Qudus Wahab transfers back to Hoyas after year at Maryland

The grass is not all the time greener on the opposite facet as Flint Hill’s Qudus Wahab has shortly realized getting into his senior season. After a yr of taking part in with the Maryland Terrapins, the 6-foot-11 heart will return to the place his collegiate profession started, transferring again to the Georgetown Hoyas. 

It reunites Wahab with one of many biggest facilities in faculty basketball historical past in head coach Patrick Ewing. It additionally brings again one of many Hoyas’ stars from their unbelievable 2021 Large East championship run. 

“I’m pleased to see Qudus Wahab again on the Hilltop. I’m trying ahead to him serving to us get to the place we wish to be as a staff and for our employees to assist in his growth and his development,” Ewing stated in a staff assertion. 

Wahab struggled within the big-man-dominated Large Ten convention final season. Off-the-court points actually have been an element with Mark Turgeon stepping down mid-season and the staff having a down season as a complete. Nonetheless, his averages – at the same time as one of many solely two bigs on the Terps roster – went down significantly. He decreased his level common by 5 factors (12.7 ppg to 7.7 ppg) and his rebounding went down from 8.2 rpg to five.6 rpg. He tried three fewer pictures per recreation and his taking pictures percentages decreased by 3.2%.

Averages absolutely fluctuate throughout collegiate careers however a drop-off of this magnitude was regarding as he adjusted. 

On prime of that, he appeared misplaced within the Maryland offensive system. Oftentimes, he would clog the lane or get tunnel imaginative and prescient attempting to attain when the shot wasn’t there.

Many questioned the transfer by the Nigerian-born basketball participant when he determined to switch out of Georgetown after making the NCAA Match in 2021. Maryland desperately wanted a post-player and represented a semi-vertical transfer. Nonetheless, Wahab is extra of a standard heart that does not unfold the ground, not even to the midrange. That did not essentially match with a Turgeon offense, having the middle be the point of interest and missing a real playmaking level guard to assist facilitate motion to the wing.

When Wahab was at Georgetown, he become the man. Certain, Ewing was all the time trustworthy and significant of his large man, however he actually rewarded him with taking part in time and touches.

“It’s good to come back residence to a fanbase and a system that I’m acquainted and cozy with,” Wahab stated in a launch. “There will probably be plenty of new faces on the staff and training employees that I’ve constructed a superb relationship with lately, which makes this transition simpler. I’m excited to play with and work with my new Hoya staff. I feel coming again to the Hilltop will put together me much more for my final objective of taking part in within the NBA.”

Wahab heading to D.C. comes simply two weeks after Donald Carey made the transfer out to Faculty Park. That leaves Wahab and Dante Harris as the one two members of the 2020-21 match staff on the roster for the upcoming season. 

His addition does brighten the outlook for subsequent season’s Hoyas. Granted, they could not do a lot worse than going winless in convention play like final yr. If Ewing and Wahab can re-ignite the success that they had simply two years in the past, Georgetown is probably not within the dregs of the Large East once more. 

Promising transfers Brandon Murray (LSU) and Akok Akok (UConn) give this system hope for a greater season. The large query now’s if final yr’s main scorer Aminu Mohammed returns after getting into the draft course of. Casual Hoya reported that the guard wouldn’t be returning for his sophomore season, however it has not been reported by any main retailers. If he returns, the Hoyas now have 14 gamers on scholarship (another than the utmost), per Verbal Commits.