Some Random Thoughts On Husky Basketball

Once the University of Washington basketball team lost at UCLA on Saturday night, and its record dipped to a break-even 12-12, online comments invariably suggested coach Danny Sprinkle might not be the right guy for the job.

Thinking long and hard about this, a number of thoughts come to mind.

First, that was clearly an emotional response to make the determination already that Sprinkle can't handle this assignment.

It was pretty obvious his predecessor, Mike Hopkins, had shortcomings by that coach's third Husky season, once the inherited talent had moved on. Sprinkle has more coaching chops.

Secondly, yes, this UW team has been incredibly disappointing. Almost shockingly so.

The original talent brought in this season seemed to indicate this would be a group that finally would be NCAA Tournament worthy -- something that's happened just once in Montlake over the past 15 years. Everyone anticipated a breakthrough.

Yet here the Huskies sit, tied for 12th in the Big Ten standings with Minnesota, both holding 4-9 conference records.

Injuries have crippled this UW team, with Jacob Ognacevic and Mady Traore outfitted in protective boots. | Dave Sizer photo

Obvious hurdles are two-thirds of the players on the roster have been injured, the schedule has been brutal and the travel will never do any of the four former Pac-12 teams any favors. Those aren't excuse, they're death traps.

Sprinkle has lost nine of his 15 scholarship players for 88 games total because of injuries, with four players out for the season.

Schedule-wise, the Huskies over the past month have played the No. 2, 7, 8, 10 and 13 teams currently in the Associated Press poll.

The Huskies three weeks ago flew to Nebraska and back for a one-off road game and got dumped in Missoula, Montana, coming home.

UCLA, USC, Oregon and the UW always will be at a disadvantage because of the geographical travel demands on them being in the Big Ten.

Or has anyone not noticed that the injured and road-weary and usually more competitive Ducks are 8-15 and dead last this year?

As for Sprinkle, he doesn't get a total walk.

He has one of the best freshman players in the nation by a wide margin in Hannes Steinbach and his guards simply can't get him the ball or incorporate him into the offense. So what if there's a nonstop double-team on the young German? You get him the ball, somehow, any way you can, over and over and over.

You simply don't waste a talent such as the nimble 6-foot-11 Steinbach, who will be in the NBA next season, trying to do his best Dirk Nowitzki or Detlef Schrempf impression.

We can't verify this, but Sprinkle might be a bit of a task-master who isn't for everyone.

The coach has had two players, Desmond Claude and Christian Nitu, back away from the team this season, citing injury and a desire to redshirt, without any further explanation. Neither will probably play at the UW going forward.

Nitu has noy shown up on game night to watch, nor has Claude. They just seem to have cut ties.

The thing about Sprinkle, who's feisty and demanding, is those shoot-from-the-hip fans likely should worry more about keeping him as coach rather than pushing him out.

The Big Ten offers the most competitive conference in college basketball, top to bottom, and there are far more obstacles for a UW basketball team to succeed than there are advantages.

The West Coast teams in the Big Ten probably never will compete for an outright championship.

Sprinkle already looks worn out by it all.

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