Markelle Fultz is determined to blaze his own path
Don’t be fooled by the quiet demeanor, unassuming appearance, and humble nature of 18-year-old blitzkrieg, Markelle Fultz. He’s a nightmare for opposing coaches and a godsend for the Washington Husky program that sorely needs a savior.
Fultz’ meteoric rise from not making varsity as a sophomore to 5-star recruit has been well chronicled. Mention Fultz to any scout and trumpets sound in the distance with nothing but praise spewing from their frothy mouths as they can barely hold back praise about his inevitable move to the NBA as part of the vaunted 2017 draft class.
After being humbled early, some kids would have cracked under the pressure of playing for a storied program like DeMatha Catholic. Not this one. Markelle beamed when asked about the experience at DeMatha, “My time there helped me a lot. Not making the varsity team was tough, but it helped me on and off the court to grow as a person and player. It helped me be humble and to know that I need to keep working harder and harder, because there is always going to be someone in a situation like I was, that’s coming for me.”
Internal motivation and natural instinct to keep improving are not an issue with Fultz. His continued hard work and progression as an all-around prospect has earned him opportunities he never thought possible. For the first time this year, he was part of Team USA joining the U18 team that competed in Chile and took home the gold; Fultz nabbed MVP honors. Earlier this month the University of Washington took a trip to Australia and New Zealand for some exhibition games. Both trips opened Fultz’ eyes and gave him some perspective as well.
“Man, it was a great opportunity to play basketball overseas and it really made me value the things I’m able to have. I realized that we have things that other people in worse off situations can only dream of having.”
That’s not a normal response for an 18-year-old who just won a gold medal and MVP honors at his first Team USA event. No talk of “me this” or “me that”. The overarching theme is that Fultz sees the bigger picture; a picture that includes more than simply his success.
Accolades and chatter about the NBA have not changed this quiet kid from Upper Marlboro, Maryland. When asked what he thought about his draft projections and how much attention he’s getting, he quipped, “projections aren’t everything. People say a lot of things, but it’s on me to continue to work and go out there and perform. Time will tell.”
Fultz’ college choice gives another glimpse into what kind of man and player he wants to be. The easy choice would have been Kentucky, North Carolina or Duke — all of which were begging him to attend their universities — but he chose The University of Washington. The Huskies have made only one Final Four appearance, have never won the National Championship, and haven’t been to the NCAA tournament since the 2010-11 season,
So, why Washington? Fultz said, “First, the coaching staff is great. Coach Romar made me feel like I was his son. When I came to visit I saw all the players got along. UW is underrated and I feel like I’m a little underrated, so I wanted to show people you don’t need to attend a big school to reach your dreams. I want to shock the world.” Coach Romar has been able to get players to the NBA even without winning recently. Tony Wroten, Terrence Ross, C.J. Wilcox, Dejounte Murray and Marquese Chriss are all in the NBA but none of them were able to “shock the world” as Fultz wants to.
Of those five players, Wilcox played all four years, Ross played two, and Wroten, Murray and Chriss were all one-and-dones. And while they all achieved individual success, they were never able to lift Washington to NCAA supremacy. It’s difficult to provide shock and awe in one season. The prevailing theory is that Markelle will also be gone after one season in Seattle with experts like DraftExpress slating him in the No. 1 draft spot for 2017 already. It’s dangerous to assume.
One of Fultz’ teammates on the U18 club this summer was the enigmatic wing Michael Porter Jr., who just happens to be committed to The University of Washington after his senior year at local Nathan Hale High School. Porter led the U18 team in scoring and the two elite prospects could have possibly created a spark that leads to more tandem play in the future. The only way that happens is if Fultz stays at UW for at least two years.
On the surface it seems like a silly, almost irresponsible decision, but nonetheless it’s one that is Fultz’ to make and his mind isn’t made up just yet. When asked if there’s a chance we see the duo together at UW Fultz said, “Most definitely”, and continued with, “My goal is to have a great college career. My goal right now is to stay here four years. I’m not only worried about basketball. I want to be an accountant so I’m working on getting that set up for myself and I’m focused on college right now. The NBA will be there and if the time is right, then I’ll have a decision to make, but I’m taking it one day at a time; nothing is definite at this point.”
If Markelle Fultz truly wants to shock the world, then staying at UW for four years would certainly do the trick. If he’s able to team up with Michael Porter Jr. — who is an elite prospect himself — then those two could transform the Husky program into a powerhouse over the next 3-4 seasons.
Fultz said “nothing is definite,” but that might not be true in this case. Husky fans who have been pining for a savior can look no further than this explosive, slippery, unassuming package and revel in the fact that better times are on the horizon.