Zeke Nnaji, a 6-foot-9 junior forward from Hopkins (MN) High, is one of the top forwards in the Midwest in the Class of 2019.
Nnaji averaged 19.4 points per game this season as Hopkins finished 26-2, losing to Wayzata in the Section 6AAAA section finals. The loss snapped a 26-game winning streak He scored in double figures in every game, including eleven games of 20 or more points. Nnaji scored a career-high 29 points versus Edina.
Gopher Hole caught up with Nnaji Thursday after his D1 Minnesota practice to talk about the latest on his recruitment.
Gopher Hole: You had a great first week playing in front of the college coaches in Indianapolis and finished 4-0. How pleased are you with how well you played?
Zeke Nnaji: We play very unselfish and we want to make each other better. I think that what makes us good. We are not caring about how much we score, but how many assists we get or how are other teammates are playing.
Gopher Hole: Do you think that is good that you can show college coaches, since wherever you go to college you are going yo have good teammates, that you can play together? That has to be something that will impress the coaches.
Zeke Nnaji: Definitely, because sometimes kids in AAU like to play selfish and show what they can do, but sometimes that is not all that matters. You have to show the other things, the little things that coaches want to see.
Gopher Hole: You went undefeated and have a chance to be one of the better teams in the nation. Is that something that you guys have talked about or feel that you are capable of doing?
Zeke Nnaji: Oh, definitely. We set our goals high. We think that we can win it all and we have got a target on our back, so we just have to make sure that we come out every time and not come out slow and prove that we are the best.
Gopher Hole: You played in front of a lot of coaches. Who all did you see this past week?
Zeke Nnaji: There was a lot of coaches. Xavier offered me. Ohio State has been talking to me. Oregon, Butler, Purdue and a little of Kansas, too.
Gopher Hole: You played really well. Is that something that builds up your confidence even more, playing against some of the best players in the country?
Zeke Nnaji: Definitely. I just want to go out there and show coaches what I can do. Not trying to be a ball hog or anything, I’m just trying, finally, get a chance to showcase my versatility.
Gopher Hole: Who all has offered you in the past few weeks? You had earlier received offers from Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, Creighton and Nebraska. You said Xavier just offered you.
Zeke Nnaji: Baylor did last week.
Gopher Hole: Does that make you want to continue to work even harder to hear from other schools? You have seven offers right now.
Zeke Nnaji: Definitely. I want to be the best that I can be. The only person who can stop me is myself, so I am trying to get as good as I can.
Gopher Hole: Have you even thought as far as when you might even try to commit? Would you commit before school starts in the fall or this summer or have you even thought that far yet?
Zeke Nnaji: Maybe around the beginning of next year’s high school season. I still want to visit a few colleges and get to know the coaches better.
Gopher Hole: Do you have any plans to make some visits here in the next couple of months?
Zeke Nnaji: I am going to visit Minnesota May 10th and I am working out with Purdue, Xavier and Baylor.
Gopher Hole: What are you hoping to learn from that Minnesota experience on May 10th?
Zeke Nnaji: I haven’t seen it yet, so I have heard a lot of good things about the new facility that they built, so I just want to see what it is like.
Gopher Hole: Have you gotten a chance to see much of it, even on the Internet?
Zeke Nnaji: No.
Gopher Hole: Is that something that is important to you in a facility and what they have that can help you become a better player?
Zeke Nnaji: Definitely, but at the end of the day, it is just relationships and how the coaching staff values their players and how they develop them.
Gopher Hole: How about Hopkins? Obvious, you had a great year. Unfortunately, you came up just a little bit short against Wayzata. Is that a motivating factor for you guys for next year?
Zeke Nnaji: Definitely, Definitely. That is always in the back of mind, no matter what I am doing. If I am struggling with the last rep or want to cut it short, that is in the back of my mind, pushing me to be even better, so next year, we don’t have that same feeling.
Gopher Hole: Obviously, you lose Joe Hedstrom and Anthony Davis. You are going to be counted on even more often as a leader. Is that something that you are looking forward to, though?
Zeke Nnaji: Definitely. I just want to lead our team to hopefully, a state championship, but we have some tough teams in our conference as well with Wayzata and Eden Prairie.
Gopher Hole: You were not in the state tournament the past two years. What would it mean to get to the state tournament as a senior?
Zeke Nnaji: It would mean everything. It would mean the world. That is what I have dreamed of, ever since the first time we lost to Wayzata. We just want to get back there and try to win a state championship.