Wake Forest Basketball: Roster Change Recap

New Head Coach Steve Forbes is going to have his work cut out for him in his first season at Wake Forest. Since the end of the 2020 season, the Deacon basketball roster has taken on considerable change, so much so that I figured it would be helpful if we recapped all the changes in one article. I will also update this if and when more moves happen.

Note: The article is in reverse chronological order to show the latest updates first, but all past events have been kept to reflect the progression of the roster.

The Latest

Update 6-23-2020 9:00PM

Class of 2020 center Emmanuel Okpomo has committed to Wake Forest.

Update 6-8-2020 2:00PM

Tennessee transfer Jalen Johnson has committed to Wake Forest.

Johnson adds depth on the wing.

Update 5-31-2020 5:00PM

ETSU transfer Daivien Williamson has committed to Wake Forest.

Williamson averaged 10.4 points per game for the Bucs last season and was the third leading scoring on Steve Forbes’ 30-4 ETSU team. He has 2 years of eligibility remaining, but will have to sit for the 2020-21 season.

Update 5-24-2020 4:00PM

Marcus Watson has asked for and been granted his release from Wake Forest.

Update 5-13-2020 10:00PM

Wake Forest has landed grad transfer Jonah Antonio from UNLV.

Antonio played 22 minutes per game for the Rebels and averaged 6.9 points and 2.5 rebounds per game. He shot 31% from the 3-point line and averaged almost 7 3-point attempts per game. Before his time in Vegas, Antonio played for Mount St. Mary’s.

Update: 5-11-2020, 1:45PM

Ismael Massoud is also returning to Wake Forest for his sophomore year. He retweeted Les Johns’ tweet below confirming his return.

Update: 5-9-2020, 11:15 AM

Jahcobi Neath has decided to return to Wake Forest for his sophomore year.

Update: 5-6-2020, 12:45 PM

Olivier Sarr is transferring to Kentucky.

Update: 5-5-2020, 5:30 PM

Ody Oguama makes his return to Wake Forest official.

Update: 5-2-2020, 9:00PM

2020 guards Marcus Watson and Quadry Adams reaffirm their commitments to Wake Forest.

Update: 5-2-2020, 7:00PM

Isaiah Mucius isn’t going anywhere.

Update: 5-1-2020, 9:00AM

Olivier Sarr has now decided to transfer.

The junior center played in 30 games for the Deacs this year, averaging 13.7 points and 9.0 rebounds per game. He scored a career high 30 points in a win over Notre Dame late in the season and was named Third Team All-ACC. This is a tough loss for the Deacs, and leaves just Isaiah Mucius and Tariq Ingraham as the only returning scholarship players on the roster. We will have to wait and see what they decide to do.

Update: 4-30-2020, 8:30PM

Ody Oguama has now joined Massoud and Neath by entering his name in the transfer portal, leaving open the option to return.

Oguama played in 31 games for the Deacs as a freshman, starting in 24 of them. He averaged 2.9 points and 3.9 rebounds per game, but was known mostly for his incredibly motor and the fact that he never stopped playing at full speed. Oguama had the highest field goal percentage on the team at 54%.

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A few hours after Steve Forbes officially became the Head Coach at Wake Forest, it was reported that freshman forward Ismael Massoud was entering the transfer portal.

Massoud appeared in 31 games for the Deacs as a freshman, averaging 4.8 points in 12.2 minutes per game. He was Wake’s second best 3-point shooter on the year, hitting 40% of his shots from beyond the arc. He scored a career high 14 points twice in wins over Pitt and Boston College. Massoud is leaving open the option to return to Wake Forest, per Evan Daniels of 247Sports.

On Tuesday, the day before Steve Forbes was announced as the new coach, it was reported that freshman guard Jahcobi Neath also planned to enter the transfer portal.

Like Massoud, Neath is leaving the option to return open. Neath averaged 5.2 points and 2.2 assists in 18.5 minutes per game last season for the Deacs. He was the best 3-point shooter on the team percentage wise, knocking down 48% of his shots from beyond the arc—though he only attempted 25 all season. Neath became a key contributor for Wake towards the end of the season, averaging 10.1 points and 4.4 assists over the final 7 games.

It is also worth noting that on Wednesday, the NCAA Board of Directors recommended against allowing players to transfer 1 time without sitting out for a year. This could impact whether or not Massoud and Neath return to Wake Forest, but it will also make it more difficult for Forbes to fill out the roster after the transfers and decommits.

Transferring Out

1. Michael Wynn
2. Sharone Wright Jr.
3. Chaundee Brown
4. Olivier Sarr

Transferring In

1. Ian DuBose: Guard, Houston Baptist
2. Isaiah Wilkins: Guard/Forward, Virginia Tech
3. Jonah Antonio: Guard, UNLV
4. Daivien Williamson: Guard, ETSU
5. Jalen Johnson: Guard/Forward, Tennessee

Recruits Decommitted for 2020

1. Jaylon Gibson: Power Foward, 3-star, 318th nationally, 68th PF
2. Djimon Bailey: Guard, 3-star, 431st nationally, 37th CG
3. Marcus Watson: Point Guard, 3-star, 207th nationally, 36th PG

Recruits still committed for 2020

1. Quadry Adams: Point Guard, 3-star, 421st nationally, 70th PG