After finishing last season with a record of 26-9 and winning their first outright Pac-10 title since 1953, the Washington Huskies are one of the preseason favorites to make a run at the crown again in the 2009-2010 season. This is largely due to Washington’s abundance of returning players. While the absence of Jon Brockman and Justin Dentmon will certainly be felt, the Huskies hope that their young core of talent can persevere.

Coach Lorenzo Romar has done a nice job putting this team together. Isaiah Thomas was the team’s leading scorer in his freshman campaign last season, averaging 15.5 PPG. He will look to build on his experience and should continue to be a scoring threat this season. Quincy Pondexter took a big step forward in translating his potential into on-court success for the Huskies last season, as he averaged over 12 PPG and almost 6 rebounds per contest and had some of his strongest games down the stretch.

Quincy Pondexter gets his props

One of the most important keys to Washington’s success last year was the depth of their bench. Coach Romar was able to rotate players at will, and could count on players like Matthew Bryan-Amaning, Venoy Overton, and Elston Turner to provide quality minutes whenever called upon.

Last season’s heartbreaking loss to Purdue in the second round of the tournament left a bad taste in the team’s mouth, but if the 2008-2009 season was any indication, this isn’t the type of team that backs down from a challenge.

The upcoming season will give the Huskies a chance to take the next step, and with super-prospect Abdul Gaddy and a healthy Tyreese Breshers joining the fold this season, the Huskies just might be deep enough to take the loss of two of their top three scorers in stride.

Looking forward to the 2009-2010 season:

Departures

Senior Forward Jon Brockman (NBA Draft) – Was one of the team’s leaders in both points and rebounds per game with 14.9 and 11.5 respectively. He was a freshman on the 2006 team led by Brandon Roy to the Sweet 16 and has been a leader on the floor ever since. His size and toughness inside will be missed by the Huskies in the upcoming season.

Senior Guard Justin Dentmon (Eligibility) – Dentmon really benefited from Thomas’ ability to stretch the floor and the defense. Dentmon was able to roam and float to spots that suited his game. He along with Brockman started their careers as freshmen in 2006. As one of the team’s leading scorers with 14.4 PPG, his scoring ability will be missed as well.

Senior Center Artem Wallace (Eligibility) – Played in 18 games off of the bench, averaging 4.5 minutes in those games as well as 1.6 points and 1.3 rebounds.

Arrivals

Freshman Point Guard Abdul Gaddy, 6-3 170 pounds (Recruit) – A five star recruit and the 2nd ranked player at his position according to Rivals.com, Gaddy has the ability to create off the dribble for either himself or a teammate. He has a good understanding of the game and makes great decisions with the basketball. He has incredible touch, making outstanding passes and contested threes look effortless. While he is considered a pass-first point guard, he does have the ability to score from anywhere, and can take over a game if need be. Gaddy looks to have all of the tools to become an immediate star in Washington.

Freshman Forward Clarence Trent, 6-7 230 pounds (Recruit) – A local three star recruit out of Seattle, Trent is a gifted athlete with tremendous upside. He has a fairly good parimeter shot to complement his strong play down low. Trent’s biggest problem has been keeping his emotions in check on the floor; he can get rattled and make some bad decisions with the ball. If Coach Romar can teach him to control his emotions and help him maximize his potential, he could be an immediate contributor off the bench.

Freshman Guard C.J. Wilcox, 6-5 180 pounds (Recruit) – A three point specialist from Pleasant Grove, UT, he has the ability to put up points in bunches. Rivals.com ranked him in the top 25 shooting guards in the class of 2009. He will be a nice addition to the backcourt of Thomas and Gaddy.

My Take

With an impressively deep bench, returning stars in Isaiah Thomas and Quincy Pondexter, and potential stars in Abdul Gaddy and Tyreese Breshers, there is plenty of reason to believe that this Huskies team can build on last year’s success. As a young team, Washington will undoubtedly go through some growing pains, but as long as they continue to work as hard as they did in 2008-2009, they should be a threat to win the Pac-10 title and do some damage come March.