skip navigation

DMVelite Q&A: Qudus Wahab

By Marcus Helton, 01/28/19, 12:30PM EST

Share

The Flint Hill big man will make his college choice January 30.


Flint Hill (Va.) 2019 center Qudus Wahab.

Qudus Wahab came to the United States four years ago hoping to get an education and play college basketball, and now that goal is firmly in his sights.

The Flint Hill (Va.) 2019 center will announce his college decision on January 30 - his birthday - choosing from a list of five finalists comprised of Connecticut, Georgetown, Pittsburgh, Syracuse and Virginia Tech.

“I’m looking for where I can get playing time and where I’m going to make an impact,” he said. “Where I’m going to get the ball and be of use to the team. I don’t really care about the location; I just want to go where I’m going to be successful.”

The 6-foot-10, 235 pound Wahab immigrated from Nigeria and spent his first two years of high school at Virginia Academy before transferring to Flint Hill. His game has made tremendous strides in that time - particularly on the offensive end -  and he’s blossomed into the area’s top senior post prospect.

After a recent win over Middleburg Academy (Va.), Wahab took time to discuss his development, thoughts on the season and more:

HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT HOW THE SEASON HAS GONE?

“Very good. We’ve only lost one game and we’re getting better since the first game. It’s going very well. We’re getting it together and we’re playing better defense; we’ve just got to get better on defense and we’ll be very good.”

HOW DO YOU FEEL YOUR GAME HAS DEVELOPED SINCE COMING TO THE U.S.?

“Just really getting better. I just started playing, like, four years ago when I got here, so since then I’ve been working on everything and getting better every day.”

WHAT DO YOU CONSIDER THE STRENGTHS OF YOUR GAME?

“I think running the floor and protecting the paint. Scoring down low and finishing strong - I can catch the ball well and stuff like that. I can step out and shoot the jump shot.”

WHAT ARE THE BIGGEST AREAS YOU WANT TO IMPROVE?

“I’ve just got to keep working on, like, my face-up game and putting the ball more on the floor. And stepping out to the 3 [point line], you know? Because I can shoot 3’s now.”

WHAT OTHER SPORTS DID YOU PLAY GROWING UP?

“Yeah, I played soccer a lot - street soccer in Nigeria. I still play a little bit here but not, like, competitively. I think that helped me a lot with my footwork and my movement - I think it helped me a lot. It’s like Hakeem Olajuwon, you know? He played soccer, too. ”

DO YOU HAVE A FAVORITE CLUB TEAM?

“Yeah, I follow Chelsea FC.”

HOW ABOUT THE NBA?

“I follow the Lakers - Lebron.”

WHAT DO YOU LIKE TO DO OFF THE COURT?

“I just try to do my schoolwork, and sometimes I play video games and I watch movies. I play, like, Mario Kart and sometimes I play FIFA - I don’t play Fortnite.”

WHAT’S BEEN YOUR FAVORITE BASKETBALL MEMORY?

“Probably when we won the D3 states back at my former school, Virginia Academy. I think that was a great memory.”