Tag: George Washington III

Michigan basketball loses a player to the transfer portal — again

The court general has marched back into the portal for a second time this offseason.

Snip-snap, snip-snap! Into the portal a player goes, out he comes, and back in he goes once again.

Such is the case for Michigan basketball sophomore guard George Washington III, who decided after Juwan Howard was fired that it was time to put his name out there and figure out his options. Fair. But Washington was intrigued by new head coach Dusty May, even attending his introductory press conference last month. It took a few weeks, but Washington rescinded his earlier invocation of ‘to the portal!’ and made the decision to return to Ann Arbor for another year.

But, weeks after that, as May has continued to build out his team through recruiting and, yes, the transfer portal, Washington decided to get back in that thing. Per 247Sports’ Matt Zenitz, Washington is back in the portal once again.

The transfer portal is open just one more day and closes on May 1. It had appeared earlier on Monday that Dusty May had his team essentially set with the addition of transfer center Vlad Goldin, who took the final scholarship roster spot. But with Washington not in the fold (again), May can look again, either via recruiting (former commit Khani Rooths is still available) or to the portal.

Michigan basketball lands a four-star guard for the class of 2023

Lets’ go!

Michigan basketball received its second verbal commitment for the class of 2023.

Once a former Ohio State commit, George Washington III announced his decision to play for Juwan Howard and Michigan on Tuesday morning.

The Dayton (Ohio) Chaminade Julienne Catholic High School guard chose Michigan over Wake Forest, Dayton, Louisville, and others.

According to 247Sports Composite, he is the 76th-ranked prospect in the class of ’23. The 6-foot-2 guard is listed as the ninth-ranked shooting guard and the second-ranked prospect in Ohio.

Washington III did an interview with Joe Tipton of On3. When asked what Michigan will be getting from him, he said the following:

“I believe that they are getting the best guard in the ‘23 class,” he says. “A guard that can shoot it from anywhere on the court and will handle and run the team. A guard that also can take it all the way to the rim and play above the rim. I’m someone that stays in the gym and is focused on my development and winning games.”

On3’s Jame Shaw, who is a recruiting analyst gave a breakdown of Washington III’s game.

George Washington, III is a score-first lead guard. He is very confident in his ability to shoot the ball, and he does have range that extends beyond the three-point arc. Questions arise about his lack of athleticism and length. Can he consistently get to his shot effectively? Washington’s mechanics do not change whether shooting off the catch or off the dribble, and when given a clean look, he can knock it down. How well does Washington see the floor? He averaged 1 assist to 2 TOs during Peach Jam this summer. Also, given his lack of size and athletics, there are defensive questions at the highest level. Washington averaged close to 24 points last high school season. His dad is a women’s basketball coach at Dayton.

Washington III is now the second commitment for Michigan for 2023. He joins center Papa Kante.

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Ohio State basketball loses one recruit, reaffirms offer to Bronny James

What do you think Buckeye Nation… Is Bronny James coming to Ohio State? #GoBucks

In a week that has been all about Ohio State football, the basketball team had some big things happening as well. Some of the news positive, some not so much. Let’s start with the negative first.

The No. 2 player in Ohio, George Washington III, decommitted from the Buckeyes earlier this week. Washington was one of the first in the 2023 class to commit to coach Chris Holtmann doing so way back in November of 2021. The four-star prospect is originally from Louisville, Kentucky but currently resides in Dayton.

The change of heart for Washington seemed to come after Ohio State hosted LeBron James and his son Bronny James this past weekend during the Notre Dame game.  The coaching staff reaffirmed the scholarship offer to James and by all accounts, Bronny enjoyed his time in Columbus.

LeBron’s love for all things Buckeyes is no secret. Will King James help sway his firstborn to the scarlet and gray? My gut says the elder James will allow his son to carve his own path and make his own choices, but it can’t hurt that dad is such a die-hard OSU fan.

James is listed as the No. 10 combo guard and No. 41 overall player in the country according to 247Sports composite rankings. Ohio State currently sits with the No. 9 recruiting class for 2022, even with losing Washington’s commitment. Adding Bronny James would only move the Buckeyes up in the rankings adding to what is an already strong class.

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Ohio State basketball 2023 recruiting commitment tracker

Keeping track of the Ohio State basketball class of 2023, updated if there are any changes. #GoBucks

Sure, Ohio State is known as a football school, but the Buckeyes do play a little hoops on the banks of the Olentangy and have had some pretty historic seasons over the years.

Former head coach Thad Matta ushered in the pinnacle of the OSU basketball period before things began to slip, and now Chris Holtmann is trying to get things back at that same level. To do so, the Ohio State staff will have to recruit at a higher level than what we saw over the last few years. And while Holtmann and company have had their fair share of recruiting wins, including a top ten class for 2022, it has to be sustainable.

Welcome then to the 2023 class that has the potential to be one of the best classes the Buckeye program has hauled in in a very, very long time.

To keep track of it all, we’re giving you our Ohio State basketball 2023 recruiting commitment tracker so that you can be in step with what the next batch of OSU cagers look like. As it stands right now, it’s a phenomenal class. We’ll update it if there are any changes, but for now, here are all four members of the 2023 class that have given their verbal commitment.

Ohio State hoops lands first commitment for 2023 class

BOOM! Ohio State hoops has landed its first commitment for the 2023 class. #GoBucks

If you are just getting around to the news cycle today, we’re here to tell you that the Ohio State basketball team landed its first commitment for the 2023 class.

Combo-guard, George Washington III out of the Christian Academy in Louisville, Kentucky announced his decision Wednesday morning on his Twitter account. At A 6-foot-2, 165-pounds, Washington III is ranked as the No. 9 combo guard and 50th overall prospect in the 2023 class according to the 247Sports Composite Rankings.

With the commitment, head coach Chris Holtmann continues his ability to land some of the top guards coming out of each class. It’s another four-star recruit that should be able to make an immediate impact once he gets into the program.

We’ll continue to keep an eye on what Holtmann and company are doing on the recruiting trail, because these things tend to creep up on everyone more than football commitments.

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