25 P.J. Washington

Name
P.J. Washington
Position
Forward
Class
SO
Hometown (Last School)
Dallas, TX (Findley Prep)
Ht
6'8"
Wt
228
Seasons
2017-18, 2018-19
Birthday
August 23, 1998

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Paul Jamaine Washington, Jr. was born August 23, 1998 in Louisville, Kentucky to Sherry and Paul Washington Sr.  Both of his parents played basketball at Middle Tennessee State.

In high school he was rated as high as the No. 12 overall prospect in the class of 2017 rankings by ESPN.  Scout and Rivals tabbed him at No. 15 overall and 247Sports ranked him No. 19.  He was named to the All-USA Boys Basketball Second Team and played in the 2017 McDonald’s All-American Game and the Jordan Brand Classic.  He also won most valuable player honors at the inaugural Allen Iverson Roundball Classic.  Washington started all five games and averaged 10.0 points and 4.0 rebounds for the gold-medal winning 2016 USA Men’s U18 National Team in Chile.  The forward was also a member of the 2015 USA 3×3 U18 World Championship Team, which finished in eighth place in Debrecen, Hungary.  He suited up for Coach Calipari and Team USA at the 2017 FIBA U19 World Cup. Washington averaged a team-high 12.9 points per game and also added 5.1 rebounds per outing en route to a third-place finish.  PJ was an honor-roll student in high school.

On November 10, 2016, he committed to the Kentucky Wildcats, on November 20 he signed his letter of intent.

 As a freshman, he appeared in 37 games for the Wildcats, starting 30 of them.  He was UK’s third-leading scorer with a 10.8 average and led UK in rebounding with 211 total boards.  He also led the Wildcats with three double-doubles.  PJ added 57 assists and 31 blocks, both third most on the team, respectively.  He scored in double figures in 11 of the final 12 games of the season, averaging 12.9 points and 6.8 rebounds per game while shooting 57.6 percent from the floor. He played all 40 minutes and posted a double-double vs. Kansas State in the Sweet 16 with 18 points and a career-high 15 rebounds in addition to a career-high-tying three steals.  He scored in double figures in all three NCAA Tournament games.  He scored a career-high 22 points on 6-of-10 shooting and a 10-for-14 day at the free-throw line vs. Mississippi State.  At the end of the season, he declared for the 2018 NBA Draft but, removed his name from consideration and returned to play for his sophomore season.

PJ had a monster sophomore season that led to numerous national honors, chief among them, NCAA Consensus All-America Third Team selection.  He led Kentucky in scoring averaging (15.2) and rebounding (7.5) and enjoyed career highs in virtually every major statistical category. He scored in double figures in 25 games and led UK in scoring in a team-high 16 games.  He also led UK in rebounding in a team-best 16 games.  He had a team-high nine double-doubles and scored 20 or more points a team-high 11 times.  PJ finished second on the team in blocks with 43.  He averaged 17.2 points, 6.8 rebounds and shot 54.8 percent in his 11 games vs. AP Top 25 opponents and was one of only four players in the country standing 6-foot-8 or taller who averaged at least 15.0 points per game, shot at least 50 percent from the field, at least 40 percent from 3 and made at least 30 3-pointers.  After making just five 3-pointers in his freshman season, made 33 this season on 42.3-percent shooting, the best mark on the team.  He averaged 16.1 points and 6.6 rebounds in league play.  After missing the first two NCAA Tournament games with a sprained left foot suffered in the SEC Tournament semifinals, was dominant in the NCAA Midwest regional games by averaging 22.0 points and 7.5 rebounds while shooting 61.5 percent.  PJ played arguably his best game of his career in in the season finale vs. No. 14/18 Auburn in the regional finals with a game-high 28 points, 13 rebounds and two 3-pointers in 37 minutes.  In his first game back from his foot injury, he came off the bench to score 16 points in 26 minutes on an efficient 6-of-8 shooting performance vs. No. 11/9 Houston.  PJ scored in double figures in 19 of his final 20 games, averaging 17.7 points and 7.2 rebounds during that time span.  He recorded three straight double-doubles at Florida (15 points, 12 rebounds), at Vanderbilt (26 points, 12 rebounds) and at home vs. No. 9/10 Kansas (20 points, 13 rebounds) to become the first player with three straight double-doubles since Julius Randle in March 2014.  He was also the first player with back-to-back 20-point, 10-rebound games since Randle in November 2013.  He was tabbed a third-team All-America selection by all four NCAA-recognized All-America teams (Associated Press, Sporting News, U.S. Basketball Writers Association and National Association of Basketball Coaches).  PJ was also named an All-American by USA Today (Second Team), Sports Illustrated (Second Team), Basketball Times (Third Team) and CollegeInsider.com Lute Olson.  He was named to the All-Southeastern Conference First team by both the league’s coaches and the media.  He appeared on the John R. Wooden Award national ballot and was one of five finalists for the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame’s Karl Malone Award, presented to the nation’s top power forward.  Twice he was tabbed SEC Player of the Week and was a member of the NCAA All-Tournament Midwest Region Team.

