On process… I think what made me feel like now was just I always said that I would commit early if I felt just a fit. And that’s really how I felt at UDub after seeing Wisconsin and seeing Stanford, and being able to compare them directly to UDub I really just saw how I fit in there with the coaching staff and everybody. It just felt right.
On the fit at Washington… I think it’s mostly just the coaching staff. Coach Hop just brings a ton of energy. He has a lot of experience and what he’s done with the program is just crazy. How he’s been able to turn it around in two years. And a lot of the assistant coaches have a ton of experience, too, with being head coaches. Coach (Dave) Rice has been a head coach at UNLV. Coach (Will) Conroy played in the NBA. So just the staff is really experienced and they seem really invested in the team.
On Conroy… I think that’s really cool. That really helps, too. Knowing how UW takes care of their people after the NBA and everything. Coach Conroy played there (at UW) and then played in the NBA in LA, and now he’s back coaching. Just to have that connection of someone that went through it and went through the path that I’m hoping to take. Through college and to the NBA it’s cool to have him to help me through that.
On Hopkins… Probably when I was up at a practice and I was about to leave. He was talking about how much he wanted me and he got down on the ground and just like grabbed my legs. ‘if I have to do this to get you to say that’s what I’m going to do’ and it was just wild. I never thought of a coach, a grown man doing that before. But it wasn’t like weird, it was cool. I didn’t think it was weird. It was cool. I just never thought of a grown man doing that before.
On explaining Hop from a recruits’ point of view… I think he’s just really himself. He just acts like himself. He doesn’t act different around anybody or recruits. He doesn’t try to fake and make anything seem different than it is. He just gives you the real. What he says is what you’re going to get and I think that’s really cool.
On Washington being the second school to offer him… I think that was really cool just to see that my hometown school was interested that early. That was cool to see. But it really didn’t play that big of a role other than just showing that interest early and getting able to build that relationship for a long time. As opposed to some other schools that got in late were I couldn’t but the relationship as long.
On other schools that showed interest… Colorado hadn’t offered but visited their campus and met with their coach a lot. UCLA hadn’t offered but they had been pretty interested. West Virginia had been sending me mail every day but hadn’t offered. Baylor was really interested. But I hadn’t even talked to a lot of those coaches on the phone. They were interested but I didn’t feel they were building the relationship as well as some of the other coaches.
On Grant’s role as a recruiter… I think I’ll play a decent sized role. But I’m not going to be like ‘come to UW it’s the best’ like I’m going to let people make their own decisions. But obviously I want to help bring the best class I can bring in around me so we have the best chance at winning a national championship, which is obviously the goal.
On the Washington-Baylor game… Watching the game was really cool because I could see how Hop really, this is kind of the first year he’s really had his recruits and how he really let them work together and play well. For them to beat a top 25 with that many young guys was really cool. That just kind of solidified my decision. I’d actually committed Wednesday night. So I had already committed by the time that game came on. But that just kind of solidified my decision.
On the commitment… I actually called him. So they just landed in Alaska when I called so I called him and told him. He was super excited. He… I don’t even know. He was over the moon. Just excited. I couldn’t see his reaction in person. Holy mackerel. He was trying to contain his excitement because he didn’t want the coaching staff to know.
On his game… I’d say my game is pretty dynamic. I can play inside-out. Stretch the floor. Shoot it. Play inside. I hustle so I play hard, I get rebounds and I really like playing defense. So blocking shots and just helping my team whatever way I can.
On the fit at Washington… I think it’s mostly just the coaching staff. Coach Hop just brings a ton of energy. He has a lot of experience and what he’s done with the program is just crazy. How he’s been able to turn it around in two years. And a lot of the assistant coaches have a ton of experience, too, with being head coaches. Coach (Dave) Rice has been a head coach at UNLV. Coach (Will) Conroy played in the NBA. So just the staff is really experienced and they seem really invested in the team.
On Conroy… I think that’s really cool. That really helps, too. Knowing how UW takes care of their people after the NBA and everything. Coach Conroy played there (at UW) and then played in the NBA in LA, and now he’s back coaching. Just to have that connection of someone that went through it and went through the path that I’m hoping to take. Through college and to the NBA it’s cool to have him to help me through that.
On Hopkins… Probably when I was up at a practice and I was about to leave. He was talking about how much he wanted me and he got down on the ground and just like grabbed my legs. ‘if I have to do this to get you to say that’s what I’m going to do’ and it was just wild. I never thought of a coach, a grown man doing that before. But it wasn’t like weird, it was cool. I didn’t think it was weird. It was cool. I just never thought of a grown man doing that before.
On explaining Hop from a recruits’ point of view… I think he’s just really himself. He just acts like himself. He doesn’t act different around anybody or recruits. He doesn’t try to fake and make anything seem different than it is. He just gives you the real. What he says is what you’re going to get and I think that’s really cool.
On Washington being the second school to offer him… I think that was really cool just to see that my hometown school was interested that early. That was cool to see. But it really didn’t play that big of a role other than just showing that interest early and getting able to build that relationship for a long time. As opposed to some other schools that got in late were I couldn’t but the relationship as long.
On other schools that showed interest… Colorado hadn’t offered but visited their campus and met with their coach a lot. UCLA hadn’t offered but they had been pretty interested. West Virginia had been sending me mail every day but hadn’t offered. Baylor was really interested. But I hadn’t even talked to a lot of those coaches on the phone. They were interested but I didn’t feel they were building the relationship as well as some of the other coaches.
On Grant’s role as a recruiter… I think I’ll play a decent sized role. But I’m not going to be like ‘come to UW it’s the best’ like I’m going to let people make their own decisions. But obviously I want to help bring the best class I can bring in around me so we have the best chance at winning a national championship, which is obviously the goal.
On the Washington-Baylor game… Watching the game was really cool because I could see how Hop really, this is kind of the first year he’s really had his recruits and how he really let them work together and play well. For them to beat a top 25 with that many young guys was really cool. That just kind of solidified my decision. I’d actually committed Wednesday night. So I had already committed by the time that game came on. But that just kind of solidified my decision.
On the commitment… I actually called him. So they just landed in Alaska when I called so I called him and told him. He was super excited. He… I don’t even know. He was over the moon. Just excited. I couldn’t see his reaction in person. Holy mackerel. He was trying to contain his excitement because he didn’t want the coaching staff to know.
On his game… I’d say my game is pretty dynamic. I can play inside-out. Stretch the floor. Shoot it. Play inside. I hustle so I play hard, I get rebounds and I really like playing defense. So blocking shots and just helping my team whatever way I can.
