Creighton Basketball: Kobe Paras commits to Bluejays

Creighton basketball is a bigger threat at the top of the Big East following a commitment from a highly regarded prospect.

Creighton head coach Greg McDermott did it again this offseason.

After bringing aboard former Syracuse guard and four-star recruit Kaleb Joseph as a sit-out transfer, McDermott grabbed Kobe Paras, after the soon-to-be-freshman de-committed from UCLA late in June.

It was announced just two days ago on Twitter that the swingman had found a new home.

Former UCLA signee Kobe Paras has committed to Creighton for the upcoming season, per his HS coach. Withdrew from UCLA in late June.
— Jeff Borzello (@jeffborzello) July 18, 2016

This is a big boost for what should already be a dangerous Bluejays squad that has the talent to challenge Villanova and Xavier for Big East dominance.

Paras will head to Omaha out of Los Angeles. The 6’5″, 190 pound small forward attended Cathedral High, where he sat out his senior year, but averaged 15.0 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 2.5 steals per game as a junior in 2014-2015. Prior to that he attended a high school in the Philippines.

Paras is an extremely talented slasher at his size who can also harass opposing perimeter players to no end. He can also hit the three point shot with time and space.

As with almost any player his age, Paras will need to get stronger and develop a more consistent game away from the hoop. As defenses get tougher, Paras will find less room to attack the hoop and will have to better his shot selection from mid and deep range.

Creighton will have plenty of upperclassman on the perimeter, but developing a better and faster shooting touch will be the freshman’s big key to finding early playing time.

One interesting side note about Paras is his pedigree; his father is former two-time Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) MVP, Benjie Paras. Stats from the league aren’t easy to find, but he won multiple awards over his 14-year career and finished 12th all-time in PBA scoring.

His son Kobe looks like he inherited his father’s energy and general skill set, but has not yet had the benefit of collegiate level resources and expertise in development. Genes are not always an indicator of success, however, Paras seems to be as capable as any of living up to a father’s talent.

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Truly this is a huge coup for the Creighton staff, which has quietly put together one of the more impressive recruiting hauls of the past few years.

The aforementioned Joseph was a big transfer to support to the addition of likely starter Marcus Foster, who came aboard after sitting out last season from Kansas State.

Paras was once part of a highly regarded UCLA class that featured three McDonald’s All-Americans. The perimeter forward may not have had the hype of his former fellow Bruin freshman, but a three-star recruit this late in the summer is an asset that any team would covet highly.

At worst, he is an athletic role player that will hound opposing wings on defense.

I personally love this commitment for McDermott and company, as he builds Creighton into a power on the transfer/recruiting market. The Bluejays already had the perimeter talent to challenge the Big East elite, and McDermott continues to hunt for diamonds to enhance his team and reputation.

McDermott still has to prove he can develop talent that isn’t his son into top-tier NBA prospects, but Paras is an intriguing opportunity to keep pushing the perception of the Bluejays as a squad to be feared on the national stage.

Next: Early MVC power rankings

Don’t sleep on the blue birds of Omaha, NE.

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