Tsohonis Makes the Most Strides During Sorry UW Season

The unconventional yet self-assured Husky guard has withstood every challenge thrown at him.

In a season full of breakdowns, letdowns and total despair, Marcus Tsohonis deserves a medal. Extra dessert at the training table. The parking spot next to the Alaska Airlines Arena back door.

The University of Washington guard has been ignored, rediscovered, underutilized and celebrated in this lingering 5-20 mess of a season.

Tsohonis hasn't been angry, disheartened or outwardly content by any of this. No matter what's happened, he just comes ready to play.

When the final buzzer sounds on this super sorry campaign, and the end could come as soon as next week's Pac-12 tournament opener, Tsohonis will emerge as the Huskies' most valuable player. 

The 6-foot-3 sophomore guard from Portland deserves this recognition, if for no other reason than with how he's conducted himself from beginning to end. He's been unflappable. 

"Whatever I've got to do," Tsohonis said. "If I just play five minutes and we win the game, that's all that's needed."

Marcus Tsohonis hits a buzzer-beater at WSU.

James Snook/USA TODAY Sports

Quade Green might possess the Kentucky pedigree and the leading scoring average, but he hasn't always taken care of his team business, forcing coach Mike Hopkins more than once to turn to Tsohonis at tipoff.

Jamal Bey might have the biggest upside, if he can ever find more of an ego to go with that exquisite size and 3-point shooting stroke of his. The one that tells him to shoot more. Yet Tsohonis knows exactly who he is and what he's capable of doing at all times.

That would be an unconventional yet creative player, who, even while predominantly a reserve, has five 20-plus scoring games, including the Huskies' highest point total of the season (29).

Throw in a last-second, game-winning shot to beat Washington State and provide the UW with its only road victory, and you have someone totally reliable.

With the Huskies off for 11 days from its regular-season finale to resuming play in the Pac-12 tournament, we're sizing up the play for each of the 11 players who has received minutes with a game on the line this season. Ten scholarship recipients and 7-foot-4 walk-on Riley Sorn. This is the third installment.

Last season, Oregon fans were smug whenever Tsohonis' name came up, suggesting he was a Husky only because the Ducks had rejected him. They'd probably like to have him now.

Once Green left the Huskies seriously hanging by becoming academically ineligible, Tsohonis gave up his redshirt status and replaced him at midseason. He appeared in 19 games and started 9 of them. He was raw but surprisingly poised.

When this season began, Tsohonis was treated like a potential redshirt once again, playing sparingly or not at all. He scored just 6 points in the first 6 games, sitting out against Oregon.

He went unused against Arizona, but he started the very next outing and led the Huskies with 24 points in a loss to Stanford. Talk about on and off.

Tsohonis didn't play against USC and two games later he dropped 27 points on Colorado while coming off the bench. 

Again and again, he's good for the moment at hand.

Marcus Tsohonis had 27 against Colorado while coming off the bench. 

Mollie Handkins/UW Athletics

He's the Huskies' second-leading scorer at 10.6 points per game, but he's started just 4 of 22 outings. 

Husky coach Mike Hopkins will tell you that defensive shortcomings hold Tsohonis back at times. He's collected just 8 steals and a solitary block. He's not a big playmaker either, averaging 1.2 assists each time out.

“He has the ability to score obviously,” Hopkins said. “He’s very poised. He’s got a lot of experience. He’s been up and down with me throughout the year. He is just an incredible player that listens, is coachable, wants to be better and do everything he can to help the team."

Yet the guard just gets the job done. He'll probably be a starter next season. Unless, of course, Hopkins finds someone he thinks can do a better job.

Tsohonis, unless he tires of this and goes elsewhere, will be ready for whatever he's asked to do. And do more.

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