5 things NBA fans should know about projected No. 1 draft pick Markelle Fultz
On Friday, news that has basically been unofficial for years became official when Washington Huskies star Markelle Fultz announced he was headed to the NBA Draft. The 6’4″ guard from Maryland is projected by virtually every outlet to be the first overall pick in June and is also rated the No. 1 player on FOX Sports’ big board.
But while Fultz has been the apple of the NBA’s eye for years, it doesn’t mean he won’t enter the pros without questions. Despite putting up historically great numbers at Washington, his team also was historically bad during his time there as well. A late-season injury – just as other prospects began to take off – certainly hasn’t helped things.
So now that Fultz is headed to the pros, what do you need to know about him? Here are five things:
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1
He’s got the most unique path to college superstardom of any player in years
For years it seems like the path to the top of the NBA Draft has been just about the same for every player coming out of college. Get identified as a star in your pre-teens. Work your way through the AAU ranks and go to a high school powerhouse. Head to a one-and-done factory for college and declare for the pros. Except with Fultz, his story couldn’t be more different.
Fultz wasn’t one of those kids that was identified as a star in his pre-teens, but – in a story that is well-known by now – actually played on the JV team his sophomore year of high school. The issue for Fultz wasn’t skill, but instead size: At the time he stood just 5’9. That’s also why Fultz ended up at Washington as opposed to other, bigger-name schools. They were the first – and only – school to identify him as a high-major prospect when he was still so young.
The Huskies’ advance scouting paid off big-time as Fultz grew to 6’5 by the start of his senior year. By that time schools like Arizona, Lousiville and others were on him, but it was too late. He committed to Washington just as he was emerging into a legit five-star prospect and future NBA lottery pick.
Ted S. Warren AP
2
He was supposed to play with Marquese Chriss and DeJounte Murray at Washington this season
Quite a bit has been written about Washington’s struggles with Fultz this season (more on that coming), but what many forget is that the team he played with this year isn’t the same one he committed to in the fall of 2015. At the time, Washington had a pair of freshmen named Dejounte Murray and Marquese Chriss who were expected to join forces with Fultz to…
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