Recruiting Report: Khlail Shabazz (2017)
There were some twists and turns in Rainier Beach point guard Khalil Shabazz’s recruitment, but when the dust settled, it’s D2 Central Washington which nabbed the 5-foot-11 floor general.
Washington’s 18th-ranked 2017, Shabazz had committed to D2 Hawaii at Hilo, but after de-committing because of a coaching change, his recruitment opened back up.
It was Central Washington that swooped in to get him.
“I committed to Central (Washington) late because they didn’t offer me at first, because the coaches from Central Washington had a good relationship with the coaches from Hawaii-Hilo, so they didn’t want to do that.”
Shabazz added: “So when they found out that I de-committed, they reached out to me and I went out there on a visit and I played with the guys, and they liked the way I played.”
Central Washington was also in attendance during Shabazz’s 47 point outburst against O’Dea early last season.
“After that (visit) they just called me and told me they liked me and had a scholarship for me,” said Shabazz. “And I really thought about all the schools and stuff, and when it came down to just picking a solid program, I committed to CWU.”
A strong two-way player, the Wildcats will be getting a diverse offensive threat who takes pride in his defense.
“I feel like I bring energy to the team, offensively and defensively. My strengths are just my on-ball guarding, and my ability to score in a variety of ways. I’m also good at getting my teammates going and being a playmaker and things like that,” said Shabazz.
“My weakness could be my size, some people say, because I’m 5’11 and kind of skinny. But I don’t let that stop me, I just play my game and give it my all.”
Could Shabazz come in and make an immediate impact? He might.
“They said, ‘If we didn’t think you were ready to play at the next level then we wouldn’t have offered you,’” said Shabazz. “They just said I need to come in and work and earn my spot.”