Nikola Dzepina's Development Will be Key For Washington Huskies' Success

SEATTLE — The Washington Huskies men's basketball team will be entering this season smaller than previous years.

The team's frontcourt was manned by eventual first-round NBA draft pick Hannes Steinbach, who led the team in rebounding and scoring before being selected in the lottery of the 2026 draft by the Charlotte Hornets. Center Franck Kepnang, who has since transferred to the Kentucky Wildcats, also started.

Steinbach (6-foot-11) and Kepnang (7-foot) provided the team traditional size in the post, which provided the team valuable capability getting rebounds and blocking shots.

The team doesn't have the benefit of that size this season. Fifth-year forward/center Mady Traore (7-foot) is the team's only player above 6-foot-10, but will be load-managed due to knee swelling this season.

This puts the pressure on second-year forward Nikola Dzepina to be a player in the post, particularly when it comes to rebounding.

Dzepina joined the team late last season in December out of Serbia and received inconsistent minutes as he struggled to learn the playbook.

This season, the Serbian national (who's listed at either 6-foot-10 or 6-foot-11 depending on which source) has gotten stronger and has a better understanding of the playbook that's notable, with a higher proficiency in rebounding and passing.

In the team's 84-80 exhibition game loss against the Washington State Cougars, Dzepina had a 16-point, 12-rebound double-double. He was 4-for-12 from the field, including a 1-for-3 mark from 3-point range, and posted a 7-for-9 clip from the free-throw line. He also had three assists, a block and a steal.

As one of the only players on the team with legitimate post size, there's an added pressure on him to continue to be force on the boards and on offense in the post.

"He has to (be that post player)," UW head coach Danny Sprinkle said in a news conference Wednesday at Alaska Airlines Arena. "We showed him on film, there's probably five other rebounds he has to come up with (against Washington State). You have to come up with them. When you get your hands on the ball, like Hannes (did), you got to get them. That's what the best players do. He had probably four or five where he ran in there and, him, (Lathan Sommerville), there was a couple other (players), it's like we're playing volleyball. No, man, you got to go up with two hands and grab that thing."

Dzepina will have an opportunity to make further strides as a rebounder and post player in the team's regular season opener against the Colgate Red Raiders at 7 p.m. PT on Nov. 2 at Alaska Airlines Arena.