Isaiah Stewart announces he’s leaving UW to enter 2020 NBA Draft
From the time he committed to Washington, Isaiah Stewart was expected to spend just one season with the Huskies. Now, that timeline is official.
The projected first-round pick declared for the 2020 NBA Draft on Wednesday afternoon.
“After discussions with my family and the coaching staff and with a great deal of prayer, thought and consideration, I have decided to declare for the 2020 NBA Draft,” Stewart wrote on Twitter.
Stewart (6-9, 250) is projected as the No. 21 pick by NBAdraft.net while ESPN has him going No. 26.
“Isaiah exemplifies everything you want from a student-athlete,” head coach Mike Hopkins said in a statement. “He wears his heart on his sleeve, in the way he plays, how he interacts with the community, our fans and everyone he comes in contact with. As a coach, you want to see your players’ dreams come true. His dream of playing in the NBA is becoming a reality. I’m so proud of him. He’s a special kid, and I was honored to coach him. He’ll be part of the Husky family forever.”
Stewart and Jaden McDaniels — who is also expected to declare for the NBA Draft — entered UW as five-star recruits and McDonald’s All-Americans. They were the highest-ranked members of the Huskies’ top-10 2019 recruiting class, and Stewart was considered the No. 2 recruit in the country.
Stewart was named to the All-Pac-12 first team and the Pac-12 all-freshman team. He started all 32 games for UW, leading the Huskies in scoring (17.0 points per game), rebounds (8.8), blocks (2.1) and minutes (32.2). Stewart also set the UW record for blocks (66) and rebounds (281). In his final game — a 77-70 loss to Arizona in the Pac-12 tournament — Stewart finished with a double-double of 29 points and 12 rebounds.
“That guy is just, he’s a monster,” Rivals national basketball analyst Eric Bossi said over the summer. “The motor never, never stops running. He’s relentless and physical. He has great hands. He can score with either hand around the basket. He plays much bigger than his size because of his strength and long arms.”
Despite the addition of Stewart and McDaniels, UW struggled after point guard Quade Green was declared academically ineligible in January. The Huskies finished the season 15-17 overall and 5-13 in the Pac-12. Along with Stewart and McDaniels, UW will also lose senior backup Sam Timmins.
Hopkins said he expects Green back on the floor for UW next season. The Huskies will add former Wichita State guard Erik Stevenson, who announced his transfer earlier this month, along with sophomore forward J’Raan Brooks. Brooks sat out last year after transferring from USC.
This story was originally published April 1, 2020 at 10:50 AM.
