It was less than two weeks ago that Washington last saw its rival, yet Lorenzo Romar believes Washington State is a completely different team now.

There may only be a little bit of evidence, but to Romar it's clear the Cougars that swept UCLA and USC last week are not the same team the Huskies beat in Seattle on March 3.

Romar will get an up-close view of just how different the Cougars are when the rivals face off Wednesday night in the opening round of the Pac-12 Conference tournament in Las Vegas. Washington (17-14) is the No. 6 seed in the tournament while Washington State (13-18) is the No. 11 seed. It will be the third time the rivals have met in the conference tournament.