Unsure what to expect, media members recently sat through a University of Washington basketball practice for the first time and kept checking the distributed roster to see who was who, which was a task in itself.
Two-thirds of the Husky roster turned over and it now holds players from five different foreign countries, with some of the international newcomers emerging from among the transfers coming from places such as Davidson, Gonzaga, Nevada, Rutgers, San Francisco and Texas Tech.
After watching for two hours, it was more than likely that 6-foot-5, 223-pound small forward LeJuan Watts -- who is no relation to Slick or Donald Jr., but is the older brother to DeSean -- could be the best player on this UW team.
He certainly brings a college track record that indicates considerable basketball chops. On this particular afternoon, he turns in a practice performance that includes hitting deep 3-pointers while working inside for put-backs. He has no problem mixing it up.
"LeJuan is so good he could play point guard," Husky coach Danny Sprinkle said.
The UW represents Watts' fourth school in five seasons.
Texas Tech's LeJuan Watts celebrates after scoring against Utah last season. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
He began his career at Eastern Washington, where he was the 2024 Big Sky Freshman of the Year; followed by Washington State, where he was a 2025 All-WCC honorable mention selection; and then it was on to Texas Tech, where last season he beat three Top 10 teams.
He shared in Tech upsets of No. 3-ranked Duke 82-81 in New York at Madison Square Garden, sixth-ranked Houston 90-86 at home in Lubbock, Texas, and No. 1 Arizona 78-75 in overtime in Tucson. He had a 20-point, 6-rebound performance against the blueblood Blue Devils.
A 28-game starter for the Red Raiders, he averaged 11.8 points and 6 rebounds per game and shot 43.3 percent for a 23-11 team that advanced to the NCAA Tournament.
"Everything happens for a reason," Watts said. "I've had great experiences at all my schools. I learned a lot. It's definitely different."
While winning those high-profile games for Tech was a decided bonus, he was drawn to Montlake because he knew then-Husky assistant Quincy Pondexter from their hometown of Fresno, California, before Pondexter wet elsewhere for a head-coaching job, his brother is on the Husky football team and he likes a challenge.
"Nothing beats winning at that level, but underdog, I've always been an underdog," Watts said of coming from Tech to the UW. "it wasn't unattractive because [the Huskies] haven't been the best in terms of winning. I just look forward to being the underdog and show what the UW's about this year."
He played against Sprinkle when they were both in the Big Sky at Eastern Washington and Montana State, respectively. He previously was acquainted with fellow UW transfer Ryan Beasley, a point guard from San Francisco, and returning shooting guard Wesley Yates III. He likes being back on the West Coast.
Lejuan Watts (3) of Texas Tech, and the UW, drives against Akron guard Evan Mahaffey (12) in the 2026 NCAA Tournament. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Watts curiously stands five inches taller yet weighs 100 pounds lighter than his football-playing brother, a stocky UW defensive tackle who transferred in from the Big Sky's Sacramento State ahead of him.
"I could run him over still," said the basketball-minded Watts, who played football through the eighth grade. "Last time we went heads up, I ran him over. It's all about like I've got like man strength. He's got like the weight-room strength."
Now that's some impressive underdog stuff right there.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/washington as Here's Likely Husky Basketball's Best Player .
