As UW Huskies search for scoring, guard Marcus Tsohonis makes case for bigger role
It’s become a common sight.
After the final buzzer sounds at Alaska Airlines Arena, after both teams disappear to the locker rooms and the limited game personnel start packing up, Washington guard Marcus Tsohonis emerges from the tunnel.
Sometimes, he’s alone. Other times, he’s joined by Michigan transfer Cole Bajema. Tsohonis and Bajema stayed behind for nearly an hour after UW’s most recent home game, running through drills with assistant coach Will Conroy and a few graduate assistants.
“I honestly feel like it’s just in me,” Tsohonis said after Thursday’s loss to Stanford. ‘’Just not being in the game and not being able to play, it’s just something personal. I just feel like I got to get a sweat in, got to hoop, got to get some shots up. I just feel like it’s staying ready.”
Before Thursday’s loss to Stanford, Tsohonis’ minutes had been limited — especially compared to his role in the latter half of the 2019-20 season. He took over as the starting point guard last year after Quade Green was declared academically ineligible and averaged 26.8 minutes in the last 15 games.
But UW’s backcourt became more crowded this season with the return of Green and the addition of transfers Nate Pryor and Erik Stevenson. After shooting 1-for-8 in the Huskies’ first two games, Tsohonis saw his minutes drop off. He didn’t play against Oregon or Arizona and averaged just 8 minutes in the games he did see the floor.
And still, there he was after Oregon, after Montana, after Arizona — shooting and shooting and shooting. The work started to pay off during UW’s loss to Colorado on Dec. 20. Tsohonis played 12 minutes, finishing with 14 points on 4-of-4 shooting from the field.
Tsohonis then found himself back in the starting lineup against Stanford in place of Green, who missed practices this week due to a non-COVID-19 related illness. Tsohonis made the most of the opportunity, finishing with a career-high 24 points on 8-of-21 shooting from the field, including 3-of-8 from the 3-point line.
“You learn a lot about people’s character when you go through a little adversity,” said head coach Mike Hopkins. “(Marcus) fought through it. He responded well and he got his opportunity when he didn’t know what was going to happen. He earned a lot of minutes tonight and did a great job.”
With the Huskies desperately looking for reliable scoring, Tsohonis proved his worth against the Cardinal. Hopkins likes his versatility. He can play point guard to give Green time off the ball, but can also be a scoring option at the two-guard spot.
As Hopkins looks to find a spark, players like Bajema and USC transfer J’Raan Brooks could see more time as well. Both saw their minutes extended against Stanford as Hopkins said they brought “a presence” and “energy” that he was looking for.
“Marcus’ thing is … all about his work and stepping that up,” Hopkins said. “I thought he had some great practices. He earned it, and that’s why he played. I thought he did a really good job as soon as he got into the flow of the game.
“Defensively, he knows what we’re doing. It’s what he earns in practice. He got that opportunity and I thought he did a lot of good things for our team today — got in the lane, made some open threes, got us into our offense. I was really proud of the way that he’s handled his situation. He got an opportunity and he thrived in it.”
Tsohonis’ young career has been a roller coaster. He was supposed to redshirt as a freshman last season before Green went out. Then, after taking on a substantial role and averaging 7.1 points and 2.1 assists per game, he was mostly relegated to the bench as a sophomore.
But Tsohonis kept his focus. And after Thursday’s performance, he appears primed to take on a bigger role as the Huskies try to bounce back from a 1-8 start to the season.
“I feel like personally for everybody going through droughts where they’re not playing and feeling like they should be playing, it’s nothing personal,” Tsohonis said. “I just kind of take it to the chin and just play hard, work out and just get better. Hopefully, if my name is called, being in the game, then I’m ready to take on the challenge.”
This story was originally published January 8, 2021 at 4:56 PM.
