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  • Washington prepared for Kentucky, future

    By LARRY VAUGHT

    Sherry Washington is very proud of what her son, Kentucky signee P.J. Washington, has done to get himself in position to play at UK.

    “He set out and wrote his goals down, which is hard to get a teen-age boy to do. He has accomplished those goals. I was just telling him a few weeks ago that now I need you to make a new set of goals,” Sherry Washington said. “Obviously writing them down and having that vision makes you work harder. I don’t want him to think he has made it.”

    Sherry Washington, an assistant high school basketball coach in Las Vegas, tried to let her son and her husband — Paul who coached P.J. at Findlay Prep in Las Vegas -- weigh his college options.

    “I tried to stay out of it a lot. I let him and his dad do most of that. My biggest thing was that was it was his decision. He is the one who has to get out there and run and listen to the coach,” she said. “I know it was hard, but we really had to sit back and support him no matter what. But I am excited. I can’t wait for next year.”

    His father, a former college player, has worked with P.J. on a variety of things, including his perimeter shooting. But he has plenty of other skills to make him one of the most versatile players in the 2017 recruiting class. He led Findlay Prep, a national power, in scoring, rebounding and assists.

    “He has a 7-2 wingspan and is really a tough kid. He goes after those loose balls and once he gets it, you do not take it out of his hands,” Paul Washington said. “Put a taller kid on him and he goes by them. He leads our team in assists. He has really good court vision and instincts with the ball.”

    Because P.J. Washington did so much for his team, his father tried to make sure he did not wear him out and looked for ways to rest him.

    “He is the kind of kid that has a lot of energy, so we had to make sure we get him some rest. We had to strategically pick times to ease up. Toward the end of the season I would give him a couple of days at a time to sit out in practice and rest his body because he gives you so much when that ball goes up,” Paul Washington said.
    Comments 30 Comments
    1. KeithKSR's Avatar
      KeithKSR -
      Quote Originally Posted by Hoss View Post
      Not at all...he has nice shot, & has extended it to a very serviceable 3pt range.
      It's a nice looking stroke, should only get better as a collegian. Reminds me a bit of Jamal Mashburn.
    1. Edward100's Avatar
      Edward100 -
      Can't wait to see him in Blue.
    1. Doc's Avatar
      Doc -
      Quote Originally Posted by anderwt View Post
      I'm very curious to see him in action. Isn't one of his biggest strength rebounding??
      Yes, probably the best rebounder in the class. (or Bamba). Plus is physically tough but not a dirty tough. Tough like a Chuck Hayes type way, not Jamal Magloire way. Is my favorite player in this class. I had him in my top 10 for the class ranking last summer and never moved him out.
    1. Rock Hard Ten's Avatar
      Rock Hard Ten -
      Sounds like motor, motor, motor....we love motor, motor, motor
    1. Rock Hard Ten's Avatar
      Rock Hard Ten -
      Doc, I, like everyone on this Board, appreciate your perspectives on guys.. . Your candor is vital....most gurus soft sell the negatives....appreciate you leaving off the sugar coating
    1. BigBluePappy's Avatar
      BigBluePappy -
      Quote Originally Posted by Doc View Post
      Yes, probably the best rebounder in the class. (or Bamba). Plus is physically tough but not a dirty tough. Tough like a Chuck Hayes type way, not Jamal Magloire way. Is my favorite player in this class. I had him in my top 10 for the class ranking last summer and never moved him out.

      You had me at Chuck Hayes...
    1. jazyd's Avatar
      jazyd -
      Quote Originally Posted by Edward100 View Post
      Can't wait to see him in Blue.
      He may be starting by Jan 1
    1. Doc's Avatar
      Doc -
      Quote Originally Posted by Rock Hard Ten View Post
      Doc, I, like everyone on this Board, appreciate your perspectives on guys.. . Your candor is vital....most gurus soft sell the negatives....appreciate you leaving off the sugar coating
      No problem. I hope others enjoy reading my opinions as much as I enjoy sharing them.

      As for other gurus, what I notice is that most just read others and repeat. They come with a preconceived notion then watch looking to confirm what they already think without having seen the player. Others, the more noted ones, don't even watch the players, but rather have their underlings do it for them, then they barf out what they are told. I got tons of respect for the old school guys who do the work and scratch pad it. Love seeing guys like Brick Oettinger who shows up at the prelim rounds, sits in the bleachers and actually watches the games and takes notes. Me, I sit there and try to see how wrong the preconceived notions are because at least half the time they are. That's not to say I'm right all the time. Far from it. I actually enjoy when others see players differently from me because in the end I like saying "told you so" (vbg). Folks have different points they emphasize. Others have different reference points. I see a player in Orlando where he plays great and somebody else sees the same kid in VA and he plays terrible, thus we are going to have a very different opinion. That's why I try to see them several times at several locales. I also try to avoid highlight videos. Not to say those are bad, they have their value but they can definitely skew a player. They are great supplemental info but as a sole source, they are not good. Nobody makes a youtube of their missed shots and dunks (LOL). Better watching a youtube of an entire game, unedited. But the best is watching a kid live because you can see what the camera isn't forcing you to see. Granted, that isn't always possible, in fact its a luxury that few have. You can form your own opinion and its yours alone, and you can defend it....which is the fun part of it. Example...I said last year that Jaylen Brown was the top kid in the class, not Ben Simons. I still say that. I'd have taken Jaylen Brown as the top pick in the draft. I said that last year on draft day and I still think it today. Lots of folks don't agree but I'm fine with that and I can defend that. I love arguing over that because I don't think there is a good argument for Simons. His hype didn't match his performance. Same goes this year with Fultz if he goes number 1.
    1. Doc's Avatar
      Doc -
      Quote Originally Posted by jazyd View Post
      He may be starting by Jan 1
      He will be starting by Nov 4
    1. CitizenBBN's Avatar
      CitizenBBN -
      Honestly I put Doc's player evaluations above every national guy. In fact I put 2-3 people here above every national guy. As Doc said, most of them don't even watch a whole lot and they parrot a lot of what is out there, and they are more into selling their pitches than just reporting what they see objectively.

