SEATTLE - Washington’s front line looks a lot different this season, and that puts Nikola Dzepina squarely in the spotlight.
The Huskies are heading into the year without the kind of interior size they had before. Hannes Steinbach, a 6-foot-11 forward who led the team in both scoring and rebounding, is gone after being taken in the lottery of the 2026 NBA draft by the Charlotte Hornets. Franck Kepnang, a 7-footer who also started, has transferred to the Kentucky Wildcats.
That left Washington with a much thinner big-man rotation than it had a year ago. Fifth-year forward/center Mady Traore is the only player on the roster listed above 6-foot-10, but knee swelling will limit how much he can be used.
So the burden falls on Dzepina, the second-year forward from Serbia, to help hold down the paint and especially the glass.
Dzepina arrived late last season in December and had to work through learning the playbook while earning uneven playing time. This year, though, he’s stronger, more comfortable, and showing more confidence in the parts of the game Washington needs from him most: rebounding and passing.
That was on display in the Huskies’ 84-80 exhibition loss to Washington State, when Dzepina turned in a 16-point, 12-rebound double-double. He shot 4-for-12 from the floor, went 1-for-3 from 3-point range, and finished 7-for-9 at the free-throw line. He also added three assists, a block and a steal.
For a team short on legitimate post size, that kind of production matters. Washington needs Dzepina to keep battling inside, and head coach Danny Sprinkle made that clear Wednesday at Alaska Airlines Arena.
"He has to (be that post player)," UW head coach Danny Sprinkle said in a news conference Wednesday at Alaska Airlines Arena. "We showed him on film, there's probably five other rebounds he has to come up with (against Washington State).
You have to come up with them. When you get your hands on the ball, like Hannes (did), you got to get them.
That's what the best players do. He had probably four or five where he ran in there and, him, (Lathan Sommerville), there was a couple other (players), it's like we're playing volleyball.
No, man, you got to go up with two hands and grab that thing."
Dzepina now gets his next chance to prove he can be that guy when Washington opens the regular season against Colgate at 7 p.m. PT on Nov. 2 at Alaska Airlines Arena.
In Other News...
Washington Keeps Nebraska Guessing As Cornhuskers Face New Concern
Washington enters its Big Ten matchup with Nebraska carrying more than the usual pregame uncertainty, and it starts at quarterback. Demond Williams Jr. is working back from a rib injury, and coach Jedd Fisch said the Huskies are still evaluating where he stands after confirming that he is recovering but has not fully shown he is ready for full action.
Nebraska has its own list of questions, even as it plans to start Anthony Colandrea under center. The Cornhuskers are also monitoring injuries at running back, with Jamal Rule and Mekhi Nelson both dealing with issues before a game that already had enough on the line without the added concern at quarterback for Washington. [Read more 🡒]
Washington Is About To Learn What These Huskies Really Are
Washingtons offense has spent much of the week juggling pieces up front, with injuries forcing the offensive line into a temporary shuffle and putting extra strain on the continuity that teams rely on in the middle of a season. Coaches and players addressed the situation with the media as the Huskies look toward a stretch that should say a lot about who they are and how sturdy the depth really is.
There is at least some good news for the backfield, where Jayden Limar and Trey Cooley have both been back on the practice field after their injuries. Even so, the bigger question remains how well Washington can stabilize the front and settle into a rhythm before the next set of challenges arrives, because the line play will tell plenty about how much the Huskies can absorb and still function at a high level. [Read more 🡒]