Washington Huskies Named Among Finalists For 4-Star Shooting Guard

The Washington Huskies men's basketball team is set to begin the 2026-27 regular season against the Colgate Red Raiders at 7 p.m. PT on Monday at Alaska Airlines Arena in Seattle.

Monday and Tuesday could be a solid 48 hours for the Huskies if they're able to win their opener against the Red Raiders, and based on the commitment decision of a four-star recruit.

It was announced in a post on "X" from 247Sports' Dushawn London that Class of 2027 shooting guard Jimmie Haywood will announce his commitment Nov. 3. He'll choose among a final three that includes Washington, the Nevada Wolfpack and the Loyola Marymount Lions.

Haywood currently attends Compass Prep in Chandler, Ariz., but was originally a kid local to Seattle. He attended Garfield High School in Seattle before transferring to Compass Prep.

The Huskies hosted Haywood for an official visit Sept. 5, shortly after extending him an official offer Aug. 25, per the timeline on his player page on 247Sports.

Haywood, listed at 6-foot-3, 170 pounds, is ranked as the 171st best player in the country, the 25th-best shooting guard and 16th-best player in Arizona in the Class of '27, per the 247Sports composite.

He's ranked as the 141st-best overall player in the class, the 38th-best shooting guard and 13th-best player in Arizona per Rivals' Industry Rankings.

The 6-foot-3 shooting guard would mark the first commitment of the Class of '27 for Washington, and would mark a much more streamlined and improved upon recruiting timeline for the program compared to last year.

After two years of success on the recruiting trail under head coach Danny Sprinkle, UW was only able to land one player from the Class of 2026: three-star small forward Lattimore Ford.

A lot of this was due to the financial limitations of UW, which is reportedly last in the Big Ten in spending for its men's basketball roster. Due to these restrictions, the Huskies have had to recruit internationally and target several upperclassmen in the transfer portal.

Despite Washington's limitations in spending, this hasn't stopped them from making moves that can have a direct positive impact in high school recruiting.

In the offseason, the Huskies hired former Syracuse Orange general manager Alex Kline, who specialized in recruiting and Name, Image, Likeness (NIL) deals for the Orange, for the same role for the men's basketball team.

Washington also hired long-time Oregon Ducks assistant coach Mike Mennenga, who specialized in player development and recruiting.

The Huskies have also been actively pursuing multiple prospects in the Class of 2027, including Haywoon; Bremerton, Wash., native and five-star combo guard Jalen Davis; and five-star small forward Malachi Jordan.