Prep's Hawes leads UW men's hoops class listed as high as No. 3
Lorenzo Romar was asked again Wednesday whether it bothered him that the Washington Huskies have been left out of preseason polls.
If he's wearied of the question, which usually brings a shrug and a response that it doesn't really matter all that much, he needn't worry.
He might never be asked the question again after the Huskies signed a recruiting class that ranks among the best in school history, as well as the best in the nation.
While the four members of the class all committed earlier this summer and fall, UW finally received letters Wednesday from Seattle Prep center Spencer Hawes, forward Phil Nelson of Keizer, Ore., forward Quincy Pondexter of Fresno, Calif., and guard Adrian Oliver of Modesto, Calif.
While Hawes is the obvious highlight — he's generally regarded as one of the top five high-school players in the country — all are considered top-100 recruits nationally, and the signings allowed the excitement about the future to officially begin.
"They are going to be a top-five team next year," said senior guard Brandon Roy. "That team's going to be really good. My whole goal coming here was to help build something. People say, 'Oh, you won't get to play with those guys.' I'm just excited about the program and the giant steps it's taking to be one of the powerhouses of the West Coast."
And there's little doubt now that that is exactly what's happening after the Huskies put together their second straight class that has gained national acclaim. Scout.com rated it the third-best class in the country, while Hoop Scoop and Bob Gibbons All-Star Sports rated it No. 5.
"When you combine last year's recruiting class [which included Jon Brockman and Artem Wallace] with this year's recruiting class, we feel very confident that the program is on solid footing," said coach Lorenzo Romar.
Romar said the class is as good as any he's been around as a coach and compared it favorably to the 1994 class at UCLA that included J.R. Henderson, Toby Bailey and Kris Johnson and helped the Bruins win the 1995 national title.
Hawes, a 6-foot-11 center, was considered the must-get player in the class, and his commitment was the last to come, in September.
When Hawes arrives next year, he will join Brockman, Wallace and Joe Wolfinger to form what could be UW's most imposing front line ever.
Romar said of the front line: "I see us being able to go play anywhere and be competitive in any situation."
Hawes might be a Husky for only a year and Romar said, "I would be surprised if he were here for four years. I think he's made that clear. But it's not something we've asked him."
The Huskies have been recruiting Hawes for as long as the rules allowed. But the stakes in corralling him heightened as much as his game did over the summer.
"The confidence in his offensive game really started to show," Romar said. "He just grew and grew as quick as I've ever seen."
Oliver was the first commitment in the class, and he might be the least heralded. But his stock is steadily rising as well, and Romar predicted Oliver will "make an immediate impact" next season. The Huskies got Oliver in part because they were among the first to offer him a scholarship, having gotten a tip from coaches at Saint Mary's — where Romar's good friend Randy Bennett is the coach. Romar watched him play in an open gym and offered him on the spot before many other schools knew who he was.
"He's a tough, tough kid," Romar said. "Extremely tough."
Pondexter, a swingman Romar compared stylistically to former Arizona star Miles Simon, came next, giving the nod to UW after finding out that Arizona had gotten a commitment from swingman Chase Budinger and then choosing the Huskies over UConn.
"He's just beginning to tap his potential," Romar said. "He's got so much where he can still get better I think it's scary."
Then came Nelson, whom the Huskies got in on early due in part to a relationship UW assistant Jim Shaw has with Nelson's high-school coach.
Nelson is regarded as one of the best outside-shooting prospects in the country, and Romar said he has range out to 25 feet and compared him favorably to another former Arizona star, Salim Stoudamire.
"Let those guys shoot 100 shots each, he'd make just as many," Romar said.
Roy played with all but Oliver during recruiting trips and backed up Romar's reports.
"Quincy's long — he reminds me of Martell Webster," Roy said. "I'm not saying he's as skilled as Martell, but he could be really good at the end of this season. Spencer's all-world. When we were done I was like, 'Coach, can we have him this year?' Nelson, he can shoot the lights out. They are going to be dangerous. They are going to be a special team for years to come."
Bob Condotta: 206-515-5699 or bcondotta@seattletimes.com