Markelle Fultz commits to Washington
Fultz, a 6-foot-5 shooting guard, made his announcement from the site of the Elite 24 event in Brooklyn, New York, choosing Lorenzo Romar’s Huskies over Arizona and Louisville.
He was clear on why he decided to go west.
“The main reason I am going to Washington is my connection with Coach Romar,” said Fultz, a standout at DeMatha Catholic in Hyattsville, Maryland. “I trust his plan for me, I feel like I fit into their system, and I know he can help me develop my game. He has coached guys that have made it to the NBA, and that’s where I want to be someday.”
Fultz is coming off a tremendous junior season in which he averaged 16.5 points per game and won Washington Catholic Athletic Conference player of the year honors. His rise was meteoric — just one season after he played on the junior varsity team, he was a nationally ranked recruit.
“Playing junior varsity really helped me develop my skills and confidence in the game, and it also made me humble,” he said.
A native of Upper Marlboro, Maryland, Fultz also cited his relationship with UW assistant coach Raphael Chillious, a native of Olney, Maryland, as a factor in his decision.
“I am so close to Coach Chillious that we don’t even talk about basketball,” Fultz said.
Fultz will join 6-10 New Zealand big man Sam Timmins in Washington’s Class of 2016. Romar’s eight-man 2015 recruiting class — which included ESPN 100 players Dejounte Murray (No. 49), Noah Dickerson (No. 52) and Marquese Chriss (No. 60) — was rated the nation’s No. 8 group.