Mike Hopkins, Washington Huskies basketball.
The Washington Huskies overhauled their roster since last season. They had to. It was easily the worst year of Mike Hopkins‘ four-year tenure at Washington as the team went 4-16 in the Pac-12 and 5-21 overall. This was maybe one of the worst in the program’s history.
Washington lost their first eight Pac-12 games before back-to-back wins over Colorado and Utah. The Huskies then dropped five straight. It looked as if UW was going to rally and end the season strong when they won two of three (Washington State and USC). Unfortunately, they limped to the finish line, concluding the regular season on a three-game skid, including a one-point loss at Arizona.
The Seattle University Redhawks, UW’s in-city rival that they beat every year, was their only non-conference win. Losing to eventual National Champion Baylor is understandable. The losses to mid-majors UC Riverside, and Montana, who won 29 games combined, are baffling. It’s a big reason why only four players returned to the team this year.
The Huskies lost six players who entered the transfer portal after last season’s big fail. The biggest loss was Quade Green. A senior, he could have come back to Washington because of the extra season of eligibility granted to all players due to COVID. Instead, the guard decided to turn pro.
Easily the Huskies best player, Green averaged 15.4 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 3.6 assists last year His production will be missed. Other key players finding new homes include guards Erik Stevenson (South Carolina), and Marcus Tsohonis (Virginia Commonwealth), and forward Hameir Wright (North Texas).
That’s the past. It’s a new day and team, let’s meet the 2021-22 Huskies.
Senior guard Jamal Bey is likely the face of 2021-22 Washington Huskies basketball. He will be one of the two starters returning from last year’s team. Bey averaged 10.3 points and 3.7 rebounds a game. In his first two years at Washington, he contributed coming off the bench.
In addition, Nate Roberts, a center/forward, will be returning after becoming a first-time NCAA starter in 2020-21. Last year Roberts averaged 5.4 points and 5.7 rebounds per game. For the Washington Huskies to succeed this time around his scoring average needs to go up at least two points per game.
UW also needs Roberts to pick it up on the offensive glass. Last year the Huskies only averaged 8.3 offensive rebounds per game, with Roberts’ 2.3 leading the way. He’ll need help from the other forwards but he has to be the Windex.
The Huskies have two other returners that should be important parts of the team. Both came off the bench last year and add a good amount of experience in Hopkins’ system. Cole Bajema, the only transfer on last year’s team, is back. In 24 games, Bajema averaged 15.3 minutes, 3.1 points, and 1.6 rebounds. He’ll be counted on again in his second year at Washington, a nice boost in his stats would help.
Also returning is 7-foot-4 center Riley Sorn, a former walk-on out of Richland, Washington. He joined the program at the same time as Roberts and redshirted his first year. In the 2019-20 season, Sorn only played in one game but last year he worked his way into 24 games, averaging nearly ten minutes. Hopkins must have been impressed with his progress. Sorn will spell Roberts when he comes in.
After losing so many players from the 2020-21 squad, the Washington Huskies had to reload via the transfer portal. Washington added six from the portal as well as a couple of junior college players. Hopkins also landed a prime recruit, who comprises the best part of Washington’s two-man freshman class.
The star of Washington’s incoming class will be an immediate impact player. Six-foot-ten, Jackson Grant, out of Olympia High School, was ranked 44th in the nation by ESPN and 77th by 24/7. He committed to UW as a junior and should be ready to go from day one.
In his senior year, the dynamic forward averaged 22.9 points and 11.2 rebounds a game. Grant’s outstanding season led to him becoming a McDonald’s All-American and Washington’s Gatorade Player of the Year.
The other frosh is 6-8 small forward is Samuel Ariyibi from Nigeria. There isn’t a lot of information about him other than he’s a product of the NBA Africa Academy and in 2019 he was named MVP of a tournament called “Basketball Without Borders.” Hopkins wasn’t shy about using Ariyibi in the exhibition game so he might get some minutes fairly early this year.
One of the junior college players is Langston Wilson out of Philadelphia, PA who played last year at Georgia Highlands College. One of the top JUCO players in the country, he averaged 10.1 points and 7.6 rebounds per game. Originally Wilson committed to Alabama but decided to use the transfer portal to look elsewhere.
The second junior college player to come into the program is Anthony Iglesia. Originally from Rochester, NY, Iglesia made his way to Washington playing for two years at Skagit Valley College. Anthony averaged 14.7 and 3.5 assists in his two years at Skagit Valley. A point guard which the Huskies need, but inexperienced in big-time college basketball. It will be interesting to see how much playing time he gets.
Like last season, the Washington Huskies will likely go with Hopkins’ preferred lineup of three guards along with two players up front this season. However, two of their better new players are more in the mold of small forward, so Washington could use a more traditional two guards, two forwards, and a center, lineup.
The most likely starter at small forward is Emmitt Matthews Jr. He’s a local player from Wilson High School in Tacoma, who decided to come home after playing three years at West Virginia. Matthews averaged 25.9 minutes a game, 7.8 points, and 4.0 rebounds per game last year for the Mountaineers. One big advantage Matthews has over the other new guys coming in to play next to Roberts is his experience playing high-level college ball.
Seattle native and Garfield High star Terrell Brown Jr. takes over Quade Green’s point guard spot. He was the first transfer Washington brought in during the off-season. Brown wanted to come home after playing last year for Arizona where he averaged 7.3 points and 3.5 assists. The Huskies can use the 36.8 percent three-point shooting he had in 2021-22.
Another player that decided to come back to Seattle has a familiar name in these parts. Not only did Daejon Davis also play high school ball at Garfield in Seattle, but he also spent the last four years at Stanford where he averaged 10.8 points, 4.1 assists, and 3.6 boards. In his first three seasons, Davis started every game for the Cardinal. Last season a leg injury limited him to just 13 games.
Junior guard PJ Fuller. was the final addition. He played two years of high school ball at Garfield before transferring to Findlay Prep in Henderson Nevada. Fuller spent the last two years at Texas Christian University where he averaged 5.8 points, 1.9 rebounds, and 1.5 assists per game.
Dominiq Penn is another guard enrolled at Washington early in 2021. However, he didn’t play at all so he’s also a new face. The Ohio native will be a redshirt freshman. A point guard, Penn will back up Terrell Brown Jr.
Whether the Washington Huskies can move from the bottom of the conference to the middle or top will depend on how well these players will mesh together. If not, it would be the third year in a row under Mike Hopkins where the Huskies would be at the bottom of the Pac-12. This was after winning the coach of the year in his first two seasons at Washington.
The Huskies brought in some experienced college players along with some who have something to prove. Make no mistake, Hopkins is on the hot seat. Either they show vast improvement or there will be a new coach next season. Go Dawgs!
What are your thoughts on the 2021-22 Washington Huskies basketball team? Let us know in the comments section below or on social media.