4-star forward Zeke Nnaji commits to Arizona

Four-star forward Zeke Nnaji has committed to the Arizona Wildcats, he announced Friday.

The 6-foot-11 forward is the No. 35 player in the 2019 class and No. 8 power forward, per 247Sports composite rankings. His other finalists were Baylor, Kansas, North Carolina, Purdue and UCLA.

Nnaji officially visited Arizona on the weekend of Oct. 13 for the Red-Blue Game. UA assistant Danny Peters was his primary recruiter.

Nnaji becomes UA’s fifth commitment, joining point guard Nico Mannion, wings Terry Armstrong and Josh Green, and big man Christian Koloko. The class now ranks No. 1 in the country, usurping USC and Villanova.

Nnaji’s commitment is particularly important because Arizona needed more talent in the frontcourt. The Wildcats are set to return Chase Jeter and Ira Lee next season and add Cornell transfer Stone Gettings. While that is a solid group, it may not have been enough to compete with the nation’s top teams. Nnaji certainly changes the calculus.

“Nnaji moves with great fluidity, he can stretch defenses all the way out to the three-point line and he’s an excellent rebounder,” wrote Rivals’ Eric Bossi. “He’s not yet a big-time shot-blocker, but he’s become much more adept at protecting the rim over the last year.”