Louisville Makes Top Five for '23 SG George Washington III

The guard from Dayton, who formerly played in the city of Louisville, decommitted from the Buckeyes earlier this month.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The Louisville men's basketball program is now one step closer to landing one of their top targets in the Class of 2023.

Dayton (Oh.) Chaminade Julienne shooting guard George Washington III announced his list of top five schools on Tuesday, with the Cardinals still in the running. Dayton, Virginia, Michigan and Wake Forest also made the cut.

“One of the biggest things about them is with their new staff, it’s an amazing opportunity to come in and play for pros and for guys that have been there," Washington III said of Louisville to On3. "It’s a good situation, a great school, with a great basketball legacy.”

Washington III had previously been a long-time commit for Ohio State, until he decommitted from the Buckeyes earlier this month. Just hours after he re-opened his recruitment, Louisville was one of a handful of teams to reach out to him.

Washington III and Louisville, both the program and city, have plenty ties to one another. An Austin, Tex. transplant, his family moved to Louisville prior to his sophomore year in high school, and he spent two seasons with Christian Academy of Louisville. The family moved to Ohio when his father, George, accepted an assistant coaching position with the Dayton women's basketball program.

Following his sophomore year at C.A.L., Washington III landed a scholarship offer from the Cardinals and former head coach Chris Mack last summer. He committed to Ohio State last November.

On top of the local connections, Washington III is also a legitimate top-100 prospect in the 2023 cycle. During his junior year at C.A.L., the 6-foot-2, 165-pound guard put up 23.4 points and 7.2 rebounds per game for the Trojans, while also shooting 35.8 percent on three-pointers. According to the 247Sports Composite, he ranks as the No. 9 shooting guard and No. 76 overall prospect in the class.

Incoming first-year head coach Kenny Payne currently boasts two commitments in the 2023 cycle: Bloomfield Hills (Mich.) Brother Rice small forward Curtis Williams Jr. and La Porte (Ind.) La Lumiere small forward Kaleb Glenn. Williams committed earlier this week, while Glenn has been in the fold for nearly an entire calendar year.

(Photo of George Washington III via NBPA)

You can follow Louisville Report for future coverage by liking us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram:

Facebook - @LouisvilleReport
Twitter - @UofLReport
Instagram - @louisville_report

You can also follow Deputy Editor Matthew McGavic at @Matt_McGavic on Twitter