Pac-12 Basketball: Way-too-early preseason 2019-20 power rankings
By Connor Hope
3) Washington Huskies
There is nothing outstanding about the Washington Huskies 2019-20 roster. Kentucky transfer Quade Green and five-star freshman Isaiah Stewart will join Naz Carter and Sam Timmins to form the core of a reloaded roster.
Despite the obvious talent of the incoming freshmen and Green, the production lost may prove too difficult to replace. There is the obvious the scoring of Jaylen Nowell, David Crisp and Noah Dickerson; however, the biggest lost may be that of Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year Matisse Thybulle.
For a team whose success relied heavily on their zone defense, the play and leadership of Thybulle was an underrated piece to their Pac-12 Championship. Coach Hopkins defense will once again be a big reason why Washington will be a favorite to nab an NCAA Tournament bid, but without Thybulle, it may not be as strong.
With that said, there is plenty of opportunity for the Huskies to reidentify themselves and once again return to the top. The biggest target should be Jaden McDaniels. If they can land the Top-10 freshman, their offense and depth should improve drastically.
The roster may not be there yet, but the defense played and pieces coming in should be enough to prevent a deep fall in the Pac-12 rankings. Like the Ducks, however, the Huskies will need one or two more players on the roster to be a true contender for the Pac-12 title.