Best Class Ever?
March 28, 2016 | General
By Brian Beaky
Editor, Dawgs Digest
At some point after Jake Browning threw his first touchdown pass of the 2015 season, but before Dejounte Murray started throwing down dunks in December, the rumblings began ... This freshman class is pretty darn good.
It wasn't just Browning, of course — though the true freshman's 2,955 passing yards were fifth-most in UW history, while his 139.7 efficiency rating was the ninth-best all time. Browning not only shattered nearly every UW freshman passing record, but bypassed the best seasons of most sophomores, juniors and seniors as well. There was also Myles Gaskin, who became the first UW true freshman ever to rush for 100 yards in backto- back games (and the first to do so in three in a row as well) en route to a UW freshman-record 1,302 yards, better than all but seven Husky running backs to come before, and 14 touchdowns, good for fifth-most all-time. Both were named to Pro Football Focus' College Freshman All-America team.
And perhaps even more unlikely a success story was that of offensive lineman Trey Adams, who not only saw playing time in his first year on Montlake (the vast majority of true freshman offensive linemen redshirt), but quickly became the starter at the line's most crucial position, left tackle. Wide receiver Chico McClatcher and linebacker Ben Burr- Kirven also saw substantial playing time, as did a number of freshmen at other positions.
And that's just in football.
Charlotte Prouse earned All-Region honors and was the second Husky runner across the line in the cross country team's 10th-place NCAA Championships finish. Kelcie Hedge, a former Gatorade Player of the Year in high school, started every game for Husky women's soccer and was the team's third-leading scorer. On the volleyball court, freshman Destiny Julye started seven matches for one of the nation's most talented teams. Quentin Pearson earned All-Pac-12 Honorable Mention for his steadying work in the men's soccer team's back line.
And once basketball season started? Oh boy. Washington's seven-man freshman class of Murray, Marquese Chriss, David Crisp, Noah Dickerson, Devenir Duruisseau, Dominic Green and Matisse Thybulle comprised one of the nation's most dynamic freshman groups. Murray, Chriss and Thybulle started every game for the Huskies, while Dickerson started all but three — by far the most true freshman starters in program history. Green and Crisp were valuable contributors as well — in fact, true freshmen combined to score more than 65 percent of the points (with senior Andrew Andrews single-handedly accounting for nearly all of the remaining 35 percent) in one of the nation's highestscoring offenses.
The list goes on, and on and on ... freshman golfer Julianne Alvarez won the Pat Lesser Harbottle Invitational, while teammates Wenyung Keh and Sarah Rhee played key roles for a top-10 squad. Another first-year golfer, Carl Yuan, was the Huskies' top finisher at two of their first five tournaments this year. And come spring, Husky baseball will send Baseball America's No. 2 national prospect, pitcher Joe DeMers, to the mound, while the softball team boasts a top pitching recruit of its own in freshman Taran Alvelo.
In fact, there are so many incredibly talented freshmen — many ranked at or near the top of the nation's best at their position — that it made us wonder ... Could this be the best class in UW history?
It's a big question, and one that doesn't come with an easy answer. For starters, how do you measure the success of a class? Is is what they accomplished during their first year on campus? Or by what they achieved over their whole careers? And how do you even define a “class?” By the year they graduated, or by the year they enrolled? What if an athlete redshirted? And is it fair to compare classes from before Title IX to those which came after?
It's a complicated issue, but we're University of Washington graduates here, dang it — we can handle it. So it was that we established some guidelines — we're only comparing classes in the Title IX era, are defining a class by the year they first-competed (whether an athlete redshirted or not), and measuring them by their entire careers at UW — and set out to answer the question ... What was the best class in UW history?
Do you wave a flag for the class of '69, with Steve Hawes and Sonny Sixkiller? Maybe you're more the class of '94 type, with Aretha Hill, Benji Olson, Heather Tarr and Cam Cleeland. Or perhaps there's another class that jumps off the page. Either way, looking back at these great classes of years past tells us one important fact — if the class of 2015 can live up to their forebears, the next three years are going to be great.
