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Danny Manning has been adamant that he is actively looking to fill Wake's empty scholarship spot prior to the start of next season. That's why it was so puzzling that Wake Forest had yet to Shaun Kirk, who probably would have committed to the Demon Deacons had they offered. That opportunity is now lost, however, as Kirk committed to Mark Gottfried and and North Carolina State Wolfpack tonight. Where does Wake turn now to fill that open scholarship? It's a very difficult question to answer, but I'll do my best.
Malik Ellison
I mentioned this the other night, but I do not believe Ellison is a very legitimate option. He is visiting St. John's tomorrow, and I would not be surprised to see him commit to the Red Storm at some point tomorrow.
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Graduate Transfer
We struck out on Sterling Smith, but there are literally hundreds of transfers each year. Wake would be targeting a player who could play immediately, unless Wake goes after UNC Asheville's Andrew Rowsey. Rowsey would have to sit out next season, but he'd be worth the wait.
Mercer's Ike Nwamu is from Greensboro originally and averaged more than 15 points per game this past season, but I believe he has already narrowed down his top three. He'd be an outstanding score if we can get him. The lack of an offer to Shaun Kirk gives me some hope that the staff has something potentially lined up that we don't know about yet.
Florida's Eli Carter announced his intent to transfer earlier today. He is a 6-2 guard who averaged nearly 9 points per game last year. Graduate transfers have almost literally no downside to them. If the player works out, that's great. If not, then the scholarship is still open again for the next recruiting cycle.
This is a list of every transfer in college basketball if you all want to research some more options. My best guess is that we land a post-grad transfer. That's really nothing more than a guess, but I am assuming our staff prefers to use the scholarship on a post-grad and be able to use that scholarship on another player in the 2016 recruiting class.