Washington's Noah Dickerson has reportedly requested his release and will explore transfer options. He was the Huskies' best low-post option, who averaged 12.5 points and 8.2 rebounds.
The day after introducing new men’s basketball coach Mike Hopkins, the Huskies lost reserve forward Matthew Atewe on Thursday morning and hours later Noah Dickerson, their third leading scorer, reportedly is out the door as well.
Citing unnamed sources, ESPN’s Jeff Borzello reports Dickerson “will explore transfer options.”
The Huskies have not yet granted Dickerson his release, according to a UW spokesperson.
On Wednesday, UW assistant Will Conroy said it’s a priority for the Huskies to “connect with Noah and make him know how much he’s loved and appreciated.”
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Dickerson, a native of Atlanta, returned home while Washington is on spring break and was not among the handful of Huskies in attendance Wednesday at Hopkins’ introductory press conference.
The 6-foot-8 sophomore forward was one of three starters who indicated last week they were considering transferring after Washington fired coach Lorenzo Romar.
Dickerson’s departure would be a big blow for a UW team that was 9-22 and finished 11th in the Pac-12 at 2-16.
He scored 12.5 points per game, which was third on the team. Dickerson was the Huskies’ best low-post scoring option who shot 54.7 percent from the field. He also averaged a team-high 8.2 rebounds and started 27 of 31 games.
During Washington’s final four games when star freshman guard Markelle Fultz sat out due to a knee injury, Dickerson averaged 21 points and shot 60.5 percent from the field.
It was his best stint at Washington. He scored a career-high 27 points during a 74-58 loss at USC. He also had 23 points and 15 rebounds in a 98-66 defeat at UCLA.
Dickerson’s four-game flurry began with a 16 point and 13 rebound performance during a 79-71 loss at Washington State. He finished the season on a high note, tallying 18 points in a 78-73 defeat to USC in the Pac-12 Tournament opener.
“I’m playing the better than I’ve played in a long time,” Dickerson said before the conference tournament. “The game is slowing down for me. I’m making plays and I’m finishing.”
Sources with knowledge of the situation said Dickerson was considering leaving UW even if Romar had remained.
Dickerson originally signed with Florida out of Montverde Academy (Fla.) and was granted his release from his NLI after head coach Billy Donovan left for the NBA. At the time Dickerson picked Washington over Cal, but it’s believed he’s considering picking a school closer to home.
Losing Dickerson thins what was already a depleted front line.
Washington’s remaining scholarship players include: David Crisp, Matisse Thybulle, Carlos Johnson, Dominic Green, Sam Timmins, Dan Kingma, Bitumba Baruti and Devenir Duruisseau. Timmins and Duruisseau are the only Huskies taller than 6-6.
Earlier Thursday, UW officially released Michael Porter Jr., the No. 1 recruit in the 2017 class and projected No. 1 2018 NBA draft pick. He’s considering Missouri, Oklahoma, Virginia and left the door open on a possible return to Washington.
This week the Huskies also lost 2017 signee Blake Harris, a three-star guard from North Carolina.
Washington is currently slated to have 11 scholarship players on the 2017-18 roster including incoming 2017 signees Jaylen Nowell, Daejon Davis – four-star prospects at Garfield High – and big man Mamoudou Diarra, a Mali native who plays for St. Louis Christian Academy in Missouri.
The NCAA allows Division I teams 13 scholarships.