Washington Huskies Men's Basketball Earns Second Commitment From Class of 2027

The Washington Huskies men's basketball team is off to a solid start on the recruiting trail for the Class of 2027.

The Huskies were only able to land one player from the Class of 2026: three-star small forward Lattimore Ford, who committed April 24 out of Combine Academy in North Carolina (despite originally being from Snoqualmie, Wash.)

Washington beat that timeline by several months for the Class of '27 when it landed a commitment from four-star shooting guard Jimmie Haywood on Nov. 3. Haywood ranks as the 172nd-best overall player, 25th-best shooting guard and 16th-best player in the state of Arizona, per the 247Sports composite. Haywood committed out of Compass Prep in Chandler, Ariz., but originally hails from Garfield High School in Seattle.

Less than a week after landing a commitment from Haywood, the Huskies landed their second player from the '27 class.

On Saturday, the same day he announced he receiving an offer from the program, 6-foot-5 combo guard RJ Barhoum announced his commitment to Washington. He's not currently ranked, per the 247Sports Composite.

Barhoum attends Clackamas High School in Clackamas, Ore., and is considered one of the best 3-point shooters in the state. He scored 28 points in the Oregon 6A state tournament in the Round of 16. His player page on Prephoops.com also reports offers from NCAA Division I programs Air Force, Eastern Washington and Portland State and NCAA Division II team Western Oregon.

Barhoum will be the second of his siblings to play at the NCAA Division I level in the Pacific Northwest. His sister, Sara Barhoum, also graduated from Clackamas High School and originally committed to the Oregon Ducks women's basketball team. She played 14 games in her true freshman season before transferring to the Portland State, one of the teams that offered her younger brother.

The Huskies made intentional efforts this offseason in improving the profile of their staff when it came to recruiting. Washington hired former Syracuse Orange general manager Alex Kline in the same role. While with the Orange, Kline specialize in Name, Image, Likeness (NIL) money management and recruiting.

The Huskies also hired longtime Oregon assistant coach Mike Mennenga, who specialized in recruiting and player development while with the Ducks.

And Washington could have one last big swing in store when it comes to the graduating class of '27. The Huskies were one of four finalists for five-star point guard and Bremerton, Wash., native Jalen Davis. The other three finalists are the UCLA Bruins, Gonzaga Bulldogs and North Carolina Tar Heels.