Recruiting Report: Zeke Nnaji (2019)
Hopkins junior power forward Zeke Nnaji is the hottest name in the Midwest right blowing away coaches with fall workouts and open run performances.
Nnaji has earned himself five high major offers so far grabbing opportunity from Wisconsin, Creighton, Nebraska, Iowa, and Minnesota.
Zeke is a player that the south metro identified when he was a freshman at Lakeville North playing at the younger levels. Zeke became a statewide name with his play at an Iowa event in the spring of 2016 as he played outstanding for Howard Pulley’s 15u team.
Nnaji moved to the Hopkins area and started for the Royals scoring about eight a game for the Royals as a sophomore. He then played up on the Howard Pulley EYBL 17u team this spring and summer backing up Jarvis Thomas and Daniel Oturu up front.
It’s been a long time clear that Nnaji had the second most potential of the Minnesota 2019 prospects (behind Mathew Hurt) and now Zeke is turning the corner. He had a great camp at Wisconsin over the summer leading to the Badgers following him close and eventually offering.
Nnaji visited Nebraska and Creighton unofficially just over a week ago and both programs have offered. Minnesota and Iowa saw Zeke compete at a few open runs this fall and when Richard Pitino liked what he saw this week an offer was extended.
It’s very humbling to receive an offer from my home town (team),” Nnaji told Prep Hoops. “But I still know I have a long ways to go.”
Zeke has recently had a chance to meet with Coach Pitino and his staff and the first interactions have been very positive.
“Just meeting with them for 20 minutes, I can tell that they are a very solid program and that’s the reason a lot of the local talent signed with them. Pitino seems like a really nice guy.”
Zeke’s frontcourt high school teammate Joe Hedstrom recently committed to Wisconsin and there is a lot of talk of Zeke joining him in the future. People forget, Zeke has three other players he calls teammates that are Gopher commits.
Nnaji played with current Gopher commits Daniel Oturu, Jarvis Thomas, and Gabriel Kalscheur on the Howard Pulley Panthers team.
A year ago the Gophers were a top 25 team and an NCAA Tournament team plus they have put together a massive upgrade on campus in terms of day to day facilities. “
“I think that the future of this Gopher program is very bright and the facility they are building is something that most people want to be a part of,” Zeke said.
Zeke is currently a part of a Hopkins squad that returns Hedstrom and Nnaji up front, added a transfer in top ten Minnesota 2020 talent Kerwin Walton, plus have a backcourt that returns another Minnesota top ten sophomore in Blaise Beauchamp and a top 20 senior in Anthony Davis.
With all of that talent plus others on the bench the Royals are a top three squad coming into the winter season.