Egbunu, A ‘Wanted’ Man In Florida

John Egbunu’s name might not be known to most fans that follow basketball around the Southern Crescent, but the 7-foot McDonough resident is quickly making a name for himself on the basketball recruiting circuit.

As the all-important July summer recruiting begins, Nigerian Egbunu will be closely watched by national recruiting services and college coaches. The rising Eagle’s Landing High senior has already committed to South Florida, but that surely will not stop many college coaches from making their pitch.

According to henryherald.com, Egbunu had an impressive showing at the prestigious National Basketball Player’s Association Top 100 camp in Virginia earlier this month. The invitation-only camp features instruction from former and current NBA players on basketball and life skills. Many recruiting analysts say they are impressed with Egbunu.

“He is tough as nails and he plays hard,” said Eric Bossi, a national basketball analyst for Rivals.com. “Not many people knew about him going into the camp, but I definitely left with a great impression.”

Egbunu, a Nigeria native who has been in the United States for two years, is the highest rated player in the Southern Crescent by the majority of the recruiting services. He is currently at No. 141 by Rivals, but that number will likely change in the next rankings, according to Bossi. During the course of two years, Egbunu has gone from a little-known Nigerian soccer player to the eighth-ranked prospect in the state.

And his stock is still rising. “He will definitely move up,” Bossi said.

Egbunu said he is ready to use the skills he acquired during the camp to improve on his game.

“I learned a lot of things that are going to help me,” he said. “I think my game will speak for itself.”

Linzy Davis, Egbunu’s AAU coach and mentor, said the rugged center will face some good competition this summer on the AAU circuit. This past season, Egbunu played a few games for Eagle’s Landing High before rejoining his elite travel team.

Bossi said he had heard about Egbunu through some contacts, but wanted to see him for himself. Those contacts proved to be right.

“The way he plays makes me want to see him again,” Bossi said. “He is one of those players you have to keep an eye on.”

While basketball is relatively new to Egbunu, who grew up playing soccer in his native country in Nigeria, Davis said his coordination and determination has quickly allowed him to become a major college prospect.

Egbunu’s athleticism is what has impressed the recruiters the most.

“He has great potential,” Davis said. “We are looking forward to him having a good summer. John is playing against elite competition which should propel his growth in the game.”