BOWLING GREEN — Bowling Green men's basketball announced the signing of junior college big man Jacob Washington on Monday, officially completing its 2020-21 roster with a 13th scholarship player.
Washington, a 6-foot-8 forward, most recently played at Cerritos College in Norwalk, Calif., and will be immediately eligible for the upcoming season.
The Los Angeles native has two years of eligibility remaining and will be the fourth player with junior eligibility on the roster.
Bowling Green lost most of its interior defenders during the past two seasons, as center Demajeo Wiggins and forward Jeff Uju graduated in 2019 and forward Marlon Sierra was a senior in 2020.
The Falcons also lost center Tayler Mattos to transfer in the offseason and were on the market for another player who could guard physical big men but still switch onto guards in the pick-and-roll.
"Jacob is a versatile post player that has the ability to play multiple positions,” Bowling Green coach Michael Huger said. "He comes to Bowling Green after having consistent success at the junior college level.”
Last season, Washington started 25 of 30 games for Cerritos, which finished the season 20-10 and won its conference championship. He averaged 10 points on 46 percent shooting to go with 6.6 rebounds.
After playing at George Washington Prep in high school, Washington spent his first collegiate season at Los Angeles Harbor College, where he posted similar averages to last season at 10.3 points and 7.5 rebounds.
The Falcons landed on Washington primarily for his defensive profile, but hope he can add some secondary scoring to a team that includes returning all-Mid-American Conference players Justin Turner and Daeqwon Plowden.
Last year, Washington shot only 20.7 percent from 3-point range (6-for-29), but was a consistently solid free-throw shooter at 76.7 percent from the line on 86 attempts.
"He was able to score on the block and shoot from the perimeter,” Huger said. "Jacob will also give our roster a valuable rebounder and rim protector. Off the court, Falcon fans will love his personality and character.”
The Falcons have turned to the junior-college ranks often in recent seasons for bench depth, as Uju, Sierra, and backup point guard Michael Laster were regular parts of the rotation during their time at Bowling Green.
Last season, Bowling Green signed wing Trey Diggs, who led the team in 3-point shooting last season, from the JUCO ranks.
Washington will be one of four new scholarship players on the roster for Bowling Green, joining a freshman class of three players.
BGSU added Lima Senior guard Josiah Fulcher, West Virginia point guard Kaden Metheny, and Philadelphia forward Cam Young, all of whom are enrolled and took part in summer practice.
First Published August 31, 2020, 6:15 p.m.
