Seattle Sportsnet

Thank you, Scott Suggs.

I’ve been saying good things about you all offseason and in the first game of the year you go off. Well, kind of.

Suggs, who scored all of 24 points (total) a season ago, chipped in nine points in the team’s 74-69 win over Wright State on Friday. He finished the evening as the Huskies’ third-highest scorer, behind Isaiah Thomas (30) and Quincy Pondexter (12).

Displaying a silky smooth jumper that was rarely put on display in his freshman year, Suggs shot an impressive 3-4 from the field, including 1-2 from three-point range. He also converted two free throws on his only trip to the line.

The lanky 6’6″ sophomore endured a trying first season in 2008-2009 that was plagued by injury and inconsistency. A former Mr. Basketball award winner during his prep days in Missouri, Suggs considered transferring during the offseason before ultimately deciding that he belonged at Washington.

Expected to compete for minutes with shooting guard Elston Turner and swingman Justin Holiday off the UW bench, Suggs vastly outplayed his intrasquad competition on Friday night.

The defensive-minded Holiday saw extended action in reserve, but only managed two points, both of which came at the free-throw line.

Turner, expected to fulfill a sixth man-type role this season, was a complete non-factor. He committed three costly fouls in limited action and took just one shot, a three-pointer which he missed.

Though the junior Holiday may have the upper hand in the rotation due to experience and his defensive capabilities, Suggs may quickly eclipse fellow sophomore Turner if Turner’s defense does not improve. At 6’4″, Turner is two inches shorter than both Suggs and Holiday and is purely viewed as an offensive threat at this point.

Make no mistake about it, the Huskies are short on offensive contributors right now. Opposing defenses will look to clamp down on Isaiah Thomas and Quincy Pondexter, forcing the Huskies to find a reliable third option. Suggs may or may not be that guy, who knows for sure this early in the season.

But after one game, Scott Suggs has done one thing he was not able to do at all last season: Earn more playing time. And that’s a step in the right direction.