Mayar Wol’s collegiate basketball journey has been a rollercoaster.
Once a top-100 high school recruit with offers from high-major programs like Clemson, Mississippi State, Georgia Tech, Ole Miss, Cincinnati and Rutgers, Wol chose a less conventional route — the College of Charleston under head coach Pat Kelsey.
At Charleston, the Raleigh native became part of a winning team that clinched the Coastal Athletic Association Championship and secured a spot in the NCAA Tournament. However, Wol’s role was limited, and when Kelsey departed for Louisville, Wol decided to seek a fresh start by entering the transfer portal.
He found it with Eastern Kentucky. There, the 6-foot-8-inch forward began the season as a starter before settling into a sixth-man role.
The move sparked his best play yet.
As a sophomore, Wol averaged 8.9 points, 4.8 rebounds and shot 33% from deep, thriving as a key piece off the bench and was named the Atlantic Sun Conference Sixth Man of the Year.
After the 2024-2025 season, the forward entered the transfer portal again and is staying in the Midwest, committing to Bradley on Wednesday evening.
Head coach Brian Wardle is optimistic about what Wol can bring to the program.
“Wol is a talented, skilled forward that can really shoot the basketball,” Wardle said in a press release on Thursday. “We are excited about his growth over the past season. He improved throughout the year at EKU and finished strong. His best days are ahead of him, and he is going to be a key contributor to the team.”
Wardle is confident in Wol’s future as a Brave, but why should fans believe he can help Bradley make its way back to the NCAA tournament?
What does he bring to the team, and how can he continue to grow during his time donning the red and white?
Here’s a closer look at Wol, including his strengths, areas for improvement and a projected role for him next season.
Strengths
Wol is the embodiment of how much basketball has grown. Twenty-five years ago, it’d be rare to see a six-foot-eight player who can shoot from the logo and handle the ball on the perimeter, but that’s a quick summary of the talent he possesses.
The sophomore shot 33% from three, but this number can be somewhat misleading in terms of portraying the quality of the shooter that he is. What is more important is the volume and shot distance. Wol shot 10.9 three-pointers per 100 possessions and had a three-point attempt rate of 57.2, while taking a number of his threes a few steps behind the line.
Those numbers scream confidence, and that’s one of the most important facets of shooting.
Wol’s ability to stretch the floor brings value for him and his teammates, as opponents are forced to account for him far beyond the three-point line. His gravity creates driving lanes for his teammates and forces defenders to close out hard. He can then attack close-outs and score in the mid-range or at the basket.
Wol is consistently active on the defensive glass, using his length and athleticism to corral contested boards to help push the pace in transition. The wing was most effective as a weapon on the break, hurting defense with his ability to hit threes in rhythm or attack the rim. Both Wol’s three-point and finishing numbers increased drastically in transition in comparison to the half-court.
Despite Wol’s considerable talent, he still has a lot of growing to do. Thankfully, he’ll be playing for one of the best developmental coaches in the Missouri Valley Conference.
Improvement areas
A bulk of Wol’s struggles stems from his thin frame, which affects his impact on both ends of the floor. Defensively, he had issues when not guarding primary actions — often losing focus off the ball, closing out on shooters with poor technique and at times showing inconsistent effort. On the ball, opponents were able to blow past him or use their strength to finish through his body.
Still, that kind of defensive inconsistency isn’t unusual for underclassmen, especially those who saw limited minutes as freshmen.
There’s reason for optimism, though. With added muscle and improved awareness, Wol has the potential to become a plus defender. His length and size give him intriguing upside as a weak-side rim protector — a role he could grow into with better positioning and physicality.
Offensively, that same added strength could open up his game. Wol struggled to get all the way to the rim and had trouble finishing through contact when he did. He converted just 36% of his half-court rim attempts, a number that should improve as his frame fills out and he becomes more confident attacking the paint.
Projected role
Wol could operate in a role similar to former Brave Almar Atlason. He may provide equity as an off-ball weapon, capable of coming off screens, attacking closeouts and cutting to the rim. Like Atlason, he’s supremely talented, but his playing time will be contingent on how well he can rebound and defend.
With his shooting stroke, feel for the game and athletic upside, he could become the next breakout forward in Wardle’s system. Wol has the ability to put up video game-like numbers, but his future in the red and white will be determined by things that don’t appear in the box score.
Great write up!