DAWGS DIGEST
Continued from page 23 honoree for the third-consecutive season. Her 25.9 points per game led the Pac-12 and was fourth overall in the nation. Head coach Mike Neighbors knew he had something special in her from the beginning. “A West Coast kid, staying on the West Coast, coming to a place that hasn’t been to the NCAA Tournament in a few years, wasn’t in the Final Four talk ever ... to make that leap of faith and then to attract other people along the way, the other pieces needed to become a team,” Neighbors says, “is a legacy that she will leave, regardless of what records she does or does not break this year.” Above all, beyond just her pure talent and presence in the record books, Plum will leave her legacy as part of a team with undeniable chemistry. Perhaps supported by the culture of women’s basketball, where players primarily spend four years working and growing together as a team, Plum and the Huskies are united on and off of the court. “I don’t think it is necessarily all about talent, but putting the pieces together,” Plum says. “That’s our job as leaders. As competitors, we can get feisty sometimes, but at the end of the day it’s just rolling it back together and being able to be a competitive family.” In comparison, the appeal of forfeiting eligibility to play professionally poses a threat to the men’s game
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“I don’t even think about the NBA,” says freshman Markelle Fultz. “I think when people play like they have already made it, they don’t play as hard. I am [focused on] this season, helping these guys out, and becoming the best player I can be.” and the Huskies’ ability to develop the same type of team cohesion as the women. Last year alone, Washington lost two of their starting five in freshman stars Marquese Chriss and Dejounte Murray, who declared for the NBA Draft following the conclusion of their first seasons at Washington. While many believe Fultz will be the next to follow in similar fashion, that is not where his focus lies as the upcoming season looms.
“I don’t even think about the NBA,” he says. “I think when people play like they have already made it, they don’t play as hard. They think that everybody is supposed to respect them. I play to win each play and possession. I hate losing, so I am not worried about the NBA. I am worried about this season, helping these guys out, and becoming the best player I can be.” The freshman guard, a product of DeMatha Catholic High School in Upper Morbolo, Md., was ranked as the No. 5 player in the class of 2016 according to Rivals.com, adding his name to a long list of top-rated recruits to come to Washington under Romar. In fact, Fultz is the sixth ESPN Top-100 player to join the program in just the last two years alone. Sure to make an impact right off of the bat for Romar’s young squad, Fultz will likely bring the ball up at the point-guard position, but is also more than capable to play the two or three as well. “In the country, I think he’s one of the best coming in. You watch him play, you watch him for two or three minutes, the way he moves on the floor with his size, you realize he’s pretty good,” Romar says. “But what you don’t see behind the scenes is the type of teammate he is, the unselfish teammate that he is. Those things, those intangibles, go a long way in terms of his character and what he’s about to do to help your team be the best they can be.”
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