PJ was selected 12th overall by the Charlotte Hornets in the 2019 NBA Draft.  On July 3, 2019, Washington officially signed with the Hornets.  On October 23, 2019, Washington made his debut in NBA, started in a 126–125 win over the Chicago Bulls with 27 points, 4 rebounds, an assist, a steal and a block. He also made 7 three-pointers, the most in an NBA debut in NBA history.  Washington was named 2019–20 NBA All-Rookie Second Team by the NBA.

College Statistics:

Per Game

SeasonGGSMPFGFGAFG%2P2PA2P%3P3PA3P%FTFTAFT%ORBDRBTRBASTSTLBLKTOVPFPTS
2017-18373027.43.67.0.5193.56.5.5440.10.6.2383.45.6.6061.83.95.71.50.80.81.92.710.8
2018-19353329.35.410.4.5224.58.2.5490.92.2.4233.45.1.6632.35.27.51.80.81.22.02.515.2
Career726328.34.58.7.5214.07.3.5470.51.4.3843.45.4.6322.14.56.61.70.81.01.92.612.9

Totals

SeasonGGSMPFGFGAFG%2P2PA2P%3P3PA3P%FTFTAFT%ORBDRBTRBASTSTLBLKTOVPFPTS
2017-1837301012135260.519130239.544521.238126208.6066714421157283171100401
2018-1935331024190364.522157286.5493378.423118178.663811832646329436986531
Career72632036325624.521287525.5473899.384244386.6321483274751205774140186932

2017-18 Game Log

 

DateOpponentType GSMPFGFGAFG%2P2PA2P%3P3PA3P%FTFTAFT%ORBDRBTRBASTSTLBLKTOVPFPTS
2017-11-10Utah ValleyREGW119111.000111.00000 36.500123200425
2017-11-12VermontREGW135714.500714.50000 37.42928102012217
2017-11-14KansasREGL12403.00003.00000 221.000022304432
2017-11-17ETSUREGW12968.75068.75000 05.0005384016512
2017-11-20TroyREGW12224.50024.50000 00 358400434
2017-11-22Purdue-Fort WayneREGW12525.40024.50001.00038.375123000017
2017-11-26UICREGW12467.85767.85700 57.7141454011317
2017-12-02HarvardREGW11812.50012.50000 12.500145100153
2017-12-09MonmouthREGW13258.62546.66712.500991.0002461043220
2017-12-16Virginia TechREGW133410.40038.37512.50024.5002355112111
2017-12-23UCLAREGL12738.37537.42901.000331.000314111009
2017-12-29LouisvilleREGW131510.50059.55601.000661.0002572012116
2017-12-31GeorgiaREGW11525.40024.50001.00036.500112112057
2018-01-03LSUREGW136811.727810.80001.00024.5003362021318
2018-01-06TennesseeREGL12368.75067.85701.00013.3330331322113
2018-01-09Texas A&MREGW132511.45549.44412.500510.5001343200416
2018-01-13VanderbiltREGW13824.50013.333111.00058.6253582004210
2018-01-16South CarolinaREGL13323.667221.00001.000610.6000222202410
2018-01-20FloridaREGL128310.30039.33301.00000 347011116
2018-01-23Mississippi StateREGW131610.60068.75002.0001014.7142462322222
2018-01-27West VirginiaREGW11113.33313.33300 00 112001232
2018-01-30VanderbiltREGW03326.33326.33300 221.000145320126
2018-02-03MissouriREGL13028.25026.33302.00001.000347110134
2018-02-06TennesseeREGL11703.00002.00001.000441.000123001244
2018-02-10Texas A&MREGL12216.16716.16700 37.429268101215
2018-02-14AuburnREGL02749.44449.44400 56.8331450011413
2018-02-17AlabamaREGW02859.55659.55600 69.6672351005216
2018-02-20ArkansasREGW031610.600610.60000 111.00028103223313
2018-02-24MissouriREGW02936.50036.50000 69.6672352001312
2018-02-28Ole MissREGW02046.66746.66700 24.5002350111210
2018-03-03FloridaREGL02359.55659.55600 35.6003470102413
2018-03-09GeorgiaCTOURNW135812.667812.66700 24.5002571102218
2018-03-10AlabamaCTOURNW13747.57136.500111.00058.6250881000114
2018-03-11TennesseeCTOURNW12302.00002.00000 57.714055010145
2018-03-15DavidsonNCAAW12558.62558.62500 12.5000330002511
2018-03-17BuffaloNCAAW12647.57147.57100 45.8003472202312
2018-03-22Kansas StateNCAAL14057.71457.71400 820.40069150312418
37 Games   301012135260.519130239.544521.238126208.6066714421157283171100401

