NCAA Basketball Recruiting: Ranking the 9 team options for 5-star Ernest Udeh Jr.

With No. 1 class of 2022 NCAA Basketball prospect, Jalen Duren reclassifying to play for Memphis this upcoming season, the top consensus center recruits now reside with Dereck Lively, Adam Bona and Oregon commit, Kel’el Ware.

But they aren’t the only five-star center prospects in the 2022 class. After a spectacular Summer AAU session, Ernest Udeh Jr. has joined that group. At least according to 247sportsComposite, who has him as high as No. 20 overall in their latest updated rankings. The other recruiting sites have yet to move him up but that’ll be expected by the September listings.

Udeh has always been a promising big man, with great measurables at 6’10 and 200 pounds with still room to grow. He doesn’t have much of an offensive game, limited to mainly putbacks, dunks, and anything close to the basket. The big man doesn’t spread the floor and likely never will but Udeh is a good defender and rim protector, while also having the footwork and motor to become an outstanding defender in the future.

For teams still looking for a quality big man in the 2022 class, Udeh is a project that can pay off in the long run. And now we know the teams that are officially in the running to land him.

It’s a top-10 that includes a professional option in Overtime Elite, who has already landed several top-50 prospects in the 2022 class. While that could win out, Udeh is such a raw recruit that needs development and we don’t know what that looks like with Overtime Elite.

Focusing on the nine NCAA Basketball options, I wanted to rank them in terms of best potential fit. That includes most likely to get playing time, ability to make 2023 and beyond NCAA Tournament appearances, and the staff that can develop Udeh. Here’s my list from 9-1.