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Mike 'Dead Man Walking' Hopkins...Why Is He Still Leading The MBB Program???
ChillyDawg
Member Posts: 1,469
It only took the UW 13 games to fire Jimmy Lake while Mike Hopkins has been destroying the UW MBB program for the past two seasons...what gives?
Mike Hopkins was a pushup hire suggested by some very powerful boosters over at the Tyee Club and former players that wanted to turn the UW MBB program into Syracuse West by hiring a 22 year career assistant coach to lead the way.
Mike Hopkins had never been a head coach before at any level outside of taking over for Jim Boheim when he was suspeneded by the NCAA and went 4-5 with a Syracuse team that would eventually make the Final Four.
Mike Hopkins looked good coaching Romar's recruits but ever since he had to get off of the LoRo lifeboat he has been atrocious coaching his own recruits recruited by him to play in his outdated 2-3 zone defensive system and who knows what he is running on offense going into his fifth year coaching at Montlake. The only thing Hopkins has seemingly changed this season is mixing in more man to man defense and full court pressure. The offense is still mostly based on one on one particulars. Hopkins only knows one way to coach especially on defense he's married to the 2-3 zone defense.
Mike Hopkins basketball acumen is severely lacking as is his ability to make in game and half time adjustments in real time. A critical thinking coach is able to design a complete system on both ends of the court best suited to his players strengths. Last season he wanted a three point shooting offense (30 attempts per game) despite not having a good three point shooting team. Who does that?
Mike Hopkins can't manage the program properly either word to Quade Green (academics) and Naz Carter (sexual assault allegation cover up).
Also, after 4 seasons leading the program who has Mike Hopkins developed in the program during his tenure? Naz Carter? Hameir Wright? Jamal Bey? Nate Roberts? Cole Bajema? Riley Sorn? Elijah Hardy? Bryan Penn-Johnson? Marcus Tsohonis? RaeQuan Battle? Nate Pryor? Erik Stevenson?
Mike Hopkins has had a high roster turnover with no roster continuity going into year five at Montlake. Mike Hopkins two best players this season (Terrell Brown, Daejon Davis) are just like one and dones so many people complained about as they will be gone next season.
It only took Jen Cohen two days to hire Hopkins https://www.syracuse.com/orangebasketball/2017/03/timeline_of_mike_hopkins_hiring_washington_acted_swiftly_to_pluck_sus_coach_in_w.html after she backstabbed LoRo after promising Romar the upcoming season to coach his highly touted recruiting class before making a decision on his coaching future at the UW.
Btw- didn't Mike Hopkins come over from a dirty NCAA sanction program in Syracuse https://www.sbnation.com/college-basketball/2015/3/9/8166543/syracuse-ncaa-scandal-explained-jim-boeheim where he feigned ignorance to NCAA investigators concerning the related particulars despite, in his own words, being very involved with the players both on and off of the court? Is this the type of individual that people want to lead the UW MBB program, represent the University?
I don't know why the UW hired an assistant lap dog coach from a dirty NCAA program...that's on Jen Cohen and her fascination with hotel room interview pushups.
Comments
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The announced home attendance of the first 3 games this season at Hec Edmundson Arena aka Alaska Airlines Arena (10,000 max capacity) has been:
NIU 6,356 https://gohuskies.com/sports/mens-basketball/stats/2021-22/northern-illinois/boxscore/20065
NAU 6,297 https://gohuskies.com/sports/mens-basketball/stats/2021-22/northern-arizona/boxscore/20066
TSU 5,315 https://gohuskies.com/sports/mens-basketball/stats/2021-22/texas-southern/boxscore/20067
Lots of empty seats all around the arena...tonight even the DawgPack has many empty seats- how much longer will this be allowed to go on under Mike Hopkins? -
The UW announced a crowd of 5,315 in attendance to watch the UW vs TSU game tonight but in reality it was only around 1,500 strong (Hec Edmundson Arena aka Alaska Airlines Arena has a 10,000 max capacity). Mike Hopkins is slowly but surely killing the MBB program and the UW is lying about attendance- why is that?
SI https://www.si.com/college/washington/basketball/nobody-saw-it-but-huskies-hold-off-texas-southern
Nobody Saw it, But Huskies Hold Off Texas Southern...
Smallish crowd watches the UW win its second game in three outings.
It's hard to differentiate University of Washington basketball opponents these days, with Texas Southern, Northern Arizona and Northern Illinois coming from all directions to fill out the non-conference schedule.
For Husky fans, it seems if you've seen one of these geographically christened teams, you've seen them all.
On Monday night, the local disinterest was evident as a crowd barely numbering 1,500 sat through another rugged early-season encounter, watching the UW beat Texas Southern 72-65 at Alaska Airlines Arena.
While much has been made about the Huskies redoing their roster with a bunch of Seattle guys who grew up together — and they do seem to enjoy each other's basketball company — this is still a program that needs to go a long way in winning back their fans.
It took PJ, one of the locals who was called home and a onetime Texas guy at that after playing for TCU, to put the Huskies ahead for good at 58-56 with his 3-pointer right of the key. The UW let the Tigers hang around far too long, but that shot seemed to take the air out of them some.
"PJ hung that shot," said teammate Terrell Brown, the Arizona transfer. "We believe in him. We want to be confident in his shot."
Mike Hopkins' team improved to 2-1, which may not sound like much, until considering the UW finished 5-21 last season. They're nearly halfway to their previous win total.
The Huskies, in coming out of a pandemic-restricted season, no matter who they played for last year, said basketball is starting to look familiar to them again.
"It's great to get back out there and play with competition and fans back," said guard Daejon Davis, a Stanford transfer. "There's a lot of moving parts. We haven't had a real season in about a year and a half."
The maroon-shirted Tigers fell to 0-3 on their four-game Western swing, with only a stop at Air Force in Colorado Springs, remaining. If it's any indication where the UW stands right now after its 7-point win, Texas Southern came up short to Oregon by 17 and to St. Mary's by 9.
"It wasn't pretty, but we found a way to beat a good basketball team," Hopkins said.
The Huskies methodically ran their weave to death, often settling for a short-range jumper from Brown, Davis and now Jamal Bey, with the latter player now looking for his shot more. It works.
Brown led the Huskies with 20 points, while Davis chipped in 15, Fuller had 11 and Bey added 10. Yes, they share the ball. Brown interestingly had all of the UW's 9 assists, too, which was one more than Texas Southern.
