Washington men pursue Alabama big man

When the Washington Huskies signed four recruits last November, men's basketball coach Lorenzo Romar said he was done adding to his roster unless "something happens in the spring."

Consider DeMarcus Cousins as something happening.

The 6-foot-9, 250-pound power forward/center from LeFlore High School in Mobile, Ala., is generally considered one of the top high-school seniors in the country still unsigned. Rivals.com lists him as the No. 2 player in the country, and earlier this week he was named a McDonald's All-American.

And on Feb. 9, Romar traveled to Alabama to watch Cousins, who lists the Huskies as one of his favorites.

Many observers have called UW a longshot to get Cousins, if for no reason other than geography. His other finalists are said to be Memphis, North Carolina State, Rice and Kansas State with Louisiana State also recently getting involved. Memphis is considered the favorite.

But LeFlore coach Otis Hughley said earlier this week that Cousins' interest in UW is real and shouldn't be discounted.

"He's been interested in Washington for a while," Hughley said. "It's Pac-10, they are winning, they've got a good coach with a long contract. They've got a history of recent pros and one-and-dones. And he [Romar] has some NBA experience as a player. There's a lot of things the University of Washington has going for them. More than anything, he [Romar] is a man of integrity, and that's really, really, really important to this family."

Cousins wasn't an issue for the Huskies when they signed their four players in the fall. That a group that includes guard Abdul Gaddy, a guard from Bellarmine Prep in Tacoma who also is a McDonald's All-American.

Cousins originally gave a verbal commitment to Alabama-Birmingham and was not on UW's radar. But when he couldn't get an agreement that he could get out of his letter-of-intent if UAB coach Mike Davis wasn't back next season, he decided not to sign with the Blazers and re-opened his recruitment. Davis is now thought to be a candidate to take over the vacancy at Alabama, and Cousins has said publicly that wherever Davis ends up will get heavy consideration.

Cousins averages 26 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists for LeFlore, one of the top-ranked teams in Alabama. Hughley calls him "an unbelievable talent, very, very versatile." He says his assists indicate his passing ability sets him apart from other big men.

Others agree. SI.com's Seth Davis said a case could be made that Cousins "is the most physically talented player in the country."

Hughley also said Cousins is aware of Gaddy — the two each played in a tournament in Portland last year, he said — and intrigued by the possibility of playing with him.

Cousins' high-school career has had some controversy. He transferred to LeFlore as a junior after he was dismissed from the team at Erwin High School in Birmingham shortly before the state playoffs as a sophomore. Exactly why was never detailed, though his mother, Monique, said her son was "being a child and not necessarily making the right choices at the time."

But his recent trip to see Cousins indicates that Romar — who can't speak about Cousins under NCAA rules — has decided Cousins would fit in with the Huskies.

Hughley says Cousins plans to wait until after the season and take a few trips and then make a decision, meaning a decision likely won't come for a few more months. The spring signing period begins April 11.

One issue is how the Huskies would find a scholarship. Washington is already one over the 13-player limit for next season, with four scholarships promised and only three players assured of leaving via graduation, and no other obvious departures. Romar's program has been over the limit before and found a way to fit everyone in. Last year, guard Joel Smith was encouraged to transfer during the summer to Division II Chaminade for his final season.

Bob Condotta: 206-515-5699 or bcondotta@seattletimes.com