Tag: Washington Huskies Basketball

Four-star PG Zoom Diallo reaffirms his commitment to Washington

The Washington Huskies retained the services of their top commit, four-star point guard and Tacoma native, Zoom Diallo.

The Washington Huskies were able to retain the services of their top signee from the 2024 class, four-star point guard Zoom Diallo, who reaffirmed his commitment to coach Danny Sprinkle earlier this week. The product of Curtis High School in Tacoma, Washington played his senior season at Prolific Prep in Napa, California, and is ranked as the nation’s No. 35 player by 247Sports.

“I was this close to going somewhere else, very close. I just stayed with my gut, stayed with my work, and I just trusted myself,” Diallo told Kim Grinolds of Dawgman.com. “I was going back and forth with Washington and another school but I knew it was going to be Washington three or four days ago.”

Diallo had privately changed his decision on his future school on a few occasions while deciding if staying with Washington after coach Mike Hopkins, whom he had originally committed to, was let go.

Retaining his services is a big win for Sprinkle’s offense, as the new head coach has rounded out his backcourt in recent days after adding commitments from four-star Jase Butler and Butler transfer DJ Davis to go along with Rice transfer Mekhi Mason.

On the floor, the 6-foot-4, 190-pound Diallo is a true point guard who can be relied upon as both a passer and consistent scorer. While he’s not a consistent shooter at this point in his development, he will be a focal point of the offense.

“I’m a dude that is going to go out there and go get it,” he said. “I have a winner mentality. Do everything to win. My leadership is going to show to others. I’m going to be a positive spirit and be everything that a point guard is.”

Washington basketball adds Butler transfer DJ Davis

The Washington Huskies solidified their guard depth with Butler transfer DJ Davis, who committed to coach Danny Sprinkle’s team on Wednesday.

The Washington Huskies and coach Danny Sprinkle are starting to get settled in on the recruiting trail, as the team landed its third commitment from a guard this offseason, as Butler’s DJ Davis announced his intentions to join the Huskies on Wednesday.

Sprinkle has a lot of work to do to rebuild Washington’s roster, but adding Davis to a backcourt that already includes Rice transfer Mekhi Mason and four-star recruit Jase Butler gives him some very solid building blocks.

After starting his career at UC Irvine where he averaged 11.4 points and 1.6 assists per game over three seasons, Davis transferred to Butler before his senior year.

Against a higher level of competition in the Big East, Butler was up for the task. He improved on all his numbers from his previous stop, averaging 13.5 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 2.6 assists per contest with the Bulldogs.

Now in his final year of eligibility, Davis should be expected to step in and start for the Huskies, providing veteran leadership and stellar touch from beyond the three-point line. He is a career 36.8 percent shooter from deep and appears to be a seamless fit for the offense that Sprinkle wants to install during his first year at the helm.

Washington basketball earns commitment from four-star, top 100 G

The Washington Huskies earned a commitment from a four-star guard who had previously pledged to Illinois.

Coach Danny Sprinkle and the Washington Huskies were in dire need of some good news on the recruiting trail when former Illinois signee Jase Butler announced his decision to flip to join UW.

Butler is ranked as the nation’s No. 13 combo guard and No. 97 player by 247Sports and is a much-needed addition for Sprinkle. In recent weeks, the program has seen guard Koren Johnson commit to Louisville and 2024 signee Casmir Chavis opt out of his national letter of intent after the backcourt appeared to be the strength of the team when the offseason began.

“From the moment Coach Sprinkle reached out, I immediately knew he was someone that I could see myself playing for,” Butler told 247 Sports’ Travis Branham. “It became clear to me that he is a winner—and winning is my main priority. He understands my game and values what I’m able to bring to the program—versatility, shooting, and playmaking ability as a big guard.”

The long, athletic guard has promising upside with the ability to score from anywhere on the floor and should fit well in Sprinkle’s offense. He projects as a bench piece that can provide instant offense in his first year and should be a reliable option on Montlake for the foreseeable future.

“I look forward to coming in and competing from day one and making my teammates better,” he told Branham. “Washington has a rich history of producing elite guards and winning. I’m humbled and beyond excited for this opportunity to join the Husky family.”

