pronounced born december american professional basketball player philadelphia national_basketball_association nba played freshman season college duke national championship team heavily recruited high school recruiting rankings years played high school basketball chicago illinois whitney young high school earned high school national player year awards usa today parade world championship earned tournament mvp gold medal winning usa team chicago public high school league city championship american junior following summer tournament team selection world championship gold medal following senior season earned broad american recognition named national player year parade usa_today mcdonald players signed duke package widespread recognition preseason collegiate national player year duke earned year unanimous team selection week following duke victory championship game wisconsin announced enter nba draft selected overall pick philadelphia early career father known african american descent mother african american white youth split time mother home resident town oklahoma father home chicago years old mother contracted died weeks later collapsed lung permanently moved father attended elementary adjustment difficult shy tall students thought class having failed november seventh grade matched father height feet inches later family moved chicago north attend whitney young high school inch eighth recruited men basketball violation ncaa recruiting rules athletic director public comments offer initially interim coach oral offer january outside locker room arena offer noted online picked press leading problematic statements february confirmed statement young guy talking long time games relationship uncle works think prospect grown basketball think probably fan fan time played years high school freshman sophomore seasons teammate regarded best incoming chicago metropolitan area according chicago_sun-times joined team returning seniors finished state runners prior year inch sophomore trio whitney young players ranked respective national classes entering season whitney young considered resemble college team size year feels key players team attending tournaments elite players inspired following freshman season regarded second best college basketball prospect chicago area scouting report possessed improved jump shot feet soft hands physical skills inch high school competitor prior sophomore season described player dominate opponents placing conversation role best player national class august espn ranked best player class white featured ball hard documentary short december audience included points fourth quarter rebounds blocked shots cross town rival star parker loss following season chicago_sun-times named class state team parker paul chicago_tribune named second team state team associated_press named class second team selected man boy city team chicago_sun-times named second team area man team end sophomore season started appearing ballots person panel basketball usa award best high school basketball player country chosen americans junior season june sports_illustrated named future game group fourteen young athletes considered talents respective sport september offer play kentucky joining ohio_state louisville illinois duke north_carolina florida arizona programs offered usa today preseason usa selections jones parker named illinois basketball contenders parker prior season chicago_tribune number ranked team national preseason poll young entered season ranked fourteenth nation according espn december young lost overtime espn ranked young ranked time january led young victory high school classic points rebounds blocks victory gave young record nationally ranked teams year moving young usa_today rankings prepared january showdown parker playoffs february finals contest tallied points rebounds blocked shots including game saving block overtime game victory recognized public league team selection chicago_sun-times parker alexander february named year march finished runner illinois basketball voting parker point margin including place vote margin april team usa selection usa_today parker following demise undertook selections select team american select junior american jones senior season following time participated pro league peach jam nations event verbal commitment duke basketball november jointly prior senior season usa_today named man preseason usa team jones november committed duke giving number recruiting class nation committed joined chicago_tribune preseason illinois basketball alexander dominated december hosted leading tournament scoring finished atop major recruiting espn rivals scout young went tournament losing losing oregon defending class state champions january west_virginia earned tournament mvp based point rebound performance prime prep academy young reached anticipated city championship matchup alexander jones center points rebounds blocks won city championship quadruple overtime points remaining regulation championship game attended mayor chicago lead story late edition march posted points rebounds victory featured kentucky bound earning young title leaving victory away final march led young victory points rebounds assists blocks march points rebounds enabled young overcome record setting point performance victory march won class state championship defeating produced points rebounds assists battled bound sean earned mvp april posting points rebounds including ahead seconds remaining winning west team victory april posted point rebound double double victory world team april jordan brand classic earned mvp alexander posting points rebounds selected man 17th annual summit april center selected player 37th annual april united center recognized team city teammate white alexander chicago_sun-times february finalists prep player year award alexander selected national player year parade americans recognized mcdonald american game organization year usa_today recognized national player year naming usa boys basketball team beat alexander illinois basketball voting vote earned team american recognition april named athlete year rankings center named national freshman year following months beat johnson spot americas championship team usa spent sophomore season ranked number center second best player national class according slam january sophomore season ranked class april ranked second end second year talk produce number high school player country years come close late 1970s nba draft thomas selected second october reclassified class cleared way assume number ranking ranking class november listed number national class number espn remained number according rivals march rankings update following junior season college career selected preseason player year espn analyst preseason american team selection usa_today sports_illustrated associated_press preseason player ranking listed number espn atlantic coast conference men basketball season conference media selected preseason rookie year preseason team selection finished second conference preseason player year voting listed candidate named oscar trophy opened season freshman week november games shot field goal attempts named week november december point performances coaches points november army november december point rebound performance duke freshman record rebounds game second freshman record points rebounds game joining performance earned fourth week award week scored season high points january earning fifth week player week second week recognition following day week january named award midseason list january sitting game ankle injury posted career high points overtime win virginia tech february following season named year coaches media year freshman win year team selection trio selected freshman team jones named freshman america team unanimous team selection associated_press contributed national championship points including key final minutes championship game despite spending game foul trouble defending wisconsin finished runner voting april declared nba draft professional career philadelphia present june selected overall pick nba draft philadelphia debuting point performance july signed year contract july team options additional seasons debuted point rebound block effort included october young team played players age years nba experience opening night early november stopped benjamin franklin bridge philadelphia new_jersey speeding miles hour half times bridge posted speed limit miles hour november posted career double double points rebounds hometown subsequent game november posted blocked shots points rebounds got start season involved street fight individuals november boston november additional reports involved controversial dangerous court situations agreed request assign security guard accompany public december defeated win ended longest losing streak history major professional sports united_states games going prior season worst start nba history tied new jersey nets day video surfaced second fight boston november subsequently suspended games returned suspension december recording points rebounds bench defeat january recorded points rebounds win helping snap game losing streak improving record january named nba star game weekend rising stars challenge lineup february swap positions moved center power forward february recorded points season high rebounds win brooklyn nets position swap considered improvement players splitting time having play natural position february dallas posted career high points loss surpassing nba career high point game duke february posted points endured collision teammate expected game missed fifth consecutive game head coach noted scan knee march ruled rest season tests revealed sustained small tear right knee finished fifth nba rookie year award voting earned nba rookie team honors nba career statistics regular season international career october successfully tried june qualified man united_states team americas championship rivals parker gold medal game field goal attempts posting points rebounds tournament rebounds games ranked second united_states team championships member man world championship parker listed height feet inches game team preliminary exhibition tournament week championship began named tournament mvp named mvp world championship gold medal winning united_states team posted points rebounds gold medal game course tournament second leading scorer points game second leading united_states rebounds game announced roster players including accepted june usa basketball men team training camp camp select man team june july world championship czech_republic final roster announced june team won gold medal tournament team teammate tournament led tournament field goal percentage player tournament team return high school coaches told weak link conditioning personal life mother died years old leaving raised father aunt refers mom father parents met arkansas played basketball local junior college deepest fear losing close told chicago magazine think way older sister younger brothers named father chicago area siblings uncle works police department illinois father known feet inches played power forward parents basketball scholarships time high school basketball player mother played college basketball plays chess saxophone junior high participated stage crew musical distant cousin descent paternal grandfather moved nigeria age traveled nigeria seventh grade
Jahlil Okafor