UW Signee Jackson Grant Named McDonald's All-American
The University of Washington basketball team badly lacks frontline scoring, which puts undue pressure on its guard-oriented lineup to compensate and has outsiders wondering how the Huskies intend to fix this.
If nothing else, Jackson Grant has burgeoning credentials that suggest he might be of significant help next season.
On Tuesday, the 6-foot-10 Olympia High School forward was selected as a McDonald's All-American — the ninth Husky basketball player to receive this prestigious honor, signifying him as one of the nation's best.
Unfortunately for Grant, he won't participate in the McDonald's all-star game, which has been canceled for a second consecutive year because of the global pandemic.
As a junior at Olympia High, Grant averaged 17 points and 11 rebounds per game, both areas that need to be rectified by the Huskies for the 2021-22 season.
Currently for the UW, 6-foot-9 senior starter Hameir Wright averages a modest 5.6 points and 4.2 rebounds per game, and 6-11 sophomore starter Nate Roberts chips in 5.2 and 5.7 points per game, respectively.
Grant has been a steady AAU and national-team player. He plays for the Washington Supreme. For USA Basketball, he took part in the men's junior national team camp and minicamp in 2019.
Previous players who came to the UW program with McDonald's All-American honors include Jaden McDaniels and Isaiah Stewart (2019); Quade Green (2017); Markelle Fultz (2016); Nigel Williams-Goss (2013); Abdul Gaddy (2009), Spencer Hawes (2006) and Jon Brockman (2005).
Follow Dan Raley of Husky Maven on Twitter: @DanRaley1 and @HuskyMaven
Find Husky Maven on Facebook by searching: HuskyMaven/Sports Illustrated