Hopkins didn't as substitute much as these teams were never more than four points apart in the opening half and never separated by more than seven all evening.
The coach just left it up to his top six or seven players to shoulder the load and grit out the victory, once more putting them in a late press to unsettle the opponent. Hopkins also got 7 points and 7 rebounds from junior-college transfer Langston Wilson, a high-flying player who's been a little sore lately from landing on the floor in games and in practice.
The UW got beat bad on the boards, 53-29, giving up 29 offensive rebounds alone, but they made up for it by creating 21 turnovers and committing just 11.
"The coach was challenging us," Davis said. "We won with toughness."
The Huskies play Wyoming — with no Northern or Southern designation on the opposing jersey this time — on Thursday night at home, with hopefully a few more fans in the seats for the 8 p.m. tipoff and what should be their toughest opponent yet. -
Sounds like you care.
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A lot of people in the greater Seattle community care about the UW MBB program and don't like how Mike Hopkins has bottomed it out after taking over for LoRo.theknowledge said:Sounds like you care.
That being said, Brandon Roy, who has a PhD in basketball, would be a very solid choice as the next head basketball coach for the UW as he would lift the UW MBB program's profile nationwide while restoring local interest in the program from both supporters and recruits. Recruiting would boom especially if the UW completes its new basketball facilities. As long as he hires an experienced staff to support him I don't see any issues with any potential hiring of BRoy to lead the program.
We all seen how BRoy turned Nathan Hale HS into a State and National HS Champion after being a Metro doormat program in only one season by attracting top flight players (Michael Porter Jr, Jontay Porter, PJ Fuller, MarJon Beauchamp, Freddie Brown III) to his program. Players want to play for BRoy.
Penny Hardaway went from HS to coaching Memphis and Memphis has three consecutive twenty win seasons under his leadership going into season four under Hardaway coaching their program.
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Convinced now more than ever that @ChillyDawgisBasnight. Even more convinced than I am that @TequillaisKim.
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GreenRiverGatorz said:
Convinced now more than ever that @ChillyDawgisBasnight. Even more convinced than I am that @TequillaisKim.
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The next UW MBB head coach Mark Pope or Brandon Roy?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V72iUffMJsk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RHXOtR4f0EM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lVK_Z53hh4o
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zT4xI3d7Lk8 -
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Next season's the potential depth chart including the 2022 recruits (PG 6'2 Keyon Menifield, F 6'7 Tyler Linhardt, PG 6'1 Koren Johnson) based on this year's official team roster https://gohuskies.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster currently looks like (*Bey/Matthews can return as a 5th year Seniors if they choose to do so. If Bey/Matthews don't return then one scholarship will still be open for 2022 recruiting):
CP: Roberts (R-SR), Sorn (R-SR)
PF: Wilson (SR), Grant (SO), Ariyibi (SO)
SF: Bajema (SR), Linhardt (FR)
SG: Fuller (SR)
PG: Penn (JR), Johnson (FR), Menifield (FR)
That potential roster would most likely be projected as another very weak team UW MBB team under Mike Hopkins who has shown that he can not develop nor coach up talent.
If both Bey and Mathews return to the UW then the 2022-23 UW MBB roster would most likely look something like this:
CP: Roberts (R-SR), Grant (SO), Sorn (R-SR)
PF: Matthews (5th SR), Wilson (SR), Ariyibi (SO)
SF: Bey (5th SR), Bajema (SR), Linhardt (FR)
SG: Fuller (SR)
PG: Penn (JR), Johnson (FR), Menifield (FR)
Still a very lackluster roster with very little upside to excite the UW MBB fanbase and supporters. -
The Husky's New Hopkins Basketball Slogan Is: DMGB (Doesn't Matter, Get Better)
Seattle Times https://www.seattletimes.com/sports/uw-husky-basketball/up-and-down-husky-mens-basketball-team-still-figuring-out-recipe-for-winning/#comments
After a 2-1 showing this week at the Crossover Classic in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, the Washington men’s basketball team regained a little bit of confidence in a suspect offense that began the round-robin tournament ranked among the worst shooting teams in the country.
Before Monday’s tournament opener, the Huskies shot 33.3% on field goals, including 24.1% on three-pointers (19 of 79) and 65.6% on free throws, which largely explains why they compiled a disappointing 2-2 record in four nonconference home games.
In their next two outings, Washington converted 48.1% of its shots and was 21 of 28 at the line in a 77-74 win over George Mason. The next night, UW was a sizzling 58.3% on field goals, including 10 of 22 on 3’s, in an 87-76 win over South Dakota State.
However, in keeping with their early two-steps-forward-one-step-back pattern, the Huskies regressed Wednesday during an 81-62 loss to Nevada, shooting 37.3% from the floor and converting 9 of 17 free throws (52.9%).
“We saw what the recipe for winning is for us, and we saw what the recipe for losing is for us,” coach Mike Hopkins said. “That’s why you play in these tournaments. You play to learn a lot about your team.”
Since James Naismith invented basketball in 1891, good-to-average shooting teams are more likely to beat average-to-bad shooting teams, which is a hoops truism that’s seemingly going to present a problem for the Huskies.
Heading into Saturday’s 7 p.m. nonconference matchup against Winthrop (2-3) at Alaska Airlines Arena (Pac-12 Network), Washington (4-3) still has several issues to resolve on offense.
Hopkins and the UW staff should be commended for luring Seattle native Terrell Brown Jr. back home after a year with the Arizona Wildcats and giving him the keys to the offense.
The former Garfield High product who also played two years at Seattle University has been an early breakout star, entering this weekend’s games ranked first in the Pac-12 and 10th nationally in scoring at 22.4 points per game.
Only nine UW players have averaged 20 or more points in a season.
After Brown torched South Dakota State for a career-high 32 points on 13-for-18 shooting, Nevada used an extra defender to restrict his mobility and reduce his ability to get into the lane.
Still, he finished with 19 points on 7-for-15 shooting.
“Teams are going to load up on him and do different things,” Hopkins said. “He’ll learn from it and find ways where we can take advantage of those situations. It’s just like a good post player; if two guys come, you’ve got to make the kick-out and make sure you’re making those extra passes and getting open shots. We’ll keep getting better at that for sure.”
Unless Brown can make shots for others, the Huskies might not get any better.
Without the 6-foot-3 senior guard, who is shooting 47.5% on field goals, the rest of the UW players are 34.8% on field goal shooting.
