GW Lands Japanese Forward Yuta Watanabe

George Washington head coach Mike Longeran on Tuesday landed a pledge from 6-foot-7 St. Thomas More forward Yuta Watanabe.

The Japanese player also considered Fordham, St. Thomas More coach Jere Quinn told SNY.tv.

“He has great skill, is long and is an excellent shooter,” Quinn said. “He has tremendous potential. He’s much better than everyone thinks.

“It’s a real good get for them. It’s a great location for an international student. It was a tough decision for the kid. He really liked both schools.

Watanabe is averaging 15 points and seven rebounds.

“He is a three, maybe a two and can help with the four,” Quinn said. “He’s very, very skilled and athletic.”

Watanabe is GW’s fourth pledge for 2014, joining Virginia small forward Anthony Swan, New Jersey shooting guard Paul Jorgensen and Washington, D.C. shooting guard Darian Bryant.

Photo: CoxSportsOnline

Written by Adam Zagoria

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Adam Zagoria is a Basketball Insider who covers basketball at all levels. A contributor to The New York Times and SportsNet New York (SNY), he is also the author of two books and is an award-winning journalist and filmmaker. His articles have appeared in ESPN The Magazine, SLAM, Sheridan Hoops, Basketball Times and in newspapers nationwide. He also won an Emmy award for his work on the SNY mini-documentary on Syracuse guard Tyus Battle. A veteran Ultimate Frisbee player, he has competed in numerous National and World Championships and, perhaps more importantly, his teams won the Westchester Summer League (WSL) championships in 2011 and 2013. He lives in Manhattan with his wife and children.