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Keeping Up With 2021 UW Transfers (Stevenson, Battle, Pryor, Tsohonis, Brooks & Wright)

ChillyDawgChillyDawg Member Posts: 1,469
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*Note: Erik Stevenson is starting for South Carolina. Both Nate Pyor and J'Raan Brooks are currently injured but both were slated to be in the starting lineup for their teams New Mexico State, UC San Diego respectively before becoming injured. Hamier Wright is coming in as the first frontcourt player off of the bench for North Texas who made the NCAA tourney last season. RaeQuan Battle is coming off of the bench as the 6th man for Montana State. Marcus Tsohonis is coming off of the bench as the 6th man for VCU which made the NCAA tourney last season.


VCU MBB https://vcuathletics.com/sports/mens-basketball

North Texas MBB https://meangreensports.com/sports/mens-basketball

UC San Diego MBB https://ucsdtritons.com/sports/mens-basketball

Montana State MBB https://msubobcats.com/sports/mens-basketball

South Carolina MBB https://gamecocksonline.com/sports/mens-basketball

New Mexico State MBB https://nmstatesports.com/sports/mens-basketball


SI https://www.si.com/college/washington/basketball/4-husky-transfers-pegged-for-starting-roles-on-new-teams

Four of the six University of Washington basketball players who entered the transfer portal following the Huskies' disastrous 5-21 season are projected as instant starters at their new schools.

Foremost is guard Erik Stevenson, who's being billed as a much-needed tough guy to return South Carolina to a more physical style of play after suffering through an equally dismal 6-15 season.

Other former Huskies in line to be starters after relocating are guard Marcus Tsohonis at Virginia Commonwealth, point guard Nate Pryor at New Mexico State and guard RaeQuan Battle at Montana State.

Stevenson, a 6-foot-3 junior from Lacey, Washington, who spent last season at the UW following two at Wichita State, now answers to no-nonsense coach Frank Martin, who's experienced a significant program falloff after taking the Gamecocks to the Final Four in 2017.

The coach and Stevenson have stated how they built a mutual respect while competing against each other when the latter played Wichita State. The former Husky is one of three older transfers for South Carolina, joined by Chico Martin Jr. from Murray State and AJ Wilson from Georgia Mason.

“I lost last year, and I felt like we lacked leadership," Stevenson told the Big Spur. "When team or organization lacks leadership, that’s not going to be a good thing; it’s hard to win without leadership. I’ve always been a leader, and I’m not afraid of it.”

Again, Stevenson didn't explain to reporters in his new setting why he didn't feel compelled to step up and give the UW some direction.

Martin has said it's imperative that the Gamecocks bond immediately to take advantage of Stevenson, who has a season of eligibility remaining, plus the other newcomers.

“Erik Stevenson’s got a chance to make money playing this game and he’s gonna have a degree at this time next spring," Martin said. "A.J. Wilson also doesn’t have a second year. We owe it to those guys to figure out a way to hit the fast-forward button in our relationship process, and they’ve done that.”

Tsohonis, a 6-foot-3 sophomore from Portland, is expected to start right away following injuries to two veteran guards from VCU's returning NCAA tournament team.

After a disappointing lone season at the UW, Pryor will be asked to be the starting playmaker for his WAC team. He'll be back in the state soon enough. The Seattle native will play against Washington State in Pullman on December 15 and return to his hometown to face Seattle University on December 30.

Battle goes to a Big Sky team where he hopes to become a big scorer, something he showed only sporadically at the UW. In his exhibition opener, he hit 8 of 11 shots and scored 20 points for the Bobcats, so he's probably in a good place now.

Of the other Husky transfers, it's not clear where forwards Hameir Wright and J'Raan Brooks stand as possible starters with their new teams in North Texas and San Diego, respectively, but they should play a lot.
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    ChillyDawgChillyDawg Member Posts: 1,469
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    SI https://www.si.com/college/washington/basketball/ex-husky-erik-stevenson-cant-find-his-stroke-for-south-carolina

    Erik Stevenson finds the basketball rims even less welcoming in the Carolinas than they were in Seattle.

