UW Brings in Top 10 Recruiting Class for Second Time in Three Years
November 09, 2016 | Men's Basketball
SEATTLE – The University of Washington Men's Basketball program has announced the signing of five top recruits to National Letters of Intent, head coach Lorenzo Romar announced on Wednesday. The class, which features two top 50 ESPN recruits in Michael Porter Jr., and Daejon Davis also includes highly touted recruits Jaylen Nowell, Blake Harris and Mamoudou Diarra. The class is ranked second overall by ESPN and third by Scout and is the second top 10 class Romar has brought in over the last three years and the third top 20 in as many seasons.
"This is a group that will complement the rest of our team and fill needs that we are missing while reinforcing other positions," said Romar. "This class will join a talented team with an extensive amount of collegiate playing experience and will give us as complete of a roster that we've had in the 15 years that we've been here. It also gives us three-consecutive years of high-level recruiting which was much needed due to the fact that we had to start over in terms of filling our roster. In fact there is not one scholarship player currently that was on our roster who was on scholarship two years ago. This gives us an extremely solid foundation to move forward and continue to build our program."
Alongside ESPN's No. 2 ranking, the 2017 group is also currently ranked third by Scout and third by Rivals.com making it the highest-ranked class since Romar arrived on campus in 2002-03. Washington brought in the No. 6 class in 2015, the No. 18 class in 2016 including five-star standout Markelle Fultz, and now the No. 2 class. The versatile 2017 group includes two shooting guards, one point guard, one small forward and one power forward.
Porter Jr., is a five-star 6-9, 210 lb., small forward originally from Columbia, Mo., that currently plays here in Seattle. Porter Jr., is ranked second overall by ESPN and fifth by Scout along with being named No. 1 small forward in the class by both organizations. Porter comes to UW with extensive experience playing on a variety of national teams. He was a member of Team USA's U18 FIBA Americas Championship team alongside current Husky Markelle Fultz and averaged a team-best 15.8 ppg along with 5.6 rpg and 2.4 apg over the five games. He was also a member of the 2015-16 USA Men's Junior National team alongside Davis and Nowell. Following the 2016 season, he was a USA Today All-USA third team selection after leading Father Tolton Catholic HS to the Missouri Class 3 State championship and averaging 28.5 points per game as a junior. During the 2016 summer, Porter Jr., finished second on the EYBL circuit in scoring (22.8 ppg) and fifth in rebounding (10.9 rpg). He also led Mokan Elite to the Peach Jam Championship scoring 25 points in the semifinals and 33 in the title game. Porter Jr., now plays for Nathan Hale.
"Michael Porter Jr., is the type of player that doesn't come around very often," said Romar. "It's a once in a while situation where you're able to get a player with his size and his skill set. He's just an elite, elite talent. His versatility speaks for itself. At 6-9, he has a phenomenal jump shot but is also able to put the ball on the floor and make plays for himself and others. He's a good rebounder, has a high basketball IQ and is just the whole package."
Davis, a four-star 6-3, 175 lb., guard, has been a figure on the Seattle basketball scene since he started high school and will come to UW as the No. 43 player (ESPN) overall in the class of 2017. He comes in at 45th according to Scout and is the No. 10 shooting guard in the country. Davis was one of 18 finalists for the 2016 USA Basketball U17 World Championship team and was a member of the 2015-16 USA Men's Junior National team. Additionally he was named to the WIAA State Tournament second team as a sophomore at Lakeside HS, where he averaged 20.1 ppg, 11.0 rpg and 3.3 apg leading the Lions to a fourth-place finish at the WIAA state tournament. Davis transferred to Garfield as a junior where he joined fellow signee Nowell and averaged 11 ppg, 5.0 rpg and 3.3 apg as Garfield went on to finish third at the WIAA 3A state tournament. Additionally, Davis averaged 12.8 points and 3.6 rebounds per game for Seattle Rotary on the Nike EYBL circuit this past spring and summer, shooting 39 percent from 3-point range.
"Daejon is another local kid that we've been recruiting for a while," said Romar. "He will be one of the few freshmen that come in from day one with the understanding of how to play defense at this level. He is a very versatile guard offensively and defensively that plays with a high motor and is also leader and proven winner."
