ACC Basketball: 5 impact freshmen to keep an eye on in 2018-19
4. Jaylen Hoard, Wake Forest
Wake Forest Demon Deacons head coach Danny Manning landed the highest-rated recruit of his tenure with French wing Jaylen Hoard. Hoard is a 6-foot-8, 195-pound forward who was rated a five-star prospect by ESPN, Rivals and 247Sports in the 2018 recruiting class. He’s an international prospect with the ability to make an impact with the Demon Deacons right away.
Hoard averaged 15.2 points and 8.0 rebounds in 10 games on the Prep Circuit in 2017-18 for Wesleyan Christian (High Point, NC). At this year’s Nike Hoop Summit, he put up 11 points and 15 rebounds (seven offensive) for Team World in an 89-76 victory over Team USA back on April 13.
Jaylen Hoard (@JaylenHoard): 11 PTS, 15 REB (7 OFF), 2 AST for Team World in a win over Team USA @nikehoopsummit https://t.co/hAzDFhuXq6
— The Circuit (@TheCircuit) April 14, 2018
After an 11-20 performance in 2016-17, Wake Forest is in need of a play-maker of Hoard’s caliber. The team ranked 183rd in the NCAA in points per game (73.3) and 228th in points allowed per game (74.4) in 2017-18.
Hoard turned heads at this year’s Hoop Summit. He’s an energy guy who is a presence inside, especially on the glass. He chose Wake Forest over the likes of Kansas, Washington and California, so fans should expect big things from him.