Washington Basketball recruiting class of 2018 earns first commitment from Nebraska power forward Ed Chang
The Washington Basketball recruiting efforts for both 2018 and 2019 have been extensive, but unfulfilled, so far. The team has filled all 2017 slots, but faced the departure of graduating seniors point guard Dan Kingma and forward Greg Bowman. Well, they have addressed one vacancy with the latest news:
As reported in preview articles, concerns over the future of the team have waned somewhat. While there are needs to recruit in both classes, Coach Hopkins has demonstrated remarkable skill in landing top talent at positions of need. So who is Ed Chang?
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New Washington Basketball power forward
First of all, he is the new 2018 power forward for the Washington Basketball team. And per an interview he gave to Mike Sautter of Omaha.com’s World Herald:
"“I chose Washington because it was the perfect fit for me as a player and as a person,” said Chang, who has one more year of high school competition. “Socially the city is filled with good people and academically it’s a great school, and from a basketball standpoint I can develop into the player I want to be.” – Ed Chang"
That’s quite a testimonial.
Per that same article, Chang is reported as the top ranked basketball player in the state of Nebraska. At 6-foot-7 and 180 pounds, he will bring needed size and versatility. He visited Washington on June 27, after having visited UCLA and USC. He chose the University of Washington.
Future Role
While Chang will certainly bulk up for the reginment of NCAA basketball, his 6-foot-7 height is ideal to slide between shooting guard, small forward, and power forward roles as the game develops. And it’s that versatility which is a strong plus in Chang’s game. But he can do much more.
UWDawgpound.com reports that Chang averaged 17.9 points, 7.7 rebounds, 4.0 blocks and 1.2 steals per game last season. Maxpreps.com adds that he played 29 games last season, and he contributed .8 assists per game as well.
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Ed Chang is the first player to commit to the Washington Basketball team in 2018. Once more, Coach Hopkins and coaching staff surprised me. Chang is a solid basketball player and will be fun to watch play on this team.
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