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Message: [QUOTE="reedny, post: 1419446, member: 1423"] I'm going to see your "immediate impact as a third year sophomore", and raise you: I think his impact actually starts the moment he walks into the Melo Center next week. Even though he can't play this year, the presence alone of an athletic 7'2" center will upgrade the team's practices. Chukwu will be the tallest player ever to suit up for SU. He brings an impressive work ethic, emerging offensive skills, game-changing shot-blocking potential and even an unmistakable name! It's difficult to overstate how big a development this is. There will be challenges. Adding strength and learning the zone (with all its footwork and mobility demands), will not be a cake-walk. Chukwu also has some work to do offensively - I'd like to see a drop step, a duck-in, a little more range on his jumper, et.. The staff will work on all this. The good news is, due to the transfer rules, he won't be thrown into a pressure-cooker right away. He'll have time to learn, bulk up and develop without using eligibility. Once he hits the floor, from what I've seen of him, Chukwu's shot-blocking skill could vault the 2016 front line to the defensive level of the 2012-13 team. He could wind up being more valuable than Keita: his timing on shot-blocking seems as good or better and he's 3-4 inches taller. Add to that that he already has some offensive tools (good hands catching the ball, a soft baby hook and a 10-12 foot jumper with a high release). If he can learn his defensive responsibilities, develop his offensive game and put on some muscle in SU's S/C program over the next year, he could turn the 2016 team into a lethal weapon. Almost as important as Chukwu's size and skill set, however, is the timing of his commitment. Corralling a 7'2 center at this stage in the program's history -- after all the "chaos" of the NCAA report and the sour taste of the Thomas Bryant defection -- is invaluable. It signals that we're back; that we've taken some pretty cheap shots from the NCAA and can still recruit and compete at an elite level. Along with our new AD, Chukwu is a sweet drink of water for a program and fan-base that have faced a lot of adversity in the past few years. Just one more piece of good (recruiting) news and we'll be on our way. [/QUOTE]

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