Will the 2018-2019 basketball team finally be the group to lead UW back to the NCAA Tournament?
Coming off the Huskies’ first season with head coach Mike Hopkins, a season which saw the Huskies pass 20 wins and make the second round of the NIT, the Huskies return all five starters as well as main contributors off the bench.
Add another year of Hopkins’ 2-3 zone defense and several 4-star recruits and there is plenty of buzz about the Dawgs, including an appearance at #25 in the preseason AP top 25.
Let’s break down the upcoming season
Returners
Eight of the top nine contributors from last year’s team are back; the lone loss being Carlos Johnson who had his moments, but also spent part of last season in Coach Hops’ doghouse while averaging 3.8 points per-game.
Senior leaders Noah Dickerson, David Crisp, and Matisse Thybulle look to anchor this year’s team.
Dickerson is the monster in the low post who showed last year that — with his improved physical condition — he can score at will and rebound with anybody on his way to averaging 15.5 pts and 8.4 rebounds per game.
David Crisp is back to run the point, which may lead to some groans from the Husky faithful. Crisp took a lot of heat last year for forcing shots and poor decision-making from the point guard position. It is my opinion that another year of tutelage under Cameron Dollar, as well as sharing more ball-handling responsibilities with Jaylen Nowell, should lead to cleaner games for the senior.
Thybulle is back to show Husky nation and all the NBA scouts that he can take games over from the defensive side of the floor. As an athletic and rangy perimeter player who stands 6’5, Matisse thrives in the zone defense for Hopkins as seen by his 101 steals and 49 blocks. The perennial stat stuffer, I expect to see him increase his scoring from the 11 points per-game of last year — especially if the Huskies can improve their passing and get out on the break like they want to.
Joining this trio in the starting five is Sam Timmins and Jaylen Nowell.
Timmins is a big body enforcer in the middle of the zone defense. He showed improvement last year in his ability to catch and dunk on the offensive side, but some slow feet and rotation make me nervous for his longevity with the starting lineup…five fouls in nine minutes in the exhibition vs Nevada….yikes. He does, however, bring a physical presence and isn’t afraid to throw his 7-foot, 265-pound body around down low. If he can make his opponents feel his fouls, then the Huskies will be in good shape.
Nowell enters his sophomore campaign after a star-like performance in his freshman year. The local kid from Garfield who kept his commitment to the hometown school reminded everybody in the Pac-12 and country that Seattle is still a hot bed for top basketball talent. He led the team in scoring while slashing a 16/4reb/3asst per game. According to his teammates, Jaylen has matured this season — and that is bad news for his opponents. He already wanted the ball in his hands at the end of games, and this year he won’t hesitate to put in the dagger. Against Nevada he went 12-15 from the floor on his way to 26 points.
Roll Players
Hameir Wright, Naz Carter, and Dom Green return to build off their bench roles last season. Green is the one most famous for his buzzer beater vs Arizona last season, but the junior will hopefully show some more consistency hitting his smooth perimeter shot and understanding the zone defense. He played 37 minutes to lead the team vs Nevada, going 4-5 on three-pointers for 12 points and collected six rebounds. Wright continued to earn minutes as the season progressed and his length and athleticism should play well in the zone defense. Carter showed his athleticism last year with a highlight reel of monster dunks. The reports were that this summer Naz was able to show more of a well-rounded game and could be a big scoring option coming off the bench for Hopkins.
Freshmen
Elijah Hardy – The 6’2, left handed guard comes to the Huskies out of Oakland, CA. The reports are that he is ambidextrous, so defenders can’t over-play to one side. He averaged 14.6ppg and 6 apg as a senior. This year he might be able to work his way into the guard rotation but going forward he has the pass-first ability and length to be a great weapon for the Dawgs.
Jamel Bey – The 2017-2018 Gatorade Player of the Year for Nevada starred at powerhouse Bishop Gorman. He averaged over 21 points a game and 8 rebounds last year. He is listed as a 6’6 guard and his length should work well on the perimeter of the 2-3 zone. He played two minutes vs Nevada in the exhibition game but didn’t score.
Nate Roberts – Roberts is another example of Hopkins keeping his East Coast connection open; he comes to Seattle from Washington D.C. He played last year at Brewster Academy in New Hampshire — the same prep school that David Crisp attended. The 6’10 forward has a 7’6 wingspan and shows the type of length that Hopkins is looking for.
Riley Sorn – The local kid in this class, Sorn prepped at Richland High School. He stands an imposing 7’4 but will need some seasoning for the Huskies before he can contribute. Some time in the weight room will help Sorn in his career so he can be a rim protector down low. He averaged 16 points, eight rebounds, and four blocks while leading the Bombers to a 5th place finish in 4A last year.
Bryan Penn-Johnson (pictured right) — The prize of this recruiting class. BPJ is a 4-star, 7-foot, 245 lb. center with a 7’7 wingspan. He prepped at Wasatch Academy in Utah and led his team to a 24-2 record. Against Nevada he played nine minutes and scored four points on two shots. He did commit three fouls, which shows that he might not have the foot-speed for this level right away. If he can continue to work on the defensive side of the ball he provides an upgrade on the offensive side of the ball over Timmons. BPJ could be a huge boost for this team and make life easier for Dickerson if he can show he is a scoring threat.
Schedule
This year’s schedule is not easy for UW. They are going to be battle-tested early and often. After opening at home vs Western Kentucky on 11/6, they travel to Auburn for a matchup vs the #11 Tigers. The early road test should show how mature this team is and hopefully (like the Kansas game last year) will show that the zone plays anywhere.
** The Dawgs will head north to Vancouver to face Minnesota, Texas A&M, and Santa Clara in the inaugural Vancouver Showcase.
** On 12/5 they travel to Spokane to take on Top Five Gonzaga in a rematch of a game that was completely one-sided last year.
** To round out the non-conference schedule, the Dawgs travel to Atlantic City to take on preseason #15 Virginia Tech.
** When they move on to conference play they will have to make the Arizona trip this year but get UCLA and USC at home.
** Those four games are played between 2/2 and 2/9 and should tell us just how good the Huskies are and what our tournament hopes look like.
Prediction
Hopkins has a group of returners who saw a tremendous turn around in year one. Fans can only hope that he earned enough buy-in to make this off-season even more productive.
The early exhibition against a Top 10 team was a great sign — but that wasn’t an in-season atmosphere. The schedule doesn’t allow for the newcomers to dip their toes in the college water, so it will be trial by fire.
Luckily this team has eight returners who want to make the big dance. These Dawgs are as talented and deep as any team UW has had in years. Three non-conference games against preseason Top 25 teams and two more against Power Five teams should help the resume if the Huskies can take care of business.
The schedule won’t be easy, but in an open Pac-12, these Dawgs have all the pieces to win a regular season and post-season championship and take their fate out of the committee’s hands on selection Sunday.
