Explosive, versatile SF Melo Eggleston commits to Wake
Danny Manning and the Deacs secured their first 2017 commitment Monday, with 6-foot-8 forward Melo Eggleston making his decision public on Twitter.
"I'm coming hungry and humble," Eggleston told Deacons Illustrated in an interview shortly after his tweet. "I'm ready to come on campus and make a difference from day one."
The Deacs beat out more than a dozen other schools for the talented small forward, including Virginia Tech, Georgia Tech, UConn, Xavier and Memphis.
With a reported 7-foot-1 wingspan, coaches love Eggleston size and length. He displays great ball handling skills and can dish the ball in traffic.
"My skills and versatility set me apart — I'm a tall guy, but can do a lot of things on the court," Eggleston said. "If the coach wants to go with a small or mid-size lineup, I can go to the post. I can also rebound."
Eggleston can create his own shot through dribble penetration, is excellent in transition and is a great shooter as well. With his size and motor, he’s a player that can defend at the 2, 3 and 4 spots on the floor.
"With my length and speed, I can really be a problem on defense," Eggleston said.
Eggleston had a built-in connection to Wake Forest, as his uncle is Charles Harrison, who played with Deacon great (and current assistant coach) Randolph Childress in the early 90s.
"Everything I'm hearing (from friends and family) is that this is a great move," Eggleston said. "This was a good decision for me."
Eggleston mentioned the close relationship with Childress in his announcement.
"Me and coach Childress have had a great relationship. He's been recruiting me since the 9th grade," Eggleston said. "I was really sold on the family atmosphere and how coach Childress has stuck with me through everything, like me breaking my foot. He's always stuck by my side. He really sold me on the fact that I'm their guy in 2017, and I can come in and help change the program and turn things around."
With one or two more scholarship available in the 2017 class, Eggleston is a talented and versatile commit that Manning can use to build the rest of the class around.
Eric Bossi, Rivals National Basketball Recruiting Analyst had this to say about Eggleston:
"Eggleston is a guy that has ACC size, good athleticism and the ability to play as a wing or even a four man in smaller, more athletic attack. To unlock his full potential, he's got to work on being more consistent with his effort and production. I was able to watch him play in Indianapolis over the weekend and I thought he did a good job of crashing the glass and being aggressive offensively."