Emmanuel Negedu Headed to Arizona

April 29th, 2007
NewEnglandBasketballServices.com

One of the nation’s top juniors made his college selection on Sunday, choosing to attend the University of Arizona.

Emmanuel Negedu has been a prime target of Lute Olson’s for quite some time.  That was never more apparent than on the first day of the recruiting period in September when Olson arrived at Brewster Academy by a helicopter that landed on the school’s soccer field.  Not only was that day evidence of Arizona’s apparent limitless recruiting budget but it was also an indication of just how important Olson considered the junior forward when he chose to be at Brewster Academy over any other location in the country on the first day he was allowed to be out recruiting. 

For Negedu, the Nigerian natives’ commitment is the end to a long and well documented recruiting process.  Arizona has been there since the beginning, as have schools like Indiana, Iowa (later New Mexico when Steve Alford moved), and Miami.  Tennessee and Louisville had been making hard pushes this season, and only this past week after a dominating performance at the Kingwood Classic, Florida and Ohio State tried to get involved. 

Two weeks ago Negedu visited Arizona unofficially but didn’t commit saying he was interested in taking some more visits.  But after thinking it over for a couple of weeks the power forward changed his mind, and called Coach Olson Sunday morning to offer his verbal commitment. 

“I just wanted to think about it for a while,” said Negedu.  “I didn’t want to rush into a decision…But they fit the way I play, they’re a great school, and I really like the coaches.” 

Negedu is in his third season at Brewster Academy since arriving from Nigeria.  In the last three years he has grown from a phenomenal athlete with some very raw potential to a well rounded basketball player.  In fact, he is a unanimous top 40 player in the country as evidenced by being ranked #28 in the junior class by The Hoop Scoop, 29th in the country by Rivals.com, and 39th in the country by Scout.com. 

His dominance around the basket is likely to always be his bread and butter thanks to his incredible power and athleticism along with a first class work ethic pursuing rebounds off the glass.  But this year he showed the emergence of a perimeter game, showing the ability to knock down the 15 foot jumper consistently and even stretch the defense to the three-point line from time to time. 

Negedu is quick to point out how beneficial playing at Brewster Academy for Coach Jason Smith has been to his development. 

“The people at Brewster have been great to me, especially Coach Smith.,” he said.  “I’ve gotten much better and also had the opportunity to play against big time players everyday.” 

Well as it turns out there are few others who are as big time as him.