washington huskies

Seattle, WA – The Ohio State Buckeyes, fresh off a dominating performance at Oregon in which they blew the game wide open by holding the Ducks scoreless for five minutes, made their way to Seattle looking to sweep the Pacific Northwest teams. Meanwhile, the Washington Huskies were back home after two tough losses on the road at Indiana and Purdue.

The Buckeyes jumped to an early lead thanks to terrific shooting and domination on the offensive glass. The Huskies hung tough and held Ohio State scoreless for three minutes toward the end of the first half to whittle the deficit to two points at the break. Ohio State again started strong, but the Huskies answered the Buckeyes’ 5-0 run at the beginning of the second half with a 12-0 run of their own to take the lead 46-45. The Huskies held their lead, but it was tenuous and if not for several clutch rebounds, blocked shots, and made free throws by 6’11 Franck Kepnang with the game still in the balance, the Dawgs might have lost. The Huskies won 81-74 to improve to 10-6 on the year. Ohio State falls to 11-5.

Continuing to impress, as he has all season, was Huskies’ 6’11 freshman Hannes Steinbach. In only his thirteenth game as a Husky, the former German Bundesliga professional scored 21 points (9-19 FG, 0-3 3PT, 3-3 FT), and added nine rebounds and two steals in 35 minutes. Steinbach displays excellent court vision and natural instincts. He also understands leverage, using his body to seal defenders for easy finishes in the flash post and outmuscle guys for putbacks. He runs well in transition and although it’s a smaller part of his game, he’s making nearly 40% of his three-point attempts on 1.5 shots per game. Steinbach’s averaging 1.2 points per possession on a 67% true shooting percentage.

Steinbach anchors the Husky defense. He disrupts shots in the paint and rotates effectively to help his teammates. He’s not an elite mover laterally and therefore sometimes finds himself in trouble with quicker guards in the switch-heavy Husky defense. Steinbach’s an excellent rebounder averaging 11 boards and nearly one steal per game. Steinbach projects as a Top 20 NBA draft pick this year.

Leading Ohio State’s balanced attack this season is 6’2 senior Bruce Thornton Thornton has had a terrific career with the Buckeyes so far and brings a wealth of on-court experience having started every game since arriving in Columbus. He’s a high motor, physical point guard with an outstanding outside shot and ability to get downhill—mostly to his right. Thornton manages the high pick and roll game dribbling off the screen to make the correct read. He’s equally effective in transition whether as a finisher or creator. Thornton takes care of the ball, maintaining a 2.7 assist to turnover ratio. He averages 1.2 points per possession on 69% true shooting percentage. He shoots 43% from three with most of his shooting success coming from the top and left wing. Thornton grabs 5.3 rebounds per game.

Against the Huskies, Thornton scored 28 points (9-17 FG, 3-7 3PT, 7-8 FT), to go with 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 block, and 1 steal in 37 minutes. He had one turnover. NBA front office concerns about his height may prevent him from being drafted but he’ll have an opportunity as a free agent.

Also coming up big on the scoreboard for the Buckeyes was 6’6 freshman Amare Bynum. In his highest scoring output of the season so far, Bynum finished with 20 points (8-19 FG, 2-6 3PT, 2-3 FT) and four rebounds in 37 minutes. He’s a reliable finisher in the paint but has struggled from beyond the arc, shooting 26%. Nonetheless, his length, athleticism and touch from the free throw line (75% shooter) suggest he’s a future prospect.

Things won’t get any easier for UW as first Michigan and then Michigan State come to Seattle to take on the Huskies. The Buckeyes fly home to face UCLA and Minnesota later this week.

This article was written by Justin Pallari, a correspondent and scout for NetScouts Basketball. You can follow us on Instagram, or on twitter.

We are looking for those interested in our basketball scout apprenticeship program. For information contact us and forward your resume.

