Markelle Fultz to Washington: Huskies Land 5-Star SG Prospect

Markelle Fultz, a 5-star shooting guard, per 247Sports, bolstered Washington's 2016 recruiting class Friday by announcing his decision to play college basketball for the Washington Huskies, per Christian Caple of the Tacoma News Tribune.

The DeMatha Catholic High School product from Maryland is touted as the country's fourth-best prospect at his position and the No. 19 overall player by 247Sports' composite rankings. The site also lists Fultz at 6'4" and 170 pounds, indicating he has some growing to do to fill out his frame.

Despite being somewhat undersized, Fultz is a truly dynamic scorer who can get to the rim as well as fill it up from beyond the arc.

Based on how excellent of a prospect Fultz is at the moment, it may come as a surprise that he didn't even play on DeMatha Catholic's varsity team until his junior season. In April, Fultz spoke about how that experience pushed him to get better, per USA Today's Jeff Greer:

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I took it as a lesson. I just worked every day I was on JV to be the best player, then I'd work out every day after school with my trainer on the little things, just to get better with my ball handling, my shooting, my core work.

I just became a lot more athletic. I just stayed in the gym every day, kept working and working. When it came to my first varsity game, I just tried to dominate. I just kept moving up and up.

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Such a meteoric rise is often reserved for players who experience massive growth spurts or come into their own as upperclassmen on powerhouse prep teams. Even those players don't climb the ladder as quickly as Fultz has, though.

Evan Daniels of Scout.com weighed in on Fultz's skills, suggesting the extra work the youngster did in the gym paid off:

Fultz can score from anywhere on the floor, create separation and get quality shots off the dribble, and he is a crafty finisher around the rim. He has deceptive athleticism that looks effortless and seems to always have opponents on their heels.

What also makes Fultz a special player is his unique vision and passing ability. For all of the facets of his own offensive arsenal the defense has to account for, he can keep the opposition honest, thanks to his knack for creating opportunities for teammates.

The stupendous potential Fultz has at both backcourt positions brings to mind Ohio State star D'Angelo Russell, who broke out as a freshman before proceeding to the NBA after just one year. Although Russell (6'5", 195 lbs) is a bit bigger overall, his skills are comparable to Fultz's.

It's probably a bit unrealistic to expect him to burst onto the scene like Russell did, but he's just beginning to realize his potential more so than other top-tier prospects. Having just reached the varsity level last year, there's no telling how much better Fultz can become.

Washington has to be excited to be the team that gets to mold Fultz, who figures to thrive either as a pure scoring 2-guard or even running the point at times. Within the next two years, Huskies fans will likely get a glimpse of how great he can be, and the results figure to be pleasing.