‘Another home:’ Men’s basketball lands first high school commitment of recruiting class of 2022 – The Sunflower

The Wichita State men’s basketball team landed its first high school commitment of the offseason on Sunday.

Jacob Wilson, a 6-foot-5 guard from Baton Rouge, La., announced his commitment to the Shockers on Sunday. The engagement comes just a week after Wilson made an official visit to WSU.

“It was like another home,” Wilson said. “All the fans, they’re really supportive. I just felt it was the right place for me and the relationship with the coaches, it was really important for my recruitment.

WSU was later able to confirm Wilson’s addition, after signing their national Letter of Intent. Wilson joins the Shockers in a depleted position, after leaving the backcourt last season, Craig Porter Jr. and Tyson Etienne, left this offseason.

“Jacob is a guy who can handle multiple positions due to his height, skill set and basketball IQ,” head coach Isaac Brown said in a statement. “He has a high ceiling and will be a very good player in our program.”

The Shockers were one of the few major programs interested in Wilson, who chose WSU over state runners-up New Mexico, LSU, UTEP and Louisiana.

Wilson had 1,875 career points for Liberty Magnet High School, while leading the Patriots to a Division II semifinal in 2021 and a second-place finish in 2022.

“I feel like I’ve definitely been under-recruited, but I’m really lucky to have this great opportunity to play at a high level,” Wilson said. “There are great teams but I was most definitely overlooked.”

Wilson comes to WSU having not been ranked by any major recruiting services, but was still one of Louisiana State’s top performers last season. Wilson scored a total of 48 points against Scotlandville, one of the top basketball programs in the state.

During his senior season at Liberty High School in Baton Rouge, Wilson averaged 19.9 points, 6.4 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game. Wilson also earned first-team Class 4A honors in Louisiana.

“You always have to have that chip on your shoulder,” Wilson said. “When you’re a top player in the state, you have a target on your back, so you have to transfer that to the field. It’s that behavior that you have to step on everybody’s neck to be honest. , really have that courage to get it.

Wilson joins WSU after a massive exodus this offseason, which saw 10 of the 13 players on last season’s roster leave the program. Currently, Kenny Pohto is the only player who saw minutes last year who is expected to return. Jalen Ricks and Isaac Abidde are the other returning players, but both players wore red shirts a season ago.

So far, the Shockers have added Xavier Bell, James Rojas and Quincy Ballard, as they work to replace 92.2% of the scoring and 93.1% of the minutes of last year’s team.

“I just have to come and produce, just build relationships with my teammates and win games,” Wilson said. “Try to make it to the NCAA Tournament.”