UW Basketball Left Reeling By Week of Departures

The Huskies have had three players leave for the transfer portal in six days.

Zoom Diallo shows his frustration late in the UW season. | Dave Sizer photo

Near the end of the season, Danny Sprinkle confided how others told him not to take the University of Washington basketball coaching job, that it would be professional suicide for him, but he came to Montlake anyway.

Well, the second-year leader must be feeling less than enthusiastic about his situation after losing three guards in six days to the transfer portal, including two on Friday -- in freshmen Courtland Muldrew and JJ Mandaquit, followed by Zoom Diallo.

A starter and a pair of reserves. Three players who were expected to contribute significantly moving forward. The team's second-leading scorer in Diallo at 15.7 points per game. The hand-picked point guard of the future in Mandaquit.

There are conflicting opinions as to what happened, that the Huskies suddenly are short of donor money or they've been misusing what they have, but no solid confirmation either way.

Washington isn't losing Zoom Diallo because they can't afford him.

They're losing him because they were the ones paying everyone else too much.

This could mean Washington is switching from the highest-bidder strategy, which can't be your only strategy. https://t.co/Oez4fULeOY

— The Big Ten Huddle 🎙️ (@TheBigTenHuddle) April 4, 2026

"I knew it was going to be brutal the first two or three years," Sprinkle said a month ago. "I knew I was going to get bashed. I knew the program I was taking over. I had people tell me I was committing professional suicide taking this job."

As it stands, the Huskies have eight players remaining on their roster and half of them have reasons that could prevent them from playing again at Alaska Airlines Arena.

Wesley Yates III is shown at Climate Pledge Arena. | Dave Sizer photo

Freshman forward Hannes Steinbach, the 6-foot-11 German sensation, could enter the NBA Draft.

Franck Kepnang, the 6-foot-11 center and only player left from Sprinkle's 2025 team, might choose not to play a seventh college season that's available to him.

Freshman swingman Jasir Rencher had his season end early with heart issues that required a medical procedure.

And sophomore forward Bryson Tucker missed the final five games for personal reasons not spelled out but it might influence his future.

Mady Traore missed the season after having foot surgery and is one of the few returnees. | Dave Sizer photo

Add to that guard Quimari Peterson and forward Jacob Ognacevic, who each used up their college eligibility and graduated, and senior guard Desmond Claude and 6-foot-11 sophomore forward Christian Nitu, who left the team during the season apparently with issues, and the manpower is really thin.

What Sprinkle took on was a program now absent from the NCAA Tournament for seven consecutive seasons and providing just two winning seasons over the same time period -- and both of those plus-side finishes were just 17-15.

What that leaves is the barest of skeleton crews for Sprinkle to work with as he tries to make the Huskies relevant again.

For now, the sole survivors without baggage are 6-foot-4 sophomore guard Wesley Yates III, 6-foot-10 sophomore forward Lathan Sommerville, 6-foot-10 freshman forward Nikola Dzepina and 6-foot-11 junior center Mady Traore, with the latter missing the entire season following foot surgery.

Lathan Sommerville is one of the Huskies' few returnees. | Dave Sizer photo

Sprinkle and his staff have at least seven roster spots to fill and, again, it could be as many as 11. This after bringing in 13 new players to restock this past winter's team.

Nobody said it was going to be easy. In fact, they told the coach the exact opposite.