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Pac-12 Basketball: Strengths and weaknesses of each team for 2020-21 season

By Chris Thedinga

LAS VEGAS, NV - MARCH 09: A basketball is shown in a ball rack before a semifinal game of the Pac-12 basketball tournament between the UCLA Bruins and the Arizona Wildcats at T-Mobile Arena on March 9, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Wildcats won 78-67 in overtime. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NV - MARCH 09: A basketball is shown in a ball rack before a semifinal game of the Pac-12 basketball tournament between the UCLA Bruins and the Arizona Wildcats at T-Mobile Arena on March 9, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Wildcats won 78-67 in overtime. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) /
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Pac-12 Basketball
Pac-12 Basketball Washington Huskies (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) /

11. Washington Huskies

Projected Starters:

PG: Quade Green, 6’0 Jr. (11.6 ppg, 5.3 apg)

SG: Marcus Tsohonis, 6’3 S0. (7.3 ppg, 2.1 rpg)

SF: Hameir Wright, 6’9 Sr. (5.6 ppg, 4.2 rpg)

PF: J’Raan Brooks, 6’9 So. *sat out last season

C: Nate Roberts, 6’10 So. (1.3 ppg, 1.7 rpg)

The Washington Huskies simply did not live up to the hype of the 2019 preseason. With talent like Isaiah Stewart, Jaden McDaniels, and Quade Green patrolling the floor– this seemed like an NCAA tournament lock. It just didn’t pan out that way. Before Green left to serve an academic suspension, the Huskies were 11-4.

At that point on, they finished the season 4-13 putting them in last place in the conference. With Green’s return, the Huskies look to pick up where they left off before his absence in December.

Strengths: There are reasons for optimism with Green, Marcus Tsohonis, and RaeQuan Battle in the backcourt. Battle, a former 4-star prospect adds a lot of length to coach Hopkins’ zone defense. Tsohonis, who shot 42% from behind the arc last year, can be counted on to be a steady form of production offensively.

This team has no shortage of athletes. Jamal Bey, who played some point guard in Green’s absence, will most likely be asked to play more of an off-ball roll this season. He will continue to provide sparks of production and should pair it with better three-point shooting than a season prior (25%).

Another newcomer to watch is North Idaho College transfer Nate Pryor, a 6’4 guard who has quite a bit of quickness and can get to the bucket. J’Raan Brooks will provide much-needed efficiency after sitting out a year after transferring from USC.

Nate Roberts will also be looking to increase his role from what it was last year, and it would not be a surprise to see him lead the team in rebounds. Hopkins also picked up key transfers in Erik Stevenson (Wichita State) and Cole Bajema (Michigan) but it is uncertain whether they will be granted eligibility.

Weaknesses: Now, I’m sure Mike Hopkins will welcome the lowest expectations his team has had since he has been the head coach in Seattle. These low expectations became even lower recently when it was announced the Huskies will plan to start the season without Nahziah Carter (12.2 ppg) due to a violation of the student-athlete code of conduct. Yet another big blow to Hopkins’ team, and another puzzle piece he’ll have to exchange.

So, where does that leave us? With a relatively unproven roster that already led the conference in turnovers a season prior. Down low, the options aren’t quite as plentiful as the backcourt.  Hameir Wright will be the lone experienced starter in the frontcourt, who has started the most games (52) of any Husky on the roster. If Erik Stevenson and Cole Bajema don’t receive their waivers to play immediately, this season could be a long one for Mike Hopkins.

The Call: There are too many unknowns to have a clear picture of Washington one way or another quite yet. Three potential impact players are either awaiting waivers or hoping to get reinstated back onto the team currently. But, as it stands, this team isn’t ready to compete with the conference’s best and could find themselves competing with a few teams to avoid last place.

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