Wake Forest's top target will not be playing his senior season as close to home.
Harry Giles, the nation’s number one high school basketball prospect and Wake Forest’s top target, is headed to historic Oak Hill Academy in Mouth of Wilson, Virginia. He spent the past three seasons playing for Wesleyan Christian Academy in High Point, North Carolina. USA Today broke the news earlier this afternoon, then the Winston-Salem native announced his decision on Twitter. Giles has announced his final five schools as Wake Forest, Duke, Kentucky, North Carolina, and Kansas.
— Harry Giles (@TheReal_HG3) July 29, 2015
Brandon Childress, son of Wake Forest legend and assistant coach Randolph Childress, and close friend of Giles, committed to Wake Forest last October. Childress’ relationship was thought to be one of the biggest advantages Wake Forest had in the recruitment of Giles. That relationship is mitigated by the fact that they will not be around each other every day.
The fact that Giles, a Winston-Salem native, is willing to transfer away from the Triad, in my opinion, does not bode well for Wake Forest’s eventual chances of landing the prize recruit. Still, it's entirely possible that this move will have zero impact on his eventual college decision.
I personally believe that this decision is the best basketball decision that Harry could have made. Steve Smith is a legendary coach, and Giles will consistently go against elite competition in practice and with Oak Hill's national schedule. Time will tell if the man who plays on Chris Paul’s AAU team ultimately plays for the same university that Chris did.
