Strong weekend leads to new offers for three-star Ernest Udeh

One of the biggest stock riser of the summer so far has been Ernest Udeh, a 6-foot-10 center out of Florida. Playing with Dr. Phillips in the team camp in Georgia this weekend in front of college coaches, the Rivals150 big man added to his offer list with Alabama, Cincinnati, Illinois, Indiana and Tennessee jumping into the mix.

Udeh’s relentless motor, strong hands, and ability to dominate in the pain has been on full display the last few months with Southeast Elite. In that time, schools such as Creighton, Florida, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Kansas, Miami and Stanford came in with scholarship offers.

*****

2021 Rankings: Rivals150 | Team | Position

2022 Rankings: Rivals150 | Team | Position

2023 Rankings: Top 30

*****

Florida: “It’s close to home even though that’s not really a factor in my decision. Coach [Mike] White has been showing me love. They are constantly calling and check in on me.”

Georgia: “They recruited me long before they offered me. They always told me they didn’t want to offer just to offer me. They wanted to get to know me and let me know that they were serious about me when they offered.”

Georgia Tech: “They really want me. I’d probably say they are recruiting me the hardest. The coaches are always checking up on me. They show a lot of love.”

Miami: “They talk to me a lot about the development they have done with bigs. It’s a really good program. Coach [Jim] Larranaga has been talking to me and always telling me how I’m a priority for them and that he loves the way I play.”

Kansas: “They have a really great history with their big men like Joel Embiid and Udoka Azubuike. Udoka stood out to me when they offered me. They have been showing a lot of love and how they can help me get to the next level with their development.

Stanford: “They don’t play with academics and my mom doesn’t either. They have a really good basketball program too, so that’s a really good formula for me.”

Udeh’s recruitment has started to take off and look for that to continue through July as college coaches see more and more of him. The five new offers from this weekend won’t be the last. With everything so new, it’s hard to pinpoint favorites in his recruitment. Florida and Miami jumping in early and the short distance from home should keep the Gators and Hurricanes in the mix. Georgia and Georgia Tech were also in early and have stayed on him hard for a while now. Look for Kansas to be a factor as well with Bill Self’s winning background and track record with post players. And as Udeh said, academics will be a priority for him in his decision, which will keep Stanford firmly in the mix.