With Brockman, Dentmon gone, UW focus shifts to Pondexter

The Washington Huskies’ basketball season was over less than an hour when a reporter looking ahead to next season spoke the words: “Quincy’s team.”

As the Huskies pulled off their basketball jerseys for the last time this season, their conversation bounced between their disappointment in losing to Purdue in the second round of the NCAA tournament and their eagerness to start working toward next season when the returning players hope to go deeper.

And the logical player to lead them is forward Quincy Pondexter.

Pondexter not only figures to be the lone senior on the 2009-10 roster, but he came on strong enough at the end of this season that he also projects as a candidate for all-Pacific-10 Conference honors, and perhaps more.

“Quincy did something that’s one of the most difficult things to do: be labeled as something and change the label,” coach Lorenzo Romar said. “He was labeled as – not by me, but by critics – as overrated: can’t do this, can’t do that. And he changed that to where I think he’s gained the respect of his teammates – first and foremost – and everyone else that follows our program and has seen him play. I think he has gained the respect that he has become a basketball player to where next year he could be one of the top players in the country.”

Of course, there are two places where teams need leadership: on the court and off.

In both cases, Pondexter will be trying to replace what now seems almost irreplaceable.

The loss to Purdue at Portland’s Rose Garden on Saturday ended the careers of UW seniors Jon Brockman and Justin Dentmon. Together, they represented 29.4 points per game, while Brockman kicked in a team-high 11.3 rebounds, and Dentmon produced 2.4 assists.

Also departing are little-used senior center Artem Wallace, and little-used redshirt junior center Joe Wolfinger, who says he will transfer.

However, three starters return: Pondexter, forward Darnell Gant and guard Isaiah Thomas of Tacoma, who led the Huskies in scoring and assists as a freshman.

Also back from the rotation will be juniors-to-be Venoy Overton, Matthew Bryan-Amaning and Justin Holiday, and sophomore-to-be Elston Turner, a 6-foot-4 guard who was coming on strong in the final third of the season.

Also competing for playing time will be little-used freshman guard Scott Suggs, who Romar says has all-conference potential despite failing to dent this season’s rotation; and power forward Tyreese Breshers, who redshirted due to a leg injury he expects to be healed by fall.

That core will be joined by what has been ranked nationally as a top-15 recruiting class: McDonald’s All-America point guard Abdul Gaddy of Tacoma’s Bellarmine Prep, shooting guard C.J. Wilcox of Utah, athletic forward Clarence Trent of Gig Harbor and power forward Charles Garcia, a junior college transfer.

Romar said he remains as high on the group as ever and expects them all to be healthy and eligible for next season.

“We like our class, but they still haven’t played a game yet,” he said. “They’re going to go through growing pains just like all of our freshmen. And they’re going to have to learn, as well. But we like the fact that this group coming in is not going to have to come in and carry the team. We’ve already got a nucleus here, and these guys can come in and join with them. I think that’s perfect.”

If the newcomers mix as well as expected on the court, it could be that the off-court contributions of Brockman and Dentmon will be more difficult to replace.

However, Pondexter, who served as a tri-captain this season, figures he learned by watching.

“They’re tremendous leaders,” Pondexter said. “Jon wasn’t always the most vocal, but he led by example 100 percent of the time. He’s one of the hardest-working guys I’ve ever seen, and J.D. is a lot similar. Hopefully, I can be all of them in one, because there’s only one senior next year and that’s me.”

Don Ruiz, 253-597-8808

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