Husky basketball team lands one of the nation’s top recruits
Published 1:30 am Wednesday, April 17, 2019
SEATTLE — Isaiah Stewart, one of the top basketball recruits in the country, signed an NCAA letter of intent with the University of Washington on Wednesday.
The five-star forward joins RaeQuan Battle, a four-star guard from Marysville Pilchuck High School, and Marcus Tsohonis, a three-star guard from Portland, Oregon, in the Huskies’ 2019-20 recruiting class.
“We’re so happy to welcome Isaiah to the Husky family and ready to have him in purple and gold,” UW coach Mike Hopkins said in a press release. “He is a dynamic player who has an unrelenting work ethic that fits exactly what we are trying to build here at Washington. He’s a difference maker not only on the court but as a leader, a worker and a person. He’s going to be a great teammate and he’s a proven winner. We’re excited for him to join this class and know he is going to be a great representative for Husky nation.”
Stewart, 6-foot-9 and 245 pounds, is the No. 4 prospect in the nation according to ESPN. He’s the highest-rated recruit in UW history, surpassing guard Markelle Fultz, who was ranked No. 7.
NBAdraft.net projects Stewart as the No. 4 pick in the 2020 NBA draft.
Stewart, a Rochester, New York, native who played at La Lumiere School in La Porte, Indiana, declined scholarship offers from Duke, Michigan State, Kentucky and Syracuse.
“I’m different,” Stewart told the Seattle Times last week. “I’m a different dude from the other kids in my class. I don’t get caught up in the blue-blood stuff. I’m a loyal dude. I’m about relationships. That’s just how I am and how I was raised.”
Stewart was named a 2019 McDonald’s All-American, won the 2019 Naismith High School Player of the Year award, earned a spot at the Jordan Brand Classic and has been active in USA Basketball, most recently competing at the Nike Hoop Summit in Portland, Oregon. He also was a member of the 2018 U-17 FIBA World Cup Team that won the gold medal a year ago for USA Basketball.
