Kyle Grantham / Staff Photographer / kg116806@ohiou.edu

In the days since Ohio’s win over Miami, freshman forward DeVaughn Washington has heard the same thing every time he walks into a classroom or dining hall.
    “Sick dunk, man.”
    The gangly 6-foot-7 Washington talks about all the attention with a sheepish grin. After all, he wasn’t even sure the memorable alley-oop would happen when the play unfolded.
    “When Bubba (Walther) first sent it, I didn’t think I was going to catch it,” Washington said. “I thought it would wind up being a really bad play and somehow I got it. I just had to stretch pretty far back.”
Part of the reason people are still talking about Washington’s dunk is because of how he managed to snag the ball from midair, even though it was behind him. But the Bobcats weren’t too surprised.
    “We see stuff like that from him every day in practice,” coach Tim O’Shea said. “He’s got a lot of physical gifts that lend itself to being a good basketball player.”
    Washington played seven minutes against the RedHawks — his most playing time since Dec. 5 — coming in as a key part of O’Shea’s plan to keep forward Leon Williams fresh. And for the most part, O’Shea liked how subbing in Washington during defensive situations to give Williams an extra rest worked against Miami.
    O’Shea added that he will continue to maximize the Bobcats’ depth — a luxury they didn’t have last year — and that he hopes to use Washington in a similar role tonight against Akron.
    “I don’t see those minutes going back,” O’Shea said of Washington, who has 10 defensive rebounds and five steals in limited time so far this season.
    “If anything, I see those minutes increasing a little bit because he’s so athletic and so active,” O’Shea continued. “He’s gotten so much better with the ball, so much better with his decision making, I think he’s in a position to have a real impact down the stretch here.”
    And Williams is glad to have someone to step in from time to time, allowing him to stay focused and not needing to worry about wearing down at the end of games since he no longer has to play 37-38 minutes a game.
    Washington doesn’t back down from his teammates in practice either, earning praise from O’Shea and assistant coach John Rhodes for physical play against stronger players like Jerome Tillman, Kenneth van Kempen and especially Williams.
    “It’s good for me to go up against (Williams) every day in practice and just to watch what he does in the games,” Washington said. “I try to pick up as much as I can from him.”
    Williams is aware that his ability to offer the presence and advice of an experienced, older player can be invaluable to the young forward who’s trying to learn and adjust to his first collegiate season.
    “Coming in he seemed like most freshmen, just a little unsure,” Williams said. “I do think he’s making good steps to where he needs to be, and day by day he’s improving. 
    “I see a lot of potential in him.”