Whether it be from the starting lineup or off the bench, whenever the Washington Huskies need a spark, coach Danny Sprinkle has turned to freshman guard Zoom Diallo. The 6-foot-4, 180-pound product of Tacoma, Washington has seen both his minutes and his role grow as the season has progressed.
The former highly-touted recruit has played the fourth-most minutes for the Huskies this season and has become an extremely effective scorer and distributor for Sprinkle’s team. His 11.1 points per game rank No. 3 on the team behind Great Osobor and Tyler Harris, while his 36 assists are second only to Osobor’s 51.
In Washington’s best win of the year, a 75-69 upset of the Maryland Terrapins, Diallo was stellar. He played 29 minutes off the bench and shot 50 percent from the floor, finishing with 18 points, 6 assists, 5 rebounds, and 2 steals in the contest.
“He was terrific,” Sprinkle said after the game, referencing the way the freshman was able to handle the physicality Maryland threw at him throughout the contest.
As the Huskies reach a true gauntlet in their schedule, with five of their next six games against ranked opponents, the freshman is going to be a critical part of running Sprinkle’s offense effectively. The win over the Terps showed that the Huskies have what it takes to grind out tough victories in Big Ten play, and the energy and physicality Diallo plays with should be a key talking point if Washington can find success.