Tristian Etienne Leaves Huskies

The University of Washington announced Monday incoming freshman Tristian Etienne will be leaving the basketball program, citing personal reasons.

A 6-foot-9 power forward from Abbotsford, B.C. was believed by many to be a back-up big man with the chance to play quality minutes during his first year on campus in Seattle.

"We are truly sorry to see Tristan leave us," head coach Lorenzo Romar said in a statement released by the UW. "In his short time here, he has been a model citizen and shown to be a high level student."

Etienne's departure leaves the Huskies with four players who would be considered "true" post players. Sophomore Robert Upshaw, junior Jernard Jarreau, senior Shawn Kemp Jr. and junior Gilles Dierickx will man the front line for the Huskies this season.

The Huskies will now count on Upshaw and Jarreau even more to hold down the starting roles and provide both scoring and a shot blocking presence in the post. Senior Mike Anderson has proven he is a viable option at power forward, and don't be surprised to see freshman Donaven Dorsey get minutes as a stretch-four as well.

Etienne will continue taking classes for the rest of fall quarter and will not pursue transfer options at this time.

Is the loss of Etienne a big hit to the Huskies? Who needs to step up in the post? Leave your thoughts in the comments section below.