This season marks a new year and a new team for Washington basketball.
The 2021-2022 season is upon us and honestly, I’m sure we are all very thankful for it. After the absolute embarrassment of a season last year in which we saw Washington Basketball win only five games all year, we are all ready to move on and see what the new guys can do. It can be any worse than what we are seeing with the Washington football program.
After last season, the UW found themselves down six players due to the transfer portal. In order to regroup, the Huskies used the transfer portal to their own advantage bringing in four new players. Emmitt Matthews Jr. (WVU), PJ Fuller (TCU), Daejon Davis (Stanford), and Terrell Brown Jr. (Arizona) were the four new transfer players who will hope to bring UW basketball back to prominence.
Who else is new to the team?
The names above were just the transfer additions. Also joining the team are highly touted freshman Jackson Grant from Olympia, Washington, and Samuel Ariyibi from the NBA Africa Academy from Nigeria. Ariyibi is the first international player to play under Hopkins and has the potential to turn into a defensive force down low.
Now, the last player to be named is someone who I believe could end up having the biggest impact out of all the newcomers. It’s junior forward Langston Wilson who finds his way to UW following a short stint at Georgia Highlands College. His athletic ability is what stands out the most on tape and should be an instant contributor on a Washington Huskies team looking to jump back into the spotlight.
The Brightside of Basketball
If you need some positive thoughts moving forward, just think, there is nowhere to go but up for this team. This squad appears more athletic, more physical, and better suited to fit the Mike Hopkins defensive scheme than the players in years past. Washington opens their season Tuesday, Nov. 9th at 7:00 p.m. PST against Northern Illinois who is coming off of a terrible season of their own where they went 3-16.