5-Star Center Obinna Ekezie Jr. Reveals MCBB Commitment Between Kentucky, Louisville, Arkansas, More

One of the top basketball prospects in the class of 2027 has made his commitment.

Per On3’s Joe Tipton, 5-star center Obinna Ekezie Jr. is reclassifying to the class of 2026 and will play for Louisville this fall.

Ekezie is considered to be the No. 4 overall player and the No. 2 center in his class by 247Sports’ composite rankings. The Orlando, Florida, native is also the No. 2 player in his state.

The 7-footer had Arkansas, BYU, Kentucky and Maryland in his final group alongside Louisville, but ultimately went with Pat Kelsey and the Cardinals.

“I chose Louisville because it has everything I need in terms of winning and development. I have a great opportunity to develop and showcase my game at both the 4 and 5 alongside Flory Bidunga,” he told Tipton. “Louisville already feels like home to me and we’re going to be an incredibly competitive team. We’re striving to win a National Championship.”

Ekezie, of course, has dreams of playing at the professional level, and he felt moving up to the class of 2026 would help him reach those goals.

“After my high school season, I evaluated the rewards and risks and felt college was the right move for my development,” he said. “I get to practice every day against elite competition and develop at a much faster rate. I want to compete at the highest level and this gives me the best opportunity to grow as a player.”

The Cardinals have had a successful offseason, landing Kansas transfer center Flory Bidunga, Oregon transfer point guard Jackson Shelstad, Iowa transfer forward Alvaro Folgueiras, Arkansas transfer wing Karter Knox and more.

Now, Louisville will add even more talent in Ekezie.