Louisville basketball target Churchill Abass commits to DePaul

Churchill Abass, a six-foot-eight standout from NBA Academy Africa has officially committed to DePaul, putting an end to quite a bit of speculation. After Emmanuel Okorafor, another NBA Academy Africa standout, committed to Louisville, many expected Churchill to do the same.

Rumors began to swirl that he could end up joining him, thanks to reports of Kenny Payne traveling to Senegal for the NBA Academy Showcase. There, Churchill Abass drew quite a bit of attention for his stellar play. Given his friendship with Okorafor, many thought he would commit to Louisville.

According to 247 Sporst, Churchill Abass has now committed to DePaul over Louisville and Ole Miss. Although Abass is smaller than most big men, his wide frame and strength combined with impressive athleticism make him formidable in the paint.

So far, he marks the seventh notable DePaul commit along with Dramane Camara, Keyondre Young, Elijah Fisher, Chico Carter, Jeremiah Oden, and Jaden Henley.

Looking at DePaul's recent second-round loss in BIG EAST Tournament

This season saw DePaul go down in the second round of the BIG EAST Tournament to Xavier. Despite that, the season saw head coach Tony Stubblefield become the only coach in DePaul history to win a BIG EAST game in their first two seasons.

With the addition of players like Churchill Abass, Stubblefield will look to take the team further into the tournament this year and improve on their 10-23 record. As Stubblefield explained in an interview with the Chicago Sun Times back in 2022 when he was hired, he wanted to develop local talent as well.

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"There is talent here and talent that is coached well. There are such good high school coaches in the Chicago area and great AAU programs. It’s important for us to recruit Chicago. It’s important for our fan base. These players with name recognition, that carries weight with our fans."

Now, with a blend of local talent and international standouts like Abass from overseas, it's clear that DePaul is looking to build something special.

Churchill Abass and Emmanuel Okorafor poised to make their mark on the NCAA

Although Churchill Abass and Emmanuel Okorafor aren't playing together, the two friends seem poised to make their presence felt in the NCAA. With Louisville and DePaul both being Division 1 schools, NBA Academy Africa seems to be creating standout talent.

After committing to Louisville, Okorafor spoke to ESPN about the impact he hopes to make on the team, and the NCAA.

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"I'm going to bring the energy to Louisville. I'm going to motivate guys that we can do it. I'm going to do my best, play hard and give all the effort I have for us to win games."

"Right now, the situation that they are in isn't really a good situation, but I know that I'm a guy that always plays hard. Wherever I go, I always play hard, I always give my best to help the team."

With the NCAA season set to tip off in early November, it will be interesting to see how the two perform.

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