The Tar Heels are staying in contention for one of the best overall players in the 2017 recruitment class as power forward P.J. Washington announced UNC made his top 8. The other teams on his list include UCLA, Arizona, NC State, Kansas, Texas, Kentucky, and UNLV, who have all survived the cut from his previous top 12.
The five-star talent has had a busy summer, playing in the Peach Jam, competing with USA Basketball's 18U team in Chile, and attending Adidas Nations before finally returning home to complete his senior season at Findlay Prep in Nevada.
Washington ranks 16th in the national composite, sixth among all power forwards, and third out of his home state of Texas. At six-foot-seven and 225 pounds, he is a bit undersized for his position, but a wingspan of over seven feet helps him make up for his height. he is a good shooter and, as Scout.com puts it, “he's a deceptively good shot blocker due to his long arms.” Last month he mentioned that he was working on improving his outside game, including ball handling and perimeter shooting.
Final 8 ? pic.twitter.com/vMh7vdUSQD
— PJ Washington (@pjwashington_25) August 3, 2016
For North Carolina, Washington is a top priority right now. Roy Williams has been watching him personally more than any other coach has. In April, Roy visited him at his home before Washington took an unofficial visit to campus in June. UNC has two 2017 commits right now in five-star point guard Jalek Felton and three-star shooting guard Andrew Platek with offers out to several five-star players. If the Tar Heels can bring in Washington, he would help solidify an impressive group of young players.
Right now the plan is for him to take his official visits and then make a final decision in December or January.
