GREENBURGH,N.Y. –– He is just 15 years old and stands 7 feet, 1 inch tall.
His name is Pascal Chukwu and he is a rising sophomore at Trinity Catholic in Greenwich, Conn.
“He’s only been playing basketball for about a year, but he’s extremely coordinated [and] hardworking,” said Paul Staubi, Chukwu’s AAU coach with Greenburgh-based Team Frenji. “He has all the ingredients to become a very good player.”
A Nigerian, Chukwu will appear this summer at the Reebok Basketball Breakout Challenge at Philadelphia University July 5-9. He has already drawn interest from Big East, ACC, MAAC and A-10 schools.
“He is defintiely drawing interest,” Staubi said. “July will become a hot month. He’s going to get looked at by a lot of ACC, Pac-10 and Big East schools.
“He’s rated right now as a high-major prospect. He has a great attitude. If he works hard, he has a chance to be a very special player.”
Chukwu was discovered at the Ejike Ugboaja camp in Atlanta, and now lives in Rye, N.Y.
“During the camp a couple of players were selected at the camp to come here for school and I was among the players that was selected,” he said.
Like many Nigerians, he grew up playing soccer but soon gave basketball a try.
“Actually, I was playing soccer,” he said. “I’m like 7 feet tall so my [basketball] coach [at camp] was like, ‘You’re going to be a nice player’ and I’m pretty athletic. So he’s like, ‘Try it out.’ After I play it I like it.'”
Chukwu says his favorite player is Dwight Howard and his goal is to play American college basketball.
“Yeah,” he said. “Definitely.”
(Photo courtesy Conn Post)
