Huskies look for big things from Tyreese Breshers when he gets into shape

It has been so long since Tyreese Breshers felt like himself on the court, he has almost forgotten what it's like to play basketball without some kind of pain.

First it was the pain in his shin that required surgery.

Then it was pain in his knee that forced him to redshirt his freshman season at Washington.

And now, it's the pain in his lungs as he works to improve his conditioning, which limits him in practice.

When asked how he'll fit in with the Huskies when he's healthy, Breshers shook his head.

"I don't know because in high school I didn't play the way they want me to play here," he said before Tuesday's practice. "What I do like to do, I like to play defense. I like to block shots. I like to jump. I'm a good jumper.

"When I can run, I like to beat people up the floor. Everybody says I'm quick, but I never noticed. I think it will be fun to watch me play when I'm in shape."

And that's the million-dollar question. When will Breshers be in shape?

"I would imagine he won't be 100 percent until maybe January or February," coach Lorenzo Romar said. "And what I mean by that, his health will be fine — it's just getting up and down the floor and being in game condition that's going to take awhile."

Romar has big plans for Breshers, a 6-foot-7, 260-pound forward.

With just four big men on the team, Breshers is competing with sophomore Darnell Gant, last season's starting forward, Matthew Bryan-Amaning and freshman Clarence Trent for minutes.

"Tyreese — before the season is over — has very strong potential to be a starter for us," Romar said. "It's just a matter of when he can get up and down the floor.

"He'll be in there before that, but in terms of helping us at the highest level, it's going to be awhile."

It's significant progress that the Huskies are factoring Breshers into their plans for the season because a year ago it was unclear when he'd play again.

Breshers fractured his shin before his senior season at K.C. Price III High in Los Angeles and played that season without knowing the severity of the injury. When he arrived at Montlake last year, he underwent surgery in which a rod was inserted through his patella tendon into his shin.

The procedure fixed his shin but it caused pain in his knee that took several months to subside.

"Sitting out, that's what bothered me more than my injury," Breshers said. "Just the fact that everybody was playing and having fun and I'm sitting on the bench, I kind of felt separated from the team and I didn't like that feeling."

The last time Breshers played pain-free, he averaged 17 points, 11 rebounds and six blocks during his junior season in high school.

These days he shows glimpses of greatness, like he did during a Midnight Madness intrasquad scrimmage when he blocked Bryan-Amaning's shot to start a fast break.

More often, Breshers fights fatigue. He tires easily.

Still, no one questions his toughness.

"I played my whole high school senior year with a broken leg, so I think that kind of answers that question," he said.

At Price High, Breshers was compared to Charles Barkley. And at UW, he draws comparisons to former Husky Jon Brockman because of his rugged playing style.

"It's kind of bittersweet," Breshers said. "Jon, of course, is a great player and everybody loves Jon. He's the second-leading scorer and No. 1 rebounder, but I kind of want to make a name for myself.

"I don't want to follow anybody else's footsteps. I kind of want to make my own name for myself. But to be compared to him is an honor. He's in the NBA. Heck, I'd be compared to Spud Webb if it's going to get me to the NBA."