Washington Tabs Quinnipiac

Ron Bailey, Publisher

March 28, 2007 - The Quinnipiac University Bobcats are on the verge of being the Washington, D.C. area’s defacto college team; four Metro area players competed there last year, with six wearing Quinnipiac silks over the last two. Add another to the list.

“Yes sir” said combo guard Harold Washington recently via telephone, when asked if he had in fact accepted a scholarship offer from the school. “I committed I believe Wednesday morning (of last week)”.

“I just felt like it was a good school” continued the 6’1”, 175 pound Gwynn Park High School (Clinton, MD) senior, of his motivation to do so. “The school is putting a lot into the basketball program. (Additionally) It’s a quiet school where everybody is focused on getting their work done”.

Harold Washington shared he first started playing organized ball around "seven or eight years old".

A strong student who is NCAA qualified, Washington plans on majoring in Communications, which he shared “is another reason” he chose Quinnipiac over Hampton (who offered), George Mason, Mount St. Mary’s and Radford, all schools that recently scouted him. “They have tone of the top communications programs”.

A major cog in Gwynn Park’s 25-2, state semi-final team this year, Washington indicated he “finished out averaging 18.9 points, 4.7 rebounds per game, and three assists” each contest, lofty numbers indeed, but not unexpected, as Harold is an athletic guard who can handle the ball, increasingly hit the outside jump shot, and rebound.

When asked what he brings Quinnipiac, the self-deprecating Washington reflected before opining “Wow, that’s hard. I think I can bring a player with athleticism that can do things on both ends, score, rebound and defend, and also distribute the basketball at the same time”.

Keith Stevens, the head of Triple Threat (AAU) and someone Washington noted “helped me a lot on my game” agrees, adding “He is going to be an athletic guard that has as tremendous upside”. Stevens should know, having coached Washington of and on for two years on the travel team circuit.

Washington also lauded Triple Threat specifically: “It really helped me with my experience. Getting out there with those guys, you have to step up”.

Gwynn Park’s Mike Glick was also mentioned as instrumental in his development, as Harold labeled him “a good coach” who “stepped up in two years and got us from 13-10 to 25-2. He knows what he’s doing!”

Before reporting to Quinnipiac and its coach, Tom Moore this summer, expect the laid back Washington to not only attend his prom, an event he’s prepared for, having already secured his date, tickets, and limousine, but also enjoy his life away from the hardwood.

“I like listening to music and chilling out” shared Washington, who despite constant assumptions to the contrary was not named after the now deceased, first Black Mayor of Chicago. “I read books in my spare time”.

His latest? “Their Eyes Were Watching God, which was basically about a woman. It showed her journey through life” supplied Washington of the Zora Neale Hurston penned classic.

That’s something most people, young or old have not read, but make no mistake about it, Harold falls in line with others of his generation, labeling Lil’ Wayne as his favorite recording artist.

Let’s see, being an intelligent student-athlete with both common and divergent tastes could earn Washington a title of his own; ‘Mayor’ of Quinnipiac’. At the very least, for four years the Bobcat faithful will value and benefit from his presence on the Hamden, CT campus and its TD Banknorth Sports Center.