Even with Brown, UW ranks last in the Pac-12 in field goal shooting (39%) and three-point shots (30.1%). Washington’s poor marksmanship from the perimeter is particularly troubling considering the Huskies are second in the conference with 146 attempts behind the arc.
Hopkins wants to diversify an offense that’s become overly reliant on Brown.
Hopkins is hoping fifth-year senior guard Daejon Davis can pull out of an early shooting slump. The Stanford transfer is averaging just 7.9 points while shooting 30.9% from the field and 28% on three-pointers — all career lows.
Senior forward Jamal Bey has seemingly plateaued and is averaging 10.3 points for the second straight year. Inexplicably, he leads the team with 11 three-pointers and 42.3% shooting on 3s, but is third among UW players with 26 attempts behind the arc.
Newcomers Emmitt Matthews Jr. and backup guard PJ Fuller are defensive mainstays who have produced 21-point performances.
However, Matthews is a highly erratic on offensive, considering he shoots 65.4% at the line and 34.8% on 3’s. And Fuller needs to be more consistent offensively. He’s been held to four points or fewer in three games.
Hopkins appears to have improved Washington’s defense that’s still last in the Pac-12 in points allowed (72.3) but is first in steals (7.9) and at times can be oppressive when switching between the 2-3 zone, man-to-man and full-court press.
“They’re starting to believe in each other, and we’re learning how to win,” Hopkins said. “We’re also learning what we have to do and that’s what great about these preseason games.
“We have to move forward. It’s DMGB: Doesn’t Matter, Get Better. We’re learning a lot about ourselves and when teams do that, we have guys step up and make shots and get great contributions from a lot of different players.” -
Add lost to Winthorp (2-3) at Alaska Airlines Arena as well this season...
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MM3YMX_fcQI
Mike Hopkins UW MBB Intro Presser (2017)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G1uryRvaW04
Mike Hopkins: Why He Choose The UW (2017)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Umyhh4wpofg
Jen Cohen Addresses The Media After Mike Hopkins Hired (2017)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K8hJ1rdpWfY
New UW MBB/WBB Head Coaches (2017). Fast Forward One UW Basketball Coach Is Gone (Jody Wynn) And The Other Remaining UW Basketball Coach (Mike Hopkins) Needs To Be Fired ASAP. -
Hopefully a lot of focus will return to this dumpster fire after the FB hire is made. We are in the middle of a five game (probably more) losing streak.
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Chilly's dominating the glass 12 posts to 3 early in the thread.
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UW vs Winthorp (Nov 27/2021)...look how empty the 10,000 max capacity Alaska Airlines Arena is. 5,703 announced attendance bit I highly doubt if 2,500 people (including the band and arena staff) were in the building.
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." -
A roundtable with our UWDawgPound MBB crew to talk about season expectations for the Dawgs...
How would you grade the Husky offseason coming off of last season’s debacle?
Max Vrooman: I’m giving Hopkins a B-minus. It was clear that drastic change was needed and I think Washington did close to as well as could reasonably have been expected. I would have loved to beat out Gonzaga for Nolan Hickman or LSU for transfer Tari Eason but this was a reasonable rebuild on the fly. Considering every incoming guy knows there’s a chance this is Hop’s last year if things go south I liked the addition of Jones and Q-Pon to the assistant coaching staff. I would prefer for Washington to have a team that’s starting in the top half of the conference but at least Hop built a roster that has a not completely ridiculous path to get there.
Tom Adamski: Based off where we were in April and coming off a 5-21 season, I’d say a solid B that totally outkicked their coverage. Landing 4 local players that have started on Power 5 teams to jump on board with a coach that was on the proverbial hot seat, is pretty impressive in my opinion. I jumped out of my seat when UW landed #2 JUCO player Langston Wilson. Of course missing on Banchero, Hickman, Nowell and transfers like Tari Eason and Bryson Williams would have been a bigger upgrade, but let’s remember... we were 5-21 and 15-17 the year before. Also, the additions of UW legend Quincy Pondexter and Big Man coach Wyking Jones are equally important that will help with player development, toughness, energy and future recruiting.
Andrew Berg: In an absolute sense, it’s hard to give Hopkins a very good grade. In terms of how well he has set up the team to win in 2022 and beyond, I will give him a C-. On the positive side, it appears that he has recognized that his approach was not working and leaned more heavily on transfers from the region to supplement the roster. While that seems like a better long-term plan, the team is still woefully short on talent that can compete near the top end of the conference and there aren’t promising signs coming down the recruiting trail in the foreseeable future.
Which of the incoming D1 transfers are you most looking forward to watching play this season and why (Brown, Davis, Fuller, or Matthews)?
Max Vrooman: I’m the most intrigued by Emmitt Matthews Jr after getting a sneak peak in the exhibition last week. He’s likely not going to lead the Huskies in any single statistical category but he looks like he could be a difference maker in the Husky zone and is definitely aggressive taking the ball to the rim. Second place goes to Davis after having to wait 4 years longer than we should’ve to see him in a UW uniform.
Tom Adamski: I’m a big fan of all these guys but going with Terrell Brown as I think he will be the straw that stirs the drink and he was also the first Transfer to commit to lead the charge. Born leader and reminds me of Will Conroy and Andrew Andrews. He was at one-time considered a Top-12 transfer coming out of Seattle University but had to play more of a supporting role at Arizona. Brown plays under control, can score the ball and plays really good defense. Like Andrews, could be a guy living at the free throw line at the end of games. Brown had 174 attempts in 2019-2020 with his attacking style.
Andrew Berg: Whether or not his contributions amount to a big jump in the standings, I’m most excited to watch Brown. His dominant performance for Seattle U at Hec Ed is fresh in my memory. I don’t expect him to have games like that every night. Even so, it has been since Jaylen Nowell since the Dawgs had a perimeter player who can get his own bucket the way Brown can. For an offense prone to stagnation, that’s a welcome respite .
Which of the other newcomers are you most looking forward to watching play this season and why (Ariyibi, Grant, Penn, Wilson)?
Max Vrooman: The obvious answer here is Langston Wilson and that’s who I’m picking. He’s still learning the sport but has 99th percentile leaping ability even at the NBA level. Against Central last week he dove into the stands for a loose ball twice in his first 2 minutes on the court. Between that constant effort and his freakish dunking ability he’s going to instantly become a fan favorite.
