Washington basketball is the pride of Seattle, but they haven’t quite sniffed team success for many decades. The best team success came during the early days of the NCAA Tournament. The Huskies have only reached the Final Four once in its vast history. That lucky season came in 1953. The team has also been to three other Elite 8’s, all before that 1953 season.
So the NCAA success is pretty scarce for Washington. Still, they have made the NCAA tournament 13 times since that Final Four Trip. They have struggled over the last decade to stay competitive in the Pac-12. Now that they venture into the Big Ten, the Huskies have a lot of work to do. The team hasn’t made the big dance since 2019. Still, in all that time, there has been plenty of star power in the purple and gold. Let’s closely examine who made the Washington basketball all-time lineup.
Washington Basketball: Huskies All-Time Starting Lineup
Guard: Isaiah Thomas
Though his name is similar to Motor City Bad Boy Isiah Thomas, This Husky great had quite an interesting story about how he got his name. His father a long-time Lakers fan, made a bet about the Pistons star in 1988 that if the Pistons beat the Lakers, he would name his son after the legend. Hence Isaiah Thomas was born in 1989. Like the former Hoosier star, this Isaiah was born to be a point guard. He asked for the blessing to sport the famed No. 2 Washington jersey that Nate Robinson wore when he arrived in Seattle in 2008. That was certainly a great move for the little 5’9 guard.
He quickly rose to prominence averaging 15 points as a freshman, earning Pac-10 Freshman of the Year in 2008-09. Thomas continued to showcase his scoring and passing ability in 2009-10 as he was All-Pac 10 1st Team. He was once again 1st-team all-conference and one of the best guards in the country during his junior season in 2010-11. He showcased his pro potential in the Pac-10 Tournament Championship Game. Isaiah hit a game-winning shot at the buzzer in overtime to beat a tough Arizona squad. It was a great three-year run for Thomas as he helped the Huskies reach the NCAA Tournament all three years. After scoring 1,721 points and dishing out 415 assists, Thomas went pro. As the final selection of the 2011 Draft, Thomas quickly proved doubters wrong.
A pair of All-Star appearances and a great run with some of the League’s greatest organizations including the Celtics and Lakers. Thomas proved that a little guard could still get the job done. He last played for the Suns during the 2023-24 season.
Guard: Brandon Roy
What better story than Brandon Roy‘s rise to fame? He did so with his hometown team. Roy a Seattle native stuck at home with the Washington Huskies in 2002. Despite facing plenty of obstacles including academics, and the potential to go pro from High School, Roy stuck it out. From being a potential NBA early entry to a four-year player Roy was able to better himself through gritty tough work. Some tough early years with the Huskies led to a very successful senior campaign.
Roy was Pac-10 First team and the Pac-10 Player of the Year in 2006. He claimed a national honor, as he was a consensus 1st-team All-American. Back-to-back Sweet 16 appearances spearheaded by Roy was something the program hadn’t seen since the 1950s. Roy left Washington as a great all-around guard. He finished with 1,477 points, 517 rebounds, and 308 assists. His hard work paid off as he was the 6th overall pick in the 2006 NBA Draft. He got to hang around the Pacific Northwest as the Portland Trail Blazers looked to pair him with LaMarcus Aldridge. He won NBA Rookie of the Year in 2007 and followed it up with three straight NBA All-Star Appearances. However, injuries started to pile up. By 2013, Roy was out of the NBA. Still, his No. 3 jersey hangs in Hec Edmundson Pavillion. These days you can find Roy manning the sidelines for the Garfield High School Bulldogs.
Forward: Bob Houbregs
This next player was part of Washington basketball during its highest moments. Bob Houbregs you can argue put the Huskies on the map nationally in the sport. He arrived in Seattle in 1949 and ended up becoming the key leader in the post, by the time Washington was able to reach its lone Final Four in history. The Canadien-born big was able to earn back-to-back All-American honors in both 1952 and 1953. The honor during his senior year in 1952-53, was a first-team honor. He was also named the Helms Foundation National Player of the Year.
In total, during his three-year career at Washington, he was all-conference each year. After averaging a career total of 19.5 points and 10.7 rebounds, Houbregs took his talent to the NBA. He was the 2nd overall pick in the 1953 Draft. He ended up playing five seasons in the NBA with four different teams (Hawks, Bullets, Celtics, and Pistons). Though his pro career wasn’t the same as his college career, Houbregs remains one of the most important figures in Washington basketball history. This makes his No. 25 being retired at the school one of the most important moves ever.
Forward: James Edwards
Washington has been known for producing centers, and that is no different throughout the last 50-plus years. Though today’s Husky bigs like Isaiah Stewart and Marquese Chriss, are certainly not James Edwards. Edwards was a true center. The seven-footer spent four years in Seattle from 1973-1977. He quickly took the starting center spot during his freshman season. It wasn’t as productive as other bigs in the then Pac 8, but Edwards was ready for the role. He very quickly started to show his skill bumping his scoring average up to over 16 points by his junior season, along with nearly eight rebounds per game. That year saw him earn his first all-conference honor.
That season also saw Washington reach the NCAA tournament for the first time since 1953. Edwards was also a key part in handing John Wooden his final loss of his historic coaching career, as he retired at the end of the 1975-76 season. That had hopes high in 1976-77 as Edwards was primed for a huge year as a senior. He had a great season, but the Huskies failed to reach the NCAA tournament. Edwards earned an All-American honor for his hard work averaging 20.9 points and 10.4 rebounds per game. After scoring 1,548 points and 792 rebounds, Edwards was ready for the NBA. Despite being a low draft choice in 1977, Edwards spent nearly the next 20 years in the NBA, with several Championship caliber teams. He won three NBA Championships, two as part of the Detroit Pistons in 1989, and 1990. He won his final championship in 1996 during his final pro season alongside Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls.
Forward: Detlef Schrempf
Continuing on the big-man tradition of Washington basketball, Detlef Schrempf was yet another foreign-born player who made his way to Seattle. Schrempf a West-Germany-born player, immigrated to Centralia, Washington during high school. In his lone high school season, he helped lead the Centralia Tigers to a state championship in 1981. During his Husky career, Schrempf helped lead a rejuvenation of the program, as Washington, won back-to-back Pac 10 Championships in 1984 and 1985. They made three post-season trips including reaching the Sweet 16 in 1984.
A team captain as a senior during the 1984-85 season, Schrempt was able to also earn Pac-10 honors twice. After scoring 1,449 points and grabbing 752 rebounds, Schempf made the move to the NBA. He was a very high choice during the 1985 Draft as he went 8th overall to the Dallas Mavericks. He played for four organizations during his NBA career those teams include the Mavs, Pacers, SuperSonics, and Trailblazers. A three-time NBA All-Star, Detlef also won the NBA Sixth Man of the Year Twice during his career. He called it a career in 2001 after scoring over 15,000 points and over 7,000 career rebounds. His dedication to Washington basketball certainly won’t be forgotten. He helped turn around a program that drastically needed it.
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