Gonzaga's search for an elite wing will have to continue on without Dejounte Murray being in the mix as the talented 2015 prospect has spurned the Zags and many others for the Washington Huskies. Murray surprised many last night when he announced that he would be ending his recruitment this evening but the decision should shock no one as the Huskies were a popular favorite throughout.
Murray joins Matt McQuaid (SMU) and Jeremy Hemsley (SDSU) as guards that have declared for other programs recently. Murray was likely the most heavily pursued out of that bunch so it stings a bit more but, as I said earlier, his decision is hardly a surprise. Head coach Lorenzo Romar has always made it very hard for Seattle-area kids to leave the hometown school and while a few have escaped him, he's had a reputation for keeping those guys home.
In all likelihood, Dejounte will wind up receiving 5-star consideration from national scouts. He is a prototypical wing with a frame that will be filled out eventually. He can score in the paint, shoot from deep, and hit the glass. He's a huge get for the Huskies and it was vital that they nabbed him early on as his stock should skyrocket in July.
Gonzaga will still aggressively pursue the small forward market in 2015. The most likely candidates at this point in time are Stephen Thompson Jr. and Nate Grimes but other names are surely to arise.