NCAA Basketball Recruiting: Analyzing 6 teams in play for top-100 Chisom Okpara

La Lumiere School is a premier high school basketball powerhouse, who sends talented players to NCAA Basketball programs on a yearly basis. And they have another one on the way in Chisom Okpara, a four-star prospect in the 2022 recruiting class.

Originally from Vermont, Okpara is a 6’7 power forward who may be a bit undersized but still has the power and physicality to make up for it and be an impactful frontcourt piece. He’s a strong rebounder and solid defender and has risen to the top-100 of 247sportsComposite recruiting rankings.

With a strong senior season La Lumiere, Okpara can end up in the national spotlight even more, potentially rising up the rankings. One of six programs will end up with the power forward, who could be making a decision in a month or two.

Which of these six will end up with the top-100 prospect? Here’s a closer look at how Okpara will fit with each of the contenders.

Harvard Crimson

This list features some highly respected academic institutions but the Crimson may be at the top in that category. And add one of the better head coaches in the game in Tommy Amaker, who has developed plenty of talent over time. The only issue is that they play in a one-bid Ivy League but to Harvard’s benefit, they may actually have a better shot at making the NCAA Tournament than the other five teams on the list, who are currently in “rebuilding mode”.

Another staple of Coach Amaker’s teams is that there’s usually a ton of depth and with no seniors on the roster, Okpara will have to likely come off the bench to start his career, as guys such as Chris Ledlum and Mason Forbes are still around. But if he’s going to the Crimson anyway, he’ll be around for four years to get the degree anyways, so the top-100 prospect will eventually start and find a major role on the offense.

Minnesota Golden Gophers

It’s literally a brand new roster for new head coach Ben Johnson, including the frontcourt. The key players including Junior College transfer Charlie Daniels, along with former Division II star Parker Fox. There will be obvious questions as to whether they’ll transition well to the Big Ten level, and forward Isaiah Ihnen‘s injury also hurts their depth for the upcoming season.

While Minnesota is very unlikely to be good anytime soon, they also represent a great chance for Okpara to get immediate playing time and even a potential starting spot. However, the lack of surrounding talent, especially on the perimeter, could also set him for failure as he isn’t known for creating his own offense.