Inside The Huskies

Huskies Reportedly Add Once Highly Regarded Indiana Player

Bryson Tucker, a McDonald's All-American, experienced a difficult freshman season with the Hoosiers.

Dan Raley

Indiana's Bryson Tucker (8) shoots over USC's Chibuzo Agbo in January.
Indiana's Bryson Tucker (8) shoots over USC's Chibuzo Agbo in January. / Rich Janzaruk/Herald-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Danny Sprinkle apparently is willing to take on a challenging reclamation project in hopes of a big payoff.

Former Indiana forward Bryson Tucker -- who struggled mightily throughout his freshman season with the Hoosiers -- reportedly will join the University of Washington basketball team in a comeback bid, according to GoodmanHoops on Friday.

Big things were expected by the Hoosiers for the 6-foot-7 Tucker, who was a 5-star recruit, a McDonald's All-American and a top 30 player nationally.

However, Tucker appeared in just 23 games, all in a reserve role, as he struggled with his game and dealt with a dislocated finger.

Tucker didn't play in Indiana's final six games, which included a 78-62 victory over the Huskies at Alaska Airlines Arena.

He averaged 5.4 points and 2.9 rebounds per game for a 19-13 team that underwent a coaching change once the season ended, from Mike Woodson to Darian DeVries formerly of West Virgnia.

Unable to get comfortable and handle the mounting pressure, Tucker shot just 37.8 overall and 15 percent from 3-point range for the Hoosiers.

Originally from Bowie, Maryland, he had a season-high 16 points on 6-for-10 shooting in an 82-67 victory over Minnesota in Bloomington. He finished with 14 against UNC-Greensboro and 12 against Eastern Illinois, but that was it for double-figure games.

As he struggled, Tucker's minutes began to wane and he eventually had to sit out multiple games to try and get his head straight.

If he's coming to Montlake, Sprinkle's staff must think it can straighten him out.

To get the latest UW football and basketball news, go to si.com/college/washington

Published |Modified
Dan Raley
DAN RALEY

Dan Raley has worked for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Atlanta Journal-Constitution and Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, as well as for MSN.com and Boeing, the latter as a global aerospace writer. His sportswriting career spans four decades and he's covered University of Washington football and basketball during much of that time. In a working capacity, he's been to the Super Bowl, the NBA Finals, the MLB playoffs, the Masters, the U.S. Open, the PGA Championship and countless Final Fours and bowl games.

Home/Basketball