Sir Washington: The defender

Sir Washington says he’s ready to step up and make a bigger contribution, and coach Jim Hayford is ready to oblige.

Eastern’s success will depend on getting defensive and rebounding help from the backcourt, and the 6-4 redshirt sophomore is the leading candidate to fill that role after the departure of point guard Drew Brandon.

“Sir is an athletic wing player who can score off the shot and drive. We look to him as a lock-down defender,” Hayford said.

Washington showed flashes last year until a knee injury cost his 11 games in the middle of the season. He came off the bench in the NCAA loss to Georgetown, scoring 5 points and sparking a late rally that he hopes carries over into this year.

“I just keep playing hard hard on defense, picking up my team and making sure thay play hard,” said Washington, who last year averaged 2.6 points a game on 41 percent shooting. Washington said he’s working on improving his shooting percentage and getting to the rim.

And the knee? It’s almost 100 percent. The rehab is “making me play better, and I’m getting quicker,” Washington said.