Prospect Spotlight: Clarence Obiajulu (2021)

The City Knights had a massive turnaround in 2019-20 by finishing with a 20-2 overall record. Shortly before the season was cancelled, they were pushing Poly in the regional championship before losing their footing in the second half. Nevertheless, the season as a whole can be considered a success.

While they were led by a slew of guard who can put the ball in the basket, 6-foot-7 2021 forward [player_tooltip player_id="902017" first="Clarence" last="Obiajulu"] took responsibility of adding toughness and willingness to make the plays inside.

"We improved as a team and all matured together last season," Obiajulu continued, "a lot of us play AAU together so we already knew each other, but being put in high pressure situations helped us grow more. We had a chance to really make a statement against Poly, but after halftime everything just fell apart."

Obiajulu was referencing the regional championship game when Poly came out of the locker room and buried three-straight three’s in the first 1:30, where they would eventually run away with a win. In the effort, Obiajulu was effective as a rebounder and held his own against [player_tooltip player_id="531175" first="Justin" last="Lewis"] (Marquette).

"I improved my strength by always working," Obiajulu told Prep Hoops. "I made it a habit of getting in the weight room, doing push-ups or just getting up extra shots after practice or on off days."

A big reason why Obiajulu is so effective is the strength that he brings with an already imposing 6-foot-7 frame. He has sneaky athleticism that helps him explode for above the rim finishes offensively and challenge shots around the basket as a defender. The guards that City had were ball dominant, so while Obiajulu’s offensive attack was primarily from 10 feet and in, he worked on his perimeter skills often in practice and during his individual workouts. It’s the next aspect of his game that he’s ready to showcase.

"I’ve been focusing on becoming more versatile," Obiajulu said. "I know on defense I can guard guards, wings or centers but I want to be able to prove I can play outside offensively as well. I’ve been working on my three-point shot and ball handling to become more confident and prepare for college."

If Obiajulu has the opportunity to display his improvements on the perimeter next season it won’t be in a City uniform. He told me yesterday he will transfer to Virginia Beach Sports Academy and remain in the 2021 class. He’s hoping the national schedule will not only offer him opportunities against top players, but also more exposure.

He doesn’t hold any offers currently, but has heard from the likes of Boston University, Mount St. Mary’s, Princeton and Towson this spring and summer. Finishing with a 3.6 GPA this school year, Obiajulu is hoping to find a prestigious college academically as well as having a stage to compete on the hardwood. 

It’s surprising to me that more schools aren’t recruiting Obiajulu given his size, athleticism and motor, but you also have to take into consideration that whether it be on his old high school team or AAU team, he isn’t featured as a main piece offensively. He could be one of the prospects that become a diamond in the rough that a low major program can invest a year or two in with developing his skill set to the point where he can be a force in the rotation.

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