The first day of the early signing period brought a pair of key additions for Washington’s basketball programs, with the No. 16 Huskies women and men each getting movement on Class of 2027 commitments Wednesday.
For the women, both players already pledged to Washington signed. On the men’s side, one of the two committed recruits put pen to paper, while the other remains unsigned for now.
Jessie Moses and Ze’Ni Patterson were the two women’s signees. Moses, a combo guard at IMG Academy, enters as one of the premier names in the class. She’s on the preseason watchlist for the national Naismith Girl’s Basketball Player of the Year and sits at No. 30 overall, No. 2 among combo guards and No. 4 in the Class of ’27 in the 247Sports composite.
Patterson also arrives as a combo guard and is rated a four-star prospect. ESPN NEXT 100 has her ranked No. 86 in the class.
Washington women’s coach Tina Langley had strong words for both recruits in a news release on the team’s official athletic website Wednesday.
About Moses, Langley said:
"Jessie is one of the most skilled and versatile guards in the country," Langley said in the news release. "She is a natural playmaker whose feel for the game and high basketball IQ show up on every possession.
She's an elite shooter who plays with great pace, creating opportunities for herself and her teammates. What stands out most is her relentless work ethic and the high standards she holds herself to daily.
Her resilience and maturity reflect the family and community that raised her, and the way she pours into the people around her is exactly what we value as a program. We're so grateful Jessie chose Washington, and we can't wait to welcome her entire family to Seattle."
And on Patterson:
"Ze'Ni is one of the best two-way guards in the country, bringing relentless toughness to both ends of the floor," Langley said. "She's a dynamic scorer who has a quick release and can shoot the three at a high level.
As an explosive downhill driver, she can also score at the rim and midrange. Ze'Ni is a fierce competitor and an exceptionally bright young woman on and off the court.
She has an amazing family in her corner, and their support shows up in the person and player she has become. She is a tremendous teammate who leads with kindness and always strives to be her best for those around her.
Ze'Ni embodies everything our program values, and we're thrilled to welcome her to our Husky family."
On the men’s side, the signed recruit was RJ Barhoum, a 6-foot-5 shooting guard from Calakamas High School in Calakamas, Ore. He’s unranked, but he’s regarded as one of Oregon’s best pure scorers and 3-point shooters. His older sister, Sara Balhoum, committed to Oregon before the 2025-26 season and transferred to the Portland State Vikings this past offseason.
The other men’s commitment, four-star shooting guard Jimmie Haywood, was not announced as signed Wednesday.
Washington women still have a major name on the board, too. The Huskies remain in the mix for five-star point guard Kaleena Smith, the top player in the Class of ’27. Washington hosted Smith for an official visit and also had an at-home visit with her.
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