Sun Devils Bolster Paint Presence with Washington Transfer

Warren Washington provides the Sun Devils with another strong presence in the paint.

Author:
Donnie Druin
Publish date:
Apr 20, 2022 12:20 PM EDT

Arizona State's departures on the hardwood are sure to leave an impact.

Guard Marreon Jackson used up the last year of his eligibility at ASU, while Sun Devils forwards Kimani Lawrence and Jalen Graham (transfer portal) leave head coach Bobby Hurley with some considerable holes to fill.

Arizona State welcomed the transfers of brothers Devan and Desmond Cambridge at the beginning of April, and are excited to have incoming freshman guard Austin Nunez in Tempe next fall.

The Sun Devils also received reinforcement in the paint with Nevada forward Warren Washington committing to the program.

Washington will arrive and immediately become the tallest player on the roster, as he stands at 7-foot and weighs 225 pounds.

John Olmstead, Chase Courtney and Enoch Boakye are just behind Washington at 6-foot-10.

Washington, who has two years of eligibility remaining, initially began his career at Oregon State prior to joining Nevada in 2019.

Last season, he played an average of 23.8 minutes while adding 10.5 points and 6.6 rebounds per contest. Washington's numbers last season immediately sees him slide in as Arizona State's best scoring big, while also possessing the best rebounding numbers on the team.

Perhaps an underrated part of Washington's game is his free-throw shooting, something Arizona State struggled with last season. His 73.2% conversion from the stripe ranked higher than ASU's team average of 66.1%.

Washington has strong footwork around the rim, often times posting up defenders with his back to the basket before creating space by forcing the defender to move one way and quickly spinning to the opposite side of the basket.

His 20-point game against South Dakota State last year can be found here:

Washington is also long enough to create mismatch problems down low, and offers serious alley-oop potential along with Cambridge and Boakye in ASU's frontcourt.

According to FanDuel's Jon Rothstein, Washington visited Arizona State on Monday and Tuesday before committing. He was also slated to visit Marquette, Notre Dame, and Texas A&M before he decided on ASU.

Arizona State strengthened its scoring prowess down low with Washington now in the mix, as he figures to be a consistent presence in Hurley's lineup next season.

In games where the Sun Devils are required to stack big bodies on the court, opposing teams will have difficulty finding success in the paint with the likes of Washington and Boakye patrolling the rim.

Guards have been prominent for Arizona State in recent memory, as the Sun Devils have sought dominant players at the forward and center positions to create a true balance to their offense.

Washington's commitment edges them even closer to their goal. With considerable depth at the four- and five-spot on the floor, Hurley now has the luxury of having bonafide rebounders on the court at nearly every whistle.

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