Five-Star Center Udoka Azubuike Commits to Kansas

Kansas has landed a “BIG” commitment in the class of 2016.

On Thursday night, Bill Self and the Jayhawks landed the center that they desperately needed in Udoka Azubuike. Azubuike, ranked #22 in the ESPN 100 and #28 on 247 Sports, committed to KU over North Carolina and Florida State. The 6’11″, 270 lbs. monster resides in Jacksonville, Florida. However, Azubuike, who is originally from Nigeria, came over to the United States just a few years ago.

Azubuike has simply been known as a man child in high school. He has only been playing the game for a few years, but he has things that you simply cannot teach. His ability to run the floor is remarkable for someone of his size. He is the most powerful dunker in all of high school basketball, and his rebounding ability is something that everyone in Lawrence will notice immediately. Azubuike is a little bit raw; despite his undeniable talent, he will definitely need some polishing up. He will need to continue to work on his back to the basket game, as well as his foot work.

However, Azubuike is exactly what Kansas needs. He is a true dominant center that will rebound any basketball close to him. A realistic stat line for him next year will probably be six points & eight rebounds a game. That might not seem extremely impressive, but if you consider what KU has been getting out of the center position this year, fans should be doing backflips.

Azubuike fits the bill for what Kansas needs next year. The Jayhawks’ frontcourt is losing the likes of Perry Ellis, Jamari Traylor, and Hunter Mickelson. They needed to bring in some size to combat those losses, and now they have. Azubuike joins PF Mitch Lightfoot (#64 ranked player in the ESPN 100) as a member of the Kansas 2016 recruiting class. Finally, it is worth noting that the commitment of Azubuike vaults Kansas’ class to No. 34 in the country, according to 247 Sports. That may not sound extremely impressive, but prior to the commitment, the Jayhawks’ class ranked 86th nationally.

Here are some highlights from Azubuike playing in high school. Kansas fans should be very excited after seeing the sheer power exhibited by this senior:

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The Jayhawks’ 2016 class is far from complete, but today’s addition of Udoka Azubuike should make Kansas fans feel a lot better about the frontcourt rotation for next season.