C Obinna Ekezie Jr., On3's No. 4 in 2027, talks play style and updates recruitment
Obinna Ekezie Jr. came in at No. 4 overall in the debut of the 2027 On3 top 50 rankings. The 7-foot-0 center at Napa (CA) Prolific Prep played up in grade with the Team Lillard program on the Adidas 3SSB 16u Circuit while averaging 6.3 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks per game.
“I’m a really good shot blocker,” Ekezie told On3. “I run the floor well, I can make passes out of the post and shoot the mid-range a little. I’m working on my communication. My feel for the game is coming along, playing through teammates, and setting screens to get open. You know the little things like that. I watch a lot of Nikola Jokic, he is so patient with the ball. The way he reads defenses and makes reads out of the post.”
On3 caught up with four-star Obinna Ekezie recently to discuss his game and where things are with his recruitment.
“Right now, I have offers from Houston, Cal, Stanford, and Arizona State,” Ekezie told On3. “I haven’t been on any campuses yet or anything.
Ekezie’s bloodlines
Obinna Ekezie Jr.’s dad, Obinna Ekezie played at Maryland from 1995-99. In his final season, he averaged 12.7 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks per game for the Terrapins. He was drafted No. 37 overall in 1999 by the Grizzlies and played eight professional seasons.
“My dad has been great,” Ekezie said. “He isn’t one of those soft-heart guys, he knows what is going on. He helps me with what I need to work on and he has all those connections. Connections are huge in basketball, because if you don’t have the right connections you can’t get to the right places.
In Obinna Ekezie’s words
“Fit,” Ekezie said. “Fit is going to be the biggest thing for me in my recruitment. I want to go to a college that really cares about me and a school that gets their big men touches. Also, I am going to look if I can play my first year. I want to be on my floor my freshman year, to help me get to my ultimate goal, playing in the league. Can I get on the floor and will the system play to my strengths? It will all be fit.”