Washington wants to keep sharing the basketball and crashing the glass when it hosts Denver on Thursday night in Seattle.
The Huskies (1-0) racked up 21 assists on 30 baskets during their 94-50 win over Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Monday. Hannes Steinbach led the way with 21 points as he converted 9 of 11 shots while adding seven rebounds and six assists.
The freshman forward from Germany has the positional versatility that Washington coach Danny Sprinkle said makes him a matchup nightmare.
“He’s so talented when he gets the ball,” Sprinkle said. “And he might be our best passer. He’s a de facto point guard in a 6-foot-11 body.”
Freshman point guard JJ Mandaquit handed out eight assists, USC transfer Wesley Yates III scored 14 points and Indiana transfer Bryson Tucker had a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds.
The type of game Tucker played in the season opener is what Sprinkle hopes can be contagious to the rest of the Huskies. Washington held a 53-32 rebounding advantage over the Golden Lions.
“When (Tucker) is going to the offensive glass and playing with that force, it engages him more in the game,” Sprinkle said. “He has to continue to do that. His defense can spur his offense. He’s our most athletic, bouncy, fast-twitch guy.”
Also potent for the Huskies was their bench play, even though they only went eight deep. Washington held a 36-2 edge in bench points as the subs were led by Zoom Diallo (14 points) and East Tennessee State transfer Quimari Peterson (13 points and five rebounds).
Denver (0-1) tipped off its season with an 84-73 loss Monday at Seattle. North Dakota State transfer Jeremiah Burke, who never left the floor, led the Pioneers with 21 points and nine rebounds.
Sophomore Carson Johnson, who followed first-year coach Tim Bergstraser from Div. II Minnesota State-Moorhead, added 18 points for Denver. Logan Kinsey, who made the same jump, scored 15 points to reach the 1,000-point mark for his career.
“Carson is obsessed with basketball,” Bergstraser said. “He’s a relentless competitor. You don’t see a lot of guys with that combination anymore. He just loves this kind of stuff.”
