Jaden McDaniels commits to Washington

Jaden McDaniels has officially committed to the Washington Huskies, despite a strong late push from the Kentucky Wildcats.

McDaniels made the announcement on Twitter:

The 6-11, 185-pound McDaniels finished as the 8th-ranked player and No. 1 power forward in 247 Sports’ final composite rankings. Kentucky already holds the No. 1 recruiting class in that same service, but adding McDaniels would have been the perfect cherry on top, not to mention it would have made the Wildcats an even strong championship contender for next season.

Early on in his recruitment, it was clear that Kentucky was firmly in the mix for McDaniels, who once described UK as his “dream school.” However, at one point, it seemed as if the Cats had fallen behind and signing him was a complete long shot.

But the Big Blue Nation knows that you can never count out John Calipari in a recruiting battle, as Kentucky jumped into the lead with a decision seemingly on the verge of being made.

However, McDaniels ultimately began trending back toward the hometown Huskies ahead of his decision day, and that’s where he ultimately landed for college.

There is not much that Jaden McDaniels cannot do on a basketball court. He can finish strong above the rim and has the length to shoot over just about any defense. The general comparison he is subject to is that of Kevin Durant.

McDaniels’ wiry frame and style of play make this comparison somewhat inevitable. He is currently a very capable ball handler and continues to improve that aspect of his game.

The rapid development that McDaniels has showed in a short amount of time gives validation to him potentially being a lottery pick in 2020’s NBA Draft. Unfortunately, we won’t get to see him become that kind of player in Lexington.

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