Washington Just Lost Its Future Point Guard to the Transfer Portal, and the Freshman Class Is Falling Apart

JJ Mandaquit is out. Before the NCAA transfer portal even officially opens next week, the UW men's basketball program is losing one of the most hyped freshmen in recent memory, and it's a gut punch nobody saw coming this way.

Mandaquit, a 6-foot-1 point guard from Hilo, Hawaiʻi, was supposed to be the face of Washington basketball for years. Coach Danny Sprinkle couldn't stop raving about him. Back in October at Big Ten Media Day, Sprinkle was gushing: "His playmaking and the way he runs a team is as good as I've ever seen for a freshman. It's next level for someone so young." The coach was especially impressed by Mandaquit's basketball IQ and his ability to impact winning without needing to be the leading scorer.

An Injury Derailed Everything

Here's the problem: Mandaquit's season fell apart. He started the first five games, then hit the bench for the next 14. A lingering foot injury, originally from October, got re-aggravated on Jan. 29, and that was basically it. His season ended after a nine-minute appearance on Jan. 31. He had surgery in February and needs another procedure this summer, according to Sprinkle.

In 22 games total, including six starts, Mandaquit averaged 5.2 points, 2.1 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and 1.2 turnovers while shooting 43.5% from the field and 28.2% on three-pointers. Not exactly what you expect from the 14th highest rated recruit in Washington history based on 247Sports composite rankings. He was the No. 63 overall recruit nationally and the No. 9 ranked point guard.

The Freshman Class Is Imploding

This is where it gets worse. Mandaquit is the second piece of Washington's vaunted freshman class to bail. Courtland Muldrew entered the portal earlier this week. Hannes Steinbach is expected to turn pro and skip the rest of his college eligibility. Jasir Rencher missed most of the season because of a heart condition. That leaves Nikola Dzepina, who arrived in December, as basically the only other scholarship freshman still on board.

A year ago, this freshman class was ranked 30th nationally and 6th in the Big Ten. Now it's in complete shambles. The transfer portal opens April 7 for a 15-day window that runs through April 21. Expect more dominoes to fall.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.