After missing a year of college basketball due to injuries, Andre Washington returned to the basketball court. 

 “I was just anxious just to get out on the court because, that’s what I love to do, just hoop,” Washington said. “I was definitely just anxious, just wanting to play.”

Then, he tore a ligament in his foot during a practice in September. It left Washington disappointed that he was going to miss games against teams like Kentucky and Purdue early in the season.

“I was definitely upset, especially because I was hurt the previous year and had to sit out,” Washington said.

He missed the entire 2024-2025 season at Long Island University because of a torn meniscus. 

The injury took him six months to recover from. Sitting out was the toughest part for Washington. 

“You can’t really do nothing,” Washington said. You’re itching to touch a basketball, you’re itching to go play and hoop, but you have to be patient. You have to chill out and just let your knee heal.”

Washington is from Staten Island, New York, and grew up playing basketball and football.

He began playing organized basketball at seven years old with his father, Max Washington, as his coach. 

Washington played football because of his cousin and joined his team but stopped his freshman year of high school because of the outdoor weather, and to solely focus on basketball. 

He always took basketball seriously and dreamed of making it to the NBA, but as he got older he realized he wanted just wanted to play Division I basketball in the eighth grade.

“The AAU team I played with, a lot of their older guys went D1,” Washington sad. “I thought that one day, that could be me. That was just always the goal for the jump.”

Washington played for the PSA Cardinals out of the Bronx in New York, where he watched NBA players Ty Jerome of the Memphis Grizzlies, Thomas Bryant of the Cleveland Cavaliers, Cole Anthony and James Bouknight.

Going into the summer of his senior year, which was during the COVID-19 Pandemic, Washington received his first offer. 

“It was tough because I was really just on the edge, just hoping I could just get at least one D1 offer,” Washington said.

He said he was always asking his coach if anybody reached out to potentially give him an opportunity.

Washington received offers from Stonybrook, Manhattan, Sacred Heart and Long Island University. He also received interest from Air Force and Marist. 

He ended up committing to Long Island University because they showed the most interest in him.

The school was 25 minutes away from his home in Staten Island.

Washington said it was tough to adjust to college basketball his freshman year. He was one of just two freshmen on a roster filled with seniors.

“You are just really trying to find your place and see how you could contribute,” Washington said. “We might not get as much leeway or opportunity, so you really just got to control what you can.” 

He suffered a setback during his freshman season. Two weeks before the start of the season, he had appendix surgery. He was supposed to be out for six weeks, but came back in four.

After his time at Long Island, Washington decided to enter the transfer portal for a needed fresh start, and Eastern was willing to give him an opportunity. 

“I was out of years, so once I hit the portal, it was tough trying to get an offer, but they took a chance on me,” Washington said. 

Washington transferred into the Eastern basketball program in April of 2025. He did not visit campus before committing. 

Assistant coach Henoc Bienne reached out to Washington because of connections with his AAU coach from New York.

“After I spoke with [Hen]noc, that’s when I spoke with Marty [Simmons] and he just asked me about my journey,” Washington said. “He just liked me and my story and he liked my game. He was excited for me to come here.”

Washington fit right in with his new team.

“In the summer, when we got to play, I saw the dynamic,” junior guard Meechie White said. “It was something that was just immediate, and then we were so tight. A lot of the times we would be battling against each other and that made us closer.”

Washington made his Panther debut against Eastern Kentucky. In that game, he finished with 11 points in 20 minutes. 

He said he was nervous leading up to the game.

“I haven’t played in a while especially in a Division I college game,” Washington said. It’s high intensity and high pace, so I really just wanted to get my wind, conditioning and get the feel back.”

Washington experienced an injury away from his family, but his teammates were there for him. 

“They definitely helped me out throughout the process,” Washington said. “They are cool guys. They are always going to be there, especially my roommate Meech[ie], who helped me a lot. Just make sure I’m locked in and just being there for them and keeping me in high spirits.”

Coming to Charleston was the first time Washington moved away from home. He recalled the long drive to Eastern. Once he was surrounded by nothing but empty fields, he said he didn’t know what to expect, nor did he know if he made the right decision. 

“I was homesick at first,” Washington said. “It was tough at first, but I fell in love with [Charleston]. The people, the coaching staff and the school, everything’s cool.”

Washington’s experience has helped his teammates get better, according to White.

“He’s like my OG, walking me into the game seeing things that I didn’t see,” White said. “Slowing the game down for me and telling me to be more aggressive. He was a real voice of reason. He helped me a lot.”

Cameron Thomas can be reached at 581-2812 or at [email protected].