By Andrew Bailie Posted on

Washington Men’s Basketball prepares for Indiana road trip

The Washington Huskies (9-4, 1-1 conference) will start the new year on the road with two big conference games. First up are the Indiana Hoosiers (10-3, 1-1 in conference) in Bloomington, Ind., on Sunday. After facing the Hoosiers, the Huskies will travel to West Lafayette, Ind., to take on the Purdue Boilermakers (12-1, 2-0 in conference) on Wednesday, Jan 7th. The Boilermakers are ranked No. 5 in the country according to the latest AP Poll. Before the road trip, head coach Danny Sprinkle held a virtual press conference. Here is what the Huskies’ head coach discussed at Wednesday’s media briefing.

Washington is trying to stay positive amidst tough injury news

The Huskies have dealt with injuries all season long. Washington has suffered another injury to one of its key players. G Wesley Yates broke his wrist against Seattle U and had to undergo surgery to repair a broken bone. Yates has a unique injury, and it is uncertain whether he will return this season. Danny Sprinkle tried to clarify the recovery timeline for his injured starting guard at his press conference:

“From what I’m told, it’s, it’s kind of a, it’s, it’s a weird kind of bone that broke in his wrist that they had to do the surgery on. And it can heal very, very quickly, or it can take a long time to heal. It just kind of depends on how the surgery goes, and so, you know, we’ll get an update on that from everybody I’m seeing and like talking to him, it looks pretty positive right now. So we’re hoping for the best, and obviously, you know, as soon as possible is the best thing for our team”, Sprinkle said.

Getting Wesley Yates back at some point this season would be huge for Washington. Before his injury, Yates had been averaging 15 points and four rebounds a game. The Huskies will rely on G Zoom Diallo and G Quimari Peterson to fill in while he is out.

Washington receives good news on a pair of injured players.

The Huskies received a more promising prognosis regarding F Lathan Sommerville’s knee injury. Imaging and tests revealed no structural damage to Sommerville’s knee. He is dealing with inflammation, but could return as soon as next week. Another player nearing recovery is F Jacob Ognacevic, who has also been dealing with a knee injury. Ognacevic has not played in a game this season, but is building up his rehab and will participate in light contact drills next week.

Washington G Desmond Claude provides a key veteran presence

Desmond Claude is a key player to watch as the Huskies head out on the road for their first Midwest trip. Against Utah, Claude demonstrated his ability to take over a game, scoring 21 points and recording three assists in Washington’s 74-65 win. Claude’s leadership and composure have also been impressive to watch this season:

“Yeah, I mean, it’s huge. You know, because he’s (Desmond Claude) been through, he’s been through the Big Ten battles, you know. He’s been through the Big East battles. You know, he knows what it’s like playing in these environments. Now it’s, he’s got to help Hannes and J.J. and Jasir and Courtland, and these young guys that haven’t played in these environments”, said Sprinkle.

Claude has been a dependable veteran player for Washington this season. When the Huskies trailed on the road earlier in the year against USC by 18 points at halftime, Washington appeared to be heading for a third straight loss. Despite the deficit, Claude took the initiative and was aggressive in the second half. Leading the Huskies to an 84-76 comeback win by scoring 18 points in the final 20 minutes of the game. Washington is hoping Claude can continue to demonstrate that poise on the road at Indiana and Purdue.

Three-point shooting will be key for the Huskies as they head to the Midwest

Lately, three-point shooting has been a problem for the Huskies. They have made just 9/51 shots from beyond the arc in their last three games. Danny Sprinkle spoke on Wednesday about Washington’s shooting woes and tried to stay optimistic about it:

“I don’t know what it is. Because you can’t get better looks than we’ve gotten, you know, really the last four games. I mean we’re wide open, you know. And now its just a matter of time before, you know, we, it’s almost kind of one of those, like, free throws, like, when guys are stepping up, making them, the next guy steps up and makes them. So it comes down to a couple guys, you know, knocking some down early, and then kind of the floodgates open, you know, because like I said, there’s a game where we’re going to make 10 plus. And when we do, you know, we’re pretty hard to beat”, said Sprinkle.

Zoom Diallo stepped up and made 2/4 threes in Washington’s last game, including one from just past half court. However, his teammates were unable to keep making those shots, as the rest of the team went 1/11 from three. The Huskies’ three-point shooting numbers must improve for them to win on the road next week.

Washington must continue to play great perimeter defense

Defending the three-point line will also be crucial for the Huskies during their Indiana road trip. Purdue and Indiana both shoot the ball well from beyond the arc. The Boilermakers make 39.3% of their shots from three-point range (10th best in the nation). Averaging about 10 made threes per game. The Hoosiers average close to 11 three-pointers a game (29th in the country) and shoot 36.2% from beyond the arc. Washington has done a better job of guarding the three-point line. The Huskies have held opponents to just 25% from beyond the arc in their last three games.

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