Syracuse point guard Howard Washington has entered the transfer portal, Washington’s longtime confidant Tony McIntyre told The Daily Orange. Washington’s intentions to transfer were first reported by The Athletic.

Washington, a junior, will have two more years of eligibility. Like Brycen Goodine, who announced his intentions to leave Syracuse Friday, Washington received limited playing time after sacrificing the starting point guard job to freshman Joe Girard III. Washington appeared in just 20 games this season, averaging 1.2 points in 7.4 minutes per game.

Washington expected that prior to the season there would be a more “open competition” for the point guard minutes, his father Howard Washington Sr. said. The junior guard begrudgingly missed the previous season after McIntyre, the father of former Syracuse point guard Tyler Ennis, told him he didn’t “look 100%” in practice after Washington was cleared from the stroke. McIntyre urged Washington to consider a medical redshirt because he didn’t think it was worth losing the year.

Washington was prepared for a starting or primary backup role coming into the year. After the Orange returned from their Italy trip before the start of the season, Washington expressed frustration with limited minutes despite his impression that it would be earned in practice, Washington Sr. said.

“I just really know I can hoop with these guys,” McIntyre remembered Washington said. “And ‘I’m better than what they think. If I could just get a chance, I could show them.”

Washington and Washington Sr. met with head coach Jim Boeheim upon returning from the trip and Boeheim admitted the Orange “over-recruited,” Washington Sr. said, at the guard position because the coaching staff was unaware of Washington’s plans. Boeheim told Washington that he and Goodine would fight for the backup point guard position behind Jalen Carey and Girard — who eventually won the starting job — would earn minutes as Buddy Boeheim’s backup at shooting guard. Boeheim offered the idea of transferring to Washington.

“Howard, you’re a good player,” Washington Sr. remembered Boeheim said to Washington. “You can play at a lot of places. It’s just the situation that we’re in right now, we got a lot of guards on the roster. So, it’s going to (be tough to) play five guards.”

McIntyre said Washington could have gone to “half-a-dozen” or “a dozen” other schools. Washington Sr. gave Washington a weekend to consider his options, yet McIntyre always thought that Washington was only “75% listening” and onboard with the idea.

“The options didn’t seem as promising as his eagerness to want to still fight for it,” McIntyre said.

Washington only appeared in six of SU’s first 10 games of the season, but gradually increased his role as the season continued. At the height of his contributions, when he recorded 14.5 minutes per game against Boston College and Virginia Tech, Washington turned his ankle at the end of practice on Jan. 20 which caused significant swelling and forced him out of the next two games.

Washington is the second point guard in three days to announce his transfer, yet per multiple reports, former starting point guard Carey is expected to leave the program as well. Per The Athletic, Robert Braswell is expected to seek a transfer as well, while Elijah Hughes is considering entering the 2020 NBA Draft. All the transfers expected to leave the program played limited roles this year.

Published on March 15, 2020 at 10:58 am

Contact Michael: mmcclear@syr.edu | @MikeJMcCleary