Huskies Pick Up Needed Muscle In Ognacevic's Return

At 8:12 of the first half against Michigan, Jacob Ognacevic trotted onto the floor for his first University of Washington basketball game, no easy introduction.

A minute later, he went into the stat column for the initial time, picking up a turnover for stepping out of bounds with the ball in his hands.

At 6:12 before intermission, the 6-foot-8 Lipscomb transfer and 2025 Atlantic Sun Player of the Year launched and made his first shot, a 3-pointer from the corner, showing the Huskies what they've been missing in 16 games without him.

If anyone looks like a Big Ten player, it's Ognacevic with his brawny shoulders, close-cropped hair and determined look on his face, plus his Sheboygan, Wisconsin, background.

Jacob Ognacevic grabs a loose ball against Michigan. | Dave Sizer photo

While the Huskies lost 82-72 to the visiting Wolverines, the power forward gave everyone hope that he will make this team a lot tougher when he's totally acclimated to his surroundings.

This was a promising start for the power forward, with more to come for the Huskies (10-7 overall, 2-4 Big Ten) when they host 12th-ranked Michigan State (15-2, 5-1) on Saturday afternoon at Alaska Airlines Arena.

After sitting out two and a half months following foot surgery, after coming down funny and breaking a bone in practice, Ongacevic played 16 minutes and scored 10 points against Michigan. He dropped in 3 of 5 shots, including 2 for 4 from behind the line, and picked up 3 rebounds, an assist and a steal.

"I thought Jacob was tremendous for his first game," UW coach Danny Sprinkle said.

JO doing JO things!

Great to see you back on the floor, Jacob! pic.twitter.com/bvNrTRdTa2
— Washington Men's Basketball (@UW_MBB) January 16, 2026

Ognacevic was projected to be a starter before his practice mishap and it likely won't take long now for that to become reality.

He gives the Huskies a reliable 3-point marksman on a team that collectively suffers from that shooting range.

"He can stretch the floor," Sprinkle said. "He tough. He can rebound. He's a ball-mover. Your offense flows better when he's in the game. He just gives us something different."

Jacob Ongacevic maneuvers for an inside shot against Michigan. | Dave Sizer photo

Ognacevic will have a fairly short run in Montlake. He has just 14 regular-season games left to work up a good sweat, plus the Big Ten Tournament and possibly the NCAA Tournament.

Had he not got hurt, the Huskies might be two or three or more wins better. Yet that's been the nature of this UW team -- in that nearly everyone has taken their lumps with injuries and become intimately acquainted the training room.

Only Zoom Diallo, Franck Kepnang, Quimari Peterson and JJ Mandaquit have played in every UW game so far.

Jacob Ognacevic had 10 points and 3 rebounds in his season debut for the UW. | Dave Sizer photo

It was hard to tell who was more fired up about the prospects of Ognacevic finally playing on game night in Montlake -- the player or his coach.

"That's why he came here," Sprinkle said. "We were not scrimmaging Boise State or playing UNLV in an exhibition game. You get to play against Michigan. Like, let's go."

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