Recruiting was "really heating up" for Melo Eggleston when he was a freshman at St. Frances. Though he only stayed at the Baltimore Catholic League school for the 2013-14 season, the level of interest in him from colleges never waned.
Last week Eggleston – now at Clinton Christian in Upper Marlboro – committed to Wake Forest over Connecticut, Florida State, Georgia and LSU, among others.
A 6-foot-8, 188-pound wing, Eggleston lived in Randallstown until he was 5 before moving to the D.C. area. He returned to the Baltimore area for that one year of high school, then headed back to Prince George's County.
Though he still has ties to Baltimore – "I still talk to [St. Frances] coach Nick [Myles] to this day and [Panthers guard and Louisiana Tech commitment] Daquan Bracey" – his connections to the Demon Deacons were developed closer to home.
"My stepdad's best friend went there in the early 90s [and played] with Randolph Childress," Eggleston said of the Wake Forest assistant coach and former All-American. "I just felt a different vibe from Wake. Coach Danny Manning and Coach Childress helped out my family so much. They always gave me advice in what was the best option. [It was] more than just basketball."
Eggleston, a three-star prospect according to 247Sports.com, said he's excited about the prospect of joining a Wake team featuring another Maryland native in Bryant Crawford, an All-ACC Freshman Team selection this year for the 11-20 Deacons.
“I can’t tell what to expect as a freshman,” Eggleston said. “All the coaching staff said I could be the next pro out of Wake. [I’m looking forward to] just taking the school and putting it back on the map.”