Today, as was speculated but not entirely expected, Terrence Jones signed with the University of Washington. After an offseason filled with the loss of an alltime great like Quincy Pondexter (something I never expected to say a year and a half ago) and the transfer of some promising young players, it's great to see UW end the recruiting season strong.
For the record, this gives UW the 13th ranked player in the class who has an eerily similar skill set to Quincy, two highly-thought-of four star recruits in Terrence Ross and the behemoth that is Aziz N'Diaye, and a nice guard prospect who is probably the exact same person as Scott Suggs in Desmond Simmons. All this on top of C.J. Wilcox coming off his redshirt year and being hyped as the best shooter on the club.
I know I say this to anyone within ten feet of me, but Lorenzo Romar is amazing. The man has taken a program which hadn't had any sustained success in an area just beginning to blossom with basketball talent and has turned it into a perennial Sweet Sixteen club. The fact that I can be a little annoyed that UW hasn't made it to the Elite Eight or higher yet is a testament to just how great Romar has done.
Certainly, Romar has his problems, as does any coach. Yes, the graduation rate the last few years at UW has been embarassing to say the least, though much of this can be attributed to transfers and Spencer Hawes' dumb ass. Indeed, some players have come back after their eligibility expired and gotten their degrees, something else not noted in the pure numbers of it all.
Romar has been the perfect man for the Huskies, not just in his coaching but in his active role in the community and mentorship with the young men not only on his team but throughout Seattle basketball. While I originally intended this post to be all about Terrence Jones, I can't help but reflect on just what UW has become and how Romar has done it. Kudos to a magnificent coach on another fine offseason.
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