9/27/2017 basketball Edit

Houston Big Man Efe Odigie Headed to Fresno State

Lyndon Cook • TexasHoops

Recruiting Analyst

Fresno State continued a great month recruiting the state of Texas by landing a verbal commit from one of Houston's brightest inside presences in Efe Odigie. The 6-foot-7 bruiser will join Mansfield Timberview's Isaac Likekele on the west coast as a Bulldog. After announcing his commitment over Twitter, Odigie spoke with TexasHoops.com staff about his decision.

"Personally I felt like Fresno State was the best choice for me and my family," Odigie said. "I feel like it offered more opportunities to not only play basketball but to succeed in education. The people there are very supportive of the college and there's nothing better than a good support system."

Odigie was a heavily recruited throughout the region, with the likes of Arkansas State, Oral Roberts, Tulsa, Texas State, and UT-Arlington all having offered the ProVision standout. He visited the campuses of Arkansas State, Texas State, and UTA before eventually deciding on Fresno State as his destination. When asked about the factors that went into his decision, Odigie had this to say:

"First off I believe it was coach (Rodney) Terry. I feel like he had a good plan in store for me along with a good vision, and I feel like he cares for me as a person and not just a basketball player."

The influence of Houston Hoopstars coach Keith White is not lost on Odigie, who has great respect for his summer coach, saying:

"Coach White was the 'changing factor' in my development as a player. He's a great mentor and helped me develop my game not only as a player but as a person too."

TexasHoops ANALYSIS: Odigie can be an immovable object in the low post, and has a surprisingly soft touch around the hoop. His low-post game has come a long way since he first appeared on the TexasHoops radar, and his stock is definitely ticking upwards. Odigie will draw a ton of fouls due to his physicality and knocks down free throws at a high clip. Fresno State might be onto something special for their 2018 class with the muscle of Odigie combined with the skill and winning mentality of a guard like Likekele.