When considering the nation’s top universities for basketball, the names that typically come to mind are the University of Kentucky, Duke University and the University of North Carolina. Rarely is the University of Washington thrown into that mix of names. That said, the squad that is currently assembled in Seattle is garnering national attention. With guards Dejounte Murray and Marquese Chriss declaring for the NBA draft, a lot of eyes among NBA executives have turned toward the Huskies.

Murray is a talented and entertaining player to watch. He put up impressive statistics in his freshman season, averaging 16.1 points, 6 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 1.8 steals per game. This comes, however, with shooting 41 percent per game and 3.1 turnovers per game. As a lead guard, Murray must learn to reduce his turnovers numbers and find better shots around the court. He often takes extremely ill-advised shots.

That said, such necessary improvements can be taught, and with the correct franchise in the NBA, Murray can thrive. His draft position is highly debated. Some experts say he could go as early as the lottery, while others say he could fall to the mid-second round. It appears realistic to think he may go at around the 20th pick of the draft. However, many executives are questionable of Murray due to his shot selection and turnover numbers, which may cause him to fall.

Chriss is just one of the Huskies’ many talented big men. The power forward isn’t as large as some of the big men in the league, sizing in at 6 feet, 9 inches, however he moves smoothly through defenses. His wingspan is also impressively wide at 7 feet, 2 inches. Chriss averaged a decent 13.7 points, 5.4 rebounds and 1.6 blocks with the Huskies. Even more impressive is his shooting percentage, which was an average of 53 percent over the course of this season.

In order to be an elite NBA talent however, Chriss needs to develop a little more muscle and build. While he is talented and can offer a team immediate relief at the forward position, he definitely needs time to develop. NBA executives are far more certain of Chriss’ fate than Murray’s, however. Chriss is widely projected to go at approximately 15th in the draft. His consistent performance over the season will certainly place him in the lottery.

Despite losing two of the team’s top players to the draft, the University of Washington basketball squad will still be an elite competitor next season. The team has a large collection of top-tier big men developing. Most notably are forwards Malik Dime and Noah Dickerson. While both require some level of development, Dime and Dickerson both show immense talent.

Dime is an elite defender, averaging almost three blocks per game. His scoring ability in the paint is consistently impressive, putting up solid layups and dunks. He could benefit from some training on the glass, however.

Dickerson is an all-around talent. When he gets good minutes, he scores efficiently and fluidly. He has developed a solid outside shot in addition to impressive power inside, which allows him to switch it up on the defense. With development, Dickerson could become an elite talent, and possibly even work himself into the lottery next season.

The departure of Murray concerns some critics of the Huskies, as the team lacks depth at the guard position. Luckily, the program has managed to land several key recruits. Five-star guard Markelle Fultz shocked many recruiters around the league when he chose to commit to Washington over offers from elite schools such as Louisville, Arizona and Kentucky. The reason Fultz likely made this decision is the same reason I am writing this article: The Huskies are going to be good next season. Terrifyingly good. Expect to see them in contention for a top seed in the 2017 NCAA Tournament. In addition to Fultz, wingman Dominic Green and Auburn University transfer Matt Attewe both chose Washington as well. Big things are going to be coming out of the University of Washington in the 2016-17 season, so stay tuned.