By ADAM ZAGORIA
Seton Hall is the latest to offer Chisom Okpara, the 6-foot-7, 195-pound small forward from Vermont (VT) Academy and the NY Rens,.
Okpara picked up the offer Thursday night after previously adding offers from Ole Miss, DePaul, Providence, Iona, Manhattan, Columbia, Harvard, Yale, Howard, and others.
“Chisom is very very, very competitive and he’s humble, classy, and intelligent,” Vermont Academy coach Alex Popp said. “His upside is off the the charts because he’s the triple threat: Uber-talented, high-character, and has the strong work ethic. On the court: he’s the Swiss Army knife. Does a little bit of everything to impact winning. Right now his best strength would probably be his motor and his anticipation.”
@chizokpara 2️⃣0️⃣2️⃣2️⃣ pic.twitter.com/5G7Inbo4am
— Coach Alex Popp (@coachalexpopp) July 24, 2020
Okpara says there are two main factors he’s taking into consideration when evaluating these schools.
“The first being developing players,” Okpara said. “My goal is to get to the NBA and if I go to the right school, I know any school I go to will have great competition and if I go to right school with a coach that will develop me to the potential I want to be at, not only on the court but off the court. Does he show me how to prepare as an NBA player?
“Secondly, a winning team with a winning background that has that mentality of always winning.”
Okpara also says he’s looking for a school that plays a fast tempo and enjoys fast breaks. “I’m not saying I don’t like set plays, but I want to go to a school that runs the fast break,” he said.
According to 247Sports, Okpara is ranked as the No. 1 player in the state of Vermont and the No. 86 overall player in the Class of 2022.
Okpara describes himself as a versatile player and a good rebounder that likes to change the pace.
“I’m a good rebounder and I like to change the pace,” Okpara said. “I’m very versatile. I can play the 1-4 positions.
“At Vermont Academy, I could bring up the ball, run a play for coach,” he said. “If I have a bigger defender, I can take him out on the wing. If I have a smaller defender, I can post up and we can run a play for me that leads to me posting up a smaller defender.”
Photo: Renaissance Hoops
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