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Washington basketball in contact with high-scoring Big West freshman G
TL;DR
Washington Huskies are pursuing Long Beach State transfer Gavin Sykes, a high-scoring freshman who averaged 19.4 points per game. Sykes has also attracted interest from several other major programs as the Huskies look to rebuild their roster.
Danny Sprinkle and the Washington Huskies are looking for some high-end, reliable scorers in the transfer portal as the head coach looks to overhaul his roster again ahead of his third season on Montlake.
According to a report from The Athletic's Tobias Bass, the Huskies are among a group of Power Four programs in touch with Long Beach State transfer Gavin Sykes, one of the top scorers available in the portal. The 6-foot-4 freshman led the Dirtbags, averaging 19.4 points per game (No. 2 in the Big West) while adding 3 rebounds and 1.5 assists per contest across his 28 appearances, where he made 28 starts.
Those numbers earned him the conference's Freshman of the Year award as well as a spot on the All-Big West Second Team. On top of that, he's also generated interest from Gonzaga, Indiana, North Carolina State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, and Virginia Tech, alongside the Huskies.
Sprinkle is bracing to lose his top two scorers from the 2025-26 season, with forward Hannes Steinbach widely expected to declare for the NBA draft, while guard Zoom Diallo is in the transfer portal. That means the Huskies need to build a backcourt to help out rising junior guard Wesley Yates III.
Sykes, who shot 38.7 percent from three-point range last season, would also be a welcome addition in Washington's biggest area of need. The Huskies finished No. 17 in the Big Ten last season, shooting 31.4 percent from long range, and after adding Davidson transfer Parker Friedrichsen on Sunday night, Sprinkle still needs more sharpshooters to round out his rotation.
After losing freshman guards JJ Mandaquit and Courtland Muldrew to the portal, the Huskies are in the midst of yet another roster retooling, but Sykes would be a great way to jumpstart Sprinkle's rebuild. However, reeling in his commitment won't be easy.
This article originally appeared on Huskies Wire: Washington Huskies showing interest in high-scoring Big West guard
Q&A
What are Gavin Sykes' scoring statistics from his freshman year at Long Beach State?
Gavin Sykes averaged 19.4 points per game, ranking No. 2 in the Big West, along with 3 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game.
Which other college basketball programs are interested in Gavin Sykes?
In addition to Washington, Gavin Sykes has drawn interest from Gonzaga, Indiana, North Carolina State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, and Virginia Tech.
Why does Washington need to recruit new players for the upcoming season?
Washington is looking to rebuild their roster as they expect to lose top scorers Hannes Steinbach, who may declare for the NBA draft, and Zoom Diallo, who is in the transfer portal.
