Adam Zagoria covers basketball at all levels. He is the author of two books and an award-winning journalist whose articles have appeared in ESPN The Magazine, SLAM, Sheridan Hoops, Sports Illustrated, Basketball Times and in newspapers nationwide.
The offers are coming fast and furious for Chris Obekpa, a 6-foot-9 Nigerian forward at Our Savior New American on Long Island.
UConn is the latest powerhouse to offer Obekpa, who previously held offers from Cincinnati, Providence, Seton Hall, St. John’s, Georgia Tech and Memphis, according to Our Savior assistant Eric Jaklitsch.
“Everybody’s recruiting him,” Jaklitsch said. “He’s one of the most highly coveted big men in the country in the senior class.”
Jaklitsch said UCLA also plans to offer the big man and bring him out for an official.
“They’re really interested in him,” he said.
Syracuse, Maryland, Texas, Florida, Kentucky and Pitt have also expressed interested.
Obekpa came from Nigeria last September and spent his junior year here. But he broke out this summer with appearances at the Amar’e Stoudemire and LeBron James Nike Skills Academies, and the Nike Global Challenge.
“He’s one of the best interior defenders in our entire country, regardless of class,” Jaklitsch said. “He’s just as good as [Nerlens] Noel.”
Jaklitsch said schools are now “jockeying” for in-home and official visits, but nothing is set yet.
“Everybody wants him to come on campus,” he said. “He’s a good student. He wants to major in computer science.
“The key to him is he needs to go to schools for himself and develop relationships with the coaching staff and see what school is best for him.”
FREE THROWS
6-8 Kamari Murphy of New York is currently on a visit to Oklahoma State after visiting Auburn Thursday. “He liked the visit and and said he would consider going back,” said Lightning coach Dana Dingle...6-5 SG Javontae Hawkins of Huntington (W.V.) Prep will take officials to Colorado and USF, but no dates have been set. 6-9 Stefan Jankovic, a 2012 F, will take an official to Florida State Sept. 10, while 6-2 2012 G Ray Lee will take an official to UCF that same weekend.
Adam Zagoria is a Basketball Insider who covers basketball at all levels. A contributor to The New York Times and SportsNet New York (SNY), he is also the author of two books and is an award-winning journalist and filmmaker. His articles have appeared in ESPN The Magazine, SLAM, Sheridan Hoops, Basketball Times and in newspapers nationwide. He also won an Emmy award for his work on the SNY mini-documentary on Syracuse guard Tyus Battle.
A veteran Ultimate Frisbee player, he has competed in numerous National and World Championships and, perhaps more importantly, his teams won the Westchester Summer League (WSL) championships in 2011 and 2013.
He lives in Manhattan with his wife and children.
The offers are coming fast and furious for Chris Obekpa, a 6-foot-9 Nigerian forward at Our Savior New American on Long Island.
UConn is the latest powerhouse to offer Obekpa, who previously held offers from Cincinnati, Providence, Seton Hall, St. John’s, Georgia Tech and Memphis, according to Our Savior assistant Eric Jaklitsch.
“Everybody’s recruiting him,” Jaklitsch said. “He’s one of the most highly coveted big men in the country in the senior class.”
Jaklitsch said UCLA also plans to offer the big man and bring him out for an official.
“They’re really interested in him,” he said.
Syracuse, Maryland, Texas, Florida, Kentucky and Pitt have also expressed interested.
Obekpa came from Nigeria last September and spent his junior year here. But he broke out this summer with appearances at the Amar’e Stoudemire and LeBron James Nike Skills Academies, and the Nike Global Challenge.
“He’s one of the best interior defenders in our entire country, regardless of class,” Jaklitsch said. “He’s just as good as [Nerlens] Noel.”
Jaklitsch said schools are now “jockeying” for in-home and official visits, but nothing is set yet.
“Everybody wants him to come on campus,” he said. “He’s a good student. He wants to major in computer science.
“The key to him is he needs to go to schools for himself and develop relationships with the coaching staff and see what school is best for him.”
FREE THROWS
6-8 Kamari Murphy of New York is currently on a visit to Oklahoma State after visiting Auburn Thursday. “He liked the visit and and said he would consider going back,” said Lightning coach Dana Dingle...6-5 SG Javontae Hawkins of Huntington (W.V.) Prep will take officials to Colorado and USF, but no dates have been set. 6-9 Stefan Jankovic, a 2012 F, will take an official to Florida State Sept. 10, while 6-2 2012 G Ray Lee will take an official to UCF that same weekend.
