Turning to one of its smaller lineups in some time, the University of Washington basketball team opened with three guards against Washington State in Sunday's exhibition game, and often used a fourth player, forward LeJuan Watts, in a similar role, all at once.

However, the Huskies' likely most influential playmaker, Ryan Beasley, did not appear in the 84-80 loss to the Cougars at Alaska Airlines Arena because he's still in recovery from a concussion and his return remains uncertain with the season opener against Colgate a week away.

"I don't know," UW coach Danny Sprinkle said of Beasley's availability. "He started doing individual stuff and getting a little bit of a sweat. He just has to pass the concussion protocol."

The 5-foot-11 Beasley from San Ramon, California, comes to the Huskies as a second-team All-WCC selection in 2026 and the WCC Freshman of the Year in 2024, so he can play.

Last season, he averaged 13.6 points, 4 assists and 3.4 rebounds per outing for a 17-16 team.…