NCAA Basketball: Analyzing top-5 for four-star 2023 G George Washington III

Around a month ago, George Washington III was a commit for the Ohio State Buckeyes in the 2023 NCAA Basketball recruiting class, which was ranked as a team in the top 10 overall. But the class ended up taking a hit when the four-star recruit opted to de-commit and become a free agent again.

Washington is a 6’2 guard that can play both on and off-the-ball on the court. While he may be best as a shooting guard, he’s a capable ball-handler and facilitator of an offense. Since de-committing, programs have been after him and now, a new group of top options has emerged for him.

All five programs are relatively close to the four-star recruit and a decision could happen before the start of this season. Ultimately, which of them is the best potential fit for Washington? Here’s a closer look at each roster and overall situation.

Dayton Flyers

As a native of Dayton, Ohio, the Flyers being part of the mix makes sense, especially considering the direction of the program. They return just about everyone from a team that just missed out on the NCAA Tournament last season and have a top-25 caliber roster.

The only “concern” with Washington going to Dayton is that their backcourt is already loaded and still young. Starting point guard Malachi Smith has three more years of eligibility left if he so chooses, along with shooting guards, Kobe Brea and Kobe Elvis. The minutes already are covered and the best way it can work out would be to have three-guard lineups and take some minutes from R.J. Blakney, which may be better for the offense but worse for the defense. Ironically, the mid-major program may have too much talent to take in a top-100 prospect at the moment.