    On Friday night, the former University of Washington guard scored 14 points but he suffered through a miserable 4-for-18 shooting night for his new SEC team — 0 for 10 from 3-point range — as the Gamecocks lost to Princeton 66-62 in the Asheville Classic in Asheville, North Carolina.

    Stevenson, who fled the Huskies following a 5-21 season and became a starter, is now a distressing 7 for 31 in two outings, just 1 of 17 behind the line, counting the opener against USC Upland in Columbia, South Carolina. He entered the season as a career 31-percent shooter at Wichita State and Washington, and someone who doesn't always take good shots, but this was new territory for him.

    So much for new surroundings.

    The 6-foot-3 guard from Lacey, Washington, entered the transfer portal this past offseason along with five other former Huskies, who spread out across the country in search of basketball success.

    Most of these guys were in contention early on to become starters, but only Stevenson is a first-teamer with the games now counting for real.

    Ex-UW forward J'Raan Brooks pulled a starting assignment for UC San Diego in a 57-44 exhibition loss to Loyola Marymount, but after going scoreless over 17 minutes, he didn't even play in the Tritons' regular-season opener against California, an 80-67 upset.

    One-time Husky guard Marcus Tsohonis came off the bench, played 15 minutes and went scoreless in Virginia Commonwealth's 57-54 victory over St. Peter's.

    Hameir Wright, a three-year UW starting forward, likewise played as a reserve in North Texas' season-opening 84-53 win over Oklahoma Christian. He drew 13 minutes of time and scored 3 points.

    For Montana State, guard RaeQuan Battle came off the bench and scored 8 points in the Bobcats' 94-90 overtime loss at Colorado. He played 21 minutes before fouling out after hitting 3 of 7 shots, including 2 of 4 behind the line.

    Former UW guard Nate Pryor didn't play in New Mexico State's season debut, a 62-51 win over UC-Irvine.
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    rustysavagerustysavage Member Posts: 942
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    Nice... I knew Stevenson would be trash anywhere he went. Hameir is a queer too. Rest of the guys I liked and or wish them well. Battle was one I really wanted to keep. I always liked Pryor's game too.
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    PurpleThrobberPurpleThrobber Member Posts: 41,801
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    Stevenson is a volume flinger, not a shooter. His coaches through the years have enabled this shit so he puts up big stat lines. He was like that as a sophomore in high school, he's like that now.

    Frank Martin will kill him by the end of the year.



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    AtomicDawgAtomicDawg Member Posts: 6,977
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    Nice... I knew Stevenson would be trash anywhere he went. Hameir is a queer too. Rest of the guys I liked and or wish them well. Battle was one I really wanted to keep. I always liked Pryor's game too.

    Battle was a shooter that cannot shoot. Gotta hang on to those when you can.
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    dncdnc Member Posts: 56,614
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    Nice... I knew Stevenson would be trash anywhere he went. Hameir is a queer too. Rest of the guys I liked and or wish them well. Battle was one I really wanted to keep. I always liked Pryor's game too.

    Battle was a shooter that cannot shoot. Gotta hang on to those when you can.
    In Battle's defense he was a shooter until Mike Hopkins got aholt of him.

    Never seen a coach worse at developing shooters than Hop. Lorenzo Romar was offensively inept and kids developed their shots far better under him than they do under Hop.
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    AtomicDawgAtomicDawg Member Posts: 6,977
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    dnc said:

    Nice... I knew Stevenson would be trash anywhere he went. Hameir is a queer too. Rest of the guys I liked and or wish them well. Battle was one I really wanted to keep. I always liked Pryor's game too.

    Battle was a shooter that cannot shoot. Gotta hang on to those when you can.
    In Battle's defense he was a shooter until Mike Hopkins got aholt of him.

    Never seen a coach worse at developing shooters than Hop. Lorenzo Romar was offensively inept and kids developed their shots far better under him than they do under Hop.
    His shots are often not even close. Off the side of the backboard. Two feet long. A foot to the side. I’ve see all I need to see.

    He is a “marksmen” just like that guy romar recruited from Salem that sucked. Phil Nelson I think was his name. Another great shooter that couldn’t shoot.
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    PurpleThrobberPurpleThrobber Member Posts: 41,801
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    Groves is a man. And a testament to just fucking working hard and getting better each year.

