UC Davis Aggies vs. Washington Huskies Pick & Prediction NOVEMBER 5th 2024

Preview and Prediction

The men's basketball team at the University of Washington has a fresh appearance this year.

On Tuesday night, the Huskies will unveil the Big Ten Conference logo on their home court as they face off against UC Davis in the first game of the regular season under new head coach Danny Sprinkle.

Sprinkle, who took over for Mike Hopkins after coming from Utah State, admits that he is still getting to know his team.

"We've made good progress in the last few weeks with this group," Sprinkle said. "The older players are starting to feel the pressure of the first game approaching. There is a heightened sense of urgency, intensity, and focus in their actions. But until we face a real opponent under the bright lights, I can't say for sure what we have."

In their exhibition game on Tuesday, the Huskies dominated NCAA Division II opponent Western Oregon with a final score of 105-68.

Guard DJ Davis, a transfer from Butler, led the team with 16 points, including four 3-pointers. Freshman guard Zoom Diallo contributed 14 points, seven rebounds, three assists, and two steals off the bench, while Portland transfer Tyler Harris also scored 14 points. Preseason all-Big Ten forward Great Osobor added 12 points and eight rebounds, and center Franck Kepnang, who has been plagued by injuries in the past two seasons, had 12 points and three blocked shots.

"I hope all our games are like this, but I know that won't be the case," Sprinkle commented on the upcoming schedule.

Last season, UC Davis finished third in the Big West Conference and narrowly missed out on a spot in the NCAA Tournament, losing to Long Beach State in the conference tournament's championship game.

Although Big West player of the year Eli Pepper graduated, guard TY Johnson decided to return to the team after briefly entering the transfer portal in the offseason.

Johnson, who was named to the preseason all-Big West team, averaged 17.8 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 3.3 assists per game as a junior.

Aggies coach Jim Les praised Johnson as "one of the best on-ball defenders in college basketball."

When asked about his decision to stay at UC Davis, Johnson said, "It was a tough choice, but it really wasn't. After talking to the coaches and expressing what I was looking for, I was able to make a pros and cons list that made it clear for me to come back and make my final year at Davis my best one."

PREDICTION

UC Davis Aggies

Washington Huskies

UC Davis Aggies vs. Washington Huskies Recap NOV 5TH 2024

Great Osobor scored 15 points and grabbed a game-high 17 rebounds as Washington overcame a five-point second-half deficit to defeat UC Davis 79-73 on Tuesday in the season opener for both teams in Seattle.

Osobor, a preseason all-Big Ten Conference selection, led a balanced attack. The Huskies won the debut for new coach Danny Sprinkle, whom Osobor played for at both Montana State and Utah State before following him to Washington.

Mekhi Mason added 13 points for Washington and Zoom Diallo had 12 points and a game-high four assists. Centers Wilhelm Breidenbach and Franck Kepnang added 10 points apiece.

Senior TY Johnson led UC Davis with a career-high 35 points. Isaiah Chappell and Leo DeBruhl scored 10 each and Niko Rocak had nine points and 11 rebounds.

The Aggies took their first lead of the game, 41-39, on a 3-pointer by DeBruhl with 17:52 remaining.

UC Davis extended its advantage to 58-53 on a 3-pointer by Chappell from the left corner with 7:15 to go.

The Huskies responded with a 9-0 run, sparked by Mason's 3-pointer, to regain the lead. Osobor's layup tied the game, and Tyler Harris' jumper in the lane put Washington up 60-58.

Harris scored all nine of his points in the second half to help the Huskies pull away.

The Huskies won despite shooting just 2-for-14 from 3-point range and 21-for-38 at the free-throw line, though they had a 20-2 edge in fastbreak points.

With the score tied at 2-2, Mason made a 3-pointer to spark a 10-0 Washington run. Kepnang, who has missed significant time the past two seasons with injuries, scored six points during the streak on two dunks, one an alley-oop on a pass from Osobor, and a turnaround jumper after an offensive rebound.

The Aggies tied the score at 33-all on two free throws by Johnson with 1:02 left in the half. Breidenbach made a layup off a pass from Diallo with 47 seconds to go to restore Washington's lead. Christian King made a jumper with five seconds remaining to put the Huskies up 37-33 at the half.