George Washington III, a guard for Michigan, was among the players present on Tuesday afternoon when the team announced Dusty May as its new basketball coach. The rising sophomore likes what he’s heard from the Wolverines’ new head coach, even though he is in the Transfer Portal.
He’s really excellent. “He’s exceptionally skilled in his field,” Washington III said to The Michigan Insider. “I believe it’s quite clear if you sit down and listen to him speak. He’s also a wonderful person. He is skilled at what he does. Additionally, he is passionate about and loves his players. Therefore, I would really like to meet with him one-on-one and have a serious conversation with him to find out his thoughts on running this program and university.
When Washington III registered on the Transfer Portal earlier this month, he stated that going back to Michigan was one of his alternatives. That is still very much up for debate in light of May’s hiring.
When asked what May should say to him to help him decide whether to stay in Ann Arbor, Washington III stated, “To be honest, it was a lot of what he said when he was up there” for his news conference.
“Just that mutual fit between my style of play, his style of coaching, and my style of receiving it,” Washington III said. “That does seem to match up, in my opinion already.
However, simply confirming that our goals align and that we’re both on the same page. I’m genuinely interested in learning more about that when we speak.
After logging into the Portal, Washington III claimed to have heard from other programs; however, he did not name the schools, citing the fact that “it’s still early.”
He continued, “I love this place and I’m curious to see what happens.”
In 2023, Washington III was the only Wolverine in the class when Papa Kante was removed from his National Letter of Intent by the program. In 2023–24, he played 6.6 minutes per game on average as a depth option.
Washington III, a former Ohio State commit, was the Wolverines’ lone scholarship freshman during an 8–24 campaign. Washington III talked about his goals as a player for his college program before the 2023–24 season.
Then, he remarked, “Anyone who watches me can probably say I know how to score the ball.” “I can handle the ball fairly well and shoot it pretty well. I can get my head up there with the rim if I can find that open channel. The most fascinating thing about me is how I play basketball—I’m really explosive when it comes to scoring. And to be honest, I believe that this year I’m attempting to draw attention by being defensive.
