Forward Hannes Steinbach was named to the watch list for the Lute Olson Award.
The Washington Huskies men's basketball team has fought through early-season injuries and currently have an 8-4 record (1-1 in Big Ten). The team has one more game left on the schedule before launching full steam ahead in Big Ten competition.
One of the players that has both experienced the injury bug and is a major reason for the Huskies' wins this season has been freshman forward Hannes Steinbach.
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The freshman forward, who was recruited out of Germany, missed three games this year due to an ankle sprain but has arguably been Washington's best and most consistent player when he's been on the court.
Steinbach has received 2026 NBA Draft hype and has started to be recognized more often by analysts and reporters and it's starting to show.
On Dec. 22, Steinbach was one of 30 players named to the early season Lute Olson National Player of the Year award.
Other players included on the list were Duke freshman Cam Boozer, BYU freshman AJ Dybantsa, Michigan senior Yaxel Lendeborg and USC senior Chad Baker-Mazara, among others.
The award is named after Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame coach Lute Olson, who had a 781-280 record in 34 season as a head coach at the NCAA Division I level from 1973-2007 with Long Beach State, Iowa and Arizona. In his more than three decades as a head coach, Olson won one NCAA championship (1997) and made five NCAA Final Fours.
Winners of the award within the last 10 years include Cooper Flagg, Zach Edey, Jalen Brunson and Ja Morant, among others.
This season, Steinbach is averaging 17.9 points per game on 59% shooting from the floor. He's connected on six 3-pointers on 11 attempts this season. He's also 12.1 rebounds, 2.3 assists and a block a game.
Steinbach has registered a double-double in seven of his nine games this season, which is the second-most by any NCAA DI freshman.
The Huskies haven't been able to play a game this season at full strength to their litany of injuries. But if Washington makes a push for the Big Ten title and the 2026 NCAA Tournament, Steinbach will likely be front and center in those efforts.
The Huskies, who are under their second season under head coach Danny Sprinkle. haven't made the NCAA Tournament since 2019.
Washington will play its last nonconference game of the regular season against the Utah Utes at 8 p.m. PT on Dec. 29 at Alaska Airlines Arena in Seattle.
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