Nowell, a four-star 6-5, 190 lb., guard, also hails from Seattle and spent his high school career at Garfield. He has also been an active member with Team USA Basketball earning the gold medal at the 2015 FIBA Americas U16 Championship. He was also a member of the 2016 USA U17 World Championship training camp and was part of the 2015-16 USA Men's Junior National team. As a junior at Garfield, he led the stacked team with 17.4 ppg and added 4.1 rpg and 2.4 apg en route to earning USA Today All-Washington second-team honors. He also led the team as a sophomore putting up 23.5 ppg and 6.1 rpg in 29 outings helping Garfield win the Class 3A KingCo Championship. He was named to the AP All-Washington Class 3A first team, the Seattle Times All-Metro second team and the USA Today All-Western Washington second team following that season.
"Jaylen really knows how to score the basketball and will become a really good defender as well," said Romar. "We've been watching him for a long time and he just really understands the game and like I said, can really score the ball. We've been successful at placing emphasis and keeping the top local talent here. Jaylen is another example of that. He's a very good basketball player that will impact our program in a positive way. He's another proven winner having won multiple state championships and we're excited for him join us."
Harris, a four-star 6-3 point guard will join the Huskies from Chapel Hill, N.C. where he attends Word of God Christian Academy. The guard, who is is the No. 3 player in the state of North Carolina, played for Team CP3 during this summer's Nike EYBL circuit and had his most impressive showing during the Peach Jam where he put up 16 points against Houston hoops followed by 10 against The RENS (NY) en route to averaging 7.0 ppg and 3.2 rebounds over the five outings. Additionally, he averaged 3.2 assists during the summer EYBL circuit.
"Blake is probably as fast of a guy with the ball that we've had play for us in a long time," said Romar. "Blake is an elite passer and we believe one of the most underrated point guards in the country. Because of his ability to pass, guys love playing with him. He's the type of passer that can deliver the ball to you even when you don't know you're open. He has such quick feet and is such a high level athlete that he will also allow us to apply ball pressure up top at the standard that we expect."
Diarra is a 6-9 power forward with a 7-2 wingspan that originally hails from Mali in West Africa. He'll come to Seattle after spending time at both Saint Louis Christian in Missouri and 22 FT Academy in South Carolina. Diarra was one of just nine African born players invited to the NBA's prestigious Basketball Without Borders Camp and is widely known as a skilled shot blocker who attacks the rim.
"At 6-9 with a 7-2 wingspan, Mamoudou Diarra is very skilled and plays with a high motor," said Romar. "Even though he is probably the most under the radar signee of the five, he still has a tremendous upside. He can guard multiple positions. He can score the ball but yet at 6-9 he is skilled enough to make plays for others. He is a real competitor that we think will become a huge fan favorite in Husky nation both on and off the court."
"This is a group that will complement the rest of our team and fill needs that we are missing while reinforcing other positions," said Romar. "This class will join a talented team with an extensive amount of collegiate playing experience and will give us as complete of a roster that we've had in the 15 years that we've been here. It also gives us three-consecutive years of high-level recruiting which was much needed due to the fact that we had to start over in terms of filling our roster. In fact there is not one scholarship player currently that was on our roster who was on scholarship two years ago. This gives us an extremely solid foundation to move forward and continue to build our program."
Alongside ESPN's No. 2 ranking, the 2017 group is also currently ranked third by Scout and third by Rivals.com making it the highest-ranked class since Romar arrived on campus in 2002-03. Washington brought in the No. 6 class in 2015, the No. 18 class in 2016 including five-star standout Markelle Fultz, and now the No. 2 class. The versatile 2017 group includes two shooting guards, one point guard, one small forward and one power forward.
Porter Jr., is a five-star 6-9, 210 lb., small forward originally from Columbia, Mo., that currently plays here in Seattle. Porter Jr., is ranked second overall by ESPN and fifth by Scout along with being named No. 1 small forward in the class by both organizations. Porter comes to UW with extensive experience playing on a variety of national teams. He was a member of Team USA's U18 FIBA Americas Championship team alongside current Husky Markelle Fultz and averaged a team-best 15.8 ppg along with 5.6 rpg and 2.4 apg over the five games. He was also a member of the 2015-16 USA Men's Junior National team alongside Davis and Nowell. Following the 2016 season, he was a USA Today All-USA third team selection after leading Father Tolton Catholic HS to the Missouri Class 3 State championship and averaging 28.5 points per game as a junior. During the 2016 summer, Porter Jr., finished second on the EYBL circuit in scoring (22.8 ppg) and fifth in rebounding (10.9 rpg). He also led Mokan Elite to the Peach Jam Championship scoring 25 points in the semifinals and 33 in the title game. Porter Jr., now plays for Nathan Hale.
