Erstwhile Seton Hall commit Chukwuma “Charles” Okwandu has committed to UConn, according to Mike Anthony of the Hartford Courant.
The 7-foot-1 , 235-pound Okwandu, who attends Harcum College in Philadelphia, reportedly made an oral commitment to the Huskies Wednesday and will sign his Letter of Intent this week. Okwandu will have three years of eligiblity remaining at the Division I level.
Okwandu, who initially committed to Arizona in 2004, also considered West Virginia and Villanova. He joins Rice guard Kemba Walker and Scottie Haralson (Jackson, Miss) in UConn’s recruiting class.
Okwandu reportedly committed to Seton Hall last July, but Harcum coach Drew Kelly later said no such commitment had been made.
“He hasn’t committed anywhere,” Kelly, a Villanova alum, said in September. “I just don’t understand where these people get this stuff from.”
In a previous interview, Kelly said Okwandu would likely not be ready for college ball until 2009 because he needs two years at Harcum to get enough credits.
“He’s got a lot of work to do academically,” Kelly said in the earlier interview. “He’s many miles from home and we’re just trying to get him situated in school. He’s a good enough player that he’s going to get scholarship offers from any school that he wants. At this point, he doesn’t even have a list of schools yet. I just want him focusing on getting situated academically.”
Kelly pointed out that unlike Seton Hall junior Augustine Okosun, who came to Harcum with 30 credits, Okwandu arrived with none.
“There’s a possibility that he could do it in one year, but it’s far from a guarantee,” Kelly said. “I’ll know more once this semester is over and I see how he’s done. He’s an intelligent kid, but his projected graduation date is May 2009.”
It remains unclear here what has changed between now and then to get the young man eligible for next season.
