Washington Basketball Coach Hopkins discusses upcoming season
By Bret Stuter
New Washington Basketball Coach Hopkins talks about the upcoming season. It won’t be easy, as the team is coming off a 9-22 season. Much of the focus has been on team building
When Coach Hopkins arrived to the University Washington Basketball program, the basketball team was splitting apart. Loyalty to former Coach Lorenzo Romar conflicted to loyalty to the University of Washington. It was up to Coach Hopkins to meet, answer questions, address concerns, and assuage anxiety with players as he hired new staff and turned his attention to recruiting.
On one hand, some players opted to sever ties with Washington. On the other hand, other players manned up and stayed. And even some others weighed their decision carefully before opting to remain with the school. And for each exodus, the coaches needed to recruit a replacement.
The coaches delivered on all fronts, with the latest commitment coming from 2018 class PG Elijah Hardy. In fact, the entire recruiting process for the Washington Basketball team has been a very pleasant surprise.
Players need coaching up
Now armed with a full roster, Coach Hopkins must deliver a team by the first game of the season.
He bragged about Jaylen Nowell’s shooting “he knows how to score”. PG Michael Carter has good shooting, He then flipped to his New York recruits: Hameir Wright and Nahziah Carter. Coach Hopkins the “fit” for the new players. That “fit” likely considers how they will play in his new 2-3 defensive scheme which is fairly scripted. That culture begins with winning. Much like the football program, Hopkins continues to emphasize the “right fit” and developing those players.
Players buy in
How are the players buying in? Pretty well, actually. That is, if you believe David Crisp and Matisse Thybulle.
The fact is that the new coaches have brought a new program, new scheme, new responsibilities. But they are encouraged to view each player as a member of the team. That is a difference from recent years of one-and-done spotlight seasons.
Still, challenges remain. Veterans returning to the program will have the double duty of “unlearning” the old schemes and adapting to the new ones. Fresh faces will simply need to learn the new scheme but are confronted with a wave of new in terms of school, schedule, and teammates.
While we have suggested a “small ball” version of a lineup for this team, there is no indication that is part of the plan yet. Much of what this team will do is a “wait and see” for now. But the wait is nearly over.
Next: 5 reasons why Washington Basketball guard David Crisp will thrive
We have time before the season begins against Belmont on November 10th. Before then, we’ll try to break down what to expect from this team. But as the season approaches, it’s curious to hear the focus of the team.