Another Way-Too-Early Husky Basketball Starting 5

Nate Calmese should fit right in with a pair of Kentucky transfers, a physical big man and a high-grade high school player.

While Mike Hopkins still has plenty of detractors following four consecutive subpar seasons, there's no denying the University of Washington basketball coach and his staff make things real interesting with their work in the transfer portal.

Five months from tipping off again, the Huskies welcome six new faces — four from the portal — as they try to improve significantly on a 16-16 season and get Hopkins another extension based on success rather than challenging athletic department economics.

That said, it seems timely to put all these new pieces in a hat and pull out a possible UW starting lineup. 

After the recent commitment of Lamar transfer Nate Calmese and, by relying on stats, highlights and basic intuition, here's a first five to mull through the summer and into the fall:

SG Nate Calmese — The Arizona native is an interesting player because every Power 5 conference school last year whiffed on him in recruiting, including the Huskies, and he averaged 17.6 points per game as a first-year player and was named Southland Conference Freshman of the Year. He can score, reaching double figures in 26 of 31 games. Even better, the 6-foot-2 Calmese shot 48.1 percent from the floor, which means he doesn't necessarily have to throw up 20 shots an outing to make something happen.

PG Sahvir Wheeler — The 5-foot-9 playmaker gives the Huskies not one but two Kentucky transfers, which is as encouraging as it gets around Montlake. Wheeler actually played for a pair of SEC schools. He broke the Georgia single-season assist record with 193 (7.4 an outing) in 2021 and ranks fourth all-time at Kentucky with 207 assists (6.9) from the 2022 season. He can score when needed, too, averaging 14 points per game for Georgia in 2021 with a career-best 27 against Florida.

SG Wesley Yates — Veteran Husky guard Koren Johnson might strongly disagree with this choice, but every new video highlight of the incoming Texas high schooler seems to suggest more and more the 6-foot-4, 210-pounder will play right away and make things happen. He's a big scorer, too. As a senior for Beaumont United, Yates averaged 19.8, 19.7, 14.5 and 5.5 points an outing over four seasons. 

C Frank Kepnang — The Huskies had this 6-foot-11, 250-pound big man for all of eight games last season before his knee buckled on him and required surgery. While Braxton Meah became an improved post player last season without his fellow big man and led the Pac-12 in shooting at 70.6 percent mostly on dunks, Kepnang brings a violent approach inside with his shot-blocking and rebounding abilities, plus he has a greater shooting range than Meah. 

SF Keion Brooks — The 6-foot-7 wing and second-team All-Pac-12 selection returns as the Huskies' leading returning scorer with a 17.7 average and a 43.3 shooting percentage. Again, he's a former Kentucky player, similar to Wheeler, giving the Huskies literally a blue-blood approach. With able shooters, physical big men and a proven playmaker around him, he stands to benefit with the overall talent upgrade. Now if he can somehow provide a reasonable 3-point shot, these Huskies could be a little dangerous.

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