Tom Adamski: I previewed Langston Wilson last week and very excited for him but I’ll go with Jackson Grant here and he might end up playing the most minutes out of these 4. The Exhibition game was my first time seeing Grant play live and it was very easy to see his talent. He’s got great footwork and a high basketball IQ. His 3 blocks show that he can play both the 4 and 5 spot. He’ll make an impact this year off the bench and could potentially push for a starting spot. Also very excited for Sam Ariyibi in the future after seeing him at the Crawsover and at the Exhibition game!
Andrew Berg: I’m not going to be original just for the sake of being different; Wilson is my pick, too. In addition to the athleticism and the freaky track record, Wilson looked closer to ready to contribute and more able to do the nuanced parts of the game during the Crawsover than I expected. He might not be just a dunker. He might make a real difference right away.
Which of the returners do you think takes the biggest leap from last year to this year (Bajema, Bey, Roberts, Sorn)?
Max Vrooman: I would really love for the answer to be Bey but I’m going with Cole Bajema. It looked like the light was starting to come on for him down the stretch last year (6.3 pts, 2.3 reb, 57% 3pt in the last 6 games). Bajema had trouble finishing at the rim but if he is able to improve in that regard he’s already the best shooter on the team and has a chance to be a fantastic 6th man/scoring option off the bench.
Tom Adamski: Mike Hopkins at Media day said Bajema had made the most notable change from last year to this year (bigger/stronger) but I’m going to take a leap of faith on Nate Roberts. There have been multiple reports that Roberts has looked much better from last year and scored in double figures in a “not-so-secret” scrimmage with Boise State last weekend. Wyking Jones has experience working with Bigs and has focused on helping Roberts slow things down as well as focus on staying out of foul trouble by moving his feet more. If he can continue to rebound and be some sort of threat to score down low, that could increase the ceiling of the team this year.
Andrew Berg: Bajema seems like the smart pick. He has shown the underlying skills to shoot and rebound with very good quickness and leaping ability. What he hasn’t shown is consistent engagement or aggressiveness. If he asserts himself in the offense with a larger role, he doesn’t need to change much about his game to be a significant contributor.
What is your prediction for how this season turns out (approximate Pac-12 finish, postseason berth?, etc.)?
Max Vrooman: The consensus from the various preseason polls and rankings is that the Huskies are going to finish 11th in the conference. It’s hard to say that’s not warranted given they’ve ended up 12th and 11th over the past 2 seasons and are turning over almost their entire roster. I’m still worried about the guard depth and UW is once again susceptible to a Quade Green type situation where if Daejon Davis misses a chunk of time due to injury then things could unravel quickly. But there’s enough veteran talent that has been injected into this squad for me to think they will likely overperform those expectations.- Ceiling 6th in the conference and thanks to chaos on the other side of the bracket stealing the auto-bid as a #12 seed
- Floor The team is better than last year but a few injuries and a more competitive bottom end of the conference leads to another 12th place finish
- Expectation Washington is clearly ahead of the bottom few teams in the league but that still results in a 16-15 (8-12) season which is good for 9th in the Pac-12
Andrew Berg: Unfortunately, it’s hard for me to envision the Dawgs getting out of the bottom half of the conference. The non-conference schedule is soft enough to get to possibly push .500 for the overall season, which could lead to a consolation berth in the NIT. Even so, the roster is full of respectable role players without the one or two stars who can take over a game on either end of the floor. If Grant and some of the other newcomers can show the promise to become that sort of player in another year or two, I’ll take that as a successful season.
UW Projected Depth Chart
CP: Roberts/Grant/Sorn
PF: Matthews/Wilson/Ariyibi
SF: Bey/Bajema/*Lundeen
SG: Davis/Fuller
PG: Brown/Penn
Note: *Lundeen was just awarded a scholarship for 2021-22
Walk-Ons
G Iglesia
G Geron
G Hopkins
G Luttinen
G Neubauer - Ceiling 6th in the conference and thanks to chaos on the other side of the bracket stealing the auto-bid as a #12 seed
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COVID Aside, Husky Basketball Needs to Get Well
Loser of 39 of his past 51 games, Mike Hopkins doesn't have too many chances left.
A month into another taxing University of Washington basketball season, with the pandemic wiping out Sunday afternoon's UCLA game at Alaska Airlines Arena and unwilling to leave this team alone, some rudimentary observations about this group are necessary before play resumes.
This average UW team still should be no worse than 8-0 or 7-1 at this point, not 4-4.
That's not misguided hype, rather it should be the benefit of playing an underwhelming non-conference schedule filled mostly with geographically christened lightweights in Northern Illinois, Northern Arizona, Texas Southern and South Dakota State.
Into his fifth season as coach, Mike Hopkins says these Huskies, once they receive medical clearance again, will be pretty good.
He'll need to make some changes. Hopkins repeatedly plays the wrong guys.
A year ago, he insisted on using a limited talent in forward Hameir Wright as a UW starter for 25 of 26 games and gave him free rein to launch 3-pointers that wouldn't drop.
Today, Wright can't get off the bench at North Texas and rarely is permitted to launch shots from behind the line.
Hopkins now chooses to start 6-foot-11, 265-pound junior Nate Roberts, a player unable to create his own shots and unfailingly foul prone, where the coach should use him in relief, in spurts.
Offensively, it's like playing 4-on-5, always a disadvantage.
A pre-game UW ritual is letting a manager dunk, with help.
Hopkins should be starting PJ Fuller and Jackson Grant in place of Jamal Bey and Roberts.
Fuller is one of the most aggressive players on the team, Bey, while adequately skilled, one of the most passive.
That position swap is a no-brainer.
The other one is an absolute necessity.
The 6-foot-10 Grant, a McDonald's All-American from Olympia High School in the state capital, needs to play.
He's a big man who can put the ball in the basket.
Unlike Roberts, he has a fundamentally sound mid-range jumper and inside moves.
Hopkins needs to put him in the lineup, suffer with him, season him as he goes.
It's what previous UW coaches did with promising big men James Edwards, Christian Welp and Todd MacCulloch.
They let them play and make mistakes, made them four-year starters, flourished with them, sent them to the NBA.
Without a post player providing any semblance of points, these Huskies will be lucky to finish as a .500 team.
Hopkins needs to lose whatever upperclassman loyalty he feels to his holdover guys who aren't performing at the highest level. Six players hitting the transfer portal as fast as they could last March should have taught him that.
