The turnstile at Washington continues to spin.
On the day the Huskies welcomed Hazen High star Dominic Green, they said goodbye to Jernard Jarreau who was granted his release. The fourth-year junior, who redshirted his first season with the Huskies and is expected to graduate this summer, will be immediately eligible for the 2015-16 season.
A UW spokesperson confirmed the news Monday, which was first reported by Evan Daniels at Scout.com.
Jarreau, a 6-10, 240-pound big man, started all 21 games that he appeared in during the 2014-15 season. He averaged 5.1 points, 4.7 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 24.3 minutes – all career highs.
He also missed 10 games due to a knee injury. Jarreau sat out 31 games of his sophomore season in 2013-14 after tearing the ACL in his right knee in the season opener.
As a redshirt freshman, Jarreau appeared in 31 games and started seven, averaging 3.2 points, 2.6 rebounds and 12.7 minutes.
Jarreau, a New Orleans native, is hoping to finish his career closer to home, according to a source familiar with the situation.
He’s also hoping for a fresh start after struggling to live up to lofty expectations at UW. He was a three-star prospect who intrigued NBA scouts because of his height and versatility. Jarreau also seemed like a perfect fit in Washington’s high-post offense due to his playmaking ability and steady midrange jumper.
Jarreau switched numbers from 33 to 21 before the 2014-15 season, hoping the jersey change might coincide with a new, bulked-up physique. He gained 25 pounds in the past year and 50 since his first year at UW.
While Washington raced out to an 11-0 start, Jarreau sputtered at the start of the season in his return from the knee injury. He tallied double-digit scoring performances in just three of the first 15 games before re-injuring his knee during an 80-77 loss at Washington State.
He missed the next 10 games, and UW was 3-7 during his absence. He returned for the final six games and scored a career-best 14 points during a 77-68 win over then-No. 13 Utah in the regular-season finale at Alaska Airlines Arena. In his final game, Jarreau tallied five points and five rebounds against Stanford in a 71-69 loss in the Pac-12 tournament opener.
Losing Jarreau is a big blow for the Huskies and tempered the excitement surrounding the arrival of Green, who signed a scholarship Monday.
Washington, which finished 11th in the Pac-12 at 5-13 and was 16-15, has lost four players during the offseason. Jarreau joins sophomore star point guard Nigel Williams-Goss, sophomore backup guard Darin Johnson and junior reserve center Gilles Diericks, who also are transferring.
Williams-Goss will reportedly visit Gonzaga this weekend after taking trips to Providence and UNLV.
Jarreau was supposed to be one of the leaders on a young UW team that now brings back just three returners (junior guards Andrew Andrews and Quevyn Winters and freshman wing Donaven Dorsey).
Washington, which will not return a post player, must rely on newcomers to fill out the front line. The candidates include power forward Marquese Chriss and centers Malik Dime and Devenir Duruisseau.
The Huskies have committed 11 scholarships to players and have two spots open on the roster. Undoubtedly, they’ll attempt to add a big man who can play immediately next season.