In addition to our own research — laid out below, and including classes as far back as we could find good data — we tapped into the minds of some of the best and brightest Husky fans around, to get their opinions as well. And we also want to hear from you — what do you think is the best class of Huskies ever to enroll at UW?
| 2015-16 |
Taran Alvelo // Softball
Enters UW after setting a state of Ohio record for strikeouts.Alvelo was named Pac-12 Pitcher of the Week after defeating No. 9 Oklahoma and No.14 Minnesota in her first week of competition.
Jake Browning // Football
Started 12 of the Huskies 13 games at QB, and his 2,955 passing yards were fifth-most in UW history.
| "I would go with the 2015-'16 group, but not just because of their accomplishments. They have collectively raised the level of enthusiasm for success in the coming year and beyond. They have made the biggest impact on the fans." Dave Torrell // Husky Hall of Fame Curator |
Marquese Chriss // Men's Basketball
Tabbed as one of the young standouts of the Pac-12 conference, Chriss averaged over five rebounds and double-digit points per game through Pac-12 play during the 2015-'16 season.
Joe Demers // Baseball
California's 2014 high school player of the year and MaxPreps National Player of the Year, DeMers entered UW as one of the nation's most highly anticipated pitching recruits, and began the 2016 season as a starter in the Huskies' rotation.
Myles Gaskin // Football
Set Huskies' freshman record for both rushing yardage and rushing TDs, and became the first UW true freshman ever to rush for 100 yards in back-toback games (vs. USC, Oregon and Stanford).
Wenyung Keh // Women's Golf
A sparkplug for the Dawgs, who have been considered the biggest surprise in college golf, Keh captured the individual title at the Peg Bernard Invitational.
Dejounte Murray // Men's Basketball
Second only to senior Andrew Andrews in points per game, Seattle product Murray was one of the most heralded recruits of the Romar era, and his freshman season has lived up to billing.
Matisse Thybulle // Men's Basketball
Part of Romar's most-anticipated recruiting class, Thybulle has made an immediate impact, starting all games and typically guarding the opponent's best scorer.
| 2011-12 |
Jazmine Davis // Women's Basketball
Left UW as the all-time leader in points, 3-point FG and FT made after becoming the first-ever Husky to earn all conference honors four times.
Bishop Sankey // Football
Named first-team All-Pac-12 and second-team AP All-America after setting UW records for single-season rushing yards and career rushing TDs.
Austin Seferian-Jenkins // Football
Set Husky tight end records for career receptions, receiving yards and TD receptions as well as single-season receptions and receiving yards. Also played forward on the 2011-'12 Pac-12 champion men's basketball team.
Danny Shelton // Football
A steady defensive presence, Shelton became the first Husky to earn Academic All-America first-team honors since 1991, while being named firstteam All-America by USA Today, The Sporting News, and SB Nation.
Cheng-Tsung Pan // Men's Golf
The 2014-'15 NCAA runner-up, Pan was a Hogan Award finalist and was named first-team All America by PING and Golfweek while becoming the first-ever Husky to record a season scoring average under 70.
Henry Meek Men's // Rowing
A four-time national champion, Meek rowed in the Men's Varsity 8+ boat his senior season, leading the Huskies to the 2015 IRA National Championship.
| "While some years may have been highlighted by top-heavy recruiting classes in certain sports, the system-wide brilliance of the 2011-12 group is impossible to ignore. Bishop Sankey, Danny Shelton and Austin Sefarian Jenkins are among the finest players at their positions in Washington history. And Kasen Williams was a huge get that year as arguably the top high school player in the state. The same could be said for Tony Wroten in men's basketball. Factor in the greatest scorer in Husky women's basketball history, Jazmine Davis, one of the most decorated volleyball players ever in Krista Vansant, a player with the school's best-ever scoring average in golf in Cheng Tsung-Pan and, to ice the cake, the headwaters of one of the great dynasties in men's rowing history, well, I'm sold. It's hard to imagine a better across-the-board group than this one! Go Dawgs!" Bob Rondeau // Voice of the Huskies |
Krista Vansant // Volleyball
The most decorated player in UW volleyball history, Vansant is a two-time recipient of the Honda National Player of the Year Award and the Pac-12 Player of the Year honor, and was named 2014 Pac-12 Scholar Athlete of the Year.
