As expected, Mike Hopkins will return to lead Husky Mens Basketball next season, UW Athletic Director Jen Cohen announced.

There was a lot of speculation that after a 16 and 16 season that Hopkins might be on his last lifeline, but he appears to have had one more with his $6 million buyout.

In his first two seasons at Washington, he won Pac-12 coach of the year.  Since that time the Huskies have failed to make the NCAA Tournament.

After the Huskies first round loss in the Pac-12 Tournament to Colorado, he spoke of the importance of the Transfer Portal this off season.

Since then the Huskies have had two players make announcements with center Braxton Meah announcing his return on Friday.   Last night power forward Langston Wilson announced that he’d finish his career somewhere else.

After back-to-back rebuild where a total of 15 new players in the past two seasons.  In that time the Washington has won two games more than it’s lost.

A big rebuild may not be necessary if the conference’s 3rd leading scorer Keion Brooks, Jr. returns.  Other players have yet to announce their intentions including Oregon-transfer center Frank Kepnang, who was injured 8 games into the season.

If Hopkins can retain Brooks and Kepnang it would make Cohen’s stated expectation of competing for a conference championship and the NCAA Tournament a whole lot easier.

If the Huskies aren’t able to return to the dance it will be Hopkins’ last dance.