What was at first viewed nationally as a longshot (if even given consideration at all) then snowballed today into a near-consensus is now a reality - Markelle Fultz is a Washington Husky:
5-star shooting guard Markelle Fultz (Dematha Catholic HS) just committed to Washington.
— Christian Caple (@ChristianCaple) August 21, 2015
It's not hyperbole to suggest this may be the biggest commitment in program history. Lorenzo Romar has landed a number of 5-star prospects in his career: Martell Webster, Jon Brockman, Spencer Hawes, Quincy Pondexter, Abdul Gaddy and Tony Wroten. All but Pondexter were in-state kids though, so there was a certain level of home-cooking that aided Washington in landing them. Pondexter is the closest comp, but you could argue that pulling a 5-star from Maryland is more impressive than pulling one from California. For a fan base that has become cynical about Romar's ability to land national recruits after seeing what happened with the pursuits of Terrance Jones, Jabari Parker, Aaron Gordon and Jabari Bird, this is sweet vindication.
Fultz joins 4-star New Zealand big man Sam Timmins in the 2016 class and leaves at least one more spot open in that class. It's looking like a very nice follow-up to Romar's remarkable 2015 class that ranked in the top-6 nationally, and could result in the most talented roster yet in the Romar era.
We will have more in the coming weeks about what this means for Husky basketball, but for now please enjoy some of his highlights below, and celebrate Husky fans - this is a huge statement for the program!