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SEATTLE – The 2023-24 basketball season tips off Monday night at Alaska Airlines Arena as Washington hosts Bellarmine.
The Huskies start the season with three home games in a six-day span. Single game tickets for the non-conference slate are on sale now. Fans will have a chance to see a quartet of 2023 NCAA Tournament teams visit Hec Ed in the non-conference alone, starting with Northern Kentucky and Nevada this week.
Elise Woodward and Eldridge Recasner will call Monday’s action on the Pac-12 Network while Tony Castricone and Jason Hamilton have the call on the Husky Sports Network and locally on Sports Radio KJR 950 AM.
The Matchup
Washington opens its season at home for the third consecutive year. Monday’s matchup will be the first between the Huskies and Knights. Mike Hopkins is 5-1 in home openers and 3-3 in season openers at UW.
Last Time Out
The Huskies scored over 100 points in their exhibition game against Saint Martin’s, the team’s highest scoring output in any game since Dec. 19, 2017. The team had 24 assists, a number they’ve only reached twice in the past eight seasons.
The Returners
UW is one of three Pac-12 teams to return multiple All-Conference honorees, behind only USC. Preseason first-team All-Conference choice Keion Brooks Jr. headlines the core of returners as the leading returning scorer in the entire Pac-12. He averaged 17.7 points and 6.7 rebounds to earn Second Team All-Pac-12 honors in his first season with the Dawgs. Braxton Meah is back for another season in purple and gold after shooting over 70 percent in 2022-23 to lead the Pac-12 and set a new single-season Husky record. He was selected to the All-Defensive team after averaging 1.6 blocks per game.
Koren Johnson enters his sophomore season following a stellar freshman campaign in which he racked up 34 steals, which were tied for second on the team. Franck Kepnang adds depth to the frontcourt after missing the majority of the 2022-23 season due to injury.
The Newcomers
Kentucky grad transfer Sahvir Wheeler highlights an experienced group of newcomers. Wheeler twice led the SEC in assists, both times ranking in the top five in the NCAA with over six helpers per game.
Wilhelm Breidenbach (Nebraska), Nate Calmese (Lamar), Anthony Holland (Fresno State) Paul Mulcahy (Rutgers) and Moses Wood (Portland) also arrived in Seattle via the transfer portal. Four-star guard Wesley Yates III headlines the freshman class of four.
2022-23 Highlights
- The Huskies ranked ninth in the NCAA in blocks per game (5.2).
- Hopkins’ defense held opponents to 29.7% three-point shooting, which ranked in the top-15 in the country.
- The Dawgs made 74.9% of their free throws which tied for the second-best single-season mark in team history.
- UW won the Wooden Legacy with wins over Fresno State and Saint Mary’s in Anaheim.
New at Alaska Airlines Arena
New LED lights will not only greatly enhance gameday energy and the fan experience, but the technology also supports UW’s focus on sustainability. Complete with instant on/off and color takeover capabilities, new LED lighting will enhance team entrances and create other special moments in the arena.
The Huskies will also be playing on a new surface with a redesigned court.
Follow the Dawgs all season long @UW_MBB on X and Instagram.
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