Washington Huskies Basketball

Gonzaga's game against Washington scheduled for Sunday has been canceled due to COVID-19 issues with the Huskies, per The Associated Press. 

While the game will not be made up this season, the two schools are working on setting up a matchup next season.

This is the third straight postponement or cancellation for the Huskies, who have been dealing with a COVID-19 outbreak that began last week. Washington's game against Arizona was postponed until January, and a matchup against UCLA was canceled and ruled a forfeit.  

Washington head coach Mike Hopkins said earlier this week that several players had been placed into quarantine, per the AP. However, he did not specify exactly how many members are in isolation. 

The Huskies are 4-5 this season. Their next matchup isn't until Dec. 18 against Seattle. 

Gonzaga, ranked No. 5 in the nation, is 7-2 this year. It faces Merrimack College on Thursday night. 

The University of Washington announced that the men's basketball team's road game against No. 11 Arizona, which was scheduled for Thursday in Tucson, has been postponed because of COVID-19 protocols within the UW program.

The Pac-12 conference will work with Washington and Arizona to find an acceptable makeup date.

Arizona will now open the Pac-12 slate at Oregon State on Sunday evening.

Washington's next scheduled game is home against UCLA on Sunday, though as Ben Bolch of the Los Angeles Times noted, that game would appear to be in jeopardy with the school needing to postpone a matchup three days prior.

Arizona has begun its season with a 6-0 record. Its most recent game was a 105-59 win over Sacramento State last Saturday.

The 4-4 Huskies last played Saturday, when they lost to Winthrop 82-74 at home.

The Pac-12 had a COVID-19 scheduling concern earlier this year when Cal football was forced to postpone its Nov. 13 game against USC, although that game has now been rescheduled to this Saturday.

In addition, the Arizona women's basketball team's Friday game against UC Riverside was canceled because of concerns within the Highlanders' program.

As for the recently postponed Washington vs. Arizona game, finding a spot may not be too difficult given that the regular season will go on for three-plus months.

For now, it's unclear when Washington will play again. If the UCLA game Sunday is also canceled, the Huskies' next scheduled matchup is Sunday, Dec. 12, versus Gonzaga. 

The Washington Huskies will have to play the remainder of the regular season without sophomore point guard Quade Green. 

According to Stadium's Jeff Goodman, Green has been ruled academically ineligible. Goodman's anonymous source relayed that there is still a "slight chance" Green could return to the Huskies in the postseason because the winter quarter ends in mid-March.

Green has averaged 11.6 points, 5.3 assists, 2.6 rebounds and 1.1 steals in 30.4 minutes across 15 games for the 11-5 Huskies this season. 

This is Green's first season at Washington. The Philadelphia native began his collegiate career with two seasons at Kentucky. As a freshman, the former 5-star prospect averaged 9.3 points, 2.7 assists and 1.8 rebounds in 25.6 minutes across 34 games (13 starts). Green's 2018-19 was cut to nine games when he opted to transfer from UK in Dec. 2018.

"I have loved my time at Kentucky and love Coach Cal and the staff,” Green said in a statement announcing his transfer (h/t the Seattle Times' Percy Allen). "This was a difficult decision and one I didn’t take lightly. However, after talking with my family and the coaching staff, I just felt like it was best that I explore other opportunities for my athletic and academic future."

Green told ESPN's Jeff Borzello on Dec. 20, 2018, that he had committed to Washington. The NCAA granted Green a waiver that allowed him to play immediately ahead of the Huskies' regular-season opener on Nov. 8.

Green has led the Huskies' in assists, while junior Nahziah Carter has been the highest-scoring guard with 13.3 points per game. Washington's leading scorer is freshman forward Isaiah Stewart (19.5 points per game). 

Green last played in the Huskies' 72-40 win over USC on Sunday, posting 14 points, five assists, four steals and two rebounds.

The Huskies will host Stanford Thursday night in their first Pac-12 matchup of the season. Moving forward without Green, head coach Mike Hopkins could incorporate sophomore guard Jamal Bey more into the rotation. Green started 14 of 15 games, while Bey has only made two starts.

BR Video

Jay-Z's nephew Nahziah Carter is balling out for the Washington Huskies.

The junior guard from Rochester, New York, is producing highlight-worthy dunks night after night.

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The NCAA has granted a waiver for Washington guard Quade Green, making him immediately eligible for the 2019-20 season. 

Green is expected to start at point guard this season for the Huskies. Green transferred after playing nine games in his sophomore season at Kentucky after failing to earn a significant role. He averaged 9.3 points and 2.7 assists in 34 games during his freshman year.

Washington is expected to compete for a Pac-12 championship this season after landing 5-star freshmen forwards Jaden McDaniels and Isaiah Stewart. Green will solidify a point guard position that looked like a weak spot for the Huskies had the NCAA not granted his waiver. Regardless of the NCAA ruling, Green would have been eligible in December—one full year after his transfer.

Green excels in pick-and-roll situations and transition, which should make him a stellar fit with Washington's athletic wings. McDaniels and Stewart are both strong leapers who should be the beneficiaries of easy buckets in the open court.

Washington coach Mike Hopkins originally recruited Green when he was an assistant coach at Syracuse. The Huskies use a defense similar to the 'Cuse zone, so Green's relative lack of size (6'0") should not be much of an issue defensively. 

The Washington Huskies received excellent news Tuesday, as highly touted recruit Jaden McDaniels has committed to play college ball in Seattle:

Per 247Sports, he had narrowed his list down to Kentucky, San Diego State, Texas, UCLA and Washington.

