Against All Odds, Well-Worn Kepnang Keeps Playing

Franck Kepnang didn't practice this past week, or the week before that, for the University of Washington basketball team because he's suffering ongoing leg soreness.

He was questionable to suit up for this past Saturday's game at Maryland, according to the Big Ten availability list released before tipoff.

Five minutes into the action, the 6-foot-11, 250-pound center from Cameroon crashed to the floor with his knee twisted in an awkward manner, forcing him to leave the game and sit out the next five minutes.

However, Kepnang came back once more and finished up the UW's discouraging 64-60 loss to the host Terrapins. He actually played 29 minutes, for one of his longest stints of the season.

While the Huskies were assailed by their coach and everyone else for losing the rebounding battle in a big way, 36-23, Kepnang was out there just doing what he could with whatever he has left.

"Franck's a warrior," UW coach Danny Sprinkle has said over and over.

Franck Kepnang lets out a roar while playing against Oregon, his old team. | Dave Sizer photo

People are starting to bark about Sprinkle as his team heads for another sub .500 finish in his second season in charge and the Huskies in general, as they are certain to miss the NCAA Tournament for a somewhat unfathomable 14th time in 15 seasons.

Yet Kepnang hasn't quit, hasn't given in, hasn't said no mas, even though one has to wonder what sort of pain threshold he's dealing with after suffering three consecutive season-ending injuries that required surgery once he transferred from Oregon to the UW for the 2022-23 campaign.

He still looks explosive at times when he rises up and swats away opposing shots around the rim.

Franck Kepnang gets the ball down low against Minnesota. | Dave Sizer photo

Against Maryland, he scored 8 points and had a team-best 5 rebounds, dropping in 3 of 6 shots while both of his free-throw attempts. Nothing flashy. Just workmanlike stuff.

Yet with what he's been dealing with, and the added stress on his legs in that unnerving landing at Maryland, it will be interesting to see if he'll be able to go against Rutgers on Tuesday afternoon in Piscataway, New Jersey.

Again, Kepnang and guards Zoom Diallo and Quimari Peterson are the only Huskies who have been able to play in all 27 games so far. In three previous seasons, the big man appeared in 32 games total.

It will also be worth watching to learn if this well-worn big man will apply for a medical waiver in order to play a seventh season of college basketball, which would be his fifth in Montlake. He previously has said he was undecided.

Some people would like to see this current UW team, which had so much promise before the season began but has been decimated by nonstop injuries, put out of its misery.

For now, one of the few story lines still in place for the Huskies is this: how much physical punishment can Kepnang take and will he finish out the four regular-season games and at least one conference tournament outing remaining?

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