The popular phrase "good things come to those who wait" doesn't really resonate in the recruiting world. We all want to know who the next immediate impact prospect is and what transfer the Zags can get to help right away. Well, in the case of Jesse Wade, we are just going to have to wait. While the Gonzaga commit is technically a 2015 prospect, he will be serving his two year LDS mission upon his high school graduation, meaning he won't be on campus until 2017. Considering how well Wade has been playing this summer, the wait is going to be long...and painful. This past weekend, the Kaysville, Utah point guard took part in the very prestigious Pangos All-American camp and, by all accounts, he was outstanding.
In the same event that 2014 Gonzaga signee Josh Perkins dominated a year ago, Wade absolutely made the most of being included in this event and showed everyone why the Zags wanted to lock him up so quickly. The biggest kudos Wade has received thus far is from renowned scout Frank Burlison who said that Wade was among the top 20 players in the 2015 class at the camp.
That wasn't all the praise Wade received. Here are some of the highlights from the Twittersphere:
Goes by the name of PG Jesse Wade. (Gonzaga commit) Shooting lights out here and handling pressure. #PangosAACamp
— PoP (@PremierBall) May 31, 2014
Gonzaga commit Jesse Wade knocked down his 1st 5 shots in round 2 of games. #top20 Competitive, play-making dead-eye shooter #PangosAACamp
— PoP (@PremierBall) June 1, 2014
5'11" Jesse Wade (2015/UT) very smart point guard, controls tempo on offense, feeds his teammates, solid defender, High IQ #PangosAACamp
— MidMajorhoopsReport (@MMHoopsReport) June 1, 2014
Gonzaga commit Jesse Wade (Kaysville, UT) had an excellent camp...doesnt turn it over and can really shoot it..#Pangos
— Joel Francisco (@JoelFranESPN) June 1, 2014
Wade has drawn comparisons to current Gonzaga point guard Kevin Pangos which seem to be quite fair. Wade is slightly undersized at about 6' but can absolutely fill it up from deep and can really control the game as a point guard. Wade will be called upon to help the Zags replace Josh Perkins when he eventually moves on from Gonzaga and it seems like he will be a natural fit for Mark Few's system.
We'll continue tracking Wade's progress this summer along with the rest of the possible future Zags. 2017...ugh, waiting sucks.