Oh boy! USC Recruit changes mind, chooses UW!

Venoy Overton, a true point guard, has changed his mind declaring he will attend UW next year instead of USC. Stating that he would be able to make a immediate impact at the college level was the reason he switched schools. The struggles this year of Justin Dentmon have opened the door for Overton to compete for the starting point guard position.

The 6-foot guard out of Seattle's Franklin High School is a great addition to UW's 2008 recruiting class. Justin Dentmon is going to have to work extra hard this summer to retain his starting job.

Overton was named to the Seattle Times' Star Times team last week after averaging 21.7 points and 5.7 assists this year for Franklin, which is 21-2 and the top-ranked 4A team in the state.

Overton will be on scholarship next year, meaning Spencer Hawes most probably will be leaving, and Tim Morris will now be a walk on next year. UW has a full boat next year....

Bob Condotta from Seattle Times states "First, I think the scholarship situation may be just this simple --- Tim Morris becomes a walk-on, if needed, and Darnell Gant may not make it in due to grades. From what I know, this has nothing to do with anything regarding Spencer Hawes. But obviously if he leaves, that opens up another scholarship. Two of those three is all that is needed to happen to make this work out."

More from Condotta "From what I've been told, the UW coaches really value Overton for his defense, quickness and athleticism. UW's guards have had trouble defending all season and it's thought Overton could make a big difference there immediately, on top of whatever offense and ballhandling he will add."

FURTHER COMMENT ---
The obvious question is how the Huskies will fit him in, given that they already have at least 13 scholarships committed for next year. My answer at the moment is I don't know.

Here's how next year's roster now looks:
07-08 roster

SENIORS
G - Ryan Appleby
G - Tim Morris

JUNIORS
G - Justin Dentmon
F - Jon Brockman
F - Artem Wallace
G - Joel Smith

SOPHOMORES
C - Joe Wolfinger
C - Spencer Hawes
F - Quincy Pondexter
F - Phil Nelson
G - Adrian Oliver

FRESHMEN
F - Matthew Bryan-Amaning
F - Darnell Gant
G - Justin Holiday
G - Venoy Overton
TOTAL 15.

Maybe this is a sign that Spencer Hawes is for sure out the door, since him leaving is the most logical way that a scholarship opens. For today, the big news is simply that the Huskies have taken a definite step toward solving what has been an obvious problem this season.
UPDATED COMMENT --- Remember that Tim Morris can move to walk-on status if necessary. Also, there are apparently some concerns over Darnell Gant's academics, which would also open up a scholarship.
UPDATED --- Here's a profile of Overton from Rivals.com.