University of Washington true freshman shooting guard C.J. Wilcox will redshirt this season, basketball coach Lorenzo Romar said Tuesday.

But Romar stressed the move was not made because of any doubts about Wilcox’s ability – rather, the opposite.

“We think C.J. can be at least an all-conference player – at least,” Romar said. “... But if you take the 13 minutes or whatever it would be this year, and trade that in exchange for as a fifth-year senior what he would be doing, I just think that’s a no-brainer.”

Wilcox averaged 22.2 points per game as a senior at Pleasant Grove High School in Utah. This preseason, he has lived up to his reputation as one of the top two shooters on the roster, along with sophomore Elston Turner.

Romar was asked if the Huskies will have enough outside shooting without him.

“Hopefully,” he said. “But the outcome of our season is not going to be determined by just one guy. Maybe a couple of games; maybe that makes a difference. ... We could just say, ‘Forget about you C.J., we need your shot this year for a couple of games. Take one for the team.’ But in the big picture, for his best interest and our best interest, I think it’s probably good for him to redshirt. He’s the rare breed that understands that.”

Wilcox said he does.

“We’ve been talking about it ever since I’ve been recruited,” he said. “(Tuesday) we finally sat down and really went through how it was going to be and decided that that was the best thing for me.”

Wilcox was asked if it will be difficult for him to watch from the sideline Friday, while his teammates open the season at home against Wright State.

“Not really,” he said. “Just to experience this year is still going to be fun for me. I’ve still got four more years of it.”

One player who knows what it’s like is redshirt freshman forward Tyreese Breshers, who is about to make his UW debut after sitting out last season with leg problems.

He seemed impressed with the maturity of Wilcox’s decision.

“I think it takes a real special person,” Breshers said. “... I had to redshirt, and I was still frustrated.”

However, Romar and Breshers pointed to sophomore forward Darnell Gant as someone who benefited from a voluntary redshirt. Gant sat out his first season while learning the system and allowing his body to mature. Then he moved straight into the starting lineup last season as a redshirt freshman.

Romar indicated a starting job also could be in Breshers’ future, once he regains the fitness level he lost while injured.

“It would be hard to not start a healthy Tyreese,” Romar said. “A healthy Tyreese in condition; hard not to start him.”

For now, there is only half that. Breshers is healthy, but he estimates he is ready for only about 15 minutes a game at the kind of pace the Huskies plan to run.

“Right now, with my condition, I think I’d hurt the team more than I would help the team,” he said. “But when my conditioning is right and I’m truly able to play, I think I’ll be helping the team more than hurting them. That’s the marker for when they feel I’m ready to play. ... I like having the coach’s confidence, though.”

Romar said the other members of this freshman class – point guard Abdul Gaddy and forward Clarence Trent, both of Tacoma – will play immediately.

“Obviously, Abdul (is in the rotation),” he said. “And Clarence just gets a lot of stuff done.”

Fastbreaks

Romar said he expects to start the same lineup in the opener that he used in the exhibition win against Central Washington: Gant, Quincy Pondexter, Isaiah Thomas, Venoy Overton and Matthew Bryan-Amaning. ... Today is the first day recruits can sign their national letters of intent. As of Tuesday, only one player has given his oral commitment to play for the Huskies: Desmond Simmons, a 6-foot-7 forward from Salesian High School in Richmond, Calif.

Don Ruiz: 253-597-8808

don.ruiz@thenewstribune.com

blog.thenewstribune.com/uwsports