Brooklyn guard Jaquan Carlos chooses Hofstra

Hofstra reached back into New York City to land a commitment from Brooklyn-based guard Jaquan Carlos on Friday afternoon. A three-star prospect, Carlos attends New York’s Thomas Jefferson High School and plays travel ball for the famed PSA Cardinals grassroots organization. He chose the Pride over a list of offers that included a sprinkling of high-major programs.

Just more than a week ago, Carlos announced a top five of Hofstra, Oklahoma State, Fordham, Virginia Tech and Pitt. At that time, he told Pantherlair.com that the Pride made the cut because of how comfortable he feels with both the program and assistant Speedy Claxton.

“Hofstra is home for me,” Carlos said to Pantherlair’s Houston Wilson. “A lot of guards from my high school league went there, had a lot of success and eventually made it to the pros. I feel like coach Speedy Claxton and I have a great relationship. Coach Claxton is also from New York, went to Hofstra and made it to the NBA.”

The recruiting victory is a major one for head coach Joe Mihalich and his staff, as Carlos comes with a high motor, a history of scoring in bunches and underrated court vision. But according to PSA Cardinals director Terrance “Munch” Williams, it’s the things that don’t show up on the stat sheet that could help mold the PSA guard into a special player at the college level.

"Jaquan is one of the best guards to come out of NYC in the last few years,” Williams said via text. “What that means is he’s a great leader, a winner -- a hard-nosed, confident, black king. I’m a firm believer that his present stance in the world is really good but his future will be special. He is a one of a kind spirit that will play his way to making a college coach look really smart on those sidelines.”