Wade finds fit in SEC

Know for his athletic and competitive play, Mardracus Wade believes he has found the perfect fit for his style of play in the SEC.

A 6-foot-2, 170-pound combo from Memphis, Wade looked closely at Arkansas, Missouri, Mississippi State, Alabama and UMass and like what he saw in the Arkansas program.

"I looked at who all my top schools had coming back, committed and were recruiting the year after me," said Wade. "I saw that Arkansas had a great situation for me. The last time they won a national championship it was with Memphis players, and they want to get that pipeline going again. Plus I liked Coach Pelphrey and really liked assistant coach Ostrom. He stayed on top of me and called me whenever the NCAA would allow him to."

Feeling a need to develop his game further in a situation with more quality players, Wade will play his senior season at Chatham (Va.) Hargrave Military Academy. He is hoping to find a role at Hargrave similar to the role that he will play at Arkansas.

"At Memphis Mitchell I was the best player and had to do everything," he said. "At Hargrave I will be with better players and will have to find a role just like in college. Arkansas wants me to be a leader on the floor, get my teammates involved and play full court defense. They want me to bring a lot of energy and to help them take over the SEC."

Wade, who is ranked the No. 101 prospect in the Rivals150, is excited about teaming up in the backcourt with Arkansas standout Courtney Fortson.

"I'm really excited about playing with Courtney," said Wade. "I've watched him play a lot, and he is a guy who can do it all. I think I can open things up for him even more and help him be an even better player."