    His brother is pretty fucking good too.

    Fuck you, Hop.

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    HireBRoyHireBRoy Member Posts: 77
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    The best local players didn't wanna come back

    Shocker
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    ChillyDawgChillyDawg Member Posts: 1,469
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    Marcus Tsohonis (4-6 fg/3-4 3fg) had 12 pts off the bench as VCU defeated Syracuse 67-55 today https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/boxscore/_/gameId/401370001

    Marcus Tsohonis has been starting some games and coming off the bench as the 6th man in other games so far this season for VCU (3-2).

    UW Transfer Note: Both Nate Pryor and J'Raan Brooks are still injured and out of the line up for their respective teams. RaeQuan Battle and Hameir Wright are both in their new teams rotations as 6th men playing in every game this season so far.


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    ChillyDawgChillyDawg Member Posts: 1,469
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    Marcus knew how to beat the Syracuse zone after practicing against it for two seasons...he most likely gave his coaches/teammates some insight into how it works and how to beat it.
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    ChillyDawgChillyDawg Member Posts: 1,469
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    SI https://www.si.com/college/washington/basketball/vcu-backcourt-injuries-thrust-ex-husky-tsohonis-into-bigger-role


    KVIA https://kvia.com/sports/2021/11/24/nmsu-pulls-away-from-new-mexico-highlands-for-jans-mccants-100th-wins/

    Two individuals - Cameron Crawford and Nate Pryor - made their NM State debuts Wednesday night. Pryor, who transferred in from Washington, logged 10 minutes of court time and finished with two points and an assist.


    SI (click for Podcast Apr/6/2021) https://www.si.com/college/washington/basketball/the-noah-dickerson-podcast-hameir-wright-talks-of-his-frustrations

    After four years at the University of Washington and coming off a 5-21 season, former Husky forward Hameir Wright will use his final college season of eligibility and play elsewhere. He does not go quietly.

    The New York native leaves unhappy with the way things went with him and the Huskies this past year and he shares his frustrations with one-time teammate Noah Dickerson.

    Wright wasn't sure what his role was with change hinted at but the plays remaining the same and he let his displeasure show, especially in launching 3-pointers at times.

    "In some games I got into it was I didn't care — I was going to chuck it," he acknowledged. "Those were games I didn't shoot well."

    Wright talked about his ups and downs on the court and his interactions with coach Mike Hopkins. He doesn't come away with a good feeling about it.

    "I wasted my talents here and I told coach Hopkins that," he said.

    The 6-foot-9 Wright is one of six Huskies who have left the program since the season ended and entered the transfer portal, a process for changing schools that's been made easier than it was before.

    A three-year starter, the forward from Albany, New York, averaged 6.2 points and 4.7 rebounds as a UW senior. He shot 37.9 percent from the field, 29 percent from 3-point range. He started 25 of 26 games for the Huskies.

    "I always felt I could do more but it is what it is," Wright said. "Whether or not I didn't earn it or whether I didn't get the opportunity, that's up for debate."


    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VvnMRcwuBxs
    Inside The Brick (RaeQuan Battle): The next episode of Inside The Brick, with men's basketball, features RaeQuan Battle and head coach Danny Sprinkle.
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    ChillyDawgChillyDawg Member Posts: 1,469
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    RaeQuan Battle had 16 pts (7-9 fg/2-2 3fg), 5 rebs, 1 blk in 21 minutes for MSU (6-4) on December 7th https://msubobcats.com/sports/mens-basketball/stats/2021-22/north-dakota-state/boxscore/6013

    Erik Stevenson had 6 pts (2-4 fg/2-2 3 fg), 1 reb, 4 ast for SC (6-2) ON December 5th in a win over Georgetown https://gamecocksonline.com/sports/mens-basketball/stats/2021-22/georgetown/boxscore/16374

    Nate Pryor 8 pts (4-7 fg), 7 rebs, 4 ast, 1 stl in 34 minutes is healthy once again and making a difference at NMSU (7-2) https://nmstatesports.com/sports/mens-basketball/stats/2021-22/new-mexico/boxscore/14567


    KVIA (click for full article) https://kvia.com/sports/2021/12/06/pryor-buzzer-beater-stuns-pit-gives-nmsu-epic-win-over-new-mexico/

    For the second straight game, New Mexico State delivered a last-second dagger on their rival's home floor.

