Washington Basketball: Reason for Guarded Optimism

Washington Basketball faces a challenging season. But there are plenty of reasons for guarded optimism this year.

The University of Washington Huskies Men’s Basketball Team has had its share of controversy, upheaval, and dramatic changes in the past six months.  But the team now enters the first season under head coach Mike Hopkins, and the future is shrouded in uncertainty.

We had recently analyzed the future of the team on a player by player basis in the front court.  In that analysis, the outlook was not nearly as bleak.  How so?

In fact, head coach Mike Hopkins is expected to encourage four year players to the program. While that may eliminate the one-and-done stars who offer one burst season, it does give the overall program consistency and reliability.

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As we had done so with the front court, the best place to start is to list out the current roster

5-foot-10 point guard Dan Kingma
6-foot-0 point guard/shooting guard David Crisp
6-foot-0 guard Quin Barnard
And then
6-foot-0 point guard Nate Pryor
6-foot-3 guard Carlos Johnson
Finally
6-foot-4 guard Michael Carter III
6-foot-5 shooting guard Jaylen Nowell

Now let’s project how Coach Hopkins will deploy his troops.

5-foot-10 point guard Dan Kingma

Dan Kingma brings a great deal of experience which simply did not translate into on-court production.  Now under the tutelage of head coach Mike Hopkins, he hopes to change that.

The first step is get onto the basketball court.  In three seasons, Kingma has appeared in just 39 games.  The second step is to get playing time.  So far, he has played a total of 214 minutes.  The majority of playing time happened in six of the last eight games of the 2016-2017 season.

With the First Pick

Those six games did not bring much evidence for more playing time for this seasons.  In those games, Kingma scored eight points, hauled in ten rebounds, and passed out six assists.

So what can improve?

Modest Gains, Big Improvement

It was evident that the team relied on the raw talents of players to make plays last year. While that served the needs of a Markelle Fultz quite well, supporting cast players such as Dan Kingma need more scheme to produce.

While there is little likelihood of Dan Kingma rising to a 20 point game this year, the Washington Basketball team merely needs to nudge him in a positive direction.

Find a comfortable niche and turn him loose.  Whether it be defense or a three-point shot.

6-foot-0 point guard/shooting guard David Crisp

David Crisp is a player who is virtually impossible not to like. He plays with the fire of the fans, and when he gets in the zone he can take over a game.  He is the type of player who connects with the fans, turning their passion into play-making ability on the basketball court.

And it’s that passion fueling his scoring that brings even more passion from the stands.

The upside of Crisp flashed at times in the 2016-2017 season.  He pushed 31 points onto the scoreboard for the Washington Basketball team against the Utah Utes on 62 percent shooting from the floor.  Two weeks later, a similar effort brought just six points to the same team.

Hot and cold.

Heart Is Where the Home Is

But there is no question of heart. He joined Carlos Johnson in standing with the University of Washington Basketball team when so many were running to the greener grass on the other side of the fence.

That solidified his place in the hearts of fans.  So how does that work in Coach Hopkins system? Rather well. Crisp has audacity, versatility, and an amazing energy setting. He was the workhorse for the team last season. Expect the load to lighten this year, but the production to improve. Crisp can refine that three-point shot and work on defense, creating a perfect “Three and D” player for Hop.

6-foot-0 guard Quin Barnard

Quin Barnard was a 2016 walk-on who saw limited play last year.  Well, perhaps even that is an overstatement. Barnard appeared in 14 games for the Washington Basketball team in the 2016-2017 season, never at more than two minutes in a single game.

But Quin Barnard has untapped talent. He arrived to the team as a walk-on freshman who made the squad. He has a fine shot, but without playing minutes, it never appeared in the stats.

New Opportunity

In his last appearance, Barnard played two minutes, and converted two treys for six points.  On a “per 36” basis, that is the equivalent of 108 points… so let’s not go there.
But we can go to the fact that he is a returning player who has the chance to earn more playing time. And on a team in need of three point shooting, Barnard could become that hot hand off the bench from the perimeter.

As with Dan Kingma, any modest gains by Barnard translate into big gains for the team. And this coaching staff are the right coaches to make that happen

6-foot-0 point guard Nate Pryor

Next on the list, point guard Nate Pryor is an exciting prospect.  He is even more exciting when framed as a likely point guard for new head coach Mike Hopkins.  On one hand, with the expected exodus of point guard Markelle Fultz to the NBA, the point guard was virtually up for grabs.

On the other hand, point guard Nate Pryor committed to the Washington Huskies.

Pryor Grows On You

Pryor was the popular choice by many Huskies fans, and for good reason. He grows on you. Literally. Listed as 6-foot-0, some accounts have him up to 6-foot-2.

Pryor is a high IQ point guard who takes the game in stride. He is a cool-headed tactician on the court. As such, he is the perfect conduit for the schemations of Hopkins. With enough offense to keep defenses honest, enough panache to deal the ball to the open shot, and enough audacity to tighten up the defense to thwart an opponent comeback, he brings it all.

It’s likely Pryor will be a four-year player. As such, the program will be all the stronger over the next four years than the impact of a one-and-done player.

6-foot-3 guard Carlos Johnson

Carlos Johnson did not hesitate to stay with the program. Where David Crisp is the heart of the team, Johnson aligns with the role of enforcer.

Johnson is a solid 6-foot-3 235 pound guard who returns for his sophomore season for the Huskies. He has no trouble scoring at short to medium range, shooting 61.1 percent. But when attempting three point shots, that percentage falls to 21.9 percent.  But Johnson does his greatest work in the paint.  And that is when his physicality and fortitude pays huge dividends.

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Versatility Possibilities

In the upcoming season, do not be surprised to see Johnson flex out to the small forward role. If he could set up a three-point shot, he would be incredibly effective for the team, perhaps even to the point of playing small ball power forward.  Johnson was the first to step up for the team.  Wouldn’t it be a great storyline if he stepped up for Hopkins and honed his three-point accuracy too?

6-foot-4 guard Michael Carter III

Michael Carter III is the first true Coach Hopkins recruited player on this team. And there are plenty of reasons for that.  Carter is another versatile standout who has great handles and burst with the basketball.

As such, he can man up at either the point guard or shooting guard roles for the team.

Once more, his height seems to be better than the brochure.

If he stands in at 6-foot-5, he projects from point guard up to small forward. And his time with the Huskies will likely be four years, which will be very welcome news.

6-foot-5 shooting guard Jaylen Nowell

There is a great deal of anticipation on the Washington Basketball Team for the arrival of four-star prospect Jaylen Nowell.  Of the nationally touted recruiting class which once was planning to play for the Washington Basketball team, Nowell is the lone prospect to see his commitment through. His willingness to remain on the team may have turned the tide for the program overall.

While a number of players on the team will improve offensively under Coach Hopkins, most are adding to last years numbers.  Nowell brings that optimism for the team to an entirely new level.

While not noted for a three, Nowell brings plenty of offense. His speed is deceptively quick, and he is a nightmare for defenders. With his slashing drives to the basket, defenders become Nowell-centric in their focus. That opens up the floor to a big man dump pass for the easy alley oop, or to the open three in the corner.

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In summary, a combination of Pryor-Crisp-Nowell-Thybulle-Dickerson will be a tremendous starting five for the team.  As a matter of fact, that line-up gives the team plenty of paint punch and perimeter shooting to make things awfully  interesting for Huskies fans this season.