Adam Zagoria covers basketball at all levels. He is the author of two books and an award-winning journalist whose articles have appeared in ESPN The Magazine, SLAM, Sheridan Hoops, Sports Illustrated, Basketball Times and in newspapers nationwide.
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.”
Adam Zagoria is a Basketball Insider who covers basketball at all levels. A contributor to The New York Times and SportsNet New York (SNY), he is also the author of two books and is an award-winning journalist and filmmaker. His articles have appeared in ESPN The Magazine, SLAM, Sheridan Hoops, Basketball Times and in newspapers nationwide. He also won an Emmy award for his work on the SNY mini-documentary on Syracuse guard Tyus Battle.
A veteran Ultimate Frisbee player, he has competed in numerous National and World Championships and, perhaps more importantly, his teams won the Westchester Summer League (WSL) championships in 2011 and 2013.
He lives in Manhattan with his wife and children.