Arizona commit Zeke Nnaji wins state championship

Arizona Wildcats commit Zeke Nnaji won a state title Saturday, leading Hopkins past Lakeville North 55-40 in the Class 4A state championship.

Nnaji had 14 points and 12 rebounds, though he shot 3 for 13 from the field and committed eight turnovers, according to this box score.

It was quite the senior year for Nnaji, who was named the Minnesota Star Tribune Metro Player of the Year and is a finalist for Minnesota Mr. Basketball.

A four-star prospect, Nnaji is the No. 35 player in the 2019 class and No. 7 power forward.

“He stands 6-11 and is a slender-but-sturdy 215 pounds, with broad shoulders, long arms and oh-so-smooth on-court demeanor,” wrote the Star Tribune’s Jim Paulsen. “If colleges were to design a prototype for the kind of player they covet, Hopkins senior Zeke Nnaji, the 2019 Star Tribune Metro Player of the Year, would be the perfect model.”

While physically imposing, Nnaji told the Star Tribune that he has been working diligently to improve his passing and shooting.

“It was all about skill development,” Nnaji said of his improvement. “The coaches there really took that seriously. Most of the practices were about skill development. They helped me work on my weaknesses and develop as a player.”

Nnaji is the only Arizona commit that has not signed with the school. UA signees Nico Mannion and Christian Koloko also won state championships with their respective high schools.

Here are some highlights from a couple weeks ago when Nnaji scored a career-high 46 points:

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