TOP-100 RECRUIT
Here’s what’s ‘Tru’: Arizona prep star looks to help UNM
The home stretch for the 202223 season is heating up this week for the University of New Mexico men’s basketball team.
But on Tuesday, another piece of the foundation for the program’s future was put in place.
Four-star guard Tru Washington, a 6-foot-3 recruit from AZ Compass Prep School in Chandler, Ariz., announced he will play for the Lobos. He is the second prep recruit of UNM’s Class of 2023 along with 6-8 Texas forward Jadyn Toppin, who committed in September and signed his letter of Intent in November.
“Coach Chew (UNM assistant coach Isaac Chew) and Coach Pitino always kept it real with me,” Washington said in a text exchange with the Journal when asked about his relationship with the coaches and decision to commit to UNM. “Coach Pitino said I have a high chance coming in and playing a lot as a freshman!”
Washington is the uncle of former Kentucky guard and current Houston Rocket Ty Ty Washington, who was also recruited a few years ago by the Lobos. Tru Washington made his decision known Wednesday by telling various recruiting media, including Joe Tipton, who broke the announcement news first.
Washington is listed as a four-star prospect by both 247Sports.com and ESPN and is ESPN’s 88th ranked player in the country. No other Mountain West program is listed as having an ESPN 100 recruit committed for next season.
Per his Instagram page, Washington has had offers over the past couple seasons from Nevada, Arizona State, LSU, Grand Canyon, Mississippi State, TCU, UNLV, Pepperdine, DePaul, Portland, Georgia and others.
Asked for a bit of a self scouting report to let Lobo fans know what they are about to see in the future Lobo: “They are going to get a player who wants to win at all costs. I’m a combo-guard that can guard 1-3. I feel like as long I’m on the court we should get the job done.”
He and Toppin were on official visits on the same weekend, including both attending the Sept. 9 Lobos football game in University Stadium against Boise State.
The Lobos (20-7, 7-7 Mountain West), play at Boise State on Wednesday night and remain hopeful to earn an at-large berth into the NCAA Tournament. Their 20 wins this season is the most since 2014, and the rebuild under second-year coach Richard Pitino took a major step in Year 2, thanks primarily to transfers. But Pitino has said he wants a mix of high school recruits and transfers as part of his recruiting philosophy moving forward.
The Lobos have, for now, two scholarships that will be open for the new recruits — one from Morris Udeze, whose eligibility expires after this season, and one from Jay Allen-Tovar, who quit the team in November after three games and transferred to Southern Utah. Several other Lobo seniors will have to decide if they want to exercise their option of using an extra season of eligibility to return for another season since they played through the 2020-21 “COVID Season.”
UNM coaches can not comment on new recruits until they have signed letters of intent.