Washington Lands Brazilian Forward Wini Braga as Sprinkle Eyes Three More Roster Spots
Washington basketball lands 6'9" Brazilian forward Wini Braga over Kentucky and Georgetown — plus six potential transfer portal targets and 2027 recruiting updates
Washington’s newest commitment came seemingly out of nowhere on Tuesday. The Huskies landed Wini Braga, a 21-year-old forward out of Brazil, per a report from DraftExpress. I’ll dive more into Braga below, but first, here’s a look at the current roster.
By my count, the team has three open roster spots to fill out the 15-player limit.
Here is the depth chart as it stands (class years are for the 2026-27 season):
PG: Ryan Beasley (Sr.); B.J. Roy (So.)
SG: Wesley Yates (Jr.); Parker Friedrichsen (Sr.); Lattimore Ford (Fr.)
SF: LeJuan Watts (Sr.); Steele Venters (Sr.): Jasir Rencher (So.)
PF/C: Wini Braga (Fr.); Mady Traore (Sr.); Lathan Sommerville (Jr.); Nikola Dzepina (So.)
Washington Head Coach Danny Sprinkle is likely looking for depth at the point guard position.
Wini Braga commits to Washington
Husky fans received good news on Tuesday, as Braga’s commitment to Washington became public. Wini (pronounced “Vinny”) Braga currently plays professionally for Minas Tenis Clube in the Novo Basquete Brasil (NBB) league. He is averaging 9.8 PPG, 5.9 RPG, 1.1 SPG, and 1.1 BPG, and shooting 52.4 % from the field this season.
Guilherme Tadeu, a writer for Cafe Belgrado, a Brazilian-based basketball podcast, said on X that Braga is a “light-bodied big man with above-average technical skills” that has a “soft touch around the basket.”
Braga may be the biggest offseason pickup for Washington Head Coach Danny Sprinkle. Kentucky and Georgetown were reportedly extended offers this offseason to Braga, with Texas and UConn also trying to land him in 2025.
In March, Braga starred for Brazil’s national team in the FIBA World Cup 2027 Americas Qualifiers in Miami. Braga’s play stood out among the younger generation of players participating in the qualifiers:
After playing only 10 minutes across the first window, Silva has made a statement during Window 2 with an average of 12 points per game, shooting 80 percent from the floor against Venezuela and 60 percent against Colombia.
Averaging just 13.5 minutes across windows, Silva has quickly become a go-to rotational player to make an offensive impact for Brazil, as the 6'9" forward is hard to stop in the paint.
Braga figures play a prominent role in the Huskies’ rotation next season, with a good possibility of locking down a starting spot. His professional and international experience makes him a lot more prepared than the usual incoming true freshman. Under the current NCAA rules, Braga has four years of eligibility. However, if the current “5 in 5” proposal passes, Braga would only have three years of eligibility because his 5-year clock started in 2024.
Huskies Eye Another International Prospect
Washington is also reportedly interested in 6-0 point guard Cauã Pacheco, another prospect from Brazil. Troy and Merrimack are also showing interest. Pacheco stars for Pinheiros in Brazil's NBB. He is averaging 10.2 PPG, 3.4 APG and 2.4 RPG.
What’s Left in the Transfer Portal?
Even though the transfer portal window is closed, as long as a player entered the portal while it was open, he may sign with any team after it closes. Here are six uncommitted names I’m keeping my eye on:
Tyler Mrus, F, BYU (Jr.) — Washington showed preliminary interest in Mrus when the portal opened. He is still available and recently visited a WCC school. He is a 6-7 wing and is a Bothell-native who graduated from Seattle Prep. He shot nearly 38% from three when he was at Idaho two seasons ago.
John Christofolis, G, Seattle U (Sr.) — The O’Dea grad received a medical waiver and will get another year of eligibility. While his numbers have steadily declined since his sophomore season at Seattle U, the hope would be that a change of scenery could return him to form when he averaged 12.7 PPG and shot 39.8 3PT % that season.
Austin Maurer, C, Seattle U (So.) — There has been buzz around Maurer’s name and Washington, and Tuesday was the first time I saw the Huskies connected with Maurer via a reliable source. The seven-footer averaged nearly a block per game starring for the Redhawks this past season. He also averaged 7.2 PPG and 4.7 RPG.
Ethan Copeland, G, Stetson (Jr.) — Copeland is drawing interest from Gonzaga, Loyola Marymount, and Pacific. He averaged 15.0 PPG, 3.7 RPG, 2.1 APG, 44.1% FG, 42.9% 3FG. He tallied 20 points or more in 9 games last season.
Elijah Duval, G, Southern Utah (Fr.) — The WAC Freshman of the Year and second-team All-WAC is one of the coveted remaining guards in the portal. He averaged 15.3 PPG and 3.6 APG and would provide a worthy competitor to Ryan Beasley for the starting point guard spot. Duval visited UAB last Sunday.
Kalen Garry, G, South Dakota State (RS Jr.) — Washington still needs point guard depth. Garry averaged 10.7 PPG 5.2 RPG, 3.2 APG. He’s been a full-time starter for the Jackrabbits the past two seasons.
Class of 2027 Update
Local four-star point guard Jalen Davis, out of Bremerton is starting to collect an impressive list of offers. Both Kansas and Texas Tech offered Davis at the end of April. A recent scouting report at Babcock Hoops stated that Davis could potentially be the No. 1 point guard in the 2027 class.
Washington remains relevant in Darius Wabbington’s recruitment. The five-star center prospect is also being pursued by powerhouse programs Purdue, Louisville, Indiana, Texas, and Arizona. Wabbington took an official visit to Washington last fall.
Malachi Jordan, a four-star wing who stars for Dream City Christian, recently broke down his visits with Washington and Tennessee last year for Rivals.