Jaden's older brother, Jalen, played two seasons at San Diego State before declaring for the NBA draft this year. However, Jaden told Percy Allen of the Seattle Times in April that he is his "own person."

As his MaxPreps highlight reel shows, the 6'11" power forward has some game:

His skill set was also on full display during a 51-point performance as a senior at Federal Way High School:

McDaniels opened up about his rise to stardom to Ballislife in December 2018, revealing he works out with Los Angeles Lakers forward Kyle Kuzma:

According to Matt Norlander of CBS Sports, McDaniels once viewed Kentucky as his dream school because of his admiration for former Wildcats star John Wall. However, things changed.

"I'm really just taking my time and finding the right school," McDaniels told Allen in April. "It's a big deal because that's where you going to spend the rest of your ... however long you're there. I just feel like I'm going to take my time, and when I feel like the time is right, that's when I'll probably make my decision."

The pull of playing close to home won out for the Washington native.

"That would be fun, just putting on for the city," McDaniels said in July 2018, per Ben Roberts of the Lexington Herald-Leader. "Everybody's telling me to go to U-Dub, stay in the purple and gold. But I don't know what I'm going to do yet."

Of course, it didn't hurt that travel teammates Marcus Tsohonis and RaeQuan Battle had already long committed to Washington. As McDaniels told Allen, Tsohonis and Isaiah Stewart each made recruiting pitches on behalf of the Huskies.

Washington sophomore guard Jaylen Nowell announced his intention to enter the 2019 NBA draft on Sunday:

The Pac-12 men's basketball player of the year scored 16.2 points per game on 50.2 percent shooting for the 27-9 Huskies, who finished first in the conference regular-season standings and made the second round of the NCAA tournament.

The 6'4", 200-pounder also hit 44.0 percent of his three-pointers and grabbed 5.3 rebounds per game.

Opinion is mixed on Nowell's NBA future.

Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report ranked him 69th on his latest big board, writing the following:

"Draft buzz hasn't followed the Pac-12's Player of the Year. He takes questionable shots and contested two-point jumpers. But for a 6'4", 200-pound guard averaging 16.2 points on 50.0 percent shooting and 43.8 percent from three, his positional tools and three-level scoring should earn him second-round looks."

Nowell is not listed on ESPN.com's top-100 prospect list for the 2019 draft class.

Others think higher of Nowell's prospects. Aran Smith of NBADraft.net ranks him 39th, and the site's mock draft places him on the New Orleans Pelicans in the early second round.

Although Nowell has announced his entry into the NBA draft, he can still change his mind and return to Washington for his junior season.

Per an Aug. 8 article from Marc Tracy of the New York Times, "college basketball players who declare for the NBA draft will be allowed to hire agents after two NCAA boards adopted a series of reforms to the sport's rules on Wednesday."

Furthermore, Tracy wrote that "players who declare for the NBA draft but are not selected will be allowed to return to their college teams."

The NCAA Academic and Membership Affairs and Enforcement Staffs also wrote in a March 13 memorandum that early-entry players who still have collegiate eligibility can return to school if they withdraw their name from the NBA draft and notify their collegiate athletic directors of an intention to return to school by May 29.

Nowell's college head coach, Mike Hopkins, seemingly expected this decision. He told KJR Radio (h/t Percy Allen of the Seattle Times) that he expected the sophomore to "test the waters."

"I'm sure Jaylen will test the waters," Hopkins said Tuesday. "He's an NBA-caliber player. He's an incredible kid. My goal with Jaylen is to obviously be able to give him the information. With information you can make great decisions. He's earned an opportunity to test the waters, I'm sure."

We'll see how NBA teams feel about Nowell shortly as the predraft process ramps up. For now, Nowell should be getting ready for the NBA Draft Combine, which will take place May 14-19 in Chicago.

Center Isaiah Stewart is going to add size to Washington's 2019 freshman class after committing to the university Sunday.

Lauren Kirschman of the News Tribune reported Stewart's decision to play for the Huskies over Duke, Michigan State, Syracuse and Kentucky.

One of the top prospects in this year's class, the big man fits the prototype of what a modern-day center looks like at 6'9" and 245 pounds. 

Currently attending La Lumiere School in New York, Stewart is a 5-star prospect who is ranked as the No. 3 center and No. 6 player overall, per 247Sports. 

ESPN's scouting report for Stewart highlights his unique length and wingspan as a key reason he has the potential to develop into a superstar:

"Stewart has an incredible combination of length and power with a measured 7-foot-4 wingspan and a massive upper body. He has broad shoulders, big hands, and a high motor to match. While he may already be built like a man, he's actually young for his grade, and so there is plenty of upside left to discover. Stewart is already an outstanding rebounder, and truly elite on the offensive glass."

The biggest weakness in Stewart's game at this point is his shooting touch away from the basket, but his size and length give him rare potential. Developing that final part of his game will make him one of the best players in college basketball. 

After head coach Mike Hopkins' successful debut with 21 wins in 2017-18, he parlayed that into landing a premier recruit to keep the Huskies moving in the right direction.

Washington hasn't been immune to getting top-notch talent. Markelle Fultz was also a 5-star prospect and top-ranked combo guard in the 2016 recruiting class. His arrival didn't lead a turnaround, as the team went 9-22 during the 2016-17 season. 

The combination of Hopkins' coaching and Stewart's athleticism gives Washington an opportunity to compete with the Pac-12's elite programs like Arizona, UCLA and Utah.