2017 four-star center Nate Watson commits to Providence

Class of 2017 center Nate Watson of Upper Marlboro, Maryland has committed to Providence College.

The news of Watson’s commitment to PC comes to us from Hoopseen’s Corey Evans as well as SNY’s Adam Zagoria as the two recruiting aces were first to the report the news on Saturday night.

Watson, a four-star hooper, is listed as the third-best player in the state of Virginia behind Matt Coleman and Lindell Wigginton. Watson originally hails from Maryland but currently attends Bishop O’Connell which is located in Arlington, Virginia.

247Sports’ Crystal Ball predictions listed North Carolina State as the favorite for Watson’s services as they held a 50 percent mark while Providence had merely 17 percent. Evidently, the Friars were able to undertake him from NC State and Maryland who were the top suitors for him, at least from this perspective.

Providence had joined in the pursuit of Watson back in February as our own Mike Hopkins documented on his personal site. Per that article, here’s a snapshot of what the Friars will be getting from Watson:

Watson listed running the floor and rebounding as his best attributes right now. A Rivals article from early in 2016 quoted Watson’s AAU coach from the DC Thunder. Fred Howze said “Nate is improving everyday. He’s strong, has a big frame. He has very good footwork and very soft hands…If he gets the ball deep in the post he’s looking to dunk it. He protects the rim and shoots free throws very well. ”

Watson is the second commit for Ed Cooley in his 2017 class as he joins Dajour Dickens, a 6-foot-11, four-star center from Hampton, Virginia. The Friars currently check in at No. 5 in the 2017 recruiting rankings in the Big East with the commitment of Nate Watson as they currently trail Xavier, Villanova, Butler and Creighton.