Hawes newest citizen in Romarville

By Ben Miller

Oct 5, 2005, 12:00 AM

The Husky men's basketball team just got better and a little taller. Mirroring last year's arrival of Jon Brockman, highly touted Seattle Prep star Spencer Hawes verbally committed to the UW yesterday. "It is time to announce my decision, and it has been an extremely difficult one," 6-foot-11-inch Hawes said. "In the end I decided to choose the school that I feel provides a great opportunity to achieve my goals both on and off the court. I now announce my commitment to the University of Washington." Right after he said that, the crowd in the high school gym erupted into a burst of applause and cheers. Coach Lorenzo Romar once again managed to attract a top recruit to the UW. Hawes was recruited by some of the nation's top basketball programs. "It was something that I had been going back and forth on for a while," said Hawes. "It was a real close decision and it came down to the last day." A Washington native, Hawes chose to come to a UW basketball program on the rise over the already established powers of North Carolina and Stanford. "I think it was an opportunity to take the hometown program to a level it has never been to before and raise it up to a status among programs like North Carolina," he said. Coming to the UW for Hawes also means carrying on a family legacy. His father and uncle both played basketball for the Huskies in the late '60s and early '70s. Teammates welcomed the good news. The decision by Hawes was no surprise to sophomore guard Joel Smith. "I kind of figured that he would come because of the way he has been acting with us," Smith said. "He's been playing a lot with us and he fits in pretty well, and it seems like he was already a part of the team even though he is still in high school." Smith added that Hawes would adapt well into the Husky system. "He's a big man that runs the floor; he's versatile, he can shoot and he can pass," Smith said. "I think that he's perfect for the program." Hawes has been playing pick-up games with Husky players. Hawes, who is rated as the number two center and number three player overall by Scout.com, will join an already highly rated recruiting class that will enter the UW as freshmen next season. Joining him will be 6-foot-7-inch small forward Quincy Pondexter, 6-foot-7-inch shooting guard Phil Nelson and 6-foot-2-inch point guard Adrian Oliver. They are rated as the Nos. 27, 66 and 92 recruits, respectively. And while he will end up playing in purple and gold, Hawes said he was tempted to commit on his visit to North Carolina two weeks ago. "It was an unbelievable visit, an unbelievable atmosphere," he said of the Tar Heel visit. "College basketball back there is different." In the end, his decision came down to playing where he felt the most comfortable. "Knowing the guys [on the Huskies] is a bonus and having a chemistry with them," he said. "I'm happy to be wearing the purple and gold." The Huskies may not be done adding to their recruiting class this year. Center Alex Stephenson plans to come into Seattle this weekend as the last of his five official visits. But for the time being, the Husky basketball team is glad Hawes stayed home.

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