Busting Brackets
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Washington Basketball: 2019-20 takeaways from blowout win over USC Trojans

By J.D. Caldwell

SEATTLE, WA - DECEMBER 08: Washington Huskies students cheer in the game against the Gonzaga Bulldogs at Hec Edmundson Pavilion on December 8, 2019 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Mike Tedesco/Getty Images)
SEATTLE, WA - DECEMBER 08: Washington Huskies students cheer in the game against the Gonzaga Bulldogs at Hec Edmundson Pavilion on December 8, 2019 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Mike Tedesco/Getty Images) /
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ANCHORAGE, AK – NOVEMBER 08: Jaden McDaniels #4 of the Washington Huskies (Photo by Lance King/Getty Images) /

2. Jaden McDaniels still needs maturing as a ballplayer

The other McDonald’s All-American on the squad is Jaden McDaniels.  McDaniels hales from Federal Way, Washington, just 25 miles south of U-Dub.

McDaniels has shown flashes of brilliance and may even have more long-term upside than Stewart.  The 6’9 200-pound freshman is averaging 13.5 ppg, 5.4 rpg, and 2.4 apg.

However, McDaniels’ play has been erratic at times.  There have been games where he was just a non-factor, such as scoring five points in 39 minutes against Mount St. Mary’s and three points in 14 minutes against UCLA.

McDaniels has been averaging 3.5 turnovers a game, the most turnovers in the Pac-12.  He fouled out of four ballgames while committing four fouls in four others and averaged 4.4 fouls per contest in the five games leading up to Sunday.  In addition, he has committed three technical fouls on the season and was called for a flagrant 1 foul against USC.

Against UCLA, he fouled out after scoring the three points with 16:10 left in the game.  That included a technical foul in the first half from the bench when McDaniels fired a loose ball back to UCLA’s Prince Ali’s head.

McDaniels came out on fire on the defensive end in the next game against USC.  He had four of his six blocks in the first seven minutes, to go along with two steals.  He still made bad decisions when his team had the ball such as trying to take it to the hoop against three of the Trojan tall trees.

Like Stewart, he is too valuable a talent to be sitting on the bench.  The Huskies will need him in the game to contend.

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