Gasser peaking at the right time with Huskies

Hans Gasser always understood.

College basketball, he knows, is big business.

Coaches have just 13 scholarships, and they need to make sure they are getting something in return for every one.

When Washington's season finally ended last March, Washington coaches decided they might have a better option for Gasser's scholarship — namely, Louisville transfer Lorrenzo Wade — and told him he was welcome to stay, but he'd have to pay his own way for a year until another scholarship opened up.

"I didn't think of it as an insult to my game because they wanted me to stay," Gasser said. "But it was just that I hadn't proved myself yet. I hadn't shown them what I could do."

And after a week or two of soul searching, Gasser decided that instead of going somewhere where he would be assured a scholarship and playing time, he would finally show the Huskies coaches what he could do. He would prove himself to them.

"It definitely wasn't a quick decision," said the junior forward from Issaquah High. "I had to think it over, mull over what you value. I found that I really like winning. That was more important to me than being a star on a bad team."

So the 6-foot-9 Gasser went to work.

Coaches told him he needed to improve his footwork, specifically on defense.

And after years of figuring he needed to get bulkier, he decided to get smaller and ran and worked out more intensely than ever, dropping from a playing weight of 252 pounds last year to 223.

When practices started, he looked like a completely different player — able to stay in front of his opponent on defense and get in position to take his solid jumper on offense.

And as the days wore on, he moved steadily up the rotation because of his play and circumstance — Mike Jensen separated his shoulder and is out until late December, and coaches decided to redshirt freshman Joe Wolfinger.

It all contributed to making Gasser a key reserve in UW's first six wins of the season, seeing regular time and scoring six or more points in all but one of those games. But that was Morgan State, American and Idaho.

The real test of the coaches' confidence in Gasser — and whether he had really improved — would come against Gonzaga and New Mexico.

He passed both, scoring five points with four rebounds in eight minutes against Gonzaga, then playing as big a role as anyone in helping UW stave off a second-half comeback against New Mexico in the Wooden Classic on Saturday. Gasser played 10 minutes in the second half, hitting three straight shots in one stretch and finishing with six points and five rebounds.

"He was as valuable as anyone on our team against New Mexico," UW coach Lorenzo Romar said Tuesday. "I would not have thought going into the year that Hans was going to be in that position, but to his credit, he has made a case for himself. ... He has been a pleasant surprise."

Gasser had already re-earned his scholarship — he got it in August when Wade didn't show up, transferring instead to San Diego State.

But he admits his performances the past two games make him feel even that much more a part of things.

"It's good to show you can do it against the best of the teams," Gasser said.

Realistically, the last few weeks were probably make-or-break in terms of Gasser becoming a player at UW. Jensen is due back for the Lehigh game Dec. 23 and if Gasser hadn't done anything, he'd be sent back to the bench.

Now? Romar said Tuesday he doesn't know how the rotation will unfold once Jensen returns. Only that it will all but certainly have to include Gasser.

Gasser said it doesn't matter to him. "I'll just keep working to get better, no matter what," he said.

Notes

• Bobby Jones sat out practice Tuesday with a sore ankle but should return today and be fine for Friday's game against Eastern Washington. Jones hurt the ankle against New Mexico, though he said he didn't know when the injury occurred and that it didn't bother him until after the game.

• Jones needs 12 points to become the 30th player in Huskies history to score 1,000.

• Injured guard Harvey Perry has returned to do some light work in practice. But he's still listed as out until February with a stress fracture in his lower back.

Bob Condotta: 206-515-5699 or bcondotta@seattletimes.com