Huskies Unearth a Big Man, Welcome Oregon's Kepnang
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Franck Kepnang revealed on Wednesday he will join the University of Washington basketball team from Oregon through the transfer portal, a move that checks off a number of important boxes.
The 6-foot-11, 250-pound center provides the Huskies, who were desperate in need of an inside presence, with a big man.
From Yaounde, Cameroon, Kepnang gives the UW a high-quality international player, something Gonzaga often relies on and the UW used to make a priority with past standouts Christian Welp, Detlef Schrempf and Todd MacCulloch.
And the Huskies will do all of this at expense of their least favorite Pac-12 rival in Eugene.
Franck Kepnang leaves Oregon after a season and a half.
Stephen Brashear/USA TODAY Sports
Kepnang, who has three seasons of eligibility remaining, is the second Pac-12 transfer picked up by Mike Hopkins' coaching staff, following 6-foot-5 Washington State guard Noah Williams to Seattle.
His roster addition helps take some of the sting out of the UW recently losing starting forward Emmitt Matthews Jr. to the portal.
Kepnang played in all 35 Oregon games this past season, starting five. He averaged 4.7 points, 3.1 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game.
Against the Huskies, the big man had 9 points, 3 rebounds and a block in 14 minutes in the Ducks' 84-56 victory in Eugene.
At Alaska Airlines Arena, he scored 4 points, grabbed 5 rebounds, blocked a shot and nearly fouled out with 4 personals in 16 minutes of play.
Franck Kepnang works against the UW's Nate Roberts.
Stephen Brashear/USA TODAY Sports
Kepnang, who spent a season and a half at Oregon, will be a noticeable upgrade for the Huskies over the departed 6-foot-11, 265-pound Nate Roberts, though the numbers don't indicate that.
Starting all 32 UW, Roberts averaged 5.5 points and 7.5 rebounds an outing before choosing to pass up his final year of eligibility.
If the UW had to play a game today, it would open with Kepnang at center, 6-foot-9 Langston Wilson at forward and 6-foot-6 Jamal Bey, 6-foot-4 PJ Fuller and Williams in a three-man backcourt.
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