Hendricken grad Wali commits to The Citadel
It was the immediate feeling of déjà vu that had Eze Wali convinced.
His official visit to The Citadel last month was similar to the first time he stepped on campus at Bishop Hendricken. It was a place Wali could see himself for the next few years, and that led to an Instagram announcement late Tuesday night.
Wali committed to the Bulldogs after a strong four-year career with the Hawks. The two-time All-State selection and two-time state tournament champion will prep at Pomfret in 202324 before heading to South Carolina and starting his college career.
“I just felt like it was a perfect storm of everything,” Wali said. “That’s why I picked the school. I felt like it was the right fit for me.”
Wali selected The Citadel off a list that included Fairleigh Dickinson, Quinnipiac, Cornell and others.
He’s a 6-foot-1-inch point guard who scored more than 1,000 points at Bishop Hendricken and flashed the athleticism to play above the rim. Wali further raised his profile during the summer months with Basketball Club Rhode Island.
“A few schools wanted me,” Wali said. “I felt like they wanted me and they needed me on their roster. They talked about my role, how I fit in with the guys — it was perfect in a way.”
Wali’s primary recruiters were head coach Ed Conroy and assistant coach John Reynolds. Conroy is early in his second stint with the school — he went 36-29 in the second half of his four-year run from 2006-10 and was hired away by Tulane. The Bulldogs engineered a remarkable turnaround in the Southern Conference during Conroy’s third season, improving from 1-19 in league play to 15-5.
“He firmly believes they’re going to be right back up top in the Southern Conference,” Wali said. “It was hard not to believe him. I had faith in him.”
The Citadel projects Wali as a lead guard who will be a capable secondary scorer and a facilitator for his teammates. This extra year will give him a
Citadel head men’s basketball coach Ed Conroy watches the action during a game at North Carolina in December.
chance to add strength and become a more consistent perimeter shooter. He carried 3-point range during his time with the Hawks — connecting more regularly on open looks will be the goal.
“Come in as a freshman, fit in with those guys and just make plays,” Wali said. “That was the big part. Go in and make plays.
“For me right now, growing as a point guard was a big thing for me. I can grow so much. I can become that lead guard who can do everything — who can get guys the ball.”
The Bulldogs aren’t a formal service academy, but they do operate as a military college. Cadets make up roughly two-thirds of the undergraduate population, and one-third of graduates typically pursue a career in the armed services. It will make for a different environment than what Wali might have experienced at his other potential choices.
“The values they have, the structure and the way they go about their program and their school, is a lot different,” Wali said. “Hendricken — an all-boys school, a Catholic school — is a lot different from most high schools. But I thrived in that situation.
“I’m not saying The Citadel is Hendricken,
but there’s a feeling and a vibe. I can adapt to something different.”
Wali is the first member of Bishop Hendricken’s backcourt from last season to make his college decision. Azmar Abdullah should be next — the lefthanded shooter is prepping at Vermont Academy. Abdullah is weighing offers from the likes of Fairleigh Dickinson, New Hampshire, New Jersey Institute of Technology, American, Boston University and Brown.
“In practice, we would push each other,” Wali said. “We only wanted to guard each other. He’s helped me grow into the player I am today.” bkoch@providencejournal.com
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