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    • The Huskies are back in action, trying to put the big night men behind them
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    The Huskies are back in action, trying to put the big night men behind them

    Online Niel Posted on

    It only took two games into a new season to see how opponents would handle the University of Washington basketball team — making a concerted effort to shut down the Huskies’ proven big men.

    In somewhat stunning fashion, Nevada pulled it off over the weekend in a 63-53 win in Reno, limiting the 6-foot-8, 250-pound forward Great Osobor to 3-pointers. 6-foot-11, 250-pound Franck Kepnang at the 2, as this pair of frontcourt players combined to shoot 1-for-11 from the floor.

    These are players who have handled a lot of teams, with Osobor averaging 17.8 points per game at Utah State last season and guiding the Aggies to the NCAA Tournament, while Kepnang memorably led an by 78-73 in 7th place since then. ranked Gonzaga last December with a 14-point, 7-rebound, 5-block effort.

    “They made it a point to go after Great,” Husky coach Danny Sprinkle said. “They did a good job of doubling up and making it difficult. But even at the end of the day, those two have to play better and they’re better than they’ve been.”

    On Wednesday night, the Huskies (1-1) will look to get Osobor and Kepnang back on track when they host likely overmatched Seattle Pacific (0-3) at Alaska Airlines Arena at 7 p.m.

    As he puts together a new team, trying to blend eight transfers into a cohesive unit, Sprinkle said his players weren’t as focused as they needed to be at Nevada for whatever reason. He pointed out how Kepnang had a wide-open dunk on the first possession only for the Huskies to lose the ball out of bounds.

    It’s also very possible that UW could end up with a coach in Nevada’s Steve Alford who simply knew what needed to be done defensively and acted accordingly. He faced both of these Husky big men last season and his team was successful each time.

    A year ago in November, Alford’s Wolf Pack traveled to Seattle and defeated UW 83-76 while holding Kepnang scoreless and to one shot in 12 minutes of play. Three months later, Nevada limited Osobor to 4-for-7 shooting and 11 points in a 77-63 win over No. 22 Utah State in Logan, Utah.

    The new Husky coach knows his big men have to be ready to play at all times.

    “I hope this doesn’t happen again,” Sprinkle said. “They’re both really good players. Nevada did a really good job on defense, but they’re still talented enough that we can’t afford to have those guys combine for 5 points.”

    For the latest UW football and basketball news, go to si.com/college/washington

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