Tougher together?
No, totally untethered.
His starting lineup should be all newcomers: veterans Terrell Brown Jr. (Arizona, Seattle U), Emmitt Matthews Jr. (West Virginia), Daejon Davis (Stanford), Fuller (TCU) and Grant the youngster.
Five scorers.
Let them run and press.
Make them play at all times like they did against George Mason — like the 1981 Oregon State Beavers who went 26-2 by whipping the ball around the perimeter without ever letting it touch the floor, always sharing it and getting rewarded.
Once all of the Huskies get healthy again, they need to do something to bring the fans back.
The crowd was embarrassingly low, in the hundreds, to watch the Huskies host Texas Southern on a Monday night in mid-November.
Socially distancing took on an unpleasant new meaning that evening.
Let the UW followers see the four transfers with Seattle ties turn up the tempo and young Grant mature in front of their eyes.
More than ever, Hopkins needs to question some of the things he does, get a better read on his manpower and find ways to win again consistently.
It's been a while.
Alaska Airlines Arena had drawn only smallish crowds so far.
Hopkins somehow survived last season's 5-21 atrocity, which is normally a firing offense. He's lost 39 of his past 51 games over three seasons and still draws a paycheck, which is nothing short of miraculous.
On game night, the clock is ticking on each shot, each half-court possession, each game.
It's also about to run out on Hopkins unless he gets over his head-coaching stubbornness and tries something a little different, fills the arena with warm bodies and brings long-overdue results.
He's made a bunch of recruiting mistakes. Remember Elijah Hardy and Bryan Penn-Johnson? Hardy's on his third team now, BPJ doesn't play anymore.
Hopkins needs to make up for these shortcomings with coaching genius, stuff he learned at Syracuse from Jim Boeheim.
Honestly, he doesn't have many chances left.
If not, we'll see another news conference like the one held at the UW this past week, introducing someone to fix the football team. -
Dude ... you don't need to beat the dead horse here
Hopkins is clearly not the right guy going forward ...
The Jimmy debacle needed to be handled first ...
Once revenues are fixed properly the attention will turn to Hop when the buyouts go down ...
College hoops is a rough business ...
It doesn't matter until there's a coach in place that knows how to coach and recruit to what is successful in today's game -
Seattle Times https://www.seattletimes.com/sports/uw-husky-basketball/my-story-is-a-lot-like-his-how-will-conroy-joined-forces-with-mike-hopkins-to-turn-around-uw/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Y-v3MdQLU0
Ken Cross: "Coach Hop" drops by and discusses the Dawgs' restructuring for 2021-22, his talented incoming transfers, the potential for veterans Jamal Bey and Nate Roberts this season.
Seattle Times (click for full article) https://www.seattletimes.com/sports/uw-husky-basketball/will-mike-hopkins-maniacal-tough-as-nails-approach-turn-around-huskies-program/Will Mike Hopkins’ maniacal, tough-as-nails approach turn around Huskies’ program?
You can’t understand Hopkins, and how much he’s diving into the rebuild of the Huskies, without coming back to the sheer force of his personality. He exudes energy even when in seeming repose. “You’re not used to seeing anything like that in your lifetime,” says an ex-teammate.
Mike Hopkins tends to cry easily.
It’s part of his makeup and a window into his psyche. The new Washington men’s basketball coach is a fount of passion, and he tends to become so emotionally invested in his players, in his work — in everything — that it leaves him highly vulnerable to what the emoji-driven world likes to call “all the feels.”
“It’s because I care so much,” he explains as he chokes up during an interview in his office while relating the story of when he told his mentor, Jim Boeheim, that he was leaving his Syracuse job as Boeheim’s heir apparent to head to Seattle; and again while telling the story of how proud he was of former Orange player Scoop Jardine for becoming the first person in his family to graduate from college; and again while telling the story of how his dad talked him out of transferring from Syracuse when he was a player, mired on the bench after two seasons.
You can’t understand Hopkins, and how fully throttled he’s diving into the rebuild of the Huskies’ basketball program, without coming back to the sheer force of his personality. He exudes kinetic energy even when in seeming repose (a state rarely reached by a guy who is known to talk on two phones simultaneously, the better to squeeze more results into his waking day). He has brought a near-maniacal drive to basketball since his playing days; Boeheim admits he never thought Hopkins had the stuff to be anything but a role player (he became a two-year starter and team captain).
“Mike was a guy I frankly didn’t have high hopes for as a player,” Boeheim said in a phone interview. “He was more of a project guy. But he wanted to get better. He outworked everybody. He was on the floor 10 to 12 times every practice, and 10 to 12 times in the game. He became a very good college player.”
Granted, that’s pretty standard stuff in the sporting world — another yarn about an underdog with a chip on his shoulder and a caffeine-laced personality (eye-roll emoji) — but Hopkins takes it to an extreme that makes him stand out even within that cliché.
“Mike was a cross between an MMA guy and (UW rower) Joe Rantz from ‘The Boys in the Boat,’ ” says former Syracuse teammate Tim O’Toole, now an assistant coach at California. “He would have died fighting to succeed at ’Cuse.”
Marv Marinovich, a family friend and former NFL player, warned Hopkins when he went off to college in the rugged Big East that he was going to be perceived as soft because he came from Orange County in California (with flowing strawberry-blonde surfer hair, no less — Justin Bieber-like, in the words of his wife Tricia to Sports Illustrated). The first time someone challenges you, Marinovich told Hopkins, “you fight ’em like you’ve never fought before.”
Flash forward to one of his early practices at Syracuse in what turned out to be a redshirt first season in 1988. Every day was a test of survival among the star-studded cast he walked into that included Sherman Douglas, Billy Owens and Derrick Coleman, all future high NBA draft picks. But it was a walk-on, Dave Bartelstein, who pushed Hopkins’ buttons one day with his elbows and aggression.
Channeling Marinovich, Hopkins bopped him in the mouth. He didn’t get pushed around any more after that.
“Everyone was trying to test me from day one,” Hopkins said. “You had to set the tone. It was just fighting for your space and showing, ‘I’m here to play. I’m not here to just be an ornament.’ ”
You might think that story is apocryphal, maybe embellished for maximum effect. I contacted Bartelstein, now an executive with an investment firm in Chicago, for confirmation.
Hop File- Mike Hopkins, 47, is the 19th head coach in Washington basketball history.
