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Washington Huskies (2001: 10-20)

The following team preview is provided by Blue Ribbon. For the nation's most comprehensive look at this and all Division I teams, be sure to order the 2001-02 Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook, on sale now at 1-800-775-2518.

Program overview

Coach Bob Bender feels as though he's been down this road before at Washington.

"Even in rebuilding things the first two years (1994 and '95), we were in this same position," said Bender, whose squad is coming off back-to-back 10-20 seasons. "We felt very confident we were getting better. But at the same time, so was the league."

But this time there's a twist. A new coach is greeted by a honeymoon period when any progress earns a pat on the back. After all, he's fixing someone else's mess.

Now, in his ninth season, Bender must start the Huskies back toward the level they maintained from 1996 through '99, when they averaged 18 victories and twice reached the NCAA Tournament.

The good news for Husky fans is that the club's talent level is higher, and there is more of it. Washington returns two starters, two other veterans who should secure starting assignments and a home-grown redshirt in Doug Wrenn, who likely will be the Huskies' top player.

In addition, Bender brought in three scholarship freshmen, a junior college transfer and two walk-ons he believes can make an impact.

No question about it, the Huskies will have a different look to them.

Backcourt

Curtis Allen (7.0 ppg, 2.0 rpg, 2.2 apg, .388 FG, .247 3-PT, .767 FT) earned a spot on the Pac-10 All-Freshman team last year. He made two big shots at Oregon last season, the first to force overtime, the second to win the game.

Allen likely will be paired in the backcourt with fellow sophomore C.J. Massingale (5.9 ppg, 1.5 rpg, .388 FG, .425 3-PT, .629 FT), who saw action at both guard spots last year. The coaching staff initially envisioned Massingale, 6-3, as a point guard and Allen on the wing, but quickly decided the two should flip-flop those roles.

Massingale had a breakout game with 25 points at UCLA, and had 18 points and three steals at Oregon.

Junior college transfer Josh Barnard, a 6-6 wing from Tacoma (Wash.) Community College, should compete for significant playing time. Barnard made 99 three-point shots last season, averaging 17.3 points.

Bender also has high hopes for instant contribution from 6-6 freshman guard Erroll Knight, who averaged 19.6 points and 7.0 rebounds last season at Chief Stealth High School in Seattle.

Two walk-ons are likely to provide depth at the point. Will Conroy is a 6-footer from Garfield High School in Seattle who helped lead his team to a 27-2 record and a No. 1 ranking in the state for much of the season.

Charles Frederick is also a 6-foot freshman who comes to Washington on a football scholarship from Boca Raton, Fla. Frederick, a top-50 recruit in both sports, will play wide receiver for the football team fall, likely joining the basketball team in January.

Frontcourt

The most-anticipated of the new arrivals is Wrenn, a 6-6 sophomore forward who made his name as a Parade magazine All-American at O'Dea High School in Seattle four years ago, even briefly offering the Huskies a commitment.

He changed his mind, attended a year of prep school in the East, then enrolled at Connecticut. Those Huskies weren't a good fit, so Wrenn returned home and spent last season as a transfer redshirt.

Wrenn was a pleasant surprise for the coaching staff even last season, while only practicing with the team. Bender said Wrenn arrived early for practice, improved his perimeter shooting and became a role model for his teammates.

Senior center David Dixon Dixon (4.7 ppg, 3.2 rpg, .574 FG, .367 FT) is in his third year at UW, and Bender believes he's finally ready to blossom. Excessive weight limited Dixon's endurance and mobility the last two years, but he trimmed down to the 270-pound range over the summer.

That will be critical because the program's only other center is 6-10 senior Marlon Shelton (4.2 ppg, 3.8 rpg, .362 FG, .551 FT), who tore his ACL in the team's second-to-last game back on March 8. The son of former Oregon State star and NBA standout Lonnie Shelton, Shelton spent the off-season rehabbing and was expected to be ready for practice in October.

The power forward spot will feature a battle between senior team captain Grant Leep and freshman Mike Jensen.

At 6-7, 220 pounds, Leep (3.1 ppg, 1.8 rpg, .384 FG, .643 FT) is probably better suited for small forward, but he will move closer to the basket, where the Huskies need an experienced man.

He'll be pushed by the 6-8, 210-pound Jensen, who once dunked over Tyson Chandler but whose senior season at Kentwood High School in suburban Seattle was cut short when he was convicted for his involvement in a shoplifting incident.

Jensen was not personally involved in stealing beer from a convenience market, but drove the vehicle occupied by a number of his Kentwood teammates.

Freshmen Jeffrey Day, a 6-9, 215-pounder from Seattle Prep, and Anthony Washington, a 6-9, 200-pound teammate of Conroy's at Garfield, both provide depth at the power forward position. Depending on Shelton's health, both could also see some time backing up Dixon.

Bottom line

Three Huskies in particular will be closely scrutinized this season.

Can Wrenn live up to the hype that has followed him since his beginnings in Seattle? Can Dixon become the player the Huskies have long awaited?

Will Jensen make fans remember him for his exploits on the court, rather than in the courtroom?

At the same time, Bender and his program will be watched as they try to turn things around after back-to-back 10-win seasons. Without a doubt, there is more talent here than in recent seasons, but much of it is young or inexperienced at the Division I level.

Fitting together the pieces will require some deft handling by Bender.

"We've put ourselves in a position as a coaching staff where we've got to push and certainly demand, but we also have to be patient," Bender said. "We have a great deal of teaching to do, but we also have to demand consistency. It's a fine line."

If the Huskies can keep their balance on that line, they may just turn the corner and build for the future. But this year is unlikely to be much more than just that -- a step in the right direction.