There are more than just a reason or two as to why Arizona State was greatly appealing for Nevada center transfer Warren Washington. Yet, perhaps the proverbial X-factor for the 7-foot frontcourt player, who signed with Oregon State out of high school, is to prove to himself and others that he could be an impact player in the Pac-12.
“Oregon State was my first year of college basketball,” Washington recalled. “I was young, and it was way different from high school. You know how that goes. I didn’t have the best year that I wanted to have as a true freshman. So I redshirted, spent a few years at Nevada, and I'm blessed for having been there because they've helped me so much and developed me into such a better player.
“Now, I'm ready to just come back into the league and wreak havoc. I can't wait. I feel like there's no better way to finish my career here. I gotta finish what I started.”
Following a 2021-22 campaign with the Wolf Pack where he averaged 10.5 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks(as well as 23.8 minutes), along with his seven-foot frame, it was no wonder that aside from ASU, Washington was heavily pursued by Marquette, Notre Dame, and Texas A&M among others. This wasn't a recruiting process that was expected to end so quickly, with the center’s first official visit, which took place at Arizona State over the last 24 hours.
“I was really looking at everybody, and it (recruiting process) was pretty close,” Washington admitted. “But as soon as I got on campus for my visit, and coaches gave me the blueprint and the plan on how they want to use me in this program and what they want to do for me…I had to take their offer because it just felt like home.
“For me, it's just more opportunity because I feel like that they're gonna expand my game. They're gonna put me in situations where I can be more of a playmaker, and where I'll be most effective, put me places where I'm most effective. They’re not just gonna have me rim run and dunk, but just do other things on the floor.”
Washington started in 20 of 22 games for Nevada (was injured for the other nine contests) and shot 60.8 percent from the field. He fills the significant void created by the transfer of forward Jalen Graham, who earned second-team All-Pac-12 honors last season and who has recently joined Arkansas, which is naturally an aspect that the ASU staff highlighted when pursuing the former Nevada center.
“Everybody knows I'm a big presence on the defensive and offensive end,” Washington said. “I can change shots, I can run the floor, and I can defend one through five. Those were definitely the things that the coaches liked about my game. But like I said, as far as just expanding my game and putting me in a system where I'm consistently able to be a playmaker is what really made me like this (ASU) situation in general.
“I like their run and gun type of offense. I really like how coach Hurley adapts to the players that are on the roster; He's gonna put you in the right system and in the right situations. He's gonna change and adapt to your game. So I really liked that part about him. Having a run and gun offensive scheme and having shooters all around so it makes our job even easier.”
The overall familiarity with ASU does exist on a personal level for the newest Sun Devil. He was born some 15 miles away from the Tempe campus in Gilbert and lived there until he was five years old before he moved to the San Diego area, where he prepped at Mission Hills High School in San Marcos, Calif. Not only did Washington’s mother attend Arizona State, but his grandma lives a short drive from his new college home in Scottsdale, which was another appealing reason for his commitment since she can now attend his home games. Washington called the Valley of the Sun: “A second home for me. I have a lot of family up here.”
Yet, it’s no secret that when Washington entered the transfer portal just weeks after his roommate and former Nevada guard Desmond Cambridge committed to Arizona State, that ASU would be in the thick of the race for the center’s services.
“Of course, he (Cambridge) played a role in it,” Washington remarked. “You know how it goes with transferring. You got to pick up the chemistry and figure out how guys play, who they are, and all that type of stuff. So I know Des is, I know what he's about, and I know what he wants to do. I know his brother (former Auburn Forward Devan Cambridge, who also committed to ASU), and I know what they're about. So I felt like this just made the situation a lot easier for me to come into and get straight to work because there are already two guys that I know of on the team.
“Desmond let me go through the process. He really wasn't harassing me about it. He didn't want to be my ear every day. We know each other very well because I came in with Desmond. he just gave me free to roam and at times, we know, go through my process. I wouldn’t say that he recruited me, but just him being there is definitely an advantage.”
Washington’s Tempe trip, which ended earlier today, showed him an appealing “aura” around the program, which he confessed was the most pleasant surprise of his visit.
“As soon as I got around the team and the coaches, I liked their energy,” Washington explained. “I felt like they have a group of guys that has a lot of momentum going into the offseason; they figured things out and know what they want to do with this year. I actually feel that we can have a big year and make a big run. I talked to (current ASU guard) DJ Horne on my visit, and the first thing he talked about was just how he wants to win, and we had a great conversation. He was telling me how he feels like this group of guys are all on that same page. That was a big factor for me.”
Washington joins ASU as a grad transfer who has two years of eligibility left and, along with the Cambridge brothers, is the third transfer player to join the Sun Devils. The seven-footer’s addition bulks up ASU's frontcourt, which has returning players 6-9 senior Alonzo Gaffney, 6-10 sophomore Enoch Boakye, walk-on senior, and 6-10 forward John Olmsted, as well as incoming freshman and local 6-10 player Duke Brennan.
Arizona State now has one scholarship left to fill prior to the 2022-23 season. It remains to be seen which position ASU will look to target nor if they would look to land a newcomer in the spring or perhaps in the summer.
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