The top unsigned senior and post prospect in the state is now officially off the recruiting board, after Westwind Prep 6-foot-11 prep post Kingsley Okoroh gave a verbal commitment on Sunday to a strong basketball program in the SEC Conference. After an intense recruiting process for the big post prospect this season, Okoroh has finally made his college decision - electing to sign this spring with the University of Tennessee and head coach Cuonzo Martin and his men's basketball staff.
Okoroh quickly developed into the state’s premier unsigned post prospect this season, and was also the state’s top unsigned overall prospect in Arizona’s 2014 class for the spring. While recently just turning 18 years of age, Okoroh is a large post talent that spent last season at the nation’s premier basketball program - Findlay Prep (NV). A native of England, Okoroh is among the biggest post prospects in the country and, while he is still a raw talent, he was hearing from a large number of division-I programs.
Okoroh received many division-I college visitors to his school’s campus this season, and chose Tennessee over division-I offers from such schools as Marquette, Gonzaga, Tennessee, Purdue, Nebraska, Utah, Cal State Northridge and Portland. Many other college programs expressed serious interest in Okoroh, including Arizona, Texas, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Texas Tech, South Carolina and Fresno State.
A very good looking post prospect as a result of his sheer size and tremendous upside for the future, Okoroh will need to get a better overall motor to reach his full potential as a player. Okoroh does has good low post skills and solid footwork, but the game can become too fast for him at times. His sheer size and strength are glaring attributes though, and he has the potential to become a force in the post with continued hard work and dedication to his craft. He is a good rebounder and shotblocker, as a result of his size, but he needs to work to rebound outside of his area and finish plays amidst bigger defenders.
Congratulations to Okoroh and the Westwind coaching staff on this amazing accomplishment for their program.
Recruiting Notes: Westwind Prep prep guard James Griffin also recently committed to a division-I college program - giving a verbal commitment to Marist University.
Amidst a tough recruiting season last year, the Westwind Prep basketball program has returned to prominence this year - led by the leadership of coaches Jai Steadman and Nick Weaver. The Westwind Prep program has helped many kids this year further their college playing careers. Well done.
Arizona Hoop Review Scouting Report: Okoroh is still a project overall, but he does have a good overall skill-set and a good understanding of the game. While the game still seems to be fast for him at times, when he gets the basketball in the post he is capable of finishing strong at the rim. Over time, as he gains more maturity physically and more explosion off the ground, he should do a much better job of finishing around the basket. He does possess a good jump hook and gains very good low-post position inside the paint, as there are not many post players that can match his physical size. Okoroh can run the floor now but should run much better over time with added maturity and physical strength. He is a good rebounder as a result of his size, but needs to continue to work harder to rebound outside of his area. He is a good shotblocker with excellent length of body and has solid timing, but his lack of quickness, often times, causes him to be out of position for the play. Over time and with hard work he should become a much more productive shotblocker. A nice looking post prospect overall that has international experience and a bright future ahead of him.
