Chicago sophomore is a wanted man
Given all the attention he's received before he's even played a game as a sophomore, it wouldn't be a surprise if Jahlil Okafor had developed a big head or felt he'd made it.
While the 6-foot-10 sophomore at Chicago (Ill.) Whitney Young is excited about all of the attention he's gotten and has confidence, he's also aware that he's got a target on his back.
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"I feel more confident than last year," Okafor told Rivals.com. "I'm also working harder than last year because I know what it takes and how hard I have to keep working."
Ranked No. 4 nationally in the class of 2014, Okafor is one of high school basketball's premier post players. Essentially, he's a technician in the low post and he tries to play to his strengths.
"My strength is using my low post game using my size and my footwork," said the five-star. "I feel like if I get a guy down on the low block I can score. I'm still working on my footwork."
During the fall, Okafor has taken the time to check out some college campuses.
"I took a visit to Arizona and it was real nice down there," said Okafor. "I visited Ohio State also and it had a really nice campus and the coaches were cool. I've been to Illinois a bunch too."
For now, Okafor doesn't have any other visits lined up but the crowd of coaches who have come through to see him is quite impressive.
In addition to the places he's visited, Okafor mentioned Duke, Georgetown, Syracuse, Notre Dame, DePaul, Wisconsin, Arkansas and others as programs that have stopped by to check in on him.
According to Okafor, he's not feeling any pressure with his recruitment and he's not in any hurry. He's just looking to have fun, continue to expand his game and worry about recruiting down the road.
"I'm taking my time with it right now," said Okafor. "I think maybe by the end of my junior year I'll look to start cutting it down a bit."