The biggest offer you get is usually your first one, after that first one the rest are icing. 6’4” junior Mike Okauru can now start to collect the icing. During the July Live period Rutgers has stepped forward to be his first offer.
Okauru is familiar with the Rutgers program as they have done a great job recruiting the state of North Carolina, “I saw they just picked up a commitment from Kwe (Parker). They got a lot of guys up there.” Rutgers is just the beginning for Okauru however, he has plenty of schools talking with him consistently, “I hear a lot from Virginia, Xavier, Miami, East Carolina. The only visit I have taken is to Xavier so far, but I am going to East Carolina’s Elite Camp Saturday (8/29). I want to visit Rutgers too.”
Okauru first stepped onto the main stage as a participant in the inaugural NC Top 80, showing he belonged. After that performance, against the state’s best, we wrote, “Okauru is a quick lead guard with length. He finished the day going 11-13 from the field. Once he grows into his body and his confidence gains, will be one to watch.”
However, even with all this talent at such a young age, Okauru is in no rush to make any decisions and is excited to let recruiting play out, “Provided there are no hold ups, I’ll probably make my decision during my Senior year.” He is also aware of what kind of player he is and what he will bring to the table at the next level, “I am a slashing point guard, I like to get to the rim. I also play good defense in the open court.”
In fact it has been such a whirl wind summer for Okauru. He participated on the Adidas Circuit with Garner Road. He was also After watching him at the NBA Top 100 Camp we wrote, “Okauru has a nice combination of athleticism and skill set. He has good length and one can tell he has been well coached. He has a really good understanding of the game and played within the team structure. He fit in nicely with the constant half court sets and proved he can play at that level. While he had a solid offensive outing, we were more impressed with his play on the defensive side of the ball. He has good footwork and his lateral quickness is advanced.”
Okauru is right in his self dissection, he has great length and instincts on the defensive end. When he is fully engaged, he does a good job cutting angles and jumping passing lanes along the perimeter. As he continues to get strong, Okauru will best be able to take advantage of his supreme length at the rim. The high academic Okauru is one that will be fun to watch his development over the next year. Good offer from Rutgers.