Jalen Washington, a 4-star power forward who attends West Side High School in Gary, IN, has announced he will pay basketball at North Carolina.

At 6-foot-8 and 190 pounds, Washington is the No. 26 overall prospects nationally in the class of 2022 and is the No. 5 player at his position. Washington chose the Tar Heels over Purdue, Indiana, and Stanford. He visited all four schools in June, but Carolina came out ahead.

"Coach Davis is an incredibly caring person,” Washington told THI. “He's a great family man. He's really easy to talk to. You can tell that he cares about your development as a player as well as your development as a young man. He's really easy to talk to. He's a super lively guy. He make you laugh. That was my take on him."

Washington also fielded offers from Illinois, Maryland, and Michigan State and was in regular contact with Kentucky. It was on his visit, however, in which he was truly impacted by the Carolina tradition. He met quite a few former players and soaked in the culture of UNC basketball.

"All of the history that they have,” he said, when asked what stood out about UNC. “They have such a rich basketball history. You see all of their awards, their trophies, their championships, all of their players, and all of their accolades. That's what really stood out, their wining pedigree."

Washington’s initial interest in UNC came when Roy Williams was at the helm. Williams and Washington developed a relationship, but after Williams retired in April and was replaced by Hubert Davis, they quickly built a bond. But even before anything was established with the Tar Heels, Washington was a bit enamored by the program.

"The first thing is Michael Jordan,” Washington replied when asked what first came to mind when he thought about UNC before building strong relationships there. “The other thing is National Championships, the Carolina Blue, and just being a winner."

Washington will now have a chance to be a part of that tradition as he’s the third member of the class of 2022 to join Davis and the Tar Heels. Will Shaver and Seth Trimble both committed in June.

“The addition of Jalen Washington keeps the ball rolling for Hubert Davis. Like Seth Trimble, he could very well be a five-star before he is done. In fact, I expect he will be. Not only in this another attention grabber that Davis is for real on the recruiting trail, he will provide a need at the four for 2022-23 as UNC looks to replenish their front court.”