Matthew Atewe, a center/forward from Auburn with three years of eligibility remaining, is transferring to play for the Washington men’s basketball team after visiting campus the past weekend.
“Proud to announce that I will attend the University of Washington for the remainder of my college career,” Atewe tweeted Monday morning, with the hashtag #Huskies and #RealRecognizeReal.
Listed at 6-8, 230 pounds, Atewe would provide the Huskies immediate frontcourt depth. In a phone interview Monday with The News Tribune, Atewe said he’d grown to 6-9 and was up to 265 pounds. He plans to sign a financial aid agreement as soon as possible, and will finish his current semester at Auburn before changing schools.
Atewe played through his freshman season despite a fracture in his left leg. Following off-season surgery, he missed the 2014-15 campaign after re-injuring his leg in an exhibition game before the start of the regular season.
He recently told Dawgman.com that he is being advised to apply for a waiver that would allow to him to play next season. But typically, transfers have to sit out a season, per NCAA rules. According to a UW release, Atewe will sit out the 2015-16 campaign before he’s eligible.
As a freshman in 2013-14, Atewe, a Brampton, Ont., native, played 24 games for the Tigers and averaged 1.5 points, 3.4 rebounds and 14.4 minutes in a reserve role.
Here’s a link to his Auburn bio.
Adding Atewe would help a thin Huskies’ roster after Nigel Williams-Goss, Darin Johnson and Gilles Dierickx recently opted to transfer. The Huskies finished the 2014-15 season 16-15 (5-13 Pac-12) and missed the NCAA Tournament for the fourth consecutive season.
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Looks as though he played regularly, if not extensively. Front court depth has always been an issue in the Romar era as the team has typically favored guard play. Atewe will hopefully make up for Kemp’s loss due to graduation.
1.5 points and 3.4 rebounds in 14.4 minutes per game? And he’ll have to sit one more season? Guess we should set the bar at limbo levels.