The 2009-2010 Washington Huskies are not only a young squad, but they may very well be the most talented bunch in the Pac-10. Coach Lorenzo Romar may have lost his double-double star, forward Jon Brockman, but the recruits keep coming in, allowing the Huskies to build on last season's success. It could be time for Washington to take home their second consecutive conference championship.
With the loss of Brockman, Washington will need to turn its focus to the very talented group on the perimeter. Point guard Isaiah Thomas led the team with over 15 points and 2 assists as a freshman, and while his turnover numbers may have been a bit high, with Abdul Gaddy by his side those numbers should improve this season. At 5-8, Thomas will be the traditional point guard, but that does not mean that the 6-3 Gaddy will not bring the ball up the court much of the time as well. The Huskies do have a couple of other weapons in the backcourt other than Thomas and Gaddy â€" Venoy Overton is a great defender, and Elston Turner could become Washington's best three-point shooter while provide a spark off the bench.
Last season, Quincy Pondexter played the small forward spot, but he may put in more time at the power forward position this year due to the depth of talent on the perimeter. Either way, the 6-6 senior will be productive; last year Pondexter averaged 12 points and was the second leading rebounder with 6 per game. While he may be a tad undersized to play the four spot, he does not have the outside shooting ability to play the three, which means coach Romar can move him around based on the competition and situation. Darnell Gant, who is not much of a scorer but a very strong rebounder, will probably start again somewhere, but he will be pushed by junior Justin Holiday who is a quality defender at either of the forward positions.
Washington has also gotten their hands on one of the top recruits in the nation, Abdul Gaddy, who has the size, speed, and vision, to be a great scorer and assist man for the Huskies. If there is any downside to his game it may be Gaddy's outside shooting, but he can still score in bunches while his outside shot improves with time. While Gaddy is the main highlight of this class, wingman C.J. Wilcox and forward Clarence Trent are not bad prospects at all. The Huskies will also benefit from the services of redshirt freshman Tyreese Breshers, who will add some much needed depth in the paint.
