The 2024 recruiting cycle was always shaping up to be a big one for Tommy Lloyd and Arizona, and Tuesday the Wildcats added the latest piece to the impressive group. Four-star center prospect Emmanuel Stephen announced his commitment to play for Lloyd and UA over several other options including Kansas, USC, Miami and Michigan, which made up his final group.
The 7-footer from Dream City Christian up in Glendale joins top-40 commits Jamari Phillips and Carter Bryant on the Arizona commitment list for 2024. All three prospects played travel ball together this offseason on the Nike-sponsored Paul George Elite squad giving the three members of the class some familiarity with one another.
Lloyd and the UA coaches regularly attended PGE games over the course of the spring and summer evaluation periods giving the staff ample opportunities to watch Stephen before eventually offering him in early August.
He took an official visit to UA over the weekend along with both Phillips and Bryant for the the program's Red-Blue Showcase at which time the Wildcats were able to close out his recruitment.
Stephen had originally been set to visit future Big 12 foe Kansas this week but that is not expected to happen now that he has announced his commitment to the Wildcats.
The new UA commit's rise up the rankings has come on thanks in large part to his ability as a defensive player and rebounder. Stephen has the length and athleticism to impact the game greatly around the basket, especially defensively, drawing high-major interest from around the country.
He finished the Nike EYBL season tied for the league lead with 2.8 blocks per game over over 17 games as he finished the summer with 47 blocks. Stephen also averaged 8.6 rebounds and 4.5 points for Paul George Elite.
His offensive game continues to develop, and he will need more development when he arrives in Tucson as he remains raw in that aspect of the game.
There will naturally be comparisons to former UA big man Christian Koloko, who arrived at Arizona with a similar profile as a 7-footer and eventually was selected by the Toronto Raptors in the NBA draft.
Stephen, who was born in Nigeria, is currently rated as the 96th-best recruit in the class after a sharp rise up the Rivals rankings this year. He went from unranked to No. 119 in August before making another significant move in the latest update.
His addition helps strengthen Arizona's standing inside the top 10 of the Rivals team recruiting rankings for 2024.
Video courtesy of Ballers Bridge on YouTube
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