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Class of '66 Old Fart

(2019) PF - Zeke Nnaji to Arizona

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Offered today per Brian Snow.

3-star PF from Hopkins, MN.  Plays on the D1 Minnesota adidas team along with Matthew Hurt and Tyrell Terry.  6'10"  215 lb.

247

Rivals

Video

Zeke Nnaji '19 (PF) - D1 Minnesota                 Has IU Offer    
Date W/L Pts. FGM FGA 3PM 3PA FTM FTA Reb Assts. TO's  Blks. Stls.
4/21 W 19 8 10 10 1 2 2 4 4 1 0 0
4/21 W 14 5 10 3 4 1 2 1 1 n.a. n.a. n.a.
4/22 W 18 7 8 0 1 4 9 2 1 n.a. n.a. n.a.
4/22 W 7 3 4 1 1 0 0 5 0 3 0 0
4/28 W 14 7 11 0 0 0 0 7 1 2 0 0
4/28 L 16 5 9 2 4 4 7 1 0 1 0 2
4/28 W 17 7 9 0 1 3 4 6 4 0 1 0
4/29 W 22 9 12 1 2 3 4 7 0 1 1 0
4/29 W 9 3 6 0 2 3 3 8 0 2 0 0
5/26-27       NO  STATS POSTED              
                           
                           
                           
                           
Avg   15.1 68%   106%   65%   5 1 1 0 0
# Gms   9                      

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On 6/1/2018 at 4:29 AM, Iugradman said:

Nnaji received an offer because he is good. You don’t make offers just to pressure another recruit, especially if they are a five star prospect.

If you look at everything in vacuums, sure. 

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Corey Evans -

LADERA RANCH, CA. – What a year has made in the recruitment of Zeke Nnaji.

 The top-50 big man failed to sport one scholarship offer at this point last year; now, he has 20. The blue bloods are circling as the top Big 10 programs have placed a priority on Nnaji as he recapped his national ascent and laid out a timeline leading to his college decision.

“It has been very humbling because every day, I have been working my butt off, just trying to prove myself to everyone,” he said about the work put in. “Now that I am starting to get some recognition, it is just great to see that all of my hard work is beginning to pay off.”

Of the 20 scholarship offers, UCLA, Arizona, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Indiana, and Ohio Statesit as the programs in touch the most often, he told Rivals.com.

IN HIS OWN WORDS

Arizona: “Their development and success in getting guys to the next level. They have had so many great players and they have developed guys that some people have never heard of but have developed them and gotten them to the next level. I just think that they can really help my game. I know that I am not there yet but I know they can help me get stronger, help my knowledge and IQ, and also help me with my craft and my IQ.”

UCLA: “They have always been a great program. John Wooden and with so many of their offenses and their great history, that is just a school that everyone wants to go to.”

Minnesota: “I have a lot of my guys that have committed there in Jarvis (Thomas), Gabe (Kalscheur) and Daniel (Oturu), they are just telling me how great it would be to have a team made up of all home guys. They are hoping that if I were to commit there, they could get Matthew and we could be a really great team.”

Wisconsin: “They have always had a great history with big men with Frank Kaminski, Sam Dekker and a lot of those guys are successful at the next level and playing well. I think that they understand how to develop me, especially as a big man, since that is their specialty.”

Indiana: “They are telling me to just keeping hard and that they like my versatility. I know I am not strong enough for the next level but that is something that I am working on every day and getting into the weight room.”

Ohio State: “They really would like for me to play with DJ (Carton). To me, he is a really great player. I see a lot of him and talk with him, he is just a really great player and a very good passer. I think that we could play well together.”

WHAT'S NEXT?

Nnaji will complete his final month of travel ball with the D1 Minnesota 17-under squad.

Thereafter, expect for a cut list to be published and a signing to occur in November. “I will probably make a top-ten around mid-August, early September, or maybe a top five and then take some officials,” he said. “By the time that my high school season starts, I want to be committed.”

RIVALS' REACTION

Nnaji is a big man that has made great strides within his game over the past year and has a much higher ceiling compared to others found within the top third of the Rivals150. He can shoot, score in the post, rebound and defend in space, which makes him a valuable commodity for the top programs nationally.

Selecting a favorite within his recruitment is difficult as much has to still play out. UCLA and Arizona offer something a bit different compared the rest of the Big 10 schools in pursuit, though OSU, Indiana, Minnesota and Wisconsin may have been recruiting him for a longer period and can offer the chance to play closer to his home base.

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Dave Baker used to have some excellent performances at the MAC. Naji appears to be a nice player. Hopefully he takes an official to IU.


Sent from my iPhone using BtownBanners mobile app

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11 minutes ago, Class of '66 Old Fart said:

When I was at IU in Foster Quad, they had a piano in the girls' dorm.  Bernard Whittington (who later played 9 years in NFL) used to sit and play- beautifully.   Just found this article

 

https://www.si.com/vault/1995/11/06/207954/bernard-whittington-playing-in-perfect-harmony 

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On 5/31/2018 at 9:31 PM, Class of '66 Old Fart said:

Offered today per Brian Snow.

3-star PF from Hopkins, MN.  Plays on the D1 Minnesota adidas team along with Matthew Hurt and Tyrell Terry.  6'10"  215 lb.

247

Rivals

Video

Zeke Nnaji '19 (PF) - D1 Minnesota                 Has IU Offer    
Date W/L Pts. FGM FGA 3PM 3PA FTM FTA Reb Assts. TO's  Blks. Stls.
4/21 W 19 8 10 10 1 2 2 4 4 1 0 0
4/21 W 14 5 10 3 4 1 2 1 1 n.a. n.a. n.a.
4/22 W 18 7 8 0 1 4 9 2 1 n.a. n.a. n.a.
4/22 W 7 3 4 1 1 0 0 5 0 3 0 0
4/28 W 14 7 11 0 0 0 0 7 1 2 0 0
4/28 L 16 5 9 2 4 4 7 1 0 1 0 2
4/28 W 17 7 9 0 1 3 4 6 4 0 1 0
4/29 W 22 9 12 1 2 3 4 7 0 1 1 0
4/29 W 9 3 6 0 2 3 3 8 0 2 0 0
5/26-27       NO  STATS POSTED              
                           
                           
                           
                           
Avg   15.1 68%   106%   65%   5 1 1 0 0
# Gms   9                      

10 made threes with only 1 attempt gives new meaning to, "he's on fire!"

I see that it was meant to be a 1 and not a 10.  

Anyways, 50% from beyond the arc and 68% inside is nice to see.  His defensive numbers aren't eye popping and his free throw percentage is a little low at 68%, but he certainly seems capable of scoring.

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51 minutes ago, Class of '66 Old Fart said:

 

As the parent of a high school junior who is a musician, I can tell you with absolute certainty that the Jacobs School is a very, very big deal. Routinely ranks as one of the top twenty programs nationally - better than that in certain disciplines. And that ranking takes into consideration that many of the top music programs are 'strictly arts' conservatories.

If music is Zeke's passion, IU has a real in. UCLA is also a very, very good music school, but of his finalists list IU is the only high-ranking one that would allow his family to see him regularly.

 

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