This might be the end of Markelle Fultz’s college career
Washington’s Markelle Fultz has been ruled out of the team’s Pac-12 conference tournament opener against the USC Trojans due to a lingering sore knee. The Huskies’ freshman has missed five of the last seven games due to the injury.
Washington has lost 12 straight and without Fultz in the lineup, it seems poised to lose its 13th consecutive contest, likely ending the young freshman’s college career. Fultz is expected to declare for June’s NBA Draft as he is the projected No. 1 pick.
Despite eye-popping individual numbers (23.2 points, 5.9 assists and 5.7 rebounds per game) that haven’t been matched in college basketball for at least 20 years, this season has been a disappointment for Fultz from a team perspective. The Huskies are 9-21 (2-16 Pac-12) and poised to missed the NCAA Tournament for the sixth straight season.
When Fultz committed to the program, he expected to be sharing the court with then-freshmen Marquese Chriss and Dejounte Murray, but both Chriss and Murray performed well enough to enter the NBA after just one season at Washington. Without Chriss and Murray, the Huskies simply didn’t have the firepower to compete in a Pac-12 that featured the likes of quality teams at Arizona, Oregon and UCLA this season.
The offseason questions for the Huskies will now turn towards head coach Lorenzo Romar who has struggled to succeed despite continuously fielding a roster with future NBA players. Recent reports suggest that Washington will retain Romar for at least one more season as top-rated recruit Michael Porter Jr. is committed to play for the program next season. Fultz, though, likely won’t be there to join him.