- Coaching at Syracuse: He spent 22 seasons alongside Hall of Fame coach Jim Boeheim. He was a part of 16 NCAA tournament appearances, including the 2003 National Championship, four Final Fours, five Elite Eights and 10 Sweet 16s.
- Playing at Syracuse: Hopkins became the Orange’s starting shooting guard his junior year and the team won the 1992 Big East Championship. He played 111 career games in the Carrier Dome and was the team captain as a senior en route to averaging 9.2 points and 3.7 rebounds.
- Pro career: CBA, the Netherlands and Turkey.
- Family: Wife Tricia, sons Michael Griffith Jr. and Grant Richard, daughter Ella Grace.
Bartelstein explained that he and Hopkins were friends then and now, “but when we got between the lines, it was no holds barred. I was giving it to Mike more than he thought I should. I’m 5-11, he’s 6-4. He didn’t like a walk-on talking too much to him and showing him up, and the next thing you know, he had a fist in my face.
“He was a tough, hard-nosed guy. He didn’t care if it was me or Derrick Coleman, he’d go through you.”
Said O’Toole: “Hop is not going to back down for any human being. He’ll fight you in the most clean, human way.”
Leo Rautins, a former Syracuse star who had returned to the area, took a liking to young Hopkins and would engage him in after-hours workouts at Most Holy Rosary Parish. Rautins would try to toughen him up with the kind of trash talk and rough play he knew Hopkins would have to weather to succeed in the Big East.
“He loved it,’’ Rautins said. “He’d get pissed off but kept coming back for more.”
The Syracuse coaching staff saw this, ate it up and tucked it away. Tim Welsh, the assistant coach who picked up Hopkins at the airport when he arrived from California, remembers walking into Boeheim’s office and asking him, “How the heck is this kid going to play for us?”
Elaborating more than 25 years later, Welsh said, “I looked around the room, and we had Sherman Douglas and Stevie Thompson and Billy Owens and Derrick Coleman and Dave Johnson — all these men. And you have this little, skinny, pale kid from Southern California who weighed about a buck-fifty, buck-sixty.”
Welsh, who would go on to be the coach at Iona and Providence, began to be won over when Hopkins agitated Douglas so much in a 3-on-3 drill one day that Douglas swung an elbow and bloodied Hopkins’ nose. Hopkins went into Welsh’s office afterward and told him he would get back at Douglas by beating him out for the starting job. Welsh laughs at the memory, because Douglas at the time was a first-team All-American and the consensus choice as the top point guard in the nation.
“But I said, ‘You know what? I like this guy. He’s going to make it here,’ ” Welsh recalled. “I had my doubts, but he’s going to make it through grit, toughness and hard work. That has been his MO ever since. Just outwork and out-tough people.” - Mike Hopkins, 47, is the 19th head coach in Washington basketball history.
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Husky Haul https://thehuskyhaul.com/2021/12/13/washington-basketball-season-jeopardy/
The Washington basketball men’s team has not played a game since Nov. 27.
Things were looking optimistic for Washington basketball at the start of the season when they brought in several transfers to help transform this team. However, COVID-19 has quickly made an impact on their season.
The Huskies were initially scheduled to play the Arizona Wildcats on Dec. 2 until the game had to be postponed until Jan. 25 due to a COVID-19 breakout amongst the team. Their Dec. 5 matchup against the UCLA Bruins was then forced to be forfeited and their Dec. 12 game against the Gonzaga Bulldogs was therefore also canceled.
At this point, it’s really unknown when we will see this Husky basketball team back on the court. Their next game is expected to be on Saturday, Dec. 18 against Seattle University.
So far, updates about the program’s ability to continue have been scarce.Statement from UW Athletics (December 09, 2021):
"Due to COVID-related protocols and after receiving guidance from our medical team, Sunday's men's basketball game scheduled to be played at Gonzaga has been canceled. The program will continue modified workouts and to receive consultation from the medical team about next steps as we work toward returning to full participation. This series is important to both schools and the administrations will begin working on an agreeable date for this game in Spokane next year."
This certainly puts the Washington basketball program’s season in jeopardy. Not only have they had the unfortunate luck of being affected by COVID-19, but head coach Mike Hopkins’ job is hanging on by a thread.
What is Washington basketball’s outlook right now?
The Husky men’s team is 4-4 so far on the season (not including the forfeit) and they really have only played average small schools up to this point.
Maybe missing a few games is what Hopkins and this team need in order to re-evaluate things going forward.
Dan Raley from the Husky Maven pointed out that Hopkins needs adjust the lineup and should feature PJ Fuller and Jackson Grant more prominently. His loyalty to his returning upperclassmen has to go out the door if he wants to get this team back on the winning track.
Hopkins has lost 39 of his last 51 games with the Huskies and now they find themselves falling down the Pac-12 ladder as UCLA and Arizona continue to rise—the two games that Washington happened to miss. -
247 Sports https://247sports.com/college/washington/Article/Washington-Huskies-basketball-Mike-Hopkins-Friday-Press-Conference-Notes--178648253/
Here are some notes from Husky basketball head coach Mike Hopkins' Friday press conference...- Hopkins said it's been a rough stretch, but they are excited to get back being able to play and that everyone is healthy.
- On dealing with the long layoff, Hopkins said the first thing was about everyone's health and wellness. They haven't been able to practice as a team until this past Monday and Tuesday, but they did do individual work.
- Gave kudos to the medical staff who helped guide them through it.
- Said the outbreak happened right after the Winthrop game. Said it is weird because last year no one was vaccinated and they came out unscathed, but his year, they are all vaccinated and they got it.
- He said the players and coaches who weren't quarantined were able to do some individual work while the quarantined players and coaches were just stuck in quaratine and getting back healthy.
- Said it was tough to miss out on playing some of the marquee games of the season and they were looking forward to playing the games, but it is what it is and he is just grateful that they have been able to come through it. He noted the players were hungry and when things you love get taken away from you, you become stronger and closer and they are just grateful they get to play Seattle U tomorrow.
- Asked about his team needing to take time off while other teams haven't at this point and if it puts them at a disadvantage, he said it's a challenge, but it gives them the chance to watch and perspective on just finally getting to play a game and how happy they will be to do that.
- Asked about how much of a setback this has been for the team to get a comfort-level with each other, Hopkins said it interrupted the flow of the season, but with the experience they have on the team that has a chance to take over and he's counting on that to help them get back in the flow.