    But given the setting, the Aggies' latest game-winner probably came as more of a shock to the New Mexico Lobos on Tuesday than it did for the UTEP Miners last Friday.

    Nate Pryor's buzzer-beating layup, and ensuing Aggie celebration, silenced the hostile crowd at "The Pit" and gave New Mexico State (7-2) a 78-76 win in overtime.

    The Aggies' victory splits the I-25 rivalry series, with both New Mexico State and New Mexico each winning on the opposing team's home court.

    The ending to the latest in the rivalry will go down in the record books.

    After Jabari Rice hit an open Pryor for the win, the Aggies celebrated boisterously at midcourt and in front of the Lobos student section.



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    ChillyDawgChillyDawg Member Posts: 1,469
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    LC Sun https://www.lcsun-news.com/videos/sports/college/nmsu/2021/12/09/aggie-wagon-podcast-s-1-e-5-nate-pryor/6441888001/

    Richmond Times Dispatch https://richmond.com/sports/college/point-guard-marcus-tsohonis-finding-traction-in-first-season-at-vcu/article_92233981-587f-590a-8d6d-6968f751bdd0.html

    Player Updates & Notes
    • J'Raan Brooks is seemingly still out injured for UC San Diego (5-4).
    • Erik Stevenson is still starting and struggling shooting for South Carolina (8-2).
    • Marcus Tsohonis is helping VCU (7-4) in games as a part time starter and 6th man.
    • RaeQuan Battle is in the Montana State (7-4) regular playing rotation providing scoring off of the bench.
    • Nate Pryor has moved into the starting line up for NMSU (9-2). NMSU just defeated Washington State 64-61 in their previous game on December 15th.
    • Hameir Wright has seemingly fell out of the rotation for North Texas State (6-3) as he hasn't played in their past two games. No injury or COVID related mention.
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    ChillyDawgChillyDawg Member Posts: 1,469
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    HeraldNet https://www.heraldnet.com/sports/mp-alum-battle-happy-with-transfer-to-montana-state/
    MP alum Battle happy with transfer to Montana State

    After two up-and-seasons at UW, the young guard is beginning to find a rhythm with the Bobcats.


    For RaeQuan Battle, the moment was both a throwback to his prep basketball playing days, as well as a indication of what he hopes is to come.

    The Montana State men’s basketball team was trailing St. Thomas by nine points late in the first half last Saturday when the Bobcats came up with a steal and broke two-on-one. Montana State’s Kellen Tynes lofted a lob pass toward the rim, and Battle elevated to grab the ball with one hand and slam it home over the top of the defender.

    “That reminded me of my high school days,” Battle said via phone from Bozeman, Montana, this week. “The last two years I haven’t been able to dunk like that. But reliving something I used to do in high school was really cool. I was able to show my athleticism and show I can play above the rim.”

    No, Battle may no longer playing under the bright lights of a Power Five conference team, and he’s still trying to get used to the frigid Montana winter. But the Marysville Pilchuck High School graduate’s transfer from Washington to Montana State has his head in a better space, has his game going the direction he wants it to go, and has him relearning what it’s like to be part of a winning team.

    Battle was a dominator in high school. The 6-foot-5 guard led Marysville Pilchuck to a school-best fourth-place finish at the 3A state tournament as a senior in 2019, when he was named The Herald’s Boys Basketball Player of the Year. He was considered one of the top 100 recruits in the nation, and he was a key part of a touted Washington recruiting class that was going to take an already-successful Mike Hopkins program to a new level.

    But it all went sideways for Battle at Washington. Thought to be the perfect long and athletic guard for Hopkins’ Syracuse-style 2-3 zone defense, Battle found himself in and out of the rotation during his two seasons as a Husky. When he did get on the floor, he was relegated largely to spot-up shooting duty on the offensive end, and he never quite found his shooting stroke. Over two seasons he averaged just 14.8 minutes and 5.1 points per game, shooting 30.1% from the floor. He saw the court in just six of his final 18 games last season for a team that went 5-21.

