The seat is getting hot for Danny Sprinkle. Can he finally turn things around in year three with Washington basketball?
The tradition continues! It’s another year of our countdown of the top 100 preseason teams in college basketball until the start of the season. Each day, we will reveal the next team until we reach the team slotted at number one. Up next: Washington basketball.
When Washington hired Danny Sprinkle after he led Montana State and Utah State to three straight NCAA Tournament appearances, the buzz was palpable in Seattle. Unfortunately, it has gone the opposite way, going just 11-29 in conference play the past two seasons. The small victory is that they improved last year from year one, but when looking at the talent of last year’s roster, they were without a doubt one of the more disappointing teams in college basketball.
They lose a lot of talent, like Hannes Steinbach, the lottery pick and college basketball’s leading rebounder last year, as well as Zoom Diallo, the second-leading scorer who heads to Kentucky. They also lose Desmond Claude, a prized transfer last year who played just 12 games after suffering a season-ending injury early in conference play.
They return a few pieces from last year’s team, including Wesley Yates, who is by far the best returner. He’s paired with a couple of bench guys looking to showcase their talent with extended minutes. They bring in several solid transfers, like Ryan Beasley and LeJuan Watts, to strengthen the starting lineup as well. The bench will certainly be a huge concern, but if they can establish an eight-man rotation, that could be enough.
The pressure is on for Danny Sprinkle, and if he can’t deliver, then we might see a new face in Washington this time next year.
Head coach: Danny Sprinkle (8th season overall, 2nd at Washington)
2025-26 record: 16-17 (7-13)
2026 postseason finish: No tournament
Notable departures:
- Hannes Steinbach (18.5 PPG, 11.8 RPG, 1.6 APG)
- Zoom Diallo (15.7 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 4.5 APG)
- Desmond Claude (13.3 PPG, 2.4 RPG, 1.9 APG)
- Quimari Peterson (9.2 PPG, 2.8 RPG, 2.2 APG)
Notable non-conference games:
- vs. Baylor (Dec. 19)
- TBA
Projected Rotation
PG: Ryan Beasley (5-11, 180, Sr.)
2025-26 stats: 13.6 PPG, 3.4 RPG, 4.0 APG, 1.2 SPG, 40.7 FG%, 82.7 FT% (San Francisco)
SG: Wesley Yates III (6-4, 219, Jr.)
2025-26 stats: 12.7 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 1.3 APG, 1.5 SPG, 78.2 FT%
SF: LeJuan Watts (6-6, 225, Sr.)
2025-26 stats: 11.8 PPG, 6.0 RPG, 2.4 APG, 0.7 SPG, 43.3 FG%, 76.9 FT% (Texas Tech)
PF: Nikola Dzepina (6-10, Fr.)
2025-26 stats: 2.6 PPG, 1.3 RPG, 0.7 APG, 0.9 BPG
C: Lathan Sommerville (6-10, 275, Jr.)
2025-26 stats: 4.3 PPG, 2.6 RPG, 0.2 APG, 0.4 BPG, 43.8 FG%, 73.2 FT%
6: Parker Friedrichsen (6-4, 200, Jr.)
2025-26 stats: 10.8 PPG, 2.5 RPG, 1.4 APG, 1.1 SPG, 42.0 FG%, 40.5 3P%, 75.0 FT% (Davidson)
7: Steele Venters (6-7, 200, Sr.)
2025-26 stats: 5.0 PPG, 1.3 RPG, 1.0 APG, 0.6 SPG, 83.3 FT% (Gonzaga)
8: Jasir Rencher (6-5, So.)
2025-26 stats: 3.0 PPG, 1.8 RPG, 0.1 APG, 50.0 FG%, 84.6 FT%, 8 games played
9: Wini Braga (6-9, 200, Fr.)
Played 9 games in the Brazilian League
10: Mady Traore (6-11, 195, Sr.)
Sat out 2025-26 season due to injury and played JUCO in 2024-25
2023-24 stats: 1.3 PPG, 1.2 RPG, 0.2 APG, 12 games played (Maryland)
Washington basketball team MVP: Wesley Yates III
After a really strong freshman year at USC, a lot of people bought all the stock in Yates, expecting him to be an All-Big Ten player and perhaps a potential draft pick. While he still put up decent stats, we saw his efficiency tank, going from shooting 47% from the field and 44% from three to just 37% and 31%. He clearly looked less comfortable, and with all the injuries on Washington last year, including his own, it was hard to find a rhythm.
It’s a new year, though, and when Yates is at his best, he’s a terrific player. We saw him average 24.7 PPG over a three-game stretch last year, and he doesn’t turn the ball over often. If Beasley can serve as the on-ball guard and set him up with opportunities offensively and also divert some attention, then Yates can do what he does best. Yates clearly trusts the vision that Danny Sprinkle has for him, and hopefully we see that pay off in year three for Yates.
Washington basketball make-or-break player: Steele Venters
What a road it has been for Venters. In 2022-2023 at Eastern Washington, he was named conference player of the year after averaging 15 a game and leading his team to a regular season title. He took his talents to Gonzaga, looking to build off that, but got hurt in the offseason and missed the entire next season. Then, in the following offseason, he got injured again and was forced to miss his second straight season. He finally returned last year, but obviously showed rust and couldn’t replicate his success from three years prior.
Now, the 25-year-old comes back from one more season, hoping to be a diamond-in-the-rough portal acquisition for Washington. We saw what he can do at his best. He’s a terrific shooter and a leader on the court. If he can average double-digit scoring, that would be an enormous boost off the bench for them and give them a chance to compete in any game this season. If he plays like he did last year, though, then depth becomes a huge concern, and he could see his minutes dwindle as the season goes on.
Key statistic: Win percentage in close games
Not all 16-17 seasons are created equal. Washington basketball lost a lot of games, but they were in almost all of them. They won just 14.3% of their close games, per TeamRankings, 7th worst in college basketball. If you look at Washington’s Big Ten record, it starts to make sense. Of their 13 losses in Big Ten play, only two were by more than 10. They lost by two and four to UCLA, three to Penn State, four to Maryland, and three to Wisconsin. Time and time again, they had a chance, but the injuries and late-game execution hurt them.
We’ll see if that changes, because if not, we could be looking at another ugly season for Washington basketball.
Washington basketball 2026-27 projections
Projected conference finish: 14th in the Big
Projected postseason ceiling: NCAA Tournament first-round exit/NIT Appearance