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'14 IL PF/C Jahlil Okafor (Duke Signee)

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Buckskin86

Buckskin86

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Center
Chicago, Illinois
Whitney Young
AAU: Ferrari

Ht:6'8"
Wt:250 lbs
Class:2014 (High School)

same school as Sam Thompson.....
Strengths:
In a loaded class for Chicago prospects, Okafor ranks as easily one of the most promising not just in his state but nationally. Blessed with the kind of body that can play in and through traffic, he's excellent around the rim. His footwork and hands, a pair of key traits, are allies. Has the makings of a dominant scorer in the lane with a good feel for the game and his position. Doesn't shy away from contact.

Weakneses:
There's time but making sure his frame is properly conditioned will be a priority. Currently, he's not an above the rim player. Guys in his position who are elite national recruits, have a go-to-move and we%u2019d like to see him develop one.

Bottom Line:
It's relatively easy to project him as likely five-star prospect. He%u2019s an aircraft carrier inside with the natural talent and ability to impact games and eventually a program. The line for his signature will be long and distinguished.
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http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/recruiting/player/_/id/116061/jahlil-okafor

Jahlil Okafor (Chicago, Ill./Whitney Young) has the feel of a Jared Sullinger-type player. Big name, big game as the parade of prospects from the Windy City continues.
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http://sports.espn.go.com/ncaa/recruiting/basketball/mens/news/story?id=6583245

Meet Jahlil Okafor (video interview)
The Chicago big man lets us inside his life
April 12, 2011

http://www.fivestarbasketball.com/player_blogs/2-jahlil-okafor/blog_posts/2-meet-jahlil-okafor

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tNSjgmBXKJ4"]YouTube - ‪Jahlil Okafor elite 2014 big man-HS season mix Whitney Young Chicago basketball‬‏[/ame]

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wgVIel6BSvA"]YouTube - ‪Jahlil Okafor (Jah-Jah) AAU National Mixtape‬‏[/ame]

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-ICBfV0Qac"]YouTube - ‪Jahlil Okafor 6'8 Freshman BEAST Chicago - Young & Unguardable‬‏[/ame]
 
USA U16 national team

Jahlil Okafor (Chicago/Whitney Young)
2014, PF, 6-8, 269 pounds
Okafor looks to be in better physical shape and is a true low-post presence with his power drop steps and newly-added half hook over his left shoulder. He is finishing above the rim with authority when he receives drop-off passes created by dribble penetration and did a good job of passing out of the post when he drew a crowd. Okafor has also added the midrange face-up jumper to about 14 feet with needed time and space as well. The wide-body post has an immovable wide lower body base when he posts up and off-the-charts upside. Schools in the hunt for Okafor at this time are UConn, Syracuse, Kansas, Arkansas and Notre Dame.
Click to expand...

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncaa/recruiting/basketball/mens/news/story?id=6656624
 
Upvote 0
Jahlil Okafor is a mammoth of a man, yet he is only entering his sophomore year of high school. A 6'9, 270-pound center out of Whitney Young (IL), Okafor is extremely skilled for his age and is in the discussion as the best player in the class of 2014.

Okafor said he holds early scholarship ofers from a pair of in-state programs, Illinois and DePaul, as well as Michigan State, Arkansas and Ohio State. He is also garnering interest from the likes of UConn, North Carolina, Syracuse, Georgetown, Kansas, and more.

Okafor (pictured on right) said he does "not yet" have any favorites in his recruitment, but he certainly has time, as he is in no rush to make his decision.

"Probably junior year [or] senior year," Okafor said of when he plans to make his college commitment.

As aforementioned, Okafor was a big name in grassroots hoops before he even began high school. The dominant interior presence talked about what all the early attention has been like for him.

"At first it was new, but then you get used to it," Okafor said. "My dad humbles me a lot, tells me, 'Be a kid, don't get big-headed.'"
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http://blog.northstarbball.com/2011/07/20/updates-on-2014-stars-beaufort--okafor.aspx
 
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Reports in recent weeks had 2012 recruits Dajuan Coleman and Amile Jefferson scheduled to make official visits to Ohio State this weekend.

I'm hearing today that won't happen. Not this weekend, anyway.

Jefferson, a wing forward from Philadelphia, may be in town the following weekend for the football game against Michigan State. Jahlil Okafor, a 2014 center and high school teammate at Sam Thompson at Chicago Whitney Young, also is scheduled in that weekend for an unofficial visit.
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http://www.buckeyextra.com/content/...11/09/recruits-not-visiting-this-weekend.html
 
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Jahlil Okafor Picks Up Offer From Duke on Monday

BluegrassHoops.com Special

Garrett Tucker

Many coaches have been making their way through the city of Chicago to visit Whitney Young High School and its star sophomore, Jahlil Okafor.

Okafor, a 6-foot-9 true big man, had plenty of offers prior to Monday. But on Monday night, he came away with a big offer that most seniors fail to obtain.

"Duke offered me earlier in the day," Okafor said in a phone interview Monday night. "That's the most recent one."

The Blue Devils join Arizona, Georgetown, Tennessee, Ohio State, UConn, Michigan State, Arkansas, Illinois, and DePaul as those that have offered the skilled sophomore.

"I'm staying in touch with all the coaches from Arizona, but mainly Coach [Sean] Miller," he said.

