Considering the front-line deficiencies the past two years, Lorenzo Romar would be wise to make sure the Washington men’s basketball team doesn’t come up short in the big man department next season because his job may depend on it.
LAS VEGAS – Considering the front-line deficiencies the past two years, Lorenzo Romar would be wise to make sure the Washington men’s basketball team doesn’t come up short in the big-man department next season because his job may depend on it.
Due to attrition, the Husky coach has been forced to rely on a small-ball tactic more than he would have liked.
Early in the 2013-14 season, a rash of injuries made it necessary for the Huskies to resort to a four-guard lineup and they finished 17-15.
Before the 2014-15 season, Washington had six post players on the roster.
Most Read Sports Stories
However, forward Desmond Simmons transferred to Saint Mary’s last May. Freshman forward Tristan Etienne quit the team before training camp. Junior forward Jernard Jarreau suffered a knee injury in January that forced him to miss 10 games and junior center Robert Upshaw was dismissed after 19 games.
During a critical stretch midway during season, Washington was forced to go small once again. Senior forward Shawn Kemp Jr. was the only healthy big man with experience while reserve 7-footer Gilles Dierickx was pressed into extended duty late in the season when Kemp succumbed to injuries.
The roster reduction ruined the Huskies’ 11-0 start. They lost seven straight games and dropped 11 of their last 13 while stumbling to a disappointing 16-15 finish.
Romar contends unforeseen circumstances contributed to UW’s thin front line.
“Last year and this year, I thought we had enough (big men),” Romar said. “More than enough. Beginning of the year we had five or six guys. By the end of the year, we didn’t.
“What happened here, I don’t know if any team in the world that would have enough in the history of basketball. … That’s not something you can really practice for or expect.”
It would seem Romar is hoping for better luck going forward.
Presumably, Washington will be loaded in the backcourt next season if Nigel Williams-Goss returns. Romar expects the sophomore star, who led UW in scoring (15.6 points per game), assists (5.9) and minutes (36.8) while earning second-team All-Pac-12 honors, to consider his pro prospects.
Meanwhile, junior guard Andrew Andrews, who averaged 15.0 points, said his goal is to return next year and continue to build on a late-blossoming career.
The Huskies’ stable of guards and wings should also include Donaven Dorsey, Quevyn Winters and Darin Johnson along with top-40 recruit Dejounte Murray and touted freshman prospects Matisse Thybulle and David Crisp.
The obvious concern is in the post.
Jarreau and Dierickx are expected back, but neither proved to be the answer in the middle. The newcomers include: Marquese Chriss, a 6-8 four-star-prospect from Elk Grove, Calif.; Malik Dime, a 6-10 junior-college center; and power forward Devenir Duruisseau, a 6-8 forward from Fishburne Military Academy in Waynesboro, Va.
It’s unrealistic to expect anyone in that group will develop into a record-setting shot-blocker like Upshaw, who needed just 19 games to move atop UW’s season list with 85.
At this point, the Huskies are hoping their big men can stay on the court for the duration of the season.
“It’s just a lot to deal with on a week-to-week basis,” Williams-Goss said of the injuries and attrition. “We wanted to have a better year, and it’s just unfortunate that we didn’t.”
Washington will not seek an invitation to the College Basketball Insider Tournament.