Wake Forest Basketball Signs Three for Class of 2019
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – Wake Forest head coach Danny Manning announced Tuesday (Nov. 20) that three prospective student-athletes have signed National Letters of Intent to attend Wake Forest beginning in the summer of 2019.
Forward Ismael Massoud (Bronx, N.Y), guard Jahcobi Neath (Toronto, Ont.) and forward Ody Oguama (Raleigh, N.C.) signed their official commitments to join the Demon Deacons next season.
Massoud is a four-star recruit who is playing his senior season at the MacDuffie School in Massachusetts. The 6-8 forward is ranked No. 120 in the class by 247 Sports and is considered one of the top 30 small forwards in the class by both 247 Sports and ESPN.
“Ismael is a young man who we have been recruiting for a long time and is a great fit for our program,” said Manning. “He is a combination forward with a good understanding of the game. He can put it down on the floor and is extremely versatile. He also takes his academics very seriously, which makes him a great fit for Wake Forest. Ismael has played for great coaches like Jacque Rivera at MacDuffie and Terrence Williams with the PSA Cardinals. His parents, Alicia and Hany, have done a great job with him and we are excited to have him joining our family.”
Neath is a three-star recruit who plays at Crestwood Prep in Toronto. The 6-3 guard is ranked as the top Canadian point guard in the class and represented his country at last summer’s FIBA U18 Americas Championship.
“Jahcobi is an extremely skilled and versatile guard that can play point guard, the two guard or even the three,” said Manning. “He is a great student of the game with a high basketball IQ. We are looking forward to implementing his unselfishness and his skill set into our set. He comes from a very supportive family and we have enjoyed getting to know his parents, Faith and Hugh. His experience, playing for Ro Russell at both Crestwood Prep and with Grassroots Elite Canada, in addition to his time with the youth national team, will allow him to come in and make an impact in our program.”
Oguama is a three-star recruit who is playing his senior season at Woodstock Academy. The 6-9 forward is one of the top 10 players in the state of Connecticut after transferring to Woodstock from Cardinal Gibbons High School in Raleigh.
“Ody is a player I am really looking forward to working with,” said Manning. “He has a great motor and is a high energy guy. He is going to bring some athleticism to our front line as a rim protector and rim runner. Ody has really developed playing for Tony Bergeron at Woodstock and Jim Ryan at Cardinal Gibbons, in addition to his time with the NC Red Storm playing for Jawaan Baker and Anthony Simmons. His dad, Augustine, has raised a tremendous young man.”