Three-star big man Francis Chukwudebelu sets Nebraska official visit, updates recruitment
By SAM LANCE
NORTH AUGUSTA, S.C. — Class of 2025 top-150 big man Francis Chukwudebelu has set an official visit to Nebraska from Oct. 2-4, he told ZAGSBLOG.
Chukwudebelu — the 6-foot-10, 220-pound big man from Oak Hill Academy (VA) and the Pro Skills Nike EYBL AAU program — has also been hearing from Oklahoma, TCU and UC Riverside. He broke down each program to ZAGSBLOG:
Nebraska: They are calling me all day, texting me all day. They trust me a lot so Nebraska has been the top one right now. Like call, text every night, everyday. Just like ‘How you doing big fella, what you been doing?’ And I enjoy the texts every single time.”
Oklahoma: “[Porter Moser] said he came to my game this week. We just talk often. I don’t know how Oklahoma plays their game but he just texts me like, ‘Hey Francis this is me. We like your game. We are just trying to reach out to you.’ All that stuff. We text a little bit but I don’t know how they play their game, how their program works. But I hope we can get a little close and talk about it and get some visits, see how it goes.”
TCU: “[Jamie Dixon] came to my games a lot last year at Oak Hill. He came to practice. We have been close for a long time. He always tells me he loves how I play. It’s kind of close to home too. So I just love the coaching staff and the playing style too.”
UC Riverside: “I have never heard of them before until the last two weeks. But [Mike Magpayo] came to me and told me about the school. And he showed me a couple clips of how they play their big men, how they play their program. It’s just like, they run everything through their big men. That’s pretty cool too. The big man dictates the pace of the game. They let him shoot threes, do all of that stuff. That’s pretty awesome. We text often you know. I’m trying to get to know him first, know the program, know that I can trust them.”
Chukwudebelu has previously visited Kansas and Michigan State, but that was last year. He is looking to see Oklahoma upcoming. Chukwudebelu said he hasn’t been hearing much from Kansas.
“Kansas is still — they are there — but they don’t show the interest,” Chukwudebelu said. “It’s not that strong. But they are obviously there though. My big bro [Noah Shelby] went to Kansas this year. It’s going to be fun if we play together next year. But I don’t know.”
At Peach Jam, Chukwudebelu averaged 10.1 points, 3.3 rebounds and 0.7 blocks per game playing in the PIT. He helped Pro Skills to 4-4 record.
Chukwudebelu said he isn’t your typical big fella.
“When you see a 6-foot-10, 6-foot-11 big man, you know, they always think he can’t shoot,” Chukwudebelu said. “He can only be a big man. But if you get to know me pretty well, you know I can do everything. I can dribble, shoot, play anything. Play outside, play inside. And I just want coaches to like trust me and give me that faith to do all of that stuff, other than always posting up every single time.”
Chukwudebelu has a wing span of 7-foot-6 and he said he’s trying to get his vertical up to be a better rim protector and block shots. This summer, he thinks he’s shown coaches a lot.
“I can be a great leader too,” Chukwudebelu said. “Run the plays, control the pace of the game. Show my team that I can protect the rim and also help whenever they need help in the paint. I’ll be there for them.”
Chukwudebelu is ranked the No. 135 overall prospect in the 2025 class by 247Sports and the No. 17 overall center.
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