    “It was just a weird situation,” Battle said. “It wasn’t really anything crazy, I just didn’t know why I wasn’t playing. I remember coming off a good game against Oregon (a team-high 19 points) and it was just weird. We had a pretty stacked team when it comes to guards, but it was a weird rotation and the minutes just weren’t there.”

    Battle said he maintained a good relationship with Hopkins, but he nevertheless decided to enter the transfer portal after the season ended.

    “I had a feeling early on in the season (about transferring), but it wasn’t until I sat down after the season that I really thought about it,” Battle said. “I wanted to look for something new. I also wanted to get away from home a little bit so I could focus on myself. I felt like being able to isolate myself, just focus on school and basketball, would benefit me.”

    Battle said the decision to transfer from Washington was a difficult one, considering he and his family were diehard Husky supporters — “When I told my mom she got upset, though she supported me 100% and is now one of the biggest Bobcat fans.” — and he described the transfer process as a humbling experience, as the high-major schools that recruited him out of high school didn’t come calling.

    One person who did call, however, was Montana State coach Danny Sprinkle, whose pitch won Battle over.

    ”Coach Sprinkle said, ‘I love your game, I think you could fit in our system great and we’re trying to be a championship team,’” Battle said. “’We want to take the next step and think you could be that player. It’s not going to be easy, you’re going to have to earn your spot and I’m going to coach you hard. But we want you to be successful.’ That’s what really sold me, and the coaches have followed through on everything they said.”

    At Montana State Battle is playing in a slightly faster-paced system, and he’s been given more freedom to put the ball on the floor and try to get to the rim. He’s still feeling his way, averaging 13.1 minutes and 4.7 points per game. But he’s seen a recent uptick, including scoring 16 in Montana State’s victory over North Dakota State on Dec. 7.

    Most importantly the Bobcats are winning. Montana State came one victory away from winning the Big Sky Conference tournament last season and earning a berth in the NCAA tournament, and so far this season the Bobcats are 7-4 and considered one of the conference favorites.

    “What I learned about myself (through the transfer process) is that I want to win, too,” Battle said. “I was sick of losing. It’s good to be on the winning side of things, and it’s a joy doing it together as a team.”


    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rP3xRp_vYOs
    South Carolina Gamecocks: POSTGAME: Erik Stevenson, Frank Martin on Coastal Carolina.


    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5RA8xKLjqo4
    Richmond Times-Dispatch: VCU's Mike Rhoades, Marcus Tsohonis on win against Syracuse in Battle 4 Atlantis.
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    ChillyDawgChillyDawg Member Posts: 1,469
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    It was nearly two years ago, during pre-pandemic times, when University of Washington basketball coach Mike Hopkins brought up the name of Bryan Penn-Johnson, his 7-foot redshirt freshman center, and spoke about him in glowing terms.

    "BPJ hasn't had a sniff, but that kid can play," Hopkins raved to a postgame media audience. "He's going to be a great player here."

    The often overly optimistic Husky coach couldn't have been more wrong about that for a player whose nickname sounds a lot like a popular grade-school sandwich.

    Two months later in 2020, Penn-Johnson entered the transfer portal, on his way to LSU while putting Seattle in his rearview-mirror. It was a short stay in the South.

    After just 5 games for the SEC team, the California native packed up his stuff and went home during the holidays a year ago at a time of surging COVID-19. The school said he left for personal reasons.

    Today, Penn-Johnson plays for East Los Angeles College https://www.elacathletics.com/sports/mbkb/index in Monterey Park, California, which is east of downtown L.A., for a 9-4 team known as the Huskies.

    He pulls 10.1 minutes per game as a starter and averages 6.4 points and 3.9 rebounds as he tries to rekindle his college basketball career.

    ELAC coach John Mosley likewise puts an overly positive spin on the big man, who he says is beginning to stir recruiting interest again, even at a most unlikely place.

