Inside The Huskies

Husky Basketball Brings Back Pondexter; Two Down, One To Go

The former UW playing great and assistant will join Danny Sprinkle's staff.

Dan Raley

Former NBA player Quincy Pondexter has returned to the UW coaching staff.
Former NBA player Quincy Pondexter has returned to the UW coaching staff. / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Quincy Pondexter was an All-Pac-10 player for the University of Washington basketball team, coached the Huskies on the departed Mike Hopkins's staff and even brought a high-level recruit from Texas, his cousin Wesley Yates III, to Seattle.

So with all of that program back history, it didn't seem right that he would have to leave Montlake and go coach for USC, accompanied by fellow standout UW player and assistant Will Conroy and Yates.

Well, that exodus of Husky basketball icons has reversed course, with the UW announcing on Friday that Pondexter will join Danny Sprinkle's staff as a special assistant.

This comes after the aforementioned Yates transferred back to the Huskies since having a breakout redshirt freshman season for the Trojans.

Conroy, it's your move.

Pondexter coached at the UW in 2002-24 and played for the Huskies in 2007-10. He served as a team captain and got himself ready for an eight-year NBA career with five teams.

"I'm very excited to be back at Washington," Pondexter said. "I bleed Purple and Gold and will forever be a Husky. I'm unbelievably thankful to coach Sprinkle and staff for inviting me back home. I've always been a Husky and that's never going to go away."

While on his one-year sabbatical to Los Angeles, he shared in pair of victories over the Huskies this past season. Again, that seemed odd seeing Pondexter, Conroy and Yates all on the opposing side.

Yet two of the three are back now. And Conroy has a son who's considered one of the nation's top high school freshman guards, so reconnecting there wouldn't be a bad idea either.

For now, Pondexter will celebrate his Montlake return.

"Montlake has always had a special place in my heart and I'm looking forward to the next wave of Husky legends being born here at Hec Ed," Pondexter said, referring to the arena as it was known during his time in uniform.

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

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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.

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