Seattle, WA – The San Diego Toreros left sunny Southern California for rainy Seattle to face the Washington Huskies in a non-conference battle last night. The Toreros were looking to improve their record to 6-6 before beginning West Coast Conference play next week. Although 7-4 so far, the Huskies have been dealing with injuries and nursing a loss last Friday to cross-town rival, Seattle University. Led by senior point guard, Brayden Maldonado, the Redhawks beat the Huskies for the second year in a row. Maldonado is having an outstanding season under Coach Chris Victor.

The Toreros climbed out of a 7-0 deficit to take an 11-10 lead. The Huskies responded with a three-pointer from the left corner. It was smooth sailing thereafter. The Huskies dominated points in the paint, points off turnovers, and points in transition. Three-point shooting, ironically, since it sealed the victory early, was the only rough edge. Washington was 5-of-21 from behind the arc. They’re now 6-of-36 in the last two games. They’ll need to find their three-point range soon. The Huskies easily won 86-56 over the visiting Toreros.

Leading the Huskies was freshman Hannes Steinbach. In his ninth game as a Husky, the former German Bundesliga professional scored 21 points (6-13 FG, 1-3 3PT, 8-10 FT), and added 14 rebounds, one assist, three steals, and two blocks in 27 minutes. He also drew nine fouls while committing none. Steinbach has terrific instincts, footwork, and polish. He finishes through contact at the rim and creates his own shots off the low post-up. He’s a reliable roller. Steinbach shoots over 50% from three on low volume—approximately one attempt per game. He’ll become an even greater offensive threat as he continues to develop from long-range. Steinbach’s averaging 1.17 points per possession on a 67% true shooting percentage. He’s a great passer for a big man and takes care of the ball. His assist to turnover ratio sits at 1.27.

Steinbach anchors the Husky defense. He disrupts shots in the paint and rotates effectively to help his teammates. He’s not an elite mover laterally but uses his basketball intelligence and strength to position himself in the right spot and to contain quicker guards coming off ball screens. Steinbach’s an excellent rebounder averaging a dozen boards per game. He outlets the ball immediately to initiate the Washington’s transition offense and runs the floor on the break. Steinbach projects as a first round NBA draft pick.

Having only just arrived in the United States two weeks ago, Nikola Dzepina has already made an impression. The Serbian, who most recently played for Valencia Basket in Spain, scored 7 points (2-7 FG, 1-5 3PT, 2-2 FT) and added 8 rebounds, 2 assists, and one block in 20 minutes. He’s a modern big who can stretch the floor with his perimeter shooting and physicality inside. Keep an eye on him.

Adrian McIntyre and Juanse Gorosito chipped in 15 points apiece for San Diego. Notably absent from the starting lineup was Toneari Lane. The 6’5, 205-pound guard comes to San Diego as a graduate student after time spent at Winthrop and Georgia State. At Georgia State last year, he averaged 13.6 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 1.5 assists per game. His stats are down slightly through the first 11 games of this season but he’s more efficient (1.17 vs. 0.96 points per possession) and shooting better (62% vs 52% true shooting percentage). Against Washington, the left-handed Lane knocked down a three-pointer from the right wing a few seconds after first entering the game at the 12-minute mark but didn’t get many touches the rest of the night. Lane finished with 5 points (2-4 FG, 1-2 3PT), two rebounds and one assist. He’s a high-motor guy who could fill a mid-market slot overseas.

Next up the Huskies play Utah at home before battling Indiana and Purdue on the road in Big10 action. Husky fans remain optimistic that the purple and gold can return March Madness to Montlake. Right now, bracketologists give the Dawgs a 1 in 3 chance of an at-large bid.

This article was written by Justin Pallari, a correspondent and scout for NetScouts Basketball. You can follow us on Instagram, or on twitter.

We are looking for those interested in our basketball scout apprenticeship program. For information contact us and forward your resume.

Washington Outduels Ohio State Behind Steinbach

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