2024-25 Big Ten offseason at a glance: Washington Huskies

  • 05/27/2024 7:58 am in

Welcome to “Big Ten offseason at a glance,” a team-by-team look at the conference at the start of the summer. We’ll examine roster movement for each Big Ten roster and give an early outlook for each Big Ten program for the 2024-25 season.

Previously: Penn State, Minnesota, Illinois, Iowa, Oregon

Today: Washington (17-15 overall in 2023-24, 9-11 in Pac-12 play)

After reaching the NCAA tournament just once in seven seasons, Washington fired Mike Hopkins in March and replaced him with Danny Sprinkle. The 47-year-old led Montana State to the NCAA tournament in 2022 and 2023 before leading Utah State to the tournament in 2024.

Washington roster movement

Players returning with eligibility remaining: Wilhelm Breidenbach, Franck Kepnang, Christian King

Players departing due to exhausted eligibility: Anthony Holland, Sahvir Wheeler, Paul Mulcahy, Moses Wood, Keion Brooks Jr.

Players who departed via the transfer portal: Braxton Meah (to Nebraska), Samuel Ariyibi, Wesley Yates III, Koren Johnson (to Louisville), Nate Calmese (to Washington State)

Players arriving via the transfer portal: DJ Davis (from Butler), Mekhi Mason (from Rice), KC Ibekwe (from Oregon State), Chris Conway (from Oakland), Luis Kortright (from Rhode Island), Tyler Harris (from Portland), Great Osobor (from Utah State), Tyree Ihenacho (from North Dakota)

Players arriving via high school: Zoom Diallo (247Composite top 40), Jase Butler

The Huskies have filled their roster despite returning just three players from last season. Sprinkle did significant work in the transfer portal, adding eight players.

What to like about Washington

Hopkins was given more than adequate time to figure things out in Seattle and failed miserable. The coaching upgrade here going from Hopkins to Sprinkle should be significant. Sprinkle lead his alma mater, Montana State, to the NCAA tournament for the first time in 26 years in 2022. He made the tournament again the following season before taking Utah State to March Madness in 2024. He’s a winner.

The addition of Osobor, who played at Montana State and Utah State under Sprinkle, is enormous. He reportedly got an NIL package of over $2 million after averaging 17.7 points and nine rebounds last season.

The point guard duo of Kortright, a transfer from Rhode Island and Diallo, a top 40 recruit, should be solid. Harris averaged 12.1 points and 7.3 rebounds as a freshman at Portland and should start immediately on the wing. Davis, a Butler transfer, will also be an impact newcomer after averaging 13.5 points last season for the Bulldogs.

What to question with Washington

Any team integrating this many new pieces is going to have question marks entering the season and growing pains once the games begin.

While the Huskies have legitimate size in the post with Kepnang and Ibekwe, Kepnang has battled injury issues for much of his career and Ibekwe is expected to be a backup after averaging 5.1 points and four rebounds last season for the Beavers. It’s important to have stellar post play in the Big Ten and it’s uncertain the Huskies will have that.

Washington’s outlook for the 2024-25 season

Here’s Washington’s Big Ten schedule for next season:

Home: Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Nebraska, Northwestern, Purdue, Rutgers
Away: Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Ohio State, Penn State, Wisconsin
Home/Away: Oregon, UCLA, USC

The long term prospects for Washington basketball are looking up with the hiring of Sprinkle, who is considered one of the better up and coming coaches in the sport.

Washington will be competitive immediately as it has assembled a roster full of capable of transfers and also has a top 40 recruit in Diallo, who Sprinkle was able to retain after the coaching change.

Reaching the NCAA tournament would be a surprise in year one of the Sprinkle era.

(Photo credit: Washington Athletics)

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