    According to him, the school in Montlake is sizing up Penn-Johnson once more.

    “He's getting a lot of mid-major looks in terms of interests,” Mosley told 247Sports. “It's pretty much Big West, Mountain West, a few Pac-12 schools and everything on the West Coast. The University of Washington would like to get him back in terms of Pac-12 interest."

    While with the Huskies, BPJ appeared in 12 games, scored 12 points and blocked 8 shots. He mostly sat and watched for two seasons, drawing extended minutes only in a game at Colorado.

    From a distance, he seemed like a sensitive guy who was well-liked by his teammates and coaches. He was capable of entertaining everyone with his intricate dribbling moves all while seated with his big frame crammed into a court-side chair.

    Yet Penn-Johnson had one major drawback to his game, that slowed his development, an infliction that still affects former 6-foot-11 Husky teammate Nate Roberts to this day, one that Hopkins never addresses.

    Bad hands.

    Neither Penn-Johnson nor Roberts showed himself to be proficient at all in hauling in a lob pass deep in the post and turning it into points for the UW. It not addressed, that's a career death knell for a big man.

    Maybe East Los Angeles can fix this issue for BPJ and get him back to a Division 1 program. His coach is hopeful.

    “He's learning how to get deep and how to finish while he's there,” Mosley said. “I'm talking about at a high level where he's unstoppable against everybody."

    Penn-Johnson certainly has the size to flourish in the college ranks. His nickname isn't bad either. Can he get the rest to follow?



    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7kb_23suqf8
    Brandon Goble: 2022 7'1 C Bryan Penn Johnson (East LA)


    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0fq_4s8QMjQ
    Dream Vision YT (2017): Bryan Penn-Johnson Finding Purpose. Dream Vision C Bryan Penn-Johnson currently holds 22 college offers, yet has never played a varsity game of high school basketball in his life. Join BPJ and Dream Vision Coach Richard Vargas as a they take us inside the life of one of basketball's best kept secrets...a 7-Footer with a past, present and future unlike any you've ever heard of before.
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    ChillyDawgChillyDawg Member Posts: 1,469
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    Seattle Times (click for full article) https://www.seattletimes.com/sports/uw-husky-basketball/heres-how-the-players-who-left-uw-mens-basketball-after-last-season-are-doing-with-their-new-teams/

    The Washington men’s basketball team has reaped great rewards from the return of hometown prep heroes that include Terrell Brown Jr., Emmitt Matthews Jr., PJ Fuller and Daejon Davis.

    The Husky quartet, which has led UW to a 5-5 start, comprised the bulk of Washington’s seven newcomers and was among the 1,700 Division I players who entered the NCAA transfer portal this year.

    But what about the six Huskies who left Montlake via transfers in an unprecedented mass exodus following a 5-21 finish last season?

    Here’s a look at the seven Huskies who left the Washington men’s basketball team following a 5-21 finish to the 2020-21 season.

    Erik Stevenson, G, South Carolina (24.4 MPG, 10.9 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 2.5 APG, 33.6% FG, 25.7% 3FG, 12 games, 12 starts): A year ago, the former Timberline High School star was UW coach Mike Hopkins’ prized new addition who had returned to the Pacific Northwest after two years at Wichita State. However, he struggled to adjust to the Huskies’ offensive and defensive philosophies and averaged 9.3 points and 3.6 rebounds while starting 23 of 26 games. Stevenson was the first to announce he was transferring after the season. “It’s the culture, tough man-to-man defense, and rebounding is an emphasis,” Stevenson said during a July interview with The Big Spur when asked why South Carolina is a good fit. “On the offensive end, it’s a lot of movement without a whole lot of dribbling the basketball. It’s not a lot of one-on-one isolation. It’s not a knock on (Washington), but that’s not my style of basketball. I’m not much of a 2-3 (zone) guy, I’ve found out. Coming (here) and playing man-to-man and playing together offensively is refreshing.” Stevenson, who shot 29.8% on 3’s at Washington, began his Gamecocks tenure with a 2-for-25 shooting slump from behind the arc in the first three games. He’s connected on 3 of 17 three-pointers in the past four games.

