SEATTLE - Washington’s offseason makeover has put a lot on the transfer portal’s shoulders, and by the look of it, that’s exactly where the Huskies expect to find their backbone in 2026-27.
With only six players back from the 2025-26 roster, Danny Sprinkle spent his third offseason in charge piecing together a group that now leans heavily on new arrivals. Three names stand out right away: wing LeJuan Watts, point guard Ryan Beasley and wing Steele Venters. All three are positioned to play major, likely starting, roles.
One of the returners already sees the fit.
"LeJuan Watts brings a lot. He brings a level of physicality, competitiveness and just will to get to the rim," Third-year center Lathan Sommerville said after the team's practice Tuesday at Alaska Airlines Arena.
"He's an extremely high-level splasher. Can also knock down shots, so he's going to be a big part of this team.
(Ryan Beasley) is a very good point guard. Can score at three levels.
High-level guy. We got a lot of pieces that we brought in and we retained, so I'm very excited."
Watts may be the marquee addition. The fifth-year wing is 6-foot-5 and 225 pounds, and he already knows the state of Washington well after earlier stops at Eastern Washington and Washington State.
Last season he was at Texas Tech, where he gave the Red Raiders steady production across 33 games and 28 starts, averaging 11.8 points while shooting 43.8% from the field and 32.1% from 3-point range. Texas Tech picked up two NCAA tournament games from him before falling 90-65 to Alabama in the Round of 32.
He said the daily standard at Texas Tech stuck with him.
"At that level, when I was at Tech, we're working every day," Watts said Tuesday. "Everyone's trying to get better. ... Trying to be the best player they can be and that's something I'm trying to bring here with these guys."
Beasley brings a different kind of value. The fourth-year guard arrived after three seasons at San Francisco, where his role grew every year - from a freshman who played 29 games without a start to the team’s de facto point guard as a junior, starting all 33 games.
At 5-foot-11 and 180 pounds, he is currently dealing with a concussion and hopes to return for Sunday's exhibition against Washington State, though that remains uncertain. When healthy, he’s expected to handle the starting point guard job and help connect the veterans, the younger players, the returners and the newcomers.
Last season, Beasley averaged 13.6 points, 4 assists, 3.4 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game, while shooting 40.7% from the floor and 32.7% from deep.
"It's been a good journey for me," Beasley said. "Sprinkle puts a lot of trust in me, just being able to go out there and be myself, play with pace, space and a read-and-react offense, which fits my game.
It's been great so far for me. Seattle's a great city, the guys are great off the court, so I've been having fun competing."
Venters gives Washington a needed boost on the perimeter. The eighth-year wing arrives after three seasons at Gonzaga, a run interrupted by injuries that kept him out for two full seasons before he finally got on the floor last year. In 27 games and 10 starts, he averaged five points, shot 38.6% overall and 36.7% from 3, while adding 1.3 rebounds and one assist per game.
He said simply getting through a healthy offseason has mattered most.
"I've been healthy the whole summer," Venters said. "That's the biggest thing right now is just staying healthy.
This is my first healthy offseason in three years. Just being able to grow during the offseason has been huge. ...
(Last year) meant everything to me, especially with that team. We were so good.
Obviously didn't pan out how we wanted to, but being able to start for the No. 6 team in the country was just a big relief after the two years I went through with all the injuries and stuff like that."
Watts and Venters also bring a built-in connection from their Eastern Washington days. Venters was the Big Sky Player of the Year in 2023, and Watts followed as the Big Sky Freshman of the Year in 2024.
For Watts, the reunion still feels a little unreal.
"It's surreal (being here with Venters)," Watts said. "I still can't believe I was at Eastern Washington playing with Steele, and then we all transitioned, me and him come back to (Washington), it's surreal. But we still have that chemistry, we still have that friendship and we're just going to keep going from there."
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