The Huskies seem to have added a player from another Big Ten program, as On3’s Pete Nakos reported that Rutgers center has signed with Washington following his official visit.
Update (4/2, 1:50 PM): he announced his commitment to Washington on his Instagram page this morning.
The 6’10″ forward/center posted averages of 8.2 points and 4.1 rebounds per game as a true freshman and still has three years of eligibility left.
Top was the overlooked third member of Rutgers’ highly touted recruiting class last season, ranking as the No. 132 overall prospect in the 247 Sports composite. The Peoria, Illinois native joined five-star, one-and-done prospects Ace Bailey and Dylan Harper in the class, committing to Rutgers over schools like Georgia Tech, SMU, and Wake Forest.
Initially coming off the bench, he earned a starting role early in Big Ten play. While Harper and Bailey commanded most of the offensive attention, Sommerville still finished third on the team in both points and rebounds per game.
For those unfamiliar with his play, he has a similar style to former Colorado forward Evan Battey. He’s slightly taller and heavier but plays a physical, below-the-rim game. Despite attempting 71 shots near the basket, only five were dunks, all of which came when he was wide open. His limited verticality also impacts his rebounding and shot-blocking ability, as his rates in those areas were similar to Washington’s Tyler Harris and Christian King—lower than what you’d expect from a 6’10″ center. Ten of his 17 blocks came against weaker opponents, though he did manage three at Oregon.
Where Sommerville truly shines is as a low-post scorer. He ranked in the 83rd percentile in post-up efficiency, using his 275-pound frame to back down defenders and score with a spin move or short fadeaway jumper. He also excels at drawing fouls and converts at an elite rate—86.3% from the free throw line, which increased to 90.9% in Big Ten play. Few centers possess that kind of reliability at the line, making him a valuable late-game option.
However, his impressive free throw touch hasn’t translated elsewhere. He went just 1-for-9 from three and struggled with midrange jumpers, making less than 40% of those attempts. Synergy Sports graded him in just the 3rd percentile nationally on catch-and-shoot jumpers. New Washington coach Danny Sprinkle will likely try to expand his range but will also want him to avoid settling for inefficient midrange shots.
A statistical comparison shows that Sommerville’s freshman season closely resembles that of Evan Battey and former Virginia Tech/Florida big man Kerry Blackshear:
- Sommerville: 8.2 PPG, 4.1 RPG, 52.6% 2PT, 86.3% FT; 6.9% ORB, 15.5% DRB, 2.9% BLK
- Battey: 8.1 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 50.7% 2PT, 70.5% FT; 10.9% ORB, 13.1% DRB, 2.0% BLK
- Blackshear: 6.2 PPG, 2.8 RPG, 59.4% 2PT, 55.8% FT; 10.2% ORB, 16.3% DRB, 2.4% BLK
- Noah Dickerson (Washington): 7.5 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 47.0% 2PT, 62.4% FT; 7.8% ORB, 15.5% DRB, 2.6% BLK
As upperclassmen, Battey and Blackshear averaged around 12 points and 5–6 rebounds per game, a reasonable projection for Sommerville in the future.
There are valid arguments both for and against Washington adding Sommerville. On the plus side, he has three years of eligibility remaining and brings a strong post-scoring presence and elite free-throw shooting. His physical style also aligns with the traditional Big Ten approach, and Washington needed frontcourt depth after likely losing four of its five bigs from last season.
However, Sommerville’s defensive limitations in rebounding and shot-blocking, along with his lack of perimeter shooting, create fit concerns. Ideally, he’d play alongside a power forward who can compensate for those weaknesses, but that could affect offensive spacing. If Washington can land a big who can rebound, block shots, and stretch the floor, they might prefer to play that player at center instead.
Washington’s frontcourt now includes returning starter Franck Kepnang, incoming JUCO transfer Mady Traore, and freshman Niko Bundalo. Sommerville appears to be an upgrade over what they expected from Chris Conway, who was forced to retire due to injury. The missing piece remains a player to fill the void left by Great Osobor, as Washington continues searching the transfer portal.