2018-19 Game Log

DateOpponentType GSMPFGFGAFG%2P2PA2P%3P3PA3P%FTFTAFT%ORBDRBTRBASTSTLBLKTOVPFPTS
2018-11-06DukeREGL11737.42925.40012.50012.500112000058
2018-11-09Southern IllinoisREGW12012.50012.50000 12.500246100533
2018-11-14North DakotaREGW117913.69258.62545.80035.6001671113225
2018-11-18VMIREGW133612.500612.50000 79.778711183001019
2018-11-21WinthropREGW127711.636710.70001.00057.714110114313019
2018-11-23Tennessee StateREGW12716.16715.20001.00048.500257021126
2018-11-28MonmouthREGW11936.50024.50012.500111.000268100158
2018-12-01UNC GreensboroREGW12849.44438.375111.00001.000358200449
2018-12-08Seton HallREGL135815.533712.58313.3331213.92348124042129
2018-12-15UtahREGW13148.50046.66702.00012.500314123109
2018-12-22UNCREGW13059.55646.66713.33300 37108022211
2018-12-29LouisvilleREGW13323.66723.66700 12.500268314135
2019-01-05AlabamaREGL131410.40047.57103.00078.8751671101415
2019-01-08Texas A&MREGW12848.50046.66702.000111.000145210129
2019-01-12VanderbiltREGW13214.25013.33301.00014.250538111033
2019-01-15GeorgiaREGW13046.66735.600111.00012.5003360001410
2019-01-19AuburnREGW13248.50036.50012.50047.5713472013413
2019-01-22Mississippi StateREGW127915.600610.60035.60000 2460042421
2019-01-26KansasREGW136717.412713.53804.00068.750310131120120
2019-01-29VanderbiltREGW129915.600612.500331.00056.83348122302126
2019-02-02FloridaREGW135613.462612.50001.00035.60048122012315
2019-02-05South CarolinaREGW128616.375412.33324.50067.8573251202120
2019-02-09Mississippi StateREGW124913.692610.600331.00024.5001231011523
2019-02-12LSUREGL127713.538711.63602.00068.7503693103420
2019-02-16TennesseeREGW131912.750810.80012.50047.5712351221223
2019-02-19MissouriREGW137713.53859.55624.50024.5001783013218
2019-02-23AuburnREGW133913.69245.80058.62512.5002462112124
2019-02-26ArkansasREGW13527.28625.40002.000510.500066122129
2019-03-02TennesseeREGL13026.33324.50002.000913.6920332114213
2019-03-05Ole MissREGW126611.545611.54500 12.5000114021313
2019-03-09FloridaREGW138614.429612.50002.000331.0003691004215
2019-03-15AlabamaCTOURNW135412.33339.33313.33313.333210124242010
2019-03-16TennesseeCTOURNL120611.545611.54500 441.0002350011416
2019-03-29HoustonNCAAW02668.75068.75000 47.5710221013216
2019-03-31AuburnNCAAL0371018.556814.57124.500611.54558130225328
35 Games   331024190364.522157286.5493378.423118178.66381183264632943698653