After losing out on Chris Singleton, Kentucky finds itself in prime position for a power forward who might contribute this season.
Leonard Washington, once considered a top 25 national prospect, has Kentucky on his list of three schools, his summer coach said on Monday. The three are Kentucky, Ole Miss and Southern Cal. A decision is expected before the week-long November signing period ends on Wednesday.
“Kentucky is very strong right now,” the coach, Dinos Trigonis, said. “I wouldn’t be surprised if Kentucky was the choice.”
Washington is hoping to get his academic house in order. If he succeeds, he could be eligible on the college level at the end of this fall semester.
Washington is undersized as a 6-foot-6 power player.
“But he gets results, especially when he plays against boys,” said Jerry Meyer of the Rivals.com recruiting service. “He scares them and he beats them. He’s like a bouncer at the door.”
Whether Washington can be as effective at the college level is another question.
“He’s had attitude problems, academic problems and weight issues,” Meyer said.
A native of Lake Charles, La., Washington has attended at least three schools in an attempt to complete his high school academic requirements. He’s currently at the Thurgood Marshall School, which is affiliated with the Compton, Calif., school district and is set up to help students with academic concerns, Trigonis said.
Washington has also had a “littany of episodes” on the court, Meyer said.
Those incidents include a verbal exchange with his high school coach in Louisiana and a refusal to re-enter a state tournament game.
During a summer event in Las Vegas this year, Washington helped incite a fracas that spilled out into the parking lot outside the gym and led police to use pepper spray to break up.
After being suspended for one game, he was ejected from a game the next day because he elbowed another player in the face.
“He does have some sort of temper that gets him into trouble,” said Trigonis, who suggested that UK Coach Billy Gillispie could handle any potential problem.
Jerry Tipton of the Lexington Herald- Leader has covered Kentucky basketball since the 1981-82 season. That time includes five coaches, five Final Fours, four athletic directors, two interim athletic directors and many memories. Before coming to Lexington, Tipton worked eight years for the Huntington (W.Va.) Herald-Dispatch. He covered Marshall’s basketball team for two seasons before coming to the Herald-Leader.
Why would KY want this kid? Three schools for HS. On the court issues with coaches. Not to mention inciting a fight.
Stay away, Let him go to Oklahoma State.
Not sure if I want to believe this story or not. Wasn’t Pettigrew a 6′6″ PF that we passed on? Why would we want to bring this shady guy on mid-season and clearly threaten any chemistry we might have?
Why in the world would any respectable basketball program want Leonard Washington, with his history of academic & temper problems, to say nothing of the trouble incitement? Only a desperate fool would take such a player. What good is a player you can’t keep in school or out of jail? He is a head case, nothing more, and I cannot believe Billy G. would risk tarnishing UK and the program for such a player. I say let
somebody else’s problems alone!
R.C.,
You’re not the first person who I’ve heard make such a comment. Of course, there are times when a player comes to a school like Kentucky and gets “straightened out.” For instance, I believe Ellis Myles got some “correcting” at Louisville and became a new man. — J.T.
With all due respect to your statement on the “correction” of Ellis Myles @ Louisville, I feel that more often than not, such a player as Leonard Washington is more likely to be more trouble than what he is worth. He apparently has deep-rooted psyco-personality problems. I would be the first person to say he needs a lot of help and should
try and get it somewhere. I just don’t believe UK could justify fooling with that much potential for trouble, seeing the trouble they already have on their hands. Surely they can find a player with a clean record
someplace, that has ability equal to Washington’s.
Listen, Leonard may be a head case but listen, he is a good kid. I taught him in high school (my alma mater) and saw him on the court personally. He has game, but needs to get his temper in check. The incident with his high school coach at the state championship game really put me in a very difficult situation as to whether to route for the kid or just criticize him like every else is. Everyone makes mistakes. Let’s give this gentleman a chance just like every other athlete with extraordinary talent.