Had a chance to talk with Elston Turner Jr., a little while ago and he confirmed the reports of his eligibility, saying he found out on Thursday he had achieved a passing SAT score.

Turner said he got "around a 970,'' quite a bit above the 820 needed, on what was his second attempt at the test.

"I wasn't that nervous,'' he said. "I felt prepared for it. I was pretty confident.''

So that now means all four of UW's incoming freshmen have passing test scores and provided they complete their high school (or prep school, in the case of Isaiah Thomas) degrees, will be eligible to play at UW next season.

Turner said he will graduate from Elkins High in Missouri City, Texas in two weeks. He then plans to train for about a month in Sacramento --- where he attended high school before moving last summer (actually, Roseville) --- working out with the Kings, the team for which his father, Elston Turner, was an assistant coach. He said he then plans to come to UW on July 6 to begin the summer bridge program for freshmen.

"I'm ready,'' Turner said. "I've been ready for a while.''

Turner said he's been "doing a lot of lifting weights'' and playing pickup games to get ready for college. He said he weighs about 205 pounds --- he's listed at 6-4.

"I'm just trying to get a lot quicker because it's going to be a faster pace in college,'' he said. "I've got to get ready for that.''

Once at UW, he will also begin building relationships with his new teammates, including fellow incoming freshmen guards Thomas and Scott Suggs. Turner said he has never played with either but has played against both.

"I think it's going to work well,'' he said. "I like the way both of them play so I'm looking forward to it. It should be fun.''

The Huskies will look to Turner to add scoring and outside shooting, especially in his formative years at UW.

"That's what the coaches told me they want me to do is score,'' he said. "That's what I'll try to help them do.''

Turner, who had offers from the likes of Arizona State, Marquette and Tennessee, averaged a team-high 16 points a game for an Elkins High squad that was rated among the top 20 in the nation, finishing 31-3.

Turner committed to UW in Sept. 2006, or before he had played his junior season of high school, and said he never wavered on becoming a Husky, saying "I love coach (Lorenzo) Romar. He's a good coach and a good person.''

And he thinks the four-man freshmen class can begin to lead UW back to the post-season.

"We're trying to get them back to the NCAA Tournament,'' he said. "That's one of my goals.''