Quade Green ruled eligible for UW

The Kentucky transfer can play for Huskies immediately

Quade Green will sit no more.

The Kentucky transfer was granted a waiver by the NCAA and deemed eligible to play basketball for Washington right away, no longer forced to wait until midseason to suit up.

He immediately elevates the high regard already held for the Huskies, who were picked to finish third in the Pac-12 yet squeezed out of the Associated Press preseason Top 25 rankings.

Their ranking in both no doubt would be much different now.

In his third season as UW coach, Mike Hopkins can continue to do no wrong in Seattle. He's won coach of the year honors twice, returned the team to the NCAA tournament and recruited well. 

Now he has a talented and seasoned point guard, the missing link over his first two seasons at Washington.

"We're very excited to have Quade eligible immediately and we'd like to thank the NCAA, the University of Kentucky and the compliance staffs both here at Washington and at Kentucky," Hopkins said. "We can't thank them enough for their cooperation and we are very happy for Quade."

Green, a sophomore, started eight games for Kentucky, lost his playmaker role and transferred to Washington last January.

He wasn't expected to play until after the beginning of the conference season because of transfer rules. But the NCAA decided otherwise. 

He joins a talented group that includes freshmen Isaiah Stewart and Jaden McDaniels, both 6'9" and pro prospects.

Hopkins was an assistant coach at Syracuse when he originally recruited Green, forming a lasting relationship with him. 

The newcomer is expected to be in the starting lineup when Washington opens the season in Alaska, facing Baylor in the Armed Forces Classic on Nov. 8.