2022 Indiana Power Forward Enjoying Early Relationship with Terps
It was not the sophomore season that Indiana power forward Jalen Washington had hoped for after a torn ACL and meniscus sidelined him for the year, but after receiving clearance on Friday, Washington is ready to hit the hardwood. The 6-foot-8 big man out of Gary, Indiana is ready to begin training again after spending time in the weight room over the offseason.
“Ready to work on really just my whole overall game,” Washington told All Terrapins. “Touch up on my skills, ball handling and touch. I definitely want to be a better defender, better leader and a better teammate so that I can do everything, really.” Washington added he’s still around 200 pounds but adding additional strength to “my legs and my arms” remains the focus before the season kicks off. “Definitely my body, I want to work on my body definitely this offseason. Still trying to improve on that as long as possible, just continuing to improve, give my body a little rest then keep building it up.”
The five-star prospect, according to his 247Sports composite rating, still remains one of the most coveted prospect in the 2022 class as six schools have extended offers early in his recruitment. “It’s definitely been a lot of fun but it’s definitely been a grind that I’ve been taking serious,” Washington added. But as Alabama, Indiana, Louisville, Maryland, Michigan State, Purdue and Stanford are among the schools that have remained consistent early on with Washington, it’s the Terps who were first to pull the trigger.
Maryland assistant DeAndre Haynes has built a steady relationship as the Terps point to their development of bigs under head coach Mark Turgeon to sway Indiana’s top prospect. “They said they see a lot of potential in me to be a versatile player in their system. They said they like me as a person, I’ve built a good relationship with the coaching staff so far.” Stanford was the latest school to offer as the Pac-12 suitor used a recent Zoom call to show how they can maximize Washington’s potential.
“They went pretty in-depth about their academics and their athletics. I know they’ve had special players in the past and currently have a couple guys pretty similar to me, but I know I can get up and down and they like bigs that can space the floor as well.” While both Indiana and Purdue are monitoring Washington before they pull the trigger, a pair of prior trips to East Lansing have given Washington a strong grasp of the Spartans’ program.
“I’ve been to the campus. I’ve been to two games, scrimmage game and the Maryland game this year. They’re big on family there, I love the atmosphere up at Michigan State.”
While Washington is enjoying the process early, he talks about what’s most important to him as he evaluates each suitor.
“One is a school that I fit their playing style, we both complement each other. I know it’s important to me that my coaches and I are connected so that will be good, development is huge and academics play as big of a role.” What makes Washington an elite prospect?
“I try and play like an inside-out type player, be versatile when needed. Play the advantage so wherever it is, just do my best to exploit that.”
