A vast majority of freshman Division-1 athletes spend their inaugural season watching from the sidelines as a redshirt. Issaquah Eagles 2014 graduate Mackenzie Wieburg, who was named to the Class KingCo 4A first-team all-league squad as a senior during the 2013-14 season, is getting an opportunity to garner some playing time as a walk-on for the University of Washington women’s basketball program.

Even though Wieburg has logged just 11 minutes of floor time through seven games, the left-hander is gaining valuable experience at the highest level intercollegiate athletics has to offer. The 5-foot, 9-inch guard is part of a PAC-12 program who have put together an early season record of 6-1 in non-conference play.

The Huskies recently returned from a trip to Cancun, Mexico where they registered victories against Florida State, Hartford, and Furman over Thanksgiving weekend. Fans wishing to see Wieburg in action will get a chance in the near future as the Huskies host Grambling State University in their next home game at noon on Dec. 10 in Seattle.

It remains to be seen if #42 (Wieburg) will get playing time or not, but I’m sure there will be a large contingent of fans from the Issaquah/Sammamish region in the stands supporting their hometown hero. Not many high school athletes have the chance to play college basketball-let alone at the Division-1 level. The future is bright for this rising start as Wieburg’s collegiate career is just getting off the ground.

Shaun Scott: 425-453-5045; sscott@bellevuereporter.com