"Michael Porter Jr., is the type of player that doesn't come around very often," said Romar. "It's a once in a while situation where you're able to get a player with his size and his skill set. He's just an elite, elite talent. His versatility speaks for itself. At 6-9, he has a phenomenal jump shot but is also able to put the ball on the floor and make plays for himself and others. He's a good rebounder, has a high basketball IQ and is just the whole package."
Davis, a four-star 6-3, 175 lb., guard, has been a figure on the Seattle basketball scene since he started high school and will come to UW as the No. 43 player (ESPN) overall in the class of 2017. He comes in at 45th according to Scout and is the No. 10 shooting guard in the country. Davis was one of 18 finalists for the 2016 USA Basketball U17 World Championship team and was a member of the 2015-16 USA Men's Junior National team. Additionally he was named to the WIAA State Tournament second team as a sophomore at Lakeside HS, where he averaged 20.1 ppg, 11.0 rpg and 3.3 apg leading the Lions to a fourth-place finish at the WIAA state tournament. Davis transferred to Garfield as a junior where he joined fellow signee Nowell and averaged 11 ppg, 5.0 rpg and 3.3 apg as Garfield went on to finish third at the WIAA 3A state tournament. Additionally, Davis averaged 12.8 points and 3.6 rebounds per game for Seattle Rotary on the Nike EYBL circuit this past spring and summer, shooting 39 percent from 3-point range.
"Daejon is another local kid that we've been recruiting for a while," said Romar. "He will be one of the few freshmen that come in from day one with the understanding of how to play defense at this level. He is a very versatile guard offensively and defensively that plays with a high motor and is also leader and proven winner."
Nowell, a four-star 6-5, 190 lb., guard, also hails from Seattle and spent his high school career at Garfield. He has also been an active member with Team USA Basketball earning the gold medal at the 2015 FIBA Americas U16 Championship. He was also a member of the 2016 USA U17 World Championship training camp and was part of the 2015-16 USA Men's Junior National team. As a junior at Garfield, he led the stacked team with 17.4 ppg and added 4.1 rpg and 2.4 apg en route to earning USA Today All-Washington second-team honors. He also led the team as a sophomore putting up 23.5 ppg and 6.1 rpg in 29 outings helping Garfield win the Class 3A KingCo Championship. He was named to the AP All-Washington Class 3A first team, the Seattle Times All-Metro second team and the USA Today All-Western Washington second team following that season.
"Jaylen really knows how to score the basketball and will become a really good defender as well," said Romar. "We've been watching him for a long time and he just really understands the game and like I said, can really score the ball. We've been successful at placing emphasis and keeping the top local talent here. Jaylen is another example of that. He's a very good basketball player that will impact our program in a positive way. He's another proven winner having won multiple state championships and we're excited for him join us."
Harris, a four-star 6-3 point guard will join the Huskies from Chapel Hill, N.C. where he attends Word of God Christian Academy. The guard, who is is the No. 3 player in the state of North Carolina, played for Team CP3 during this summer's Nike EYBL circuit and had his most impressive showing during the Peach Jam where he put up 16 points against Houston hoops followed by 10 against The RENS (NY) en route to averaging 7.0 ppg and 3.2 rebounds over the five outings. Additionally, he averaged 3.2 assists during the summer EYBL circuit.
"Blake is probably as fast of a guy with the ball that we've had play for us in a long time," said Romar. "Blake is an elite passer and we believe one of the most underrated point guards in the country. Because of his ability to pass, guys love playing with him. He's the type of passer that can deliver the ball to you even when you don't know you're open. He has such quick feet and is such a high level athlete that he will also allow us to apply ball pressure up top at the standard that we expect."
Diarra is a 6-9 power forward with a 7-2 wingspan that originally hails from Mali in West Africa. He'll come to Seattle after spending time at both Saint Louis Christian in Missouri and 22 FT Academy in South Carolina. Diarra was one of just nine African born players invited to the NBA's prestigious Basketball Without Borders Camp and is widely known as a skilled shot blocker who attacks the rim.
"At 6-9 with a 7-2 wingspan, Mamoudou Diarra is very skilled and plays with a high motor," said Romar. "Even though he is probably the most under the radar signee of the five, he still has a tremendous upside. He can guard multiple positions. He can score the ball but yet at 6-9 he is skilled enough to make plays for others. He is a real competitor that we think will become a huge fan favorite in Husky nation both on and off the court."
Players Mentioned
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