> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.emeraldcityspectrum.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Analysis: How Can Redhawks Overcome Lengthy Absence for Brayden Maldonado? - URL: https://www.emeraldcityspectrum.com/seattle-redhawks-overcome-brayden-maldonado-injury/ - Published: 2026-02-19T03:19:07.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-08T06:15:54.000Z - Author: Hayden Wysup - Tags: Analysis, Brayden Maldonado, Will Heimbrodt, Jojo Murphy, John Christofilis, Junseok Yeo, Redhawks \[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="2900"\] ![ Seattle U Redhawks guard Brayden Maldonado (0) controls the ball against the Gonzaga Bulldogs in the second half at McCarthey Athletic Center. Mandatory Credit: James Snook-Imagn Images ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1d/f2/1df2f77b-83dd-4bc0-a6d2-6d1bb5df89a3/content/images/2026/10/usatsi_27927591-format-original-1.jpg) Seattle U Redhawks guard Brayden Maldonado (0) controls the ball against the Gonzaga Bulldogs in the second half at McCarthey Athletic Center. Mandatory Credit: James Snook-Imagn Images \[/caption\] In the midst of a WCC battle against the Oregon State Beavers, the Seattle U Redhawks lost the engine for their offense when Brayden Maldonado left the game and did not return with an injury. In his absence, Seattle stepped up when its primary shot creator left the the game with 36 of its 60 points coming off the bench, securing a 60-50 win. But assuming Maldonado will miss extended time moving forward, a much taller task awaits the shorthanded Redhawks at their doorstep on Wednesday with a rematch against the 23-4 Saint Mary’s Gaels. Every time Maldonado brings the ball up the court, it’s clear he is at the top of the opposing scouting report. All eyes defensively are zeroed in on him, making sure they can affect the 10th leading scorer in the WCC anyway they can. Guards chase the senior guard around the perimeter all game, two defenders attack him as the ball handler on every screen, and he’s the undivided center of attention. But now with that attention Maldonado attracts every game possibly gone for the foreseeable future, multiple Redhawks will have to step up in order to keep an already struggling offense afloat entering the final stretch run in WCC play. Without the gravity of Maldonado generating space for other Redhawks with defenders hovering around him constantly, Will Heimbrodt will have to step up as a creator. WCC play has been up and down for Heimbrodt, but he had one of his better games against Oregon State on Sunday. He finished with 15 points on 5-13 shooting, adding nine rebounds and three blocks. Heimbrodt was aggressive and even got to the line nine times, which has not been the case often. While he only converted on three of those shots at the charity stripe, the aggressiveness is a good sign. Heimbrodt is at his best getting downhill attacking the basket, playing off two feet or posting up. With Maldonado out, there will be a bigger emphasis on him not only creating his own shot, but setting up his teammates and manipulating the defense as a driver looking to pass. Too often in WCC play he has been passive, or when he does get downhill, he rushes his looks. In a larger role as a creator, a greater emphasis will be on Heimbrodt to take care of the ball. In the past three games Heimbrodt has turned the ball over 14 times. Often these mistakes are avoidable, like being too loose with the ball. Help defenders often find success swiping at the ball as he drives in or when he is cut off by the defense, they force him into putting the ball in harms way. Heimbrodt leads the team in turnovers on the season with 2.5 per game, and with Maldonado out, the Redhawks cannot afford those mistakes from someone who is more than capable of creating looks for his teammates in bunches. Playing disciplined basketball will be crucial for a player who has been under fire at times from coach Chris Victor earlier in the season. Away from Heimbrodt, Jojo Murphy is the direct beneficiary of Maldonado's vacant minutes. In the Oregon State game, Murphy recorded a season-high 31 minutes. In the second half, he played 19 minutes and helped close out the game with nine second half points. Murphy is a capable ball handler and while he is not the flamethrower from behind the arc like Maldonado is, Murphy is shooting 39% from three and can space the floor. While Murphy is the plug and play for Maldonado, John Christofilis could also see an uptick in minutes. His 22 minutes in the matchup with the Beavers is the most he has seen in WCC play and the senior guard made the most of it. He finished with 16 points and four three-pointers made. His spacing will be key as the Redhawks lose a star in Maldonado who has 12 games with at least three three-pointers made. Expect him to see more opportunity and be used coming off screens and getting to his pull up mid-range jumper regularly. Before the Oregon State game, Junseok Yeo was playing some of his best basketball, notching 18 points against Pepperdine, 14 against Portland, and 17 against Santa Clara. However, he did this while not shooting well from three. What Seattle will need going forward is for him to be a productive off ball player even though teams will not be keying in on Maldonado. Teams will guard him tight because of the threat he brings if he can get it going from three, but in these games, Yeo got it going in the paint. Yeo is a good cutter, and when he gets low paint touches often with smaller defenders, he can use his 6-8 frame to convert easy looks. Along with cutting, he has shown a much more willingness to drive to the basket. Similarly to Heimbrodt, when he is playing off two feet and not forcing looks when he is cut off, he can convert looks effectively. While the severity of Maldonado's injury has not been disclosed, the Redhawks stepped up in his absence against the Beavers and showed they are capable of still getting wins even without their best offensive player. They have a tall task Wednesday against Saint Mary’s but will closeout the season hosting Portland, at Pepperdine and at LMU, three winnable games heading into the WCC tournament.