Continued...
Click to expand...

Ohio State has made itself a trademark for producing big men in the last decade, and it is obvious why Okafor is high on the Buckeyes right now. He also said that he feels Ohio State is recruiting him the hardest to this point.

"Ohio State has been recruiting me pretty hard, but Arizona, Georgetown, and Illinois are right in there too," Okafor explained.

In fact, Okafor is set to visit Ohio State this weekend.

And who Okafor compares his game to seals the deal for the Buckeyes. As a true big man, the sophomore looks up to Jared Sullinger. The two also possess similar strengths to their game.

"He's a true post player and we play a lot alike, so I would say I model my game after him," Okafor said. "I think my strengths are easily my size, strength, and footwork. Most guys my age don't have that."
Click to expand...
 
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Coaches, offers flooding in for Okafor
September 28, 2011

Whitney Young High School's (Chicago, IL) open gyms are starting to look like a major national coaches convention.

The main attraction?

6-9 sophomore center Jahlil Okafor, a bruising big man who possesses a rare combination of great hands, crafty footwork and a soft touch around the basket, unmatched for someone his age and size.

The Five-Star blogger is ranked fourth overall in the Class of 2014 by Rivals is garnering significant attention from the likes of Duke, Ohio State and countless other programs.

Hard work's starting to pay off for the young man. Even jokester teammate, Paul White, ultimately agrees. Click 'Play' above to hear more about Okafor's work ethic, development and growing list of suitors.
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http://fivestarbasketball.com/videos/09-28-2011-offers-coaches-flooding-in-for-okafor

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RslWZd1wPhk"]Jahlil Okafor #2 Prospect in 2014 according to Scout.com - Spring/Summer 2011 Highlights - YouTube[/ame]
 
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Okafor's goal: 'Best of all time'
TAYLOR BELL
csnchicago.png
May 24, 2012

Jahlil Okafor has been asked a lot of questions by media, coaches, recruiting analysts and fans since he emerged as one of the most celebrated high school basketball players in the country. But Whitney Young's 6-foot-11, 265-pound center had never been asked anything like this.

Would you rather be (1) the best basketball player who ever played the game, (2) President of the United States or (3) the richest man in the world?

The 16-year-old sophomore didn't hesitate to respond.

"I want to be the best basketball player of all," he said.

"President doesn't appeal to me, all that pressure, people loving you and hating you. And being the richest man doesn't mean you are happy.

"But if I'm the best basketball player, I'd be happy. I would take great joy in it. That's what I want to be."

cont...
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http://www.csnchicago.com/preps/news/Okafors-goal-Best-of-all-time?blockID=713704&feedID=629

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CoqgozDiiCc"]Jahlil Okafor 2014's Best Bigman - YouTube[/ame]

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GcoDY4LzHms"]Jahlil Okafor Interview @ Spiece Run N' Slam - YouTube[/ame]
 
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Could Whitney Young's Okafor be No. 1 prep player for 2014?
TAYLOR BELL
csnchicago.png
May 25, 2012

It has never happened before -- even when Mark Aguirre and Isiah Thomas were the top-rated players in the Chicago area in 1978 and 1979. The Windy City has never produced the No. 1 player in the nation in successive classes.

It could happen this season.

Simeon's Jabari Parker already is acknowledged as the No. 1 player in the class of 2013.

Whitney Young's Jahlil Okafor is making a determined bid to claim the No. 1 spot in the class of 2014.

"He will impact the high school game in ways that no other player has in this state," Whitney Young coach Tyrone Slaughter said earlier this year. "He is as polished a post player as you will see. Eddy Curry and Rashard Griffith were not at his level at the same time on offense."

Will he be as good as Russell Cross as a defensive player? Will he be as good as Anthony Davis? Will he be good enough to be the next high school sensation to grace the cover of Sports Illustrated?

Longtime recruiting analyst Van Coleman of Hot100Hoops.com reports that Okafor "has clearly passed" 6-foot-10 Dakari Johnson of Elizabeth, New Jersey, to become the top big man in the class of 2014 and has closed the gap between himself and 6-foot-7 Andrew Wiggins of Toronto, Canada, who plays at Huntington Prep in West Virginia, as the No. 1 player.

"He has soft hands, great touch on his shot and phenomenal footwork for a player with his size and body," Coleman said. "He is an efficient player -- he shot 7-of-9 from the floor in a game we watched -- and he just needs to continue to work on his explosion off the floor to reach the full potential of his skill set."

Coleman said Okafor has a body and style similar to Jared Sullinger. "But he is bigger and more low block-oriented than Sullinger. He can pop and hit the jumper or attack other bigs off the dribble. But he is at his best using his feet around the hoop. He has size more comparable to Eddy Curry in high school. But his game reminds me more of Sullinger," he said.

cont...
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http://www.csnchicago.com/preps/new...Okafor-be-No-1-prep?blockID=713968&feedID=629
 
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Van Coleman of Hot100Hoops.com
Click to expand...
I cannot believe that this guy is still evaluating basketball talent. In fact, I am surprised that he is still alive today. Seriously.

If anyone remembers the Anderson's who played for Ohio State back in the 70s, or maybe it was the 80s, Van Coleman was extremely high on them and thought that Eldon had pulled a major coup when he recruited them out of Iowa. Okay back to Okafor:)
 
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