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Wait around long enough in the recruiting world, and something surprising is bound to happen. That was the case on Tuesday when Niko Bundalo, the No. 31-ranked player in the 2025 class, offered up a surprise commitment to Danny Sprinkle and Washington.
A 6-foot-10 power forward at Napa (Calif.) Prolific Prep, Bundalo had narrowed his finalists down to Connecticut, North Carolina, Michigan State and Ohio State during the fall. After visits to all of them, no commitment materialized and the expectation was that he would be rebooting his recruitment and sorting his options out through the winter. Instead, he’s on the way to Seattle even though he’s yet to visit the Huskies.
“I just think the coaching staff and the style of play fit,” Bundalo told 247Sports. “For Coach Sprinkle the four-man plays the most minutes and he has one of the highest usage rates for his fours of any coach in the NCAA right now. I just think it’s a great opportunity for me to go in there where Great Osobor is on his way out the door. He’s a great player but him leaving and me getting a chance at that spot off the rip is a great opportunity for my development.”
RELATED: Scouting Niko Bundalo and his fit at Washington
In addition to his 6-foot-10 size, Bundalo brings a lot to the table. He’s a skilled scorer on the block and has range as a shooter. He’s also a high-volume rebounder with a tremendous frame to build on in a college weight room. There should be an opportunity for Bundalos to display his versatility and skill from the moment he gets on campus. He said that Sprinkle has big plans for him.
“I think a lot of it is being a versatile player,” said Bundalo. “I think Sprinkle sees a lot for me. Just getting the ball off the rim and doing things. We talk about me initiating sets and being a high-level passer off the dribble and off the catch in my zone and my spots. I think with me and Coach Sprinkle it’s going to be a relationship that’s very fluid where I can do whatever it takes to win. Whether we need a scorer, a good screener, a good rebounder I feel like I have an opportunity to do it all.”
The third member of Sprinkle’s first recruiting class at Washington, Bundalo makes three four-star commitments for the Huskies. He joins high-scoring guard Courtland Muldrew and tough point guard JJ Mandaquit along with junior college big man Mady Traore in an impressive class that now ranks among the top 15 in the industry-generated Composite team rankings. Bundalo is looking forward to showing Huskies fans what he can do and feels great about his decision.
“I hope they are ready for a show,” said Bundalo. “That’s my message to Washington fans. It has definitely been a long process and a crazy ride to get to this point. But I think for me, I see things very clearly now and I’m very certain and very comfortable in the decision that I’ve made.”
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