Shorewood's Hawkinson Commits to WSU Men's Hoops Program

Last winter, Josh Hawkinson proved that he was one of the top high school basketball players in the Puget Sound region. Now, he’ll get the chance to refine his skills against the competition of the Pac-12, after signing a National Letter of Intent to play at Washington State.

Hawkinson, who made a verbal commitment to the Cougars last month, made it official on Wednesday, faxing in his letter on the first day of the early signing period, which runs through November 21.

The 6-foot-9, 220-pound power forward was a first-team All-Wesco 3A selection last season as a junior, averaging 18 points, 10 rebounds, and nearly five assists per game as he led the Thunderbirds to a 17-6 record (13-3 in Wesco).

Washington State head coach and Shorecrest graduate Ken Bone said he’s excited to bring Hawkinson into the program.

"Josh will be a great asset to the team," Bone said in a release. "He is an extremely skilled passer that has the ability to shoot from the perimeter. In addition, he's a tremendous student and we look forward to helping him continue to develop."

Hawkinson has also been given high marks by various recruiting outlets. ESPN Recruiting Nation ranked the forward sixth among Washington State recruits, and the 45th on the west coast.

According to Scout.com, Hawkinson also had offers from Santa Clara and San Diego of the West Coast Conference.

With the commitment, Hawkinson becomes the second player from Shoreline to make the leap to the Division I ranks in as many years. Junior Chibuogwu, who graduated from Shorecrest in June, is currently on the roster at Seattle University. Hawkinson will also become the first Division I player from Shorewood since Tim Deiderichs, who transferred to Snohomish after his sophomore season and played four seasons at Loyola Marymount.