Bulls Making WV Forward A Priority
South Florida is in the market for a power forward in the 2020 class and Obinna Anochili-Killen has steadily risen up Brian Gregory’s board since the spring.
Anochili-Killen, who picked up an offer from the Bulls during the first week of May, was surprised by the offer but the Bulls have been growing on him ever since.
“After I played in Texas with adidas they called me and said that they liked how I played and stuff,” Anochili-Killen said about the USF coaching staff. After I played in the Texas tournament they called me on a Monday and offered me so it was surprising. It was an exciting moment. It was absolutely good news because it was in the morning time and you don’t want to go to school because you’re all tired and stuff so it’s good to hear something like that.”
Assistant Coach Herrion made that wake-up call. After that call the 6-foot-8, 200 pounder, who lists his wingspan at “7-foot-2 or 7-foot-3,” received another call from the 813.
“The head coach called me, Coach Gregory, he called me as well just to confirm that it was an official offer.”
Anochili-Killen moved to West Virginia about four years ago from Lagos, Nigeria and admitted that he was not very familiar with the USF basketball program when the Bulls offered.
“I don’t know much but I’m going to try and visit there soon. It’s something that we’ve talked about,” he said.
The rising senior helped lead Chapmanville Regional High School to a West Virginia state championship last season and followed that up with a breakout performance at the Phenom Tennessee 150 Camp in March. In fact, Anochili-Killen has picked up half of his 14 scholarship offers since that Camp.
“VCU, Temple, Marshall, and USF they have been recruiting me really hard because they think I can do some things for their program. Everything is just a blessing,” said Anochili-Killen. Before describing his game for us.” I’m a defensive player, I put my pride on defense. I like stretching the floor, shooting underneath. I know I have some things offensively that I need to develop which aren’t going to happen overnight but I’m going to keep working on it.”
The three-star power forward lives about an hour away from Marshall’s campus so that staff has had the easiest commute to evaluate and build a relationship with Anochili-Killen through in-person contact. Anochili-Killen told us that West Virginia has “been talking to me pretty much ever since I came here in the eighth grade,” but the Mountaineers have yet to offer.
WHAT’S NEXT
Like many high schools Chapmanville played in a few team camps this month. The next two opportunities for coaches to watch Anochili-Killen in person are this weekend during NCAA sanctioned “scholastic events.” Then in July during the adidas Summer Championships in Birmingham, Alabama. Anochili-Killen wants to study Aeronautic Engineering because he is interested in building airplanes and airplane engines but when he was younger he wanted to do something else with airplanes.
“I wanted to be a pilot but I couldn’t because I’m too tall. So I thought why not build it.”