Wake, Terps looking at under-the-radar French import

HAMPTON, Va. – One of the least talked about top-50 prospects in America, Jaylen Hoard, garnered his first minutes of travel basketball this past weekend. The well put together power forward suited up for the Team CP3 program as he showed great potential thanks to his athleticism and scoring abilities at the basket.

Bringing good energy, versatility and athleticism to the frontcourt, Hoard remains a mystery man for some of the top programs on the east coast. Transferring into Wesleyan Christian Academy last fall, Hoard entered the United States by way of his native France and has begun to see his recruitment pick up.

“It is going pretty good, a lot of schools have been coming into practice,” Hoard said. “Wake Forest, Maryland, Baylor and South Carolina have all talked to me recently.”

Hoard took an unofficial visit to Maryland in February,.

“They had a great team. They made a great run this season and they are a really big name. I like that,” Hoard said. “They see me as a great player that can come in and contribute in a lot of ways.”

The college recruitment process of Hoard is just beginning for the 6-foot-8 junior. He will continue to rack up the scholarship offers this spring and summer as he finishes his first and last season on the Nike EYBL circuit playing with the Team CP3 travel program..

Despite his talent base and the fact that he plays in the talent-rich area of Winston-Salem, N.C., the recruitment of Hoard remains a bit lackluster. Expect that all to change and while Maryland has done a fine job of getting the French import on its campus, so has Wake Forest, a program right up the street. He has been to a number of Wake Forest games as Danny Manning’s program may be the leader for the top-50 recruit.