Isaiah Stewart a big addition for UW, but one-and-done a possibility
Isaiah Stewart, the No. 5 player in the ESPN Class of 2019, committed to the Washington Huskies on ESPN at the Hoophall Classic on Sunday. Here's what the 6-foot-9, 245-pound Stewart will bring to the Pac-12 -- and how soon we might expect to see him at the next level:
How he fits: Stewart will immediately become the go-to guy on the interior for Mike Hopkins and Washington. He's a double-double threat right off the bat, and won't take long to carve out a major role for the Huskies. Stewart will replace Noah Dickerson in the starting lineup, with Dickerson (13.2 PPG, 6.7 RPG) in the midst of his final season in Seattle. Dickerson has been a key cog in Washington's core for his entire career, but Stewart will provide improved production. Should Jaylen Nowell return to college for his junior season, he and Stewart will form one of the best inside-outside tandems in the country.
How he plays: "Stewart continues to be one of the most productive prospects in the high school game. He possesses a great combination of massive size, strength and a soft touch with footwork to match. A true center who embraces the position and playing in the paint. One of his best qualities on the court is his desire to work the offensive glass for second-chance points. The next step for Stewart when he arrives at Washington will be to stay true to his strengths and look to increase his free throw shooting percentage, extend his shooting range to the arc as well as being able to arrive quickly on ball-screen defense." -- Paul Biancardi, ESPN National Recruiting Director
When we'll see him in the NBA: "Stewart is a little undersized for an NBA center at 6-foot-9 in shoes, but he makes up for it and then some with his chiseled 250-pound frame and 7-4 wingspan, measurements that compare favorably to the likes of Noah Vonleh and Derrick Favors. He prides himself on being the hardest-playing big man in high school basketball and NBA teams will love his competitive streak and willingness to do the dirty work. Stewart has made significant strides with his passing, shooting and perimeter defense over the past few years, and continued improvement in those areas will determine how quickly he'll be able to make the jump from college to the NBA. His high floor, ready-made role and terrific intangibles make him a serious contender to be one-and-done should he so choose, even if he might not share the same long-term upside as some of his counterparts in this class." -- Jonathan Givony, ESPN NBA draft analyst
Player comparison: "He shows similarities to current Bulls rookie Wendell Carter. Stewart owns a wingspan of 7-foot-4 along with magnetic hands to work the glass, score in the paint and out to the midrange area." -- Biancardi
How the class is shaping up: Stewart is the second ESPN 100 prospect in Hopkins' 2019 class, joining four-star shooting guard RaeQuan Battle with that honor. Battle is a high-volume 3-point shooter, and four-star guard Marcus Tsohonis showed promise last summer. The most highly anticipated addition alongside Stewart, however, will be Kentucky transfer Quade Green. Green saw his minutes drop during his sophomore season with the Wildcats, but he will immediately become Washington's starting point guard when he becomes eligible. The Huskies are still heavily in the mix for elite five-star prospect Jaden McDaniels, too.