Jeff Borzello
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Jeff Borzello
ESPN Staff Writer
- Basketball recruiting insider.
- Joined ESPN in 2014.
- Graduate of University of Delaware.
Paul Biancardi
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Basketball Recruiting
- National Recruiting Director for ESPN.com
- 18 years of coaching experience at Division I level
- Former Horizon League coach of the year at Wright State
Multiple Authors
Top-five high school junior Obinna Ekezie has committed to Louisville and plans to reclassify into 2026, he announced Sunday.
Ekezie chose the Cardinals over a final five that also included Maryland, BYU, Arkansas and Kentucky.
“I have chosen to commit to University of Louisville as I feel it’s the best situation to develop, showcase my game and strive to win a national championship,” Ekezie told ESPN.
Louisville was the perceived favorite for most of the past few weeks, although Maryland — where Ekezie’s father played in the late 1990s before being a second-round pick of the Vancouver Grizzlies — made it close down the stretch. Ekezie visited Louisville’s campus in late April and was impressed by coach Pat Kelsey.
“Coach Kelsey separated himself with his detailed plan for my development, specifically being able to play and develop at both the 4 and 5,” Ekezie said. “His excellent staff was completely bought in to helping me reach my goals. But honestly, what put it over the top was the visit. Louisville felt like home from the moment I got there.”
A 7-footer out of Southeastern Prep Academy (Florida), Ekezie is ranked No. 4 in the SC Next 60 for the 2027 class. He’s the No. 1 center in the junior class and will push for the No. 1 center ranking in the 2026 recruiting class, as well.
Ekezie has powerful, physical tools and finishes above the rim with force, capable of catching and dunking off lobs, screen-and-rolls or occupying the dunker spot in the half court. He possesses elite shot-blocking ability and rebounds over the rim and beyond his area. With long, fast strides, he sprints the floor and covers ground in transition. He’s most effective in the paint and on post-ups, where his footwork and hands combine to seal defenders and secure feeds — but he also has shown some straight-line driving ability and outside touch.
He averaged 12.4 points, 7.8 rebounds and 1.8 blocks this past season.
Ekezie is the latest addition to an ultratalented Louisville rebuild. Kelsey and the Cardinals have made multiple splashes this spring, including commitments from high-level transfers Flory Bidunga (Kansas) and Jackson Shelstad (Oregon) on the same day in early April. Those two are joined by fellow pickups Alvaro Folgueiras (Iowa), Karter Knox (Arkansas), De’Shayne Montgomery (Dayton) and Gabe Dynes (USC) in the Cardinals’ portal class.
Once Ekezie arrives on campus, he’ll provide a complement at the 5-spot, offering shot-blocking and transition prowess to Bidunga’s more powerful game. The two are poised to be among the best defensive duos in the country at the center position.
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