Markelle Fultz Likely One and Done With the Huskies
By Paul Taylor
Markelle Fultz has been better than expected for the Washington Huskies, but it probably means he’s headed to the NBA next season.
If you’re enjoying watching Markelle Fultz play for the Washington Huskies, you better make the most of it. The chances are he won’t be returning next season.
Various draft analysts are predicting Fultz will be headed to the NBA this summer. He is projected to go either first or second, with the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers currently holding the respective slots.
(Because of course, if there’s two franchises that need him most, given their collective history, it’s them. And yes, I am being sarcastic, just in case you’re not entirely sure.)
While the Huskies have struggled as a team this season, the 18-year has actually been better than advertised. With 23.4 points per game, he currently leads all Pac-12 scorers.
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For anyone who thinks Fultz is a one-trick pony, consider that he is also second in the conference in assists. And with just under six boards per game, he really is proving he was worth the hype heading into the 2016-17 campaign.
Huskies’ head coach Lorenzo Romar was asked if he thinks the young superstar will return to the program next season. Speaking to Percy Allen of The Seattle Times and the rest of the media, he said: “Him and I haven’t discussed that at length, it’s January — almost February — and that’s something that we’ll talk about later.”
If Fultz really is one-and-done at Washington, the biggest regret is that we are unlikely to see him under the bright lights of March Madness. Whereas a lot of players tighten up when the stakes are raised, he seemingly has ice running through his veins as he repeatedly thrives in high-pressure situations.
Romar was asked how the Upper Marlboro, Maryland native can be so good, while the team as a whole is struggling. In fairness to three-time Pac-12 Coach of the Year, he didn’t make any excuses, when replying to Allen and the rest of the media.
Romar said: “We’re not playing good defense. Pretty simple to me.
“We’re not guarding on a consistent basis. We’re also a very young team that hasn’t figured out how to pull out close games yet.”
Now, this doesn’t mean Fultz is without fault himself, with several mental lapses at the defensive end of the court. He also averages a league-high 3.1 turnovers per game.
However, any attempt to put blame on the 2016 McDonald’s All-American, is sheer lunacy, given what he’s achieved. Certainly, his head coach is having none of it.
Romar said: “Anyone that wants to entertain the thought for a second that Markelle Fultz isn’t doing enough or try to put it on him — I’ll just say you’re wrong. He’s trying to do within his power everything he can do to help this team.”
The Huskies enter Wednesday night’s game against Arizona State with a 2-5 record in conference play and an overall mark of 9-10. With just four of their remaining 11 regular season games coming at home, time is probably running out for local fans to see Fultz in a Huskies’ jersey.
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Do you agree with the various analysts, who predict Fultz is headed to the NBA in the summer? Or are you convinced he will remain with the Huskies next season? Share your thoughts in the comments section.