Recruiting Update: Darius Gakwasi (2021 Central Catholic HS)
League play is getting into full swing all across the state and on Tuesday night, the premier matchup might be Central Catholic at Barlow. The Rams have gotten off to a strong start so far this year and Darius Gakwasi…
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Continue ReadingLeague play is getting into full swing all across the state and on Tuesday night, the premier matchup might be Central Catholic at Barlow. The Rams have gotten off to a strong start so far this year and Darius Gakwasi is a big reason why. The versatile 6-foot-5, 185-pound sophomore swingman has been hitting outside shots and getting to the basket, and he’s earned his first of what should be many scholarship offers to come as a result.
“We’ve had some good weeks of practices and we’re confident,” Gakwasi said. “As long as you stay in the gym, the fruits of your labor will pay.”
After playing with the Rose City Rebels 15U squad this summer, Gakwasi earned a scholarship offer from the University of Portland. Other schools such as Oregon State, Cal, Stanford, Washington State, Pepperdine, Eastern Washington, and Portland State have all been in touch and in what has been an exciting time for him.
“I’ve been staying in contact with colleges around the country and it’s been a blessing,” Gakwasi said. “I’m still a sophomore so I have a lot of time to decide where I want to head and what’s going to happen, but it’s been gratifying to see that people are paying attention what I’ve been doing.”
With recruiting mainly on the back-burner, Gakwasi has been keeping his attention on this year. At the Les Schwab Invitational, he led the team averaging 15.5 points and 5.3 rebounds, scoring 17 points in the opening round upset over Grant and 19 points in the near upset over University School (FL). According to the confident sophomore, the best for the Rams is yet to come.
“I think we have a good shot at the state championship,” Gakwasi said. “We have a good core group and we have a lot of guys coming off of the bench that give us a lot of good stuff, so I think we should be good and we should make a statement and get a ring this year.”
Gakwasi currently ranks as the #4 player in the PrepHoops Oregon Class of 2021 rankings.