Washington Men’s Basketball Mid-Summer Outlook: Projected Depth Chart, Key Questions, Expectations
[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="5365"]
Texas Tech Red Raiders forward Lejuan Watts (3) drives against Akron Zips guard Shammah Scott (1) in the second half during a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Benchmark International Arena. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images [/caption]
The Washington Huskies men’s basketball program has not had much success in recent years. Mike Hopkins was let go in 2024 after a 17-15 season. Pullman native Danny Sprinkle was hired to lead the purple and gold back to relevance, but his first two years have been a struggle.
After reaching the Round of 32 at Utah State, Sprinkle brought star Great Osobor to Montlake with a reshaped roster. Osobor showed up to UW notably out of shape and high expectations quickly turned into a forgettable 13-18 season. Yet re-signing freshman star Zoom Diallo and a host of high-end transfers again had fans expecting a tournament team last year.
Future lottery pick Hannes Steinbach teamed up with Diallo, but most of their supporting cast was injured in 2025. Sprinkle was able to get to 16-17, but again, could not get his injury-riddled team to the NCAA tournament.
Diallo and starting center Frank Kepnang both transferred to the blue-blood Kentucky this spring. This signaled the end of Washington being able to compete with the upper echelons of the NIL world. Kentucky is paying the two former Huskies more than Washington is spending on its entire roster this year.
Without the resources to acquire multiple high-value transfers, Sprinkle set out in the offseason to build a deeper and more well-rounded roster. While his previous two teams have relied on two stars and a few other good role players, this year’s team has the depth to survive a tough Big Ten schedule.
Outside of injuries, three-point shooting was the Huskies’ biggest issue over the last two years. Sprinkle and his staff ensured that for the upcoming season, shooting turned from a weakness to a strength.
Of the nine new players brought in, eight project to be at least average from three-point range. Only the Brazilian Wini Braga has questions regarding his jumper, as he shot 15 of 50 (30%) from three in the Brazilian NBB league.
With so many new faces, there will be plenty of questions that need to be answered by the time the regular season rolls around. We will discuss how the depth chart looks today, while knowing that a lot will change as practice starts to ramp up over the coming months.
Projected Depth Chart
Washington returns a potential all-conference guard in Wesley Yates. Transfer LeJuan Watts from Texas Tech projects as the other star who could garner some NBA scout looks. This will be the deepest roster that Sprinkle has had in his three years on Montlake.
PG: Ryan Beasley (San Francisco) Tristan Devers (Australia) Brandon Roy Jr.
SG: Wesley Yates Parker Friedrichsen (Davidson) Lattimore Ford (Fr.)
SF: LeJuan Watts (Texas Tech) Harun Zrno (Rutgers) Jasir Rencher
PF: Boris Tisma (Croatia) Steele Venters (Gonzaga) Mady Traoré
C: Nikola Dzepina Wini Braga (Brazil) Lathan Sommerville
The only bankable starters here are Ryan Beasley, Yates, and Watts. Beasley is the only true point guard on the roster, making his likely inclusion in the starting lineup a necessity. Yates and Watts are likely starters simply because they are the best two players on the roster.
The starting power forward spot goes to Boris Tisma in this version of the depth chart. Tisma is the oldest player on the roster at 24 and his experience, shooting, and versatility should allow him to beat out his peers for the starting role.
The bench is anyone’s guess, as most players have a claim to rotational minutes. The chart above shows both Mady Traoré and Lathan Sommerville as third-string players. However, both have played quality Big Ten minutes before and could push for a backup spot, again speaking to the depth of this roster.
Key Questions
Who will be the starting center?
A holdover from last year’s team, Nikola Dzepina will battle newcomer Wini Braga to see who is the best big man on the team. Dzepina, who stands 6-10, is average defensively due to his timing and ability to be in the right place at the right time.
Offensively, Dzepina is a great passer, routinely skipping cross-court passes over defenses last year to feed fellow European Hannes Steinbach. He has a streaky jumper, but one that inspires belief based on the fluid motion and confidence with which he fires from deep.
Playing in the U20 EuroBasket tournament over the summer, he led his team to the championship game before falling to host Slovenia. His spectacular play culminated in him earning all-tournament honors after averaging 13.8 points and 6.5 rebounds. It was a great summer to springboard him into fall practice.
The competition will be stiff, as the Brazilian Wini Braga is a polar-opposite archetype at the five. Braga is an elite athlete who offers immense shot-blocking potential. He moves well in space, and if he can improve his defensive timing he will be one of the best defenders in the country. His mobility might also see him earn minutes at the four, as he is mobile enough to stay with wings, yet strong enough to guard bigs while offering weakside shot-blocking upside.
On the offensive end, Braga is mostly a rim runner, but has shown the capacity to fire it from deep. Yet, his jumper remains a work in progress, leaving Sprinkle the option to start either Braga or Dzepina depending on the matchup.
Who will be the backup point guard?
As mentioned previously, Beasley is the only true point guard on the team. Both Tristan Devers from down under and Parker Friedrichsen from Davidson will compete to see who brings the ball up for the second unit.
Both players have almost identical profiles. They are combo guards who likely slot better at the two, but due to roster construction will likely need to expand their ballhandling responsibilities to that of a point guard. Both have quick releases on their jumpers and can fill it up from deep. Both are strong team defenders, but shouldn’t be expected to stop opposing scorers one-on-one.
Sprinkle will likely ride the hot hand here, given the similarities between his players, but a notable uptick in ballhandling or passing ability would lead to one of these guards cementing themselves as the reserve floor general for the Huskies.
Is Jasir Rencher healthy and ready?
A freshman last year, Rencher only played in five games before being shut down for the season due to a scary heart issue. Prior to his injury, he had shown some promise as an uber-athletic role player who can play lockdown defense, finish lobs, and hit threes. Rencher is the ideal role player, and 2026 could be his breakout if he’s healthy.
Expectations
With the NCAA Tournament expanding to 76 teams, the Huskies have a legitimate shot to make the tournament. Sprinkle is on the hot seat heading into the year, so an appearance in March might be the only outcome that saves his job.
Of the 15 players on the roster, 11 are 20 or older. Six are at least 23, showing how much veteran experience the Huskies will have this year. If the three international additions can adjust quickly to Big Ten play, that will elevate Washington even further up the standings.
One can chalk up Sprinkle’s prior two losing seasons to injuries and a lack of shooting. This season is his chance to show that he belongs in the best basketball conference in the country. Nine of his rotation players can shoot, and 10 project as average or better defenders. The roster also has enough star power in Yates and Watts to carry this team to a tournament berth.
There is a limited amount of playmaking ability, however, as most of the half-court offense will likely come from set plays. Watts, a potential NBA draft pick, has an advanced low-post game that the offense can run through as well. Yates can create at the two-guard spot, but is best as an off-ball mover and floor spacer.
There are plenty of questions still remaining on this team, and plenty of X-factors to match. But with a full roster of 15 players, and an exciting new group of players boasting ample experience, Sprinkle has a chance to wipe the slate clean and lead his Huskies into March Madness.
