PHOENIX, Ariz. -- What a tough week for Washington baskestball. In a span of seven days, the Huskies lost two potential starters, Scott Suggs and Tony Wroten Jr., to injuries.

And the losses continued Saturday with highly touted prospect Demarquise Johnson, one of UW's top 2012 recruiting targets, verbally committing to cross-state rival Washington State.

"It's somewhere that I can play right away," said the 6-foot-5, 185-pound shooting guard from Westwind Prep Academy in Phoenix. "I can get recognized. And it's a good fit for me."

Johnson said Washington finished second on his list, ahead of Gonzaga and UNLV.

Securing Johnson is a major recruiting victory for WSU coach Ken Bone, who has also received verbal commitments from Spokane forward Brett Boese, Oakland, Calif., forward Richard Longrus and Richard Peters, a teammate of Johnson's at Westwind Prep who de-committed from Oklahoma.

Johnson said he and Peters were not a package deal.

He said the major factors in choosing the Cougars were the chance to play early and the development of former WSU star Klay Thompson, who was taken 11th overall in last summer's NBA draft.

"Going to the NBA is one of my goals," Johnson said. "What they did with Klay, that was important."