George Washington III talks winning district title, clicking with future Michigan teammates

George Washington III is having an excellent senior season. Just this past weekend, the future Michigan Wolverine helped lead the Eagles of Chaminade Julienne to a District title.

Washington III spoke with Maize n Brew after that win, and he was proud of what him and his teammates were able to accomplish.

“That felt great, that felt really great,” Washington III said. “It’s my first time getting the chance to cut down some nets. It was just a great feeling.”

Just like any senior guard, Washington III has State Title aspirations. The Eagles are a few wins away from that, and he’s a big reason why. He has racked up a number of individual accolades, including recently being named First Team All-Southwest Ohio and Division II Player of the Year. A few weeks back, he recorded his 3,000th point.

Washington III was rather humble when asked about all these accolades, attributing those individual awards to all those hours he’s been in the gym.

“It’s a blessing, it really is a blessing,” Washington III said. “It’s just a great feeling to watch all the work that you pour into the game pay off. It’s been great to go through it with my team and my brothers this year.”

Listed at 6-foot-2, Washington III is a four-star recruit on 247Sports, ranked 83rd on the composite, 11th among shooting guards and second among recruits from Ohio. He was previously committed to Ohio State, but re-opened his recruitment in September and committed to Michigan on Nov. 1.

Washington III is everything you’d want in a lead guard; he has a solid shooting stroke, handles the ball and dictates the pace of the game. He’s not the fastest guy in the world, but he’s incredibly crafty and can get past his man to finish at the rim. He moves his feet well defensively, makes great decisions on the fast break and can shift the momentum of the game with a two-hand flush.

Washington III has always been able to put the ball in the basket, but now he’s taking less shots to do it.

“I think my game has become more polished,” Washington III said. “I think I’m a much more efficient player than I’ve been in previous years. I feel like I’ve put my game together as a whole, just tighter and more cohesive than I have any other of my previous years.”

Since his commitment, the Ohio native has been in contact with Michigan’s coaching staff, texting them after the games and keeping in touch. Head coach Juwan Howard and assistant coach Saddi Washington have come to watch a few of his games. Washington III has also attended a few Michigan games this year, with his most recent trip to Ann Arbor being the win over Ohio State a month ago.

A big reason why he committed to Michigan was how well he fits in with his future teammates. On his official visit, he and Jett Howard recognized each other because they were on visits at Tennessee on the same weekend.

“It’s a group of guys I clicked with, the absolute most on any of my visits,” Washington III said. “Just spending time with them, it felt natural and easy from the jump.”

Washington III watches his future teammates every chance he gets. He mentioned he’s going to embrace his last year in high school, but his future as a Wolverine definitely feels a lot more real.

“I think right now, my focus is really on the season and what I have in front of me,” Washington III said. “God willing, when we win State, that’s in about four games. As soon as that’s over, the focus shifts over to college. It’s a crazy feeling to know that something that’s always felt so far away is knocking at your door.”

One thing that stands out watching Washington III play — he’s always talking. It’s not necessarily talking trash, but he’s always communicating with his teammates, hyping himself up after making shots and feeding off the crowd’s energy.

With a combination of being vocal and putting up numbers on the stat sheet, I got a feeling the Maize Rage is going to like him quite a bit.

“I feel like I’m someone you’ll hear a lot of times before you see,” Washington III said. “I’m very vocal, and one of the things I like to pride myself on is my communication. I think on the court itself, the thing that a lot of people notice about me is my ability to put the ball in the basket. To be an efficient scorer at all three levels, to do it at a high level, I feel like that’s something I do well. I like to shoot from anywhere on the court, create space off step-backs and with my handle, and when I get the chance, get up on the rim.”