Courtesy of GoBonnies.com
ST. BONAVENTURE, N.Y. – Chinonso Obokoh, who played the past two years at Syracuse, has signed an athletics grant-in-aid and will transfer to St. Bonaventure University and join the basketball program. He is a graduate transfer and therefore is eligible immediately. He has one season of eligibility.
A 6-foot-9, 215-lb. forward, Obokoh played in 24 games over his two seasons with the Orange and averaged 0.9 points and 1.7 rebounds. He recorded nine blocked shots.
Obokoh sat out the 2013-14 season, then played in 13 games in 2014-15. He averaged 0.8 points and 1.7 rebounds that season.
This past season, Obokoh averaged 1.1 points and 1.6 rebounds per game in 11 games, including a minute of action against the Bonnies on Nov. 17 at the Carrier Dome. Obokoh set a career high with 11 points in a win over Montana State. Syracuse reached the Final Four before falling to North Carolina in the semifinals. The Orange finished 23-14.
Originally from Enugu, Nigeria, Obokoh graduated from Bishop Kearney High School in Rochester in 2013. He was a top-100 rated recruit at Kearney, rated the 19th-best center in his class by ESPN. His senior season, Obokoh helped Kearney to the state championship.
Obokoh played AAU basketball for the Albany City Rocks, where he was teammates with Bonnies forward Denzel Gregg, who will be a senior next season.
“We are really happy that Chinonso has decided to join our program,” said St. Bonaventure head coach Mark Schmidt. “He’s a high-caliber player from an ACC program who we think can really help us, especially with our interior defense and rebounding. He also is a very capable scorer from 15 feet and in. He’s a smart player who also can help mentor our young post players. It’s exciting to add a player of Chinonso’s ability.”
St. Bonaventure graduated its leading rebounder from last season, Dion Wright, and 6-10 forward Jordan Tyson recently announced his intention to transfer.
Obokoh’s addition gives the Bonnies 12 scholarship student-athletes for next season. He will be the sixth player in his first season at St. Bonaventure, joining freshmen Amadi Ikpezi and Tareq Coburn, junior college transfer Courtney Stockard and transfers David Andoh and Matt Mobley. Ikpezi and Andoh are post players, Stockard is a small forward and Coburn and Mobley are guards. The Bonnies return first team All-Conference guard Jaylen Adams, who will be a junior, along with Gregg, the co-Sixth Man of the Year in the A-10 last season. St. Bonaventure will also return junior guard Idris Taqqee, sophomore forward Derrick Woods, sophomore guard Nelson Kaputo, and sophomore swingman LaDarian Griffin.
Leave a Reply