Brian Flinn:
Future150 National Recruiting Analyst. Covering high school basketball nationally.
Centereach, NY (Future150) -- One of the more underrated players of the past year nationally has been Our Savior New American (NY) big man Mike Nzei. The talented forward is a tad undersized at 6-foot-7 and is comfortable filling the role of rebounder and defender rather than be the go-to guy. With talented pieces like Cheick Diallo, Damon Wilson and Kassoum Yakwe around him, it is easy to fly under the radar.
It was more of the same with the NJ Playaz this AAU season, as Isaiah Briscoe and Isaiah Whitehead dominated the ball for a majority of the summer. Despite not being the focal point, Nzei has still been able to prove that he should get looks from high major programs.
Coming into the summer with no offers, he walked away with four: Iowa, St. Joe’s, Hofstra and Iona have all pulled the trigger, and Duquesne has showed interest as well.
He is a pogo-stick athlete that attacks the glass and plays much bigger than he actually is. In addition, he runs the floor very well and his offensive game has improved in just a few short months. It would appear that it’s only a matter of time before other schools start chasing him, especially after the early signing period.
The biggest thing that stands out about Nzei is his mindset: “I just want to play. Whatever the coach tells me to do, I’ll do it” he said.
It is worth noting that he is also an honor student as well, making him a standout off the court. The big man will be counted on as a senior leader for his Our Savior squad as they play a pretty challenging national schedule.
With a game coming up against Vermont Academy at the National Prep Showcase in a couple weekends, Nzei will have the opportunity to show plenty of coaches what he is capable of. Don’t be surprised when he blows up this winter, and certainly don’t bet against him.
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