- Asked about the cardio health of the team and if the COVID infections impacted that, Hopkins said that they've looked fine and they have had some good practices, so he hasn't noticed much of an impact physically.
- Every player is available for tomorrow's game vs. Seattle U.
- On Terrell Brown facing his old team, Hopkins said that he's such a competitor, regardless of who they are playing, he's up for every game. He's got a lot of great memories there with Seattle U, but he's a guy who plays the same no matter who the Huskies are facing.
- He's sure Brown will be excited, but he'll have poise.
- On Seattle U, he said their coaching staff has done a good job through adversity. You could either come together or go your seperate ways and they have come together.
- He said Darrion Trammell and Cameron Tyson are guys who can play ball, they hit a lot of threes and they will be a big challenge fot the Huskies.
- Asked about Huskies who have taken a leadership role with the team during the time off and he said that Daejon Davis has really stepped up and taken that leadership role as well as Brown.
- Hopkins said it's been a rough stretch, but they are excited to get back being able to play and that everyone is healthy.
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Very interesting viewpoint of all the empty seats in the arena during the game. More empty seats than fans at the game...imagine that?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=APLg2eG8WrY
Lance Does Washington Huskies Basketball: I attended a basketball game between the Washington Huskies and the Northern Arizona Lumberjacks at Alaska Airlines Arena on November 11, 2021. -
Where are the fans at??? There weren't many fans. Not a lot of points. No Husky assistant coaches or Jamal Bey to be had. Zero 3-pointers. UW's official attendance number for the Utah Valley game (a 68-52 loss) is 5,618. A big time lie. The UW claimed that there were over 5,000 fans in attendance at an earlier home game while SI Husky Maven reported that there were less than 1,500 fans in the stands including the DawgPack, UW Band, UW staff and Alaska Airlines Arena staffers. Alaska Airlines Arena hold 10,000. Very few people are turning out to watch this Mike Hopkins created shit show...
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I'm sure the shithead saggy titted one in the AD office thinks the lack of fans is due to Covid scare.ChillyDawg said:Where are the fans at??? There weren't many fans. Not a lot of points. No Husky assistant coaches or Jamal Bey to be had. Zero 3-pointers. UW's official attendance number for the Utah Valley game (a 68-52 loss) is 5,618. A big time lie. The UW claimed that there were over 5,000 fans in attendance at an earlier home game while SI Husky Maven reported that there were less than 1,500 fans in the stands including the DawgPack, UW Band, UW staff and Alaska Airlines Arena staffers. Alaska Airlines Arena hold 10,000. Very few people are turning out to watch this Mike Hopkins created shit show...
Couldn't be this is one of the worst basketball teams in UW history and people are voting with their feet.
This is on you, Jen. Broom this motherfucker today.
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Seattle Times https://www.seattletimes.com/sports/uw-husky-basketball/three-uw-mens-basketball-thoughts-after-a-challenging-nonconference-slate-on-and-off-court/
First, some positive news for a Washington men’s basketball team that sorely needs some holiday cheer and good tidings.
The Pac-12 retroactively adjusted its game-cancellation policy for teams unable to play due to COVID-19.
Initially, the conference forced the Huskies to forfeit their Dec. 5 game against UCLA because of an COVID outbreak among the Huskies. That game will be rescheduled for a mutually agreeable date or declared a no-contest.
And now, here are some sobering, Grinch-like predictions for Washington (5-5), which begins Pac-12 play Dec. 29 at Washington State.
KenPom.com predicts UW will lose the next 18 games and finish the regular season at 6-23 overall and 1-18 Pac-12.
Meanwhile, WarrenNolan.com has slightly merrier forecast for Washington and calculates an 8-22 overall record and 3-17 Pac-12 finish.
Coach Mike Hopkins admitted the Huskies, which fell to 227th out of 358 teams in the NET rankings, have dealt with several challenges on and off the court, including a two-week suspension of team activities that put several players and assistants in COVID protocols.
“They are a resilient group,” Hopkins said. “It’s not easy. The last two years have been really hard, not just basketball wise but just life. We got great kids. And they care. Seeing this thing and to go through it, not just here, but the rest of the country — it’s pretty delicate.
“And for a lot of these guys it’s on their mind. We just try to teach them how to focus. In life there’s a lot to be grateful for. We’re healthy. We get an opportunity to play basketball and represent something bigger than ourselves. It’s not easy for sure, but you learn. It’s a life lesson.”
Here are three Huskies observations following their nonconference games.
Time To Shake Things Up
Washington started the same lineup for nine games before Tuesday’s loss to Utah Valley State, after guard Jamal Bey entered COVID protocols and was replaced by Cole Bajema.
The Huskies have trailed at halftime in seven games, and after Tuesday’s game Hopkins hinted at tinkering with the lineup.
“We’re going to have to evaluate,” he said. “The bottom line is we just got to have more of an energy boost. It’s got to be more of a pop. We’ve had one game this year — South Dakota State — where we came out really good at the beginning of the game. A lot of these other games we’ve gotten behind. We just haven’t played with a pop that we need to.”
UW’s most productive non-starter is guard P.J. Fuller who is third on the team in scoring (9.9 points per game) and shooting 41.8% on field goals.
When asked if Fuller might replace Daejon Davis (8.3 ppg and 31.3% FG) or Bey (9.1 and 33.3% FG), Hopkins said: “That could be a solution. It’s always also good to have energy when you make a sub that you actually get better.”
Freshman forward Jackson Grant could also replace senior forward Nate Roberts. In limited minutes, Grant appears to be a more efficient low-post scoring option than Roberts who has tallied five or more points in just two games.
Terrell Brown Jr Needs Help
After Tuesday’s 23-point performance, Terrell Brown Jr. ranked fourth nationally among Division I players in scoring (21.4 points per game).
The senior guard, who transferred from Arizona, has been one of the few bright spots on a UW offense that ranks last in the Pac-12 in assists (9.0) and field-goal shooting percentage (39.0), three-point shooting percentage (28.5), 10th in free-throw shooting (65.8%) and ninth in scoring (69.7).
Brown has scored at least 20 points in six games, but it remains to be seen if he’ll be able to continue to deliver when Washington faces stiffer competition.
Invariably, UW opponents will make it a priority to slow Brown, who shoots 46.5% from the field, with one or two defenders while forcing other Huskies to score.
