Uncommitted 6-foot-9 forward Chris Obekpa told Rivals.com he’s down to St. John’s and Cincinnati and wants to be close to “home.”
Obekpa, the newly minted IS8 Player of the Year, had previously considered other schools, including DePaul, Providence, Oregon and UConn.
Considering that he attends school at Our Savior New American on Long Island, St. John’s is obviously the closest option to home.
St. John’s is “making steady progress” on the shot-blocking sensation, a source close to the program told SNY.tv.
As reported by SNY.tv last week, St. John’s now appears to be the frontrunner for his services.
If he chose the Johnnies, he would round out a class that includes shooters Marco Bourgault and Harvard transfer Max Hooper, athletic wing Felix Balamou, Obekpa’s Our Savior teammate, and big men JaKarr Sampson and Orlando Sanchez.
“[Obekpa’s] gotta become more assertive offensively,” longtime New York recruiting expert Tom Konchalski told SNY.tv. “Hes gotta learn how to involve himself in the game offensively.
“But he’s a factor defensively and on the boards. He’s gotta get stronger on the boards and build up his stamina. He can really be a factor for [St. John’s]. He’s a legitimate shot-blocker, he changes the game.”
