The Washington Huskies have something to prove as they enter their third season in the Big Ten Conference. Not to mention, their head coach, Danny Sprinkle, is starting to reach a point where he could be on the hot seat very soon.
Washington Basketball hasn’t been to the NCAA tournament since 2019. That’s a pretty long drought, but the Huskies have something to build on after finishing 16-17 and 7-13 last season. Then again, they had Hannes Steinbach, who is now with the Charlotte Hornets in the NBA, so the Huskies have to look elsewhere.
As we look ahead to the 2026-27 Washington Huskies, who will step up and get Washington its first above-.500 finish since 2023?
Huskies Roster Outlook
The Huskies losing Steinbach to the NBA was crushing for the frontcourt, but, then again, several young talents also left via the transfer portal during the offseason. Wesley Yates III is the biggest returner for Washington, after starting 25 of the 27 games he played in last season. He averaged 12.7 points and 3.3 rebounds per game.
Lathan Sommerville and Mady Traore will be asked to step into the post. Both were in Seattle last season after transferring in from other Big Ten programs, Maryland, and Rutgers. Traore had to sit out, while Sommerville only averaged 4.3 points in 2025-26.
Ryan Beasley is a nice addition from San Francisco after earning second-team All-WCC last season. Beasley assumes the starting guard role for the Huskies. He isn’t the only major transfer, as Steele Venters, LeJuan Watts, and Parker Friedrichsen will also see plenty of playing time. Lat Ford comes from nearby Renton, Washington, and gives the Huskies a big-bodied guard, which they have thrived with in recent memory. As will Australian freshman Tristan Devers.
Returners: Yates III, BJ Roy, Sommerville, Jasir Rencher, Traore, and Nikola Dzepina.
Newcomers: Beasley, Tayshawn Comer, Venters, Harun Zrno, Watts, Wini Braga, Friedrichsen, Ford, and Devers.
Ready to elevate! 🏔️⏫ https://t.co/n35WvqxmDC
— Washington Men’s Basketball (@UW_MBB) October 13, 2026
Schedule Outlook
Washington has some nice home games to establish themselves during opening week, as Colgate and Mississippi Valley State visit Alaska Airlines Arena. The Huskies will get their first test on the road at former Pac-12 foe Utah. That clash with the Utes will be a rematch of last season, when the Huskies won 72-61 in Seattle.
The trip to Salt Lake City prepares Washington for a trip to Maui, as they will be the Big Ten’s rep in the 2026 Maui Invitational. The first game for that trip will be against the BYU Cougars. The field also includes Arizona, Clemson, Colorado State, Ole Miss, Providence, and VCU.
The Huskies get USC and UCLA in their early conference slate; the first is a road visit to the Trojans on Dec. 2, before facing the Bruins on Dec. 13. The Huskies’ last major non-conference game is against the Baylor Bears in downtown Seattle, where they will play on a neutral court.
Washington’s killer Big Ten stretch will be their early-January road trip to Michigan, where they face both the Michigan Wolverines and the Michigan State Spartans. Getting Indiana in Seattle should bring a big crowd, as will both Illinois and Purdue in late February. They have only one game on the East Coast this year, their trip to Penn State in mid-February. It’s a pretty respectable home Big Ten slate for Washington this season.
The Big Ten gauntlet has arrived.
📰 https://t.co/pvz9bARTAs
🗓️ https://t.co/13Bg6j3EYI
🎟️ https://t.co/DZ0917mqqo https://t.co/wzIowkQF5A— Washington Men’s Basketball (@UW_MBB) September 16, 2026
The Last Word on Washington Basketball
When you look at the Huskies overall, they have a lot to prove this season. While they have experienced players, with the amount of transfers, it’s not going to be easy to say they are going to take a massive step forward. They showed some growth throughout 2025-26, especially winning seven Big Ten games. Their conference home slate is much more favorable, and that’s a big reason they have a chance to take another step this year.
While I’m not putting confidence in Washington making the Big Dance, they certainly can compete to be above .500 in 2026-27.
Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images
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