Washington basketball center Braxton Meah enters transfer portal

The Washington Huskies have a lot of work to do to rebuild their roster before the start of the 2024 season.

After center Braxton Meah announced his intentions to transfer on Monday evening, the Washington Huskies have lost 8 players from last year’s roster to either the transfer portal or graduation. That puts a very tough task in front of coach Danny Sprinkle in his first year at the helm, but it’s one he can certainly manage.

During his one year at Utah State, Sprinkle didn’t have any returning production from the previous season, but he was able to lead the Aggies to a 28-7 record.

Meah’s loss is a big one for Washington’s frontcourt, as he was an integral piece of the team’s defense under coach Mike Hopkins. Over his two years with the Huskies, he averaged 7 points and 6.2 rebounds per game while also recording 77 blocks.

Sprinkle will be looking for some depth in the frontcourt, but could have a solid pair of starters if he can convince center Franck Kepnang to return for one more season and play alongside Wilhelm Breidenbach. The former Oregon transfer would ease the blow of Meah’s departure and be a strong contributor on both sides of the ball thanks to his long reach and high-energy play style.

Two former Washington basketball assistants to join USC

Two former Washington Huskies assistants will take their talents to Los Angeles next season.

As head coach Danny Sprinkle works to build up his coaching staff ahead of his first season with the Washington Huskies, two former UW assistants have found landing spots elsewhere in the Big Ten.

USC Trojans’ new head coach Eric Musselman is also in search of a fresh coaching staff and appears to have hired two of coach Mike Hopkins’ former assistants. Inside USC’s Scott Wolf reported that Hopkins’ top assistant, Will Conroy, was officially hired by the Trojans on Sunday and another might not be far behind.

Wolf also stated that USC is expected to bring on former UW star and assistant Quincy Pondexter, crediting longtime Washington athletic director Jen Cohen as the driving force behind the hires.

Now, all eyes will turn to the transfer portal. Former four-star guard Wesley Yates III is in search of a new home after missing all of the 2023-24 season with an injury, and Pondexter’s cousin should be expected to follow him to Los Angeles.

Washington’s top signee in the 2024 class, four-star point guard Zoom Diallo, hasn’t announced any intentions to look elsewhere but thanks to his relationship with Conroy, could explore all his options, including the Trojans, moving forward.

Washington guard Wesley Yates III enters transfer portal

Washington shooting guard Wesley Yates III announced his intentions to enter the transfer portal on Tuesday.

Less than a week after new Washington Huskies basketball coach Danny Sprinkle secured his first commitment, he’s suffered his first potential loss.

Freshman guard Wesley Yates III announced his intentions to enter the transfer portal on Tuesday, saying in a statement that he plans to explore other opportunities while leaving the door open at Washington.

Yates missed his freshman season with a lower leg injury that he re-aggravated midway through the season, preventing Huskies fans from seeing the top 50 prospect in action in Mike Hopkins’ final season as head coach.

The four-star recruit and cousin of former Washington assistant coach Quincy Pondexter was the No. 5 shooting guard in the class of 2023 according to the 247 Sports composite rankings coming out of Beaumont United High School in Texas.

Yates was recruited heavily by Auburn, LSU, Stanford, and Texas before committing to Hopkins as the headliner of Washington’s 39th ranked recruiting class of 2023.

With Paul Mulcahy out of eligibility and Koren Johnson also in the portal, Washington is on track to lose the majority of their minutes at shooting guard from a season ago.

Rice transfer Mekhi Mason, a Conference USA All-Freshman team selection, could be the man to step into those minutes. Johnson included Washington in his top five schools in late March, so it remains possible that he returns as well.

Isaiah Thomas to remain with Phoenix for the remainder of NBA season

Washington basketball legend Isaiah Thomas extends his stay in Phoenix for the remainder of the season.

The journey back to the NBA is finally complete for Washington basketball legend Isaiah Thomas. After originally signing with the Utah Jazz G-League affiliate, the Salt Lake City Express, Thomas inked two separate 10-day deals with the Phoenix Suns, who extended his deal for the remainder of the season on Monday.

