The men’s basketball team and head coach Mike Lonergan will have another weapon with international experience next season: 6-foot-8 forward Yuta Watanabe, ESPN reported Tuesday.

The news, first reported by ESPN reporter Jeff Goodman, comes in the midst of GW’s best season in recent history. Watanabe, who was reportedly choosing between GW and Fordham, got to experience that success first hand while visiting campus for the Colonials game against Rhode Island earlier this season

Originally born in Japan, Watanabe made the rare choice to come compete in the U.S., playing for one year at St. Thomas More Preparatory in Oakdale, Conn.

According to a story in the Japan Times, only two other Japanese-born players – Keijuro Matsui of Columbia (2005-09) and Taishi Ito of the University of Portland (2006-2010) – have ever competed in Division I basketball.

Additonally, Watanabe will be the fifth international student on Lonergan’s roster, after Serbian senior Nemanja Mikic graduates later this year.

A lefty with a smooth midrange shot, Watanbe will join forward Anthony Swan, guard Paul Jorgensen and forward Darian Bryant as the newest member of Lonergan’s 2014 recruiting class. A three-star recruit according to ScoutConnecticutPreps.com, Watanabe will likely need to add onto his 205-pound frame and bulk up like many freshman athletes.

Not only will the forward add some much needed length to next year’s squad, but he will also add some strong international experience. Before competing in the FIBA East Asia Championships this past May, Watanabe led his high school – Jinsei Gakuen High School – to back-to-back runner up finishes at All Japan High School tournaments.