Schools vying for Obekpa

UConn, UCLA and more are working on getting Obekpa's commitment

Good defense from the center position can alter a game immensely. That's why UConn, UCLA, Cincinnati, Florida, St. John's, Seton Hall, Miami and DePaul have all gotten involved with Our Savior New American big man, Chris Obekpa.

"I'm interested in all the schools, I want to visit every one of them," Obekpa told Fivestarbasketball.com. 

This past weekend at I.S.8., Obekpa registered a triple-double with 10 points, 11 rebounds and 10 blocks. He followed that up the next day with 11 points, 18 boards and nine rejections. Not bad for someone who's only been playing organized basketball for three years.

While his game is progressing at a steady rate, Obekpa wants to take time with his recruiting. 

"It [Obekpa's commitment] might be late," he said. "I want to see every one of them. This is my first time [getting involved in recruiting]. So I'll visit them first and see what's good."

Obekpa first started playing the game in Nigeria after being encouraged by a soccer coach. The former defensive back fielder says soccer helps his footwork and keeps him running. Ultimately, it might have a big influence on what school he prefers.

"A running program," Obekpa sad. "I like to be running up and down, I don't like plays."

While UCLA doesn't get up and down the court as much as other programs, they might have an advantage. Obekpa is a fan of UCLA-commit Kyle Anderson's game and mentioned that he "might go to LA with Kyle," after being impressed with his play this summer.

"He's top-5," said Opekpa.

He plans on visiting the other schools on his list whenever he has free time. This past weekend, he attended St. John's Midnight Madness along with commits Ricardo Gathers, Darrick Wood, Norvel Pelle and Amir Garrett.