Wazzu hoops lands coveted recruit from Nigeria

Rueben Chinyelu, a 6-foot-11 halfway from the NBA Academy Africa successful Senegal, told ESPN that helium has committed to Washington State.

"I was fortunate to beryllium recruited by truthful galore fantastic schools," Chinyelu said. "Washington State stood retired with their benignant of play and the acquisition the coaching unit has with African and planetary players. Playing assemblage hoops with and against different dedicated players who privation to win, are bare and person a large imaginativeness for their aboriginal and aspire to beryllium the champion is thing that I'm looking guardant to."

The 19-year aged Nigerian is considered 1 of the apical planetary prospects committing to the assemblage way successful the Class of 2023, boasting a 7-foot-8 wingspan and a 245-pound frame. Chinyelu picked Washington State implicit a slew of offers from the likes of Tennessee, Florida, Kansas, Georgia, Rutgers, Mississippi State, Memphis, Maryland, Santa Clara and others aft drafting sizeable involvement astatine the NBA Academy Games successful Atlanta successful July, wherever helium won the title and led the lawsuit successful rebounding.

Chinyelu stands retired not lone with his carnal tools but besides the tremendous strength and toughness helium brings connected some ends of the floor. He is mobile defensively, susceptible of stepping retired to the perimeter and switching onto smaller players, portion utilizing his magnitude and quickness getting disconnected his feet to connection a important deterrent arsenic a rim-protector.

Chinyelu said the accidental to get an acquisition portion besides competing arsenic an jock are the reasons helium selected the assemblage hoops pathway.

"I privation to enlighten families successful Africa that their children tin play sports portion inactive going to school," helium said. "I'm trying to beryllium the champion mentation of myself connected and disconnected the tribunal and besides make opportunities for myself for the future."

Chinyelu, who hails from Enugu-Agidi, a colony located successful Anambra authorities successful the Southeastern portion of Nigeria, started playing hoops successful 2018. He joined the NBA Academy strategy successful April of 2021 from Raptor Academy successful Lagos and gradually evolved into 1 of the astir coveted large men successful the 2023 recruiting class.

Chinyelu was 1 of 12 Academy players to articulation the NBA's Basketball Africa League (BAL) successful March arsenic portion of the BAL Elevate program, intended to supply Academy products with nonrecreational hoops acquisition competing against men, playing for CFV Beira from Mozambique. He debuted with the Nigerian elder nationalist squad successful August arsenic portion of the FIBA World Cup qualifiers.

Chinyelu is the 17th NBA Academy Africa subordinate to perpetrate to a Division I men's program, and 47th wide NBA Academy product.

The NBA presently has 4 academies; successful Delhi, India, San Luis Potosi, Mexico, and Thies, Senegal; arsenic good arsenic its Global Academy which serves arsenic the hub for elite prospects successful Canberra, Australia. Three academies that were antecedently operational successful China person closed.

NBA Academy alumnus Josh Giddey was the No. 6 prime successful the 2021 NBA draft, portion Bennedict Mathurin and Dyson Daniels were selected sixth and eighth, respectively, successful the 2022 NBA draft.

Chinyelu is 1 of respective NBA Academy Africa graduates attempted to go the archetypal subordinate drafted, on with Efe Abogidi (Washington State/G League Ignite), Ugonna Onyenso (Kentucky), Joshua Ojianwuna (Baylor) and others.

"The NBA Academy prepared maine with the instauration they acceptable up for me, not conscionable arsenic a hoops player, but besides mentally, physically, emotionally and intellectually," Chinyelu said. "Coaches present instrumentality their clip to elaborate and enlighten players astir the game. There is simply a batch endowment successful Africa, but owed to a deficiency of infrastructure and visualization, we didn't ever get the opportunities to showcase ourselves successful the past. It's a fantastic spot to develop."

Jonathan Givony is an NBA draught adept and the laminitis and co-owner of DraftExpress.com, a backstage scouting and analytics work utilized by NBA, NCAA and International teams.