Washington Huskies forward Hannes Steinbach puts up a shot past Ohio State Buckeyes forward Amare Bynum during the second half Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026 in Seattle. (Jennifer Buchanan / The Seattle Times)
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By
Percy Allen
Seattle Times staff reporter
Danny Sprinkle likes to use the analogy “bullets in the chamber” when referencing the number of healthy players on the bench for the Washington men’s basketball team.
For most of the season, the UW coach has been working with a limited roster due to an assortment of injuries that’s hobbled the Huskies and partly explains a disastrous 1-4 start in January.
Here’s a look at five questions Washington (10-7, 2-4 Big Ten) must answer during the second half of the season to salvage its NCAA tournament hopes.
Is there time to make a run?
Famed New York Yankees catcher Yogi Berra is attributed saying, “It’s getting late early,” which certainly applies to Washington.With 14 games remaining, the Huskies have time to find their groove and make a late push for the Big Dance, but they better get going.
Before Friday’s games, Washington was 57th in the NET with a combined 3-7 record in Quad 1 and 2 games.
More to the point, UW is 12th in the Big Ten as it pertains to the NET and the prevailing wisdom among league insiders is the conference will send its top 10 teams to the NCAA tournament.
Finishing in the top half of the 18-team Big Ten is imperative for the Huskies and would be a huge improvement from last season when they were last at 4-16.
How can Washington make a run?
Before getting into specifics, let’s set the stage for what’s ahead.The Huskies face No. 12 Michigan State (15-2, 5-1) at 3 p.m. Saturday, which ends a three-game homestand before a quick road trip next week to meet No. 8 Nebraska (17-0, 6-0).
Washington hosts former Pac-12 rival Oregon on Jan. 25 and plays at No. 13 Illinois on Jan. 29.
It’s a difficult stretch, but Sprinkle also views it as an opportunity to capture a few quality wins. The second-year UW coach is 1-8 against ranked teams.
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After Illinois, Washington finishes with 10 contests against nonranked teams. Needless to say, the Huskies will likely need to win the vast majority of those games to position themselves for an NCAA tournament at-large berth.
Specifically, how can UW make a run?
Play better defense. That’s a good place to start.In conference games, Washington is 13th in the Big Ten in points allowed (80.8) while opponents are shooting 47.7% from the field and 35.1% on three-pointers.
That’s not a winning recipe.
Isaac Trotter at CBSsports.com summed up UW’s situation in his midseason report card when he wrote, “The Huskies’ ceiling is limited because Sprinkle’s best defensive lineup has too many non-shooters, and his top offensive lineup can’t stop a nosebleed.”
That’s a little harsh, but mostly on point.
Washington’s post defense has been solid thanks to forward Hannes Steinbach, who leads the Big Ten with 11.2 rebounds per game, and center Franck Kepnang, who is tied for second in the league with 2.4 blocks per game.
However, Sprinkle has challenged UW guards to do a better job at keeping opposing players in front of them and out of the paint.
Steinbach is a star, but anyone else?
The Huskies are still trying to figure that out.Holdovers Zoom Diallo, who is averaging 14.0 points, 3.1 rebounds and 3.5 assists, and Kepnang (6.4 ppg and 7.0 rpg) are much improved from last season.
USC transfers Wesley Yates III (14.9 ppg and 3.7 rpg) and Desmond Claude (13.3 ppg and 2.4 rpg) have been nice additions along with newcomer Quimari Peterson (10.1 ppg). But Claude announced Friday night that he’s leaving the team to focus on his health.
Meanwhile, freshman guard JJ Mandaquit and sophomore forward Bryson Tucker have had promising moments.
Steinbach doesn’t necessarily need a co-star, but he could certainly benefit from a supporting cast that plays more consistently at a higher level in limited minutes.
And he needs UW teammates to knock down perimeter shots. The Huskies are 16th in the Big Ten in three-point shooting percentage (31.5%).
But here’s the sad truth, Washington just might be wasting a brilliant season from the freshman forward who is tied for the most double-doubles in the Big Ten while averaging 17.9 points.
Steinbach is considered a potential lottery pick in the 2026 NBA draft.
What are the keys to the second half of the season?
We’re going to circle back to the top and Sprinkle’s comment about “bullets in the chamber.”Specifically, he was talking about sharpshooter Jacob Ognacevic, who made his Husky debut Wednesday; Yates, who returned from a wrist injury; and Claude, who briefly returned from a one-game absence before Friday’s announcement.
Washington is also missing backup center Lathan Sommerville (knee), but 10 players saw action Wednesday.
It’s difficult to regain your rhythm and create newfound chemistry against good teams like Michigan, Michigan State and Nebraska, but the Huskies don’t have any other choice.
Washington has to find a starting lineup and establish a rotation that “plays for each other, supports each other and doesn’t care who gets the credit,” Sprinkle said.
Percy Allen: pallen@seattletimes.com. Percy Allen is a sports reporter for The Seattle Times, where he writes about the University of Washington Huskies men’s and women’s basketball teams and the Seattle Storm.
