With one or two roster additions to come, the University of Washington basketball team finds itself with a lone one returning starter, three more added from other schools and three international players to build around.
After receiving a commitment this past week from Croatia’s 6-foot-9 Boris Tisma, the Huskies potentially have 13 scholarship players to work with plus walk-on in Brandon Roy Jr. should he choose to return, but plenty of uncertainty.
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The overall health remains a big question mark for this group, Danny Sprinkle’s third in Montlake.
The Sprinkle coaching staff is relying heavily on the return of 6-foot-11 big man Mady Traore, who missed all of last season with a foot injury suffered in Montlake and most of the 2024 season at Maryland with a knee injury.
Promising swingman Jasir Rencher likewise is returning after playing in just eight UW games before a heart condition ended his season.
Gonzaga transfer Steele Venters, a 6-foot-7 forward, will enter his eighth college basketball season armed with medical waivers that cover prior injuries after beginning his career at Eastern Washington in 2020.
Sprinkle probably has just two sure starters at this point in returning shooting guard Wesley Yates III, who likewise injured a wrist last season that greatly impaired his shooting, and 6-foot-8 forward LeJuan Watts, a Texas Tech transfer.
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Yates started 25 UW games, averaged 12.7 points per game and shot just 37 percent for the Huskies while Watts, who will play for his fourth school in as many seasons, opened 28 games for his Big 12 team and averaged 11.8 and 6 rebounds an outing.
LeJuan Watts (3) takes the floor for a 2026 NCAA Tournament game against Alabama. | Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images
Outside of those two, it’s fairly wide open for those in pursuit of game-opening assignments.
Traore, who comes highly recommended by Sprinkle, and 6-foot-9 Brazilian forward Wini Braga-Silva could fill out the rest of the UW frontline starters alongside Watts if the Huskies go with a traditional lineup of three bigs and two in the backcourt.
If the Huskies go guard heavy for starters they might lean to starting 5-foot-11 San Francisco transfer Ryan Beasley at point guard and 6-foot-4 Davidson transfer Parker Friedrichsen in another shooting guard spot alongside Yates.
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Tristan Devers, a 6-foot-4 guard from Australia, and the recently committed Tisma also could factor in as starters, as could returning forwards in 6-foot-10 Lathan Sommerville, a seven-game UW starter last season, and 6-foot-10 Serbian Niko Dzepina, who appeared in 14 games as a freshman reserve for the Huskies.
Preseason practice and games will be as important as ever to determine who can and can’t play.
On Friday, the Huskies formally announced the hiring of assistant coach DeAndre Haynes from Marquette, but didn’t disclose who he might be replacing.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/washington as Lot of Question Marks Surround Next UW Basketball Team.
