On April 3rd, University of Washington men's basketball is seeing a wave of transfers, with sophomore guard Zoom Diallo becoming the latest to enter. The portal on Friday, the 6-foot forward Tacoma native, who averaged 15.7 points per game as the team's second leading scorer, announced it on social media. Just hours after freshman guard, JJ Mandakit did the same. That makes three departures in a week, including freshman guard Courtland Mulder last week.
Earlier this season, two more players left mid-year senior guard, Desmond Claude, and sophomore forward Christian E2, highlighting the roster flux. Under new coach Danny Sprinkle, Diallo was a cornerstone, starting 29 of 33 games, and one of only two returners from Sprinkle's first year, alongside Sen. Frank, Kept Nang. Fans and analysts are buzzing about whether Sprinkle's tough coaching style is pushing players out, or if it's just a wild world of name, image, and likeness deals and easy transfers reshaping college hoops.
In Seattle, it feels like rosters get rebuilt from scratch every off season. Diallo posted a heartfelt message, thanking the program, but said he's testing the portal waters with a possible return option. He stepped up big late in the year, dropping 20 or more points in four of the final five games, including a career-high 26 against USC. He also boosted his three-point shooting from 18.2% to 31.5%.
This exodus leaves Sprinkle scrambling to rebuild around his core, but with a portal open wide, expect more moves that could redefine the Huskies. Next run.