MELO EGGLESTON COMMITS TO WAKE FOREST UNIVERSITY - ALL-MET ELITE

MELO EGGLESTON

 COMMITS

TO

 WAKE FOREST UNIVERSITY 

 ALL-MET ELITE

 

CLINTON CHRISTIAN

UPPER MARLBORO MD.

COURTESY

OF

THE WINSTON SALEM JOURNAL

 

Wake Forest made sure Melo Eggleston knew he was still wanted even after Eggleston broke his foot during his junior season at Clinton Christian School in Maryland.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  On Monday, the loyalty of head coach Danny Manning and assistant coach Randolph Childress was rewarded when Eggleston committed to play basketball for the Deacons starting in the 2017-18 season.

“And that really showed me that they really wanted me and they had my best interests at heart. They put in my head that they were there for the long run and I was their guy.’’

Eggleston is a 6-foot-8, 187-pound wing who chose the Deacons over offers from LSU, Georgia, Connecticut, Baylor, Memphis, South Carolina and Florida. He said he has recovered from the injury and is preparing for his AAU basketball season.

 

“It’s all healed,’’ Eggleston said. “I didn’t have any screws put in it or anything like that.’’ Eggleston said he is related by marriage to Charlie Harrison, who played in the same Wake Forest backcourt as Childress in 1992-93 and 1993-94. He said he has known Harrison throughout his childhood, and calls him “Uncle Charlie.’’

 

Harrison, who transferred to Wake Forest from Georgetown, averaged 6.1 points in 1993-93 and 8.7 in 1993-94.

He was childhood friends with Childress, who grew up in nearby Clinton, Md. Since becoming head coach at Wake Forest before the 2014-15 season, Manning has targeted long, athletic players who can apply defensive pressure and run the court on the fast break. Given his size, length and athleticism, Eggleston appears to fit the bill.

 

He’s the first player from the class of 2017 to commit to Wake Forest. Four recruits, 6-0 Brandon Childress of Winston-Salem, 6-6 Richard Washington of Williamsburg, Va., 6-8 Donovan Mitchell of Clovis, Calif., and 6-10 Samuel Japhet-Mathias of London have signed and will arrive at Wake Forest for the 2016-17 season.

 

Eggleston was asked which position he plays.

“Any spot you need me to,’’ Eggleston said. “Last summer, with my AAU team, Team Belief, I played point guard all summer. “Whatever the coach needs me to play, I play. But I would say in college I’ll be more of a shooting guard/small forward.’’