Now that we’ve reached the month of July, basically every game represents the opportunity for players to be seen, evaluated, and offered by college coaches. While this notion is more applicable to seniors, several juniors and multiple sophomores will inevitably put themselves on the radars of next-level programs. Over the few months, we will take a closer look at various players who should warrant attention as scholarship-level prospects. The intent of this article series is simply to provide breakdowns of guys who coaches should know about. We will continue by looking at Prince Nwokemodo of Mount Zion.
It goes without saying, but an impactful big man can drastically change the trajectory and overall ceiling of a team. The variety of post players has increased tremendously over the years. However, the rim-running big is arguably the easiest guy to plug into any given system and find success. That archetype perfectly describes Nwokemodo. Although he’s shown flashes of skill over the recent months, his strengths clearly lie within his ability to anchor the paint on both ends of the floor. Offensively, Nwokemodo finds opportunities through lobs, drop-offs, and running the floor in transition. He truly doesn’t need a ton of touches, as he’s able to impact the game without ever needing plays called for him. Nwokemodo rebounds the ball at a quality rate and consistently blocks or alters shots defensively. Given his size, length, and fluidity, he naturally causes problems for opponents on both ends of the floor. He can physically match the majority of players of his size, yet also deters guards from entering the paint.
Ultimately, Nwokemodo is still just scratching the surface. He’s only been in the country for a few years and has a world of upside left to uncover. Nwokemodo joined the CP3 EYCL group and didn’t seem like an ideal fit for their fast-paced, heavy shooting style at first. Months later, he’s clearly a difference-maker and carved out his role seamlessly. There’s still so much time for his game to blossom, and folks would be smart to continue monitoring his progress.