Tyree Ihenacho has had a winding journey to Montlake. After starting 22 of 23 games as a freshman in 2020-21 for North Dakota, winning Summit League Freshman of the Year honors along the way, Ihenacho transferred to James Madison. Injuries limited him to 14 games as a sophomore, but he bounced back as a junior, playing in 25 games and starting 14 for the Dukes.
Ihenacho returned to North Dakota for the 2023-24 season, telling local media that he “shouldn’t have left in the first place”. After waiting until mid-December for an eligibility decision, he started in 19 of his 21 appearances and led the Fighting Hawks in assists while scoring more than 20 points on seven occasions. All of that was good for an All-Summit League Second Team selection.
But North Dakota lost much of its rotation to the transfer portal or graduation, so it was time for Ihenacho to seek out a new opportunity. He initially committed to Wyoming in mid-April, but backed out of his commitment when the Cowboys hired former Green Bay head coach Sundance Wicks last week.
That left the door open for Danny Sprinkle and Washington, who announced they had secured a commitment from the 6-foot-4, 190-pound guard on Friday.
Ihenacho gives the Huskies a steady veteran hand at point guard, where Washington graduates Sahvir Wheeler but adds consensus four-star recruit Zoom Diallo. If Diallo is ready to start at point guard right away, Ihenacho could also slide to shooting guard, pushing Rice transfer Mekhi Mason to either small forward or into a sixth man role.
Ihenacho could also be the lead playmaker on the Huskies’ second unit. Washington also added transfer guards DJ Davis (Butler) and Luis Kortright (Rhode Island), who should push for minutes in a suddenly crowded backcourt.
For a Huskies team losing all four players who averaged double digit points last season (Keion Brooks, Wheeler, Moses Wood, and Koren Johnson), Ihenacho’s 14.5 points per game last season at North Dakota will be a key aspect of his impact on Montlake.
Washington has now added eight transfer commitments under Sprinkle, including four in the past week.
Five of them could make up the starting five on opening night: Ihenacho or Davis could start at point guard, with either Ihenacho, Davis, Kortright, or Mason at shooting guard. Mason or Portland transfer Tyler Harris could start at small forward, with Oakland transfer Chris Conway at power forward and Utah State transfer Great Osobor at center.
With those eight – Washington also added Oregon State big man KC Ibekwe to add depth behind Osobor – and Diallo, it’s possible, though unlikely, that the entire Huskies rotation in 2024-25 is made up of players who did not suit up for Washington in 2023-24. That’s not a problem for Sprinkle, who used a nine man rotation with no returning production last season at Utah State.
Washington does return two players who averaged more than ten minutes a game last season with big men Franck Kepnang and Wilhelm Breidenbach returning, which will add competition in the frontcourt.
The Huskies are now at the limit of 13 scholarship players, with forward Christian King, who redshirted last season, and prep guard Jase Butler accounting for the final two spots next to the eight transfers, Diallo, Kepnang, and Breidenbach.
Six of those scholarships belong to guards, with Mason as the only one who can feasibly shift to small forward without the Huskies playing extra small lineups.
So if Ihenacho’s commitment makes anything clear, it’s that the competition in the backcourt will be fierce. The Huskies will be hoping that iron sharpens iron.