The Washington Huskies could have a busy start to the week on and off the court.
First comes the season opener: Washington is set to tip off the 2026-27 regular season against the Colgate Red Raiders at 7 p.m. PT on Monday at Alaska Airlines Arena in Seattle. Then, on Nov. 3, the Huskies will find out whether they’ve landed one of their top 2027 targets.
That’s when four-star shooting guard Jimmie Haywood plans to announce his commitment, choosing from a final three that includes Washington, the Nevada Wolfpack and the Loyola Marymount Lions, according to a post on "X" from 247Sports’ Dushawn London.
Haywood is a familiar name in the Seattle area. He originally attended Garfield High School in Seattle before transferring to Compass Prep in Chandler, Ariz., where he now plays. Washington also got him on campus for an official visit Sept. 5, just after extending an official offer on Aug. 25, according to his player page on 247Sports.
At 6-foot-3, Haywood is ranked 141st overall in the Class of 2027 by Rivals’ Industry Rankings, along with being listed as the 38th-best shooting guard and the 13th-best player in Arizona.
If Haywood picks the Huskies, he would become Washington’s first commitment in the Class of 2027. That would also give the program a much cleaner recruiting start than it managed last cycle.
After two years of success on the recruiting trail under head coach Danny Sprinkle, UW brought in just one player from the Class of 2026: three-star small forward Lattimore Ford.
The backdrop matters here. Washington has reportedly been last in the Big Ten in spending for its men’s basketball roster, a reality that has pushed the Huskies toward international recruiting and upperclassmen in the transfer portal.
Even so, the program has made moves aimed at strengthening its high school recruiting pipeline. In the offseason, Washington hired former Syracuse Orange general manager Alex Kline, who handled recruiting and Name, Image, Likeness (NIL) deals for Syracuse, for the same role with the Huskies.
And Washington isn’t stopping with Haywood. The Huskies have also been pursuing Bremerton, Wash., native and five-star combo guard Jalen Davis, along with five-star small forward Malachi Jordan.
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Nebraskas problems kept compounding in the fourth quarter, with Anthony Colandrea throwing three interceptions and one of them going back for a touchdown by Alex McLaughlin. The Blackout setting only added to the drama, but the Huskies were the team that handled the late pressure better, leaning on a backup quarterback and a receiver who kept finding space when it mattered most. [Read more 🡒]
Washington Recruiting Just Took A Hit In A Critical Pipeline
Washingtons grip on a key recruiting target in the 2027 class loosened this week when four-star wide receiver Dontay Tyson Jr. reopened his recruitment and moved on from the Huskies. Tyson, a Peoria High School standout in Arizona, had been part of Washingtons early work on the trail after committing in June, a notable win in a pipeline the staff clearly wanted to protect.
His decision leaves the Huskies back at square one with a prospect ranked among the nations top 400 players, and it comes at a time when every high-end receiver commitment matters for a program trying to build momentum in the West. Tysons move to Wisconsin is another reminder that early pledges can be fragile, especially when other programs keep pushing after a player has already made an initial call. [Read more 🡒]
Washington Will Learn Fast If Danny Sprinkles Roster Is Really Ready
The Huskies will get an immediate early test when they open the 2026-27 season against Colgate at Alaska Airlines Arena, a matchup that should tell Danny Sprinkle plenty about where his roster stands right away. Sprinkle pointed to the Red Raiders discipline and offensive punch during a news conference, and with USC also on the schedule later in the year, Washington is stepping into a nonconference slate that should reveal plenty about how quickly this group can settle in.
For Washington, the opener also comes with the benefit of having key players available, which should at least give the Huskies a cleaner read on their first real game together. The bigger question is how well they handle a Colgate team that can make opponents work for every possession, especially this early in the season when chemistry and communication are still being sorted out. [Read more 🡒]