Qudus Wahab, a 6-foot-10 center and four-star ranked recruit, announced he would be taking his talents to Georgetown on Jan. 30. Wahab — a Nigerian native and current senior at Flint Hill School in Ashburn, Va. — is a major addition for the Hoyas to replace current star senior center Jessie Govan.

Head Coach Patrick Ewing (CAS ’85) has demonstrated his success in building and developing the frontcourt at Georgetown, and recruits are seeking the coaching of Ewing, an NBA Hall of Fame center. Wahab chose the Hoyas over a number of top-tier programs including Louisville, Clemson, St. John’s, Pitt, Seton Hall and Syracuse, an archrival of the Hoyas. Wahab was the seventh-ranked player in the state of Virginia and the 31st-ranked center in the nation, according to The Washington Post.

Wahab immigrated from Nigeria to Virginia four years ago. He played his freshman and sophomore seasons at Virginia Academy before transferring to Flint Hill. Wahab certainly made his mark during his time at Flint Hill, as his high school coach Rico Reed recently spoke glowingly of his center in an interview with The Washington Post.  

“I’m just extremely excited for a young man who set his sights on getting better and improving, I know that his better days are ahead of him. Proud is probably not the right term to use. I am ecstatic and almost emotional at the opportunities that is ahead for him,” Reed said.

His height and athletic frame enable him to run the floor well and be a strong rim protector on the defensive end. He has an explosive jump and great instincts as a shot blocker. On the other end of the floor, Wahab is excellent at finishing around the rim, especially out of the pick and roll. He has also worked on his right-handed hook shot — a low-post play that Govan has lived off of during his time at Georgetown.

Wahab has stood out among high school talent for his strong defensive play and ability to block shots and rebound. Wahab has revealed an outstanding combination of size and athleticism on the offensive side and has developed significantly since moving from Nigeria. Last summer, Wahab led his AAU team to the Under Armour tournament championship, proving he could play at a high level against the best in the nation. Wahab averaged over 20 points and 10 rebounds in the tournament.

With the addition of Wahab to Georgetown, the Hoyas now rank inside the top 50 for class recruiting rankings and fourth in the Big East. Although Govan graduates this spring, Georgetown now has a plethora of big men including Wahab, North Carolina State transfer Omer Yurtseven, and other two center signees Malcolm Wilson and Timothy Igohoefe to join the team’s young guards.