Choosing a New Husky Basketball Starting Lineup

Do you go with all new players, all big players or all scorers?

The University of Washington basketball team didn't exactly turn into Gonzaga, Arizona or UCLA overnight, but by adding a Kentucky transfer, a couple of guys measuring near or at 7 feet plus a big guard, the Huskies probably made themselves better than last season's 17-15 finisher. Definitely bigger.

Typically a guard-oriented crew for more than two decades beginning with Lorenzo Romar's teams, the UW certainly changed up its approach by suddenly stockpiling all of this height.

Whether these guys can mesh effectively after coming together from SEC, Mountain West and other Pac-12 schools, the Huskies should expect to be more competitive rather than always a pushover when facing taller opponents. Such as Gonzaga, Arizona and UCLA.

That said, it will be interesting how UW coach Mike Hopkins uses all of this manpower, how he intends to mix and match everyone, especially in an opening lineup.

Hopkins could take all of these portal newcomers and simply team them with a new point guard, possibly an incoming true freshman.

Considering his production last season at Kentucky —  33 starts and a 10.8 scoring average with a 27-point, 8-rebound game against eventual national champion Kansas — expect Keion Brooks Jr. to be in every starting configuration Hopkins sends on to the floor.

Keion Brooks Jr. and John Calipari react differently to what happened on the court.  :: Jordan Prather/USA TODAY Sports

Here are bunch of possible Husky lineups to consider before we see the real thing in five months, with previous schools in parentheses:

The All-Newcomer Five

F — 6-foot-7 junior Keion Brooks Jr. (Kentucky) and 6-foot-11 sophomore Franck Kepnang (Oregon). C — 7-foot-1 sophomore Braxton Meah (Fresno State). G — 6-foot-5 junior Noah  Williams (Washington State) and 6-foot-2 freshman Koren Johnson (Garfield High School).

Comment: This starting lineup would be the tallest in school history, edging out the UW's 1974-75 NCAA team featuring a front line of 7-foot-1 James Edwards, 6-foot-10 Lars Hanson and 6-foot-7 Kim Stewart, plus guards Clarence Ramsay and Chet Dorsey. Williams, who averaged 14.1 ppg in 2020-21 with games of 40 and 32 points in consecutive outings against Stanford and California, likely will be the Huskies' leading scorer with Brooks not far behind. Or you could flip them for points.

Franck Kepnang will give the Huskies an inside presence.  :: Stephen Brashear/USA TODAY Sports

The All-Veteran Five

F — 6-foot-7 junior Keion Brooks Jr. (Kentucky) and 6-foot-6 senior Jamal Bey (UW). C — 6-foot-11 sophomore Franck Kepnang (Oregon). G — 6-foot-5 junior Noah Williams (Washington State) and 6-foot-4 junior PJ Fuller (UW).

Comment: We mix in Hopkins holdovers Bey and Fuller with three new guys, sacrificing ball-handling and some size for the most experienced group. Their starting histories: Williams (65 of 91 games at WSU), Bey (64 of 115), Brooks (42 of 80 at Kentucky), Fuller (33 of 89, including TCU) and Kepnang (5 of 42 at Oregon). 

Jamal Bey is the Huskies' only returning starter.  / Skylar Lin Visuals

The Offensive Five

F — 6-foot-7 junior Keion Brooks Jr. (Kentucky) and 6-foot-7 junior Cole Bajema (UW). G — 6-foot-6 senior Jamal Bey (UW), 6-foot-5 junior Noah Williams (Washington State) and 6-foot-4 junior PJ Fuller (UW). 

Comment: If the Huskies choose to put only scorers and mostly perimeter players on the floor, they would turn to Bajema, a 36.1 percent career shooter from 3-point range; Bey, a 34.8 marksmen; Williams, a 32.4 shooter at WSU; Fuller, a 29.7 shooter at UW and TCU; and Brooks, a 24.4 shooter at Kentucky, all behind the line. Bajema is the closest thing the Huskies have to a pure, long-range scorer. Finding enough treys could be a problem.

The Future Five

F — 6-foot-7 freshman Tyler Linhardt (King's High School) and 6-foot-8 redshirt freshman Samuel Ariyibi (UW). C — 6-foot-10 sophomore Jackson Grant (UW). G — 6-foot-2 freshman Koren Johnson (Garfield High School) and 6-foot-2 freshman Keyon Menified Jr. (Phoenix Prep).

Comment: This could be a fun group. Grant was slow to get started, but he was a McDonald's All-American and with more experience could become a highly productive player. Linhardt is a noted 3-point shooter. Johnson and Menifield averaged 28 and 26 points for high school teams in Seattle and Flint, Michigan. Ariyibi has hops. These guys could get out and run and pile up some points. 

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