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After arriving with the Washington Huskies as arguably the best-kept secret in the Big Ten, it didn't take long for Hannes Steinbach to establish himself as one of the best players in the conference.
Coach Danny Sprinkle had high expectations for the 6-foot-11 freshman from Würzburg, Germany, upon his arrival, comparing him to Hall of Famer Dennis Rodman with his rebounding prowess. Although it seemed lofty at the time, Steinbach exceeded the hype.
On his way to being named to the Associated Press' All-Big Ten Second Team, the All-Big Ten Third Team, according to both the coaches and the media, and the conference's All-Freshman Team, he was the only player in the conference to average a double-double on the season. He posted 18.5 points and 11.8 rebounds per game, the latter of which leads the nation, and chipped in 1.8 assists, 1.4 blocks, and 1.2 steals per contest.
Steinbach also collected four Big Ten Freshman of the Week awards and was named National Freshman of the Week on two occasions.
However, the Huskies weren't able to capitalize on his dominance, as they finished Sprinkle's second season at 16-17 after they were ravaged by injuries and had several players leave the program under unusual circumstances. That forced Sprinkle's team to lean even heavier on Steinbach down the stretch, as the Huskies played their final five games of the season, including two at the Big Ten Tournament.
Now, Steinbach has a big decision in front of him. He's projected as a later lottery pick in the 2026 NBA draft, and he could choose to test the waters of the draft process or return to Washington, where he'll be considered one of the best players in the nation as a sophomore.
"I just try to focus on doing the best, whatever I do," Steinbach said when asked about his impending draft decision. "It doesn't matter what decision I make, but I'm going to make my decision when I'm fully confident in it. It doesn't matter what, it's just going into the next step with full confidence in myself."
This article originally appeared on Huskies Wire: Hannes Steinbach dominated his freshman year at Washington
Continue reading...
Coach Danny Sprinkle had high expectations for the 6-foot-11 freshman from Würzburg, Germany, upon his arrival, comparing him to Hall of Famer Dennis Rodman with his rebounding prowess. Although it seemed lofty at the time, Steinbach exceeded the hype.
On his way to being named to the Associated Press' All-Big Ten Second Team, the All-Big Ten Third Team, according to both the coaches and the media, and the conference's All-Freshman Team, he was the only player in the conference to average a double-double on the season. He posted 18.5 points and 11.8 rebounds per game, the latter of which leads the nation, and chipped in 1.8 assists, 1.4 blocks, and 1.2 steals per contest.
Steinbach also collected four Big Ten Freshman of the Week awards and was named National Freshman of the Week on two occasions.
However, the Huskies weren't able to capitalize on his dominance, as they finished Sprinkle's second season at 16-17 after they were ravaged by injuries and had several players leave the program under unusual circumstances. That forced Sprinkle's team to lean even heavier on Steinbach down the stretch, as the Huskies played their final five games of the season, including two at the Big Ten Tournament.
Now, Steinbach has a big decision in front of him. He's projected as a later lottery pick in the 2026 NBA draft, and he could choose to test the waters of the draft process or return to Washington, where he'll be considered one of the best players in the nation as a sophomore.
"I just try to focus on doing the best, whatever I do," Steinbach said when asked about his impending draft decision. "It doesn't matter what decision I make, but I'm going to make my decision when I'm fully confident in it. It doesn't matter what, it's just going into the next step with full confidence in myself."
This article originally appeared on Huskies Wire: Hannes Steinbach dominated his freshman year at Washington
Continue reading...
