Minnesota prep power forward Zeke Nnaji chooses Arizona over KU, others
Zeke Nnaji, a 6-foot-10, 215-pound senior power forward from Hopkins (Minn.) High School, who is ranked No. 37 in the recruiting Class of 2019 by Rivals.com, has decided to play college basketball at Arizona.
Nnaji on Friday announced for the Wildcats in a ceremony at his high school’s gymnasium. He sat at a table center court and placed an Arizona hat on his head. Other hats on the table were from KU, UCLA, North Carolina and Purdue. He also had listed Baylor as a finalist. Earlier, he also received offers from Minnesota, Kansas State, Ohio State, Wisconsin, Creighton, Nebraska, Iowa, Xavier, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Illinois, Georgetown and others.
Nnaji averaged 19.9 points a game his junior season at Hopkins High (26-2).
“Zeke’s kind of the modern power forward,” 247Sports analyst Brian Snow told Inside Carolina. “He can shoot threes, he can switch ball screens, he rebounds and he’s about 6-10 with some length. In terms of what the NBA is looking for, he’s it at the power forward position. He’s not going to play on the wing, but he’s kind of the 4 (power forward) who can play some 5 (center). He’s not going to find himself on the wing, because that would take away what makes him effective as a player.”
Kansas signed a pair of players — Christian Braun and Issac McBride — in the early signing period. Braun is a 6-6 senior guard/forward from Blue Valley Northwest who is ranked No. 112 in the Class of 2019 by Rivals.com. McBride is a 6-1 senior combo guard from Baptist Prep in Little Rock, Ark., ranked No. 109 in the Class of 2019 by Rivals.com.
The Jayhawks are at the limit of 13 scholarships for next season. However, KU is expecting to lose some non-seniors to the pros following this season and will continue to pursue players in the Class of 2019.
KU is recruiting several players who will announce for a school in the spring: They include No. 6-rated Matthew Hurt, 6-9 from John Marshall High in Rochester, Minn.; No 8 Precious Achiuwa, 6-9 power forward, Montverde (Fla.) Academy; No. 30 Kofi Cockburn, 6-10, Oak Hill Academy, Mouth of Wilson, Va.; and No. 31-ranked Cassius Stanley, a 6-5 wing from Sierra Canyon High in North Hollywood, Calif.
Shooting guard Anthony Edwards, a 6-4 wing from Holy Spirit Prep in Atlanta, is expected to move into Rivals.com’s top five in the near future. He’s decided to reclassify from 2020 to 2019 and is considering KU, Kentucky, North Carolina, Michigan State, Florida State, Georgia and others.
Gary Bedore
Gary Bedore covers University of Kansas athletics for The Star.
