Penn State adds former On3 Top 150 prospect via portal
Penn State basketball has its lead guard, a couple of shooters, and some versatile forwards for Mike Rhoades’ first season at the helm. Thursday, the Nittany Lions landed a big.
Qudus Wahab, a 6-foot-11, 245-pound center, is transferring from Georgetown to play for Penn State. He has one bonus season of eligibility remaining, having played each of the past four years.
As a high school prospect before landing with the Hoyas in the Class of 2019, Wahab carried four-star status and the No. 115 ranking nationally. He was the 17th-rated center in the country, coming from Flint Hill School in Oakton, Va.
Scouting Qudus Wahab
In the time since that commitment, those past four years for Wahab have been eventful.
As a freshman with Patrick Ewing’s Hoyas in 2019-20, Wahab posted his first career double-double and had five games with double-digit scoring. He also collected 4.3 rebounds and finished second on the team in blocks with 30 over 32 games played.
The debut was a springboard into a sophomore season when Wahab shined. He was a critical component for a team that won the Big East Tournament, earning him a place on the conference’s all-tournament team in the process. For the season, he had 19 double-figures scoring games and averaged 12.7 points and 8.2 boards. He also finished with 41 blocks.
That progress found an abrupt stop for Wahab, though, Seeking a new start with nearby Maryland, all of his production fell backward. That looked like just 7.7 points and 5.6 rebounds per game as a full-time starter for the Terrapins.
With Ewing and the Hoyas calling for a big man, Wahab ended up back in the portal and, eventually, at Georgetown for his senior season. Averaging 23.5 minutes over 29 games played, with 25 starts, Wahab clawed back toward his previous production. That took shape as 9.6 points and 7.1 rebounds per game while finishing with 21 blocks on the season.
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Next steps for Penn State
With Wahab aboard, the Nittany Lions have added a second player to the roster from the transfer portal in as many days. Wednesday afternoon, North Carolina transfer forward Puff Johnson also committed to Penn State.
In all, that has the Nittany Lions up to eight scholarships filled out of 13 available for the 2023-24 season. Transfers include VCU’s Ace Baldwin and Nick Kern, Temple shooter Zach Hicks, Johnson, and Wahab. Returning performers cemented to return include Kanye Clary, Jameel Brown, and Demetrius Lilley.
Outstanding decisions remain for fellow Class of 2022 mates Evan Mahaffey and Kebba Njie, each of whom is exploring his options in the transfer portal.
Additionally, the Nittany Lions are currently hosting Class of 2023 shooting guard Blue Cain from IMG Academy.
