Wake Forest Basketball: Jaylen Hoard commits to play for the Demon Deacons

Under head coach Danny Manning, Wake Forest basketball is trending in the right direction. That continued with Jaylen Hoard committing to the team.

On Aug. 26, Wake Forest basketball received a major commitment from one of the best recruits in the high school class of 2018. According to 247Sports Composite ranking, 6’8″ forward Jaylen Hoard ranks 22nd in the class headed by R.J. Barrett and Zion Williamson. With this commitment coming so early in the recruiting process for this class, Hoard is currently ranked as the sixth-best recruit to have verbally committed to a school.

In addition, this signing has launched Wake Forest basketball to the 16th-best overall recruiting class. With Sharone Wright Jr. signing on in May, head coach Danny Manning is ahead of the curve in signing two recruits for this class already.

Hoard made this decision after taking an unofficial visit to Wake Forest earlier in the week. He was also sought after by several other top programs. He also received scholarship offers from Kansas, Washington, Providence, Oklahoma State, and California.

Hoard’s commitment follows what has been a great start to Danny Manning’s time with the Demon Deacons. Since taking over the program in 2014, Manning has signed several top recruits. In the class of 2015, he secured commitments from two players near the top-100 in the country while also snagging three-star John Collins, who was just drafted in the first round of the NBA Draft.

For 2016, Manning secured four recruits, all within 247Sports top-200 for that class. And now, with the commitment from Hoard, Manning has signed a top-50 recruit in both the class of 2017 and the class of 2018. For this incoming class, Chaundee Brown ranks 37th in his class (2017) while Hoard is 22nd in the class of 2018.

For the future of Wake Forest basketball, Jaylen Hoard is a top-notch recruit. Danny Manning is starting special. Hopefully, this trend of top commitments continues to make Wake Forest a potential contender in the ACC a few years down the road.

As stated on Scout.com, where Hoard broke the news, Hoard had this to say about his decision:

"“I picked them basically because that was the school that I felt like I had the best relationship with the coaches,” Hoard said. “I feel like I can trust them. They have a great relationship with my parents. The coach made me feel like a priority, the whole time They came to AAU games and they were able to come see me during the high school season.”"

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One recruit is never going to turn an entire program around, but this commitment continues an important trend of top recruits coming to Wake Forest. Jaylen Hoard is one of the best high school players in the country and he will surely be ready to step onto an ACC floor for the 2018-19 season. This is a special talent and Wake Forest basketball’s program is definitely trending in the right direction. What will Danny Manning do next?