SEATTLE – University of Washington head men’s basketball coach Mike Hopkins has added four-star center Bryan Penn-Johnson to the Class of 2018. He will join Jamal Bey, Elijah Hardy and Nate Roberts who will all wear purple and gold next season.
“We’re very excited to add Bryan to our incoming class,” said Hopkins. “You’re going to see a very skilled big man who has limitless potential and can become one of the best front court players in the country. He’s an elite level shot blocker who can get up and down the court quickly and will fit into our system perfectly not only on the court but off the court as well. He’s an impact player that adds another level to an already incredible class we have joining the Husky family next season.”
The 7-0 foot center out of Long Beach, Calif., played high school at Wasatch Academy in Mt. Pleasant (Utah) and is considered a four-star recruit while being ranked in the top 100 by both ESPN and Scout. He helped Wasatch to a 24-2 record as a senior and a No. 3 ranking in the state of Utah.
With his addition to the 2018 class, Washington now has two top 100 players coming to Montlake in Bey and Penn-Johnson. Bey (6-7, G/F), from Bishop Gorman in Las Vegas, was the 2018 Nevada Gatorade Player of the Year after averaging 22.1 points, 8.1 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.7 steals per game as a senior.
Hardy, a 6-2 player out of Oakland, Calif., (Bishop O’Dowd), is a three-star multi-threat point guard that will add depth to the back court for the Huskies and has USA Basketball experience, playing for the Junior National Team in 2015-16. Roberts (6-11, F), out of Maryland and owner of a 7-6 wingspan, spent his last year at Brewster Academy in New Hampshire, where current Husky David Crisp won a national championship before coming to Washington.
The Dawgs are coming off a season where they won 21 games overall (21-13) and 10 games in Pac-12 play under first year head coach Hopkins and advanced to the second round of the NIT.
