"1000% committed": Broncos confirm the commitment of 3-star forward Francis Chukwudebelu to recruiting class 

With a frame as big as Francis Chukwudebelu, it's difficult to miss him on the court. The 3-star forward/center who's ranked No. 147 nationally, No. 11 in his position and No. 10 in Virginia has a 79 Scout Grade, according to ESPN.

With a massive 7-foot-5 wingspan (which he showcases on his X profile) Chukwudebelu took to Instagram to confirm his commitment to the Santa Clara Broncos.

The Oak Hill Academy Center had offers from programs like Nebraska, Kansas, Michigan State, Alabama, Ole Miss, SMU, TCU, Auburn, Vanderbilt, Kansas State, Memphis and Texas.

The Broncos program is 1455 miles away from the McKinney. While talking to Rivals, though, Francis Chukwudebelu said that distance is not a huge concern for him as long as he feels "good about the coaches."

“I’ll go anywhere as long as I like the way they play and feel good about the coaches.”

Herb Sendek will enter his ninth season as the Santa Clara Broncos coach. He has a 140-107 (.567) record and is the fourth-most successful coach in terms of wins. The Pittsburgh native has vast experience in college basketball as he enters his 31st season, ranking 58th in NCAA Division I history in wins.

Derrick Shelby, the co-founder of The Circuit and the Prestige Management Group, watched Francis Chukwudebelu rise after he had arrived from Nigeria in 2018.

“I think Francis is a special talent,” Derrick Shelby told Stockrisers.com. When you combine his height of 6-foot-10 and a wingspan at 7’5, and you put that with someone who’s the ultimate competitor with a phenomenal work ethic, you have something that most people consider special,” Shelby said.

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Francis Chukwudebelu talks about his journey

While talking to ProInsights in 2022, Francis Chukwudebelu spoke about his basketball journey, coming from Nigeria on vacation. He said that he hadn't played basketball till 2018 and that his first preference was to play soccer:

"Yeah, I met a coach in Nigeria that told me I looked tall and could be a basketball player, and I was like, “nah I’m good, I want to play soccer” because I loved soccer so much," he said.

Francis Chukwudebelu also spoke about how Shelby helped him with basketball as well as academics and called basketball "his girlfriend." He also talked about his ambitions to play in the NBA:

"I’m trying to be in the NBA right now, but it gives me the spirit to keep working hard. Like I might be able to make the NBA, but I’ve got to keep working hard."

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How well do you think Chukwudebelu play for the Broncos?