Washington Basketball: Huskies nab former Utah State big man Great Osobor

An overwhelming number of college basketball players found themselves on the move in the Transfer Portal this offseason. There are still hundreds of names hunting for their next stops, but one of the biggest remaining names found clarity as Great Osobor committed to Washington today.

A 6’8 forward originally from Bradford in the United Kingdom, Osobor came from England to the United States to begin his collegiate career three seasons ago. He landed at Montana State in 2021 and has spent his entire American playing career under Danny Sprinkle, whose roster he’ll join again with the Huskies.

While at Montana State, Osobor was a talented young prospect who showed potential, but didn’t get much of a chance to shine with the Bobcats. He started just three games in his two seasons at Montana State, though he’d average double-digit points per game while taking a slight step forward as a sophomore.

Following his coach to Utah State in 2023 would represent a more significant step forward in Osobor’s career. Osobor transformed into one of the best bigs at the mid-major level, averaging 17.7 points, 9.0 rebounds, and 2.8 assists per game for an Aggies team that bucked preseason expectations to win the MWC regular season crown.

The former Big Sky Sixth Man of the Year truly skyrocketed as a junior and was named MWC Player of the Year in his only season in the league. Ranking among the league’s best scorers and rebounders, he had several notable performances with the Aggies, including a trio of 30-point games early in the season and a 29-point, 17-rebound effort against Fresno State in the MWC Tournament.

After a marvelous junior year, which included helping Utah State to their first NCAA Tournament win in 23 years, Osobor opted to enter the Transfer Portal. Not only had he transformed his game, but Sprinkle was leaving town after just a single season with Utah State.

He garnered significant interest from power conference programs after demonstrating this magnificent growth through his career. After considering several options, Osobor chose Washington, but not just because that’s where Sprinkle landed in the offseason. He is also receiving the richest NIL offer in the land, garnering right around $2 million to head to Seattle.

In this new era of NIL management and the Transfer Portal, entire teams are often reconstructed in the blink of an eye in the offseason, putting plenty of preseason on new head coaches at every level. While Washington paid a hefty price for Osobor’s services, Sprinkle gets a familiar face to anchor the back end of his rotation in the Huskies’ first year in the Big Ten.

We aren’t sure quite yet what this lineup will look like, though Osobor joins fellow incoming additions like DJ Davis from Butler and Mekhi Mason from Rice. We do know that the Huskies paid quite the price and expect greatness from Osobor, who will continue his playing career under Sprinkle and hope to make a significant impact in his third conference in three years.