Michigan basketball in pursuit of Arizona State transfer Warren Washington
Michigan Wolverines basketball only has one true center remaining on the 2023-24 roster in sophomore Tarris Reed Jr. — after Hunter Dickinson hit the transfer portal and committed to Kansas — and he’s never started a game. Now, fifth-year head coach Juwan Howard and Co. are pursuing another at the position out of the portal in former Arizona State center Warren Washington.
Washington spent time at Oregon State (2018-19) and Nevada (2020-22) before his one year in Tempe. He sat out the 2019-20 campaign due to transfer rules. He’s a graduate transfer who will be immediately eligible at his next stop.
Washington, who has one year of eligibility remaining, entered the transfer portal April 26. According to CBS Sports insider Jon Rothstein, Michigan is in the mix along with TCU, Texas Tech Arkansas, Oklahoma State and Memphis. He recently visited both TCU and Texas Tech.
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The Michigan target averaged 9.2 points, 6.9 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.8 blocks per game last season, starting all 34 games for Arizona State, which was a No. 11 seed in the NCAA Tournament and lost in the round of 64.
The 7-foot, 225-pounder shot 56.3 percent on two-pointers, didn’t attempt any shots from beyond the arc and connected on 66.7 percent of his free throws. His 7.5-percent block rate ranked 50th in the country. He scored in double figures 15 times last season.
Washington posted 4 points, 8 rebounds, 1 assist and 2 blocks against Michigan last November, when the Sun Devils and Wolverines met in Brooklyn.
Last season, the big man was efficient scoring on both post-ups (0.867 points per play) and ball-screen rolls (1.173), while also serving as a cutter (1.119) and offensive rebounding specialist (1.089).
Washington averaged double figures in scoring both of his seasons with Nevada, 10 in 2021 and 10.5 in 2022. He added 5.9 and 6.6 rebounds per contest those seasons, respectively, and shot a career-high 60.8 percent from the field in 2022. The Michigan target played 7.8 minutes per outing, averaging 1.3 points and 1.4 rebounds, as a freshman at Oregon State in 2019.
As a class of 2018 recruit, Washington was a three-star and the No. 235 overall player in the country per the On3 Industry Ranking.
Michigan has added three transfer commits this offseason in guard Caleb Love (North Carolina), guard Nimari Burnett (Alabama) and forward Tray Jackson (Seton Hall). The Wolverines have two available scholarships for next season.
The Maize and Blue have lost three players to the transfer portal in center Hunter Dickinson (Kansas), forward Gregg Glenn III (Tulane) and guard Isaiah Barnes (Tulsa).
One of college basketball’s most storied programs, including in recent years, Michigan missed the NCAA Tournament last season for the first time since 2015.
