Zoom Diallo, one of two returning Huskies from 2024-25, had kind words for several new teammates
The Washington Huskies men's basketball team will enter this season looking to take a step forward in the program's second year under head coach Danny Sprinkle.
In Washington's first year under Sprinkle, it went 13-18 overall and 4-16 in the university's first season in the Big Ten conference. The Huskies finished last in the Big Ten among 18 teams and missed the postseason conference tournament.
As a result, Sprinkle and the rest of his staff completely overhauled the team.
Thirteen of the 15 players on the roster for 2025-26 are new to the program. The two returners from last season are sophomore guard Zoom Diallo and grad student center Franck Kepnang.
Several of the additions competed against Diallo and Kepnang last season in Big Ten action. Sophomore guard Wesley Yates III and senior guard Desmond Claude will suit up for Washington after playing with Southern California (USC) last year. Yates began his career with the Huskies in 2023 but suffered an injury, redshirted and transferred to USC for '24.
At Big Ten media days Thursday at Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, Ill., Diallo was asked about the new additions.
"Those two players are electric," Diallo said. "It's good — It's great actually that I have them on my side, now. Just seeing what they could do on the court — (Claude), he can be aggressive, make plays for others. (Yates) — a great shooter. Knows how to get off the dribble, he knows how to be ready whenever."
As mentioned by Diallo, Claude is more of a traditional guard capable of finding his way to the hoop while creating scoring opportunities for his teammates. Yates is a capable perimeter defender who can knock it down from 3-point range at an efficient rate. The two skill sets could create depth and balance in the Huskies' backcourt, which was a struggle in 2024.
The pair of former Trojans has also helped Diallo sharpen his game in preparation for this season.
"Having those two players, especially in practice, it's pretty competitive," Diallo said. "Me being a player, to get to where I want to get to, you always got to compete with the best and the others that are special. In practice, we're competing every day, getting each other better. And I think that's just gonna be a testament to what we do this year."
Yates averaged 14.1 points in 33 games last season on 47.8% shooting from the floor and 43.9% from 3-point range. He averaged 1.8 and 1.2 steals per game, respectively.
Claude averaged 15.8 points per game across 33 contests on 48.2%. He dished 4.2 assists per game.
Diallo will return to the Huskies after a successful true freshman season. The Tacoma, Wash., played 31 games and averaged 11.1 points on a 47.3% clip from the floor. He also dished 2.7 assists and brought in 3.1 rebounds per game, respectively.
Washington will begin its season against Arkansas-Pine Bluff at a to-be-determined time Nov. 3 at Alaska Airlines Arena in Seattle.
RELATED HUSKIES STORIES
WASHINGTON ANNOUNCED TIMES, STATION INFO FOR MEN'S BASKETBALL SEASON: The Huskies announced tip-off times and where they'll air for their slate of games this upcoming season. CLICK HERE
JEDD FISCH REFLECTS ON WASHINGTON'S WIN AGAINST MARYLAND: Fisch's first road Big Ten win as the head of the Huskies came in comeback fashion against the Terrapins. CLICK HERE
HUSKIES EARN FIRST BIG TEN WIN OF THE YEAR: The Huskies scored 24 unanswered points to down the Terrapins. CLICK HERE
JOIN THE CONVERSATION
Remember to join our HUSKIES on ROUNDTABLE community, which is FREE! You can post your own thoughts, in text or video form, and you can engage with our Roundtable staff, as well as other Washington fans. If prompted to download the Roundtable APP, that's free too!