Last time the San Antonio Spurs took a swing on a Seattle-native playing at the University of Washington, they landed a starting point guard in Dejounte Murray. The 23-year-old has bought into the culture of the team and proved himself to be one of the most determined individuals the organization has selected since Tony Parker in 2001.
UW Head Coach Mike Hopkins has a defensive-minded culture, where his players are taught to emphasize defense through learning his zone schemes and playing to each other’s strengths. For freshman small forward Jaden McDaniels, Hopkins’ coaching style is helping to harness an extraordinary two-way skillset that projects to translate nicely to the NBA.