The Washington Huskies haven’t exactly lit the college basketball world on fire this season. Expectations were raised when Danny Sprinkle took over and upgraded the roster, but the results so far have been uneven at best.
Losses to teams like Seattle U. and consistent struggles against top-50 opponents have made for a frustrating campaign. But Sunday’s 72-57 win over Oregon at Alaska Airlines Arena?
That was a much-needed jolt - not a season-defining turnaround, but a reminder of what this team could be when things click.
Let’s start with the tone-setter: defense. From the opening tip, Washington came out locked in on that end of the floor.
Oregon missed 11 of its first 12 possessions - a stretch of dominance that set the tone for the night. Sean Stewart’s lone early layup was all the Ducks could muster as the Huskies jumped out to a 14-2 lead, capped by a Jacob Ognacevic three that brought the home crowd to life.
And speaking of surprises, there was a big one before the game even started. Zoom Diallo, one of UW’s most reliable offensive weapons, didn’t start.
Instead, freshman JJ Mandaquit stepped into the opening five. But even with Diallo coming off the bench, the Huskies didn’t miss a beat early.
They didn’t shoot the lights out - this team rarely does - but they found other ways to control the game, especially on the glass and beyond the arc.
Oregon made a push midway through the first half, but Washington responded with one of its more complete efforts of the season. Offensive rebounding - a sore spot at times this year - became a strength.
Hannes Steinbach and Franck Kepnang were relentless, extending possessions and giving the offense second and third chances. Meanwhile, the perimeter shooting, which has been inconsistent all year, finally showed up.
Ognacevic, Mandaquit, and Quimari Peterson all knocked down threes, helping the Huskies stretch the lead to 15 at the break.
Diallo may not have started, but he made his presence felt in the second half. He logged 27 minutes and scored Washington’s first four points after halftime. Oregon briefly cut the lead to 12 after Wei Lin hit three free throws, but the Huskies immediately answered - a Kepnang bucket followed by a Peterson three snuffed out any hope of a comeback.
Now, let’s be clear: this was a win over an Oregon team that’s currently near the bottom of the Big Ten standings. This isn’t a resume-maker.
But it is a confidence-builder, and for a team still trying to find its identity, that matters. The Huskies’ conference schedule is front-loaded with tough matchups, so taking care of business against a struggling rival is the kind of step they had to take if they want to make a late-season push.
What stood out most was how closely this performance resembled the vision Sprinkle likely had when he took the job. The offense had balance.
The defense was physical and connected. Ognacevic and the recently returned Wesley Yates provided perimeter scoring.
Steinbach and Kepnang dominated the glass - they combined for 27 rebounds, including an eye-popping 18-1 advantage on the offensive boards. That led to 23 more shot attempts and six more threes than Oregon.
That’s how you win games, even when the shooting isn’t perfect.
It’s only one win, and the road ahead is still steep. But if Washington can bottle this formula - aggressive rebounding, timely shooting, and locked-in defense - and carry it into the softer stretch of their Pac-12 schedule, there’s still time to make things interesting.
The margin for error is thin, but the path is there. Sunday night showed what the Huskies are capable of when they play to their strengths.
Now it’s about doing it again. And again.