Suspended Kortright Turned Out Wrong for Huskies

The transfer guard lasted just 18 games with the UW basketball team before he was done.

Luis Kortright is oblivious to the basketball zipping past him. / Skylar Lin Visuals

Of all the things that didn't work for the University of Washington basketball team this past season -- Franck Kepnang's knee early on, the dismal 3-point shooting and the subpar point-guard play -- Luis Kortright's suspension topped the list.

Kortright got in arrears with coach Danny Sprinkle, was banished indefinitely at midseason and never played again.

After coming all the way from the East Coast to put his talents up against Big Ten competition, the 6-foot-3 guard from Manhattan, New York, by way of prior basketball stints at Rhode Island and Quinnipiac, crossed the line with his coach and was done.

While the misstep wasn't spelled out -- except for Sprinkle insisting nothing illegal took place -- what was so grievous about Kortright's conduct was this tough-minded kid knew exactly what the rules were and broke them anyway.

"One thing about Sprinkle is he's going to hold you accountable, make you a man," Kortright told the media just a few weeks before he was suspended. "If you don't want to be man to man, don't come play for him."

Luis Kortright zips past a defender to score before he was suspended. / Skylar Lin Visuals

Withhow everything ended up, Kortright probably should have taken his own advice and not wasted Sprinkle's time.

He ended up playing in just 18 games for the Huskies, starting three. He averaged a modest 4.9 points, 1.9 rebounds and 1.8 assists, He had a season-high of 10 points against both UMass Lowell and Illinois.

He didn't shoot well, hitting just 32.9 percent from the field and 21.4 percent from 3-point range, making him one of the multiple reasons the Huskies (13-18 overall, 4-16 conference) finished all alone in last place in the Big Ten.

Earlier, Sprinkle casually mentioned how Kortright had been "in my dog house" in December, referencing his performance rather than his behavior. Kortright sat out a pair of preseason games when his performance tailed off. Yet the guard played his way back into his coach's good graces.

"He's a typical New York kid," Sprinkle said of the playmaker. "He's not backing down from anybody. That's what I love about him."

Luis Kortright goes through Husky warm-ups. / Skylar Lin Visuals

Kortright last played for the Huskies on Jan. 24 in a 65-60 loss to UCLA. After missing two games with a sprained ankle, he was handed his suspension and sat out the final nine outings of the season, as well.

As the schedule wound down, Sprinkle indicated he would meet with Kortright to discuss the player's situation but, as the UW losses piled up, nothing changed for the guard to the end.

"He's a good kid," Sprinkle said. "There are just some things that are non-negotiable with me and our program."

However, the Huskies coach, while not naming names, acknowledged he made recruiting mistakes in putting together his first Husky basketball team, that not everyone on the roster was committed to winning.

Considering how the Kortright situation played out, this no doubt was one of them.

For the latest UW football and basketball news, go to si.com/college/washington