    Marcus Tsohonis, G, Virginia Commonwealth (16.5 MPG, 5.3 PPG, 1.9 RPG, 2.0 APG, 36.2% FG, 34.5% 3FG, 11 games, 2 starts): A groin injury contributed to Tsohonis’ slow start this season with the Rams, as he converted just 3 of 14 shots, including 0 for 6 on three-pointers, in the first four games. He broke out of the slump with a season-high 12 points to help beat Syracuse 67-55 and has had meaningful contributions in VCU’s recent four-game winning streak. In April, Tsohonis told the Richmond Times-Dispatch that he has no animosity toward Hopkins, but “I felt like I could do so much more” at Washington. Tsohonis was slated to redshirt as a freshman but played in 18 games and started nine when Quade Green became academically ineligible. When Green returned last season, Tsohonis came off the bench and averaged 10.4 points, 2.2 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 20 minutes.

    RaeQuan Battle, G, Montana State (13.5 MPG, 5.2 PPG, 1.8 APG, 0.8 APG, 41.3% FG, 29.4% 3FG, 13 games, 0 starts): The four-star recruit from Marysville-Pilchuck High School was rated the No. 4 prospect in the state in 2019 and joined a star-studded UW class that included Isaiah Stewart and Jaden McDaniels, who were selected in the first round of the NBA draft after their freshman seasons. Battle was billed as a three-point specialist but never shot better than 27% on 3’s (33 of 137) during two seasons. He made four starts in 34 games while averaging 4.8 points and 13.9 minutes. Battle scored a career-high 19 points and canned four three-pointers during a brilliant shooting display in a 74-71 loss to Oregon on Dec. 12, 2020. However, he tallied just 26 points the rest of the season and didn’t play in the final three games. “It was just a weird situation,” Battle said in an interview with the Everett Herald. “It wasn’t really anything crazy, I just didn’t know why I wasn’t playing. I remember coming off a good game against Oregon (a team-high 19 points), and it was just weird. We had a pretty stacked team when it comes to guards, but it was a weird rotation, and the minutes just weren’t there.”

    Nate Pryor, G, New Mexico State (20.3 MGP, 3.8 PPG, 2.2 RPG, 1.2 APG, 73.3% FG, 100% 3FG, 6 games, 2 starts): The former West Seattle star took a long, unconventional route before joining the Huskies last season. He averaged 4.1 points, 1.6 assists, 1.3 rebounds and 17.4 minutes while starting just two of 16 games.

    Hameir Wright, F, North Texas (11.6 MPG, 2.0 PPG, 2.0 RPG, 0.0 APG, 25.0% FG, 33.3% 3FG, 5 games, 0 starts): The Albany, New York, native was a four-star recruit who was ranked No. 89 nationally in 2018 by ESPN. Wright started 81 of 122 games at UW and played a supporting role on the UW team that advanced to the second round of the NCAA tournament in 2019. However, his production plateaued his final two years with the Huskies, which led to frustration and regret about not transferring sooner.

    J’Raan Brooks, F, UC San Diego: After failing to crack the lineup at his two previous stops, Brooks secured a starting role with the Tritons and was slated to be a featured player. However, he suffered a season-ending knee injury after 17 minutes in the exhibition opener. The former Garfield High School standout, who was ranked No. 84 nationally on ESPN’s Top 100 recruiting list in 2018, returned to Seattle following an unproductive freshman year at USC when he averaged 2 points, 1.3 rebounds and 8.3 minutes. However, Brooks had difficulty getting on the floor. He appeared in 14 games and averaged 3.1 points, 1.4 rebounds and 9.8 minutes.


    Notes
    • Former Husky Quade Green could have returned to Washington but opted to turn pro and is playing in the NBA G League. The 6-foot guard has played two games with the Lakeland Magic, which is the Orlando Magic affiliate, after starting with the Maine Celtics. He’s averaging 6.3 points, 1.5 assists and 15.1 minutes as a reserve in four games.
    • UW announced Friday that its rescheduled game at Arizona, which had been postponed from Dec. 2 to Jan. 25, will now be played at 5 p.m. Jan. 3.
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