Washington is listed as having two returnees on its roster. But the Huskies actually have three.
Wesley Yates III spent the 2023-24 season at Washington but never played because of a foot injury. He transferred to Southern California last season and led all Big Ten freshmen in scoring — averaging 14.1 points per game — during conference play.
Now he’s back with the Huskies and scored 25 points Thursday as they opened play in the Acrisure Holiday Classic in Palm Desert, Calif., with an 83-66 victory over Nevada.
The Huskies (5-1) will meet former Pac-12 rival Colorado (6-0) on Friday for the tournament championship. The Buffaloes defeated San Francisco 79-69 on Thursday.
Zoom Diallo and Franck Kepnang, the duo that played for the Huskies last season, also played a big part on Thursday. Diallo had 19 points, six rebounds and five assists, and Kepnang added 15 points on 6-for-6 shooting from the field, along with five rebounds and four blocks. Yates finished with four 3-pointers, four rebounds, four steals and three assists.
“Wesley is a dog for real,” Kepnang said. “He does all the little things. He plays physical, which is something I like. He’s just a tough player both mentally and confidence-wise. Once he gets it going, he so strong and hard to stop.”
The Buffaloes, playing away from home for the first time this season, rallied from a two-point halftime deficit against San Francisco.
Freshman guard Isaiah Johnson scored 12 of his team-high 17 points after the intermission, Barrington Hargreaves added 15 points, and Bangot Dak had 13 points, five rebounds and a six assists.
“We’re making progress. There’s no question we are,” Colorado coach Tad Boyle said. “I thought we were a little undisciplined in the first half. But the second half we were better. … We’re still not where we want to be or need to be. But we’re getting there.”
The Huskies will be without starting forwards Hannes Steinbach and Bryson Tucker on Thursday because of ankle injuries.
“With our depth right now, we’re going to have to play a lot better and cleaner than we did (Thursday),” Huskies coach Danny Sprinkle said.
–Field Level Media
