact that I have to point out any defensive success only proves how lacking it has been.

Last week, I saw a team that remained hungry after losses, hungry for success. Something a cold winter in Seattle was devoid of.

Now I see a team that doesn't care about a 16-10 record, ratings indexes, strength of schedules or what the experts on ESPN say. I see a team that asks, "Who's next?" and then says to itself, "There's no way they're beating us."

This team is practically the same age as it was to start the season, but is now entering its prime. If today's team could look back at itself in December, it would laugh at the latter's innocence and naïveté.

If today's team could play December's team, it would win by 25 and roll its eyes at the mistakes it once made.

Is there anything better than seeing a team peaking at the most opportune time? I can't help but think this home stretch is the most exciting time of the season.

But maybe I've just had too much purple Kool-Aid.

Reach columnist Joshua Mayers at sports@thedaily.washington.edu.