College Commitment: Abdul Mohamed (2019 West Seattle HS)
Abdul Mohamed is a young man with a long term plan. So while things may seem to be changing at times for the athletic 6-foot-8, 195-pound forward from West Seattle, his overall goals are the same. After helping Northwest Coastal Elite capture the 17U Bracket A Championship at the Premier Summer Championships in Salem last weekend, Mohamed indicated that he was still feeling out the recruiting process. That changed on Friday morning as he decided to go ahead and make a college commitment.
On Twitter, Mohamed revealed that he had committed to Eastern Washington. Later in the day we caught up with him for his thoughts. “I’ve always liked Coach (Shantay) Legens and the coaching staff and they’ve believed in me from the start,” Mohamed said. “He believes I’m a good player and the player he sees in me is something special. I felt really good about being there and it’s a great community. I know it’s the best fit for me.”
Last weekend, Mohamed noted that he had been offered by Eastern Washington, but was still feeling out interest from other programs such as Washington State, Cal Poly, Santa Clara, Seattle University, Oregon State, Hawaii, Pepperdine, Cal, and a little bit from Washington. He also indicated that he might just wait to make a decision. But there was an apparent change of heart and from what he described, it was about EWU head coach Shantay Legens.
“I really like Eastern and I really like Coach Shantay,” Mohamed said. “They are one of my top options because of the relationship I have with him.”
Mohamed also noted what it was going to come down to with his college decision. “A lot of guys look at basketball as a five year plan – but I’m trying to set myself up for the best 50-year plan,” Mohamed said. “I’m a first generation immigrant – my mom moved here and wanted a better life for me. So I’m looking for a good education and somewhere where I fit best in the program. One that can make me the best human I can be, student, and basketball player. That’s what I’m looking for the most.”
An active four-man with atheticism and length, Mohamed was impressive at the Premier Summer Championships. He seamlessly fit in with Northwest Coastal Elite – a team he grew up playing with but had left this spring to join Washington Supreme. Since Washington Supreme had the weekend off, he decided to rejoin his old teammates and helped lead them to a title.
“The biggest thing was bringing the team back together,” Mohamed said. “The last time I put on this jersey I fractured my foot and sat out eight months after that. Just to pick it back on, pick up where we left off, and be an elite team again, that means a lot to me and the team.”