Lorenzo Romar is recruiting as well as anyone. Now Washington has to start winning

Lorenzo Romar may finally be on the cusp of turning the Washington basketball program back around. Following an eight-year stretch that included six NCAA Tournament appearances, three trips to the Sweet Sixteen and 185 total victories, the Huskies have finished the past five seasons without an NCAA Tournament appearance.

Fortunately for Romar, the recruiting feats that once made the 57-year-old head coach such a revered assistant at UCLA during the 1990s are re-materializing, and so too should the on-court results at Washington.

Following a half decade of considerable disappointment, such claims are understandably subject to skepticism. But in a game in which elite 18- and 19-year-olds can transform the landscape of a program, the proof of resurgence is found in Romar’s recent recruiting successes.

Consider Romar’s recruiting hauls between 2011 and 2014 -€” his first four classes succeeding Washington’s last NCAA Tournament berth. Throughout that four-year stretch, Romar didn’t convey a single top-25 class to Washington. Of the 11 talents that landed in Seattle, only one was ranked as a five-star recruit -€” Tony Wroten, who jetted to the NBA after one season -€” with none of the recruits ranked as four-star prospects. The talent necessary to win at a level high enough to compete in the NCAA Tournament simply hasn’t been at Romar’s disposal on a team-wide scale.

Even more telling of Washington’s shortcomings was roster instability shaped by nine of the 11 recruits brought in during the aforementioned time period having transferred. Aside from Wroten turning pro after one season and Andrew Andrews concluding his four-year college career at Washington, Romar’s entire 2013 and 2014 classes departed from the program (and Romar didn’t add a single recruit in the 2012 class).

Romar’s eight-man 2015 class, on the other hand, signified a much-needed breath of fresh air and reason for optimism. Yes, Romar’s 2015-16 squad still fell short of a punched ticket to the big dance, but a basketball empire isn’t built in a season and there’s legitimate reason to believe the foundation is now in place.

Of the eight players that committed to Romar in 2015, six are still in place for the 2016-17 season, which includes three former four-star recruits headlined by Noah Dickerson. The only two departures were Dejounte Murray and Marquese Chriss, who grew into first-round NBA Draft selections after joining the Huskies as the No. 48 and No. 60 players in their class, respectively. Obviously, the productivity Murray and Chriss provided during their lone college stint will be missed, but the balance of Romar’s seventh-ranked 2015 class only adds substantial talent moving forward.

To assist in satisfying the 50.7-point-per-game void Murray, Chriss and Andrews, the leading scorer, left behind, Romar hauled in a three-man class featuring Markelle Fultz, a consensus top-five player nationally. Now, Romar will not only have a more experienced roster at his disposal with a plethora of interior depth, but a Team USA U18 MVP and potential No. 1 pick next year in Fultz, who’s the kind of rare talent that can catapult a roster to heights Washington hasn’t reach in five years.

“He is the most dynamic guard coming in the door that we have signed in our 14 years here,” Romar said in a press release.

Of course, talent doesn’t necessarily guarantee success -€” let last season be a shining example -€” but far less likely is success without talent. Romar’s glass certainly looks half full entering his 15th season at Washington.

By the look of Romar’s recent recruiting efforts, Washington could finally make a run at the NCAA Tournament.

Considering his 2015-2018 classes -€” four classes, with two being far from completed -€” Romar has landed 16 total commitments. And it’s not as if Romar is adding your replacement-level recruits as of late. Of the 16 pledges in the noted four-year span, seven are or were ranked as four-star recruits and two are five-star talents. And the best is yet to come.

In addition to Fultz, the five-star combo guard, still being months away from his Washington debut, what’s currently a No. 2-ranked 2017 class is headlined by Michael Porter Jr., the nation’s top-ranked power forward and No. 2 overall recruit. With Porter’s father, Michael Porter Sr., now serving as an assistant coach, Romar will also add Porter Jr.‘s, younger brother, 2018 four-star power forward Jontay Porter. And Romar’s recruiting success goes beyond family ties.

Romar has always found success recruiting in state, but as of late, the talent-rich Seattle area has been ripe for Romar’s picking. Half of his 2015 class stayed home to play for Romar and four-star 2017 shooting guard commit Jaylen Nowell is from Seattle, as well. Another four-star guard, Daejon Davis, was pledged to Washington from the Seattle area before recently decommitting, but Davis said the Huskies are still an option, which would only strengthen what’s on pace to be yet another elite class; maybe Romar’s best ever, if targets like Trae Young follow Porter to Washington.

Make no mistake about it: Romar is once again bringing quality talent to Washington in bulk, and he’s doing so at a higher rate than almost every other program in the nation. Now, Romar simply needs to break the recent trend of transfers and assure the recruiting pipeline continues flowing.

The pillars are in place. It’s time to see what Romar can build at Washington.

*All rankings according to 247Sports Composite.*