BIG EAST RECRUITING UPDATE: SETON HALL

July 11, 2007





VERBAL COMMITMENT ALERT: Charles Okwandu, C (Harcum Junior College)


2008-2009 Projected Roster

Seniors: Paul Gause (G), Austin Okosun (C)
Juniors: Eugene Harvey (PG), Larry Davis (SG), John Garcia (C/F), Chukwuma 'Charles' Okwandu (C)
Sophomores: Michael Glover (F), Jeremy Hazell (G/F), Brandon Walters (BF/C), Chris Smith (G), Mike Davis (PF/C)
Freshmen: Jordan Theodore (PG)


This one comes out of the blue, Bobby Gonzalez, accoring to Game On! blog at MSG, has landed a BIG commitment for the Pirates as Chukwuma Okwandu Commits to Seton Hall. The 7'1 Nigerian is enrolled to play next season at Harcum Junior College in Philadelphia.

Read More...Click 'Read More' Below!!!


A year and a half ago Chukwuma 'Charles' Okwandu signed to play at Arizona. However, he never became eligible and after attending Southern Idaho (JC), Okwandu is enrolled to play next season at Harcum Junior College in Philadelphia.

To learn more about Okwandu and his long effort to play major college basketball in America, see this Washington Post article from January of 2006: Opportunity Realized a World Away. The article takes a look at how some junior colleges have been working on bringing Nigerian-born players to the United States.

I am not exactly sure how much eligibility Okwandu will have at SHU, I plugged him into the class with Larry Davis, Eugene Harvey and John Garcia for now. I did not find him on a roster for the 2006-2007 season, so he might have been concentrating on academics last season.

This leaves the Pirates with one scholarship remaining for the 2008 class. Their main priority is to recruit a versatile wing player to complete the class. Target #1 is Mookie Jones of Peekskill (NY) High School. Jones is a high target of several Big East teams, including Syracuse, who seems to be the team to beat for his services. Other wing possibilities include BJ Montario from Waterbury (CT), Patrick Jackson from Xaverian (NYC) High School and David Imes of Boys & Girls (NYC) High School.

We will continue to track the pursuit of a wing player for Bobby Gonzalez and Seton hall.