The Washingtons will soon become part of the Flyer Faithful, the fanbase that has sold out five straight seasons at UD Arena. The youngest member of the family can’t wait to experience the atmosphere created by fans in Dayton.
“I love everything about the arena and the fans that are there,” he said.
While the 13,407 fans who fill UD Arena for every game were a big selling point for Washington, the coaches he got to know during the recruiting process, especially assistant coach Jermaine Henderson and head coach Anthony Grant, had an even bigger impact.
“Coach Henderson was my recruiter,” Washington said, “and I just thought he did a very good job of recruiting me. He’s a great guy and just showed me that Dayton’s a really good fit.”
Washington visited the University of Dayton campus in September. What stood out to him was how much UD cares about the educational side of the experience for potential recruits. He described the coaches as “down-to-earth people.”
“I really enjoyed spending time with them for those 24 hours that I was there at Dayton,” he said. “They showed me around campus and showed me the style of play that I’d be fitting into. Everything stood out to me.”
Washington knew about Obi Toppin’s history with Dayton before Dayton first offered him a scholarship in July. He was familiar with the success of the 2019-20 team. He had already visited UD Arena in past seasons to watch state championship games.
Now Washington wants to finish his career with a game at UD Arena, which will be the site of state semifinals and state championship games again next March. He also plans to visit the arena for a Dayton game this season. Last season, Dayton’s two 2025 recruits, Jaron McKie and Damon Friery, sat behind the bench early in the season after signing with UD.
Washington averaged 21.9 points, 7.7 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 2.7 steals per game as a junior. He made the All-Ohio Division V first team.
“I like to think that I shoot the ball pretty well,” Washington said. “I shot 75% from 2 and close to 50% from 3. I just like to be that energy guy for our team and the best teammate that I can be and just go out there and have fun with my friends. That’s what it’s all about.”
Washington said he has taken basketball seriously his whole life but didn’t think he would be a scholarship player until he got to high school.
“I just kept putting in the work,” he said. “I knew where I wanted to be so I surrounded myself with the right people. At the end of my freshman year, I got my first Division I offer, and that’s when it kind of hit me that if I keep putting the time in, then everything will work out.”
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