      I also think they tend to focus more on some ephemeral and hard to define "potential" than they do on "how will this kid perform in college". The guy who can windmill dunk is impressive, but the guy who just gets position on every shot and grabs every rebound and loose ball is usually far more valuable to winning.
    1. dan_bgblue's Avatar
      dan_bgblue -
      Doc, assuming Diallo returns, will/should Washington play more of a PF or SF position?
    1. Doc's Avatar
      Doc -
      Quote Originally Posted by CitizenBBN View Post
      Honestly I put Doc's player evaluations above every national guy. In fact I put 2-3 people here above every national guy. As Doc said, most of them don't even watch a whole lot and they parrot a lot of what is out there, and they are more into selling their pitches than just reporting what they see objectively.

      I also think they tend to focus more on some ephemeral and hard to define "potential" than they do on "how will this kid perform in college". The guy who can windmill dunk is impressive, but the guy who just gets position on every shot and grabs every rebound and loose ball is usually far more valuable to winning.
      They never risk it. They just don't think outside the box, and I get that. The ones who do are labelled idiots though. You see it when the RSCI rankings come out and one guy has somebody ranked way different than everybody else.

      Another thing is shooters are UNDERVALUED. Give me two players who average 20 pts a game. One is a flashy dunker and the other a shooter. The dunker will always be ranked higher. Shooters don't get the attention because they don't get the highlights that dunks do. Take Kyle Guy from last year. Not a "big name" recruit to most people but probably the best pure shooter in the class...ranked between 25-50, 4 or 5 stars depending on service. Why? Because he is a shooter, not a dunker. Not a lot of "highlight reels" of shooters.
    1. Doc's Avatar
      Doc -
      Quote Originally Posted by dan_bgblue View Post
      Doc, assuming Diallo returns, will/should Washington play more of a PF or SF position?
      He is a Power Forward. He needs to play under the basket. That is where he is most effective. He is a physical player. He likes to bang and play thru contact.
    1. dan_bgblue's Avatar
      dan_bgblue -
      Yes he is, but will Coach play him there? Just a speculative question as we all know he seems to like turning true power forwards into something else
    1. Doc's Avatar
      Doc -
      Quote Originally Posted by dan_bgblue View Post
      Yes he is, but will Coach play him there? Just a speculative question as we all know he seems to like turning true power forwards into something else
      Can't answer that....... but then we are positionless whatever the hell that is......

      Our roster FINALLY has a SF on it (Vanderbilt). Additionally our roster has a Power forward on it (Washington). Our roster has 2 starting guards on it assuming Diallo returns. And if we get Bamba, we have a couple capable centers. And I don't care if Bamba wants to play PF. He has been playing center for the last 2 years.
    1. dan_bgblue's Avatar
      dan_bgblue -
      Last question. If Dialllo does not return how do you think an experiment with Vanderbilt at the 2 and the other players playing where you think they would be would pan out?
    1. CitizenBBN's Avatar
      CitizenBBN -
      This is one of the two major problems with the OAD approach done to this extreme (e.g. not having recruited the next Hawkins/Willis/Miller), you just about can't get a balanced roster in any year. 2015 for sure was loaded with depth everywhere, and MAYBE we get it next year, but 1 or 2 years in 10 makes it pretty tough.

      If we had a guy like Matthews still on the roster or had actively looked for the next Hawkins or Miller then you may be "down" at a position versus having a 5* lottery pick there, but you don't have a gaping hole.
    1. KeithKSR's Avatar
      KeithKSR -
      Quote Originally Posted by Doc View Post
      He will be starting by Nov 4
      It will be hard to keep he and Vanderbilt out of the starting lineup at the 3 and 4 spots. They bring a lotto the table with their ability to do a lot of different things offensively, plus both rebound and defend. Cal loves guys who rebound and defend.
    1. KeithKSR's Avatar
      KeithKSR -
      Quote Originally Posted by dan_bgblue View Post
      Last question. If Dialllo does not return how do you think an experiment with Vanderbilt at the 2 and the other players playing where you think they would be would pan out?
      If Diallo stays in the draft and we do not get Johnson then SGA will start at the two.
    1. Doc's Avatar
      Doc -
      Quote Originally Posted by dan_bgblue View Post
      Last question. If Dialllo does not return how do you think an experiment with Vanderbilt at the 2 and the other players playing where you think they would be would pan out?
      Yes, I think that is one option. Vanderbilt to the 2 is possible, or Alexander. My preference would be Jared but a lot depends on what Wenyen does development wise, and who else commits. If Gabriel gains confidence, learns to defend properly and can man the 3 spot, then you can try JV at the 2 because I do think Jared can play the 2. Its not ideal but it worth a try. Its like trying Delk at the point. It might work, might not. Don't know til you try it. In my opinion, that's why God created a preconference. Of course that's my opinion. Others believe its so the guards can play 30 minutes...... but that for another thread
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