Big Ten Offseason Evaluation: Washington Huskies

In our Big Ten Offseason Evaluation series, we’ll break down the roster changes and outlook for all 18 Big Ten basketball teams heading into the 2024-25 season. Next up is Washington, which enters its first season under coach Danny Sprinkle.

Utah State Aggies head coach Danny Sprinkle looks on against the UNLV Rebels at the Thomas & Mack Center. / Candice Ward-USA TODAY Sports

A new era of Washington basketball begins in 2024-25 under head coach Danny Sprinkle, who guided Utah State to the NCAA Tournament Round of 32 last year.

The Huskies join the Big Ten after going 17-15 and finishing sixth in the Pac-12 in coach Mike Hopkins’ seventh and final season. As a result, the roster went through major changes.

Here’s a full breakdown of Washington’s offseason, plus its outlook for next year.

Who they lost

• Transfers: Koren Johnson (11.1 ppg, Louisville), Braxton Meah (5.3 ppg, Nebraska), Nate Calmese (4.1 ppg, Washington State), Wesley Yates III (redshirt, USC) Samuel Ariyibi (0.0 ppg, Utah Tech)
• NBA/graduation: Keion Brooks Jr. (21.1 ppg), Sahvir Wheeler (14.3 ppg), Moses Wood (11.9 ppg), Paul Mulcahy (5.5 ppg), Anthony Holland (2.6 ppg) 

Who they gained

• Transfers: Great Osobor (17.7 ppg, Utah State), Tyree Ihenacho (14.5 ppg, North Dakota), Mekhi Mason (14 ppg, Rice), DJ Davis (13.5 ppg, Butler), Tyler Harris (12.1 ppg, Portland), Chris Conway (10 ppg, Oakland), Luis Kortright (10 ppg, Rhode Island), KC Ibekwe (5.1 ppg, Oregon State)
• Freshmen: Zoom Diallo (No. 43 in 247Sports Composite), Jase Butler (No. 113)

Returning

• Frank Kepnang (8.3 ppg), Wilhelm Breidenbach (5.3 ppg), Christian King (redshirt)

Reasons for optimism

Sprinkle brought his best player from Utah State, Great Osobor, with him to Washington. Osobor was named Mountain West Player of the Year last season, averaging 17.7 points, 9.0 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.4 blocks and 1.3 assists per game. With good passing skills for a big man and efficient interior scoring, Osobor led a Utah State offense that finished No. 34 nationally in KenPom’s adjusted offensive efficiency. He’ll contend for an All-Big Ten spot, and the familiarity with Sprinkle’s coaching style should ease the transition for both parties.

In the backcourt, Washington has two young guards with tons of upside. Zoom Diallo made the 2024 McDonald’s All-American game roster, and he was the tournament MVP as Curtis High School won back-to-back Washington state titles his sophomore and junior years. He has college-ready size at 6-foot-4 and is the nation’s fifth-ranked freshman point guard.

Portland transfer Tyler Harris is a breakout candidate entering his sophomore year. Listed as a 6-foot-8 guard, he has a dynamic game and averaged 12.1 points and 7.3 rebounds while shooting 35.8% from 3-point range as a WCC All-Freshman team member last season. Diallo and Harris panning out in year one under Sprinkle would be huge for Washington.

Biggest concerns

Osobor does the vast majority of his scoring right around the basket, and his 6-foot-8 frame means Washington will likely have to start Franck Kepnang or another center alongside him. That puts two non-shooters on the court. Relying on Kepnang for major minutes could be risky, because he has suffered season-ending knee injuries in each of the past two seasons. The Huskies also have question marks in the back court, as they’ll rely on several mid-major transfers to step into major roles in the Big Ten.

Perhaps the most pressing question for Washington is whether Sprinkle’s coaching translates to the Big Ten. He has just five years of head coaching experience, beginning with four at Montana State and last season at Utah State. Montana State finished below .500 in nine straight seasons before Sprinkle arrived. In his final two seasons, he won 52 total games and reached the NCAA Tournament twice. He had immediate success at Utah State, too, but the Big Ten is another beast. 

The bottom line

Osobor should keep Washington competitive in a lot of games, but he’s about the only sure thing on this roster, including the coach, who’ll be challenged to find the right mix with almost an entirely new roster. Washington could exceed expectations if Diallo and Harris are quality Big Ten players right away, but for now I’d put the Huskies outside the NCAA Tournament picture and in the bottom third of the conference.

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