It’s virtually impossible to judge head coach Danny Sprinkle based solely off his first season with the Huskies. Sprinkle had led Montana State and Utah State to the Big Dance in recent years and was hired to lead Washington into the Big Ten. Fielding a largely new roster with many moving parts, the Huskies understandably struggled in their new league, finishing 13-18 and dead last in the Big Ten standings.
After his brilliant work under Sprinkle at those two previous stops, Great Osobor saw his fantastic collegiate career come to a close after becoming Washington’s top scorer and rebounder last year. Important pieces like Tyler Harris and Mekhi Mason found new homes with the transfer portal among quite the exodus for the Huskies. However, they will have Zoom Diallo back after brilliance as a freshman and get another year from Cameroonian center Franck Kepnang.
There’s long term potential in the new recruiting class, but it’s the seven names in the transfer class that have brought excitement in Seattle. Former USC guard Wesley Yates III is one of the biggest names and should assume a major role for the Huskies. Quimari Peterson is a former point guard from East Tennessee State while Jacob Ognacevic had solid numbers with Lipscomb. More power conference flair came through Rutgers center Lathan Sommerville and Indiana forward Bryson Tucker, but there’s a name that we’re really excited to see in Washington colors this fall.
While something of a later addition, Desmond Claude didn’t commit to the Huskies until early June but he’s certainly worth the wait. A former 4-star recruit from New Haven, Connecticut, Claude is a 6-5 guard who has put great production each of the last two seasons at Xavier and USC respectively. With the Trojans in this Big Ten, Claude averaged 15.8 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 4.2 assists as a junior.
He’s not yet known for his long-range shooting but Claude is a versatile scorer and fantastic athlete who simply performs on the court. He’s a future professional ballplayer known for pick-and-rolls and making key plays. Washington will slide him right into a major role next season and could reap the benefits of another fantastic season, especially if he can start to find that outside shot.
Claude is the best new piece in Seattle and frankly the Huskies need him at his best to be competitive in this strong Big Ten. There’s no question that a lot of these new pieces and moving parts need to gel and play at a high level, as Osobor alone couldn’t move the needle last year. However, Sprinkle and company seem to have fielded a more competitive roster and this transfer class is outstanding. Does Claude show out and prove he has a future in the NBA?