At the moment, senior forward Emmitt Matthews Jr. is UW’s second offensive option. He averages 10.9 points and has scored a season-high 21. He’s an explosive scorer who thrives in transition, but he’s shooting 67.6% at the line and 25% from behind the three-point arc.
Developing a low-post scoring threat and reliable three-point shooters after 10 games are seemingly impossible tasks for Hopkins, whose offense has not ranked higher than seventh in the Pac-12 in scoring the past four years.
Still, Hopkins has to coax more out of a lethargic offense, even if it means compromising a ball-hawking defense that leads the Pac-12 with 17.9 turnovers per game.
Hop’s Hot Seat Is Getting Hotter
This was always a make-or-break season for Hopkins, who resurrected a downtrodden Husky program and won Pac-12 Coach of the Year honors in 2018 and ’19.
During his first two years, UW was 48-22.
Washington is 25-43 during the past three seasons, including a disastrous 5-21 last season.
UW athletic director Jen Cohen gave Hopkins a chance to turn things around, which resulted in eight players leaving, including six transfers, and seven newcomers.
The results have been mixed, which is not surprising for a team that’s hovering at .500.
But if KenPom.com is correct and the Huskies endure a prolonged losing streak, then Hopkins isn’t likely to return next season even though he’s owed $9.3 million for a contract runs through the 2024-25 season.
High-Priced Hoops
Here’s a look at the contract agreements for the Washington men’s basketball team’s 2021-22 nonconference games.
Team/Payout/Result
Central Washington*/ $3,500/ W, 83-50 (*Exhibition)
Northern Illinois/ $75,000/ L, 71-64
Northern Arizona/ $75,000/ W, 73-62
Texas Southern/ $85,000/ W, 72-65
Wyoming/ $100,000/ L, 77-72 (OT)
Winthrop/ $100,000/ L, 82-74
Seattle University/ No Payout/ W, 64-56
Utah Valley/ $85,000/ L, 68-52
Total $435,000
Team/Payment/Result (Crossover Classic)
George Mason/ $140,000/ W, 77-74
South Dakota State/ $140,000/ W, 87-76
Nevada/ $140,000/ L, 81-62
Total $420,000 (Source: UW) -
Jim Basnight, wise words being spoken (posted)...
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How far UW MBB program has fallen under Mike 'Push Ups' Hopkins leadership.
Recruit an unproven assistant coach from a dirty NCAA sanctioned program and 5 seasons later...
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Seattle Times https://www.seattletimes.com/sports/uw-husky-basketball/uw-mens-basketball-team-still-facing-covid-19-issues-as-huskies-get-set-for-pac-12-opener-against-wsu/“The Wyoming game was one that we felt like slipped away,” Hopkins said, bemoaning a 77-72 overtime loss to the Cowboys. “Obviously, the first game of the year (a 71-64 defeat against Northern Illinois), we felt like we’ve given a couple of games away. We’re better than our record says.”
“I think our potential is through the roof,” said Hopkins, who has three years and $9.3 million remaining on his contract. “But I got to coach better. They got to play better and really go out there and compete to the level that’s needed 24/7. I felt like there’s too many spurts and not enough consistency.”
“Obviously, we know we haven’t played to our ability in a lot of ways,” Hopkins said. “That’s on me. We have a competitive spirit. We have great kids that love to practice and love to get better. (It’s) more so that mindset of getting better starts. We’ve shown moments.”
“It can’t be 1 to 2 guys bringing it,” Hopkins said after beating Seattle University 64-56, which was arguably UW’s best win of the season. “We need multiple scoring options, moving the ball and guys knocking down shots. … Then, defensively it’s the same thing. It’s got to be as a unit. That’s how you turn this around.”
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Seattle Times (click for full article) https://www.seattletimes.com/sports/uw-husky-basketball/uw-hoops-mailbag-breaking-down-where-things-stand-with-husky-mens-and-womens-basketball-teams/
A: Certainly, UW athletic director Jen Cohen and perhaps President Ana Mari Cauce, to some extent, will ultimately decide Hopkin’s future after the season. But it will be difficult to bring him back next season if UW doesn’t show significant improvement on last season’s 5-21 record and 11th place finish at 4-16 in the Pac-12.
And of course, UW’s administration must take into account the fact that Hopkins is guaranteed $9.3 million on the six-year, $17.5M deal he signed in March 2019. He’s scheduled to make $3M next season, $3.1M in 2023-24 and $3.2M in 2024-25.
A: Meanwhile, Hopkins landed the top two prospects in the state, four-star guard Koren Johnson and three-star forward Tyler Linhardt, who highlight a class that’s ranked fourth in the Pac-12 and 36th nationally by 24/7sports.com.
Linhardt, who played at Class 1A King’s High before transferring to Western Reserve Academy in Hudson, Ohio, signed last month with UW along with three-star guard Keyon Menifield Jr. And Johnson, who stars at Garfield High, recently gave a verbal commitment to the Huskies.
It was a long-overdue uptick in recruiting for Hopkins, who signed just one prep prospect (2021 McDonald’s All-American Jackson Grant) in the previous two years.
A: Sort of.
The UW men also need more production from a supporting cast to keep pace with Arizona transfer Terrell Brown Jr. who leads the Huskies in scoring (21.4 points), assists (37), steals (21), minutes (35.9) and field goal attempts (172). He’s also tied for second in rebounds (44).
Hopkins is a defensive-minded coach, but the Huskies rank 11th in the Pac-12 in points allowed (71.2) despite leading the league in forced turnovers (17.9).
A: And now the UW men.
Best-case scenario: Brown maintains his torrential scoring pace. Daejon Davis breaks out of a slump to become a reliable set-up man and defensive menace. Jamal Bey and Cole Bajema consistently knock down perimeter shots. And Nate Roberts or Jackson Grant emerges inside to give Washington a much-needed post presence at both ends of the floor. If these things happen, then UW can win 15-18 games and finish as high as fourth in the Pac-12.
Worst-case scenario: The Huskies will finish 11th in the league if opponents load up defensively on Brown and no one else provides sufficient relief. Hopkins is unable to push the right buttons defensively, which is essential since he’s 14-33 at UW when opponents score at least 75 points. And Washington is unable to protect its home court. Beating No. 5 ranked UCLA and No. 9 Arizona will be a tall task, but there’s no reason why the Huskies shouldn’t win at least 8 of their 10 remaining games at Alaska Airlines Arena considering they don’t play No. 7 USC in Seattle.
