Markelle Fultz, one of the top shooting guard prospects in the class of 2016, verbally committed to Washington.

According to ESPN, Fultz announced his decision Friday and chose Washington out of a long list of offers that included UConn, USC, North Carolina, Louisville, and many more. He also had an offer from Maryland, his hometown school.

The DeMatha Catholic High School product ranks 21st overall on the ESPN 100 for the class of 2016 and is the fifth-best shooting guard on the list. 247 Sports gives Fultz a 0.9930 composite rating and a five-star classification.

"The main reason I am going to Washington is my connection with Coach Romar," Fultz told ESPN of his decision. "I trust his plan for me, I feel like I fit into their system, and I know he can help me develop my game. He has coached guys that have made it to the NBA, and that's where I want to be someday."

Fultz will arrive on campus a year after head men's basketball coach Lorenzo Romar's group of 2015 recruits do. Romar's 2015 recruiting class includes four ESPN 100 prospects.

Romar's recruitment of Fultz is likely a testament to AAU summer basketball camps, which take prospects from various regions all over the nation, giving them exposure to top schools they may not otherwise get to see firsthand.

"Playing in those tournaments really helped my confidence," Fultz told The Washington Post in Jan. "Varsity is a lot faster and guys are more athletic, so I had to work on elevating on my shot and improving my defense."