By SAM LANCE
INDIANAPOLIS — Chris Nwuli, a top-50 prospect in the class of 2025, said he’s open to all of his options in an exclusive interview with ZAGSBLOG.com.
Nwuli — the 6-foot-7, 200-pound forward from Wasatch Academy (UT) and the Oakland Soldiers Nike EYBL AAU program — didn’t give specifics on which schools are in contact with him the most. However, he did say “there’s been a lot of school lately that have been hitting me.”
Nwuli has taken only one official visit so far to Ohio State. He mentioned that new head coach Jake Diebler talked to him before he even got the head coaching job.
“It was a really great visit and I really like the culture over there,” Nwuli said. “We were talking crazy. [Diebler] really has a lot of loyalty towards me and I really mess with that. He cares. He really cares about me, so I like that about him.”
Nwuli plans on taking more visits later on this summer and in the fall. He hasn’t set any yet, but he would like to go to Texas and USC. Neither team has offered.
Texas: “I just like their mentality, the way they play. I like people who push their players to be dogs. Two way, play defense. Score on the offensive end. Run in transition. I like all of that. I feel like Texas, they have a lot of wings who do that. So I really like that about them. In the past I’ve talked to [Rodney Terry] a little bit, but recently I haven’t talked to him. So I’m just seeing if they can hold me for real.”
USC: “I’ve heard a lot of great things about [Eric] Musselman. He’s a very tough coach and I like that about him. I like that he pushes his players and he believes in them. So that’s definitely one part why I want to get offered by USC.”
The power forward admitted at this point in the process, he doesn’t have a really close relationship with any particular coach. Nwuli also said the loyalty of coaches will be a big part of his recruitment.
“Really just how they see me, how they think I carry myself,” Nwuli said on what he’s looking for in a school. “And really the loyalty part, making sure that they really actually care about me. The school itself too. Academics are good also. Really just making sure that I’m surrounded by players who also want to get better. I don’t want to be surrounded by anybody who just wanted to get to college. I want people who want to make it to the league because that’s my goal. The ultimate goal.”
Nwuli is ranked the No. 48 overall prospect in the 2025 class by 247Sports. The forward said he’s really starting to get to know his game.
“The best aspect of my game would be my mentality though and how I carry myself on the court,” Nwuli said. “I always have that dog mentality, and I feel like the whole team carries that.”
Playing with Nwuli this summer on the Oakland Soldiers is the No. 1 player in the 2025 class AJ Dybansta, and the No. 2 player in the 2026 class Tyran Stokes. This is what he had to say about each of his teammates.
Tyran Stokes… “He really brings the dog, brings the dog out of all of us. I like his aggressiveness, his IQ. He’s a very smart player and a great shooter. Very, very good shooter. Good form and all of that. So I just like to take different aspects of the players I play with, and I like his aggressiveness a lot. He knows when to attack. He knows his places and spots. He’s big and strong, so he has a good frame to get into the paint a lot. So I want to take that on, I want to keep adding that to my game.”
AJ Dybansta… “I feel like everybody just think he’s a skillful player. His IQ is off the charts. Passing, everything. He sees the game way differently than most people and I feel like that’s what seperates him from everybody. He’s a great leader. He talks on the court and makes sure everybody is in their spots. And he knows how to produce for himself and make our team a lot better. That’s one of the great things about him.”
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