Nov. 11, 2010 By Gregg Bell UW Director of Writing • Signing Day Releases: Men's Basketball | Women's Basketball | Men's Golf | Gymnastics | Softball | Men's Tennis
SEATTLE - Now that the Huskies have Tony Wroten, one of the most gifted recruits on the West Coast, coach Lorenzo Romar is just hoping to keep him. "He is gifted enough where he may not play all four (years) in college," Romar said, thinking of the NBA moments after UW received Wroten's signed national letter of intent on Wednesday. The arrival of one the world's top amateur golfers and the nation's No.-1 ranked high school senior volleyball player also highlighted Washington's signing day. Cheng Tsung Pan of Bradenton, Fla., and Taiwan was arguably the country's top college golf recruit signed Wednesday. The world's 9th-ranked amateur is certainly the most heralded high school golfer to join coach Matt Thurmond's program. "It's hard to describe just how excited we are to add Pan to our team. He is one of the best amateur golfers in the world," Thurmond said from CordeValle Resort in San Martin, Calif., before the25th-ranked Huskies played Wednesday's final round of the Gifford Championship. "More importantly, he is an even better person who will make UW proud in everything he does while he is here and after he is here." Wroten has the potential for that and more with Husky hoops. The do-it-all, 6-foot-4 shooting guard is from Seattle's Garfield High School, which produced recent Huskies stars Brandon Roy, Tre Simmons and Will Conroy. The Long Beach Press Telegram named Wroten one of its Best in the West. Huskies assistant coach Paul Fortier went to school with Wroten's parents, then began watching their son play when he was in seventh grade. "He's just one of the best basketball players in the country, and can do things others in the country can't do," Romar said. "I don't think we've ever had a player like Tony Wroten, with his package. ... He's just a phenomenal passer, a phenomenal basketball player." He missed his junior season at Garfield with a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his knee. But any doubts about how his recovery went evaporated at last month's Clash of the Classes all-star game. Wroten dominated the top Division I prospects in Washington and Oregon with 42 points, nine rebounds and seven assists. "He developed even more of a passion," after the injury, Romar said. As a freshman he averaged 20.8 points, 8.7 rebounds and 3.8 assists in leading Garfield to the King County league's Class 4A crown. Then he produced 17.6 points, 6.4 rebounds and 4.9 assists per game in his sophomore year while helping his team to a 23-3 record and the Washington Class 4A state championship game. Though Wroten can score with any high school player in the land, Romar thinks he may be an even better passer. "The best passer in the country," Romar called him. "He is a serious competitor. ... He can go out and score points if he has to, but is also satisfied going out and dishing out 15 assists." Asked about Wroten's, um, flamboyant personality - as seen by 2,471 followers of ToneTone13 on Twitter as of Wednesday - Romar says that's no issue he hasn't handled previously. "Will Conroy and Nate Robinson weren't really librarians. They were big personalities," the coach said with a wry smile. Wroten's father, also Tony, played tight end for the Husky football team from 1981-84. The younger Wroten is Robinson's cousin. The Huskies signed two other guards - Hikeem Stewart from Seattle's Rainier Beach High School, where Robinson played, and what Romar calls a "true point guard" in Andrew Andrews from Portland, Ore. Romar has known the Stewart family for years, since he recruited Rodrick and Lodrick Stewart. Andrews averaged 25 points per game as a junior at Benson Tech High School. A great student who wants to be an engineer, Andrews told Romar he is willing to redshirt next year or go prep school for one year before enrolling at UW, to let the Huskies' current logjam at guard break free. The defending Pac-10 tournament champions also signed 6-foot-10 Jernard Jarreau out of McDonogh High in New Orleans, who missed his junior season because of a broken wrist. He grew seven inches from his freshman year, when he was a guard. "Jernard is very unique in that he is 6-foot-10 but has the skill set of a three-man," said Romar, adding Jarreau's addition is "a real coup." The only players Romar could think of to grow so much so quickly were David Robinson at the Naval Academy decades ago, and Scottie Pippin at Central Arkansas. And that happened to them in college. Jarreau has his college years at UW to play into his growth spurt. Jarreau is just 195 pounds, so getting bigger and stronger will be an immediate priority. Romar still has scholarships available for next spring and said he is pursuing at least one more big man who may sign in the later, spring signing period. Volleyball coach Jim McLaughlin got his top target to reinforce his nationally ranked program. Krista Vansant is the No. 1-ranked senior in the nation according to PrepVolleyball.com. The Redlands, Calif., native has led Redlands East Valley High School to three-straight California sectional titles, and two state runner-up finishes. The national sophomore of the year in 2008 has the potential to perhaps start as a freshman for the Huskies. Women's basketball coach Tia Jackson signed three recruits: Aminah Williams from Seattle and Kennedy High School, 6-2 forward Talia Walton of Federal Way, Wash., High School and point guard Jazmine Davis from San Jose, Calif. Walton is rated as the No. 1 forward recruit out in Washington. Williams won a 2009 Washington Class 3A state title with Kennedy. "This has to be the most versatile and explosive class we've accounted for since the start of my tenure in 2007," Jackson said. "I cannot be happier about this signing class." Washington softball coach Heather Tarr could say the same thing about her national-power program signing California high school All-American Kylee Lahners. Lahners was a two-time all-state second baseman at Laguna Hills, Calif., High School. She played on this year's USA Junior national team member and on the gold-medal U.S. team at the recent Pan-American Games. Tarr is expecting Lahners to contribute right away as a freshman. "Kylee will contend for a spot in the Husky infield," Tarr said. "Kylee will immediately impact our offensive lineup, as she is arguably one of the best hitters of the 2011 class." The Huskies men's tennis team, which has gone to 16 consecutive NCAA tournaments, received a national letter of intent from one of the top high school seniors in the country: Emmett Egger of Issaquah, Wash. UW coach Matt Anger calls Egger, who is ranked second nationally in the USTA Boys-18 division and currently training at the Brookhaven Academy in Dallas, an instant leader who should do well right away for the Huskies in singles and in doubles. Egger chose Washington after recruiting trips to Virginia, Duke, North Carolina and Northwestern. *Story Note - Not all NCAA letters of intent for the November signing period have been received and confirmed by the UW. |
