Visit to UD helps convince Georgia recruit to pick Flyers

That decision instead came Monday night at 8:24 p.m. — 8 and 24 were the late NBA great Kobe Bryant’s numbers — when Washington joined DaRon Holmes, who committed on Saturday, and Malachi Smith, who made his choice in August, in Dayton’s 2021 recruiting class. He announced his verbal commitment on Instagram and Twitter.

In a three-day span, Dayton added two top-100 recruits during a year that has upended the recruiting process. Unlike Holmes, the nation’s No. 36 recruit in the 2021 class, according to Rivals.com, Washington did get to see Dayton, but both did all their talking with the coaches by phone or Zoom calls.

“Being on campus and touring the campus, seeing it was big enough but small, it was all great for him,” Thompson said. “Him being able to see first-hand UD Arena and all the stuff that comes along with it, it helped him.”

Thompson joined Washington on the tour along with Washington’s mom, LeeClois Bolar, and Wheeler assistant coach Darnell Shepherd. Washington was allowed to speak to two Dayton players, Rodney Chatman and Ibi Watson, outside the Cronin Center.

Washington chose Dayton over Arkansas and the University of Miami, Thompson said. Those were his final three schools, and Dayton was the only one he got to visit. He originally narrowed his list to 11 schools on Sept. 5. That group also included: Virginia Tech; Wake Forest; Cincinnati; Missouri; Georgia Tech; Georgia; Iowa State; and San Diego State. All those schools saw a prospect with unlimited potential. The sky’s the limit, Thompson said.

“Kaleb has a knack for getting to his spot,” Thompson said. “He has a really good pull-up jump shot. He runs the floor really well. He can finish in transition. He’s a guy that can step right in and continue to develop. With his long length, he can guard multiple positions. He’s going to continue to get stronger. Most 17 to 18-year-olds do. The thing he does well is get to his spot for his mid-range pull-up game. He uses that frame to elevate over people and knock down shots. He’ll fit in well as soon as he learns that offense.”

Washington attended Pebblebrook High School in Mableton, Ga., until transferring this year 16 miles away to Wheeler High School in Marietta. Wheeler is a powerhouse in Georgia and won its seventh state championship in March. Thompson said Washington will be pushed every day in practice at Wheeler and will be better prepared for the next level.

Wheeler started practice Monday. Washington knows many of his new teammates well from having played with them with Game Elite, an AAU team in Georgia.

Chris Williams has coached Washington since he was in ninth grade with Game Elite and said he’s a great player and great kid on and off the court.

“He’s just tapping into the real player he’s going to be when it’s all said and done,” Williams said. “The body’s still developing. He’s still growing. He’s very humble. At his height, he can put it on the floor and play above the rim. He’s got a nice pull-up jump shot. He’s an all-around team player. He always looks to make the guys around him better.”

Dayton entered the recruiting process later than some schools, offering Washington a scholarship in July, though Williams said Dayton, with Darren Hertz the lead assistant in the process, started recruiting him before that.

Washington is a four-star recruit who ranks 90th in the class of 2021, according to Rivals.com. He ranks 89th in the 247Sports.com rankings.

Assuming Dayton doesn’t fill the one open scholarship in the 2020-21 season, it has two open for the 2021-22 season. Rafael Castro and Duncan Powell are among the other 2021 recruits who could still choose Dayton. Of course, Dayton coaches often leave a scholarship open to allow for flexibility in recruiting, so there’s no guarantee they will fill all the scholarships.

Washington brings even more versatility to a future roster full of height. Nine of the players expected to be on the 2021-22 roster are 6-5 or taller: Lukas Frazier (6-5); R.J. Blakney (6-6); Elijah Weaver (6-6); Koby Brea (6-6); Zimi Nwokeji (6-7); Washington (6-7); Holmes (6-8); Chase Johnson (6-9); and Moulaye Sissoko (6-9). The other players would be Dwayne Cohill (6-2) and Smith (6-0). All eleven of those players could also return for the 2022-23 season.

There’s also a chance one or more of the current seniors — Watson, Chatman, Jalen Crutcher and Jordy Tshimanga — could return next season because this season won’t count against their eligibility.

Whatever Dayton’s roster looks like a year from now, Washington’s coaches believe he’ll fit in well.

“He’s a well-rounded kid,” Thompson said. “He’s going to have a great senior year. Hopefully, everything is back to normal, and as soon as school is out, he’ll get up to Dayton and get started with the learning process.”