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Washington Basketball: What makes the Huskies a Pac-12 contender?

By Lukas Harkins

KANSAS CITY, MO - DECEMBER 06: Jaylen Nowell #5 of the Washington Huskies smiles after drawing a foul during the game against the Kansas Jayhawks at the Sprint Center on December 6, 2017 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
KANSAS CITY, MO - DECEMBER 06: Jaylen Nowell #5 of the Washington Huskies smiles after drawing a foul during the game against the Kansas Jayhawks at the Sprint Center on December 6, 2017 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) /
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LAS VEGAS, NV – MARCH 11: Washington Huskies mascot Harry the Husky stands on the court. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NV – MARCH 11: Washington Huskies mascot Harry the Husky stands on the court. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) /

Jaylen Nowell takes the next step

One of the best freshmen in the entire nation last season, Jaylen Nowell was an absolute stud for the Huskies last season. A top-100 recruit out of high school, many expected that Nowell would impact the program right away but maybe not to the extent that he did. Even though Washington was unable to reach the NCAA Tournament a year ago, Nowell was extremely impressive throughout the year. Over the course of the year, the 6-foot-4 guard led the team in scoring by posting 16.0 points per game on relatively efficient shooting numbers.

Now a sophomore, it is reasonable to expect that Nowell will take the next step in his career. And considering the tremendous freshman campaign that he put together, this idea should frighten the rest of the Pac-12. A superb scorer from just about anywhere on the court, Nowell could take the nation by storm this season as one of the star players on a top-25 team nationally. Even though his sensational first season flew a bit under the radar due to other top freshmen, Nowell’s name is one that all college basketball fans should know heading into this season.

With a full season of experience under his belt now, Nowell could emerge as a Pac-12 Player of the Year candidate this season. It may be asking a lot, especially when considering the amount of talent around him, but Nowell could be a 20+ points per game scorer this season while helping guide the Huskies to the NCAA Tournament.

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