Cal Signs Forwards Okafor, Newell

BERKELEY – California men’s basketball signed a pair of prep standouts to National Letters of Intent on the first day of the 2021 early signing period, head coach Mark Fox announced Wednesday. Forwards ND Okafor and Grant Newell make up the two-man class and will join the Golden Bears ahead of the 2022-23 season.

“We’re excited to welcome ND and Grant, who are high-quality young men with the talent to step in and contribute to our basketball program right away,” Fox said. “Both ND and Grant bring elite athleticism to the court and will be great players to coach starting in the 2022-23 season.”

A native of Nigeria and based out of Ireland, Okafor has played for NBA Academy Latin America – an elite basketball training center in San Luis Potosí, Mexico, for the top high school-age prospects from throughout the Caribbean, Canada, Mexico, Central America and South America – since January of 2020.

The 6-9 forward averaged 16 points, 14 rebounds and five blocks for Ireland at the U16 European Championship in 2019. Okafor was ranked as a Top-75, four-star player in the class of 2022 by ESPN NBA Draft analyst and DraftExpress.com co-owner Jonathan Givony.

“We believe ND’s size, length and athleticism at the forward position will enable him to be an impact player immediately,” Fox said. “He has a strong understanding of the game and when you pair that with his pure talent, he will be an exciting player to have on our team.”

Newell hails from Chicago, Illinois where he played for Whitney Young High School and was an All-City Special Mention as a senior. Upon graduating from Whitney Young in the spring of 2021, Newell enrolled at the prestigious IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.) for a postgraduate year.

“Grant’s versatility and ability to handle on the perimeter is really impressive,” Fox said. “Similar to ND, Grant’s size and length will create advantageous matchups for our team, and he is a quality shooter from the forward position.”

Related:

Bears Add Nigerian Born PF by Way of Ireland to '22 Class