Arizona big man Emmanuel Stephen narrows list of schools to KU Jayhawks & four others
Emmanuel Stephen, a 7-foot, 215-pound senior men’s basketball center from Dream City Christian High School in Glendale, Arizona, on Thursday narrowed his list of prospective colleges to five. They are: Kansas, Arizona, Miami, Michigan, and USC.
Stephen told On3.com he will visit KU for the Oct. 6 Late Night in the Phog. He also has scheduled a visit to Arizona for Sept. 28.
“Kansas is a great team. I feel like if I go there, they’re going to help me big time with basketball. Bill Self is always breaking records. He’s a very great coach,” Stephen told On3.com.
A native of Nigeria, Stephen “is a major physical presence around the rim on both ends. A fantastic shot-blocker, good rim-runner and serious lob-threat,” read an X (formerly Twitter) post of 24/7 High School Hoops.
Stephen is ranked the No. 85 prospect in the class of 2024 according to 247Sports, No. 95 by ESPN.com and No. 119 by Rivals.com.
“There is something to be said about a brute force of nature who protects the paint and keeps errant shots away from the rim. Emmanuel Stephen is a ferocious rebounder and has excellent natural timing around the basket,” wrote Jamie Shaw of On3.com.
“Stephen’s offense is relegated around the basket, providing vertical spacing in the dunker spot, as the roll man in the pick-and-roll and creating his own offense on the offensive glass. He is also a natural rim protector. He has a strong frame with great length, but a lot of his rim protection comes from his high motor and the relentless nature he pursues the ball (with),” Shaw added.
Stephen, who played soccer as a youth, first started playing basketball in 2019. He attended two academies in Nigeria before moving to Ivory Coast and then the United States. He’s been in the U.S. for almost two years.
He told lifnetwork.com that KU is his “dream school.”
Of recruiting, he told lifnetwork.com: “I don’t like to get too high. I don’t get too low. I mean, it’s great to get a call from one of these coaches, and the ones who offer, it’s a good feeling. I try to enjoy the moment … but then (it’s) back to work.”
And of his KU offer?
“I mean, it’s one of the best feelings I’ve had in my life,” he added. “Kansas was my dream school. … It makes me feel like I can do more for myself. Like why would I settle for less when I can have more? That’s what I do.”
KU extends scholarship offer to junior guard
Jalen Haralson, a 6-7, 205-pound junior shooting guard from La Lumiere School in La Porte, Indiana, on Thursday was offered a scholarship by KU, Haralson reported on X.
He is ranked No. 10 in the class of 2025 by Rivals.com, 247Sports.com and ESPN.com.
