The Washington Huskies kicked off their 2023 recruiting class in a big way on Wednesday with the addition of five-star guard Wesley Yates. The top-25 prospect chose to play for Mike Hopkins over a list of programs which included LSU, Texas and Auburn.
Let’s take a look at what this means for the Huskies.
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WHAT THE HUSKIES ARE GETTING IN YATES
Yates will enter the college game with a college-ready body at 6-foot-4, and around 200 pounds. He has the strength to step in and compete right away the moment he steps on campus. The five-star guard can be labeled as a streaky shooter for the time being, but when he’s on, he’s on. He shot over 41-percent from the outside in three out of five EYBL sessions, all on high volume, with a high point of 56-percent in the first session. He also shot under 20-percent in two of the sessions. There’s not any drop off between his ability to score within the offense or off of self-created looks, and at the end of the day, Yates is also a gamer who isn’t afraid to go make plays when his team needs it the most.
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WHAT’S NEXT FOR WASHINGTON
As of right now, Washington doesn’t seem to be trending for any of the top remaining prospects on the board in the 2023 class, so look for the Huskies to address many of their needs via the transfer portal in the upcoming offseason. As of now, Washington has a number of seniors who have a choice between opting in for another year in the program and leaving to try their luck at the professional ranks. These decisions won’t come until after the 2023 season, and will have big implications on exactly how much Yates will be leaned on from the moment he steps on campus. Hopkins has a centerpiece that he can build around next season, and they’ll likely add a decent amount of transfers in the spring.