Kasen Williams // Football
After earning Parade National Player of the Year honors in high school, Williams served as a team leader at receiver, and earned the Don James Perseverance Award after returning from a season-ending injury.
Tony Wroten // Men's Basketball
Earned Pac-12 Freshman of the Year honor and became the first UW freshman ever to be named first-team all-conference after leading the Huskies to the 2011-'12 Pac-12 Championship.
| 2006-07 |
Donald Butler // Football
Honorable mention All-America (Sports Illustrated) after finishing third the Pac-10 in tackles and second in tackles for a loss in his 2009 senior campaign.
Katie Follett // Women's Cross Country
Completed perhaps the most decorated career in Husky track and cross country history in 2010, earning eight All-America honors and leading the cross country team to the 2008 National Championship.
Spencer Hawes // Men's Basketball
Set the UW record for points as a freshman and led the team with a 14.9 scoring average during the 2006-'07 season.
Danielle Lawrie Softball
Named National Player of the Year during both the 2009 and 2010 seasons, and led the Huskies to the 2009 National Championship.
Tamari Miyashiro // Volleyball
A three-time All-Pac-10 selection, Miyashiro finished her career as an AVCA second-team All-America selection and Under Armour/Volleyball Magazine's 2008 National Defensive Player of the Year.
Quincy Pondexter // Men's Basketball
After setting a Pac-10 record with five player of the week honors during his 2009-'10 senior season, Pondexter finished his UW career third on the all-time scoring list.
Scott Roth Men's // Track & Field
Won three NCAA pole vault titles, finishing as a seven-time All-American.
Nick Taylor // Men's Golf
Winner of the 2010 Ben Hogan Award for the best golfer in college golf and a three-time PING All-American.
Daniel Teo-Nesheim // Football
Named to the All-Pac-10 second team as a defensive lineman following the 2009 season, and started all 49 games in his four-year career.
| 1994-95 |
Cam Cleeland // Football
Cleeland finished his career ninth on the all-time UW tight-end career receptions list and fifth in receiving yards, serving as a major weapon on an offense which averaged 35 ppg.
Makare Desilets // Volleyball
A first-team All-America selection as a senior in 1997, Desilets led the Dawgs to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 1998. She was named to the All-Pac-10 team in 1996 and 1997, and an honorable mention in 1995.
Aretha (Hill) Thurmond // Women's Track & Field
A four-time NCAA All-American, she set Washington, Pac-10 and American collegiate records in the discus.
Benji Olson // Football
Olson became the first-ever UW player to notch consecutive AP All-America selections, paving the way for two-straight 1,000-yard rushers.
Heather Tarr // Softball
Led UW to second- and third-place finishes, respectively, in the 1996 and 1997 Women's College World Series, before returning to her alma mater as head coach and leading the Dawgs to the 2009 National Championship.
| 1989-90 |
Mark Brunell // Football
Was part of three Pac-10 champion teams and played in three Rose Bowls, earning MVP in the 1991 game. Went on to a 19-year NFL career, appearing in three Pro Bowls and winning a Super Bowl with New Orleans in 2010.
Derrin Doty // Baseball
A two-time first-team All-Pac-10 selection at outfield, Doty boasted a .402 batting average for the Huskies during the 1993 season, serving as one of only four Dawgs to hit north of .400 in a season.
Steve Emtman // Football
The heart and soul of UW's 1991 National Championship team, Emtman won both the Outland Trophy and Lombardi Awards that year before being selected with the first overall pick of the 1992 NFL Draft. He's widely considered one of the greatest defensive tackles in college football history.
| Let's get one thing straight: this current UW freshman class looks AWESOME. But, after only one season, is it fair to call them the greatest class of all time at Washington? Nope. You want greatness? Look at the 1989-'90 group, especially Don James' freshmen: Steve Emtman, Dave Hoffmann and Mark Brunell joined a ton of talent and eventually won a title. And oh, go ahead and throw in stars like Orlando McKay, Darius Turner, Jamie Fields and Jay Barry. I think you get the point. Enough said. Go Dawgs. Dave “Softy” Mahler // KJR AM Radio |
