Big roster turnover in the Washington Huskies basketball program
It’s been a tumultuous offseason for the Washington Huskies basketball program. We look at who’s out and who’s in.
Over the last two years, the Washington Huskies basketball team is a combined 20-38, including 9-29 in the Pac-12. This was after Mike Hopkins was the conference’s Coach of the Year in his first two years. Did Hopkins become a bad coach after being a good one? Most likely not. The trouble may more of not being able to blend his talented players into a cohesive unit.
UW should be among the top teams in the country and be a force in the Pac-12. Look what Mark Few accomplished at Gonzaga. Also, there is quality in-state talent on the high school level. Even if Gonzaga gets the top few players in the state each year, the Huskies could still land at least one if not two top players as well. In fact, since the Huskies play in a bigger conference, they should be able to match Gonzaga.
This means Washington doesn’t have the right coach. I am not saying Hopkins still can’t do the job, but if he doesn’t succeed next season, athletic director Jennifer Cohen will need to find a new one.
From last year’s disaster version of the Huskie, six players entered the NCAA Transfer Portal. Until this year, players couldn’t transfer to another school without sitting out a year unless there were hardship reasons. They could be involved in team practices but couldn’t play in any games. Everything has changed.
While six players moved out, the portal also brought new talent into the program. Let’s look at the comings and goings.