Thomas has played in 4 games since his return, averaging 3.5 minutes and 1.2 points per contest. He was mainly added as injury insurance but since his signing, the backcourt, headlined by Devin Booker and Bradley Beal, has been perfectly healthy.

Phoenix is currently tied with the New Orleans Pelicans for the No. 6 seed in the Western Conference, which provides the last guaranteed playoff spot, with four games to play.

As Kevin Durant and the Suns stars fight for the sixth seed, Thomas will provide veteran depth who has been at his best in the postseason. During his 12-year career, Thomas has averaged 22.6 points and 6.3 rebounds across 25 career playoff games, all during his time with the Boston Celtics.

Point guard Casmir Chavis decommits from Washington basketball

Four-star point guard Casmir Chavis opted out of his national letter of intent to join the Washington Huskies on Wednesday.

Guard Casmir “Cash” Chavis was released from his national letter of intent on Wednesday. The four-star point guard from Park Center High School in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota had committed to coach Mike Hopkins and Washington in November choosing the Huskies over Georgia, Arizona State, and West Virginia.

The 6-foot-2, 180-pound guard averaged 23.6 points per game last season and is ranked as the No. 20 combo guard and No. 158 overall player in the nation by 247 Sports. He announced his decision on Wednesday on his social media.

Under Hopkins, the Huskies were only slated to bring in two recruits in the 2024 class, Chavis and highly-rated four-star point guard Zoom Diallo. Now, Diallo is the only remaining member of the class.

The Huskies still appear to be building a strong backcourt for the 2024 season after earning a commitment earlier on Wednesday from Rice transfer Mekhi Mason, and are also returning Nate Calmese and Wesley Yates III. If Sprinkle can retain the services of Diallo and Koren Johnson, he could have one of the better backcourts in the Big Ten in his first year at the helm

Washington basketball secures commitment from Rice guard

Rice transfer Mekhi Mason committed to the Huskies Wednesday, giving them an intriguing option at shooting guard.

Danny Sprinkle has his first commit as the coach of the Washington Huskies.

Guard Mekhi Mason, a transfer from Rice, announced on Wednesday morning that he has committed to Washington. He is ranked as the No. 31 player in the transfer portal by 247Sports.

A three-star recruit out of Compass Prep in Arizona, Mason started all 35 games for Rice as a freshman, averaging 9.9 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 1.9 assists for the Owls. He was named to the Conference USA All-Freshman team for his efforts.

In 2024, Mason took a step forward, starting all 33 games and upping his averages across the board to 14.1 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 2.8 assists in 30.7 minutes per game.

Mason enters as the favorite at shooting guard for the Huskies next season, who frequently started Paul Mulcahy at the position last season while playing Koren Johnson as a sixth man.

Mulcahy is out of eligibility after finishing his fifth collegiate season with the Huskies. Johnson is in the transfer portal, but recently included a return to Montlake in his top five options.

Washington basketball commit signs deal with Panini America

Washington’s top basketball commit, five-star Zoom Diallo, has signed a deal to join trading card company Panini America.

As the Washington Huskies’ new basketball coach Danny Sprinkle is attempting to put together his roster for the 2024-25 season, one of the most important pieces is five-star point guard Zoom Diallo. Diallo, a product of Tacoma who played his senior season at Prolific Prep in Napa, California, has not announced his intentions to decommit and look for another school but did sign an NIL deal on Monday.

The nation’s No. 35 overall player in the 2024 class according to 247 Sports is one of six freshmen that signed a deal with trading card company Panini America on Monday. Known for its popular sets like National Treasures, Prizm, and Flawless, Diallo joins North Carolina commit Ian Jackson, Arizona commit Carter Bryant, and four others with Panini.

“We are excited to add these top basketball players making them part of the Panini Family,” Senior Vice President of Marketing and Athlete Relations Jason Howarth said in a statement. “Collaborating with this latest class of top basketball prospects emphasizes our commitment to celebrating young talent. We know fans will be excited to see their most memorable moments on Panini products throughout the next few years.”

This isn’t the first time Panini has dipped into Washington to sign athletes to NIL deals, as the trading card company also signed quarterback Michael Penix Jr. and wide receiver Rome Odunze in 2023.