Washington Basketball Recruiting: Robert Upshaw Considering Transfer To UW?

Dec. 9, 2012; Pullman, WA, USA; Washington State Cougars forward D.J. Shelton (23) fights for position after a free throw against Fresno State Bulldogs center Robert Upshaw (30) during the second half at the Beasley Performing Arts Coliseum. The Cougars would go onto beat the Bulldogs by a final score of 59-50. Mandatory Credit: James Snook-USA TODAY Sports

Right around two weeks ago Fresno State center Robert Upshaw was dismissed from his team for a violation of team rules. He had already been suspended twice during his freshman season, during which he averaged 4.1 points and 3.8 rebounds per game while mostly coming off the bench. Those two sentences do not paint a bright picture of Upshaw, but in fact he was a highly sought after four-star prospect coming out of high school as part of the Class of 2012. Listed at 7’0″ and 275 pounds by Rivals (Fresno listed him at 250 a year later, so perhaps some weight loss), the Fresno, CA product had offers from Georgetown, Louisville, and several Pac-12 programs, including Washington.

He originally committed to play for Kansas State, but when their coach moved on, so too did Upshaw. Fresno State, the hometown program, beat out all the heavy-weight competitors for what was viewed at the time as a major recruiting victory for the Bulldogs. Obviously things didn’t work out between the program and Upshaw, with a total of three violations of team rules in a single year. The very fact that a program like Fresno State, which would have benefited so much from a player of Upshaw’s caliber reaching his full potential, felt that it was necessary to remove him from the team should serve as a major warning sign for any possible transfer schools.

Scout’s Josh Gershon has reported that Upshaw will choose between Oregon, Washington, or St. Mary’s, and it has been reported by multiple sources that he will visit both Oregon and Washington this week. This definitely fits the bill for Oregon, as Dana Altman has accepted over 20 transfers into his program since becoming head coach in 2010. Washington would also love to have a seven-footer, just like every other team in the country.

I don’t know who Upshaw favors, but I’ll go ahead and say it: I don’t really want Washington to accept him as a transfer even if he does choose the Huskies over Oregon or some other school. If Fresno State felt that there was any hope of salvaging Upshaw’s career as a Bulldog, they would have kept trying. Perhaps a fresh start is what he needs, but I don’t think Washington needs to roll the dice on a player with discipline issues, even if he is loaded with potential.

I would guess he ends up at Oregon, based on their track record with reeling in transfers, but either way I will update you here at the Husky Haul when more information becomes available.