Huskies Have Automatic Move to Make Against Utah: Start Tsohonis

The sophomore guard earned the right to be in the starting lineup after his big showing against Colorado.

It took the University of Washington basketball team 13 games to become competitive.

To beat a good Colorado team.

To get knocked down (trail by 10) and get up off the floor.

Against Utah on Sunday, the Huskies (2-11 overall, 1-7 Pac-12) need to take another step forward.

Start Marcus Tsohonis.

On a team where confidence has been lacking, his never wavers.

Held out of three games completely, Tsohonis never let it bother him. 

Where his shot is a little unconventional, it still goes in.

Start Marcus Tsohonis.

The 6-foot-3 sophomore from Portland is the bedrock player Mike Hopkins needs, and the UW coach hasn't always realized this.

Tsohonis has turned in games of 24 and 27 points in his past four outings.

Hopkins didn't use him at all against USC between those scoring outbursts.

Start Marcus Tsohonis.

He's the Huskies' second-leading scorer (8.2 points per game).

While this seems like an automatic move, Hopkins could struggle with this.

He's exceedingly loyal to his upperclassmen.

Senior Hameir Wright has started all 13 games, junior Jamal Bey all but one.

On a team that doesn't shoot well, Tsohonis is the Huskies' second-best marksmen (44.3 percent).

Hopkins will start senior Quade Green and Erik Stevenson, transfers from Kentucky and Wichita State and guys with the consistent ability to score.

Wright and Bey don't have that.

The other guys need help.

Nate Roberts, a 6-11 sophomore, is the only other player to open all 13 games.

Start Marcus Tsohonis.

Go small if you have to. 

Sit either Wright, Bey or even Roberts, and start Tsohonis.

He's a gamer.

He's a scorer.

He was responsible for Wednesday night's 84-80 victory over a good Colorado team.

On a team that doesn't handle the ball well, Tsohonis has 8 turnovers in 160 minutes.

That's one miscue every 20 minutes. 

His team averages nearly 13 a game.

This Oregonian player brings stability, toughness.

One of those other guys can come off the bench.

Not Tsohonis.

He has one start and deserves another.

The first one came when Green had an unexplained misstep.

Not starting Tsohonis now would be hard to explain.

He scored 24 on Stanford.

He exceeded that against Colorado.

Imagine what he might do on Sunday against Utah. 

Follow Dan Raley of Husky Maven on Twitter: @DanRaley1 and @HuskyMaven

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