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During the off-season, Greg Gard made it a priority to add some experienced players via the transfer portal capable of providing meaningful minutes right away.
One of those players he felt could help the team was Wake Forest transfer – Jahcobi Neath. According to 247, Neath was a three-star prospect (No. 284) in 2019 out of Crestwood Prep in Canada.
In two seasons at Wake Forest, Neath averaged 4.7 points, 1.8 rebounds, and 2 assists in 50 games of action for the Deacons.
Jahcobi Neath at Wisconsin:
So far this season, Neath has only appeared in just 5 games, missing 6 of due to a lower body injury and illness. So, Badger fans have been patiently waiting to see what exactly the Wake Forest transfer can add to the rotation.
Against Nicholls State, Neath was called upon to start in place of the teams leading scorer – Jonathan Davis who was out due to an illness of his own.
Just his second game playing double digit minutes, Neath found a way to make a noticeable impact in the teams 71-68 victory over Nicholls State.
In 27 minutes, Neath totaled 9 points, 7 rebounds and 2 assists on 3-6 shooting – all of which were season highs. More impressive than the stat line, was the fact he impacted the game in a plethora of different ways.
Jahcobi Neath with the nice euro step in transition. pic.twitter.com/dELw9wemw5
— Badger Notes (@Badger_Notes) December 21, 2021
Neath did a nice job against Nicholls using his athleticism and was able to make an impact crashing the boards. pic.twitter.com/cREHw5nzR8
— Badger Notes (@Badger_Notes) December 21, 2021
Now that he’s back on the court, Neath is slowly working himself back into playing shape and trying to find his niche in Greg Gard’s rotation.
Physically, Neath looks the part: he’s big, strong and incredibly athletic. However, it’s hard to pigeon hole him when trying to describe what kind of player he is.
I don’t think there is any one specific thing he does great, but he does a myriad of things well. I will say this though, his size/versatility will certainly come in handy off the bench this season. Neath rebounds well for a guard, and should prove to be a mismatch nightmare for smaller guards down on the low block.
Jahcobi Neath still has a long way to go defensively, that much is evident. The physical tools are there for Jahcobi Neath to be a good defender – he just needs time to acclimate to coach Gard’s defensive system, and become more cohesive playing alongside his teammates.
Don’t be surprised if you start seeing Jahcobi Neath become a fixture in the rotation moving forward. His experience will be leaned upon more and more as the season progresses.
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