2016 five-star shooting guard Markelle Fultz commits to Washington

Waves of offers rolled in soon after, as Fultz, who has room to grow into his 6-foot-5, 180-pound frame, shined on the AAU circuit.

Markelle Fultz defends during a game against O’Connell in January. Fultz was atop their wish list from the beginning and although they were perceived as a dark horse until very recently, the Huskies continued to build in-roads at each and every step.

Like Russell, Fultz has plans to be a one-and-done if it works out in his favor.

Fultz took official visits to Arizona, Louisville and Washington earlier this month, starting with Louisville before the Cardinals left for their exhibition series in Puerto Rico. Of those three programs, Washington has the weakest recent on-court track record, with zero NCAA tournament appearances since ’11 plus 11th- and ninth-place Pac-12 finishes the last two years.

Another goal Fultz hopes to accomplish during his stint in college is to “go down there and make a new name for myself and let everybody know I’m one of the best players in the country”. Williams-Goss gave Washington 15.6 points, 4.7 rebounds and 5.9 assists per game in his freshman season, but struggled from beyond the arc.

“My relationship with (Romar) is unbelievable”, Fultz said on the ESPNU telecast. What should Washington fans expect from Fultz? Though he doesn’t possess eye-popping athleticism, Fultz is adept at rocking defenders off balance and driving past them. He should be a starter on opening night for the Huskies.

Scout.com evaluates Fultz: “As a sophomore, Fultz played JV”. He projects well at that position in the National Basketball Association. 247 Sports ranks him No. 19.

The shooting guard, who is from Maryland’s famed DeMatha High School, shockingly picked the Huskies over current college basketball powers such as Kentucky, Arizona, Louisville, and Maryland. The most intriguing part of his recruitment, though, is that Kentucky never became a bigger player.

“He’s really talking to me about everything”, he said, “school and being smart in what I do”.