Washington basketball expecting key contributor back for season opener

Danny Sprinkle and the Washington Huskies are close to getting one of their top transfer portal acquisitions back ahead of their season opener on Monday night against Colgate.San Francisco transfer Ryan Beasley, who earned All-WCC Second Team honors during the 2025-26 season after tallying 13.6 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 4 assists per game across 31 starts for the Dons, is expected to be a key playmaker and facilitator for Sprinkle's offense. However, he's been sidelined with a concussion and was unable to practice for a few weeks."He started doing individual stuff and getting a little bit of a sweat," the head coach said on Wednesday. "He just has to pass the concussion protocol."Tidbits from @UW_MBB Danny Sprinkle's weekly presser:--- PG Ryan Beasley (concussion) expected to play in Nov. 2 opener vs. Colgate--- Says 6-for-23 3FGs shooting in 84-80 exhibition loss to WSU is "not good enough" and bemoaned 11 missed layups.--- Rotation still in flux.— Percy Allen (@PercyAllen206) October 28, 2026After the Huskies suffered a pair of losses to Boise State and Washington State in the exhibition slate, Beasley's absence has been noticeable to the point that, if he can pass concussion protocol and prove he's in shape, he could earn a spot in Sprinkle's starting lineup on Monday night."Beasley, IQ-wise as a basketball player, might be our best player on both sides of the ball," Sprinkle said. "He knows where the ball should go. He has elite speed; he can score it, and he can really facilitate, too. We need him."Alongside Beasley, Washington is expecting Parker Friedrichsen, Wesley Yates III, Tristan Devers, and Tayshaun Comer to play key roles in the backcourt, while forward LeJuan Watts should also be one of the Huskies' primary distributors.This article originally appeared on Huskies Wire: Washington basketball expecting key contributor back for season opener