Rodney Stuckey won Big Sky Player of the Year last season and was one of the nation's leading scorers — as a freshman.

Friday, the No. 16 Washington men's basketball team (4-0) will host Stuckey and the rest of the Eastern Washington squad at Hec Edmundson Pavilion at 7 p.m.

"Rodney Stuckey, if he remains healthy, will play in the NBA," said UW coach Lorenzo Romar of the nation's returning leading scorer. "He pretty much has the entire package."

The Husky coach went on to compare Stuckey's style of play to Miami Heat all-star Dwyane Wade.

Stuckey, a sophomore from Kentwood High School in Kent, Wash., was recruited by the UW and leads his team in scoring on a regular basis.

Last year, Washington defended the 6-foot-5-inch guard with Bobby Jones and Brandon Roy — two experienced defenders now playing in the NBA.

This time, the Huskies will employ a similar defensive tactic.

"It'll be a committee type of situation," Romar said. "It won't be one particular person who will be asked to shut him down by himself."

Romar said the Eagles might not have acknowledged that Stuckey, as a freshman, was their best player last season.

This season, things are much different.

"There is no doubt who the best player is, in his mind and everyone else's mind," Romar said. "They have built their system offensively around Rodney Stuckey."

Friday night will likely be the season debut for Joel Smith. The junior guard has been cleared to play — barring a setback in the next couple days — having fully recovered from a stress fracture in his foot.

"I just want to come back and contribute, mostly on the defensive end," Smith said. "That's what my main focus is; that's what wins games."

In the Huskies' last game against Sacramento State, a lack of defensive focus resulted in a 13-point deficit after 10 minutes, but it was the defensive stops that led Washington to victory.

"The young guys are slowly getting it," Smith said. "Every day, you're not going to make your shot and things aren't going to go for you. You can always control the defense."

Friday night will be the fifth non-conference game of the season for Washington. Romar admitted he is using these games to develop an eight-to nine-man rotation that will guide the Huskies through the season.

With a roster overflowing with talent, he said this season the competition for playing time is the greatest he's seen since his first year here.

"You want to settle into a rotation — I think it's important," Romar said. "There's something about knowing when you are going to get in the game, every game. You can prepare yourself mentally."

This week, the Huskies are working to improve upon Sunday's unconvincing win. Romar is still waiting for a full 40-minute performance from his team.

When asked what the team needs to improve upon most, Romar said the Huskies have "got to do a better job of taking care of the ball."

Despite the frustrating turnovers, the Husky coach is excited about the team's future.

"With a young team, pulling it all together, it's a challenge," Romar said. "It's interesting to look at this group and think of the prospects if we can get it together."

Reporter Joshua Mayers: joshuamayers@thedaily.washington.edu