NCAA Basketball: Top-40 2021 G TyTy Washington looking at 6 schools

Top-tier NCAA Basketball prospect target TyTy Washington announced over the weekend his final programs are Arizona, Baylor, Kansas, Kentucky, LSU, and Oregon. The post on his Twitter page did come with some surprises, specifically the Auburn Tigers not being mentioned among his finalists.

Over the last several weeks, national analysts have been speculating that the upcoming decision for Washington’s services was coming down to a battle between the blue-blood Jayhawks and Auburn. The latter fit his playing style well and would put the ball in his hands frequently allowing for him to thrive as a playmaker and scoring threat in space.

However, their exclusion from this list is understandably the result of a furious pursuit by other programs trying to navigate this offseason in the wake of the NCAA’s approval for a one-time transfer rule granting immediate eligibility. The decision has cast wide-ranging movement for teams in every conference and is drastically altering the landscape for roster construction heading into next season.

Household programs, such as those encompassing the entirety of Washington’s list, are taking the opportunity to rebuild and retool themselves ahead of next season and ensuring they’re positioned well to compete in March.

Of note, the 6’3” floor general was previously committed to Creighton and set to step in as their next star point guard. His ascent this season for national power Compass Prep (AZ) was making that move look better and better for the Bluejays until head coach Greg McDermott’s use of a racial metaphor late in the season created internal strife for the team.

The fallout from that event, as well as the ever-changing landscape in college basketball regarding player movement, led to the de-commitment of Washington and a re-evaluation of where he was going to play next season.

His availability did not go unnoticed by the powers of the sport. Washington was a force to be reckoned with at the GEICO Nationals tournament to end the season and for the second time this year, the guard had the opportunity to take down the country’s top team Montverde Academy.

While his efforts fell short on both occasions, his immediate talent and ability to command Division 1 programs successfully have created a rapid pursuit to land him heading into the 2021 campaign.

Looking at each of Washington’s finalists, I analyze where he fits the best on the court and which programs may offer the best opportunities for him to impact the team in his freshman season.